The Philippines: A Set on Flickr

Hey, I've got a new set on Flickr with some of my favourite photos from my travels in the Philippines. Check it out by clicking on the image below.

Tour of the Fireflies 2011

If we were in Manila, we'd be sure to join this tomorrow, making it our third consecutive year riding on the Tour of the Fireflies. Wishing all cyclists a safe and memorable ride! Remember to thank your marshals--they're the ones who stick their necks out to keep everyone safe. Whenever you can, give them a hand. Remember, they are our brothers and sisters in this revolution.

And to all motorists in Metro Manila, keep your cool. This is the one day of the year that cyclists rule the road.

Here are a couple of photos of Mrs. PWW and I from the past two tours. Both images were made by our good friend Kaloy of Pinoy Phototrekker.

ToF 2009



ToF 2010



Mr. & Mrs. PWW in the (Lemon Pie) House!

I've been using Flickr for over a year now to keep photos for the Pinoy Weekend Warrior site (visit my Flickr here!) and it was only tonight that I figured out how to see people's comments on the photos. That's how tech savvy I am, thank you very much.

Anyway, a 13-month old comment from the group Biyaheng Pinoy brought a smile to my face when they invited me to the group, and informed me that they included one of my photos on the official blog of The Lemon Pie House! The photo was taken during a trip we took to Sagada back in December 2009, and seeing the image brought back fond memories of the trip. Suffice to say, my feet are itching right now and I'm yearning to be back on a bus travelling to the Mountain Province!

Those lemon pies? They're awesome. Visit their blog here.

In the house!



PWW and Pinoy Phototrekker!

During a recent trip to Sydney, I had the chance to catch up with one of my good friends from back in the Philippines. We only met up for about an hour over lunch as he had to go to Dubbo with family, but it was fantastic to spend time with someone who I have such close ties to, and with whom I've shared countless adventures in the backwaters of our country. It just made me feel like I was back home, especially since Tagalog ang gamit namin habang nagku-kuwentuhan! Akala ko tuloy nasa Makati lang kami.

Mga Sexy in the City

Kaloy moved to Australia two months (to the day) after we did but this is the first time we've seen each other since moving from the Philippine Islands. The two of us are separated by about 2,500 kilometers, which explains why it took a while before this meeting of kindred spirits happened. Being Kaloy, his first reaction upon learning what the distance is between us, was "Road trip!"

Follow Kaloy and his adventures at Pinoy Phototrekker. Until next time, buddy.

Bicycle Revolution: 13th Tour of the Fireflies

The 13th Tour of the Fireflies will happen on April 17, 2011. Man, I sure wish I was back home for this one. Good times.

Go to The Firefly Brigade's Official Site here for further details. Keep on riding.

Life Happens

Hi. Remember me? Yeah, that guy with unbridled enthusiasm about the outdoors and everything about cycling and running. The one who would not let a weekend pass without running a race or climbing up a mountain. I am still the same person, you know. I swear, I really am. Just a bit, different now, I guess. Yes, I know I've been completely slack about updating this site lately. Well, I use that term loosely as "lately" has been the past six months (half a year?!). Perhaps the reason I'm writing now is to try and figure out what happened during that time.

It has almost been 10 months since I have moved from the Philippines to Australia. My original plan was to work in the outdoors in one of the countries in the forefront of adventure learning and outdoor education. However, sometimes one needs to revert to Plan B, especially when you didn't know that Plan A was going to cost you upwards of $10,000 for an internship! Not really an option after spending your savings on moving here.

The irony of it all is not lost on me, though. Here I am, living in Cairns, in close proximity to the Great Barrier Reef and World Heritage Rainforests, and yet suddenly I seemed to have lost the flair for the outdoors. It's not that I haven't had the chance to get out. I've been on numerous trips with Mrs. PWW since we moved here (she is fantastic, the way she gets me off my butt to go and do stuff) but I haven't been as excited as before to document our travels. Needless to say, the minor events pass by unnoticed.

Which isn't me, is it? So what happened?