ONE OF MY FAVORITE BLOGS

This isn't a look back at some of my favorite blogs, but reposting pictures from one of my favorite blogs and among who stood out for one reason.
I enjoy reading Chyng Reyes's blog, I gained a lot of ideas from her travels and some recommended places to visit in the Philippines. Chyng recently
wrote and article entitled: "Photo + Walk + Stories" , that reflects everything that I've been thinking about in life. I actually got pumped up when I saw the pictures with inspirational captions.
She simply states about the usual sayings that'd help us to realize about. So much blah blah, just simply look at the pictures that I posted here from Chyng's blog and try to reflect and be inspired. I didn't repost all of the pictures but wisely picking some of my favorite captions from her post.





















The last two colored photos here are the reflections of the owner herself.
(Source: Visit Chyng's Blog Chyng Reyes )

MY FIRST WINTER EXPERIENCE

Growing up in a tropical country, winter or snow is somewhat a myth unless you see it yourself.
I have never experienced shivering just as like the freezing winter temperature in Poland.
Until, I got a teaching job offered abroad & that's when I started to believe that it is a dream come true and for sure,it's really true when I touched it for the first time.
Yes, my first winter experience, I always have this imagination of myself celebrating Christmas in a winter wonderland, walking in a white and soft snow like cotton balls. Honestly, I was pretty excited to see snow and have a blast on it. My imagination started to play again that I'd certainly take the chance of indulging myself the moment I arrived in Poland.
But little did I know that experiencing it first hand would be a different thing. Knowing later that I couldn't take a shower or bathe everyday even if there's a hot water( but you won't smell, promise you just wash your face and your private thing everyday) yet, you'd still chill and my skin starts to dry and itchy. Everyone told me that how much fun would it be to see snow and play with it so as during winter solstice where the days are shorter and the nights are longer. Truly, I didn't miss the defining moment of my life the first snow drop in my hands.

PICTURES AND MEMORIES - LAOS TRIP

One of the cheapest countries in South East Asia is Laos. Was in Vientianne twice, the people are friendly and likes to accomodate foreigners, however the cost of living there is quite expensive comparing Thailand yet, you can still travel around without worrying much of your budget.
It wasn't hard for me to travel Laos 'coz they too speaks Thai language similarly especially in the capital city, the food was the same as well. Frustratingly to speak there's nothing much to see around except the neighboring provinces of Vientianne (according to some backpackers I met) but I failed to get out of the city.
Sad to say, if I'm going to compare the number of tourist in Laos and Philippines we couldn't have much of foreign backpackers than Laos.
Hope Philippines would be safer like of those other south east Asian brothers of ours so that there'll be more tourists love to visit our dear country.

COUCH SURFING FRIEND - 3

From my previous entries, I featured about Couch Surfing friends whom I just met during my backpacking trip and CS gathering. Being a part of this backpacking community is a good chance to meet people from other countries with the same interest in budget traveling so as gaining ideas of the do's and dont's on traveling.
For my 2 months stay in Poland, I met some of the CS members whom I just asked several questions about their trips and one of them was Aniko from Hungary. I enjoyed talking to this brave lady, who just love to travel alone.

1. How did you discover your love for travelling?

I was really obsessed with Finland and its culture, so I really wanted to move there and see. When I was there I wanted to compare with other Scandinavian countries, so then I could see where can I position Finland in it. Then I wanted to compare Scandinavia with other countries to see why it is soo succesful and calm place, then... :-)

2. Best travel experience that you’ve ever had?
I love them all and I cannot choose. Why? Because all of them was my idea, my plan, I organized it and I saved the money for the expenditures. For me it means a lot as before it was impossible for me to afford to go anywhere, even in my home country sometimes.

3. What's the farthest place you have ever traveled?
Probably Norway and Portugal.

4. Name the top 5 places both local & abroad that you like?
I like Scandinavia as it is, St Petersburg also must be in the top five. France also a must. Portugal and Switzerland, probably.

5. If there's one tourist place in your country that you could recommend to a lone traveler where'd it be and why?
In Hungary: Széchenyi Spa and Budapest itself.
In Finland: Helsinki, and the forests are amazing (traditional sauna is a must!!!)
Switzerland: I think here anytwhere you go it is amazing, like a postcard. Really! As a dream!
France: Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Paris

6. Bad experience that you’ve had on your trip?
None yet and I am very hapy about it! Although I have to add that I try to prepare very well for every travel to avoid any problems. But of course luck is a big factor always!

7. Things you learned on travelling?
Life is amazing. I think this fact should already make people happy and satisfied. When I go and see and experience I am happy and balanced with my life and my surroundings, because I can see how coloful and perfect our planet is. I have to add that I don't believe in perfect-perfect as perfect-perfect is unnatural! I think something is perfect with the beauty of the defaults involved, like our little planet. :-)

8. Where’s your favourite place in this planet and why?
I think Europe is really cool. I have to add that I haven't been out of Europe yet, so I am not objective, but my explanation is:
Europe is one of the smallest continent, but the most colorful with languages cultures and historical buildings.

Imagine this in any other continent:
I lived in Lausanne , Switzerland. There the religion is protestant, language is french and people are swiss citizens. If I went 70km west: I was already in France, where the language is french, but the religion is christian!!!.
If I went like 300km north I was already in Germany, where people speak german and they are catholic!
If I went like 100km east I was in still switzerland, but all the people were speaking German (german canton) and the religion is catholic.
If I went south like 200km I was already in Italy and there people are very strickly catholic and they speak italian, etc...
And the top of it: all these people:italian, german, french, swiss german you could see in their faces as they were also different in appearance and not to mention the buildings and the landscape!!!
I think now you undesrtand why I think that Europe is the best!
You travel a little and you see soo different culture that you cannot imagine and all these cultures, nations, countries live peacefully together (most of the time... :-))

9. How long will you backpack?
I don't know yet. I hope for a long time!!! :-)

RECENT CALAMITY THAT AWAKENS THE WORLD

The world is grieving and praying for Japan.

Japan is one of the fastest and rich countries in Asia, mentioning technology and everything but you see Japan is not exempted of any calamity when the anger of nature strikes.
The world is shocked when the news started to show videos and pictures of scary disaster happening around Japan. Hope this will be an awakening call that we need to look up and pray, clinging God's promises that we shouldn't take for granted and ignore of the signs that we see on air and everywhere.
We have no power to protect ourselves but asking the good Lord a shelter in the time of storm for He will save us for He is the mighty rock.
















(pictures was taken online)

PICTURES AND MEMORIES - MALAYSIA TRIP

In the End, all that really matters isn't the things you did, but what its effects are today, not the knowledge you have learned, but how you applied it, not the words that were said, but how they made you feel, and most of all, not the moment of occurrence, but how its now just a part of our memory. Everyday, we make memories let's paint lives with happy ones.
Staying in Malaysia for three weeks was a great opportunity to be acquainted with the capital city Kuala Lumpur. Like I said from my previous entry about the city there's nothing much to see around Kuala Lumpur except the Hindus temple, Petronas tower, China town, Batu caves and Merdeka square. You won't impressed much of the city's tourist attraction,however, you'll still appreciate the cleanliness and the progress of the economy so as the love of Malaysia's protecting the environment.
Malaysia is a strict country mixed with different races coming from Sri Lanka, India and etc. I was really hoping that I could make my way to Malacca as I dreamt of going there but instead I was confined around the canopy of Kuala Lumpur. Was also thinking of my budget then so I decided to stay in the capital city instead.
Now, you'll see my pictures that I took inside a Hindu temple in Kuala Lumpur that remain a good memories in my heart one of my trips that I treasure.