In the sprawling city of Bacolod, despite the various establishments that line the busy avenue, life can still be laid-back and slow, a total contrast from the bustling metropolitan life of Manila. 
[Masskara-inspired souvenir]

It was November of 2010 when I went to Bacolod City, a place that - at that time - held a special spot in my heart. The familiarity of its language, spoken with tenderness and musicality, was an evocation of the good old days of my childhood when listening to radio dramas was still our favorite pastime. We didn't speak Ilonggo in the province but we grew too familiar with the language since our transistor radios had always been tuned in to Bombo Radyo, a broadcasting company based in Panay whose regular programming featured voice drama of different kinds - love story, magic, comedy and horror.

Coming to the City of Smile, I was quite ready to practice my limited Ilonggo, which wasn't so bad, modesty aside. The moment I heard a local speak in local tongue, I found a way to butt in, in a non-intrusive way. The local whom I first conversed in Ilonggo was the driver of a van from Silay Airport to SM Bacolod.  I merely asked him how far we were from the destination. The driver glanced at the mirror, slightly surprised to hear a tourist speak in Ilonggo. I secretly gloated at my own simple accomplishment.

Sometimes, traveling isn't just about the journey or the destination; it can also be about the people you meet on and down the road. There aren't many people who travel because they want to meet individuals. They go to a certain place for the place itself, or for the food and mostly always for the attraction. And that's completely understandable. I mean unless you're a journalist whose business is to interview locals or a lonely soul looking for a different kind of 'fun, then you're not expected to meet people, or even talk to them. But you're bound to interact with them, one way or another.

Meeting people, some of them complete strangers, can take your journey into a whole new level, especially if you are able to make meaningful connection. My Dumaguete escapade was unforgettable because of the interesting people I met there.

A simple act of kindness, a heartfelt conversation, a scary encounter - here are some tales of memorable people I encountered on the road.

Before I reach the age of 30, I'd be happily married and have 3 cute kids. That's me dreaming eons ago when I was little and extremely naive about life. Oh the dreams we made when we were young! I'm now fast approaching the age that every 20-something dreads. I was once asked by my father when can he expect his apo from me. I snorted at his question like it was a big joke. My old man must have dropped his expectation of me having kids. Apologies, father dear. Maybe someday.
I know I'm not getting any younger but marriage is not yet part of my journey into adulthood and maturity. I'm happy for my friends and colleague who have decided to settle down by tying the knot, so to speak. And I'm glad that they invited me to witness their special occasion. Just a month ago, two of my friends marched to the altar to seal their fate (kidding!). No, I'm not bitter, I simply have a terrible humor. Their wedding ceremonies were nothing short of awesome. It's nice to see them march, with oh-so-happy faces, towards  marriagedom (don't look it up, I just made the term) where a nice house and cute little kids await them.

My niece who was having a summer vacation in our hometown in Romblon told my other niece matter-of-factly, as they were helping my sister cut a few string beans for dinner, that they call them 'utong' in Ilocano. Everyone who heard her rolled on the floor laughing. This fun discovery led to a series of translations, though none of those succeeding words could top 'utong' as the funniest.

It's funny how some vernacular words when translated in Filipino, or more specifically Tagalog produce a different meaning altogether. Imagine an Ilocano guy uttering this completely innocent statement - "Sarap ng utong niyo ah!"- being frowned upon by a shocked group of non-Ilocano speaking women.

I've gathered a few interesting words that are sexual in nature and off the wall if taken out of context. Most in the list were taken from  that funny book of Chico and Delamar; others were from a forum; while some, especially the Visayan terms, come from the author of this blog himself. Rule of thumb - don't use these terms in other language apart from the original language they belong to, otherwise you'd be in trouble. Haha!

New Year's Resolutions are overrated, lame and a mushy mash-up of reminders that you eventually abandon as the days of the year pass by. They're basically a list of things, some sort of commitment you're hoping to achieve but fail to act on. At the end of the year, when you look back, you sigh with regret because you have barely kept those promises. You take a breath deep and make a recycled pact that next year will be much better. You'll be a better person.

Truth is, you don't really need a new year's resolution to change or improve some things in your life. Change can be done any time, any day of the year. But we all know that creating a new set of promises at the beginning of the year is more dramatic, not to mention inspiring. If anything, it gives you a new sense of hope and a glimmer of light, as bright as those fireworks on New Year's Eve.

I'm not fond of doing New Year's Resolutions myself because I'm simply terrible at keeping them. I have to admit though that creating a list is fun. Such was the case when I made THIS last year. And since I was entertained by the mere act of creating one, why not do another list this time? Doesn't really matter if out of 6 resolutions made, I was only able to accomplish 3. Now, that's not so bad at all, is it?

Without further ado, here's my 2013 Resolutions, not just as a travel blogger or a traveler, but as a well-rounded individual as well.

If my massive desire for travel were a symptom for some serious addiction, then 2012 would have been the year when I have become a complete junkie. Travel junkie, that is. The burning passion to be always on the road, the insatiable craving to go someplace, the irrepressible yearning to take off - they've gone very persistent this year. I had no choice but to cave in. This travel addiction isn't a sickness but at some point, it felt like one. The only cure was to simply travel; there was no other way around it.

But where has this wanderlust taken me? Were those travels worth every penny, time and effort? Did they make me a better person?

In a literal sense, this wanderlust has led me see and experience several destinations, some of which I've already been to before. Eye-opening experiences and life-changing realizations make every centavo, time and energy well-spent (I had no problem with time and energy, it's the money part that was a huge bump). I can't say for sure that these travels have made me a better person but they have let me see things with clarity and view life in a different perspective.

2012 was a year with so many firsts. It was my first time to travel solo, first time to climb a mountain and first time to go back to the same destination within the same year. It's also the year when I met friends who share the same passion as mine (traveling, what else?) both in the real and virtual world. Last year I made a list of my travel experiences, and in keeping with the tradition, I created this travel-round up, which is basically another list of travels I have embarked on for the past 12 months.

One of the things I avoid doing when I go out of town is eating in a fast-food resto. It's a travel sin in my book. But Biggs Diner is an exception. Besides, it's not your usual fast-food restaurant. (Read: not your usual Jollibee, KFC or McDonald's). In fact the only thing that makes Biggs Diner a fast-food resto is its pay-as-you-order system. Everything else - food choices, service, interior design, ambiance - hardly falls under the fast-food category. And the only thing that's mainstream about this famous homegrown diner is it's a must-eat place in Bicol. They say skipping Biggs Diner makes your Bicol experience incomplete. But does it really?

Disclaimer: This is mostly a positive post about CWC so don't be turned off by the seemingly unflattering title.

The thing about having low expectations is that there's less room for frustration. Because there's nothing to meet and almost nothing to lose, you just try and go for it without worrying about finding the whole thing a complete waste of time or money. With such mindset, you're predisposed to see the negative side so you're quite surprised when you experience something delightful.

That's more or less the case with my Camsur Watersports Complex (CWC) experience. You see, I wasn't really psyched to try wakeboarding. Not exactly sure why, I guess it just didn't tickle my fancy. Or perhaps it's too mainstream for my taste and me having a tendency to be little anti-populist sometimes kind of saw it rather unappealing. Other than the fact that CWC attracts a lot of tourists and that it features an exciting activity called wakeboarding, I knew so little about this cable park.
More concerned with the possibility of being touted as a buzzkill for skipping wakeboarding, I kept my personal opinion about CWC to myself. My friends' excitement was too palpable I was afraid I'd ruin their mood if I rained on their parade.

We were kind of scrambling on Day 3 of our stay in Caramoan. Trying to catch the 9AM boat trip from Guijalo to Sabang, we had to wake up early. But even though we were running on a tight schedule, we did everything in a slow pace. We took time to pack our things and even breakfast became a sluggish affair. The sluggish breakfast was merely due to the fact that we were actually waiting for prawns to be served. Unfortunately, we were already approaching the shore in Sabang when it arrived (late delivery lang ang peg). After stuffing our stomach with protein (lapu-lapu and dilis), we finally bade goodbye to the compound that served as our home for 3 days.

Outside, the sun seemed to lure us to extend our stay in Caramoan. The weather was simply perfect for another day of island hopping. But we couldn't afford an extended stay. We had to get back to Manila where work was waiting for us, and colleagues were expecting for some provisions. And so we dropped by at a pasalubong store in Centro and bought shirts, key chains and pili candies.

Getting free access to Gota Beach, known for its expensive cabanas and luxurious island-life accommodation, was not by all means accidental. I knew for sure that we'd get in despite it being temporarily off-limits to public and non-guests. (Technically, island hoppers can still drop by at Gota Beach as long as they pay an entrance, which is Php300 per head, and that's just for swimming on its beach.) The owner of the resort we stayed at in Caramoan has connections with big shot resort owners (of Gota Beach and Tugawe among others) so I pretty much surmised that it's just a matter of perfect timing and doing some calls before finding ourselves in one of the most expensive beaches in Caramoan.
True enough, as we were having fun time at Cagbalinad Island, a snorkeling site near Gota, Ivan (our tour guide) shared with us the good news: we're going in Gota Beach, which was just across from we were at that time. As much as we'd want spending a little more time at the island, we needed to jump at the opportunity before the governor, whom they personally called to ask permission, changed his mind. So we scurried back to the boat and cruised our way to the beach, feeling excited.

There are two interesting versions I heard on the legend about the lone milk fish in a hidden lagoon in Matukad Island. The first version was relayed to us several months back during my first trip in Caramoan. I don't remember who told it to us but I suppose it's one of the boys who helped us climb the steep rock formation to see the famous, huge milk fish. In the first version, there was a fisherman who went fishing but didn't catch anything. In an act of desperation, he decided to catch fish the easy way out by taking the milk fish. He brought it home, cooked it, the whole family ate the fish and they all died - apparently from poisoning.

It's past 2 in the afternoon when we left Manlawi Sandbar and headed to our third and last stop for the day: Sabitang-Laya. The gentle rays of the afternoon sun and the cool sea breeze made up for a perfect sleeping pill which left some of my companions temporarily conked out. As I couldn't find a good spot in the boat to take a nap, I amused myself instead by gazing at the moon over a clear sky in the horizon. I wasn't being romantic or anything, I just found it a good distraction to while the time away. The moon seemed to be enjoying the attention it was getting from me that it decided to stick with us for a little while.
So it's not surprising when I found it hovering above the massive limestone cliffs as our boat finally moored at the shallow part of the shore in Sabitang-Laya. I think the connection I had with the moon affected my mood throughout our stay on the island. I didn't go crazy or anything (thank goodness), just a little weird. A little weirder than usual.

 If there's one thing that might dissuade people from going to Cotivas Island, it's its distance (from Paniman). You see, it's pretty far from the jump-off point and going there can take at least an hour. For an island hopping tour, that's quite a hassle. But I'm telling you that it'll all be worth it. Cotivas Island is a piece of paradise.

The fact that I believe in premonitions, bad omens and lucky stuff makes me a little superstitious. It's a bad habit, I know, but I just can't help it sometimes. I can't count the times I canceled or backed out from a trip just because something didn't feel right. An irrational fear that's holding me back doesn't sound logical especially to my travel buddies who are expecting my attendance. Oddly enough, most of my hunches were just simply a hunch. And I always end up feeling regretful while looking at the photos of the excursion/out-of-town getaway which I should have been part of.

Upon getting the total headcount of the people who were sure to go to Caramoan, I slightly panicked and thought about making an alibi to excuse myself from pushing through with the trip. We were 13! In my book, that's a red flag. It didn't feel like a coincidence, not to me anyway. But I had to shake off the feeling of doubt and apprehension, it's childish and counterproductive. After all, I was tasked to do the travel logistics which included doing the itinerary, making bus reservations and looking for an accommodation. If I'd weasel my way out, I'm sure my friends would have a hard time forgiving me.

Most girls don't travel alone. Hitting the road solo is simply a scary proposition for them. Those who have taken off with only a backpack and a camera for company are applauded for their audacity and bravery. Granted, solo travel is not for everyone but there are people, regardless of gender, who are ballsy enough to trot across the county, or the world. Take Charlotte for instance. A certified lone traveler, she has wandered off by herself to various destinations in the Philippines and overseas (America!). This 20-something geologist started travelling at an early age and there's no stopping her from going places. What keeps Charlotte on her toes (literally)? Where does she get her travel fund? Read on and learn as she shares with us a few things about her as a traveler. 

How and when did you discover your love for travel? 
When I was a kid, my family would spend summer in Dinapigue, Isabela. We would fly in a small plane to Palanan, Isabela and then a helicopter from there to Dinapigue, Isabela. My father's friends would open the helicopter door for us to get a view of the mountain ridges and the ocean. The view from the top was breathtaking. Life in that town was pretty laid back as I remember- with houses built in nipa huts, no electricity, paved roads or commercial buildings. Our nipa hut was near the beach. We would catch crills in rivers, climb hills, bathe in the ocean and watch fireflies at night. We could afford to indulge ourselves to crabs as big as plates, dozen lobsters or a sack of prawns. Those were the good ol' days.

Sta. Monica Beach in California

What kind of traveler are you? 
As much as I want to travel light, a girl can't have too many dresses or pairs of shorts when traveling, right?Haha. I invite friends to travel with me but I'm no stranger to traveling alone. With the kind of job that I have, I sometimes get the opportunity to go to places so I make it a point to do a side trip and extend beyond my business trip so I could explore the city or the country.