Postcards from the edge: Sunset-hunting in Dubai

My sister is an OFW (overseas Filipino worker) in Dubai. She left late 2011 and she was back home last December for her first vacation after finishing a year of her contract. Actually there is another story here, one that I will write about in another post.

Anyway...one time, while driving along one of the provincial roads on our way home from somewhere, I stopped to point out the sunset. My sister looked at it and said, "oh, in Dubai,the sunset is enormous."



Yes, I remember. I was there in March 2012 for a short meeting and one thing I remember vividly were the sunsets. It was so near, so heavy, so big. It was breathtaking. I still have to read up on why it seems closer and much bigger in that side of the world.



My sunset-hunting has taken me to so many places, or I would always sunset-hunt in the places I find myself in. One place sunset-hunters should not miss then is Dubai (or the middle east).

Like a roller coaster ride...

Oh, wait. It actually was a roller coaster ride.

If not for this 37 for 37 challenge, I would not have gone on this ride (the Battlestar Galactica: Human, Red track). I don't think I would have gone to Universal Studios either. I am not a theme-park person. But I would go to these parks at least once in my life, so I can perpetuate that idea of myself as someone who is not a theme-park person (if that makes sense).


But I went. Because I had a weekend in between work/meetings. And except for food tripping and shopping, there is not much to do in Singapore (but if shopping is your only purpose for living, then this is the place for you). I think Singapore is one big theme park but that's just me. A lot of tourists enjoy the attractions, but to me, that's what the city is all about - just attractions. I find everything about the city polished, manufactured, designed to attract tourists or impress visitors. And even its rough edges seem contrived. Ok, that's a bit harsh I admit. It has its charms and in the many years that I have been going to Singapore for work, I found the charm of this country through the eyes of the locals or the migrants who have made this their home. Their local food haunts, the best hawker places, a watering hole...etc.

I digress...now back to the roller coaster. The rules of the 37 for 37 challenge state that if it's a place you've been to before you have to visit some place that is new to you. So roller coaster ride it is.

After California Screamin' roller coaster in Disneyland California, I said I will never ride another roller coaster again. My first was the Space Shuttle in Enchanted Kingdom, Laguna, Philippines but it was nothing compared to the the 108-foot drop from the highest point of 120 feet of the one in Disneyland. That was the scariest part, the drop. And then this, the tallest dueling roller coasters in the world- we saved this ride for last and all throughout the queue, I was nervous as hell. But what made me try it? Two things: (1) i saw all the loops and I am ok with loops, even the one with inversion and there was no death-defying drops. I don't like falling. No, not at all; (2) I timed it and it lasted only 60 seconds. I remember a line from the movie "We bought a zoo" that goes: all you need is 20 seconds of courage. So for the whole 60 seconds of that ride I screamed, and screamed. It was what I needed- an excuse to scream out loud. It was a stressful week, and an even more stressful week before that and ahead. So it's the best outlet in the world. If every one who is stressed screamed their lungs out once every two weeks, the world will be a happier place, this will be the end to world wars.


But having said this, I am not sure I can muster enough courage to try another roller coaster ride but who knows? Maybe the next challenge will be 38 roller coaster rides from all over the world. Now, that has to be done before my heart gets too old, too weary, and too weak to take all that excitement.

(This is trip no. 10 of the 37 for 37 challenge)

Postcards from the Edge: Anilao, again

It's an easy drive (2&1/2 hours from Manila). Doable day trip. It's dagat.

So Anilao will always be a default destination whenever the noise, the smog and ugliness of the city close in and I need to get away. I think I come here 3 to 4 times a year and have brought foreign guests to enjoy snorkeling.

This is not the best beach (there is no beach actually- it's rocky, more coral rocks) and not the best waters the Philippines has to offer but it has great sunsets, good diving and snorkeling spots. Once I brought my American-Mexican colleague and he said "you have such high standards for beaches/oceans/islands but for us, this place is perfect!". I guess he is right. Anilao has its charms and I will keep coming back.

(The picture was taken at Dive and Trek Resort)

(This is trip no. 7 of the 37 for 37 challenge)

Like an unexpected song

A day or two after the New Year I went on a road trip with a few good friends. We woke up to very heavy rain, almost stormy, even. But of course that did not deter us. We started to drive to the southern part of Leyte and our planned final destination was Kuting Reef Resort.

It was raining heavily the whole time we were on the road but I kept telling my companions that we needed to be at our destination in time for the sunset. “Sunset? In this weather?” But when we were about 10 km from our destination, the rain became a drizzle. At 5km, it stopped. And the sky began to clear. By the time we got there, this sunset was waiting for us. And I felt that this was heaven’s show for us, specially for us. Right after the sunset, it started raining again.



I was overwhelmed, overjoyed, over loved. So I said a silent prayer-- Here’s to another year of spectacular sunsets and unbelievable moments that come to us like an unexpected song (ang daming song references sa line na ito, anovah!).

(This is Trip no. 2 of 37 for 37 challenge)

A river runs through it (Torpedo Boat Adventure)

We now open the New Year with an adventure. This has become a tradition ever since we went for an unplanned drive to Silago, Southern Leyte and a trek to Tres Marias falls one stormy day a couple of days after the new year. That was in 2011. And then again, to Lake Mahagnao in 2012. And for 2013, we decided to do the Torpedo Boat Adventure in Paranas, Western Samar.

This was the German’s idea, again. The German is a pseudo-local of Leyte. He moved to Tacloban with his partner a couple of years back and since then has been exploring the province and beyond looking for rare orchids, documenting them for a scientific journal. This is our hometown, but this German knows its nooks and crannies better than any local. So, funny as it may sound to the others, the German is our dependable guide in our own backyard.

The drive to Paranas, Samar from Tacloban took 2 and a half hours. Upon reaching the town, we headed towards the headquarters of Samar Island National Park (SINP). It isanother 16 kilometers along the Wright-Taft road past the junction (ay, we kept asking the annoyed German, are we there yet?) and up a hill. You register, pay the fee, choose a guide and get a briefing before going to the jump-off point. I think the package for 5 persons is PHP 1800 and it includes the helmet, the boat, and the fee for the guide. (The package rate is based on boat capacity- maximum of 5 pax, so if there are six of you, you need to get another boat for 1800. So it’s better to go there in multiples of 5).



The boat ride along 10.5 kilometers (one way) of the Ulot river (total length is 520 km) was scenic, with a lot of wildlife sightings along the way (it’s a bird watchers’ heaven). We saw a couple of waterfalls by the river banks. And there are a few rapids and drops that will satisfy the adrenalin junky. The ride downstream was exhilarating but the ride upstream was even more so since we were going against the current.



The ride culminates at Deny’s point, the designated picnic area where visitors could swim then have lunch by the big stones and boulders lining up the riverbank. Oh, and we dared each other to jump into the raging waters and let the current just take you downstream where the guides wait to pull you back to the riverbank.

It was a good day trip, the perfect start to the year and this 37 for 37 challenge.

(all photos by Mandy Aumento)

(This is trip. no. 1 of the 37 for 37 challenge "

The 37 for 37 Challenge

I, with two of my closest friends, decided to make the year leading up to our 37th Birthday (38th for P) more interesting. We got this idea from a friend who challenged herself to go on 35 trips before her 35th birthday. We met her on the eve of her birthday and she was going on the 35th trip (to Davao) the next day. So we said, why not try it..we are always looking for places to go anyway, always hoping for time (and money!)so we could go on our next adventure. We are perpetually planning...even if half of those plans do not work out.

So we decided to call it 37 trips/new places for 37 years (or 38 for P)- the 37 for 37 Challenge. It is a challenge because: (1) there are only 52 weeks in a year, meaning, 52 weekends in a year. And our work is such that we have to work even on weekends so there is no guarantee we can free up those weekends to go on these trips; (2) That means 3 trips every month. And right now, we barely have time meet up for dinner once a month or so. So yes, it is going to be a challenge. But bring it on!

We drafted these rules so we know what's and what's out...

General Rules

1. Primary purpose of the trip: vacation, leisure (* see exceptions to this rule)
2. It has to be a place that you have never been to before ( ** see exceptions to this rule)
3. At least 90 kilometers away from base city (reference point Kilometer Zero in Rizal Park, Philippines and Kilometer Zero in Tacloban City)
4. A city or town counts as one point even if there are numerous tourist attractions in that town or city
5. One could earn several “points’ in one trip for as long as rules 1-4 are met
6. Coverage: for Me and D: January to December 2013. for P: March 2013- March 2014.


* For work related trips to be included, there should at least be one full day “extension” devoted to sightseeing/vacation for the trip to count ; the site/attraction/place should be a place that one has never been to before

** A trip to a place that you have been to before can count as a point for as long as Rules 1 and 3 are met; You stay in that place for more than 8 hours.


So there. I have decided to document where the '37 for 37' will take us in this blog.