my talk pushing boundaries adventure travel

when one goes beyond his limits that is where the adventure begins and this Saturday 1:00pm, join me as i give a talk on "Pushing Boundaries: Adventure Travel in the Philippines" at the 21st Philippine Travel Mart at SM Megamall Megatrade hall. see you there and let me know if you're attending so we can have a short chat after the talk. thanks to R.O.X. (Recreational Outdoor Exchange),the biggest sports and recreation hub in Southeast Asia for inviting me to this talk. also check out great seat sale and travel packages on this event from Sept 3-5, 2010.

good morning vietnam

despite lacking sleep from the midnight flight, i still managed to wake up early at 5:30am. catching the dark blue sky from our hotel balcony along Pham Ngu Lao saying "good morning Vietnam".

like Manila, the streets of Ho Chi Minh are already busy this early. i crossed Cong Vien Van Hoa Park which was just across our hotel going to Le Lai street. passing by street vendors mostly wearing sedge hats. one of the first thing one would notice are the number of motorbikes coming from all directions. there are about 20million motorbikes around the country, so don't be surprised to see these bikes occupy large portions of the streets and at times even the sidewalks. as i walked along, i passed by a group of people chatting around a table, greeted them "good morning" and immediately they asked where i am from. when they knew that i'm from the Philippines they offered me a chair and a drink. i can hardly understand what they were saying but i knew they meant that i'm welcome. they too mentioned about badminton which i believe where they just came. maybe if not of the language barrier, i could have stayed longer and enjoyed chatting with them.they are used to seeing tourists roaming around the city and so taking photos does not offend them. in fact expect most of them to return you with a smile. that early, i said that Vietnam is a happy nation now recovering from the years of war.

island: greater Asia
city: Ho Chi Minh (formerly known as Saigon)
country: Vietnam
GPS location: 10^46"06.73' N 106^41"35' E

entering ho chi minh

just right after work, just dropped by the house to pick up my packed bag for another backpack trip. this time to one of my favorite Southeast Asian country, Vietnam. our goal was to taste the flavors of Saigon and look back at the remains of the Indochina War.we took the late night schedule from Manila to Vietnam's largest and historical city, Ho Chi Minh. from a planned trip of seven friends down to three determined travelers that includes Nadz, Melissa and i. landed at the country's largest and modern gateway Tan Son Nhat International Airport after about an estimated two and half hour flight. no hassle when checking out. thanks to the airport's efficient service.had our dollars partially converted at the airport for our taxi fee. it's easy to take a cab but warning... you must know how to pronounce your hotel correctly and show a map of the place or else you'll end up going to another place. our Saigon adventure begins here.

Lonely Planet Magazine Philippines

few months ago i was invited to the launch of Lonely Planet Magazine Philippines and unveiled the first issue of our local version of the international Lonely Planet magazine. this is aside from the popular travel guide books distributed globally.
"through traveling or simply by reading Lonely Planet Philippines, nowhere feels out of reach anymore" says editor Gutsy Tuason. on this issue, immediately it features some of the country's popular yet still has that exotic character spots. like the waves of Pagudpud, the inspiring B'laan tribe in Sarangani and the awesome Cordilleras. definitely not limited to featuring the Philippines but spots from other countries as well.
one thing that makes this different from the usual travel magazine is its pull-out and fold travel guide and direct to the point travel tips. what's great is i had my copy signed by the editor. now available on selected bookshops at P250. published by Bella Luce Publications under the license from BBC magazines.