Tag: travel
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First-time in Farmerbrown San Francisco, California
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Farmerbrown. The name wasn’t familiar to me before until I encountered it and it definitely stuck in my memory bank. Not only was the place where I had my first dinner in San Francisco, if not in the USA, but how I got there was in itself an interesting tale.…
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First-time in Malatapay Beach Resort, Negros Oriental
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Right after our plane touched down in the runway of the Dumaguete City airport, at the capital of the Negros Oriental province in the Visayas region of the Philippines, we embarked on about half an hour ride by van to the southern part of the island towards Malatapay Beach Resort.…
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First-time in Kusina Salud through the Viaje del Sol
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Getting out of the capital of the Philippines, Manila, to nearby cities and towns is not an uncommon occurrence among the urban dwellers. With friends and relatives from abroad visiting every now and then, it gives us more reason to escape the metropolis. But with the “Viaje del Sol”, Spanish…
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First-time in Guangzhou RiverSide Youth Hostel (Jiangpan)
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I’ve never experienced hosteling until I went to Guangzhou, a city in the southern part of China. I thought it would just be another small hotel, or an inn, for that matter. I didn’t expect that there was entirely something different with the experience, particularly with youth hosteling, which I…
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First-time in Kaitulari Resort, Philippines
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Before it’s name came about, it was only referred to as “Kay To(to) Larry”, which literally means “Larry’s Place” or “Toto Larry’s Place”, with “toto” as a form of endearment to men in the Hiligaynon language. Thus, the resort became popularly known as “Kaitulari” and the name stuck. Kaitulari is…
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First-time in the Ruins, Talisay
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I went home last Christmas with a mission: to visit another tourist spot in my own province. It helps to know what’s going on in my own backyard, such as the Ruins in Talisay City, so that when I travel, I also get to talk about interesting things about my…
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Highlight of 2009: My first-time travels
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Watching travelers in an airport coffee shop while waiting for my flight, I couldn’t help but wonder what 2010 has for me when it comes to traveling. Of course, 2009 was a good one. I have covered almost 20,000 miles, visited four countries, and enjoyed several beaches and landmarks. It…
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First-time in Calauit Island: A Sanctuary for Animals
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As Alex the lion, Melman the giraffe, Marty the zebra, and Gloria the hippo escaped to Madagascar and to Africa, we also had a little escapade of our own into a small island in the Calamian group in Palawan, called Calauit. It’s a wildlife sanctuary created by the Philippine government.…
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First-time in Coron: A Paradise in the Philippines
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Coron is one of the must-see places in my list of destinations within my home country, the Philippines. Together with Busuanga, Culion, and several islands, they form the Calamian group of islands in the northern tip of the Philippine province of Palawan. Though not as hyped as Bali or Boracay…
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First-time in Tagaytay: A City by the Volcano Lake
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This weekend I went to Tagaytay. I frequent Tagaytay a lot that I have lost count how many times I have returned since the first time I visited this city. That was in college when we stopped by to marvel at the views as we were passing through towards Batangas. Tagaytay City…
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First-time in Antipolo, Rizal
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Antipolo is one of the cities in Rizal, a nearby province from the Philippine capital, Manila. Situated in the hilly part of the province, it has a vantage point that overlooks the whole Metro Manila. Because of its proximity to the capital, most people frequent Antipolo. I went there this…
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First-time in San Mateo, CA
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I’m not referring to a town in Rizal Province in the Philippines. Rather, this is San Mateo, one of the suburbs near San Francisco, California, USA. It’s 20-30 minutes away from downtown San Francisco and about 10 minutes away from SFO airport. We could even hear the planes as they…
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First-time in Los Angeles, California
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“LA is great big freeway…” so the song goes. And big freeways, indeed, fill the Los Angeles landscape. Next to rows of palm trees, of course. My good friend Cathy was kind enough to host me all throughout my LA trip right after the conference which I attended in San…
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First-time in San Francisco, California
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It was my first time in San Francisco, California. In fact, it was my first time in the US. On a bigger scale, it was my first time across the Pacific. I went to the US to attend the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service as a representative of…
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First-time in Davao City
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Davao City is a place where fruit and seafood are delightful treats. Geographically, it is the largest city in the Philippines, with its hills stretched over the expanse of the city. However, the main commercial district is just a small area where the malls, offices, shops, and hotels are located.…