My Hyperactive Year of 2012

As compared to my 2011, my To-Do-List for 2012 has fewer items.
I was just surprised to when I realized I've also accomplished a lot of things which I really didn't plan to do this year.

January. Since it was the month of festivals, Carla and I faked our identities and grabbed some free airline tickets. Exciting pero wag tularan. Anyway, we've finally experienced the very famous Dinagyang Festival in Iloilo. The energy and vibe were all over the place. It was priceless to be part of this celebration.

Dinagyang Festival in Iloilo

February. The love month brought us a complimentary stay in this lovely and luxurious resort of Misibis Bay. Aside from the facilities and the Armada toiletries, the excellent service made our stay very memorable.

Misibis Bay - the Sweetest Escape

Then I was very delighted to receive a blogger's pass to be the first ones to explore The Mind Museum. I really planned to visit this place before I got retrenched from my job then. Anyway, it's just 200 meters away from our office building so I just bribed by former boss to let me go to the science museum while it's still office hours. Hehe

The Mind Museum

Summer time was fast approaching so a close encounter with the whale sharks in Oslob Cebu took place. This was controversial though because of the improper handling of this activity. Nevertheless, it was surreal to finally see the gentle giants, extreme up close.

Whale Sharks in Oslob, Cebu

On the other hand, I received a retrenchment letter from my previous company. To celebrate our last happy days in the office, my teammates and I went to Baler and surfed our hearts out! This trip was one of the happiest this year.

Surf, Trek, Swim in Baler

March. My much awaited Southern Eskapo with Dong Ho finally happened. Our route: Zamboanga - Basilan - Tawi Tawi. It was heart pounding and eye opener at the same time. Im very thankful for this learning-beyond-books experience.

A Sound and Secured Zamboanga Trip

 

Don't Tell my Mother I Spent a Summer Day in Basilan

ranks 6th in my Best Beaches in the Philippines list

Tawi-Tawi | A Trip to the Philippine’s Southernmost Province

Im a budget traveler but I do love splurging as well. Whenever my dear friend Rob is home, it's time for some fabulous staycation! Next year, we'll really target The Farm at San Benito. Right Rob? =)

staycation at Dusit Thani

April. I officially became a glorified tambay! I took advantage of having all the time I have to explore the best beaches in the country. Summer is simply the best time to be unemployed! I started by organizing an open trip to Apo Reef. Thank you guys for joining. Ansaya neto!

Apo Reef | A Paradise Above and Below the Sea

ranks 5th in my Best Beaches in the Philippines list

Right after this, Donnie and I flew to Mindanao and sailed our way to the island of Siargao. It was paradise. And of course, to swim with the stingless jellyfish in Bucas Grande was nothing but surreal. Thank you sir Edelito and your family for accommodating us.

Siargao's Paradise Beaches and Cloud 9

Stingless Jellyfish Lake in Bucas Grande

ranks 2nd (if I wasn't biased) in my Best Beaches in the Philippines list

May. It was such a privilege to be part of a reality-travel show called PHL360 - 8 Travelers, 4 Destinations, 1 Full Circle. The challenges were 1. i dont know where the crew would bring me 2. i dont who would be my partner 3. i dont know what challenges await us in there. The week-long trip was unpredictable but fun! I salute the whole team, specially the crew for the effort. All out for the love of travel.

  8 Travelers, 4 Destinations, 1 Full Circle

awesome PHL360 team - east leg

the water split for me, Im one with the sea

Bontod Reef, Masbate

believe it or not, my assigned partner Hannah and I only met on the day of our trip

and for the record - there were no dead air moments and we NEVER did fight! haha

watch  PHL360 episode here ---> http://phl360.com/the-show/

June. My skin was so black and burnt but a day after my birthday, my dearest friends and I attempted to explore Gigantes Island. Although it wasn't a success, this trip was sooo fun and crazy! Also, out of the money I received from being retrenched, I was able to buy my very much desired gadgets: Canon's latest underwater camera and a waterproof watch. Ansarap ma-retrench!

super fun birthday trip with my dearest friends

gadgets: katas ng retrenchment

Btw, after doing a lot of traveling I got bored. I decided to finally start working again. My funds needed to be replenished. Hehe

July. I was finally convinced to have a dental surgery to remove my two wisdom teeth. The healing process was more painful and not fun at all, specially I can only eat soft food. Imagine, I was only eating mamon and mashed potato for 4 weeks!

the Painful (and Costly) Removal of my Wisdom Teeth

August. I have no plans of renting a place near my work area in Taguig. It's just boredom that struck me and made me decide I needed to experience something new. I moved out and rented an apartment. Boredom really kills. ^_^

Rent: A Tour Inside Our Apartment

September. Nothing was remarkable for this month, including this so-so buffet at Circles Makati Shangri-La.

Sinfully Circles Buffet | Makati Shangri-La

October. It was a lot of firsts- first time to apply for a visa, first time to visit a first-world country, and first time to experience autumn! The place to be is South Korea.

Autumn in Seoul, Korea

Love, Sex, Magic at Jeju, South Korea

A day after I got home from South Korea was supposedly our Davao trip for Remay's birthday. Unfortunately, a lot of unlucky things happened and we missed our flight. Oh well, Davao is still not meant for me.

November. The 4-day long weekend brought Remay and I to the world renowned island of El Nido in Palawan. The clear blue water, breathtaking limestone formations, the laid back lifestyle, and the good vibe of the enthusiastic tourists are the obvious reasons why everyone hails El Nido. 

 lazy time in the beaches of El Nido

island hopping in El Nido

December. After the sweetest Misibis Bay escape, the next thing I really looked forward to is to experience Bellarocca. I knew this day would come, the day a group buying site would offer a great and irresistible promo deal! ^_^

Bellarocca Resort | The Buy 1 Take 3 Promo Deal

Our annual outreach will happen on the 29th of this month. Thanks to those who have already given their support.

im very excited to have a day out with the girls!

Alright I admit it, I just can't keep my still. PHL360 was right. One minute Im luxuriating in a 5-star resort, the following week Im roughing it out in the far flung provinces of Basilan and Tawi-Tawi. Well, this is just me getting bored. (nakakapagod pala when I get bored. san ba nakakabili ng pampa-kalma?) 

I feel blessed for the exciting year the Lord has given me. It may not always be as I planned, but Im sure the alternative road always leads me to new friendship, new discoveries, and new realizations.

Thank you 2012 for the hyperactive journey! ♥

This post is my contribution to the Pinoy Travel Bloggers' Blog Carnival for the month of December with the theme This Year in Travel.

Compilation hosted by Gay Mitra-Emami of Pinay Travel Junkie.

Goals for 2012 | More Fun In The Philippines

As always, my first post for this year states my goals to achieve this 2012. Here it is.


Wear a 2-pc swimwear again. From 110lbs, Im now weighing 116-120lbs. Scary! So right after the holidays, I started my No Rice, No Fast Food, No Junk Food, No White Mocha diet =( ..and Im really struggling. Tiis ganda. Haha! On the good side, Im now forced to eat veggies and fruits. Hume-healthy lifestyle. Ü

Palaui. Located off the northeastern extremity of Luzon. This 5-hour trekking adventure was actually over 2 days before 2011 ends. Will post this entry soon.

Witness another festival. I had so much fun being part of Masskara's crowd last year. This year, I want to experience another world class festival in the Philippines.

Whale Shark encounter. Hoping to have a swim with this gentle creature. Wait lang, they dont bite right?

Basilan. Life Insurance - check!

Tawi-Tawi. Explore the southernmost part of Pinas. Im excited for this one.

Apo Reef. And so I almost forgot my tinatawag palang Holy Week. For the last 3 years, these days dont spell vacation to me, but Double Pay. ♥ Having a normal work now, I got pressured to create a trip for this 5-day vacation break. Joiners are very welcome. April 6-9.

as of now, there are still 8 promo seats in Cebu Pacific which only costs P488 only, per way. Ang mura na nyan for a super peak season. Book na ng flights from Manila - San Jose Mindoro. Or you have the option to take the bus if you wish.

El Nido. I wasn't able to do this last year, sayang ang forfeited tickets. This year, sana matuloy na. Who wants to join? I already bought tickets to Puerto Prinsesa for Nov 1-4. That's a 4-day long weekend.

Surigao and Siargao. Find the hidden beaches and caves in the easternmost part of Pinas. Will try to surf thru their premier waves too. Yes, joiners are welcome, kaso rainy season ang trip na to, in time for our company shutdown. Still hoping to get a good weather by that time comes.

South Korea. Inspired by the traumatic experience last year, I'd rather visit countries where Filipinos have good reputations. S.Korea is perfect, not to mention their visa processing is free!

Korean Food. Okay I admit Im never interested, but I need experience it soon. Anyone who wants to join me in trying Korean dishes?

for those interested joiners, just email me =)

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You all knew Im Gordon's fan, but lets all move on from Wow Philippines, okay? Let's give this FUN tagline a chance, after all comedy naman talaga sa Pinas. ^_^

And as my support to DOT's newest tourism tagline, here are more reasons why It's More Fun in the Philippines.

favorite ko to! ^_^

Twists and Turns of 2011

Sa totoo lang, nawala sa isip kong gumawa ng year end post. Pa-busy effect ako kahit 9-day holiday vacation ako sa work. Kakainis lang, company shutdown tapos forced leave? Walang kwenta.. Tapos sira pa tong letter "o" sa keyboard ko.. Haay buhay. #TantrumeraReyes ^_^

At dahil kakauwi ko lang from Palaui kahapon, struggle mode ako ngayon to make this year end post. Looking back, ansarap balikan ang mga memorable trips & the good and bad times of the year 2011.


January. First thing I did was I got myself a life insurance. I need extra protection for my family and for myself, in case something happened. What's more convincing is that this life insurance comes with an investment plan. Added savings, right?

matapang ang may life insurance

Right after I got insured, I secretly went to Batad, along with Toto and Jen, and 2 French girls. The trek was a torture, but considering the view, the strangers I met, and the lessons learned - all of these made the trip very much worth it. And hey, we've got our own share of our isolated case in Batad.

dont tell my mother what happened in Batad

February. Dom, Gael, and I finally got the chance to travel together for the 1st time. Super fun trip. Reaching the creepy submerged town of Mapanuepe just became the bonus. This should have been my entry to "Travel is the Destination", last month's blog carnival.

sailing thru a submerged village in Lake Mapanuepe

One of the few things that can convince me to go to a crowded place is to watch a fireworks competition. February marks the much awaited pyromusical event at MoA. Simply magical.

baby, you're a firework ♥

Another worth mentioning is that I accidentally did a memorable photo walk with the ex-bf in Luneta. This blog post made it to the Philippine Blog Awards. Naks!

literal na photo walk

March. The favorite activity I tried this year - scuba diving in Balicasag. The beauty of the underwater world took my breath away.

the day i discovered scuba diving

An unplanned trip to CWC along with my co-nocturnal girl friends Nina and Dyanie came next. Wakeboarding is really fun yet exhausting. Instead of trying to be a pro, we settled in a good spot and killed time by watching the experts. It's raining sexy men all over the place! =)

eat ○ sleep ○ wake ○ board

April. Another item in my 2011 Checklist was done as I made an SSS Loan for the 1st time. I'm P13,350 richer! Not bad. Ü

my 1st SSS salary loan cheque

On the other hand, my friends for life spent our summer in La Union. Everyone excelled in riding the waves. I guess surfing is easy for us who live in the flooded areas of Malabon, Valenzuela, and Bulacan. ^_^ This is also the trip where I didn't bring any camera with me. Thanks to my friends who took my photos.

effortless surfing in La Union

May. My close friend Rem and I once again visited Puerto Galera, but this time we preferred a beach farther to the party and the crowd. We're glad to found Talipanan beach.

Talipanan, Puerto Galera

Another balikbayan from New York came home and I accompanied him to Calaguas. The weather was very fine at first, but as the night comes, the rain poured hard. Having no proper shelter, we had no choice but to let the rain pour on our body. Ang ginaw sobra. That scary moment made us prayed hard. After 2 hours of agony in the rain, God has finally gave us a good weather. A rainbow after the rain.

rainy summer night in Calaguas

June. A traumatic welcome to the island of the Balinese - Dyanie and I were accused as drug traffickers only because we're Filipinas! Sad truth and a lot of lessons learned.

i never imagined this case would be featured in the radio, newspapers, tv, and even in the official gazette of the Philippines. thanks to everyone who showed concern.

Nevertheless, I tried to enjoy the Bali trip despite of how the officials in the airport treated us. Balinese culture is really rich, Hinduism never fail to heighten my curiosity.

island of the Balinese

Equally stunning are the infrastructures and mesmerizing nightscapes in Singapore. The airport and train system are very efficient. Quite expensive country but obviously the progress is very evident.

Singapore is a fine city

July. Because of the trauma, I cancelled my flights to El Nido and Dumaguete. I dont want to see the airport yet. =( Anyway, I quit my job last June and signed a contract in a company at The Fort. I welcomed myself back to being a normal person, hello morning shift! Ang hirap. Until now Im wishing I can work at night instead.

my 5th job in 4.5 years
up to date, di ko na mabilang ang madaming 2 bottles session after work ^_^

August. Being a newly hire means kelangan magpa-good shot. Wala pa din akong leaves so I opted to have staycations and splurge at hotel buffets on weekends. Ü

list of hotel staycations and buffets I tried this 2011
Sambo Kojin ○ Manila Hotel and Cafe Ilang-Ilang Buffet ○ Sofitel and Spiral Buffet ○ Vikings MoA ○
Basix at Dusit Thani ○ Discovery Suites ○ 7 Corners Buffet ○ Lancaster Suites ○ Marriot Buffet ○ Misibis Bay ○ Midas Hotel

September. Opened a joining trip to Anilao for my readers. The underwater world may not be as gorgeous as Bohol or Coron, but this trip became memorable because of the bonding with the girls.

snorkeling in Anilao

October. Finally experienced one of the world class festivals in our country - Bacolod's Masskara. The energy, dedication, and effort of every barangay who performed were enough to make my 3-hour wait under the sun and the rain worth it.

Masskara Festival 2011

Before going home, we made a day trip in the nearby province Guimaras and explored its mystical caves and beaches.

sunkissed in Guimaras

November. For Rem's birthday, we flew to Legazpi and had a day tour in the luxurious resort of Misibis. And by now, you surely knew the hits and misses of Misibis Bay.

hits and misses of Misibis Bay

And a trip to Legazpi wont be complete without giving the majestic Mayon a visit. Had fun doing fun snapshots behind Mayon's peak.

fun snapshots at Cagsawa Ruins

December. Everyone in the family freaked out when they saw the blood clot in my eye. Because of this, I looked like a drug addict for a week. LOL

subconjunctival hemorrhage

And among all the trips I organized this year, this one's the most challenging yet fulfilling. Our group JGC held a Christmas outreach with the abandoned lola's at Bahay ni Maria. We never thought partying with the old age people would be much more fun.

party at Bahay ni Maria

And as a year end trip - I organized a trip to Palaui, an island found in the northeastern of Luzon. Along with 5 solo female joiners, we braved the waves then survived the 5-hour trek in a muddy trail using our bare feet. Despite the hardships, this trip became a great experience for everyone. (blog post to follow)

barefoot trek towards Palaui island

365 days full of twists and turns. Im very thankful for every safe and action-packed trip, every person I met, everyone who I traveled with, every experience I overcome, every lesson and realization I learned, and every dream that I still wanted to pursue day by day. Im very much looking forward for another fruitful year ahead.

I'd like to thank those 823 email subscribers, 616 Google followers, and every avid reader na halos kabisado na ang details ng buhay ko. LOL Thanks for appreciating my blog. I promise to still write feel good and funny entries next year. Hugs everyone! ♥


Btw, I created a twitter account at last. Please follow me and I'll surely follow you back. Thanks! http://twitter.com/#!/chyngreyes