updated 12:59 a.m. ET Jan. 1, 2008

I-70 west of Denver reopens Monday afternoon

DENVER - Wind-whipped snow and avalanche danger closed the main highway through the Colorado mountains for most of Monday, stranding thousands of travelers as they headed to New Year's Eve celebrations.

Portions of a 60-mile stretch of Interstate 70 -- the main route between Denver and some of the state's biggest ski resorts -- were shut down in both directions from around 5 p.m. Sunday until about 4 p.m. Monday.

Stranded travelers take refuge early Monday inside Summit Middle School near Breckenridge, Colo.
( see right image )

The long delay had some travelers contemplating the prospect of welcoming the new year on a cot in a shelter. More than 2,000 spent Sunday night in shelters, but the Red Cross closed all its shelters Monday after traffic started moving.

Doyle Peterson told Denver's KUSA-TV that it took him two to three hours to drive home to Denver once the highway was opened.

"I was thinking I was going to have to spend New Year's Eve in my pickup truck," Peterson said. "I just opened up a beer in celebration and said `Yeah, finally I get a warm shower.'"

Rush for booze

Liquor stores did a brisk business after the highway shut down.

"We've definitely seen a rush," said John Will of Antler's Discount Liquor in Frisco.

Leaha Widrowicz was trying to get back to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., with her boyfriend and his mother after a skiing trip but had to spend the night in Frisco, missing their midnight flight from Denver International Airport.

"We're not even thinking of New Year's right now," Widrowicz said. "We are just trying to get home to family."

High winds piled deep snow into more than two dozen narrow ravines in the mountainsides -- known as avalanche chutes -- raising the danger of deadly avalanches cascading onto I-70. Blowing snow reduced visibility to nearly zero.

Authorities cleared out that snow before letting traffic through again.

Gusts hit 70 mph

Wind gusts at the Eisenhower Tunnel, where the interstate passes under the Continental Divide at 11,000 feet above sea level, reached 70 mph.

The section of the highway that was closed carries as many as 39,000 cars on Sundays during this time of year, officials said.

Loveland Ski Area, about 45 miles west of Denver, shut down for the day because the highway closure kept skiers and workers away.

While many people took advantage of seven Red Cross shelters in schools and recreation centers, others relied on the kindness of strangers.

Brian Jerry of Colorado Springs said people he had never met before let him stay in their Silverthorne home because motels were full. "We called the local Quality Inn, and they basically laughed at us," Jerry said.

Blowing snow and low visibility also kept one other mountain pass closed Monday; two others that had been cut off were reopened.

In Utah, an avalanche at a trailhead Monday swept away a man whose snowmobile had broken down, authorities said.

"Two people went to help, and my understanding is the slide triggered 400 yards above them," said Lt. Jeff Winterton of Wasatch County Search and Rescue. "The other two were able to swim out of it."

Rescuers performed CPR on the man before he was airlifted to a hospital in Provo, Winterton said. His identity and his condition were not immediately released.

Authorities had warned of the danger of avalanches in Utah's backcountry, where thousands of people were expected to ski, hike and snowmobile on New Year's Day. Avalanches there have already claimed two lives this season.

Source:MSNBC

CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- Air travel in the Midwest was returning to normal Saturday following a storm that blanketed the Great Lakes region with several inches of snow.
art.cars.ap.jpg

Only two dozen flights were canceled Saturday morning at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, aviation officials said. Across town, Midway Airport officials reported no cancellations. Both reported no significant delays.

That was in sharp contrast to Friday, when nearly 300 flights were canceled at O'Hare because of the weather and delays averaged 30 to 45 minutes. Delays at Midway Airport averaged 30 minutes, with about 25 cancellations.

By early afternoon Saturday, the storm had largely blown out to sea after spreading snow across northern New England, with rain elsewhere in the Northeast and the Mid-Atlantic states. Radar showed snow lingering in northern Maine and Canada's Maritime Provinces.

On Friday, both runways at General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, were closed due to snow for about three hours, airport spokesman Ryan McAdams said.

A tractor-trailer jackknifed on a highway near Madison, Wisconsin, spilling 50,000 gallons of condensed milk and 90 gallons of diesel fuel, sheriff's officials said. The driver was not hurt but was cited for driving too fast under the circumstances.

The Green Bay Packers asked for 300 people to help shovel snow at Lambeau Field on Saturday in preparation for Sunday's game against Detroit.

At Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, Michigan, snow caused some ground-radar equipment to shut down Friday, forcing the closing of a runway to arriving planes for about two hours, said Tony Molinaro, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration.

Some were elated by the winter wonderland.
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"We love it. Business is wonderful today," Sara Voegeli, ski manager at the Villa Olivia Country Club and Ski Area in suburban Chicago, said Friday.

In the Southeast, forecasters said additional rain was likely this weekend in the Atlanta metro area, and may determine whether 2007 is the driest year on record for the region.

Source: CNN Travel

The love of adventure and travelling, it seems, are closely linked to each other. Seeking their wander lust in exploring new places, sensing a new–found adventure with every step of the way, adventure lovers become eager travelers in every chance they get to seek out thrill and excitement in unfamiliar territories.

Thirty-seven teams, who came together for yet another successful year of the heart-stopping island escapade "Smart Hundred Islands Adventure Race" held in Alaminos, Pangasinan, recently found themselves awed by the natural wonders of the new place they visited amid the adrenalin-pumping one-day race that pushed them to the limits.

The racers, coming from diverse backgrounds ranging from serious athletes, military servicemen, corporate professionals, university students and professional adventure racers, all went up to the challenge of exploring the wonderful flora, fauna and exciting culture of the Hundred Islands Park and its nearby natural reserves in a once-in-a-lifetime eco-adventure marathon.

Elite category first place team member Roel Ano affirms this. "The islands were beautiful. I enjoyed exploring its natural wonders and was mesmerized by its breathtaking sights."

Sarah Gay Lao, Fun category team member first placer also agrees, "It was my first time in Alaminos and I find it a great place to unwind and take time off from the everyday hassles of work or school. The Hundred Islands serene surroundings allow you to enjoy nature at its best."

Alaminos City, the home of the Hundred Islands National Park in the province of Pangasinan, is the perfect place for a laid back vacation or a fun–filled excursion. It now also caters to adventure lovers who want a taste of nature coupled with exciting sports and activities such as snorkeling, scuba diving or kayaking in the turquoise waters; and spelunking in the many mysterious caves of the Hundred Islands National Park.
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The city recently wrapped up its ‘’Smart Hundred Islands Adventure Race" with Alaminos Mayor Hernani Braganza and organizer PETCO playing host to this adventure marathon that tested the skill, strength, speed, and wits of adventure racers from all over the country.

The course brought the teams to the islands and islets of the Hundred Islands National Park and to other undiscovered areas of interest in the city. The racers were given the once-in-a-lifetime experience to unravel the wonders of Alaminos and everything in its lush landscape as they went through the race. "We enjoyed exploring the undersea caves, it will surely be a hit tourist attraction once it becomes an eco-tourism facility," Ano shares.

THE ULTIMATE HIGH

Aside from the experience of travelling to unfamiliar territories, adventure racers get the ultimate high from the many challenges posed in each race they get into. The Hundred Islands adventure race raised the bar a notch higher by posing more challenging feats for the participants.

"It was a tough race, even for us in the fun category. We weren’t familiar with the place, but the wonderful atmosphere inspired us to use our resources in order to navigate fast while still enjoying the surroundings," adds Lao.

The experience indeed left a lasting remembrance on the many participants who were game enough to unravel the beauty that lay on the pristine isles and islets of the Hundred Islands National park.

More than the exhausting but rewarding tasks that led them to victory, what the winners remember most is the warmth of the culture and the people that complemented the natural splendor of Alaminos. "How the people of Alaminos embraced their visitors and tourists was truly fantastic. Big smiles were always drawn in their faces wherever we went," shares Lao.

Among those who emerged winners of the race were: Elite Category: Sandugo AFP, 1st place, composed of Raquel Espinosa, Roel Ano, and Merlyn Lumagbas, who are all servicemen in the Armed Forces of the Philippines; Trek Ground Zero, 2nd place, composed of Bobby Relos, Louie Peralta, Padua Editha; Sandugo Trek, 3rd place, composed of Thadeus Festin, Jasmine Lasota and Jake Custodio from Quezon City; Team Sagul, 4th place, composed of Christine Bueta, Dela Cruz Antonino and Dela Cuesta Mendel; and UPM Woohoo, 5th place, team of students and professionals composed of Dennis Lopez, Dante Paulo Unson and Roselyn Cabral.

Winners in the Fun Category were: UST MC Boon, 1st place, composed of Julius Cruzat, Frederick Agoot, Sarah Gay Lao 20 years old, all students from the University of Sto. Tomas (UST); UST MC Chepot, 2nd place, composed of Sid Aris Amarillo, Ma. Jaycelyn Martinez and Carlos Amarillo; Global like Trek, 3rd place, composed of Jeoffrey Tan, Lemuel Basa and David Basa from Metro Manila; Joshua Brothers, 4th place, composed of Renato Ancheta, Oliver Arellano and Alfonso Alpuerto; Batch Pakers, 5th place, composed of Mark Romano, Katrina Erika Aranjuez and Jacob Matias all from UP-Diliman.


More Links:
December 2005.MT PULAG, BENGUET
July 2005. Mt PINATUBO
http://forexpinoy.blogspot.com

Source: Manila Bulletin Online

Transpo Rates:
1. Manila -> Sagada:
Manila to Baguio: Victory Liner Bus: Php 385.00
Baguio to Sagada: GL Bus: Php 200+.00
The Victory Liner Terminal is a quite far from the GL liner so i suggest you
a taxi. Taxi fare is around Php 35.00 to 50.00.

2. Sagada -> Manila
Sagada to Bontoc: PUJs: Php 35.00 - the last jeepney going to Bontoc from
Sagada is at 1pm.
Bontoc to Manila: Cable Bus: Php 600.00

3. Scenic Route:
Manila -> Baguio -> Sagada:
a. The highest point in Luzon - or is it the second highest point in Luzon. Nothing much to it really, its just the highest point...hehehe
b. Long and winding road - experience 6 or so hours of curves and whatnot.
c. Rice and Vegetable terraces

Sagada -> Bontoc -> Manila
a. Kadchog Rice Terraces
b. Bontoc Museum
c. Chico River
d. Bay-yo Rice Terraces
e. Banaue Rice Terraces

one last suggestion, if you are taking the Manila - Baguio - Sagada route, try to leave Baguio as early as possible. Landslides are becoming a usual occurence along the Baguio - Bontoc road due to the widening and road improvements being implemented.

Day 1 – Thursday, April 5,2007
From Manila, we’ll go straight to Donsol.

5:00 PM - Pasay Philtranco ( bawal late!!!) ( Ticket fare – P850.00 )
5:30 PM - ETD Pasay Philtranco bus to Donsol

Day 2 – Friday, April 6

5:00 AM - ETA Donsol
6:00 AM - Donsol tourist center
7:00 AM - Registration/ Orientation to whale sharks in Donsol Tourist Center
8:00 AM - Start ng boat trip, 7pax / boat ( P3500/7 )
12:00PM - Lunch and visit other places in Donsol
8: 00 PM – Overnight ( P150/ pax )


Day 3 – Saturday, April 7

5:00 AM – ETD Donsol to Legaspi ( 30 mins ride )

Donsol to Anayan Pili, Camarines Sur - Bus or Van ( Legaspi Terminal) Php80.00

9:00 AM – ETA Anayan Pili

Anayan, Pili - Sabang or Talisay Port - Jeep ( Anayan Jeep Terminal ) Php30.00

Port to Caramoan - motorboat ( Sabang or Talisay port ) ( 1.5 hrs )Php80.00 - 100.00*

Caramoan Port - Centro - Jeep ( Caramoan Port ) Php10.00


11:00 AM – must be in Sabang port
12:30 PM - ETA in Caramoan Port
1: 00 PM – Island hopping
8: 00 PM – Overnight ( free, pitch tent )


Day 4– Sunday, April 7



Go back to Naga
2:00PM - Spend the rest of the day in CWC,WAKEBOARD time!!!!
11:00PM - Leave Naga
5AM - Arrive Manila


*Sabang port and Talisay Port have daily regular trips to Caramoan every 6:00Am, 8:00Am and 11:00Am. If you missed the regular schedule, special trips are available at daytime, boat rental are ranging from Php500.00 to

Php700.00 depending on the size of boat available. Last trip from Caramoan to Sabang is 2:00 PM

· please bring an umbrella
· bring sandals for river crossing
· packed lunch on day 1 at 2
· dont be late

ITINERARY

MT. PINATUBO (via delta 5 trail porac pampanga)
Major climb. Easy to difficult

Day 1 (July 9, 2005)

4:00am Assembly at Victory Liner Caloocan(sharp to ha, sorry sa mauubusan ng ticket)
5:00am ETD for Dau(sharp ulit to, sorry sa maiiwan)
6:30 ETA Dau
6:45 ETD for Jenra mall
7:30 Assembly at jenra mall angeles city
8:00 ETD jenra mall to jump off delta 5
8:30 ETA jump off start trek
12:00nn lunch on trail
16:30 “mababo falls”
17:00 ETA campsite
22:00 light´s off

DAY 2 (july 10, 2005)

04:00 wake-up call, breakfast, break camp
05:00 summit assault
07:00 ETA summit
08:00 Back at campsite(breakcamp)
08:15 start trek
12:00 lunch on trail
12:30 resume trek
16:00 ETA delta 5
18:00 ETA Angeles city

CORON PALAWAN ITINERARY

DAY 1, FRIDAY:

6:00 PM
Departure from Manila. Enjoy your night on the WG&A Superferry 1 to Coron, Palawan, with restaurants, live music, sing-a-long and disco aboard!

DAY 2, SATURDAY:

6:00 AM
Arrival in Coron, Busuanga. Our staff will welcome you and accompany you to the famous KokosNuss Garden Resort. Have a free welcome drink and a hearty breakfast!

9:00 AM
Enjoy a one day island hoppng tour to Coron Island to the best spots of Busuanga and Coron Island. Our Capitano "Frankie" brings you to the amazing Coron Island by banca. Swim and snorkel coral reefs and visit the famous "Cayangan-" and "Barracuda Lake". Relax on white sandy beaches and snorkel some more of Corons coral reefs.

5:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Return back to Sea Dive Resort from your one day island hopping tour.

7:00 PM
Time to have a delicous dinner at Sea Dive Resort

DAY 3, SUNDAY

10:00 AM
After a hearty breakfast you can hike up to the top of Mount Tapyas to enjoy the beautiful view on Coron Bay and all surrounding islands.

12:00 AM
Have lunch at CALUIT Safari Park

14:00 PM
Roam around CALAUIT to view zebras, giraffe, antilopes, and other safari animals.

7:00 PM
Dinner at Sea Dive Resort

9:00 PM

Lights out.

DAY 4, MONDAY:

6:00 AM
Fly back to Manila by Asian Spirit

Mt Pulag Itinerary with bikes.

DAY 1 - Friday

10:30 PM - Assembly, Victory Liner Pasay

11:00 PM - ETD Pasay

DAY 2 - Saturday

5:00 AM - ETA to Baguio City, Breakfast

6:00 AM - ETD Baguio City

6:30 AM -ETA to Tower, Rider Jump Off

10:00 AM -ETA Bangyaw Canteen, Prepare Pack Lunch

11:00 AM - ETA to DENR Benguet, Briefing w/ Ms. Emerita Tamiray, Early Lunch

3:00 PM -ETA to Ranger Station, prepare for the trek going to Grassland

3:30 PM - ETD Ranger Station

8:30 PM - ETA Grassland, Set Camp

9:00 PM Prepare Dinner

10:00 PM Lights Out

DAY 3 - Sunday

3:30 AM - Wake-up Call, Prepare Breakfast

4:00 AM - ETD Grassland

5:00 AM - ETA Summit, Picture Taking, Breakfast

6:00 AM - Start Descend to Grassland

6:45 AM - ETA Grassland, Break Camp

7:30 AM - Start Descent to Ranger Station

9:30 AM - ETA Ranger Station

10:30 AM - ETD Ranger Station

12:30 PM - ETA to DENR, Log-out

1:30 PM - Lunch at Bangyaw Canteen

6:30 PM - ETA Baguio City, Dinner, Pasyal….pasyal

8:00 PM - ETD to Baguio City

DAY 4 - Monday

2:00 AM - ETA to Victory Liner Pasay

Kota - Kinabalu ITINERARY

Day 1
0630 hrs SM Mega Mall – wait for Philtranco bus

0700 hrs Depart for Clark, Angeles City
0930 hrs Arrives at Clark Intenational Airport
1140 hrs ETD Asia Air to Kota-Kinabalu
1335 hrs Arrive Kota - Kinabalu Stay overnight

Day 2
0900 hrs Take Public bus to Mt. Kinabalu Park
1200 hrs Arrive Kinabalu Park,Check-in/Register

Day 3
0600 hrs Wake up Call Take breakfast
0800 hrs Travel to Timpohon Gate (Jump off)
0830 hrs Start trek
1600 hrs Arrive Laban Rata. RON

Day 4
0200 hrs. Assault Summit
0530 hrs. Arrive Summit

0700 hrs. Start Descent to Laban Rata
1200 hrs. Start Descent to Tempohon Gate

1600 hrs. Arrive Kinabalu Admin, Get Certificates
1700 hrs. Depart for Kota Kinabalu
1800 hrs. Arrive Kota Kinabalu

Day 5
0800 hrs. Roam around Kota Kinabalu
1405 hrs. ETD Asia Air for Clark
1605 hrs. Arrive Clark

ESTIMATED EXPENSES
RINGGIT PESO
RM 1 = 15.00
Mt. Kinabalu Park Expenses
Guide Fee (7-8 climbers) 80.00 1,200.00
Entrance fee 3.00 45.00
Climb Fee 100.00 1,500.00
Park Accmd'n (Hostel) 12.00 180.00
Laban Rata Accmd'n. 34.00 510.00
Insurance 3.50 52.50
Climb Certification Fee 10.00 150.00
Sub - Total -
3,637.50

Bus Fare (Manila -Clark - Manila) 600.00
Air Asia Fare (Clark-KK-Clark) 2 way 2,894.00
Travel Tax 1,620.00
Terminal Fee 350.00
Airport-Hotel-Airport (Taxi) 200.00
Overnight at KK - Dormitory Type/est. 2nights 400.00
Bus Fare KK-Kinabalu Park -Vice versa 700.00
Sub – Total 6,764.00

Estimated Expenses w/o Food P 10,401.50

KADLAGAN
TUKAD KAN MGA URASTIGON
SA MT.ASOG
Buhi- Iriga City

ITINERARY

DAY 1
6:00 am - Assembly time at Central Bus Terminal, Naga City
7:00 am - Leave Naga City to Iriga City
8:00 am - ETA at Iriga City
8:15 am - Leave Iriga City to Municipality of Buhi
8:45 am - ETA Municipality of Buhi and registration to Municipality
of Buhi
9:00 am - Start of trek from Buhi to Esplana Base Camp
1:00 a.m.- ETA Esplana Base Camp
1:30 a.m. – Lunch/Rest/tent pitching
1:00 p.m. – Start of trek from Basecamp to Crater


3:00 p.m. – ETA at the crater
3:30 p.m. – Leave Crater to ascend to Esplana Basecamp
5:00 p.m. – ETA at Esplana Basecamp
6:00 p.m. – Dinner
7:00 P.M. – Taps

DAY 2

5:30 am - Wake up Call
- Breakfast
7:00 am - Start Assault to Mt. ASOG Peak
10:00 am –ETA Summit
10:30 am – Start descend from the Mt. ASOG peak to Esplana Base camp
12:00 am – Lunch at Esplana Base Camp
1:00 pm – Leave Esplana Base Camp to Brgy. Santiago
4:00 pm – Arrival and rest at Brgy Santiago
4:30 pm - Leave Brgy Santiago to Iriga City
5:00 pm - Leave Iriga City to Naga City
7:00 pm - Back to Naga City HOME SWEET HOME


For more information and reservation of your slots: Please contact:
Kadlagan Outdoor Shop and services,16 Dimasalang st., Naga City 4400
Philippines tel.no.054-4723305, or celphone number-09283807493 look
for Jojo Villareal and 09194818634 look for Cathy..

This is my Christmas trip and my first time to travel alone outside the country. I took a round trip flight to Macau because of cheap tickets of Tiger Airways. When I arrived in Macau, I took the bus AP1 which is headed to Macau Ferry Terminal, I need to go to HK to meet my sister. There were lots of Filipinos on the bus. First thing that caught my attention was the Macau Tower, then of course the casino lights. When I arrived in the Macau Airport, I went straight to tourist center to get maps and other brochures about the place. Had my peso changed and waited for bus AP1 which goes to Macau Ferry Terminal. Daming pinoy sa bus kaya lang nahiya ako magtanong, ginamit ko na lang ang map. But when I get to the ferry, I can't find the ferry line that goes to Kowloon, hirap magtanong, halos lahat Chinese at di marunong mag english, kelangan sign language o kaya dapat may visual aids, para magkainintindihan kau. When I arrived in HK, I already have a walking map that leads me to my sister's hotel, it was just walking distance from the terminal. Of course, I was like a "promdi" walking along the Canton Road, it was so crowded, but at least not the type of crowd here in Manila. I was suppose to take the shortcut to Kowloon Park going to Prudential hotel but I chose to walk along Canton and Haiphong Road which seem to be busy streets. It was already 9PM when I arrived the ferry and yet it was still busy, shops were still open and again, crowds on the sidewalk.They were already sleeping when I arrived in their hotel, but i still wanted to go out.So I called my college friend of mine, Robert, who's a resident there, and accompanied me to roam around Kowloon eventhough its late, so we went to Mong Kok and southern part of Kowloon. Then after that we went to Hong Kong Island, took a star ferry, we went to Victoria Peak. Then next stop was Disneyland! It was a day full of walking,I was very very tired. We have to wake up early for a daytrip in Macau. Roaming around Macao is quite difficult, bus stops are quite confusing. bus stops are quite confusing. But all we wanted is to see the Senado Square and from there, it is just a walking distance going to St Paul Ruins Church. Before we went there, we made a stop to the fisherman's village, very nice place to take pictures. We took a deluxe seat in ferry going back to HK because all the ordinary class were taken. i just spent a night to my sister's hotel room ( because it's free! ) then I woke up early and headed back to Macau to catch my flight to Philippines.

Our thanksgiving getaway, another trip that I wouldn't forget this year. Its not because of the place, but because of what happened to us. Yas and Arnel were supposed to come but things changed because of Arnel's work. So, Lem bought their tickets to have his sibs use it. As usual, Lem was late again, so we missed the flight, we were suppose to meet my officemate, Brian, in Cebu who already got there the day before our flight. So Lem paid the rebooking fee,our morning flight was moved to an afternoon flight, meaning, we still have lots of time to wait...and so we waited, learned our lessons, but then again, by the time we got to the airport, it was then realized that our tickets was missing, Lem left it! We still have 1 hour to wait for the tickets, someone from Lem's house went to the airport to fetch our tickets, so she arrived 30 minutes prior to our flight. When we are about to check-in, as ive handed out the tickets, the lady said that we can't take the flight because we were LATE, she said that we must have checked in 45 minutes before the flight. We beg her but she still didnt allowed us, and so we moved to different window ( Lem gave up and wanted to go home ). I approached the man who's on that window but still they wouldnt let us, then I started to change the tone of my voice and said things they wouldnt like, then he started to radio some of his folks whose on the plane, the officer at the back spoke to him and when he approached us, he told us that there were only 3 seats available but there were 4 of us (daym!) One of us have to sacrifice, Lem's younger sister volunteered. We were all pressured, it happened so fast because we have to board the plane in 5 minutes, the officers there didnt even checked our IDs. We still tried to wait for Lem's sister to follow but because of Cebu Pacific's lousy system, she didn't made it. Because of all the delays that have happened, we have to adjust our itinerary, our top priority is to get to Malapascua to dive. So, we did the best way we can, called our dive instructor and asked if he have some friends in Malapascua who can meet us there. For those who still don't know where Malaspascua is, its on the northest point of Cebu.To get there, you need to go to Maya, then take a boat to Malapascua from there, Maya is 4 hours bus ride away from Cebu City. Its popular for thresher and white tip SHARKS! From Manila, we've reached Cebu at around 6AM, we still tried our best to wait for Lem's sister but there's no luck. To reach Maya, we took the 1AM bus going there. When we arrived in Maya at around 5AM, our dive boat was already waiting for us, we didn't had time to go to the island so we went straight to the dive site. Monad Shoal, this is the dive site where you can see thresher sharks, we rushed to this site from Cebu City because you can only see these creatures during sunrise. And so we jumped, the site was like a desert, its just full of dead corals, our dive master keeps on waving his knife to attract attention. I thought that we're not going to see one, I was just so surprise when one of our guides held my arm to stay still and he's pointing towards the 10-ft ( or more ) thresher shark!!!. It was so huge, we were like 10 meters away from the creature and it was just circling around then it vanished out of the blue. It was so very early at that time so the visibility is not that good. Then we continued to roam around the site, then we saw another one! Then another one, a total of three sharks in one dive! They've said that we were lucky because other tourist divers were not that fortunate to see one on their first dive. After the first dive, we came to meet my officemate, Brian, who was already there a day before with his girlfriend. Then our next dive was in Gato island, this is where we encountered white tip sharks. Then after all the dives, we went back to Cebu City. The day after that was our Bohol daytrip. We hired a van for P3000 for a daytrip plan, we went to Baclayon Church, had lunch in Loboc River, then went to Chocolate Hills,then spent a night in Panglao Beach Resort.

This was planned because of the P99 Cebu Pacific promo, and because of the promo deadline, 3 of my Sykes friends have to set the right date for the trip, and because of that, it resulted to a conflict on our work schedule, because of that, we have to pay additional fee for the reschedule. Then it ended up to trip cancellation, two of my friends (Dex and Allen) backed out because Allen's mom didn't let her come because of the storm, not to mention the "cat story" ( its another factor). So it seems that there were only two of us who would go, ako at c Dencio. Good thing that Cindy informed us that they'll be in Boracay too! At, eto pa, c Lem pahabol din ( complete attendance to sa lahat ng trips ko ), nandon din cla on that date na punta kmi, at eto pa, c Yas n Arnel nagpunta rin, hahaha, saya! Kanya kanyang trip, Cindy was with her officemate na c Rhea, Lem's with his officemates and Thai business partner and Yas is with Arnel. One thing that I wouldn't forget here was my Camia II dive, this was my first wreck dive, and the deepest dive that I've had ( 98 ft ), my tank just lasted for just 30 mins. The feeling was so eerie, I was amazed from the moment that I saw it from afar, and even more excited when tried to pass through its holes and compartments.

Before, this place was just nothing to me. Because of diving, Ive learned to appreciate this place, kaya lang medyo magastos lang kc, if you want to dive, you have to stay sa resort then of course you'll have to pay for your room and food, not to mention ung bayad mo sa divemaster, sa equipment, so the best thing to do is, daytrip na lang at magdala ng baon, in short, buhay iskwater uli. This was our check out dive ni Lem at Mang Ito, parang "graduation" sa diving where magdive na sa actual environment instead sa pool.It was amazing, it was m y first time to seea school of barracudas and a blue eel ( cool!, hehe! ). I've also met divers from VT (virtual tourist),happened to be high school friend of Mam Cele ( small world! )

At last, we had the chance to see what's in this festival. Salamat sa host namen for this trip na c DJ, we stayed to their place a night before the festval.Nagkita kita kmi sa Wendy's buendia,convoy kmi ni DJ at hindi makatulog c Grace sa byahe kahit late na kc ako ung nagdadrive, haha ( walang tiwala ). Then ako pinakamaaga magising sa lahat kc wala kming electric fan don sa room na pinag stayan namen, hehe, c Yas n french girl sarap ng tulog. Wla na kming ginawa sa festival kundi magpapicture sa bahay bahay, at pumapasok pa sa loob para makakuha ng shot sa bintana ( kakapal ng mukha)

Wala kaming maisip na place for our Holy Week getaway, last year we were in Coron, Palawan, this time, we thought of going to Capones Island (naging sikat because of Extra Challenge ). Punta kami sa San Antonio, Zambales. 2 sasakyan dala namen na dapat convoy according to plan, because of Lem's magulong decision, nauna cla with Diego and Grace, and because of my work sa Sykes, I can only go after my shift which is Saturday morning, I was with Arnel, Reggie, Sir Dele and Apol. Pagdating namen sa Zambales, naabutan namen cla Lem sa Pundaquit, nakabalik na cla from Capones Island, plano dapat ay magovernight don kaya lang nainitan cla at wala daw puno sa island. So plano nilang mag overnight na lang sa SBMA, since kakarating lang namen, wala kaming balak sumama sa kanila, at don na lang kmi sa Capones, sabi ng mga bangkero don na may malapit na island sa Capones na pde kami mag stay overnight. Ung island na napuntahan namen is a unique island because ngaun lang ako nakakita ng island full of pine trees instead of coconut trees. it was a nice place to pitch a tent but wala kaming dalang tent, ala ring burner, in short iskwater kmi don, as usual bivouac na naman sa beach front.

The year started to kickoff in Kinabalu, Malaysia. So this time around we're not in Kuala Lumpur but on the other half of Malaysia which is Sabah, near to Borneo and Brunei. We all wanted to conquer Mt Kinabalu (13,435 ft), the highest mountain in southeast Asia and so we did. From Clark, we arrived in Sabah then took a cab to the Mt Kinabalu park to confirm our reservation, and there we've met Dan from Montana, Ann and Tom ( dutch couple), Thomas from Germany, we were in one group led by Marcilius, our Malaysian mountain guide. It was "raining" during our orientation, this was the day before our climb. Thank God for a very nice weather! By the time we woke up, it was very foggy, we thought that its gonna rain but it didnt, we took the Timpohon trail ( the easy trail ),we started to climb in the morning then arrived in Laban Rata in the afternoon. Laban Rata is a hut where we all stayed. Food, beverages, hot showers,and heated rooms are all in this hut, this is 2-4 hour trek away from the summit. We woke up at around 1AM then started to pack for the summit, we all left the hut at around 2AM, then we reached the summit at around 4-5AM, it was still dark and everyone was freezing, I couldn't even press the camera's shot button because my hands felt so numb. Everyone was busy taking pictures when the light came up and was amazed with the granite rock around us. Then the day we left the mountain, it rained! You see how lucky we are!!! Then we took white water rafting somewhere in sabah as a side trip, it was so extreme that even an 8 year old kid can come and paddle, hahaha! Here comes our Brunei trip, we only have few time to think on how can we go there for just a daytrip. Mam Cele and Bob didnt come because they think that it would be impossible to come back to Sabah on the same day, but Lem and I took that risk. From Sabah, there are lots of ways on how to go to Brunei, the easiest way is to take a flight straight from Sabah to Brunei, which is impossible because its too expensive...so we took the hard way..we have to come up with a plan on how can we budget our time for 2 ferry rides and 1 bus ride to go Brunei. Thats one ferry ride from Sabah to Labuan, then Labuan Island to Muara of Brunei, then bus from Muara Brunei to Bandar Seri, Brunei. As a result, we only have 45 minutes to roam around on Bandar Seri Brunei and have to come back to the Muara port to catch the last trip going back to Sabah, but we missed the bus going back to Muara port,so we took other bus going somewhere near to the port then take a cab from where its going to drop us. And from the drop point, there were no taxi!, we're going to be late, if we cant catch the last ferry boat going back to Malaysia, we're going to miss our flight back to the Philippines. Good thing that there's a good samaritan who was willing to give us a ride to the port. Then we took the ferry going back to Labuan, and from there, we had another problem, we can't find a money changer!! All we have are Brunei dollars...all the shops was already closed. Plus, we can't find any taxi thats gonna bring us to Labuan airport, we have to catch our flight from Labuan to Sabah, after searching for money changers, we met another good samaritan who gave us a free ride going to the airport (whew! what a relief!).Finally, we're on the airport, and it was just like a 15 minute ride from Labuan to Sabah. Then the day after, we went back to Pinas.

This is an induction climb of Mapua Mountaineering Club, where applicants are about to become fulfilled members of the club. Sobrang tanda ko na ata at di ko na kilala ung ibang members, hehe. People that I know is Jonie, Nico, Ponkan, Sir Dele, Sir Marlon and Mam Marian, Jen. And its quite funny that theyre all still being bound by rules within that activity, some follows it and others dont give a damn. We took the "Akiki" trail, its quite difficult for me, but i needed it because I need to test my knees before I'll go toMt Kinabalu. One thing that I wouldnt forget in this climb, that was when we were in the grassland, sobrang ginaw!Lakas ng hangin na may halong ambon, considering that we are in Benguet and on a high elevation. I think it was like 10 degree celcius at that time. I was about to surrender because of the extreme cold. The applicants where guided by Jonie, it was dark and theyre still not in the campsite, good thing pinaiwan na lang ni Jonie mga bags ng applicants dahil sobrang ginaw na cla at malapit na ma hypo. Dami namin ksabay sa climb, mga taga UST and Ateneo. Bad trip lang sa climb na to ay walang clearing, we didnt had the chance to see the grassland because of the weather. So bumaba na lang kmi ng after the induction rites, we took the Ambangeg trail, then ride a jeep going to DENR.Then we stayed a day in Baguio, and thanks to the jeepney driver na sinoli nya pa ung digicam na hiniram ko pa kay James. Ako nalang umuwi mag - isa going to Manila because I need to go to work, muntik pa kong late, from Baguio, I went straight to Makati, and back to work again.

This a trip that i wouldnt forget, this is my first time to get out of the country...thanks to AirAsia, hehehe. On this trip, im with Cindy and Lemuel. From Manila, we went to Clark Pampanga, then Patricia ( my Malaysian friend) picked us up in Kuala Lumpur airport. We were suppose to stay in a dorm type hostel, but we asked Patricia if we can stay on her place ( kakapal ng mukha, hehe). Then she toured us in Genting Highlands, a few hours away from the city, parang Tagaytay meets Fiesta Carnival, hehe kc meron din indoor amusement park for kids. Nag cable car going up to the top of the mountain where Genting is, they say that it is Asia's longest cable car, im not sure if its updated. Cindy was dying to rockclimb there so while we were waiting for her, me and Lem spent our time and money in Casino, hehe, good thing that i won kundi la na ko pang tour sa Singapore. Then one of the thing i cant forget here is the Sky Venture, an indoor sky diving that me and Lem took, click here to see our actual video, unfortunately the schedule for that day is full so we have to set appointment for the next day. After a tiring day in Genting, we all had dinner somewhere in a busy street of Kuala Lumpur. Then we headed to train station going Singapore. Patricia cant come with us because she has to go to work. It was around 10pm when we departed Kuala Lumpur and by the time we woke up at 6am, we're already in Singapore, woohoo! Just so you know, we each have our bed in the train, we wouldnt let ourselves seat and wait on that ride for 9 hours, hehe. I can still remember when there was a passport check in the train, the immigration officer was banging the comfort room door while Cindy's inside because they thought that she's hiding. When we arrived in Singapore, we have our map but we dont know where to go, hehe. We called Cindy's sister's friend to meet us in a MRT station. We had lunch on their place, but they have to leave us because they all have to go to work. The 3 of us went to Suntec city on our own, then spent our day in Sentosa, watched a dophin show, toured in underwater tunnel, watched the musical fountain. After a long day again, its time to go back to the train station to sleep and be awake in Kuala Lumpur, hehe. At least that round trip train ride saved us from paying 2 nights in a hotel. When we arrived in Kuala Lumpur, we went to Batu caves and met Patricia on her workplace, btw she works in HP. Me and Lem went back to Genting to have our Sky Venture while Patricia and Cindy went to go shopping. Then we all gathered in Starbucks in HP building. Then we went to Kuala Lumpur Tower, we were able to get better night shots of the whole city. We had our last tour in the city for it is our last night. I took some shots of Petronas tower. Then we stayed on Patricia's place again, she really was a great help, she took care our accomodations while we were in Malaysia. Then on the next day, on our way to the airport, we dropped by in Putrajaya, this is a place in Malaysia where all their government agencies are located, its a very nice place and very unique structures, the Sultan's place looks like Taj Mahal, only its green. When we were in the airport,me and Cindy had our scene in the immigration that i wouldnt forget too, haha. ( its a long story, cant tell it here)

I didnt expect that we would really go here, kala ko kwentuhan lang...hehe. Waterfalls is not a big deal to us, we can always go to places where we wouldnt have to pay just to experience the water, so its pretty stupid thing that we went here to pay..we dont usually go to tourist traps. At least na experience namen ng hindi napapagod, but its not a type of place na gusto mong balikan. This is the first time ata na nag tour kmi ng hindi kmi napagod, because from the very start up to the falls area, cla nagtulak ng bangka.Im with Pac, Lem, Yas, Arnel and Jano. Nadaanan namen ung location ng Tabing Ilog, hehe. Picture on the left is a little cave behind the waterfall. Si Jano and Pac ata ung nakatayo sa bamboo raft. Medyo abusive nga lang dito mga tao dito kc kahit advertised na ung price ng package, nag demand pa rin cla ng tip for each of them na nagtulak ng bangka. Then on our way home, dumaan kmi Caliraya, pero sa labas lang kmi.

This is my favorite shot when we went here. Punta pa talaga ko sa kabilang side ng trail para kunan cla naglalakad. Sobrang nakakapagod tong trip na to, 7 hours papunta sa campsite, then another 2 hours going to the crater, whew! Not to mention that we didnt had sleep at all because we came straight from work. Pumasok ako work ng Fri night ng 9pm then after work, kita kits kmi nila Jano, Edmon, Lemuel, Grace and Diego ng 6am sa Makati ng Saturday ( same Palawan team, la nga lang David ) then byahe to Pampanga, then start ng trek, after 7 hours, nakarating na kmi ng campsite around 6pm ng Sat, la na tlaga ako tulog!!! (24 hrs gising). Then konting tulog, hirap pa matulog kc siksikan kmi sa tent, ang laki pa ng mga bato tumatama sa likod namen. Sunday 6am, trek again going crater ( see pic on right ). After crater, balik campsite, ligpit tent, tapos balik na uli, bad trip lang kc another 7 hours uli, kc flat ground lang naman tinahak namen, at dito nasira ang tuhod ko, kakalakad. Daming falls na madadaanan on that 7 hr trek, ganda rin views kaya saya din, lunch lang namen ay isang latang century tuna, hehe. Kasama rin namen cla Shak, Tina, Nico, Rio, Ram, Lee and iba pang aplikante ng MC.

This was Holy Week, we stayed at Sea Dive Resort in an Aircon room for P500 only, (imagine how cheap it is) . There were 7 of us who went there, David, Jano, Edmon, Lemuel, Grace and Diego (mga elite members ng Mapua Mountaineering, hehe,).I can say that this is the BEST trip that i've had, im with the best people, no hassles, walang kaartehan, lahat game, no fights, very fun socials, masaya from the day we departed up to the day we left the place.

Best spots in this place are, Cayangan Lake, Barracuda Lake, Calauit island
( Safari alike ). Picture on the right is the boat entrance to Cayangan Lake, boundary between salt and fresh water. Nice view huh, its like that we were on The Beach movie because of the limestones. Picture above is Cayangan Lake, since this is freshwater, get ready to put insect repellent lotion instead of a sunblock lotion, there were lots of mosquitoes, hehe.

This is in Calauit Island, they said it feels like that youre in Africa if youre in here, but not, hehe, because there were only few zebras and giraffes, and we can't find any antelopes. Picture on the right was taken by Chris.