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Filipinas (bayan ko - my fatherland)
The
Philippines consists of 7107 islands in the western Pacific
Ocean, only 2000 of which are inhabited. Luzon and Mindanao
are by far the largest, and comprise roughly 66% of the
country's area. Only about 1000 islands are larger than
one sq km and 2500 aren't even named. I was fortunate to
visit some of the beautiful remote islands in Visayas and
Mindanao region as part of my job. Islands such as Panglao
Island near Bohol Island known for its strange Chocolate Hills;
Camiguin Island off of Cagayan de Oro, known for its sweet
lanzones fruit; Samal Island located near
Davao City; Guimaras Island off of Iloilo City; Mactan Island
off the island of Cebu, where Magellan marked the beginning of
Christianity in the Philippines and later met his death in the
hands a local chieftain Lapu-Lapu; Santa Cruz Island known for
their pink sand near Zamboanga City; Boracay Island off the
north-western tip of Panay, known for its powder sand, and now
as major tourist destination; Puerto Galera, on the island
of Mindoro and Hundred Islands in Pangasinan. In March 2005, I
visited Lagen Island, Miniloc Island and Pangalusian Island located
in the resort of El Nido, north of Palawan.
Gallery:
A slideshow presentation of some of the places I have been ...
Sign my guestbook
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 The Land of the Rising Sun 1985
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The land of the Rising Sun is what Japan is aptly called.
Tokyo is extremely an expensive city. I stayed at my uncle's
residence at Minato-ku. Trying out various Japanese cuisine
such as sashimi & sushi (raw seafood) and shabu-shabu
was the highlight of this trip.
It was spring time and the cherry blossoms at Shinjuku Gyoen
were blooming. I also visited the World Fair's and Exposition in
Tsukuba where it showcased man's future in technology. |
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The Canyonlands 1987
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The North Rim of Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands,
Arches, are Utah's five national park, where ancient geologic
forces, erosion, oxidation, and other natural processes have
carved spectacular rock sculptures. There aren't many places
in the world where forces of nature have come together with
such dramatic results. 2 billion years of geologic history!
more. . .
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Fall Foliage 1991
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Fall is to New England what the Grand Canyon is to the Southwest.
It's one of the great natural spectacles of the United States,
and with its rolling hills tarted up in brilliant reds and
stunning oranges.The colors start to peak in mid-September
in the Green and White Mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire,
and then bleed down into the Berkshires of Massachusetts. |
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European Discovery 1995
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Finally after several years of seeing Europe only on travel magazines,
TV shows and in my dreams, it was time to see it for real
with a group of friends. I joined a 14-day tour that will
take me to Europe's greatest cities including London, Amsterdam,
Munich, Venice, Rome, Florence and Paris. The adventure would
begin after arrival at Heathrow Airport -- taking London�s
underground train, called the "Tube" on our way
to our London hotel.
more. . .
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The Greek Odyssey 1996
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Greece, the cradle of Western civilization; the origin of the drama,
history, philosophy; the Greek myths (Apollo, Hercules, Homer,
Odysseus, the Trojan War, ...); the birthplace of democracy
and the Olympic Games; the architecture style that was the
model for state capitols and the White House; Pythagoras,
Aristotle, Aesop and the language... metropolitan, aristocratic,
philanthropy, gymnastics, pornography, ... etc.
more. . .
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Swiss Rambles 1997
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One of the highlights was the Glacier Express train ride over
and through the Swiss Alps, beginning at St. Moritz and ending
up in Zermatt, in the shadow of the Matterhorn. In between
these two popular Alpine resorts, a climbing, plunging, tunneling
railroad penetrates 169 miles of spectacular mountain scenery.
For a memorable experience of an unparalleled look at the
heartland of the Swiss Alps, no better route can be chosen.
more. . .
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Beaches and Reefs 1998
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Sydney, the Outback and the Great Barrier Reef as well as seeing
again friends that I have met on previous travels. The Great
Barrier Reef of Australia's east coast is one of the world's
natural wonders and a scuba diver's paradise. Over 2000 kms
long and it is considered to be the largest marine park in
the world. I also found out where my name came from - baby 'roos.
more. . .
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Viva Espana 1999
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Andalucia represents "typical" Spain (al-Andalus) with bullfights,
flamenco dancing, and myths like Don Juan and Carmen. Autumn
is a great time to experience the olive harvests which dominate
Southern Europe's Mediterranean countryside. I am here to
bike through the Andalusian countryside and to witness the
olive bounty as workers harvest the small fruit from the
more than 200 million olive trees growing throughout the
region.
more. . .
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Egypt and the Nile 2000
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To the us mortals, ancient Egypt seem bearers of some higher
civilization whose sources lay in another world. While populations
elsewhere, are still in their infancy, they were groping
their way out of the stone age into a civilization far more
advance than the rest of the world. The legacy they left
are grandiose testimony to the extraordinary civilization
that flourished in the Nile Valley 6000 years ago.
more. . .
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Turkish Delight 2000
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Turkey is a country located at a point where the 3 continents of
the old world (Asia, Africa and Europe) are closest to each
other and where Asia and Europe meet. Istanbul is the only
city in the world build in two continents. Because of its
geographical location, Anatolia has always been important
throughout history and is the birthplace of many great civilizations.
97% of Turkey is located in Asia, but it is accepted more
as a European country.
more. . .
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French Riviera 2000
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Provence - C�te d'Azur, Nice, Eze, Monaco, Cannes, St. Tropez, St-Paul-de-Vence,
Ile St-Marguerite, Aix-de-Provence provided the landscape, the sceneries,
sunflower fields, cypress trees, fountains, peasants and the rustic
character life; the artistic ideas for Paul C�zanne, Pierre Auguste
Renoir, Henri Matisse, Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh to paint in their canvas.
more. . .
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Tour du Mont-Blanc 2000
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For 10 days and 120 miles, I hiked the �official� Tour Du
Mont-Blanc following an established route around Mont-Blanc
and its allied summits such as Verte, Chardonnet, Gouter, Geant,
Jorasses, d�Argentiere, & Dolent. Circling these ranges,
I hiked through alpine meadows, over barren passes, into
small hamlets, and beneath glaciers staying at dortoirs and
mountain huts called refuges, a gite d'etape (simple overnight
accommodations for hikers).
more. . .
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Bohemian Rhapsody 2000
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Salzburg's Sound of Music & birthplace of Mozart; Innsbruck -
capital of Tyrol; Vienna - seat of the Hopsburg Dynasty where the
Emperor Maximillian I, by royal decree founded the Choir Boys;
Munich's Oktoberfest and Berlin Wall (what use to be); Budapest's
thermal baths; and Prague's architecture - from Romanesque
to Gothic to Renaissance, from baroque to Rococo to Art Nouveau
to cubist.
more. . .
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European Holiday 2002
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This is a family trip with my Dad, Mom, Tita Perla and cousin
Pinggot to places I have been in Europe.
This tour covers 5 countries – Italy, Vatican,
Switzerland, France and England with highlights on places
like Rome, Florence, Venice, Lucerne, London and Paris.
more. . .
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Inca Trail 2003
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First inhabited as many as 20,000 years ago, Peru was the cradle
of several of the most ancient and sophisticated pre-Columbian
civilizations in the Americas. The ruins of Machu Picchu
which was most likely a royal estate and religious retreat,
stands at an altitude of 2,350 meters above sea level. It
was built between 1460 and 1470 AD by Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui,
an Incan ruler and was never found by the Spanish conquistadors.
more. . .
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Andes Adventure 2003
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To much of the world, Patagonia is a clothing company. For adventurer's,
it is the planet's "edge" destination - nature in its wildest
form. Patagonia is a vast land of spectacular beauty. Southern
Chile and Argentina share these loosely defined region of
endless pampas, dense evergreen southern beech forests, turquoise
lakes, abundant wildlife, immense glaciers and dramatic landscapes.
more. . .
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Canadian Rockies 2004
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Towering over the plains of Alberta & British Columbia are the peaks
of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. From quiet meadows to thundering
waterfalls, towering peaks to misty canyons, jade-coloured lakes and
roaring rivers, Banff, Jasper, and Lake Louise are alpine towns that
offer an assortment of scenery and outdoor activities. Somewhere
is the continental divide where rivers flow either west to the
Pacific Ocean or east to the Atlantic Ocean.
more. . .
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El Nido 2005
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El Nido is located in Bacuit Bay, Palawan, Philippines. Set in a
marine reserve, Lagen Island and Miniloc Island are surrounded
by sheer limestone cliffs and pristine waters. Its hidden lagoons
and numerous coves are ideal for snorkeling, and other marine
sports. Its lush forest is host to more than 70 species
of birds, a large number of which are endemic to Palawan.
more. . .
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Jordan 2008
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Petra (from the Latin word 'petrae', meaning 'rock') often
described as one of the seven wonders of the ancient
world, it is without doubt Jordan’s most valuable treasure
and greatest tourist attraction. It is a vast, unique city, carved
into the sheer rock face by the Nabataeans, who settled
here more than 2000 years ago, turning it into an important
junction for the silk, spice
and other trade routes that linked China, India and southern
Arabia with Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome.
more. . .
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Belize 2009
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The barrier reef off Belize is second in size only to Australia's Great Barrier Reef.
The Blue Hole is the feature attraction of diving in Belize.
Right in the center of Lighthouse Reef is a large, almost
perfectly circular hole approximately one quarter of a mile (.4 km) across.
Inside this hole the water is 480 feet (145 m) deep and it is the depth
of water which gives the deep blue color that causes such structures
throughout the world to be known as "blue holes."
more. . .
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