Why I hate the Tourist vs Traveler Debate

I was browsing photos on Instagram and there's this one post that ticked me off so much that it deserves all my thoughts be put in one blog. I dare not confront the person behind it for I clearly know the gravity of the air volume this person has in his/her head. (sorry, I wouldn't also specify if that person's a girl or boy.)

Now the pondering question gets me: How does one truly define a tourist and/or a traveler? 

Say, if were both in one place and you see me in my usual shutter happy mode, you call me a tourist; then you, who was busily observing whats around define yourself a traveler? Or, if I had a full list of places to go, I'm a tourist while you, the self-defined traveler wanders around without any destination in mind? Mind you, these samples were just derived from the most common scenarios where someone could tell which one which. Whatever actually.

I just started to think that it's all about perspective and a matter of choice. I hate that debate of definitions and comparisons for both worlds. I hate how we unchalantly judge someone's preference. It's like putting a label on how a person goes places. We were all born differently, so why judge how someone sees the world? 

It doesn't matter if you choose to see the world as a tourist or seek adventures as a traveler. We are just walking under the same sky, seeing the same world, just in different perspective --and that's something everyone should respect at all costs.

2013: My Year in Pictures

This year has been a really amazing year for me as a lot of things happened in 2013 that are so overwhelming, I couldn't believe that I did all that myself. I thought I'll be having a tough one because I welcomed it with a bad start. But then, I thought to myself that I should just be the bigger person and should not let the bad things consume me to the point that I should just wish this year would end. So I bounced back, burned the bridges and let it just light my way to happiness which I am currently experiencing now. :)

So in summary, I've nursed a heartbreak, lost my job, lost a lot of weight, bounced back, got a new job, learned my 4th language, got a new car, made my business grew, met new people, traveled a lot, lot, and just traveled a whole lot more. Did I mention that enough? :)

Everyone knew that I just found bliss in traveling and I always say that becoming a traveler is my new found self which I intend to keep for the rest of my life. I've gone places this year and I'm always longing to see more. I've become fascinated with going somewhere, meeting new people, experiencing adventure to a whole new level and learning new things along the way. There's been a lot of firsts for me and I can't say I've seen it all, but I'm super happy with all the places I've been in!

So in review, I'd like to look back at what happened this year:

1. I've visited 7 beaches this year. One beach is definitely different from another and it's with the experience and the people you're with. 

Sunset at Anawangin Cove, Zambales.

Quezon Island, Alaminos, Pangasinan

Sunset at Burot Beach in Calatagan, Batangas. 

Alubijod Cove, Guimaras Island. First pristine beach I've seen. 

Cagbalete Island, Mauban Quezon, where we got stranded for two days. LOL.

Pink Beach, Great Sta. Cruz Island. My dream beach!

White Beach, Malamawi Island, Basilan

2. I'm no mountaineer, but I managed to climb 4 mountains this year! 

Mt. Pundaquit, Zambales

Mt. Natib in Orani, Bataan. The most challenging mountain I've ever climbed!

Mt. Manalmon, Sitio Madlum, San Miguel, Bulacan

Mt. Pulag, Bokod, Benguet. The highlight of my travels this year! I finally saw the sea of clouds!!!

3. I love waterfalls and seeing 11 of it this year is such an amazing experience!

Pasukulan Falls, Mt. Natib, Orani, Bataan. Oh you gave me the most epic cramps ever, but you're so beautiful, I didn't mind anyway.

7 Falls at Mambukal Resort, Bacolod

Merloquet Falls, Sibulao, Zamboanga City.

Cabunbata Falls, Isabela, Basilan

Tabiawan Falls, Isabela, Basilan

4. Just some random things here, for the first time in my llife, I...

...let go of my long locks and rocked a pixie haircut! I didn't know it was bagay for me, LOL.

..learned how to pitch a tent, then got drunk and sleep on the beach under the stars

 ..went caving at the Madlum Cave, where I learned there's a level of difficulty in each cave.

..crossed a monkey bridge at the Madlum River

..River crossing. I like the feeling of that cold rush of water.

..gone rock climbing (Mt. Natib.. this! I'd never imagined myself climbing that 80 degree rock assault!)

..explored Iloilo City and Guimaras all by myself.

..wore a bikini (cheers to summer! XD)

..rode a habal-habal ride

..learned how to surf

...seen the MassKara festival in Bacolod and danced like crazy kids in a street party.

..met strangers on Instagram and eventually became my best travel buddies! I'm glad I took the chance! :D

..and many other firsts that I've experienced this year! I feel super happy, blessed and thankful that He's always guiding me towards making everything happen this year. I am also thankful to all the new people I met this year, especially my travel buddies whom I just met on Instagram. Without them, all this wouldn't be possible or probably wouldn't be as fun as this. I also learned that it's never too late to get out of your comfort zone and start living your dream and besides, it's been fun and I intend to do it again next year! ;)

Exploring Merloquet Falls in Zamboanga City

I thought I've seen enough waterfalls this year, I'm happy that I capped it off by seeing the beautiful Merloquet Falls, located in Brgy. Sibulao at Vitali, Zamboanga City. I'm super thrilled! :D

See how captivating it is?

We were tired from our last trip at the Pink Beach, so we woke up a bit late and started our day an hour close to lunchtime. We went to the tourism office again at the Paseo del Mar to ask for a guide on how to go to Merloquet Falls. You see, going there is quite far, you need to take a bus for an hour and trek for about 15-30 minutes depending on your pace. The bus ride is about an hour so they suggested that we should've left early. However, we still pushed through and from the tourism office, we walked back downtown and rode a jeepney going to the bus station.

Buses going to Pagadian (photo by ezzydangerous)

To get to the Merloquet Falls, you must ride a bus going to Pagadian and alight Brgy. Vitali, which is marked by a small shrine accross a PNP station. When we got there, we registered our names first and unlike Santa Cruz Island, this place doesn't need an armed escort to guide you around. It's safe, the locals there will be the ones who will guide and take you to the falls.

After registering, we took a habal-habal going to the dropoff area where the trek is gonna start. My first habal-habal experience happened in Bacolod when we went to Mambukal Resort. I knew this was no different from that so I already expected the thrilling speed of our rider's motorcycle through bumpy roads and all. We haggled for the price of a roundtrip fare and settled with 50 per head/one way. It took us about 15 minutes to reach the dropoff and upon seeing the muddy trail and knowing how wobbly my knees are when it comes to trekking in mud, I knew I'd be walking barefoot to get through this trail.

The muddy trek starts here. (photo by ezzydangerous)

That's Anne, Neil and I walking on mud LOL (photo by ezzydangerous)

It was raining slightly when we got there so that's the cause of all of this mud. (photo by jepepips)

What are you doing there? (photo by ezzydangerous)

Anne and I walked barefoot, while the others just carried on with their trusty slippers, Jep seemed prepared coz he brought his trekking shoes. After the muddy trail, you need to go down 300 steps to get to the falls. It's pretty easy now at this point then on the last step, I could already hear and see the beauty that's gonna unravel before me.

The beautiful Merloquet Falls in Sibulao, Zamboanga City.

We had the place again for ourselves because we were the only people there. There is an entrance fee of 10 pesos and there are also cottages and grilling stations if you wanna cook something. Camping/staying overnight is allowed in the cottages too. The area is clean and well maintained by the locals there.

Team Zamboanga at Merloquet Falls!

There's just something about waterfalls that really catches my interest. I've seen many this year and I always feel relieved and happy at the same time when I finally get to dip into that cold water and feel the gush of water. You see, some waterfalls are not too accessible, compared to going to a beach. (well, for the ones I saw at least) I have to endure trekking and climb up/down big boulders of rocks and if I may add the possibility of falling/slipping/weakness my knees while doing so. So when I see one, I feel like, all the pain are so worth it. I began to humbly appreciate the hardship I went through just to see a hidden beauty.  

My love for waterfalls has just deepened when I saw the place and I was amazed at that rock formation that made the water seemed like a white curtain flowing on a laddered wall of rocks. I stared at that rock wall in front of me and marveled at how nature could carve such a beauty. It's such a beautiful sight to see.

The shallow stream beneath the falls is great for a quick dip if you want to rest your feet after enduring a muddy trek and descending from that flight of stairs. Or, better yet, pretend to float like what Jay and Je did. What a bunch of happy kids.

Someone just can't get enough of Merloquet Falls.

Big falls. Tiny me.

When I went up the falls I stayed on this flat rockbed and enjoyed the strong gush of water above me. That's another thing I love about it, you get a back massage!

Hydrotherapy, yeah!

Jay, Je and Anne went up on top of the waterfalls while Jep, Neil and I stayed behind. To get there, you need to go up that wall, guided by a thick rope as you make your way to the top. It's steep and the rain just made the rocks too slippery to walk on. I'm too weak to take an assault by now so I'd rather pass and enjoy the scene.

Hello Merloquet Falls, were on top of ya!

We took our late lunch there and just stayed for an hour before going home. We left at around 4PM, and the rider (who became the tour guide lol) told us that the steps counts up to 300 and the construction of the paved road above is on going for the convenience of tourists going to the falls.

I was also feeling lucky that day because I saw a beautiful sunset while on the bus way home. Thanks to @jepepips for the photo.

Ohhh so pretty!

I feel so happy that I was able to see Zamboanga's treasured Merloquet Falls this year. It's beautiful. It's enchanting and it's special because I get to see it with my friends who also share the same passion for traveling like I do. :) Zamboanga City has suffered enough negativity from all that war and chaos it went through, but knowing the beauty the place brings would be enough for the curious to still explore and take an adventure just like what we did. :)

I survived Zamboanga and Basilan! Part One

I made it! 

I thought I'm only limited to explore Luzon and Visayas, but I went to Mindanao, baby! I made it to the farthest part of the country that never in my wildest dreams I've ever set foot on. It was a fun-filled weekend as we toured around Zamboanga and Basilan to explore its beauty. I was still in awe as I write this because I still feel overwhelmed by the experience at this time!

Blame sponteneity for this trip (I think we've already mastered it. XD) since everything happened in a blur, all of a sudden, I booked myself to some destination without any plans whatsoever--6 months ahead of date. I was like, what the heck, just go with the flow. I'm starting to become an adventurer now, so I know I'll be fine.  ..and I also got certified lakwatseros/lakwatsera with me, I'm sure it's gonna be a blast.

I went to Zamboanga with 4 of my travel buddies whom I just met on Instagram. We've been places already prior to this, but this particular trip was something we've anticipated for the longest time. BTW, we choose an early flight so we can start our day early too. 

I love seeing a sunrise on the plane.

We arrived around 7am and went straight ahead to Chang-V Pension House which is just a jeepney ride away from the airport. For newbies in Zamboanga City, getting to and from around downtown and other places is easy, you just need to ride a jeepney. The fare varies from 8-15 pesos depending on the location. To get to Chang-V Pension House, you need to ride the Canelar jeepney and alight the Atilano Compound, which is marked by Gerry's Grill restaurant in front. You'll never miss it. (photo by @jepepips)

It's the only place in the compound that has an available family room and for a group of 5 people, it's Php1,000 per night. It's pretty cheap since we're gonna be staying for 3 nights there. However, you may explore the compound and check out the other pension houses.

After a quick rest, we rode a jeepney going downtown to explore the city. The fare is just 8 pesos and it's a quick 5 minute ride from the pension house. Mind you, it's safe now in Zamboanga. The chaos has ended and it's pretty safe to roam around even when you have your gadgets with you.

Day 1: City Tour

Our first stop was the city's famous city hall. The facade has an interesting vintage feel to it and according to my friend who lives there, a city ordinance has been made for all of their government buildings to look like Spanish colonial houses.

Even this BPI building looks cool too. :D (photo by @jepepips)

This is to preserve the city's culture and heritage; Zamboanga is Asia's Latin City afterall. It's even prettier at night. Check this out.

Christmas is in the air! :D

Across the city hall is the old Plaza Pershing. They say it has been reopened on 2011 after it's renovation.

For our first food stop, we ate at Tsokolate which serves the best moist chocolate cake ever!

It's a must try! It's only 35 pesos!

They also have interesting interior too, from Christmas figures to aquarium tables, to old vintage stuff alike.

After our late breakfast, we went to Paseo del Mar to check with the tourism office there on how to get to Santa Cruz island, where we will spend our second day. So, we settled our reservations because everyone must register their names for security reasons. 

Paseo del Mar, the best place where you can view the sunset in Zamboanga City.

We explored the area more and this is where we found the Vinta! It's so cool seeing one upclose. It's like reliving the images you see on your old grade school books.

Ohhh those colors! 

It was super hot and we wouldn't want the mid-noon sun to scorch us before we even hit the beach so we decided to take a Vinta ride later before the sun sets so its much cooler.

We then walked a short distance ahead of Paseo del Mar to Plaza del Pilar where a mini fort is located. It's like a mini walled city of Intramuros, and according to Wikipedia, "it's a military defense fortress built by the Spanish colonial government". However, since it's a weekend, the gates and the museum are closed to so we couldn't see what's inside. Boo.

Then across the street is the Fort Pilar Shrine, or Nuesta Senora La Virgen del Pilar. It's like a garden church where a mass is held in the open area. Interesting note here, when you see the altar, it's filled with pencils. 

They say that the students leave it there prior to taking their bar exams, then use it afterwards to get their blessing. (photo by @jepepips)

We resumed our city tour after taking a nap then went for our much awaited Vinta ride at Paseo del Mar. It only costs 50 pesos, but if you're feeling generous, you could give a tip. The ride was short, just about 10 minutes, I guess, for a quick photo op on the famous vinta. It's like reliving my childhood memory of just seeing these colorful sails on my text books, but now, I'm riding one! XD

Vinta ride. More fun only in Zamboanga City! 

Aside from a riding a vinta, there are also other things you could do at Paseo del Mar. You could watch the sunset while eating Zamboanga's Knickerbocker.

Sunset + Knickerbocker = B.L.I.S.S.

It's a tasty mixture of fruits (watermelon, mango, melon, coconut, banana and gulaman jelly) with milk and strawberry or vanilla ice cream on top. It's their own version of halo-halo. Aside from Knickerbocker, Paseo del Mar offers a wide variety of food choices, from grilled food to burgers to pizza. You may eat your heart out while watching the beautiful sunset, overlooking Little Santa Cruz Island.

Just look that at picturesque Zamboanga sunset. Simply beautiful for words!

Last part of our day trip is we went to Alavar Seafood Restaurant to try their Curacha dish, served with their famous Alavar sauce. 

*drools*

It's my first time eating something like this and my buddies did a good job in pushing me to try it. I'm like, if it's not fish or shrimp, I won't eat it. But this one was different, it's Curacha with Alavar sauce! Only served here in Zamboanga City! Funny thing is, my friends taught me how to eat Curacha LOL. I'm such a noob. 

It was a tiring day, but we still have 4 more days to enjoy our trip! The next part of my blog will take you to the famed pink beach! Before I forget, here's the suggested itinerary and expenses for today's trip, keep in mind that this is a shared budget for a group of five though but I hope you find it useful. 

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DAY 1: Zamboanga City Tour

7AM - ETA Zamboanga

7:15AM - Arrival at Chang V Pension House

9:00AM - Start city tour

9:10AM - Zamboanga City Hall, Plaza Pershing

9:30AM - Breakfast at Tsokolate

10:30AM - Paseo del Mar

11:15AM - Plaza del Pilar

11:30AM- Church visit

11:45AM - Buy groceries downtown

1:00PM - head back to inn for siesta

3PM - Lunch/Merienda at Paseo del Mar

4PM - Vinta ride

5PM - Sunset watching

6:30PM - Dinner at Alavar Seafood Restaurant

8PM - go home

Budget: (in pesos)

8 - jeep to Canelar from airport

8 - jeep to downtown

65 -Blueberry Cheesecake at Tsokolate

8 - jeep going back to inn

8 - jeep going downtown 

65 - Knickerbocker

120 - pizza

9 - jeep to Alavar Seafood Restaurant

180 - shared dinner

200 - shared room rate