Pinay Traveller - a Filipina's take on travelling the world. This site features a Pinay's unique point of view on solo travel for women, travelling for couples as well as learnings on the road.

The Long Walk to Buscalan

May 16, 2013 11:28 am , Leave a Comment , PinayTraveller , Featured

My heart is pounding. And no matter how hard I inhale, I can’t seem to fill my lungs with air. I want to give up and just lie down on the slippery ground. I am such a weakling. A couple of local boys happily skipping down the steep mountainside with impressive agility only added insult to my injured self-esteem.

My husband and I are in the middle of a long trek going up to the remote village of Buscalan in Kalinga, Philippines. We are on our way to see the famous tattoo artist Whang Od, said to be the last Kalinga tattoo artist of her generation.

But before we can actually see her, we have to go through several obstacles first, namely: an 11-hour bus ride from Manila to Tabuk, the capital of Kalinga; a 3 1/2-hour jeepney ride from Tabuk to Bugnay; and now this, a 2-hour hike from Bugnay to Buscalan.

In the interest of truthfulness, I will admit that we cheated a little. We cut short the 2-hour hike by riding a motorcycle from Bugnay to “Turning Point”, aptly named because it’s the last point where vehicles can drop off passengers going to Buscalan. From there, the road tapers down into narrow footpaths that slither up and down the mountainsides.

A tiny bridge wtih no rails to hold on to! It’s just a 2-foot wide strip of cement and nothing else. If you lose your balance, you will end up 10 feet below.

But the ride only cut about 2 or 3 kilometers off our hike. So we still have to trek about 2-3 kilometers more. With no training or even exercise prior to the trip, it is proving to be a grueling task. Our lack of planning also didn’t prepare us for this:

What you don’t see here is the sharp drop on the right. If you lose your footing, you’ll end up 50 feet below.

See the tiny white specks up on the mountain? That’s where we’re going.

We are now on the final stretch of our trek. A man we met along the way said the village is just a few feet away. For a moment, I contemplate on asking my husband to carry me the rest of the way.

“Gaano kalayo pa po? (How much further is it?)”

“Malapit na. ‘Pag may nakita kayong tent sa taas, iyon na. (It’s very near. If you see a tent, that’s it.)”

“ Tent?”

“Oo. May kasal kasi! (Yes. There’s a wedding!)” He smiled, flashing his betel nut-stained teeth.

A wedding? In the mountains? This I got to see! I muster the last of my remaining strength and put one foot infront of the other. Then, just ahead I hear my husband shout: “Yun na! (There!)”

And there it is… in the middle of nowhere, a technicolored tent! From where I stand, it looks like the top of a carousel. Underneath that tent lies the village of Buscalan where I will finally meet the last living tattoo artist of the Butbut tribe. I almost weep with happiness.

Next: A Warm Welcome

Previously: Off to See Whang Od

Posted in: Asia, Destinations, Food, Entertainment and Culture, Philippines , Tagged: Buscalan, Butbut Tribe, Fang Od, Kalinga, the last tattoo artist of Kalinga, Whang Od

Off to See Whang Od

May 10, 2013 6:00 am , 7 Comments , PinayTraveller , Featured

The trip was supposed to happen on the same day that Hubby and I were wed nine years ago. We were going to celebrate our wedding anniversary in another country, as we have been doing for the past five years now. But things don’t always go as planned, see, and sadly, the trip fell through.

To console ourselves, we remind each other of one universal truth: It’s more fun in the Philippines. So tonight, we will embark on a long overdue adventure, not in another country but ours.

We will hop on a bus headed for Tabuk in Kalinga, and from there, take a jeepney to Tinglayan and trek uphill for another hour or two till we reach Buscalan. The 16-hour journey will lead us to the home of the last living tattoo artist in Kalinga. Her name is Whang Od (pronounced Fang-Od by locals), and from what I’ve read and seen, she is sensational. We will tell her that it is our 9^th wedding anniversary and that we have sought her out so she could mark this milestone on our skin.

It will be Hubby’s 10th tattoo, and my 3rd. To be honest, the thought of getting a traditional tattoo somewhat scares me. It seems so crude and a thousand times more painful.

But I can’t think of a better way to celebrate our life for the past nine years. It may not be a storybook life. Hell, we never expected to live happily ever after anyway. But it is a life full of love and mutual respect. And however imperfect, this life is ours, to have and to hold, till death do us part. We will have our inks done by no less than Whang Od to constantly remind us of this blessing.

Posted in: Food, Entertainment and Culture, Philippines, Pinaytraveller

What’s in Your Suitcase?: Baguio Getaway

May 9, 2013 3:36 am , 4 Comments , PinayTraveller , Featured

Tell us about yourself:

Kareen Satorre, 28, Customer Service Representative & Social Media Manager

Where are you headed?:

Baguio City, Philippines

What’s in your suitcase?:

Buttoned down polo, cardigan, shawl/scarf, shorts, a pair of slippers, notebook for note-taking, vintage wallet, laptop & shades.

Kareen blogs at www.laagannacebuana.me.

“What’s in Your Suitcase” is a weekly post featuring how travel bloggers and travel enthusiasts pack. If you’re interested to contribute, send me a photo of your suitcase, a short description of who you are, what you do, where you’re headed and what’s in your suitcase, and email me at polmangilog@yahoo.com.

Posted in: Baguio, What's in Your Suitcase? , Tagged: packing for baguio, what's in your suitcase?

What to Do After Walking the Camino de Santiago?

May 3, 2013 11:25 pm , 3 Comments , PinayTraveller , Featured

I know I’ve said I don’t want to talk about the Camino trip so as not to jinx it. But it’s hard not to especially if some people are asking us if we can ‘drop by’ their side of Europe should the walk push through. (Yes, I’m talking about you, D and S of Cornwall ).

So Hubby and I got to thinking about what we’d do after (if ever) we finish our walk. After all, there’s no harm in visioning, right?

Since we’d be in the region anyway, one obvious option is to explore Galicia. Of course, by then I’m sure we won’t have the energy to do any exploring on foot anymore! So the most practical and least tiring way to go around would be to rent a car. I’ve been told that it’s easy to get a car through car rental so at least that solves our problem. Once we’ve secured our ride (preferably a mini or compact car to save on gas) Hubby and I would be able to enjoy the sights, sounds and tastes of Galicia ala Gwyneth Paltrow and Mario Batali.

It seems that there are so many things to do in this beautiful Spanish region. But given our limited time (3 days at the most), we would probably just do the following:

Praza do Ferro in Ourense. Photo by Jose Luis Cernadas Iglesias

First, we can do a little wine tasting and tapas eating preferably in the Ribeira Sacra. Aside from its natural wonders and important historical landmarks, the region is also well-known for its wine and delicious food.

Polbo e empanada. Photo by Rod RC.

Empanadas de diversos contenidos

Another interesting place is Axeitos, Ribeira where we can go and see the prehistoric anta or megaliths. More popularly known as Dolmen de Axeitos, these are Spanish Portal Tombs dating back to 3600 to 4000BC.

Dolmen de Axeitos. Photo by Arturo Nikolai

If we find ourselves in A Coruña (also known as Coruuna) in June, we can participate in the Bonfires of Saint John or Noite de San Xoan. The celebration dates as far back as the Celtic period and was later Christianized as St. John’s Day Eve. Hundreds of bonfires are set ablaze, lighting up the city like a gem in the night.

Photo by J. Pereira

For our last stop, we can go see the Torre de Hércules, an ancient Roman lighthouse and a UNESCO World Heritage Monument. At 1,900 years old, it is the oldest lighthouse still in use today. There are a few myths that surround this lighthouse. And one of them involves the divine hero Hercules, after whom the lighthouse’s name was derived.

Through the millennia many mythical stories of its origin have been told. According to a myth that blends Celtic and Greco-Roman elements, the hero Hercules slew the giant tyrant Geryon after three days and three nights of continuous battle. Hercules then—in a Celtic gesture— buried the head of Geryon with his weapons and ordered that a city be built on the site. The lighthouse atop a skull and crossbones representing the buried head of Hercules’ slain enemy appears in the coat-of-arms of the city of Corunna. Source.

Photo by Ramon Pineiro

Once we’ve had our fill of Galicia, we can then cross over to Cornwall in the UK to see Hubby’s sister D, her husband S and our little god daughter T. But what to do in Cornwall? Well that’s for another post.;)

*All photos are from Wikimedia Commons.

Posted in: Europe, Planning and Daydreams, Spain , Tagged: exploring galicia, what to do after walking the camino de santiago, where to go after walking the camino de santiago

Beach Day in Bataan

April 29, 2013 2:44 am , 4 Comments , PinayTraveller , Featured

Last weekend, my family and I had a chance to make a quick getaway to Morong, Bataan. There were 8 1/2 of us (7 adults, 1 teenager and a little boy who loves the beach). It was a rare treat for everyone to be in the same place, at the same time. And while the trip was short (just 24 hours!), we were able to squeeze in a bit of island-hopping and snorkeling before heading back to Manila.

Bataan is famous for its part in Philippine history, particularly during the Second World War. Its strategic location as a peninsula facing the West Philippine Sea made it a suitable stronghold for Philippine and American forces. That is, before they were overwhelmed by Japanese troops in what is now known as the Battle of Bataan. The defeat became the starting point of the infamous Bataan Death March.

Today, apart from its historical significance, Bataan is also an ideal location for eco-tourism. The province is blessed with beautiful beaches. Morong, in particular, has a wonderful coastline dotted with beach resorts. For this trip, we stayed in Coralview Beach Resort, a very nice private resort tucked within a 2.7-hectare property.

Photo credit: Coralview Beach Resort

The resort was really nice but we were more interested in exploring the area. So we booked a boat trip that would take us to the Pawikan Sanctuary, a small white beach island and a snorkeling site.

For 120 pesos per person, we were able to rent this boat for 3 hours.

Our first stop was the Pawikan Sanctuary, a marine reserve managed by the Pawikan Conservation Program. Its aim is to facilitate the conservation and breeding of Pawikans or Sea Turtles.

Those who volunteer here as guides used to be Pawikan poachers. But they have now mended their old ways.:) Today, they not only help disseminate information about these beautiful creatures, they also show tourists how the Pawikans breed and get released at sea. Unfortunately, we arrived a day too late as the recently hatched baby turtles were released the day before. But looking around the facility was quite interesting. Incidentally, the Pawikan is my favorite sea creature. I love it so much that I had one tattooed on my leg.

Entrance to the Pawikan Sanctuary is twenty pesos per person, kids are free.

Next on our itinerary was the smallest white sand beach I’ve ever stepped on.

After spending about twenty minutes on the island (where we paid PHP30/boat entrance fee to help with the upkeep and maintenance), we headed to the snorkeling site where corals were bountiful.

Mushroom had a nasty cut on his knee so he didn’t want to get into the water. But he was happy to watch his uncles and Lolo enjoy their snorkeling time.

No starfish was harmed during this trip. We quickly put the starfish back into the water right after Mushroom touched it. I promise!

At the more shallow side of the beach, the water was so clear you can see the sea grass bed below.

Overall, the trip was an eyeopener for me. I worked in Bataan a million years ago but never got to explore the peninsula. I didn’t realize there was so much to see! In the end, our stay was a bit bitin. We barely even scratched the surface! I would have wanted to see Las Casas Filipinas or Mount Samat National Shrine. But I guess that’s for another weekend getaway.;)

How To Get There

Morong, Bataan is only 3 1/2 to 4 hours away from Manila, depending on traffic.

To get there , take NLEX, exit at San Fernando, pass Lubao (Pampanga), go straight until the Dinalupihan (Bataan) junction, turn right and go further until the Subic Tipo Expressway entrance to the left.

Go inside SBMA, follow the highway running parallel to Subic Bay at the right, pass the airport, follow the sharp left curve of the road at the end of the airport compound, pass Triboa Bay (APEC Villas, follow the winding road until you exit SBMA via its South (Morong) Gate.

Once outside, follow the winding road until you reach a junction. Turn right at this first corner, this is the road going to Morong, Bataan town proper. Once you reach the town, turn right going to the town hall, then turn left after the church. The entrance to Coralview is at the end of that road. (source: Coralview Beach Resort)

Posted in: Destinations, Philippines , Tagged: Bataan, beaches in bataan, Coralview Beach Resort, island-hopping in bataan, Morong, Pawikan Sanctuary, things to do in bataan

Pinay Traveller Recommends 20# : Sleeping Around Without Guilt

April 23, 2013 6:26 am , 5 Comments , PinayTraveller , Featured

Finally! One can sleep around and not feel guilty about it! But only if one does it in Sleeping Around, a unique ‘pop-up’ hotel in Belgium.

The ‘hotel’ is actually a set of six discarded shipping containers turned into four luxe guestrooms, a breakfast and lounge area, and a sauna room. Apparently, it is cheaper to leave these containers behind than to ship them back to their port of origin.

Each of the 149 Euro / night guest room is equipped with all the amenities of a typical hotel: a floating box-spring bed with luxurious linen, an iPod docking station, air conditioning and a bathroom!

What’s so special about it, though, is that everything is movable. Currently located in Rijnkaai port in Antwerp, Belgium, the hotel can actually be moved around wherever there’s a huge event such as concerts.