Morocco: Casablanca more than the Classic Hollywood Film

It was not the Morocco I imagined it to be. There were hardly any colorful tiles and magical lamps that I’ve seen a number of times on travel magazines. It was our third day in Casablanca and I wasn’t even thrilled on waking up as I didn’t feel safe when we go around especially with our cameras in tow. Apparently, Casablanca that was made famous by a movie with the same title (that wasn’t even shot there) is not a usual stop for first-time travelers in the country. 

Morocco: A Dream Destination that Almost Never Happened

I am a mediocre dreamer. My dreams would often include very attainable stuff that a go-getter person would easily realize it in no time. I don’t work really hard for it, I don’t see it as a motivation in my everyday life and I don’t like to be fixated on that thought. I just let things go by slowly and let myself be swayed on wherever life would bring me.

East Timor: Six Days of Offbeat Adventures

It was our fourth day in the capital city of East Timor. We could go to the deeper parts of the country where we’d definitely experience the local Timorese life in the outskirts of Dili but we chose not to. We remained at the sleepy city and continued our immersion to the slow-mo-like urban life of the Timorese people. Three full days is enough to explore the city and a week may be too long for some, well, not for us.

8

Great Eight. Symbol for infinity. Favorite anniversary date for lovers. Lucky number, for some. Today marks my eighth year in the blogosphere. My longest intimate relationship lasted for seven years so I guess my personal space on this overcrowded online world is going stronger. Video bloggers and online influencers with huge followings are the trend now, but I’m still tucked in my old school narrative way of blogging but I know that I’ve been too lazy on writing regularly (especially on my school-related posts), and hopefully I could do better this year. 

Autumn in Tokyo: A Travel Guide ~ Updated

*Updated January 8, 2019*

This post has been updated with additional narrative on my second autumn trip to Tokyo.

It was our fourth day in Japan and the endless drizzle since day one didn’t seem to get tired. A super typhoon from the Philippines was heading directly to Tokyo and almost half of the establishments in the capital city are shut for the day. Fortunately, the subway was fully operational. Me and my buddies were aiming for an awesome autumn trip but were devastated by the weather report. We may have been doomed to be soaked but our spirits are brighter than the sun. Resiliency is my favorite characteristic of the Filipino people.

5 Favorite Gifts of 2018

SEA to Africa 2018. 10 years in teaching service. Timor Leste. Morocco (yey!). More surprises. Oceania and Africa. Mrs. Lakad Pilipinas.

A thought-provoking question was raised by a professor in graduate school some years ago, "What do you wake up for every day?" Hands were up in no time as my classmates stated their loved ones and passion for teaching as their main reasons. When it was my turn, almost all of them laughed after I uttered, "I wake up for Morocco!"—the first thing that came to my mind. Fast forward to 2018, I spent one month backpacking in this charming country together with my favorite person in the world as newlyweds. Be careful what you wish for; you just might get it, as they say.

Mount Fuji: A Second Attempt at Japan’s Mighty Mountain

Same time last year, my favorite travel buddies and I went to the Land of Sushi for a quick five-day jaunt—my first ever trip to Japan. We had great plans on exploring Tokyo and its neighboring towns but a super typhoon coincided with our trip which basically interfered with our itinerary. We didn’t get to see Mount Fuji during our Hakone trip and ­we were literally roaming around Tokyo with fierce winds and endless rain on our backs. Nonetheless, we had so much fun, ‘coz we’re all together. On my second attempt to get a glimpse of this mighty volcano, I was positive and hopeful.