In our (much) younger years hot and spicy food was something we were not so thrilled about. A bottle of Tabasco sauce was guaranteed to strike terror into our hearts. All that changed in a fortnight on a trip to the Middle East more than 25 years ago.
When Category 5-super Typhoon Odette (international name Rai) hit the Philippines last Dec. 16-17, it created a wide swath of destruction over the provinces of Surigao del Norte, Dinagat, Southern Leyte, Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental and Palawan. Many towns in the island province of Bohol suffered catastrophic damage and dozens of deaths.
In our travels we’ve had various encounters with natural phenomena some by design, others by accident. Some of these encounters should be approached with caution. Most of these were with members of the animal kingdom but experiences with uncooperative weather made for some memorable circumstances as well.
Thailand used to be one of our most-visited Asian countries during the late 1990s to early 2000s, traveling there a number of times each year as part of our former work. One of the things we appreciate about the country is its cuisine. It’s one of the major reasons why we always look forward to a visit to the Land of Smiles.
When it was still largely unknown to local tourists, the Caramoan peninsula was featured in the 2004 edition of an international travel guide book. It was described as a rugged, pristine and beautiful landscape only accessible by boat. Caramoan burst into the scene in 2008 when the French version of the TV series Survivor featured the place. It soon began attracting local and international visitors.
Finally, after seven months of silence, we’re back into blogging. Maybe not as prolific as before due to some limitations but we’re definitely chomping at the bit to share some of our experiences. Nina had a mild case of Covid-19 late April which healed in no time. Leo’s infection, however, became critical and he ended up staying for almost 4 months in the hospital and almost lost his life in the process.
More than a month ago we revisited the walled district of Intramuros in Manila with friends. On the way there we passed by Binondo, Manila’s famed Chinatown, for lunch. It had been a while since we last visited this bustling district of offices, restaurants, food stalls, groceries and herbal stores. Our latest foray into Intramuros and Binondo stimulated Leo’s interest about the history of both districts.
Amidst a dramatic increase in Covid infections in recent days, authorities have again tightened travel restrictions in Metro Manila and its surrounding provinces. This means being practically confined to our home as we try to do our part to help control another wave of the pandemic. We were fortunate to have visited a number of places the past 2 months before the recent round of travel restrictions.
Although travel restrictions are slowly being eased in the Philippines, we’re still not that confident about traveling by air or sea especially with the Covid infection rate spiraling up in the last few weeks. Confining our trips to travel by land – especially to relatively uncrowded spots – we chose to head up to the coastal town of Real, Quezon earlier this week.
The Rizal towns of Antipolo, Angono and Binangonan are known for its art galleries. Even the oldest known art work in the Philippines – the Angono-Binangonan Petroglyphs believed to be 4,000 years old – is located in the area. But an art gallery with panoramic views of the surrounding countryside?
Since this pandemic broke out we’ve been itching to head up to a white sand beach or trek to a waterfall. But it’s better to be safe than sorry so we chose to button up at home for most of 2020. A few days ago, however, we got the chance to visit some of the waterfalls at beautiful Siniloan in Laguna.
During 3 centuries of Spanish rule the 0.67 square kilometer Intramuros (Latin for “within the walls”) was considered the entire City of Manila and served as the political, religious, educational and economic center of the Spanish East Indies.
Before this pandemic we would never have imagined doing a tour of the old city of Manila. Whenever visiting friends from other countries would inquire about what place to visit in the Philippines we wouldn’t dare mention Manila.
With the end of this pandemic seemingly nowhere in sight perhaps the best attitude for the New Year is summed up in what John Wooden, the coach with the most number of U.S. national collegiate basketball championships, once said: “Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.”
One thing we’ve learned during this year of quarantine is appreciating the beauty of places not too far from the metro. Our preference is for off-the-beaten-path destinations which often suggests travel to remote places far from home.
Within a span of 18 days, three powerful typhoons – one of them the strongest in the world in 2020 and among the strongest in recorded history – struck the major island of Luzon in the Philippines. Hard hit were the provinces of the Bicol region
Staying mostly at home for more than 7 months is perhaps the ultimate test of sanity for these restless travelers. So recently, when the lockdown in the nation’s National Capital Region (NCR) was relaxed somewhat, we needed no further bidding to go on a trip outside the metro.
The Covid19 pandemic has messed up our travel plans and a lot more this year and 2020 will go down as probably one of the worst in our lives. Here in the Philippines a 7-month (and counting) lockdown has forced us to stay indoors for the most part.
Burial grounds rarely make for tourist destinations in the Philippines but in one of the highland towns of the Cordillera Region, a burial tradition of the indigenous population has made it a major attraction alongside majestic mountain scenery and more.
Ever since a month-long stint in the United Arab Emirates back in the ‘90’s we’ve become raving fans of Middle Eastern food. During this ongoing pandemic it has been our top choice for food deliveries.
The Shoestring Diaries 
Thanks Cherryl!
Thanks!
Awesome
Very interesting post and your photographs are beautiful, wishing you happy future travels🙏🔆
Same here!