Sunday, March 10, 2013

Travel Addict's Whatta Achievements (2007-2012)

the viewing deck's 2nd anniversary special 1st part

"It is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves - in finding themselves." - Andre Gide

DID YOU KNOW THAT .....

1. I started having mountaineering when my co-workers/friends asked me to join them. As in I only had my typical school backpack with exactly no trekking stuff like tent and mountaineering bag. Thank you very much to Sir Beng, Sir Drew, Sir Joel and Sir Pablo for having this wonderful invitation and very endearing accommodation. 

2. My 1st do-It-yourself itinerary was in Baguio City, Benguet (Mar. 2007) during holy week with my family. I chose this destination because I have been here before on a college educational field trip way back 2003 as 4th year engineering student.

3. My 1st do-It-Yourself itinerary with flight included was in Puerto Princesa, Palawan (Sep. 2009) during the time when the online votes was on-going for Underground river being nominated for 7 new nature wonders of the  world.

4. My 1st do-It-Yourself itinerary with a friend was in Potipot Island, Zambales (Oct. 2009) during Halloween. I did this to grant her request without entirely knowing how to go there and without the traveler mindset yet. Of course, this trip had 100% scary thought what if I failed her. 

mt. tarak trekking, my 1st major climb (2007)
 
burnham park, baguio city (2007)
6. My 1st solo backpack was in Cavinti, Laguna (Dec. 2009)  for its hidden twin falls during year-end activity of 2009. This was just a day-tour.

5. I just started my travel madness in 2nd quarter of 2010 only when I got bored and nothing to do after finishing the academic requirements of my Engineering Graduate Studies, introduce myself in an online travel forum and met my fellow travelers with same interest.

7. My 1s trip going with travelers totally unknown to me was in Pahiyas festival in Lucban, Quezon province (May 2010). Until now, our bond is more than just a travelmates.

8. My 1st do-It-Yourself itinerary solo backpacking abroad was in Thailand (Jun. 2010) just after a week of Red Shirts revolution in Bangkok City. I was even victimized by a jewelry scam which took me the 90% refund after 14 months of having a rigid email follow-up.

Puerto Princesa Underground rive in Palawan (2009)

9. My 1st self-organize do-it-yourself, very budgeted and practical trip was hiking the 3rd highest peak in the Philippines, Mt. Pulag in Benguet (Aug. 2010). I did not even know most of the joiners and we did it on the rainiest month of the year in that province.

10. I survived solo backpacking do-it yourself day-tour in one of the most notorious provinces down-south Basilan (Nov. 2010) and departed very, very safely in ferry boat going back to Zamboanga city.

11. The most death-defying, nerve-wrecking and breath-taking adventure I have done was the G-Max reverse bungee jump in Singapore (Jan. 2011) which took 60 meters in the air, hitting speeds up to 200kph.  I even wasted over an hour in queuing just to kill the rat inside my chest and shouted bad words during the take-off.

12. Despite of my fear on height and speed, I was able to conquer the Philippines' best ziplines. From the fastest in Camp sabros, Davao del sur ( Aug. 2010), to the longest in Bukidnon (Feb. 2011) and up to the highest in South Cotabato (Mar. 2011).

13. Despite of my enormous fear on height and speed, I was able to conquer the hair-raising and record-holder rollercoasters in the world. From the steepest wooden-type with 77-degree angle in South Korea (Feb. 2011) to the fastest with 240 km/hr in Ferrari World of United Arab Emirates (Apr. 2012).

Philippines' longest zipline in Bukidnon at 840m (2011)

14. My 1st winter experience was in South Korea (Feb. 2011) while the longest trip I have been abroad which was 7 days in Vietnam-Cambodia-Laos (Sep. 2011). In addition, I lost half of my budget on day 1 in a bus going to Cambodia border which gave an extreme very budgeted itinerary.

15. I have been traveling solo most of the time in Saudi Arabia (Nov. 2011) for only 40 days as an OFW (2011), left because of another work opportunity in other country.

16. I reached the highest viewing deck in the world which is located in the highest building in the world, Burj Khalifa in United Arab Emirates (2012)

17. The most shortest itinerary I have done abroad for only 33-hours visit was in Incredible India (2012) that took me a missed-out my flight and spent an emergency ticket using a credit card going back to my country of work.

18. I visited alone Lebanon (2012) during its critical situation to Syria as closest landlock country. It was 100% very safe trip but some locals said there was bombing heard during a night when I was there.
 
19. Travel in India and Egypt will never be completed without riding there public trains. Of course, I have experienced this both on there worst situation it offered.

20. The most gruesome, brains-smashing and heart-pounding solo backpacking I did was in Egypt (2012) due to the preparation (my vacation leave was only hours before it was approved), budget allocation ($974) and the entire trip itself (eid season, very aggressive touts, after revolution and election fever).

33-hour solo trip in Incredible India (2012)

eid season solo trip to Egypt (2012)


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