North

I have to admit, I love love LOVE pagudpud and it's surf, but I always found it too... well... FAR.

But by some stroke of impulse/fate/luck/whim, this year, I found myself spending a lot of time with my friends over at Kapuluan Vista Resort and just enjoying the northern vibe.

In the Indochine

sunrise, Angkor Wat

Together with a bunch of friends, I flew to Siem Reap on January 28, and flew out of Siagon (back to Manila) on February 12. This is the photo diary of the fifteen crazy days in between.

First leg of the trip was a 3-day tomb raiding temple run in the Angkor complex, and an extra 2 days of exploring Siem Reap.

From Siem Reap, we took a 10-hour road trip to Bavet, the Vietnam border, then a 2-hour ride to Saigon. By the way, we booked this trip last year (August to be precise), we did NOT know that by the time we get to Ho Chi Minh City, it was gonna be Chinese New Year! Madness! Spent our days in Saigon enjoying Pho, coffee, and checking out the French Quarters and the war remnants museum. 

We then flew to Da Nang, and stayed in Faifoo (also known as Hoi An) for the remainder of our days in the Indochine. It was a beautiful, beautiful town lit up by colorful lanterns. We spent our time there devouring the best Banh Mi ever, Saigon beer on sunset boat rides and just biking and scootering around this historical town.

  

And 2014 is off to a good start! Can't wait till my next adventure!

The Great Sushi Trip

(disclaimer: LOOOONG photo post)

photos of the Great Sushi Trip on instagram :)

Aaaah Japan.

Back in late June, during the height of my post-Bali travel bug itch, was chatting with my college buds about travelling and we sort of mention going to Tokyo. A goal, yes. But not a plan.

A few weeks later our friend who lives in Canada, Chin, said she already bought tickets to Tokyo since it was cheap and then the ball started rolling. We started looking and reserving for guesthouses and hostels then a few months later, months worth of crazy chats on viber, and a few weeks of stressing over our visas, Konnichiwa Japan!

After a three hour delay in my flight from Manila to Narita, arriving in Japan at 10pm, getting lost! (took the wrong train, then had to transfer trains three times, and asking for direction from a guy who spoke ZERO English). then later lugging my 60L Northface pack and getting chilled from the cool autumn air, finally found my way to Nui Hostel.  And the adventure began.

#letsgetlost

photo from Chin

photo from Chin

photo from Chin

Our days consisted of walking around Japanese gardens, checking out the Tsukiji fish market and seeing some giant ass tuna, witnessing a traditional Japanese wedding at the Meiji Jingu Shrine, meeting up with an old friend from Japan, randomly running into a surfer friend from the Philippines!, seeing Hachiko's monument, crossing Shibuya!, watching the Jidai Matsuri Festival (or the festival of ages), biking around Gion, chasing a real working geisha, and lots and lots of gyu-don, okonomiyaki,
tempura, ramen, japanese curry, yakitori, takoyaki, sushi and Asahi!
I miss the millions of retarded and crazy moments with these girls.
My trip was extra awesome because of them!

Till the next Great _____ Trip!

photo from Carla

check the hashtag #thegreatsushitrip for more pics!