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2012, more travels, more destinations…?

A passenger at Cagayan de Oro's Agora terminal

I was laying on my bed, staring into the ceiling, looking at nothing. But my mind was elsewhere, ruminating, pondering. Where will I go? What will I do? What new things to discover this year, 2012? Such wide open questions but not immediately needing answers.

Of course, I need to finish off all three provinces that I still haven’t visited: Zamboanga Sibugay, Apayao and Siquijor. That’s definite. To finally and proudly say I’ve done it!. How many Filipinos have just done the feat? Ivan About Town is one that I know of. And I’m very much confident that there’s a few more.

Boatman heading to Pilar in Camotes
Last year, I was planning of traveling nonstop around the Philippines with no route being tracked back. However, Journeying James have already set forth his 100 days plan so I might have to go back to the drawing board.

Indonesia end to end was also one of the options. Let’s just see. But lately, especially in the last few months of 2011, I’ve been thinking of doing month long stays in remote places to better appreciate these less visited areas: Batanes, some small islands in Palawan, Sibutu…

While I had a great travel year in 2011, it is but natural to expect that this year will even be better. But does that mean more foreign destinations? More trips locally? Or go for something different? I’ve been to most places in the country, I think, a better mileage than many travel bloggers out there. But for me, most tourist places are becoming tourist traps and are boring and festivals are becoming templates of each other.

Well, let’s just see. The best travels I had were those that were spur of the moment than planned. Where the adrenaline rush was seeing a piece of beautiful architecture for the first time, swimming in a not so discovered strip of beach in some remote islets. Where the sense of awe was profound, like when coming face to face with the remaining four pillars of the oldest mosque in the country in far off Simunul.

Let 2012 just unfold naturally and I’m sure I will always be on the road to somewhere.

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13 thoughts on “2012, more travels, more destinations…?”

  1. oh my, i remember di ka pa nakakarating sa siquijor.
    i hope this video will help you fuel the drive to see it ASAP
    http://vimeo.com/32696944

    Happy new year Estan!
    mag hello stranger ka dun LOL

  2. Anonymous

    hahaha, ron, turuan mo ako maghello stranger. hahaha

  3. what a nice plan- i like to do that too, mas okay yun sa 100 days..ung staying in one place to be with the locals.
    thanks for the mention pre

  4. Anonymous

    welcome and good luck sa travels james

  5. Anonymous

    mervz, be location independent 😉

  6. Happy travel sir! More travels this 2012… Looking forward for Apayao. Sir after visiting the 80 provinces, isunod mo ung 7, 107 islands!

  7. I just realized that you have to top your travels from the previous year as an innate sense of human beings. haha. I’m a new blogger, i just might quit my day job and go full time if i have to keep topping my travels year in year out. =) Great Shots bai! It’s awfully refreshing to be in this side of the world, outside of my tight corporate box… =)

  8. I like the idea of staying longer in one place. I am a culture vulture so if I have the chance and the money, go!

  9. Anonymous

    That plan also thrills me Ding.

  10. Anonymous

    3 na lang Christian.

  11. Anonymous

    do make the decision when you’re ready but for the meantime, do keep on traveling 🙂

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