Travel is Poetry in Motion

This was taken in  Calatagan, Batangas. 

I once saw a travel photo that was so compelling that it made me realize that, yeah... if you have the right perspective and mood, travel can indeed be some sort of poetry. No moment nor scenery is wasted. Not even the most boring bus ride. You may be in the middle of a very clear , intense, or even blurred experience... and you bring back home something that you cannot describe by any word except.... you know what I mean.

So i dug into my hard disks and tried to find ones that I could use. But none came close to that photo that inspired me to do this blog post. I guess these ones would have to live up to my standards.

Just take a look (and comment :D) at the photos and decide which one is okay for you. Maybe even grab this and post on you wall! Or better yet, dig your own hard disks and look for your photos that made you, well... poetic.

I thank my oldest clone, Ibarra for putting those impressive texts in the photos (I kept saying, ohhhh.... wow...)

We went to a sandbar in Bohol when we were doing a book on kayaking in the Philippines and encountered these happy kids

On a river cruise in Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte, I prayed that the girl would stop as she walked on a rice paddy,  and I had maybe one or two seconds to make the shot.

I have fun looking for elements that don't match. This one is in Danao Lake in Taytay, Palawan

Mangrove Planting

Went back to my photos for the mangrove planting ecotourism activity in Calatagan, Batangas. It was actually a project under Conservation International - Philippines and was designed to achieve several things - promote Calatagan as an ecotourism destination, involve a local people's organization, and showcase that an activity like this can become a major tourism offering.

You may wonder why the participants are scattered like there is no order in planting the mangroves. The activity was more of a replacement for the mangrove seedlings that died due to debris and seaweed smothering. What usually happens is that seaweeds and debris (plastic!) would cling on the fragile seedling which eventually break and kill it. Its not really that easy to help the environment!

Also did some photoshop experiments.

Tagaytay on a Cloudy Day

With an increasing number of routes to Tagaytay City (there's now Cavitex which should bring you through the towns owned by the locals and less explored by travellers), it is becoming easier to decide going to the place.

On my way to deliver a talk on ecotourism to Cavite State University's Silang campus, I had to take that precious lunch first. Got to check out Max's Restaurant by the ridge and was afforded this great sight.

Here's a tip if you want to really enjoy your road trip to Tagaytay City. Do it any day, except Sunday. If you do it on a Sunday, you will see what Tagaytay traffic is. Or if that's only your available day, better make sure that you're driving out of the place before 3:00 PM.

Ohhh..... there are also very scenic roads that few travellers have discovered. More on those in my future Tagaytay/Cavite posts.

Cloud 9 and HDR

I tried doing an HDR from a single photo of the Cloud 9 surfing station in Siargao Island. Now, I don't know which one is better (or none? :D ). Cloud 9 was actually coined by foreign surfers who used to keep their paradise a top secret destination for themselves. Alas! the word finally got around and Siargao has become part of a circuit for international surfing competitions.

And what about the term, Cloud 9? Its a local chocolate bar that is quite famous in the Philippines. The surfer dudes liked it so much that they appropriately named their secret eden after the chocolate brand.


Here's a link of Cloud 9 to the website version of our iPhone app: My Travel Philippines

Pedada Mangroves - An Artists' Delight

Honestly, i had grave misgivings about this place one day before I visited the mangrove forest in Brgy. Pedada in the town of Ajuy in Ilo-ilo. There were no facilities yet, except for a boardwalk that was in the initial stage of construction by the local people's organization (with technical assistance and funding from the Zoological Society of London and the local government unit). There were still rough portions of the road leading to the site, and the community was simply not yet ready to accommodate tourists (which was my role in the first place - to help them in this community-based tourism initiative).

On the night before our trip to the site (and in the middle of a power interruption which added to dampening my spirit, I was ready for a major dissapointment.

But I was greeted by a nice surprise (this part is getting to be predictable in my many posts! ha ha!..).

Yup, the centuries-old mangrove forest is not for the usual tourists (but hey, couple this with the islands, beaches and reef areas, then the story will be a lot different!).

The Pedada Mangrove is for the artists and photographers. And it is also for the students of nature. You have to be there to absorb its visual treat. And you have to be armed with a canvass or a camera to prove your presence.

It will take some more months before the Pedada Mangrove forest would be able to accommodate visitors. At present, the local community is happy allowing students, artists and photographers to the site. More will have to be done to develop tourist attractions and facilities for the typical tourist to enjoy the area.

The town of Ajuy is about two hours from Ilo-ilo City and Pedada (which is located 15 kilometers before the town proper) is about three kilometers from the main road.

Fast Sketching by Robert Alejandro

My good friend, Robert Alejandro and I were given the opportunity to help promote birdwatching in the Philippines at the Taipei International Bird Fair last November 7-8. It was a great event to showcase the Philippines as a birding destination and gain really nice Taiwanese friends!

Robert did great sketches of birds from the names of Taiwanese visitors to the Philippine booth. He was such a hit!

Here's a timelapse video of him working on the sketches. It usually took him one minute to complete a sketch.

Birdwatching in the Philippines Volume 1

These are the selected pages of the book published by the Department of Tourism which I was very lucky to be part of as the writer of the material. This is one advocacy that is very close to my heart. By promoting birdwatching, the Philippines will not only benefit from tourism, but nature also will be given the chance to be protected and appreciated by the locals through the more environment-friendly activity of watching birds (instead of shooting or using slingshots on them!).

This book is a product of collaboration of the Department of Tourism (through its marketing arm, the Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation), R.O.X., and the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines.

I have to thank the Philippine Convention and Visitors Bureau for allowing me to publish these pages in my blog. Please note that I don't have any copyright thing on all the photos (they are in low-res jpegs, anyways...). You may have to contact the PCVC or the photographers if you want to have a good copy of the bird photos.

This goes on until 14 entries.

Stay tuned for Volume 2! Yes, its already published.....

Birdwatching in the Philippines Volume 1 - Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, Palawan

Birdwatching in the Philippines Volume 1 - Rasa Island, Narra, Palawan

Birdwatching in the Philippines Volume 1 - Hundred Islands National Park, Alaminos City, Pangasinan

Birdwatching in the Philippines Volume 1 - Bangrin Marine Protected Area, Bani, Pangasinan

Birdwatching in the Philippines Volume 1 - Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Zambales

Birdwatching in the Philippines Volume 1 - Balanga City, Bataan

Birdwatching in the Philippines Volume 1 - Candaba Marsh, Pampanga

Birdwatching in the Philippines Volume 1 - Las Pinas-Paranaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area, Metro Manila

Birdwatching in the Philippines Volume 1 - Mt. Palay-palay National Park, Cavite