Metro Manila Solo Biking (50km): Kilometer Zero and Bay Walk

26 December 2021 Sunday in Metro Manila, Philippines

50km Post Christmas Biking for my Hometown, Elementary and High School Visits, Manila Bay Baywalk for Dolomite Beach Sightseeing and this Kilometer Zero #metromanila #biking #philippines #pilipinas

My biking enthusiasm got ignited only when I was working abroad due to it's benefit of decrease stress levels and a side trip to visit the famous landmarks. Some notable biking adventure I had outside of my homeland are 4,000 Islands in Laos (2011), Luxor West Bank in Egypt (2012), Hohenschwangau Castle in Germany (2013), Bagan Temples in Myanmar (2014), Stonehenge in United Kingdom (2014), Atacama Desert and Easter Island in Chile (2020), and of course, Sightseeing Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates through Folding Bike Cycling (2020) during pandemic. 

Since I live near SM Fairview in Quezon City, my cycling route flow is passing through Qurino Highway until I reach the Metro Manila Skyway, go to the direction of Manila North Cemetery, then to my hometown Tondo. I revisited my primary school (Emilio Jacinto Elementary School),  secondary school (Tondo High School) and the street where I was born, raised and lived for 28 years. After that, I went to Tondo Church, Divisoria then proceeded to Road 10 going to Luneta Park for the Kilometer Zero and the famous Manila Bay Baywalk Dolomite Beach.

Route Flow : Quirino Highway - North Cemetery - Tondo - Km 0 - Baywalk (backtrail)

Route distance : more than 50 kilometers (start / end in Quirino Highway area)

Cycling tracks : most of the road but shared with other vehicles due to being narrow

Best time / day to bike : Sundays and Holidays (morning)

Metro Manila Solo Biking (50km): Kilometer Zero and Bay Walk

2021 San Fernando, Pampanga Giant Lantern Festival

December 21, 2021 Tuesday in San Fernando, Pampanga, Philippines

2011 San Fernando, Pampanga Giant Lantern Festival

Filipinos place much significance on the symbolism of Parol (derives from the Spanish farol, meaning lantern or light), the star regarded as a fount of light and a sign of hope in the predominantly Christian country in Asia. Such a creation however, did not come without the untiring efforts, ingenuity and innovation of the Fernandinos. The Giant Lantern Festival (Kapampangan: Ligligan Parul) is an annual festival held in mid-December in the City of San Fernando in the Philippines. The festival features a competition of giant lanterns. Because of the popularity of the festival, the city has been nicknamed the “Christmas Capital of the Philippines”.

How and When to Go to Pampanga Giant Lantern Festival;

The event is always held yearly every around December 16 up to Christmas Day and sometimes Exhibition extended until after New Year. From Cubao, just take any North Luzon-bound bus (NLEX) and ask the conductor to drop-off in Robinsons Starmills (San Fernando, Pampanga). Fare is PHP150 for around 2 hours travel. ENTRANCE IS FREE but booked ticket is required via this link. 

2021 Pampanga Giant Lantern Festival

My Solo Major Mountain Hikes around the World

List of All Major Mountain Hikes I have done outside the Philippines, my homeland

“Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit, and as vital to our lives as water and good bread.” – Edward Abbey

My Mountain Hikes in the Philippines

My Great Concern as a Filipino Fun-hiker trekking around the World;

Almost all mountains I hiked around the World (be it a major / minor hike or low / high elevation, TRAIL GUIDE IS NOT REQUIRED. In addition, HIKNG THE MOUNTAINS IS FREE OF CHARGE, NO registration fee, NO guide fee, NO environmental fee, NO local fee, NO indiginous fee, etc, to be paid. 

In general, hiking abroad as a Filipino fun-hiker is very safe (to think that most of these hikes are self-guided). List below EXCLUDES more than 15 minor self-guided solo hikes.

	YEAR	MOUNTAIN	COUNTRY	CONTINENT	ELEVATION	ALT. GAIN	DISTANCE	DURATION	TYPE
1	2013	Kinabalu	Malaysia	Asia	4,095 masl	2,229 m	17 km	20 hrs	2-days
2	2013	Kilimanjaro	Tanzania	Africa	5,895 masl	950m (aver)	62 km	48 hrs	6-days
3	2013	Fuji	Japan	Asia	3,776 masl	1,776 m	13 km	12 hrs	2-days
4	2015	Kalapathar (EBC)	Nepal	Asia	5,550 masl	800 m	300 km	148 hrs	18-days
5	2016	Annapurna Circuit (ABC)	Nepal	Asia	5,416 masl	600 m	280 km	132 hrs	16-days
6	2016	Kyanjin Ri (Lantang)	Nepal	Asia	4,773 masl	500 m	70 km	52 hrs	6-days
7	2017	Jebel Shams	Oman	Asia	2,997 masl	1000 m	9 km	11 hrs	Day-Hike
8	2017	Bisoke	Rwanda	Africa	3,711 masl	1000 m	8 km	7 hrs	Day-Hike
9	2017	Ramelau	Timor Leste	Asia	2,963 masl	600 m	8 km	7 hrs	2-days
10	2018	Devil's Peak	South Africa	Africa	1,001 masl	650 m	6 km	3.5 hrs	Day-Hike
11	2018	Table Mountain	South Africa	Africa	1,085 masl	600 m	6 km	3 hrs	Day-Hike
12	2018	Ala Archa Waterfalls	Kyrgyzstan	Asia	2,665 masl	450 m	7 km	5 hrs	Day-Hike
13	2018	Corcovado (Cristo Redentor)	Brazil	South America	710 masl	400 m	7 km	4 hrs	Day-Hike
14	2018	Le Mourne	Mauritius	Africa	556 masl	500 m	5 km	4 hrs	Day-Hike
15	2019	Margalla Hills Trail 6	Pakistan	Asia	995 masl	400 m	4 km	2.5 hrs	Day-Hike
16	2019	Margalla Hills Trail 3	Pakistan	Asia	995 masl	500 m	2 km	3 hrs	Day-Hike
17	2019	Taktsang (Tiger's Nest)	Bhutan	Asia	3,050 masl	750 m	7 km	6 hrs	Day-Hike
18	2019	Laguna Torre	Argentina	South America	2,800 masl	300 m	19 km	7 hrs	Day-Hike
19	2019	Laguna delos Tres	Argentina	South America	3,150 masl	1,100 m	22 km	9 hrs	Day-Hike
20	2020	Cerro del Ajusco	Mexico	North America	3,951 masl	675 m	6 km	6 hrs	Day-Hike
21	2020	Monte Tlaloc	Mexico	North America	4,053 masl	1,186 m	24 km	9.5 hrs	Day-Hike
22	2020	Paricutin Volcano	Mexico	North America	2,774 masl	817 m	37 km	15 hrs	Day-Hike
23	2021	Tajumulco Volcano	Guatemala	North America	4,230 masl	1,250 m	15 km	9 hrs	Day-Hike
24	2021	Acatenango Volcano	Guatemala	North America	3,976 masl	1,576 m	14 km	9 hrs	Day-Hike
25	2021	Izalco Volcano	El Salvador	North America	1,950 masl	662 m	7 km	4 hrs	Day-Hike
26	2021	Colca Canyon	Peru	South America	3,287 masl	1,300 m	22 km	11 hrs	Day-Hike
27	2021	Sacred Valley	Peru	South America	3,476 masl	500 m	21 km	6 hrs	Day-Hike
28	2021	Rainbow Mountain	Peru	South America	5,036 masl	400 m	8 km	5 hrs	Day-Hike
29	2021	Machu Picchu	Peru	South America	2,430 masl	600 m	27 km	9 hrs	2-days
30	2021	Laguna Churup	Peru	South America	4,465 masl	800 m	7 km	6.5 hrs	Day-Hike
31	2021	Chimborazo Refuge	Ecuador	South America	5,200 masl	900 m	18 km	7 hrs	Day-Hike
32	2021	Tungurahua Refuge	Ecuador	South America	3,800 masl	2,010 m	23 km	11 hrs	Day-Hike
33	2021	La Casa del Arbol	Ecuador	South America	2,600 masl	750 m	9 km	6.5 hrs	Day-Hike
34	2021	Laguna Quilotoa	Ecuador	South America	3,890 masl	600 m	42 km	16 hrs	3-days
35	2021	Laguna Cuicocha	Ecuador	South America	3,512 masl	400 m	13 km	5 hrs	Day-Hike
36	2021	Rucu Pichincha	Ecuador	South America	4,696 masl	1,850 m	30 km	13 hrs	Day-Hike
37	2021	Sincholagua Volcano	Ecuador	South America	3,356 masl	1,148 m	11.5 km	5.5 hrs	Day-Hike
38	2021	Cotopaxi Refuge	Ecuador	South America	4,864 masl	664 m	5 km	3 hrs	Day-Hike
39	2021	Cerro San Luis	Ecuador	South America	4,264 masl	414 m	6 km	6 hrs	Day-Hike