Lessons I Learned From Travel (and Pics!)

I had not written in this blog for two years. Let me explain why there was a long period of not writing. Besides getting in and out of a relationship, I suddenly had an explosion of traveling to many different places. It was more of experiencing so many things and not taking the time to sit down and write about them.

And that is a shame. So below is a summary, an attempt to encapsulate what I had seen these past 2 years and hoping, here’s hoping it inspires you.

1. Travel is not just a dream. It can be reality.

There is no excuse for you to just continue sitting on your couch and moaning how boring life is. We live in an awesome world. Think how many things you could be experiencing right now if you just go out and get it.

I have a Philippine passport. That restricts me to traveling to a 100 or so countries. I need a visa to travel to most of Europe, US, Australia, Korea, Japan, New Zealand and other places. I need to do a lot of paperwork and they make it difficult for us to apply for a visa to travel to those places. I also don’t have a very high monthly income.  Did that stop me?

Nope.

I’ve now been to those countries except for Europe and New Zealand (coming soon!). What drives me to visit as many places as I can is seeing my grandparents unable to climb the Great Wall of China because of their age. Sure you can save money and finally get to visit your dream place when you retire – that is the safest option and that’s what everyone tells you- and it might happen. But what is inevitable is that you won’t be able to enjoy it fully with your 70 year old bones. Heck, my 40 year old office mate keeps complaining about climbing the stairs to our office—and yes, she did skip the Great Wall in China and bungee jumping in New Zealand.

Achieving my dream of seeing Taj Mahal, India

Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo, Japan. This is where I got the best sushi ever!

2. Travel can open up your mind. You think you know the world? Think again.

A Hindu community lives in this chilly part of Bromo, Indonesia. 

I took a photo of these lovely kids in Xinjiang Province, China. They look Central Asian but no, they’re Chinese.

Cowboy culture in Moron, Mongolia. One of the last and few places that totally captures the free spirit of the Wild Wild West.

Strolling aimlessly by the road, I found this Che Guevara establishment in where else but in Yangon, Burma.

Seeing and touching snow for the first time in Minnesota, USA. I had no idea it would look like shaved ice. 

3. Experience over buying things. Iphones come and go, computer models go obsolete but memories? They last forever. Would you rather stay in your house and watch your brand new plasma T.V. and play your Xbox or would you rather –

-  scuba dive the world’s largest coral reef system a.k.a.  Great Barrier Reef of Australia?

-         paraglide amidst the Himalayan Mountains in Nepal? (My guide and I took this photo of my friend Shirley while we were riding the air currents from above.  Terrifying!)

-   go on a camel ride on the sand dunes of Mongolia? (here’s my friend David with the prettiest camel of the bunch).

-   catch a beautiful sunrise amidst 2,600 temples in Burma?

4. It’s about meeting new friends and spending time with the old. It’s about forming memories and friendships that would last a lifetime.

my best friend, Dbau and I in one of our best trips in Burma

This is our tour group shivering in front of our Russian van in the Gobi Desert, Mongolia. Spending all those days in the desert without mobile phones, T.V. or internet gave us more chances to talk about our lives and spend time with each other. 

5.  And finally, just live life.  We live in a beautiful world.

Whitsundays in Australia

Swim with the biggest fish in the world- the whale shark in the Philippines (photo from Lovely Adventures)

Marvel in the glitziest area in the world- Times Square, New York City. 

Be awestruck in one of the most beautiful monuments in the world- Hagia Sofia in Turkey (Bucket list!).  Photo from Istanbul Tours

Skydive in New Zealand (photo courtesy of  Scoop)

See the glaciers in the Roof the World, Tibet

See the world’s largest mirror in the Salt Marsh of Bolivia (photo from Beautiful Places).  I so badly want to see this. 

For “the World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” – Saint Augustine

Free your wanderlust. Happy Travels!

Except for pictures I provided a link to, all photos are from my album.  Please kindly link to this site if you want to use them. Thanks!

You might like to read:

How to Make an Easy Travel Itinerary

Sample Travel Itinerary 

The Quick Pack List

How to Prepare for your Trip the Lazy Way

Sex with Six

It all began like everything else with a story.

The car was cloaked in darkness. Three boys, three girls who were lured with the sweet promise of adventure in India. We were on a road trip that was doomed to last for fours hours that would take us to our tiger safari in Rathambore. Our supply of rum and chips was running out.

And we were bored.

“The car got a flat tire so Joel went out for a piss.” Aaron’s voice from the backseat sliced through the deadweight silence that settled on us, shifting it aside like an old musty blanket.

Joel sat up from the middle of the car and continued the story. “But before he could do so, he felt Michelle’s hand on his ass because she wanted some action.” He licked his lips.

“All Michelle wanted to do actually was shove Joel out of the car because it was getting stuffy.” Michelle shot him a triumphant look.

“At that point, the midget appeared,” Seamus at the front continued.

“Whoa, what’s up with the midget?” Joel said.

“It’s not your turn, Joel,” said Aaron. He stared across from Shirley at the back and rolled his eyes.

I took a deep breath, excited at how these things were turning about. For some reason, the car was getting warmer. “The midget led these six –

“—Seven. What about the driver?” said Joel.

“Ssh. Let her continue,” said Seamus.

“Seven lost souls to a house in the middle of nowhere. There they found –“

“You’re only allowed a sentence,” Aaron interrupted.

“Fine. –Middle of nowhere and there they found an orgy of men and women, their brown flesh dripping with intoxicating sweat.”

“Hello!” Joel exclaimed.

“At that point, the group decided to take off their clothes and join in,” said Seamus. His eyes met mine and held them for some time. My tongue peeked out and I licked my lower lip nervously, leaving a shiny trail.

“But the girls hesitated, unsure of themselves and let the guys have a stab at it first,” Shirley said. Aaron’s foot nudged hers as the vehicle rocked from passing a pothole.

“Surely the guys wouldn’t protest as they’ve been eyeing each other for a long time and this was the perfect opportunity for them to unleash their carnal desire,” Michelle said.

“But, but,” Aaron said. “The midget announced that customs dictate the women always go first so regretfully, the guys backed down to let the girls take the limelight.”

“Now you’re talking.” Joel grinned. “To help these girls overcome their sudden shyness, a few of the naked women with their breasts dripping of coconut oil decided to come and help them out.”

“At that point –” Seamus began.

“At that point,” the group bellowed in unison, now aware of his trademark.

Unabashed Seamus continued, “At that point, they decided to give each other an oil massage.”

I rubbed my hands together in anticipation. “But it was hard to take off the girls’ wet saris that were clinging to their supple flesh from the rain so frustrated our dark skinned friends decided to tear them off.”

“And proceeded to also strip down the men,” Michelle said.

“I’m not complaining,” said Joel. His arms snaked around behind my shoulder. “Supple flesh, where did that come from?” he whispered into my ear. Then the car rocked again. I was pressed further into Michelle’s warm body and she grasped my waist so I was caught in this awkward embrace between the two of them.

“The men dived in to dance and cavort and taste the throbbing buttocks of delightful female flesh,” Aaron said. Not breaking his eye contact with us, his hand rested softly upon Shirley’s thigh.

“As if under a heady trance, the six—” I said.

“-Seven,” corrected Joel. His fingertips grazed my ear.

“The seven did not know whose flesh they’ve tasted for all they wanted was to be in the moment, to exist right here and now, with their animal juices running down their thighs and it was hard to breathe underneath those pulsating bodies with their fingers clawing onto each others’ backs drawing droplets of blood.”

“That’s one paragraph,” Joel said. He fanned himself with his other hand. “Is it getting hot here or is it just me?”

“At that point – ”

The car skidded to a stop. For a moment, there was a pregnant silence as everyone noted with disappointment that we’ve arrived. Perhaps we’d hoped that the tale will soon venture with a tentative foot to the real world. But that hope was now gone. There was no more story.

“At that point, everything came to an end.”

Photo by Quasebart

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