Baguio has long been a haven for art lovers, including people who love crafts and crafting. The second run of Mandeko Kito (Ibaloi for “Let’s sell!”) hosted artisans from all over the Cordilleras and ran every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of November – perfect timing to get in some Christmas shopping before the holiday rush. I made a few rounds on a rainy Friday afternoon … Continue reading My Mandeko Kito 2 Haul
In my previous blog, I talked about how we secured the requirements to leave Pasig City (and Metro Manila) under General Community Quarantine. We applied for entry into Baguio after the Pasig City Hall emailed us our documents (health certificate and travel authority). Once you have yours, you can sign up at the City Government of Baguio website to learn more about the requirements and … Continue reading The Long Road Home, part 2
I had always planned to return to Baguio after getting my master’s degree. Along with the looming expiration of our contract with our Pasig landlady, the COVID-19 pandemic put that plan on fast-forward. Partly due to the change of status back and forth from GCQ to ECQ to MECQ in Metro Manila, there was an overwhelming amount of information online, some of which was incomplete … Continue reading The Long Road Home, part 1
My last non-travel travel blog was about the things I miss from past travels, and I’ve dug up some pictures and stories to share so I can put together a part two. If you want to find out the difference between ice cream and gelato, learn about why Rizal wrote a letter to the women of Malolos, and see sculptures of babies with barcodes instead … Continue reading 7 More Things I Miss from Past Travels to 7 Cities
My love for traveling long predates my humble blog. So I have a lot of memories of exciting places that I didn’t document with the diligence that I try to document my more recent travels. Since the pandemic has prompted restrictions on travel for most of the world, I’ve been missing the thrill of going to new places more than usual. I originally thought of … Continue reading 9 Things I Miss from Past Travels to 9 Cities
My August 2019 trip to Japan was well-documented in photos and blogs. But for a long time, I had forgotten that I also took a lot of short videos during my trip. Most of them are of the inhabitants of the Kaiyukan aquarium. There are some from my trip up (and down) the Kuchu Teien Observatory, as well. I took these without a tripod or … Continue reading Osaka and Nara in Quick Clips
Looking for part one? You can find it here. Come back when you’re done! Or just read this one first. The order doesn’t really matter. Food markets and street stalls Sit-down restaurants in Japan tend to be quite expensive. A nice alternative is buying food from food markets and taking it to your hotel, hostel, or AirBNB. Most of the foods listed here came from … Continue reading Objects of My Ingestion, Japan edition: part 2
The city of Kobe sits between the Rokko mountain range and the sea. Its location made it an important port city beginning in the 19th century. The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake hit Kobe and some nearby cities in January of 1995, killing thousands of people and causing much damage to the city’s infrastructure with tremors and the resulting fires. Looking at Kobe today, however, you’d never … Continue reading 931 Meters Above Sea Level: On Top of Mt. Rokko
Having already been to quite a few tourist spots in Kyoto – including Fushimi Inari and Arashiyama Bamboo Grove – we decided to go elsewhere this time, and ended up at Otani Hombyo temple. We also made a stop at the Pokémon Center. Otani Hombyo serves as the mausoleum of Shinran Shonin, the founder of the Jodo Shinshu Buddhist sect. Otani Hombyo is also the … Continue reading A Kyoto Day Trip: Otani Hombyo, the Pokémon Center, and Some Snacking
Himeji is a city rich in history. It’s about an hour and a half away from Osaka by train. One of the most popular attractions in Himeji is UNESCO World Heritage Site Himeji Castle. The history Before the towering structure that exists today was in place, a simple fort was built on the grounds in 1333. After 13 years, it was rebuilt into a castle. … Continue reading Up Close and Personal with the Historic Himeji Castle
'Ka ni Kim 