Philippines photo diary

I fell in love with the Philippines back in 2010 when I visited it for the first time. The beauty of the country and the kindness of its people blew me away! I always knew that another visit wouldn’t take me too long. So I went back in October last year and I had the bessssssst time!

First stop: Malapascua, baby! I love love love this island with all my heart. I will never forget  the first time I went there in 2010 and met all those wonderful local people from the dive shop. I seriously missed them a lot, which is why I decided to go back there to say hi and of course to dive with the amazing thresher sharks!

On the last night we went to the island’s annual fiesta! It was nothing I’ve ever witnessed before. I was literally culture shocked, haha! The basketball court was transformed into a dance floor with crazy disco lights and let me tell you something; Filipino’s LOVE dancing and are not shy to show it. I had the best time of my life watching them having so much fun and dance like their life was depending on it hahaha, it was so cute! They all had their little dance offs and they even paid the DJ to play their favourite songs. I know because everytime this particular sound went off, it meant that someone paid the DJ to have the dance floor all to themselves & their crew to show everyone what they’ve got and everyone else had to step aside hahaha! Priceless and super fun night (despite hearing Gangnam Style like 100 times that night lol SHOOT ME!)!!

Awesome shots! Philippines is getting higher on our list all the time!

Check out itsjois !

Manila, Philippines

summer kiddo 1

Very good!

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Philippines

Underwater Anticipation

Every time I would go to the beach for a vacation, I would always get frustrated that I don’t have an underwater camera with me. Countless of times I have searched the internet looking for the best one, narrowing them down but eventually ending up with nothing because I would never have the budget nor the willingness in myself to invest on a digital underwater camera.

So when I stumbled upon the Aquapix Underwater Lomo Film Camera, I was excited albeit a bit wary. I’ve only used an underwater film camera once during my Coron trip back in 2011 and out of 15 shots, I only got 3 that were fairly good. But time and again, I’d still feel that frustration of wanting to take pictures underwater but not being able to.

Finally, I found a camera that would relieve me of that frustration. The pictures may not come out as clear as digital but lomography has always intrigued me and what better way to start than to do it underwater, right? 

And I’m just so giddy about it because it’s so cute and pretty! Haha.

Here are a few underwater shots for my inspiration. Hoping I get to achieve at least one! —

http://addictedtoskittles.deviantart.com/art/Underwater-39016954

http://kiisy.deviantart.com/art/underwater-77737974

Nice shots, you should have a blast with that camera!

Check out Musings Of A Wanderer !

Camiguin, Philippines

I arrived in Cebu without any problems and spent a few days exploring the city, eating lovely food and planning my next move.  I met Anna, a Canadian girl who has been traveling for 16 months, and we decided to head to the island of Camiguin together.

We spent a few days exploring by trike or on foot, and then hired motorbikes for a day.  Camiguin is known for its volcanoes (which accounts for the black sand) and it’s quite something to ride down the coastal road with a volcano on your left and the cliffs and sea on your right.  We visited several sights including the Stations of the Cross (a walk up one of the volcanoes that is decorated with the story of Jesus) and the Sunken Cemetery (it was pushed into the sea by an eruption in the 1870s and you can snorkel around the tombstones).  The ride around the island only took a few hours so later in the afternoon we decided to head out to White Island, a sand bar located just offshore.

Great idea for a keepsake!

Check out Jen Sees The World !

Manila, Philippines

I joined a photography group on Facebook this week. This week’s theme is…..Feet!

My original models were not game for having their twinkle toes taken by me so they hot-footed away from the breakfast table before I could grab my camera. My Dearest (older) Son, sweetie-pie that he is, offered his feet for my viewing pleasure   He doesn’t normally offer to model for me.

The Lost in the Details theme from the Weekly Photo Challenge was still fresh in my mind so I took it from this angle to see how it would look. I took a couple of shots, this was the one I was happiest with, which I’ll also be posting in the group in a little while:

Nice shot, I am sure the group was impressed!

Check out My Tropical Home !

Davao, Philippines

Sayaw Mindanaw – August 21, 2009

Must have been an amazing performance!

Check out Inventory of Memoirs !

Philippines

So true and nice shot!

Check out Shelsie O S. Gutierrez !

Loboc River, Bohol, Philippines

Captivating, beautiful, serene- that’s my description of the Loboc River; another pride of Bohol. The river swank of abundant lush tropical vegetation such as Nipa palms, coconut trees, banana groves and bushes. It is probably the cleanest blue-green river water I’ve ever seen in the Philippines. River cruises are widely offered that starts from the Loay Bridge which is 20 kilometers away from Tagbilaran. Floating restaurants are also popular, tourists enjoy Filipino cuisines while cruising the river and with an added perks of being serenaded by an in-boat band. There is also a cruise stop where a group of local residents showcase folk dancing in complete traditional costume.  The end point of the river cruise offers a good view of waterfalls. When visiting Bohol, one should never forget to visit this tranquil river.

Sagada, Philippines

Our subsequent itinerary led us to the laid-back and tranquil town of Sagada in the Mountain Province that has whetted the appetites of many for its interesting ethnic practices of hanging coffins in a valley or burying their dead on a cave, its majestic and stunning sunrises, and its offers for adrenaline-booster cave explorations, among others.

From the Tourism Office we walked further down the road to check for a place to stay. We did not want to waste time and so the first one that appeared was the one we recklessly chose. Never again will I stay in the same hostel, it disappointed me in a big way especially that I discovered loads of other much more worthy ones downhill from the town hall. We checked-in our luggage and gone back out hurriedly to fill our empty and gurgling stomachs. We found a good restaurant, thank heavens! And shortly we found ourselves on the way to Sumaguing Cave aka The Big Cave and pumped up to embark on a creepy kind of adventure.   I came to know that Sumaguing Cave has the largest chamber of all connecting caves in town and that there are more than 60 known caves underneath Sagada. That’s rather cool!

From the paved road, we plummeted several steps down before we were welcomed by the mouth of the cave which already looked a bit eerie. Not knowing entirely what was waiting down the lair sent some chills down the spine. I realized our lives were at the mercy of our guide who turned out amazingly commendable. He lit a lamp before we ventured into the darkness and showed us the way. He made sure to make a sound or call out our names every now and then to make his presence felt and in effect give us the valor to keep going. The downhill trek was slippery and having worn a pair of slippers was a wrong move although footwear was only permissible at a certain point. To be able to conquer the bottom of the cave, beginners were advised to proceed with barefeet and whether or not I stomped on guanos I cared less. I suppose that was the best idea still.

Seems like a spooky but delightful journey!

Check out Heaven on Earth !

Bantayan Island, Philippines

I had a quick trip to Bantayan with few of my good friends who are wanderers like me. We did not have any reservations or OC preparations. We only talked about what time we will leave and where to meet. Spontaneity is something we have in common.

And it looks like a great spontaneous time was had by all!

Check out Chasing Sunsets !

Puerto Galera, Philippines

After hopping in the shower and getting cleaned up, I instantly felt much better after 5 hours of riding buses and traversing shark-infested waters. Time to do some exploring! The best way to get to know an area: not by running out and seeing as many tourist sites as possible, but to pick one direction, and walk slowly, absorbing the world around you, by seeing how things are: people and nature.

My wanderings on this day started out as a simple casual stroll around the small, compact harbourfront of Puerto Galera, but they quickly evolved into a full-on hike, spurred on by word of a small but peaceful beach, located on the grounds of a cozy resort not far away … it was all I needed to set my feet in motion…

Your brave adventurer: well-tanned, well fed, but in bad need of a haircut, poses in front of the main harbour in Puerto Galera, Philippines.

Looking good!

Check out The Pursuit of Excitement !

Palawan, Philippines

our sun baked toes in the island of Palawan

Nice shot, pretty good looking beach!

Check out Fotogold Creations !

Philippines

I took this picture on a trip to the Philippines years ago of a man’s feet. There’s something I’ve really liked about this photo all this time. I feel like it says a lot about this country.

Interesting shot!

Manila, Philippines

Beautiful!

Check out francesbean’s Flickr Photostream !

San Juan, La Union, Philippines

Nice shot, looks incredibly relaxing!

Check out jessiefish’s Flickr Photostream !