BootsnAll Travel Network



Been a long long time.. how are ya?

April 9th, 2008

To all the readers (yes I can count with my one hand)…. I stopped writing a while back… so here’s a summary of where I’ve been since October ’07? After Jordan, I went to Syria, then to Turkey, to Iran, then back to Turkey all by land.  After Turkey, I flew to Dubai.. then to India.  I did some meditation and yoga there.  While in India, I got bad news and I had to go home for a family emergency which I did.  My flight home went like this – Kolkata-Bangkok-Tokyo-Los Angeles.. Yes, long long flight.  Stayed in LA for a bit, then used my return flight to Bangkok.  Missed my return flight since the line at the airport was really long.  I then got on another flight via Hong Kong.  I met up with couple good friend’s from LA in Thailand (this was suppose to happen back in January 08, but I didn’t get there until February).  Partied it up in Thailand for a month, then came to the Philippines.  Yes, I’ve been here in the Philippines since early March. 

I suppose I should start blogging again.  Why? Because while I was on an eight hour bangca ride from El Nido to Coron here in Palawan, water got in the luggage compartment.  Yes, my backpack got soaked… all my clothes wet. AND MY JOURNAL SOAKED.  Once I checked in my room, I had to rip all pages, yes all ten months worth of pages so that it won’t stick together.  Oh well.  It is what it is. 

 I’ll write about the Philippines, and I suppose what I have been up to lately and previously soon.  Stay put.  I’m back in this blogging business though. 

 Happy?

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Jordan: Welcome to Jordan!

November 12th, 2007

Once upon the middle eastern stars as the felucca floats along the river Nile, Olivia invited me to travel the Middle east with her and Kris. Originally, they plan on flying back from Cairo to Istanbul and make their way back to Cairo. After few nights of pursuading them to just go the route I am going, we all decided to head from Egypt to Iran overland, not the other way around. Fast forward 2-weeks, plans changed. Olivia took a job at the dive shop in Dahab, and Kris and I took off for Jordan.

We left Taba, Egypt in the morning of October 25th. We took a fast ferry from Taba to Aqaba, Jordan. The ride took approximately an hour through the Red Sea. At one point, we could see four countries – Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia – and our destination Jordan. It’s pretty cool I thought. Once we arrived in Taba, Greg directed us to the central square. We then said our farewell to each other since he was heading to the office where he need to pick up the overland car that he will be leading. Kris and I decided to have an early lunch in the center. For 3.50JD we had beef kebab and rice.. to top that, the restaurant gave us free bread and hammus, and other kinds of dipping sauces, as well as free turkish coffee for hospitality. Wow, where are we? For sure not Egypt. Welcome to Jordan!

Once we were energized, we headed to the bus station to go to Wadi Rum. Wadi Rum is made famous by the Arab Revolt and the film called Lawrence of Arabia. In the bus, I sat next to a group of truck drivers heading to Amman. They asked me if I know Sadam Hussein, and if I know if the US killed him. How do you react to that? Thankfully one of the other guys said something in arabic and he stopped. I had great fun seating next to them even though I didn’t understand half the things they were telling me. One of the driver asked where I will be staying in Wadi Rum, and how I will eat. I told him I will be staying in one of the Bedouin Villages and they will provide food for us. He offered to give me his camping stove he has in his truck. I thought that was kind of him to offer.

A few hours of driving later, my jaw was about to fall off my face. The scenery was just magnificent. The driver told us we have to change busses. Off we go. When we finally found the next bus that we will take and we noticed bags tied on the roof of the bus. We waited and waited for someone to do it for us. Apperently, it’s tie your own bags on the rack kind of bus. When we were passing the gate in Wadi Rum, we were told to duck or hide our faces or pay 2JD to enter the Wadi Rum Protected Area. Within seconds, we had our faces covered in curtains. In the bus, we met an elder lady from the states who writes for an alternative magazine. She has been living in Jordan for 10-years. Let me tell you, some of the stuff she was telling us was just weird. This is another thing about traveling that I love. You meet so many people with different views – some are twisted, some are sound – yet you just take their word for it.. you don’t question you it… just listen. Since we didn’t have any reservations where to stay in Wadi Rum, the lady told us to get off the village. There, the bus driver called his guy and gave me his mobile to strike a deal. On the phone, I haggled for 10minutes about the price for an overnight camping and trekking on a 4×4. We agreed and were picked up from his office. From the village to the dessert, we were dropped off to join a French couple in their 4×4. This couple is alot nicer than the couple who didn’t want to take me to the desert back in Morocco. The dessert is majestic. No wonder they made Lawrence of Arabia there. On the way to our campsite, we stopped and walked Umm Fruth Rock Bridge, Wadak Rock Bridge, and sand dunes. At the campsite, Kris and I set up our bed to sleep outside next to two Koreans and a guy from Ireland, and a guy from the UK name Paul. A few hours later, the sun started setting. What a sight… sand, mountains and the sun setting, as well as a full moon to light our night.. couldn’t be any more dramatic. Just before dinner, a group of Dutch tourist joined our camp. We all had our little full moon party in the desert of Jordan. A very low key one.

The following day, we woke up after the sun had already risen. What a shame, it would have been nice if we were able to see the sunrise. Had breakfast and was driven to the bus stop. Paul, Kris and I were all heading to Wadi Musa to visit one of the new Seven New Wonders of the World – Petra. An hour later, the bus arrived. The bus dropped us off at the center of town, and was advised to get on a truck that will take us directly to our hotel. Service in Jordan is phenomenal. Just before we had lunch, the three of us enjoyed a bottle of beer overlooking the spectacular rose-stone city of Petra. After our beer, we wanted to check out what Wadi Musa is all about. We then headed down the hill and walked around for a bit. We then found a swarma stand where we had lunch. After our stomachs were full, we run into the owner (Mohamed) of the bus we took from Wadi Rum to Wadi Musa. He called us to hang out which we did. For hospitality, he bought us drinks. As we were hanging out having a good time, hoards of military cars, and twenty black SUV’s passed us by. Mohamed told us that our first lady Laura Bush visited Petra that day. Hey, Laura probably saw me just hanging out in Jordan. Great way to make America proud. After an hour of hanging out, and Paul passing out sitting on the street, Mohamed’s brother came in his new pick up truck. We all got in and drove to Little Petra. Their family run a tour company which offers an overnight camping in Little Petra. We helped them load all the tourist’s lougages onto the back of the truck. After we got back into town, Mohamed invited us for some tea at his house, or shall I say his family compound. Their house is very nice.. tiled floor with really nice furnitures, and overlooking Petra. I was very impressed. Once we got back at the hotel, I picked up a book and hung out on the roof as the sun sets. For dinner, the hotel served a buffet which was a delight. They served chicken with rice, pasta, tahini, vegetables, soup..and more more more… it was a huge table full of food. It was heaven! There we met three canadians traveling together, and two americans who run a pubcrawl business in Prague. They were a riot.

The 545AM, Kris, Paul and I left our hotel to explore the old city of Petra. On the way, we picked up some bread and cheese for lunch. Kris and I purchased our tickets, and Paul trying to get in using his old ticket with a stab still attached. Right at the entrance Paul was being questioned regarding his ticket. He said some lies that he bought from another backpacker at the hotel. That didn’t quite work, he was ordered to buy a new ticket. Petra… what an beautiful city. The Nabateans did a fantastic job! We were introduced to Petra via an incredibly arrow 1.2km-long defile known as a Siq. At the end of the Siq, we were delighted by the marvelously carved Al-Khazneh (the Treasury). It was a joy being there so early. We were able to admire the Treasury without the other tourists. As we walked along, we passed by the theater, Great Temple, Temple of the Winged Lions and other ruins. We hiked one of the caves to see the whole vacinity from the top. What a sight. After, we decided to hike up to the highest point of the old city which led us to Al-Deir (the Monestary). We got to the monestary at 11AM… we have six hours to kill before the sunset. What to do.. hang out and talk smack. As we waited for the sunset, the three canadians and the two americans came into our cave. A little boy named Mohamed who was selling bracelets kept us entertained. Also, a guy started to climb the monestary.. I boo-ed him since he couldn’t get down using one of the pillars. Right before sunset, we walked towards the other side of the mountains where we could see Israel and the desert from a distance. Right after sunset, we walked back to our hotel. Twelve hours in Petra is worth every minute. What a place! After dinner, a bunch of other travelers hung out at the hotel’s common area to watch “Indiana Jones – The Last Crusade” which includes Petra (mainly the Treasury) in the most crucial moment of the film.

The day after, we woke up quite early again on my standards. We got on the 7AM bus heading to Amman, the biggest city in Jordan. There’s nothing worth mentioning about Amman, except for the US Embassy. I needed to get a Letter of Introduction from the US Embassy in order for me to apply for my Indian Visa. Let me tell you, the US Embassy in Amman is like a fortress. There were two tanks ready to shoot if provoked, guards that are just waiting for someone to make a mistake, and a gate that no enemy could enter. It was an intimidating sight. I wish I could take photos! But then again, I didn’t want to get killed. I got in with my Canadian friend with me. Waited and spoke to one of the personel. I was advised that they no longer issued a Letter of Introduction. But, I have to write it myself and have it notorized for $30 each. What a rip off! Oh well, what can I do, it cost what it cost, I desperately need one.

Our last day in Amman was very busy. We started early to go to the Dead Sea. We took a bus from Amman, and transferred on to another bus to the Dead Sea. We wanted to see and experience floating in the saltiest and lowest point on earth. It didn’t dissapoint. The blister on my foot and my skin full of mosquito bites were burning, I decided to only float for a short while. Hey, I can still say I floated on the Dead Sea. From the Jordan side, we can almost feel being in Israel.. it was so close but yet so far. Heading back to the city was a bit of a challenge. There were no busses or taxis passing the highway. So, we decided to hitch a ride. A truck driver stopped and offered us a lift. A very kind man. The truck moved like a toad. Every other cars on the highway were able to pass us. But, he kept supplying us with cigarettes, bought us sodas, and conversed to us in Arabic knowing the fact we do not understand the words that were coming out of his mouth. He dropped us off at the intersection heading to downtown. From there we hopped on to another bus. Thank goodness there was someone that speaks english to let us know when to get off. Sometimes, taking a bus in an unfamiliar place becomes a game of guessing when to get off. Good thing we are in Jordan and people are kind.

After we washed off the salt all over our bodies and clothes, we had lunch and took a taxi to another taxi stand to go to the King Hussein Bridge heading to Israel. After an hour of just waiting, we decided to pay for the empty seats on the taxi. Whatever, we just wanted to get there already. At the border, we were able to ask the Jordan border personel not to stamped our passport. We told them our deal that we’re just going to Jerusalem and will be back after a couple days. They told us however that we have to get a new visa for Jordan in Tel-Aviv. Why!?! He said the visa we got when we entered Aqaba was a single entry visa. He even knew from the visa that we have that we came with a tour group (that we are not part of). WTF, if we have known that, we could have exited Egypt from a different dock and forsure we would have gotten a multiple entry visas. But what can we do, at least there is Syria three hours away.

We left the border looking for a taxi that would either take us to the Syrian border or to another taxi stand heading to Syria. The taxi drivers kept on fighting for our money. We decided to hopped on a taxi that would take us to a taxi company that would take us all the way to Damascus. We paid the fees, and another waiting for other people heading towards our direction. Again, we were asked if we wanted to pay for the empty seats. What is the deal how only foreigners are asked to pay for the empty seats. That seems to be the theme in Jordan. Again, oh well, we just want to get there already. Off we go… after a few hours, we got to the border. Got our exit stamps for Jordan and entered the no-mans land between Jordan and Syria. At the Syrian border, the border personel asked where our visas were. We don’t have one. Kris, being Canadian was given a visa within a minute. Me, having a US passport was told that they have to wait for a fax granting my visa from Damascus. It would take one hour, two, four, or all night. Off we waited some more. Our taxi driver said he has to leave us at the border. But we paid for a ride all the way to Damascus! We struck a deal – if the fax from Damascus is not received after an hour, he can leave us… fair enough. An hour passed, and no fax, two hours, three hours passed, and still no fax. On the third hour, we struck a conversation with this clean freak American from Florida. She wouldn’t even touch our awful middle eastern travel book. When she was handing her papers to the border personel, she was using a plastic bag. What a freak. Plus she was really rude. Apperently she waited for six hours to get her visa. Then the fourth hour arrived, and the border personel called me. Yay! Damascuss approved my visa application. Traveling is a great way to master the art of patience. There is no need to be rude or pissed off just because you have been waiting for hours that seems like eternity. You just have to take it as it is… that is just how it works in this part of the world! What a day – a full on 17 hours of – a day floating on the Dead See, a failed attempt to cross to Israel, and a successfull one crossing to Syria.

Jordan.. oh how I heart Jordan. İt’s an amazing place where people are kind. Maybe we were coming from Egypt where people seems to just want our money. It’s nice to finally have a decent conversation with locals without having to think – does he just want money from me. And the sights, Wadi Rum, Petra, Dead Sea.. just glorious. Petra is a place where your inner childhood fantasy is alive… you can be your own Indiana Jones. Wadi Rum is a place where you can forget your name.. and how cool is it to float on the Dead Sea. Jordan is what I was looking for.. a needed change after Egypt.
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Egypt: Part II

October 30th, 2007

Here’s the rest of the summary for Egypt. I promise to post a more interesting blog for Jordan and Syria.

Day 12 Con’t: Sandra changed her mind not diving for the day. I am pushing to get my Advanced PADI before Saturday since there will be a scheduled boat going to Thistlegorm and Rasmuhamad National Park. I need my Advanced to be able to dive there. Darren from Australia who is taking his Advanced with me and I got our equiptment ready, got in the truck with Sandra and dove the Island. Amazing. Red Sea!! Saw manta ray.

Day 13: Got up at 7AM to dive by 730. That didn’t quite go as planned. Dove the Canyon and the famous Blue Hole a bit later. Great day to dive. There was a Free Diving Competition at the Blue Hole. While we were doing our safety stop, we watched the free divers go down deeper than our eyes could see. The winner went down to 120meters. The way they dive is so elegant and beautiful in the water. At night, I went for a night dive. Sandra took us to the Light House. I love diving at night. Life is different down under at night

Day 14: It was Friday, woke up a bit later. Scheduled to do my last dive to finish my Advanced. Did my underwater navigation test. Passed with flying colors. Now I can dive by myself without a guide. At night, we had dinner. Great bargain, we found a restaurant that serves fresh fish for 20EP. Score. Later, we met up with the rest of the people who are going to Thistlegorm and Rasmuhamad National Park. The security held us for a bit since we didn’t have our passport. After our dive master gave him some baksheesh, they let us go. We got in our boat with bunch of Russians. We camped on top of the boat. What a lovely night. Millions of stars above us!

Day 15: Dove Thistlegorm. First dive around the sunken British fleet. Saw Reef Sharks. Finally dove with sharks, and my first wreck dive ever. Amazing! Second dive inside the ship. Third dive was in Rasmmuhamad National Park. What a beautiful garden. Best that I have seen yet. I am quite happy diving the Red Sea. After we got off the boat, we walked around Sharm el-Shek. The town is full of tourist. Got back in Dahab by midnight.

Day 16: Hung out and didn’t do anything. Too tired from diving. Again, life is hard.

Day 17: Went swimming with Mary Anne around the Light House. Kris got us invited to go to Caleb’s (one of the diving instructor) house for a BBQ. Nice to go to a houseparty. We had many laughs at the party.

Day 18: Went swimming with Mary Anne on an inflatable dinghy. Swam and dragged Mary Anne on a dinghy for a bit until we reached Clodagh (girl from Ireland) who is sunbathing at the Lighthouse.

Day 19: Went with Mary Anne to the Lagoon. We wanted to try windsurfing. Unfortunately, windsurfing is beyond our budget. We tried bargaining for a kayak. That didn’t work. We got kicked out using the Hilton’s infinity pool. We swam and walked back to our hotel where we saw Kris lounging where we left him five hours ago. At night, we went out for our last dinner in Dahab.

Day 20: Took an hour nap before our scheduled taxi pick up. Woke up Mary Anne (my roomate) and said my good bye. I will see her again in India. Said bye to Olivia who was suppose to go with us to Jordan. But plans changed and she took a job at the dive shop. Taxi picked me, Kris, and Greg (from UK) at 5AM. We arrived in Taba, Egypt at 6AM for Aquaba, Jordan.

Egypt… it’s an interesting place with so much history. You can spend as much time looking at temples, burial sites, and the Egyptian Museum in Cairo… or float along the nile in a felluca under millions of stars. You can also hike where Mosses received the 10th commandment at sunrise.. and dive and discover life under the Red Sea.. Or if you are looking for a hangout.. Dahab is the place to be. The people that I met in Egypt made my travels so much more interesting. I had many laughs with other travelers while in Egypt. As much as a I want to meet locals, meeting other travelers is as meaningful. Traveling with people is very intimate. I always love meeting people with a story to tell. And while traveling, your lifestory is told within a days, or two weeks, or as long as you are traveling or hanging out together. I can truly say I made new friends while in Egypt.

I left Jordan yesterday. I promise to post a more interesting blog for Jordan. I heart Jordan!!! I arrived in Syria late last night. It took 4hours at the border for a fax to arrive from Damascuss granting me my visa. Yes, I tried entering Syria without a visa. It all worked out. I’ll post some photos soon!

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Egypt: Part I

October 18th, 2007

I’m a bit lazy. Maybe I’ve been doing a bunch of hanging out the last 4 days, or maybe it is the bronchitis? Hm.. Well here’s a summary. Is someone even reading this? A comment or two would be appreciated.

Day 1: Arrived in Cairo, checked in my hotel at 3AM. Slept, woke up. Tried to go to Egyptian Museum, but it was closing early since Ramadan. Walked around through the craziness in Cairo streets. Had a beer with Tim from Australia.

Day 2: Went to see Egyptian Museum with Shaun from London. The Museum is crazy cool. It houses all the artifacts that used to be in the pyramids and tombs. Although my attention span left me uninterested after couple hours. Left, had lunch, back to the hotel. Went to Islamic Cairo with Samantha from Australia and Shaun. Had sheesha and dinner. Tried to go to a minaret at 11PM, but it was close. I should definitely try to start my day earlier. I should know better by now that it is Ramadan. Everyone is hungry and not wanting to deal with tourist!

Day 3: Went to the Giza Pyramids. Got there at 4PM. The entrance to the Pyramids was already close since it was Ramadan. I should know better! Hired a camel. The camel guy took me to the back entrance (no need to pay for entrance fee). Camel-it up around pyramids and the sphinx. Watched the sunset overlooking one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Realized how lucky I was on the sand of the Pyramids. Pretty cool! Went back to the hotel. Shaun and 3 others went out for drinks. After, we went on a felucca ride along the Nile.

Day 4: Didn’t do anything. Always nice not to do anything once in a while. It was 9th of October. Big celebration in Egypt. They celebrate their victory over Israel.

Day 5: Took a 13-hour train from Cairo to Aswan. Was seated next to the door that doesn’t close. It bothers me that it doesn’t close automatically. I kept closing it or else I will smell urine if it stays open. Got in Aswan at around 9PM. Checked in my hotel. Walked around for a bit. Called it a night.

Day 6: Went to checked out the Unfinished Obelisk. Since I didn’t have an International Student Card, I had to fight that I am a student with the ticket guy. I am using my old UCR ID. I won the argument! Nothing special. Walked towards the Nubian Museum. The Museum closed early. Again, everything is in Ramadan schedule. Walked up the hill a bit. Found a ruin that I have no clue what it was called. Watched the sunset overlooking the other side of the Nile and the valley. Silence took over me. Just beautiful!

Day 7: Scheduled to be in a felucca ride along the Nile River for 2-nights. Met Captain Mohammad and his son Ala. Met other travelers in the felucca with me – Dylan from Mexico, Iris (aka – Crazy) who lives in Portugal, who is from the Italian speaking side of Switzerland, Kris and Olivia from Canada, and Alex from Germany. First day on a felucca was just magical. We had a bonfire at our first stop along the Nile.

Day 8: Spent all day on the felucca. The felucca stopped in one of the islands. We swam in the Nile River. I paid one of the kids with little boats. I row around the Nile River. We special ordered camel for dinner. It was nice eating camel on the Nile in a felucca. It couldn’t be any better. Maybe if all the huge expensive cruise boats sink and stop ruining the silence in our felucca. At night, there were locals playing traditional Nubian drums. Passed out with Olivia on the sand staring at the stars. Great way to end the night.

Day 9: The felucca dropped us off in Kom Ombo. We took a mini-bus to the temples of Esna and Edfu. I decided not to enter. I just hung out with Kris. We just talked smacked until time to leave. Let us be, we are enjoying our time. The mini-bus dropped us off in Luxor.

Day 10: Went to West Valley of the Nile. Visited the Valley of the Queens, Valley of the Kings, and 2 other temples that I don’t remember. I am seriously a bit templed out.

Day 11: Stayed on the East Valley. I visited Karnak. The site was massive. I left like Indiana Jones roamng around the site. Not feeling very well. I had McDonalds. The view inside the famous store was excellent – it overlooks Luxor Temple. Met a Filipino guy who works in Dubai that is in holiday in Egypt. Left Luxor and took a night bus to Dahab.

Day 12: Arrived in Dahab after 18 and 1/2 hours in the bus. Met Brad from Illinois. I knew he knows Olivia and Kris and that is how I introduced myself. Met up with Kris and Olivia at the hotel in Dahab. Bronchitis is in full force. Can’t even smoke a full cigarette the right way. I thought I was going to die. Hung out the rest of the day and night.

Day 13: Left the hotel and headed to Mt. Sinai where Moses was given the 10 commandments. At 1:30AM, we started to trek up the mountains. Kris and I decided to do more difficult route – the 3,700 steps of repentance. It took me over 2hours to get on top. I tried to repent all my sins while I was hacking and coughing my brains out. Hopefully it worked. I didn’t get the 11th commandment though. At 5:30 AM, the sun started to break through the clouds. What a beautiful sunrise. Hordes of people though. At 10:00AM, we were supposed to meet at the bottom. Iris didn’t decide to show up until after 1030AM. WTF. Oh well, she’s cool. Felt more like crap. I can barely breathe. Hiking with bronchitis is not recommended.

Day 14: Suffering from Bronchitis. Didn’t do anything.

Day 15: Still suffering from bronchitis. Read for my Advanced PADI Course.

Day 16: A lot better. Read and completed my work towards my course. Went with Mary-Ann and Kris to the beach. First time swimming in the Read Sea. Now I can’t wait to dive. We decided to get dinner in one of the beach resort. We bargain for the price of dinner. Was quoted 17Egyptian Pounds – appetizer, whole grilled fish, rice, chips, lemonade, and desert all inclusive. The waiter/hostess named Marco Polo agreed. I had a huge rupper. What a bargain. When we were about to leave, we gave Marco Polo 100EP for 5-people. He asked what that was. We thought we were being kind giving each 3EP for tip. He said our meal was 70EP. F-that! We argued and argued, but he insisted we agreed 70EP. 4 of the 5 people are native English speaker and my English is pretty well. We did enunciated SEVEN TEEN properly. How can he mistake it for SEVENTY? We’re not paying 70, the manager gave us back our 100EP and said to come back tomorrow and give what we think is the fair price. Well, 17EP is the fair price. Out of principle we are not paying more than what we are quoted. I’m starting to hate bargaining even for medicine at the pharmacy, or even for water at the grocery store. Just give me the Egyptian price!!!!! The only cool thing was the view. We can see Saudi Arabia from were we are seating.

Day 17: Woke up early, had breakfast with Brad before he left. Excited to dive. But Sandra my diving instructor said we have to push it back until the next day. Bummer, now I’m writing this blog. I’m just going to chill. Maybe go to the lagoon.

I’m going to post some photos before I leave for Naweiba.

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Madrid, Athens & Photos: Oh How I wanted to Stay…

October 6th, 2007

I arrived in Madrid on September 27, 2007. Since didn’t get my backpack until after 2AM, I decided to hang out at the airport until the metro starts running at 6AM. Yes, I was too cheap to take the taxi towards city center, nor do I want to pay for the night. Once the metro started running, I hopped on and went on my merry way.

It was still dark and a bit chilly at 7AM when I got out off the metro. When I found the hostel, I was told that I cannot check in until after 130PM. Great, I now have to bear going around Madrid half asleep. To kill time, I put some effort to see Madrid on foot. I am quite impressed how beautiful this city is. As I walked around, I found Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia. I was excited to go into this particular museum. Why? Because I know the museum houses the most famous work by Pablo Picasso – “Guernica.” As I viewed the paintings I was surprised to see a piece by a fellow Filipino Fernando Zobel “Navacerrada.” It is not common to see work by an artist from the Philippines, or anything by a Filipino on the world stage. Therefore, seeing an art made by another Filipino, it is easy for me to feel proud. Before I hit my two hour threshold in a museum, I saw a group of people looking at one particular piece. And there it was, the famous painting named “Guernica.”

The following day I wanted to purchase a new camera. My friend Jaime from Madrid whom I met in Berlin suggested that I go to a store off the center where I can find the best price for a camera. Travel time took about an hour and when I was about to pay for my new camera, the cashier requested to see my passport. I don’t normally walk around with my passport at all times. Hence, I have to go back to the hostel, pick up my passport, then go back to the store. After dinner, Miguel from Argentina, Will from Oklahoma, and Jered from Boston and I watched Roberta from Italy eat her dinner at the restaurant. Roberta is a funny gal. She just talks which made the night interesting. Jered had to fly to Austria that night which left us four bar hopping all night on the streets of Madrid. At around 4AM, we run into a French guy that used to stay in the hostel with us. He moved out since his Mom was visiting for the weekend. He asked us for a joint since his Mom was looking for one. How cool is that – a 47 year old Mother of an 18 year old son looking for a joint together at four in the morning. I just find it really funny and cool. Not that I smoke!

It was past mid-day when I woke up the next day. A bit hung over. Yet the sun was out inviting me to explore. And let me tell you, that is exactly what I did. I walked for six hour straight! Passing by beautiful gardens, Plaza Mayor where tourist are scattered all over, parks where children were playing, Catedral Ntra. Sra. De la Almudena where a couple was getting married, a river where an old couple was crossing a bridge holding hands, and I got a haircut along the way. Yes, it was tiring. On the other hand very fulfilling. To re-energize myself, I sat inside a café for a cup of coffee and a slice of coconut cake. That night, Roberta invited me to go to a house party. Myself and a German fellow came with her. On the way up to the apartment, we got stuck inside the elevator. There were six of us inside a small elevator for ten minutes breathing quietly as we sweat profusely. Thank God it opened! The party was very nice. The apartment was overlooking Palacio del Senado. At the party, people were just having fun, and I met so many people. Miguel and Will came a little after. After an hour, Miguel disappeared. We all thought that he went back to the hostel. But at 430 in the morning, as we were leaving the party, there he was, passed out sitting and sleeping outside on the steps leading to the apartment. It was definitely game over for him. We tried to holler a cab. The fifth cab let us in. A few minutes later, the driver noticed Miguel wasted. The driver was concerned that Miguel is going to vomit all over the taxi. He then kicked us out on the middle of the street. We then have to holler for a another cab. There’s always a first – that was the first time I got kicked out off a taxi!

Sunday, the day when majority of hung over exists. I woke up a bit later and didn’t start my day until 4PM. I wanted to see Museo Del Prado. On my way, I run into Miguel and Will. Miguel still looks wasted. I then went on to the museum and I learned that the entry fee is waved for the day. Score! The museum houses works by Goya, Picasso, Rembrandt, and others, as well as sculptures, drawings, and other treasures. After I hit my two hour mark, I went outside and just walked passing Plaza del Sol and finding my way into Iglecia de Las Salesas Reales where a mass was being conducted. That night, Roberta, Eduardo from Italy and I just hung out on Calle Huertas for some good people watching.

On Monday, I was seriously considering to prolong my stay in Madrid. I have met great people and I definitely like the city. I have one full day to decide before I go to the airport the next day. As I walk around the Botanical Garden, I decided that I will go to the airport the following day. If it’s less than 20Euros to change my flight, I will stay. That night, Roberta, Eduardo, a guy from Texas, and I checked out a Jazz bar where live music was played. There we met Agustin from Spain who used to live in the Philippines while his parents worked as a diplomat. It was a perfect night to end my stay in Madrid… great music and great company.

Tuesday, the day I leave for Cairo via Athens. I woke up a bit early since I still have to pack. Roberta was supposed to wake me up, but she woke up later than I did. I took the metro to the airport ready to pay a fee to stay longer in beautiful Madrid. I then proceeded to Olympic Air counter and asked if I can change my flight. I was told that if I don’t get on the flight I cannot change. Man, oh how I wanted to stay longer in Madrid. Oh well. There will always be a next time! Maybe live there for a year or two?

I arrived in Athens before 6PM. I decided to leave the airport and have dinner in the city center. It was nice to explore Athens with the little time that I have. After dinner, I headed back to the airport by bus to catch my midnight flight to Cairo. I have been in Cairo the last four days. I will head to Aswan tomorrow morning.

Here’s some pictures taken in Madrid and Athens. I have decided only to post 11 photos since connection here in Egypt is slow to load.

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Morocco…

September 26th, 2007

I arrived late in the afternoon in Casablanca on Sunday, September 09, 2007. My plan was to stay for couple nights then head towards the Riff Mountains, northern Morocco. I was excited to be in Morocco. I have enjoyed my western world city tour that I just completed (LA-Seattle-Vancouver-NY-London-Cologne-Essen-Berlin-Barcelona). Now, I am ready for an adventure. Something foreign and exotic… Morocco! I hopped on a train heading towards the city. I met a guy name Hassan from Casa. I didn’t know where my stop was. Everything was either said or written in Arabic or in French. Thanks to my friend, he showed me how to get to my hostel. He was heading towards an orphanage where he volunteers his free time which was located near the hostel that I was checking into. He even gave me his phone number in case I run into trouble while I am in Casa.

The hostel is pretty basic; bring your own toilette paper kinda thing. There, I met two Canadians and two Japanese that I grabbed beers and dinner with. We found a bar that serves cold Moroccan beers. We chat and drink beers as they played classic American tunes. It was four days before Ramadan begins. A friendly Moroccan bought us all a round of Flag Especiale. I may say this country is very hospitable to foreigners.

The following day, I wanted to get lost into Casa’s old Medina. In there, touts tried to get my attention “just to see” his shop and “not buy”… just to see! It’s funny how they know where the Philippines is. Normally, I am labelled as Japanese (and I normally agree just to finish the conversation and get out as fast as I can). Apparently there are many Filipino seamen that stop in Casa’s busy ship dock. I walked and walked, from corner to corner, alley to alley. There I found newly caught baby sharks being marketed for food. As I walked and found my way out of the walled part of the city, I strolled along the harbour and found Hassan II Mosque. The mosque is designed by Michel Pinseau and was built in short 6-year period. King Hassan II commissioned the building of the 3rd largest Mosque in the world to be built on the Atlantic. It follows the Qur’an that states “the throne of God was built on the water” The mosque is impressive. It can house 25,000 worshipers at one time. The detail on this mosque was quite lavish – heated tiled floor, parts of the floor where Muslim men kneels and prays overlook the Atlantic ocean underneath, the highest minaret which directs a laser towards Mecca at night, sliding roof, and chandeliers that cost hundreds of thousands. The whole project cost half a billion dollars. To see the facility inside, the only option provided was through a tour. There I met Jed, Martin and Sarah who were in the English speaking tour. After, we walked for hours trying to find a place to have dinner. We found a restaurant at the harbour serving fresh fish. I ordered swordfish with legumes. It was delicious! At night, we sat for hours outside at a café in one of the busiest intersection in Casa for some mint tea. It was interesting to watch as locals, cats, dogs, tourists, beggars passed by us as we sip and enjoy our tea. We all called in a night a little before midnight since my hostel has a midnight curfew, and we were all taking an early morning bus going to different directions.

It was a lovely morning. The sun was out and there was a breeze coming from the Atlantic. I walked along the harbour to the central bus station. I am heading to Chefchaouen located at the Riff Mountains. At the bus station, I met Aart and Maryke from Holland. The bus ride took 6-hours in total. I had seat number 2, front row, with a great view… and the sun just shines directly towards me. And to top that, the aircon that was above my seat started to spit water all over me. Perfect, not only was I was getting wet, but everyone in the bus can see me freaking out and pissed off! We arrived in Chefchaouen late in the afternoon. From the bus station, we hiked up to the medina. We checked in to what used to be a family home that was recently converted into a pension. The pension has a terrace overlooking the city and the gorgeous Riff mountains. Chefchaouen is one of the prettiest places that I have ever been too.

Inside the medina, mostly everything is painted in variation of soft light blue and the roof is painted in white. Waking through the medina is peaceful – not much touts and the color blue just gives a heavenly feel. There is a small square with restaurants and cafes in the center. It is easy to appreciate a place called Chefchaouen – small, quiet, and pretty town – especially coming from a big city like Casa… the difference is profound. The following day, I just explored the medina, had a huge watermelon on the terrace for lunch, and just hung out. Chefchaouen is what I have been looking for the last month.. a charming and quiet place to relax my soul. On the third day, Aart and Maryke and I did an 8-hr trek around the Riff. I always like hiking but I wish I had my hiking shoes. My sore feet felt each and every rock that I walked on. Even with the pain, the view from the top was spectacular. We can see the whole valley through the low travelling fog, a lake, and two other villages. On the hike down, Chefchaouen looks different. It was white, not blue. That night, after dinner we sat on the terrace for some tea. There we met two friends from Berlin, Anna and Alex.

Friday, the holy day in Islam, and the start of Ramadan in Morocco. I was excited to be in a Muslim country during Ramadan. I didn’t know what to expect. Would I be scolded from drinking water on the streets during the day? How am I going to eat? Having a catholic upbringing, Ramadan is very foreign. But I am ready to witness it first hand. Since I wasn’t sure what to expect during the month long religious observance, I bought some bread, cheese, some fruits, and water as reserves. In the privacy of my hotel room, I had my first discreet breakfast….Since Aart and Maryke left for Fes, Anna, Alex and I walked up the ruined mosque up a hill. On the walk up, we passed through a river where women were washing clothes. There is barely anything left of the mosque, but it provides a tower which we climbed and enjoyed the view of the town. It also provided a venue for us, the smokers, to smoke in discretion… we tried not to smoke in public.. there.. no one can see! After we had lunch, hung out for a bit and a little nap, we walked around town. Just before the sunset, everyone seem as if they were all rushing to be somewhere.. walking faster and some even running. At 630PM, after the fourth siren of prayers of the day was played, we noticed locals were not on the road. Everyone was eating at home! Enjoying their second meal of the day… We too found a sandwich place and participated in what seem to be the common theme… eating..

The day after the start of Ramadan, Alex and Anna went to the Mediterranean coast and I took a bus to Fes. On the way to Fes, three English ladies (Emilia, Thea and Lilly) were in the same bus as me. We all stayed in the same pension in Chef. We arrived after a short 4-hours bus ride and decided to share a 4-bed room. I am a lucky man! Fes’ medina is quite extraordinary. We were told, after a faux guide whom we ignored started calling us racist, with black heart, rude, paranoid that there are over 9,000 streets inside the walled part of the city. The following day, I am supposed to meet my friend Jed whom I met in Casa. Seriously, I have no clue how we are suppose to meet since neither of us has mobile phone. But with our luck, as I was having breakfast, there he was, walking with his backpack trying to avoid the touts as he enter one of the main gates in to the medina. That day, Jed and I walked hours after hours, and finally a faux guide attached himself to us and led us to leather tannery. It was interesting and gross how they process leather. Apparently, they used cow urine to complete the whole process. For dinner, we met up with the girls. We decided to go to a restaurant where Jed wanted to eat. All six of us (including the two Spanish couple we met along the way) followed our leader. The restaurant was located at other side of the medina. An hour of walking, we found the restaurant being close. Apparently, the people who run the restaurant were having a feast at their home with their family…. and again we realized it was Ramadan. We then waited for a guy to call the owner to open the restaurant for us. For all I know, we could have eaten somewhere closer to our hotel.. They all serve the same.. Moroccan food! We then proceeded back to the center and wanted some sheesha. I run into a Carlos and Gloria from Barcelona. We stayed in the same pension in Chef, and we met as we discreetly smoke at the ruined mosque. We all smoked apple flavor sheesha and chatted. To end the night, Emilia, Lilly and I went to the roof terrace of our hotel and laughed all night. I love laughing. I’m always laughing.

I didn’t do much the following day. I waited for the sun to come down a bit. While the sun was setting, I met up with Carlos and Gloria to hike up a hill where there is a ruined something. We didn’t know what the ruin was. We just made up our own story about the ruined edifice. But the view from the top of the hill was awesome. We were able to see all 9,000 streets inside the medina and the adjacent Ville Nouvelle. After dinner, I met up with the three Brits in our hotel and walked to the bus station. They were heading to Merzouga and I was heading to Quarzazate.

I can definitely feel the desert in Quarzazate. And that is exactly my intention – to spend a night in the Sahara. Once I arrived, a man solicited me to go into the travel agency that he gets commissions from. There I went. And we decided the details of the excursion and the fare. All I wanted to see is the impressive sand dunes of Erg Chigaga. Once I left, I keep thinking.. did I just got ripped off? All night, I kept thinking – WTf, I just got ripped off.. but then I have to let it go.. In this part of the world, you just don’t know when you are getting ripped off. What I learned – never haggle after coming out of a 16-hour long bus journey. Rest and then bargain!

The next morning I was ready to be picked up in front of my hotel to go to the desert. An hour later, they were no show. I then walked towards their office and found the group (a French couple) whom I was scheduled to go with. I was advised to go back to my hotel. Okay…. Another hour later, the man from the tour company came and said.. “The French didn’t want to take you… they want to go just them two…” WTF… I don’t even speak French. For all I know, they can talk dirty all they want inside the 4×4 and I wouldn’t understand a thing! Oh well, I was getting ripped off anyways. The French was even getting more ripped off. I was advised not to tell them how much I paid since they paid twice as much as I did. That’s what they get for being rude! Oh well. Inch’allah! I was not meant to be ripped off. Now, I was stuck in a place where not much to do besides going to the desert. I then went on with my day and explored Quarzazate by foot. On my way to see the Palace and the Kasbah, I met Sami. Sami runs an artisan store where I bought a turban. Without any formal education, Sami speaks perfect English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Arabic. He invited me to eat dinner after sunset. I was delighted by his invitation. I then proceeded to walk inside the Kasbah where there was a Jewish Museum. They say that there was a big Jewish community in Quarzazate before they all migrated to Israel. Late in the afternoon, as I was walking the main square, I checked out another tour company. I am still wishing for my Sahara Desert night. Luckily, there was a couple from Belgium who was also booking their Sahara adventure. At first, they were going to Erg Chebi, but I will only join if we go to the bigger dunes of Erg Chigaga. The tour company presented the couple the pictures of Erg Chigaga and they changed their mind. And yes, I got a better price this time around; I was fully rested before I started bargaining. Just before the sun fully sets, I was rushing to get back to Sami’s store. I hate breaking promises. Once I got there, the dinner was served, but untouched. Sami, couple of his friends, 3 French kids, and I waited for the prayer coming from a loud speaker. Few minutes later, a loud speaker echoes the fourth prayer of the day around town which allows everyone to eat their second meal of the day. Bon appetit!

It was a beautiful sunny day to go to the Sahara. At the tour company office, as I was waiting outside, I saw the girl from Belgium coming towards me. Where is her husband I wonder? It appears that, after we left each other from the day before, they had dinner and he got ill. Hence, they were a no-go to the Sahara. He was checked in to a hospital. Thankfully, Stefan and Sonia from Germany are booked to go with us… and my Saharan adventure is going to come true. I have no clue what have happened, but I just lost my camera before heading to the desert. Oh well, it could be worse. Thanks to my newly found German friends and they will send me photos of the desert. The drive to the desert was scenic. At one point, as the sand surrounds the air, it looks like we were driving directly to a wall. We stop and take photos, or may I say, they take photos since I just lost my camera. It must be nice to have a camera. We also stopped into one Kasbah and the sign that says 54-days to Timbukto. For lunch, we stopped into a really nice hotel restaurant with a pool in a town called Zagora. We were all ready to jump in the water until we were told the swimming pool is for hotel guests only. Whatever! Then we drove some more and got to M’hamid until we hit the end of the road in the most literal sense. And there it was, the Sahara… no paved roads, just rocks and sands – it was a sight to remember (only if I have a camera). Everyone was quiet as we drove off the road. The road changes from rocks to sands, then dirt, and through and out of small sand dunes. Everyone is in awe of the landscape. It is a place where you can easily forget your name. It was truly stunning. We arrived into our destination – Erg Chigaga. The biggest sand dune is over 60 meters high. It was massive. The sight is located just 40 kilometres from Algeria and 56 kilometres where the road ended in M’hamid. There is something tranquil being in the Sahara. Just you and the desert. Stefan, Sonia and I decided to hike up the dunes to watch the sunset. It was a work of art – miles and miles of red brown sand dunes and the red bright sun. After, we headed back to our campsite and had some mint tea. There we met two Americans from NY in their adventure honeymoon. I guess that’s their thing. I can’t imagine doing my honeymoon in a tent somewhere in the Sahara where it was over 100 degrees ferenheight. That night, it was a bit cloudy, and we waited for the stars to show up. For some reason I just passed out and missed out on the stars. However, I did have a peep of the stars when I suddenly woke up in the middle of the night for a few seconds. And that was the story of my Arabian night. The next morning, our camel arrived. There were only two camels, but there were three of us. Sonia and I rode on the camel around the dunes. Yay! I can now say I have been in a camel. After breakfast, we got into our car and drove back to Quarzazate. On our way back we drove through Inki Lake which has been dried the last 40 years. We also stopped by the Kasbah where Passion of the Christ and Gladiator were filmed. Right when we got back to Quarzazate, I went to the bus station to change my ticket since the Germans will bring me back to civilizations in their rented car (out of the desert). The ride back from Quarzazate was through the mountains. We stopped at the peak over 2,000 meters and enjoyed the scenery.

We arrived in Marrakech while everyone was eating dinner. The road was completely empty. We went to the bus station since Sonia and Stefan were purchasing their bus tickets for Agadir. The bus station was closed as the employees were eating dinner. And once again, we were reminded that we are in a Muslin country during Ramadan. Everything is put on a halt once the fourth prayer is played around town. Once they re-opened, they were able to buy their bus tickets and we headed back to the central medina to look for a place. We ended up staying right off Djemaa el-Fna (central square) where they have stayed previously. Ahh.. its nice to finally shower after two days being in the desert. Although I didn’t feel like paying 15dirhams for hot water, cold shower was refreshing enough. After we were all cleaned up, and they have returned the rental car, we heading to the main square for dinner and tea. They were kind enough to introduce me to the wild and vibrant city of Marrakech. On the way, they told me how not to get ripped off in this city… or they were saying not to do the mistake what they have done. To end the night, we all headed up to the roof terrace of our hotel and just listened to the sounds and the craziness happening below us.

Five days in Marrakech… didn’t do much. I didn’t want to do much. I didn’t even see one museum. Well, I did made an attempt to see the Musee de Marrakech, but along the way, I got lost and wasn’t able to navigate myself to the museum. Oh well, but I was able to see into the deep of the old medina. I also walked to Ville Novelle (new area of the city). On the way, i strolled along Place de Faoucald, two gardens one being a Cyber Park, and tombstones. The only reason why I went to Ville Novelle was because I know there is a McDonalds there. Yes, I know, shame on me, but I was craving a #1! And it indeed hit the spot! Marrakech is a beautiful city. Although I didn’t try to see much, I was able to absorb the atmosphere this city offers. Everyday, at around 5PM, I will sit and read at the roof terrace. At around half past six siren of prayers will echo throughout the whole city. And then, silence. All of Islam can eat again. At night, we will eat dinner at a stands in Dejemaa-el-Fna. During dinner, it is hard to ignore touts trying to get another tourist into their shops or stands. Being harassed is definitely part of the fun being here. After, I will walk and see what is going on in the square. One time, I was walking with Dean from NY and another guy from Slovenia then all the sudden, a man rushed towards us and handed Dean a monkey on a leash as he repeatedly said NO! There were storytellers narrating the most mystical, and a woman trying to draw henna on the hands of a woman from England, and a snake charmer running for the guy from San Francisco asking for dirhams for taking photos. Its truly comical. It is just too funny for me as I watch people pay money to get a ring onto a coke bottle, or getting a soccer ball through two bottles seperated less than the diameter of the ball. It almost seems impossible, yet, people still pays. There is definitely chaos in Marrakech main square. Yet with all that chaos I was able to find Aart and Maryke as they sip their mint tea.

Morocco… there is so much diversity here. Mountains, oceans, deserts and many oasis… name it they have it. There are genuinely nice people in this country.. however, there are the others who will find the opportunity to make a few dirham from you! There is a place such as Chefchaouen where you can relax your soul. And the Sahara where you can wish upon a star all night. There is Fes where you can see the real Moroccan city. And Marrakech where to experience all the craziness. And travelling in a Muslim country during Ramadan is a different experience. I am happy to see it first hand. Morocco, for us who lives in the west may find it inefficient and chaotic. However, there is an organize chaos here. It’s an efficient chaos. It works. And the food. I never had one bad meal here in this country. Everything is done fresh. Although I didn’t get to the coast (except for Casablanca), there is always a next time. Not on this trip at least.

I fly to Madrid tonight. I can’t wait to party it up a bit until I hit up Egypt, Jordan and Israel. I met a lady from Pennsylvania who works at an art gallery in Rabat. She told me that I can get a visa to Syria at the border. Hmm.. from Jordan, I may try to cross over to Syria to see Damascus, then back to Jordan for Israel. It’s all up in the air. Just you stay tune. I will post some photos of Morocco once I receive them from the people that I have met along the way. I finally bought a fanny pack so when I purchase my new camera, I will not lose it. I know, I look like a tourist, but I think it’s cool!

I know it’s long. I stopped writing long journals. This is my story.

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Barcelona: hanging out with the locals…

September 12th, 2007

I arrived in Barcelona on August 31st from Berlin. I was greeted by Miriam (my friend Xenia´s sister) and her friend Christina right when I came outside L4 Alfonso X Metro stop. We introduced each other and walked towards my friends apartment. The accomodation was more than I expected. A fully furnished apartment with a bed to myself! Since my friend now works in Andorra as a journalist, and her roomate Anna was visiting her for the weekend, Miriam and Christina was gracious enough to show me on my huge map of Barcelona the spots that I must see. It is always nice to get the locals perspective of this lovely city.

That night, I took the bus to PlaÇa Catalunya. The place was very busy. Live music playing on the streets and tourist going on their merry ways. I tried to meet couple of my friends from Los Angeles in front of the Cathedral, however they were no show. I realized they were attending a wedding that night. I then walked around Las Ramblas and was amazed by numbers of live statues along the promonade. Since I have been up since 6AM to catch my 8AM flight from Berlin, I called it quits early and went back to the apartment.

The following day begins the month of September. I should really figure out my itenerary at least until October. I spent hours on the internet trying to figure out the best and the most cost efficient way to get to Egypt. I have decided to head towards Morocco on September 9.. then fly from Marrakech to Madrid on the 27th.. then from Madrid to Cairo on the 2nd of October. I think I want to go back to India to do some meditation.. I will try to get a visa in Madrid. It´s all working out! I am just happy to have an itenerary until the beginning of next month….. So for anyone who wants to hang out in those three parts of the world, don´t forget to holler. That same day, I hang around in Barrio Gracia. Gracia was established in the early 17th century and was an indipendent municipality until it was annexed to Barcelona in 1897. Now, the city has many fashionable shops and cafes, as well as many artist living within its boundery. I just walked and admired the architecture, plazas and gardens the district consists of. That night, I met up with my friend Kim and Krack at our friend Cheryl´s hotel for dinner and night of boozing. It was really nice to meet up with friends from Los Angeles in foreign countries. We went towards Barceloneta for some perfectly cooked Paella. Once our stomach were full, we walked along the beach and towards the Olympic Village where we drank and danced the night away. On our way, we passed by four people that were at the same wedding my friends attended.

Sunday.. the perfect day to be lazy. The day was filled of lounging and watching spanish television. At 730PM, I was supposed to meet up with my friend Krack and Kim in front of the Cathedral. I got there at 8PM, 30 minutes late. I then waited and waited, and at 9PM they decided to show up. I thought I was late.. they were even later! Since they were heading to Madrid the following day, we headed to Las Ramblas for some Tapas and Sangria. It was nice hanging out with them here in Barcelona. After two liter of sangria and lots of tapas, we took the metro together to our respected destination, and said good bye.

My friend Xenia and Anna arrived on Monday. I have never met Anna before. My only contact with her was three years ago via email; she emailed me that Xenia´s flight from Dallas to Los Angeles was delayed. I met Xenia while I was traveling in the UK four years ago. We stayed in the same room in a hostel in London. We kept in contact and she even visited Los Angeles three years back. That is another aspect of traveling that I love… you meet so many people from all over the world! Xenia and I talked and Anna went to work. You cannot miss work by Antonio Gaudi while visiting this marvelous city. They are everywhere! Gaudi´s works are unique and distinctive in style. Xenia took me to Park Guell which was commissioned by Eusebi Güell who wanted a stylish park for Barcelonas aristocracy. The park provide masterpieces by Gaudi, and provides an excellent panoramic view of the city. After, Xenia took me where her father eats lunch frequently. It was really nice to meet her father and had one of the most delicious lunches I have had in a while.

As you may know by now, I like to take it slow when I travel. I seriously do not like being ambitious with my day. The next day, after Anna got out of work, they took me to La Sagrada Familia, another famous work by Gaudi. The famous sight was a short walk from their apartment. On the way, we passed by Hospital de Stat Creu i Sant Pau which was another of Gaudi´s brilliant architecture. From outside, the hospital buildings doesnt seem to be connected to each other, however, the architect designed the entire vacity so that all buildings are connecteted underground. The two famous sights, the hospital and the church are face to face with each other via Av. de Gaudi. The construction of the famous La Segrada Famililia started back in 1882 and is not expected to be complete for another 30-80 years. Inside, you can witness the ongoing construction as well as descriptions of the types of stones Gaudi have in mind constructing the church. Underneath the signt, a museum regarding the church and some of Gaudi´s early sketches can be found. After, Anna took us to her parents house, it was an experience to see a typical spanish household. Since her car was parked at her parents garrage, she drove us up the mountains to a lookout point. I must say, it was the best panoramic view of Barcelona. It was magnificent. The lookout provides a view of all the buildings, the three hills, as well as the Mediteranean ocean. To end the night, they took me to a local hangout where family run pizza are served. I have been very fortunate to have Xenia and Anna to show me their hometown! Hmm.. maybe I spoke to soon. This day was quite ambitious.. we did lots.

Dali.. the famous surrealist artist. I woke up quite early and took the train to Figueres (less than two hour ride from Barcelona) where Dali Theatre Museum is located. Dali puts it ¨Where, if not were in my own city, should the most extravagant and solid examples of my art remain, where else? The Municipal Theatre, or what was left of it, seemed to me to be very appropriate for three reasons first, because I am an eminently theatrical painter, second, because the Theatre is in front of the chruch where I was baptized and third, because it was precisely in the lobby of the Theatre that I had my first exhibition of paintings.¨ And indeed it didn´t dissapoint. The museum houses hundreds of Dalis work and how Dali would want it shown. After the museum, I got lost around the beautiful town. I also visited the geourgeous Parc Bosc. and Pl Ernest Lluch. As I waited for the train heading to Barcelona, I just opened a book and read at the Rambla. Once I got back in Barcelona, I walked around Passeig de Gracia with one thing in mind. I needed a travel book in english about Morocco. Looking for a travel book in english in Catalan/Spanish speaking part of the world is like looking for a travel book in Catalan or spanish at Barnes and Nobles in Los Angeles. My search was not a success. Since I have been in Barcelona for six days, I wanted to see if I can walk from the center starting in Placa Catalunya to my friends apartment which is located in Horta Guinardo. The walk took me approximately two hours since I kept stopping and getting lost. But hey, I found it. I must say, it is nice walking this city.

Since I have been in Barcelona, I have yet to jump in the Mediterenean waters. I decided to take it slow and just hung out at the beach Thursday. It was nice to relax and enjoy the ocean breeze at Patja Nova Icaria. After hours of just reading and bumming it at the beach, I headed back and took a nap (that lasted until almost 8PM). For dinner, my friend Xenia and few of her friends came over. It was nice meeting more people from this city.

Friday.. it is the best week of the day for those who are employed. Eh..work? what is that? I´m really digging how Xenia´s apartment has a washing machine to wash my clothes. However, to dry, I must use the sun. For some reason, the clothes dries quickly here. Now that I have fresh and clean clothes to wear, I headed to the center of town and walked around the Gothic Quarter. Walking through the cobbled streets, tall buildings covers the sun. The focal point of Barri Gothic is the Cathedral. I finally made a visit inside. Picasso lived in the Gothic Quarter for nine years. I have to be back at the apartment by half past nine, since we´re going to the Magic Fountain of Montjuic. Carles Buigas designed the fountain in 1929. As the music starts different colors of water dances in motions that is just magical. After we were in awe by the water show, we drove up the hills where a bar overlooking the harbor was located.

Last day in Barcelona was memorable. Started the day late as usual. Again, I headed towards the Gothic Quarter since I needed to purchase couple things before I leave this city. As I sat and people watch in front of the cathedral, a man playing an acoustic guitar was playing series of rock songs that I like.. such as radiohead, foofighters and such.. now he deserves some coins. After; I went into the church to attend a mass in spanish. At night, my friend Xenia, Anna and Alfonso invited few of their friends for a party at their apartment. We drank and sing karaoke all night. It was nice too meet more locals. At 3AM, we decided to hit up a club. One of Alfonson’s friend drove us to Apolo. Apolo is a local club where electronic music is played all night. It was a perfect way to say goodbye to Barcelona.

The morning after, I felt like crap. However, I have a flight to catch to Casablanca. Woke up a bit later than I wanted, and thank God, Alfonso and Xenia drove me to the airport. Man, if I took the train, I would have missed my flight. The trip in Barcelona is different that other foreign cities that I have visited. Why, because I stayed with someone who is actually from there. I met many people who were born and grew up in Bqrcelona. It was really nice of them to welcome me, and take me to places where I would have never gone just by refering to my travel guide. Barcelona is a big city, but it still have a relaxed vibe. It has mountains and oceans surrounding the city which makes quite a beautiful place. Again, I thanks Anna and Xenia for letting me stay at their apartment, and to everyone that I met.

I uploaded my photos from Barcelona, but there is an error loading it to shutterfly. I need to figure out another way to post photos. Shutterfly takes too long. But, Barcelona photos are coming soon.

I arrived in Casablanca four days ago. Have been hanging out in the village called Chefchaouen north of Morocco. This place is just gorgeous. Trekking the mountains tomorrow.

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Germany: Feel the Love!!!

August 31st, 2007

Rommel and I arrived in Cologne late in the afternoon on August 23rd. We plan on staying in Cologne for three days. We are both heading to Essen after, and from there Rommel will go to Frankfurt and I will go to Berlin.

We both felt a bit tired when we arrived in Cologne. Maybe its the amount of stuff that we did in Amsterdam (all the walking that is). Our first night, we spent drinking and hanging out with a couple from south of Germany. Very uninventful. The second day, we walked around the city. Walked in the massive Cathedral right across the central station. We walked some more and walked along the Rhine River. Then we walked.. walk.. walk.. never ending walking here. After, we grabbed coffee along the promenade and just people watch. People watching is awesome. It´s cheap and require the least energy. For some odd reason, I started sweating and feeling delirius. I think my sugar was too low. To fixed my low sugar, I ordered a beer, a berliner doughnut, and brutwurst. Soon after, we called it quits and headed back to the hostel for our naps. When we woke up, we wanted to go to the Beer Festival happening in the city. On our way, we passed by a coffee shop with live jazz music. It was pretty cool. However, we were looking forward to some excellent German beers. Once we got to the beer fest, Rommel found a beer stand that is called Augustiner.. now we have to try that.. it rhymes with our last name. The beer was pretty good! While we were sitting down, we started talking with 6 university kids that lives in city. It was a pretty funny night. We then partied with them at the park near by. Beer and more beers.. At 3AM, we headed back to our room since we have an 850AM train to catch to Essen.

The following morning, we woke up at 8AM. There is no way we will catch our train. We both want to take a shower since we will not be checking in anywhere in Essen. Our plan is to start partying once we get there until we catch our train the following day. We then realized that our ticket is good for 2hours. Score, we can catch the 951AM train. Even though we were tired from the night before, the ride from Cologne to Essen had a party athmosphere. Locals from Cologne, and us, and maybe some other travelers are all heading to one of the biggest electronic music festival in Germany.. the Love Parade. People were dressed funky and singing all the way to Essen. Forget napping. Once we arrived in Essen, people started clapping. Indeed, there is a party going on here!!!! And I love how I am part of it.

The Love Parade started once we got off the train. There were thousands of people already in the city center by 11AM. The parade doesn´t officially start until 2PM! Once the parade started, the DJ in each floats started to showcase their stuff. We started to follow a float that plays house music. It was crazy. All of the 1.2-million people that showed up brought their party spirit with them. You can definitely feel the love in Essen that day. In between, Rommel and I lost each other. Hmm.. now, I should make an effort to talk to people. German people are very welcoming. But for some, their english is not very good. It becomes one big game of charades. Rommel and I set up a meeting point since we knew we will eventually going to loose each other. And at 830PM, I walked towards our spot – Burger King.. and right across BK and through hundreds of people walking.. there he was looking floored than ever! He has been partying! And that is exactly the point why we came to Essen to begin with. At the end of the parade, the floats parked, and the people go towards the main stage where DJ´s spun until 10PM. After 10PM, the party continues until the sun came up. DJ´s spinning infront of some stores and people just dancing their night away. At 6AM, there was an after party in one of the major city parks. However, I have a 630AM train and Rommel has a 730train to catch. Ahhh!!! I wish we could have stayed longer. 19 hours of straight partying is just not enough. Maybe next year! I missed my train anyways. WTF.. we should have just stayed….

I arrrived in Berlin at around noon on August 26th. I was so exhausted, but I needed to fixed something with the train company since I was charged twice for the train ride. The ticket lady was very nice and put a request to refund the charges. Since I didn´t have a travel book on Germany, I tried to purchase one at the bookstore. There was none in English. I was left looking for hostels either in Spanish or German. I chose to read up on Berlin in Spanish. Hopefully I got the jist of what they were saying. I found a hostel in the Berlin-Mitte district, closed to the famous Friedrichstraße where Checkpoint Charlie is located (old East Berlin) . Once I checked in I just crashed until 10PM. Right when I woke up, I went to get a Doner. I love doners! They are cheap and pretty effing good!!!.

The following day, I walked around the city. I checked out Deutsche Guggenheim since it was free on Mondays. Currently, Phoebe Washburn exhibits her ´´Regulated Fool’s Milk Meadow´´instillation. The piece is massive where it exhibits a factory devised to nurture the growth of grass for the factory’s own sod roof, where it will eventually wilt and decay. Very interesting. I then walked some more and read the history of the Berlin Wall and the Cold War written on the streets. I wasn´t feeling too well on Monday. I was just exhausted from this thing called traveling. So I went back to the hostel and just slept.

With fully charged batteries the following day, I woke up at 1PM. I started my day a little late, but it is okay. Again, it is not a race! I got lost around the city for a little bit. Found Paris Platz and met up with the New Berlin Free Walking Tour. Not a fan of tours, but this one is FREE!!! The tour took us mostly around the old East Berlin. We started a Paris Platz where Hotel Adlon where Michael Jackson almost dropped his baby. To name some, the tour lead us to the Jewish Memorial, Brandenburger Gate, DZ Bank which is a Frank Gehry piece, where Hitle’s bunker was located, and the infamous Berlin Wall. I got to admit, the tour was both educational and fun. We were fortunate enough to have such an animated and smart tour guide Victoria. Shoutout for the New Europe Free Walking Tour. After the tour, few of the people decided to join in the famous Berlin pubcrawl. I have done a pubcrawl twice in my life.. second being in Berlin. The pubcrawl was a lot of fun. Went to 5 bars/clubs and met a great amount of other travelers.

Ah, another night of boozing, and again I woke up a bit late the next day. Oh well, that’s life. My goal for the day is to go up the Germany’s Parliament Building, and to go to the central station to meet my friend Karin. The view from the top of the parliament building was absulutely captivating. The building provides a 360-degrees view of the entire city. Berlin from the top is not bad! Right after, I went to the Hauptbahnhof Station to meet my friend that I have not seen the last 7-years. I waited in front of the terminal where the bus coming from the airport stops. Ah hour later, there she was…same ole Karin!

My last day in Berlin consisted of more walking. I love walking in this city. This place rocks! I finally made it to the old west Berlin. It´s fascinating to think how the old West Belin was an island (well.. it was surrounded by the Berlin Wall!) within East Germany. I learned, and obviously, everything and anything needed to support the walled city was flown in. We checked out KaDeWe. That mall is very posh. Also that day, we checked out Alexander Platz and Siegessaule.. and other stuff that I have no clue what they are called or how to say in German. Yes, my German friend has not been to Berlin before.. therefore, I showed her around the neighborhood!

Germany… definitely coming back to this country again!!! The people are great, and there are so much history. If you want to see first hand what you learned in your history classes, come to Germany. Berlin provides a venue where the old and the new are intertwined creating one of the best cities that I have ever been to. To top that, the beer is just brewed to perfection… And for all the other budget travelers, Berlin is the place in the western world.. I find it quite affordable. It you want to party your brains out, come and join the festivities during the Love Parade. Can´t wait to visit other places in this country.. maybe on the next trip!

Again, if you made it this far, this is the link to my Germany pictures: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=2AbtXLNq1cMWFc&emid=sharshar&linkid=link3

I arrived in Barcelona this morning. I took the metro to my friend Xenia´s apartment. Xenia and her roommate are currently in Andorra and will not be back until next week. She trust me enough to stay in her apartment without her supervision. Thanks to Miriam (Xenia´s sister) and her friend for showing me the apartment and giving me the keys!

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London & Amsterdam (and Photos): State of Trance…

August 24th, 2007

i arrived in Heathrow on August 15th early in the morning. The plane was not full, and I was able to enjoy the luxury of laying down on 4 empty seats. I knew I only have a day and a half in London, so I am not about to be overly ambitious with my itenerary. First and last on my list was to visit Tate Moderm Museum. Tate Modern is located right inside a disused power station right at the bank of the Thames River. The entrance to the museum was very impressive: grand ceilings and plenty of natural lights. Right when I entered, I was introduced to an exhibits about Global Cities. Did you know, Los Angeles produces nine new person each hour? I always find couches in museums extra comfortable. After I explored the entire museums, I was exhausted and took a nap in one of the leather couches Tate provided me. When I woke up, there was three others sleeping next to me.

The following day, I headed to Gatwick Airport to catch my flight to Amsterdam. The flight was short which makes it tolerable. Once I arrived at the Central Station, I started to look for a place to stay. I found out that most budget accomodations are mostly full. It took me two hours walking around the whole city trying to find accomodations. Yes, I was lugging around my heavy backpack. What a workout! It was painful. I suppose that’s part of the fun. Yay!

I have always fantacized going to Amsterdam for a long long time. First thing I did after I checked it was to get a cup of coffee. I always heard coffee houses in Amsterdam is one of a kind. I was extremely excited. I was so excited I think I had a little too much coffee. I was so high on coffee I got lost walking around. Getting lost is fun for the most part, but not under the state that I was. While I was lost, I passed by the infamous Red Light District. Red Light is an interesting place where one can commit many sins. It was interesting passing through half naked ladies, all sizes and shapes. Afterward, I was so tired, I passed out in some random hotel lobby next to the bar with a beer on my hand. I woke up about an hour after and braved looking for my hostel through all the chaos. The following day, I had to checked out of my hostel and was left looking for another hostel for the night. Another two hours of searching, I found one in the south end of the city. Luckily, the hostel was nearby the RijkMuseum. The museum houses Rembrandts and many others highlights from the 17th century including works by Vermeer, Frans Hals and Jan Steen. I have been extremely fortunate to appeciate such work in the largest museum of art and history in the Netherlands.

On Saturday, I needed to check out of the hostel. It was a never ending moving in Amsterdam. I highly recommend to book in advance before heading to this place. Luckily, I need not to search for a new accomodations. My cousin Rommel, whom I met at the Central Station that day made reservations to rent an apartment in Jordaan. It took us a while to find the place. It’s very hard to get used to the way this city was planned. It goes on a circle. The apartment was pretty phat. On the 5th floor, with some view of the city from the balcony, and right next to a canal. Score!

I have always liked the impressionist period and have admired Van Gogh’s work. The world famous Van Gogh museum is located here. First thing Rommel and I did was to visit the museum. Let me tell you, it was a trip trying to find our way there. On the way, we passed by the Museum Plein. We sat right next to a sign IAMsterdam. I hate it when people are on my pictures.. and that was exactly what we did. We sat between the letters I and A, and for all the tourist taking pictures.. we will always be in your photo albums (unless you crop us out!). Anyways, it was interesting being inside the museum. It was like being in Disneyland. There was a line to see each of the pieces. It was difficult to appreciate the art with so many people in the building. Right after, we hung out outside the building and met a beautiful girl. She was so exotic I wish I took a photo of her. As I talk to her, she told me she is from LA, an actress and have a ring. Boo! After the museum, we went on to get some freshly brewed coffee. Rommel had an episode. Right when we walked out of the coffee shop, he couldn’t move. I keep telling him to relax! He knocked over some bikes and fell on a chair. Thank goodness for the chairs. We sat on the chair and he started to sweat profusely. I kept telling him to relax.. relax.. I felt that couple days ago.. its okay… that kind of stuff. An hour passed, he started to feel better. Ah.. everyone must have experienced some kind of moment like that being here in Amsterdam. Thank God he didn’t die on me!

The following day, we tried to go to the Anne Fank House. I remember reading her journal in 8th grade. The journal gives you hope when times are rough. But, the line was extremely long so we left. We then walked some more.. sat.. walk.. walk walk.. We sat around the Dam Square, get some coffee, walk some more, and after, couple hours before Anne’s house closes, we made an attempt to go in. And we did. The line was shorter this time. Walking through the house where Anne wrote her diary was really hot, quiet, and smell like body odor. However, the house has alot of heart. That same night, while me and Rommel was walking around, we passed by a building with a line. The place was called Bitter Sweet and its a place where small shows are performed. The line up was Punk Rock (I don’t remember the artist). One of my goal is to see as much shows while on the road. The band totally rocked it. Right after, we wanted to wait for me to turn 26. We did this by sitting in a coffee shop having a big cup of coffee.

Hip hip horaay!!! It’s my birthday and I didn’t get out of the apartment until 5PM. We just had our own little trip inside our own rented place. It was cool. Once we decided to explore the city on our bikes, first, I wanted to go to church. It’s a tradition for me to go to Church on my birthday. This time, I tried.. the place that I thought was a church was a museum. I don’t want to pay to pray. Then we were off to meet a friend for dinner. Ouxu is my friend J’s friend who lives in Holland. It was a pleasure meeting her and having her company for my birthday dinner. After Ouxu left, Rommel and I just wonder around the city…

The following day, our last full day, we came down from our place. As I looked for my bike I realized it was missing. WTF! My rented bike is missing!!! Ah man.. what did I do.. I must have been out of it when I parked it.. Maybe I forgot to locked the bike?!? Ahhh!!! Now, I need to do two more things, pay in full for the lost or I should say stolen rental bike, report the incident to the police (for insurance purposes). Oh well, it could be worsed.

Man, I wouldn’t think Holland would have the best Pad Thai. Right outside the police station, Thai Fast Food was located. They make the most tasty Pad Thai that I have had for a long time. Highly recommended. Once our stomach was full, we decided to go to the Heineken Brewery. Now that my bike was stolen, we have to walk far. Ah.. it’s always nice to see a city by foot (but I prefer on bikes!). The museum was very interactive. Inside, there were rides, history, beer making, and free beers that comes with the admission.

Amsterdam is a place where we were in a state of constant trance. There’s no ups or down…. It is beautiful city. Take out the drugs, sex.. Amsterdam is still a wonderful place.

Man, the train ride from Amsterdam to Cologne was really scarry. The guy seating in front of us got checked by security once we crossed over Germany… ah!!! Really lucky that we didn’t get checked. We arrived in Cologne, Germany yesterday. We will take a train to Essen tomorrow to attend one of the biggest electronic festival in Germany.. the Love Parade.. Then on Sunday I am heading to Berlin. My high school prom date Karin will be meeting me in Berlin (She moved back to Germany awhile back ago).

If you make it this far here’s my London & Amsterdam photos: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=2AbtXLNq1cMWFN&emid=sharshar&linkid=link3

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Seattle-Vancouver-NYC & Pics: End of North America…..

August 14th, 2007

From the time I checked in my backpack in Los Angeles Airport from the time I received it in Seattle took approximately 24 hours. And, the time I got to LAX from the time I arrived in Seattle-Tacoma Airport took 16-hrs. Ahh!!! In between I lost more money in Vegas. At the end, it’s all good. Although I was furious with the airlines, I got to my final destination. With all the chaos getting to Seattle, I missed my Dad’s 55th birthday. We were supposed to celebrate it when I get there, but I got in the following day. I tried and it was not my fault.

This segment of my trip is with my family. My first day in Seattle, my parents, sister Mimilanie and I drove to Seattle’s famous Public Market. The place is very lovely. In the market, fresh flowers, fruits and vegetables, handicrafts are being sold. In addition, there were fishes being tossed in the air towards the person making the purchase. It was quite a show.

After we enjoyed our seafood lunch at the market overlooking the bay, we walked towards the monorail to go to Seattle Center where Space Needle and Experience the Music Project are located. I’ve always been scared of heights. I always believe to get over once fear, one must face it. That’s the reason I did skydiving. I thought my fear of heights is history, apparently not. The elevator ride to the observation deck took about 40-second (up 520-feet). Once on top, I braved going outside the observation deck. Even though my knees were shaking, I needed to see the 360-degree view. The view was stunning. From afar, I saw Mt. Rainier and its snowcaps, as well as Seattle’s skyscrapers looking like legos. What a view. While in the O-deck, we run into other relatives.

Experience the Music Project is a stone throw from the S-Needle. EMP is a museum made for music and its history. Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft founded the project and the structure is designed by Frank Gehry. If you are a music lover, you will definitely appreciate EMP. Once you have passed through the lobby and into the museum, structure of hundreds of guitars welcome visitors. From there, you can indeed experience the music first hand. If you want to learn the history of guitar, prefer watching The Beatles old performances, or want to see Jimi Hendrix’s hand writing and his lyrics, or just want to make your own personal album EMP is the place to be. I was fortunate enough to come later in the day. I found out, live concerts are performed at night. As I exit the museum, jazz tunes vibrate though my ears.

To end our day in Seattle, and before we drive to Canada we opted to get freshly brewed coffee at the first Starbuck ever located at the public market. For some reason, Starbucks in Seattle is made stronger than what I normally get from other Starbucks. I suppose, Starbucks employees in this city cannot afford to mess up my coffee since they pride themselves with the name.

We started driving towards the Canadian side at around 8PM and the sun was barely setting. The sunset was impressive – Pacific Northwest’s green landscape highlighted by the setting sun and clear blue sky. It was perfection. It was really nice doing a road trip with my parents and my sister (though other sister is missing). It reminds me of the times when I was younger. Only difference – I was driving and my parents were in the backseat.

We arrived in Vancouver at 2AM since we made a bathroom break in one of the casinos along the way, and we got lost going to the hotel. Yes, that’s right I am staying in a hotel not a hostel mind you! At 2AM, Vancouver was asleep. The following day, we visited Capilano Suspension Bridge. Again, Heights and Me head to head. But I must cross the bridge. As the bridge sways back and fort as I go forward, I couldn’t look down what is below me. I held on the rail so tight my hands hurt afterwards. Mission accomplished. My mother, another person who is afraid of heights didn’t even cross the suspension bridge. At the end of the day, we were invited to eat dinner at my Mom’s first cousins house whom I have never met before. My family is already big, it seems like its getting bigger.

There are other cool things that we did and saw while in Vancouver such as Granville Island, Chinatown, Gas Town, Richmond Night Market to name some. However, the main purpose was for my parents to attend their High School reunion and picnic of my old town of Morong Rizal in the Philippines. Although I didn’t attend the formal dinner and dance event since I was not an alumni, I attended the picnic that was held at Stanley Park. It was really awesome to see and reintroduce myself to my nursery school teacher and my 5th grade teacher (yes they were alumni of the same school my parents attended).

After our 5-day stay in Vancouver we headed back to Seattle. Me and my sister will go to New York, and my parents, other sister Hershey, brother in-law Alfred, and beautiful niece Amanda will go back to Los Angeles. It was sad saying good bye to them. I probably won’t see them until next year when I return home (when I’m ready).

I arrived in NYC via Denver on August 8, 2007. Rain and humid weather welcome me to the big apple. It was almost disgusting. I took the bus to my sister’s apartment in Elmhurst at 7AM. I was so beat, right when she left for work I passed out until 2 in the afternoon.

I’ve been to New York few times and have done the touristy stuff. Hence, main purpose is to hang out with my sister and to meet up with some friends. I did one touristy stuff which was visiting to the Metropolitan Museum since I know it’s $1 to get in (donation or pay full price of $15 – I made $1 donation!) Every night I meet my sister in the city after her work for dinner. This past weekend, I met up with my friend Chester, Toi, David and their friends to party. I got so trashed one night I keep passing out in the train on my way to my sister’s apartment. The ride that normally takes 30 minutes took over 3-hours. I kept going back and forth. After I finally made it to my stop, my stomach started to feel funny and started vomiting. Yuck, at 6:45AM, people who were already going on with their busy day have to pass by the vomiting traveler. Good Morning!!!! The following day, me and my sister were invited to have dinner at our Aunt’s house. Ah, I will definitely miss good Filipino food…

Shoutout to my sister Mimilanie for welcoming me to her apartment, and being such a nice host. And to friend Chester, David and Toi for hanging out with me in NY. Thanks.

Anyways, it’s been a long post. If you made it this far, I have a treat for you. I loaded my Seattle-Vancouver-NYC photos. Here is the link:

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=2AbtXLNq1cMWE6

I leave for Europe later tonight. First stop is London. Since I’ve been to London numerous times, I decided to leave for Amsterdam the following day. From the Netherlands I will go to Germany then to Spain. That’s as far as my itinerary goes. My itinerary is still not final. I will decide as I go. Everything is tentative. My new found motto in life, “Relax.. it’s not a race…”

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