After a gruelling but exciting hike to reach the summit, we emerged at a shelter atop Ugong Rock with a great 360 view of Tagabenit below. Panting and sweating, I took the helmet off and wandered to the edge of the wooden floor to see how high we were. I could feel a tickling sensation sweeping under my feet and the knot in my stomach tightened as I surveyed the zipline cable stretching out over the rice field to a landing platform in a distance.
Our group decided to zipline our way down to the base camp, as opposed to rappelling and caving through the same maze of passageways that honeycombs this limestone formation. I milled around for a bit, undecided  and anxious, eyeing the 350m zipline with great trepidation. Heights scare me, I'm not the most adventurous guy and this zipline thing was totally new to me so you can imagine how nervous I was while waiting for my turn.

Our tour guide

As the guides paddled the boat idly away from the wharf, we accustomed our eyes to the darkness. The crescent moon overhead was not enough to light our way but it provided the perfect setting for this one-of-a-kind experience. It's almost seven in the evening; we arrived in Iwahig just in time for firefly watching.
The stillness of the river was creepy, I couldn't shake off the thought of crocodiles lurking beneath the placid surface. "There aren't crocodiles in here, right, Kuya?" asked one of my friends as we carefully hopped on a boat that can only accommodate 5 people including two guides. Apparently I wasn't the only one with a hyper-active imagination. The guide snorted and assured us that the whole stretch of the river is free from crocodiles. Half-relieved, we sat back, observed and listened to the guide as he introduced us to the main protagonists of the night's affair - fireflies.

Fireflies or lighting bugs are light-producing insects that belong to the beetle family. They are commonly found in temperate and tropical environments, usually in marshes or wooded areas where there are abundant sources of food. The fireflies in Iwahig River are drawn to thickets of nipa and mangroves that line the brackish water. They come in droves and groups, swarming in trees and plants where there are flowers.

At the boat station.

Their beauty and power comes in unity, our guide explained to us as he pointed out his red light at a tree near us bearing a small number of fireflies. The lights erupted into hundreds more, making the mangrove glow like a Christmas tree. "They think this light belongs from their predator, so as a warning they would respond to it by emitting more powerful lights together," the guide told us.

"Don't they get stressed out, with all the lights directed at them every night?" I mused. If they feel they're being threatened every time, it's not impossible that they will leave the place and look somewhere else where they feel safe. The guide seemed to see the question coming and he gently explained that as much as possible they don't use the red light. "Although," he quickly added, "they must have gotten used to it that's why they're still here."

"How long is their lifespan anyway?" Dan, one of my friends, asked. Not very long. They only live for a 2 months tops, according to the guide. But they can be seen all year long as long as there are mangroves and nipa in the Iwahig River.
The 45-minute trip was illuminating, to say the least. We learnt loads of stuff about fireflies and the river itself, thanks to our funny guide (I don't remember his name, shame). Most importantly, we realized how Palawenos value nature and the great lengths they do to preserve it. We all stepped out from the boat feeling revitalized. I've never felt so much peace.

*Picture taking during the trip is not allowed, unless the flash is off. 
*Wearing of life vest is a must
*Rate per boat is 600. It can accommodate 3 tourists.
*Van rental to Iwahig river can cost P1,200 per pax. Not recommended to take trikes during this time of the year because of the ongoing road construction.
*Travel time to Iwahig River from downtown Puerto Princesa is about 45 minutes

 If you’re a sucker for outdoor adventure, then a white water rafting in the wild rapids of Cagayan de Oro River should provide the thrill you’re looking for. The river boasts more than 20 rapids that range from easy to difficult, from smooth to turbulent. River rafting is an adrenaline pumping experience but can also be a little dangerous especially when the rapids get extra wild. 

Here are some tips to ensure a safe and fun white-water rafting adventure:

 It was already past 3 in the afternoon when we left Buenavista and headed to Tablas Fun Resort in Kawit, Looc. I was not particularly excited to see the resort because we had to pay an entrance fee (Php50) even though we're not using any facility. I admit, however, that I was kinda interested to see the changes and face-lift done to it after some years of neglect.

There's something about sunsets that makes me lonely, sad, inebriated, mystified - depending on my mood and the current state I'm in. Sunsets are my kryptonite, my Waterloo, my Achilles' heel. If I'd be lured into trickery, a breathtaking sunset would be an easy bait. 

Three, maybe five (I honestly don't remember how many we were that time) of us were huddled inside a small nipa hut, waiting for an event that we barely know anything about to happen. We were told to keep our voices down and were specifically advised to turn off our cellphone, or at least activate its silent mode so as not to create any noise. And no camera. It didn't make sense to us but they said it's very important that the place must look like it's completely uninhabited.  All lights from the bar and the nipa huts surrounding it were extinguished -against our will - including the solar lights scattered around the lawn, even those hidden under the bushes.
Except for the steady light coming from a thousand Christmas lights coiled on a man-made walkway bridge few meters from the place-that-must-not-be-named, the area was virtually dark. With dark clouds looming overhead, the chance of moon appearance that night was close to nil. It was the type of scenario that the production crew of a famous American reality TV show could ever hope for. For us, however, it was a curse. We wanted to witness what was about to happen, but it would prove quite impossible without any light in the area.

"A celebrity is passing by here any second from now," the owner of the bar told us in a careful whisper. That explained why they had to shut all the lights. "Which celebrity?" we asked, the excitement in our voice was palpable. "We don't know. They won't tell us," she whispered back. "I wish I had a night vision or something," I told my companions who were equally beside themselves. The suspense was killing us. We were dead tired, we were blinking off sleep, and yet, our stamina wasn't breaking down.

I'm having a serious bout of traveler's block. I seem to have lost interest in traveling. I have 3 flights booked a few months back (Palawan, Bangkok, Davao) but I don't feel like going. The idea that I'd let my hard-earned money to buy those tickets go kaput bums me out. My head says 'don't go', and my heart asks 'what's wrong.' Maybe, I'm not wired for this. I'm no Kerouac after all. I got bitten by the travel bug but now that the wound was healed up, my wanderlust is slowly burning out. Not enough inspiration or guidance to rekindle the fire.

If you’re planning a holiday in Portugal, one thing’s for sure - there’s plenty more here than just great beaches. Get out and explore everything that this vibrant destination has to offer - from the beautiful city of Lisbon with its quaint cobbled streets, to the breathtaking Feira castle in the North. There is so much to see in this diverse country.
If like many tourists you’re tempted to book Portugal all inclusive holidays, don’t let that stop you from getting out and about. While all inclusive is typically a cost-saver by providing all your meals, snacks and drinks, it can often encourage visitors to stay within the confines of the hotel or their resort, so ask your hotel to pack up a lunch for you and take it out for the day.

For young professionals working tirelessly five days a week, there has to be some sort of stress buster and a much needed get-away to escape from the daily grind and give their soul and body a refreshing respite. Sometimes however, going out of town can bring more stress, with traffic and travel snafu getting in the way. It's therefore understandable when these 20-something hard-workers choose to spend their rest day holing up inside their room, sleeping their way over the weekend, amidst the sweltering summer heat.
But it shouldn't be that way. Ever heard of 'staycation'? It's not exactly how Urban Dictionary describes it, 'vacation for cheap-asses, perfect for tightwads.' To put it in a more decent way, staycation is a vacation that is spent at home or a hotel. A far less costly means to getting a vacation without having to travel, 'staycation' is devoid of all the stress associated with travel such as long trips and waiting at terminals. It can be enjoyed alone or with family or friends. And it's definitely best enjoyed when you have a great hotel/condo/apartment.

It was summer of 2010 when I first saw this beach. I was on top of a hill overlooking a gorgeous seascape. I instantly fell in love with her beauty and I promised to myself that I'd go here next time I go home. But it wasn't until April of this year that I got to see her up close. A relatively short visit but a very memorable one.
How short?
We got there at around 4:30 in the afternoon and we left few minutes after 6. I planned to go there at 2 but my travel buddy said it wasn't a good idea because the sun's still up. We'd burn, as if our skin wasn't burned enough from the previous day of beach hopping.

Some provinces in the Philippines still practice a traditional ritual that turns young boys into real men. In Romblon, we call it 'paltak', a circumcision rite that involves the use of sharp knife to cut the foreskin of a boy's jewel, pulpog (beating) style. I didn't know that it's slowly being eradicated until one sunny day in April when I went hiking to the mountain to visit a local 'doctor' who's responsible for every boy's rite of passage into manhood. I tagged along two kids from the neighborhood because I wasn't sure how I'd get to the 'doctor's' house.
These two young boys apparently knew the way to Sonny's house (Sonny is the local circumcision doctor) because it was where they faced the same ritual themselves. With a tripod on my back and a camera in hand, I followed the boys and we began the trek. It's just a short trek, roughly around 3 kilometers off the road in Sitio Deposito in Punta, Looc, Romblon but it was scorching even though it's only 8 in the morning so I decided to buy a couple of Jelly Ace for us from a small sari-sari store beside the road. (A habit I learned from trekking Pico de Loro and Mt. Pinatubo). I let the boys led the way and I slackened off a bit because I had to take pictures. To keep up, I would take a sprint and bridged their distance from mine.

Said Beach

As the motorcycle we were riding on snaked its way down a one-laner path to Nausa, a small village in the northern part of Carabao Island, I asked our friendly and accommodating guide, Kuya Darwin why Hambil took its moniker after the country's national animal (even though I already knew the answer.)

"This place was once home to several carabaos," he told us. "Funny, I don't see any carabao here," I intoned, chuckling. Kuya Darwin gave me a non-committal grunt. I was ready to torment him with questions regarding the whereabouts of the carabaos on the island - why they were gone, or where can we see them - but all inquiries I had formed in mind vanished in thin air when the motorcycle revved up toward a craggy and narrow road, prompting me to hold on to the motorcycle pretty tight. The vehicle swayed and jolted as it trod on bumps and rocks. With such distraction, I have completely forgotten to take snapshots of the grassy fields along the way. I could have probably spotted a carabao if I looked very hard.

As kids, I and my cousins used to watch the flickering lights in the sea from the window sill of our grandmother's house while waiting for supper to be served. Lights coming from small fishing boats glimmered like small constellation in the sea, but it was the light emitted by old lighthouse that was predominantly visible from afar. It danced in the night in a slow, constant rhythm. Before going to sleep, our grandmother would tell us stories about the mystery of the lighthouse. She said 'bulalakaws' (falling stars) liked to land on a spot near the sentinel. Local fishermen would spot weird creatures in the area, like a giant squid and possibly a 'sirena'. That was more than 20 years ago, the lighthouse might have been less older than it is today.