Tra-Abel in the Year 2014

The year 2014 has ended, it’s that time of the year when companies’ trial balances are prepared to be closed and financial statements begin to take its form (optimistically speaking). Well for this blog, it’s time to reminisce and review the places I’ve been to for the past 12 months ended December 31, 2014.

I began blogging about my travels mid-2013, it jump started at El Nido, Palawan in July 2013, the place I’ve been dreaming of ever since I was a kid, and continued on with my work-cum-travel to the CARAGA Region in Mindanao. And the passion to travel still keeps burning. For the year 2014, I've set my goal to travel to 14 different places, both within and outside the Philippines. Fortunately, I made it to most of the places I've listed and some would have to wait this year 2015. So without further ado here are the Top 10 places Tra-Abel has set foot on in the year 2014.

In January 2014, I had to work and stay in the office (Lepanto, Benguet) without much time for travelling. It was all work and no play. I had to endure a month without travel to compensate for my planned 11 days backpacking trip which will be on February. Nevertheless, I was still busy with travel blogging and travel planning. So you see I’m kinda obsessed with traveling. Haha.

Comes the second month of the year, February. I have been excitedly anticipating for this month to come. Big travel plans for my first solo backpacking trip to Thailand and Cambodia. And here’s how it went:

Thailand (#starttheyearwithaBANG-kok)

 

This country holds a special place in my heart since it was where I first experienced solo traveling outside the Philippines. The plane ticket was purchased way ahead of time and the itinerary was planned months before the flight. It was for an 11 days solo backpacking trip to Thailand and Cambodia. I visited the usual tourist sites, stayed in Khao San Road, the backpacking mecca, tried different new food and met a lot of interesting people along the way. Being new to traveling alone in a foreign land, I was able to experience different kind of emotions. One moment I was happy and excited, while some moments I was afraid for my dear life and anxious for the uncertainties this travel entails. Still I was able to enjoy every moment, appreciate every experience and savor every day of this trip.  

The most precious memory that will forever be instilled in my heart would be each day I spent there because they were proof that I can manage to travel in a foreign land ALONE!

Cambodia (#welCAMbodia2014)

Speaking of new experiences, a lot of firsts happened when I traveled to Siem Reap in February 2014. It was my first time to cross borders by land. Believe me, it was a big deal for me then, since I was really afraid that I would mess up and be detained for some stupid reasons (I don’t know why I felt that way, maybe that’s just how ignorant I am. LOL). Speaking of border crossing between countries, is the border crossing from Hong Kong to Mainland China considered one? Maybe that was my first; I just don’t feel like it really was, since it was just a day trip to the mainland (correct me if I’m wrong, I’m really bad with geography). It was also my first time to be scammed in a foreign country. Damn that tuktuk driver for ripping US$10 off me. Well at least I learned something from it. Don’t trust strangers! LOL. The list of firsts continues on but let me just share with you the most memorable thing for me during my travel to Cambodia. It was the moment when I visited Angkor Wat and caught a glimpse of this magnificent temple. Finally I was able to tick off Angkor Wat in my bucket list. 

March 2014 was not an easy month for me. My solo travel to Thailand and Cambodia was still fresh in my memory. So small trips to Baguio City during weekends made it easier for me to move on and come back to reality.

Baguio City (#travelingtoplacesclosetowork)

Since my workplace is just a few hours away from the Summer Capital of the Philippines, I had been to Baguio City in several occasions. When my stomach craves for fastfood treats, I would patiently travel to Baguio enduring the three hours of land travel along the winding roads of Halsema Highway. Personally, I've never grown tired of this cool city. Every time I went there, it welcomed me with the warmest greetings and brought me different experiences. I've been to the major tourist sites countless times like Camp John Hay (My favorite place is the Starbucks at John Hay), Burnham Park (trying different food and resto like Café by the Ruins), Wright Park and the Mansion (the usual picture taking) and Mine View Park (the huge st. Bernard dog and pink haired horse). 

In April 2014 our Company held a summer fest in one of its subsidiaries.  The perks of working in a big company with a resort as a subsidiary.

La Union (#beachingatwork)

My trip to La Union was made possible because of the Company I was working with.  Poro Sea Park is located in San Fernando, La Union and the perfect place to spend a weekend summer vacation. During my trip there, I was able to visit the white sand beach of San Fernando (I didn’t even know that there was one). I was also able to catch a glimpse of the infamous Thunderbird resort, where the movie No Other Woman was shot. But what made my trip to San Fernando more memorable was the fact that I was with my officemates and friends sharing laughter, playing games and relaxing on a nice weather in a fine sand beach of La Union.

A long weekend in May during the Labor Day holiday made my trip to Ilocos Region possible. Two of my high school friends accompanied me during this trip.  

Ilocos Region (#labordaycation)

I’ve been to this province several times. But a recent boost to its tourism made me want to go there again. At the time of my visit there, Vigan is still campaigning for its inclusion to the new 7 wonder cities of the world. And now it has been declared as one. It can be the next big thing in the Philippines when it comes to tourism. It can be the Penang in Malaysia of the Philippines or the Phuket in Thialand of the Philippines. A place away from the country’s capital, where tourists can enjoy and experience what the country can offer. It is a great place to visit white sand beaches (Saud and Blue Lagoon at Pagudpud), immerse into the Filipino culture through its heritage (Kalesas and Century-old houses at Vigan), wonder at the beautiful rock formations (Kapurpurwan Rock Formation at Ilocos Norte), take an adventure into its sand dunes (Paoay Sand Dunes and Paoay Church), and many more (Bangui Wind Mills, Borejador Lighthouse, etc).  My trip to Ilocos Region was made more meaningful by two of my high school friends. It was spontaneous so there were lots of challenges along the way. We walked around Vigan for more than an hour looking for accommodations, we spent a lot of time looking for terminals and we made several adjustments to adapt into the current situation. Nevertheless we enjoyed the whole trip sharing unlimited jokes and stories, reminiscing countless memories and making new ones. 

In June 2014, I resigned from my current job at Benguet.  And the perfect way to celebrate my freedom from employment is a trip to the beautiful and exotic island of Palaui. Don’t get me wrong, I did not resign from my job to go on a full time traveling around the world. I just got tired of the lifestyle at the mountains and wanted to go back to the city as a career move. For the meantime, what is a better way to spend my free time than to travel around starting with Palaui Island.  

Palaui Island (#visitingtheneigbor)

The one place I want to instantly go to ever since I learned about it was at Palaui Island in Cagayan. It became famous after it was used as the location shoot of Survivor (a TV Series) for two seasons. A small exotic island located north of the Philippines that will give you a batanesesque vibe from its stunning white sand beaches to the historical Cape Engano Lighthouse. My trip to Palaui had little preparations. My sister and I woke up one day and just decided to board the bus and go to Palaui. I would never forget how stunning and exquisite the whole island was. The cool breeze at the top of Cape Engano Lighthouse overlooking the Dos Hermanas Island was the highlight of my trip. The beauty and tranquility of Anguib beach is enough reason for me to go back there right at this moment. Oh how I love the place and how I wish to be back there the soonest. 

A year would never pass without me visiting the next three provinces. Much of my time was spent at these provinces during the months of July, August and September. Quirino is my hometown and this is where I grew up, Isabela is my birthplace and where my mother’s family came from and Nueva Viscaya is where my family from the father side resides. 

Quirino (#discoverthediscovered?)

Little can be found about this province. Local travel bloggers have written barely about it and it seems like it’s out of their radar. Recently Quirino province gave attention to its tourism industry with the hashtag discover the undiscovered. With attractions like Aglipay Caves, Pensal and Dumabato Falls, Wasid and Bimmapor Rivers and culture immersion with the Bugkalots, a local tribe endemic to the province. (Legends says they still hunt for the heads of their tribe’s enemies) The province is slowly attracting travelers. I am still in the process of writing a comprehensive Quirino Province travel guide, so watch out for it. 

Most of the days, I stayed at home but some days I spent with my siblings going to random road trips. 

Isabela (#birthplacerediscovered)

 

My trip to Isabela this year were more of food trips and family reunion. Although my original plan was to visit Palanan, I was not able to do so, due to time and weather constraints (Palanan have to wait next year). Nevertheless our road trips led us to different restaurants offering varieties of Pancit Cabagan, Pancit Lomi, Pancit Baui, Pancit Luglug and Pancit Batil Patung. We also visited the newly opened SM Cauayan City and Robinsons Place Santiago. During the road trips, I really didn’t care where we are headed to, I just enjoyed the journey and the times that we were together. 

Nueva Vizcaya (#reunionwithaplace)

Nueva Vizcaya is a province that has a lot to offer. Similar to Quirino where the province is land-locked, attractions at Vizcaya also includes waterfalls, rivers and caves. Recently though, my brother introduced me to this iced cold waterfalls at Kasibu named Edralin Falls. It was my second time going there and I still feel enchanted with the place. The water is so refreshing, the colorful dragonflies flopping around are a delight to watch, and the adrenaline pumping jump to the falls is exciting. Aside from the falls, I also visited the Town Plaza of Bayombong which is commonly referred to as the Luneta Park of Luzon; I also went to Tribu Vizcayano for some retreat and nature tripping. 

In October 2014, an unplanned planned trip to Malaysia made my year more colorful and exciting. Who would have thought that I would be able to visit Malaysia with just three (3) days of rush planning. Anyhow, here’s how it went.

Malaysia (#theunplannedplannedtrip)

Early 2014, I purchased a ticket to Kuala Lumpur Malaysia for 8 days from October 2 to October 9 of the same year. However due to some unforeseen reasons, I was not able to proceed with the trip. Several days after, I was still feeling down and disappointed with the cancellation of my planned trip when an unexpected opportunity came – 5 days trip to Malaysia with my sister and a friend. With only three days to prepare, I boarded the plane and spent 5 days of spontaneous travel around Kuala Lumpur and Penang, Malaysia.  I’ve met a lot of challenges that nearly got me crying and giving up (more on that on my future blog posts). Nevertheless, I still cherished and enjoyed every day I was there. The highlight of my trip would be my solo excursion at Penang where I get to taste different cuisines and where I get to experience the street arts around Georgetown. I was also able to visit the major tourist sites at Kuala Lumpur including the Batu Caves, Petronas Towers, Merdaka Square, Chinatown and Central Market.

In November and December, I spent most of my time in Metro Manila mainly looking for job with side trips to its neighboring provinces Bulacan, Rizal and Tarlac. However during the Christmas Holidays, I went to Baguio City to feel the cool breeze and have a short vacation with my cousin and aunt. But the main highlight would be my trip to the Largest Mixed Used Indoor Arena in the World, The Philippine Arena. 

The Philippine Arena, Bocaue, Bulacan (#endtheyearwithabangbangbang)

As a member of the Iglesia ni Cristo, I have been dreaming of setting foot in the Philippine Arena since it was fully constructed in July 2014. I had the chance to do so during the celebration of the church’s anniversary, but failed due to certain circumstances. However, I was lucky enough to grab a VIP ticket for the year-end countdown concert which took place in the Arena on December 30 – January 1, 2014. Coinciding with the date of my birthday, I really enjoyed every moment of it, most especially I got to enjoy it with some of my friends and relatives.

Looking back through all of my travels during the year 2014, I can say that I am pretty much satisfied with what I have accomplished. It’s not the number of places or countries I’ve been to but the countless memories I gained, the interesting people I met and the delicious food I tried. Facing another year ahead, I just hope that the year 2015 would bring me more memories to experience, people to meet and food to taste. Happy New Year and happy travels everyjuan!