Fulfilling Childhood Dreams of Honesty and All Other Good Things

The author at Honesty Coffee Shop

          Once in our childhood we all dreamed of a few distinctive things that we wanted to achieve when we grow up. I dreamed of studying in Manila (I was born and raised in Tarlac); I dreamed of seeing tourist spots that I only saw in my elementary textbooks; I dreamed of driving my own car. Fortunately, all of these things unfolded into reality… one dream at a time. But there was one simple childhood dream I had when I was fourteen – fourteen years ago – that I could visibly remember: to be able to visit the famous Honesty Store in Batanes. Back then I really didn’t care what Batanes looked like, all I was interested in was that little shop that I had learned about from a local TV program. I was intrigued at how honesty could still be upheld strictly and wanted to witness that myself.

Kapurpurawan Rock Formations and Cape Bojeador Lighthouse: The Pride of Burgos

Two attractions that should not be missed when in Ilocos Norte are the amazing Kapurpurawan Rock Formations and the timeless Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, both located in the quiet town of Burgos.

Baler Quick Tour: Breathtaking Views at Ermita Hill

For me, the best way to cap off a day tour in Baler is to relax in one of the view decks of the famous Ermita Hill while enjoying the breathtaking view of the Pacific Ocean. Not only that, you can also reward yourself with the soothing atmosphere right at the top, especially in the afternoon.

Baler Quick Tour: Sabang Beach Sunrise

Catching the sunrise in Sabang Beach the following morning was the best reward my colleagues and I could get after the extended hours of planning that we had the night before. We were like a bunch of excited kids knocking on each door to wake up the others who might be interested in going with us.    

We didn’t bother waking our driver up as he might still be in a deep slumber, so we just rode the tricycles parked in front of Carlito’s Inn. Fare going to Sabang beach was 15 pesos per person per way.

Baler Quick Tour: Aniao Islets

It was my second time to visit Baler, Aurora last January for an overnight planning with faculty members from the College of Engineering. My first visit was also for an overnight planning but with a different group of employees from the university. Obviously, when you have planning activities as short as 2 days, there’s little chance that you would enjoy the attractions the venue has to offer. Nevertheless, my colleagues and I took advantage of our short stay in Aurora by visiting Ermita Hill, Sabang Beach, the famous Millennium Tree and the Aniao Islets.

The Stunning Windmills of Bangui

Out of all the attractions that I have visited in Ilocos Norte, Bangui Wind Farm was my favorite. Formally known as the Northwind Bangui Bay Project, the Bangui Wind Farm is composed of 20 units of 1.65 MW wind turbines, each 70 meters tall, arranged in a single row and forming a beautiful arc along the shoreline of Bangui Bay. Tourists refer to them more popularly as Bangui Windmills.

Grasping Reality on the Way to Kabigan Falls

Kabigan Falls on broad daylight

Part of the North Pagudpud tour is a 30-minute walk to Kabigan Falls. I knew I would spend quite some time there since it would already take an hour getting to the falls and back. Add to that the time it would take to just commune with the surroundings and take some photos. But I didn’t mind because waterfalls are the ones I really look forward to visiting whenever I go out on a trip.

Tarlaqueño Traveler's Suroy-Suroy Series /01 Photobook

Photobook cover featuring San Juanico Bridge (Leyte/Samar/Region VIII)

Ako na ang feelingero! Haha. Tarlaqueño Traveler has come up with a Photobook featuring some of the places he has visited from 2010 to 2012. Although it was really my dream to be able to publish a coffee table book about travel or photography, the initial idea of the photobook came up when I stumbled upon a group buying site offering a discounted photobook. I thought this was the perfect time to gather my travel memoirs and have them printed in one organized book that I can share with everyone. The photobook is entitled "Suroy-Suroy Series /01," featuring attractions from 26 provinces in the Philippines.

Diosdado Macapagal International Airport

Diosdado Macapagal International Airport or Clark Airport

With more and more flights going in and out of the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA), or simply known as Clark Airport, a lot of people have been asking for details on how to reach the airport, travel times, expenses, and the like.

Cebu Pacific, Airphilexpress, Tiger Airways, Sea Air, and Air Asia fly to and from DMIA. The airport mostly caters international flights (Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Singapore, Hongkong, Macau) but also caters flights to and from Cebu, Davao, Kalibo, and Puerto Princesa.