Even for just two nights, I planned to travel from Cebu to Dumaguete on a whim, post Typhoon Odette. Perhaps it was the stress of the great damage that the typhoon wrought not only in my province but in other islands as well, coupled with the no water and no electricity a week after it hit us that I packed my things via candle light Sunday night. Although I wasn’t yet very decided to proceed, I woke up at 4AM, prepared coffee, checked the weather….Continue Reading “My brief Cebu to Dumaguete yearend 2021 trip”

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 Ennui got the better of us as we waited for the supposed backup vehicle that never arrived. The sun was high, although the slight breeze was cool, I was perspiring, seeking shelter on the disappearing umbrage of the four wheel drive. I scanned the horizon and the mountains across the Luba River and saw a lone longitudinal raft trying to cross the water, to the other side where two motorcycles were waiting. There’s no bridge large enough…Continue Reading “Tubo Adventure, Part 3: The lone ferryman of Luba River”

I was burning with fever, my nose runny and have a cough and outside, it was slightly drizzling. I had to pull myself out of the capsule. If only I need not travel on such a bad day but I already spent 18,690 yen the previous night (equivalent to P8,600+ in Philippine currency) and sleeping inside the capsule isn’t really a good idea to just rest for the day. I checked out of the hotel, walked to the Ueno train station but although it was…Continue Reading “For the experience, an expensive Nozomi shinkansen to Kyoto”

Why would you go with the crowd, fall in line or follow a long queue when you can do a self check-in at the airport? These self service check-in machines are a god send and whenever I’m at the airport, I usually use these for faster checkin. No queues, no lines. So far, I’ve tried Cebu Pacific Air’s (at all major airports around the country) and Air Asia (Terminal 4). But at the Mactan International Airport in Cebu, which is on a transition to a…Continue Reading “New self service check-in kiosks at Mactan Airport”

Q. For Japanese visitors and tourists, should you always get the JR Pass? A. Not at all. It all depends really on your itinerary. When one checks out posts on what’s the best way to go around Japan, the JR Pass is much regarded because, to a point, it will really save you big time. But first one should consider the price. At 38,880 YEN minimum purchase for an adult, 7 day pass, that is really expensive. But do you always have to get this?…Continue Reading “Why I took the Keisei Skyliner from Narita to Tokyo instead of JR Pass”