The Travelling Feet

Two months ago, I embarked on this journey wherein I decided to lead a location independent lifestyle as I travelled to Southeast Asia with two travel buddies. I told myself I’d be ok financially since I will be splitting some of the travel expenses with my friends (e.g. accommodations, food, transportation).

But a week after our backpacking stint, when we were on our way to catch up with friends at Sihanoukville, Travel Buddy # 1 cancelled the trip the last minute because he had to meet someone in Bangkok a few days after and it would be impractical to travel to two destinations for a short period of time. Travel Buddy # 2 decided to bail out from the whole backpacking journey as he realized that what we were trying to accomplish and discover was not the lifestyle he’d want for himself.

Dazed from that unexpected turn of events, I ended up travelling solo to Sihanoukville. Everything happened so quickly that I didn’t fully understand what exactly transpired during that time and how we ended up from a trio to a solo. I didn’t know if it was the creepy room of the guesthouse I rented on my first night in Sihanoukville, the exhaustion from a 14-hr bus trip going there or the after shock of ending up alone in a foreign place, which resulted to my breakdown that day.

Yeah. That day I cried in Sihanoukville was the day I told myself that backpacking is not all fun.

I hit rock bottom and to get out of my depression, I immediately travelled back to Bangkok to meet up with Travel Buddy # 1 and another friend. I thought it would be best to surround myself with two of the most energetic friends I know who’ll help me forget that uneventful day. While my mind was still floating, I told myself that from that point on, I shouldn’t rely on others for the success of my own journey. I should be in control of my own adventure and that I should snap out of that state.

After I lasted my first month on the road, I found myself jobless. I was silently praying for that day to come so that I could concentrate on building my sites but when it did happen, I couldn’t explain the emotions that ran through my head. This website is barely making any money to help fund my travels. I froze the income I rely from Adsense since I could only withdraw the amount back home.

“How do I generate more funds?” I continuously ask myself this question. I am still thinking of ways to help this site earn fast money or I’d probably end up sitting on a corner in Khao San Road trying to unleash some hidden talents while I place a tip hat in front of me Though I always travel on a budget, this expensive vice I chose is depleting my funds day by day.

I also mentioned from a previous post that I had to create my own extreme backpacking food budget challenge before I move out of Siem Reap. I was to catch up with Travel Buddy # 1 as we’ll head north to Laos to meet up with his girlfriend. An hour before I was to leave my guesthouse in SR, I learned that Travel Buddy # 1 won’t be going to Laos but rather booked a flight to Singapore. While I travelled on an overland border crossing from Siem Reap to Bangkok I already knew that I might end up losing a travel companion if I continue with this journey. I already knew that my travel funds would be in danger because there’s no one to split my travel expenses with.

Should I give up? Shall I pack my bags and head back home to my country? Do I go back to Siem Reap, the city I consider as my comfort home in SEA when it comes to budgeting?

I throw caution to the wind and decided to travel to Chiang Mai instead in time for the Songkran Festival. And so far, fate has been so kind to me.

Huay Satan Waterfalls, Chiang Mai

I met new friends along the way as I joined the city in celebrating the 2012 Songkran Festival. I was also able to explore the city and go on an adventure tour at a bargain price. If living in Thailand for a longer period of time isn’t that much of a hassle, I would appoint the city of Chiang Mai as my second comfort home in SEA and would stay here indefinitely too.

As for the money, I’ve spent approximately $691 (29,500 Php) for my 2-month stay travelling back and forth Thailand and Cambodia. Food still dominates the biggest expense on where I spend my money.
My spending on accommodations also increased from last month’s due to my solo living/trips. I expect that this expense will also increase in the next coming months now that I’ll continue this journey on my own. And with that, I’ll have to probably cut costs on food and other expenses to make room for this unexpected change.

I guess that’s about the update I could give you now. I really don’t know where my travelling feet would bring me. My parents have pleaded for me to go home and stop the nonsense I’m doing. My closest friends have also asked me to go home to join them on our favourite past times – food trips and road trips.

Honestly, the thought of going home is so tempting. But I also don’t want to give up yet. Two months is too early. I know people may not understand what I’m doing or why I’m doing this. But if I give up too early on my dream to travel the world and spread the word, I might not be able to do this again. I know that challenges and roadblocks will always be there that’s why I’m trying my best to fight all of them to accomplish what I came here for.

Whenever I hear the word Boracay, one of the top 10 beaches in the world, what comes to my mind are the over-crowded place and too much commercialization. This was the reason why I never showed interest in going to this popular beach destination in the Philippines even though Boracay is famed for its powdery white sand beaches. Cheap vacations is another story so when I got a hold of this super cheap airfare (less than $2 RT tickets), I didn’t let the opportunity go to waste. I headed to Boracay to see for myself why people were raving about the island’s famous white sand beaches. And this is where I met a kind-hearted soul in this paradise island resort in the pacific.

a taste of paradise island in the pacific

The Project

To start off, this entry is my first project where I will feature random strangers I met and will meet as my travelling feet trot my country, the Philippines, and the rest of the globe.

Goal: Aside from showcasing my travel adventures, I want to feature random people I meet on the road and share interesting stories about them.

Mission: You’ll hardly find me making conversations with strangers. I normally get anxious when I go on solo travelling. Although I’m chatty with friends, I’m very shy and gets tongue-tied when in the company of strangers. I guess I’m too anxious in finding the right words to say. Some may get the impression that I’m not friendly and others might think I don’t talk a lot. So to overcome this problem, I’ll try to be more social. I can’t promise anything but I’ll try

Meeting the Stranger in Boracay Island

I arrived late in the afternoon in this paradise island. Instead of looking for cheap hotels in Boracay, I looked for the cheapest accommodation and found the hostel White Beach Divers, thanks to Ela and Eileen. This cheap accommodation is located at Station 3, the less crowded area of Boracay. I decided to go for an early morning walk the following day to discover and explore the place. Even if it was low tide at that time and I was completely blown away by what I saw!

the blinding 4.5-mile long stretch of powdery white sand beach

I was basically staring at the most beautiful beach I’ve seen in my entire life. No joke. I know that my hometown, Cebu, has a lot of awesome white sand beaches but the amazing long stretch of powdery white sand beach of Boracay was something else. I’ve never seen anything like it. And it was still low tide. The beach wasn’t crowded yet, a perfect morning for my walk. I left my camera since I planned to take a dip somewhere along the way. I also aimed on walking up to the farthest end of Station 1.

sweet serenity

The powdery white sands were soothing to my feet. I’ve never found this kind of serenity before where you can simply walk and walk for hours without minding anything at all. The view that kept unfolding in front of me as I continued my walk was breathtaking. I wanted to bang my head for being a fool on not visiting Boracay sooner. I instantly fell in love with the place! I can’t wait to tell  you about its crystal clear water! Heaven! But that’s for another post

Then I saw her in between Station 1 and Station 2, I guess. She was wearing a shirt and pants that were rolled up to her knees. She was taking photos of the early morning scene in Boracay using this intimidating DSLR with super big and long lenses. The shy me continued my walk without saying a word.

walking barefoot in the white sand beach of Boracay

As I walked on, my feet found the rocky end of Station 1. There was this huge cliff that covers the other side. Then I saw this pathway leading to a hole big enough for people to get through. I got curious so I decided to go there. The other side was the rocky side of the northernmost part of the Boracay island. The back of that hole reveals a grotto with a statue of the Virgin Mary. The pathway leading to the other side is too narrow and one has to be careful to avoid slipping on the rocks beneath it. That area is where boatmen converge to get to their boats, which they use for tours and the like.There are also a few hotels in the area.

When I’ve seen enough, I decided to go back. And just as I stepped down from the rocky pathway leading back to the beach, I saw the photographer again. She has also reached the farthest end of Boracay Station 1. She was still busy taking photos of the wonderful morning scenery. Then without knowing why, I suddenly blurted out “Punta ka doon” pointing to the hole on the rocky edge. She asked if there’s anything to see on the other side and I said yes. I told her it would be great to go there and get to that elevated pathway to capture the long stretch of white sand beach of Boracay. She said she’s afraid to go there so I told her I’ll join her. I wanted her to see the other side too. With those huge lenses, I didn’t want her to miss out on the opportunity of capturing more interesting and beautiful subjects on that side of the island.

She asked why I was walking alone and without a camera. After telling her my reasons, she then offered to take a photo of me since it was such a waste to walk to that side of the island without any photo that will remind me of that place. char! I was so thrilled with her offer that I willingly obliged. With those giant lenses, I was confident she knew what she was doing so I just posed and smiled. hehehe

hole in the wall – Boracay, Philippines

And that’s how I met Claudette Tan. Turns out, she and her family were spending their holidays in Boracay. I learned that she’s a lifestyle photographer based in California and they went home to the Philippines to attend a wedding, I think. She mentioned that she mostly covers wedding photos and Quinceneara celebrations.

a photo that will forever remind me that angels indeed exist!

Before we parted ways, we exchanged our contact information to keep in touch. The next thing I knew, she tagged me in Facebook with my photos in it. I was surprised to see that she also took pictures of me when I was enjoying my walk on one of the best beaches in the world. They were all amazing. I can’t thank Claudette enough for capturing those wonderful  memories. Too bad we didn’t have a photo together

Realizations

While joining my newfound friend on exploring the other side of the northern part of the Boracay island, I couldn’t help think about the luck that struck me. Having walked for more than 3 miles with no camera with me, who would have known I’d end up meeting a world-class photographer? That joy of meeting a new friend was immeasurable that I didn’t notice it took me 3 hours to finish that morning walk.

Being friendly wasn’t that hard at all. I chose to become a snob, if you want to call it that way, when I first saw Claudette due to my shyness. But when I sensed that she won’t go farther on her little exploration, I knew I had to do something to encourage her to discover the other side of Boracay island. I wanted her to see what I saw. I never thought this tiny act would create a great impact on our lives, or mine at least.

I suddenly remembered my friend, whom we shall secretly call Odyssa, telling me how she envies me so much after seeing all my trips. I told her she should go out more often especially that she’s already based in Australia. Her reply was she doesn’t have anyone to go with her. I told her I went on a solo trip to Boracay and didn’t know anyone there. She answered back with “No one will take photos of me.” I replied with “I went on a solo trip to Boracay and I accidentally met someone who took awesome photos of me!” Odyssa, if you are reading this, stop making excuses. Stop living in your doubts and fears. You don’t realize what you’re missing. Go out and see the world!

This paradise island in the pacific has not only captured my heart big time. It has also given me a new friend and it has given me a positive outlook towards solo travelling!

Stranger on the Road: Claudette Tan, wedding and lifestyle photographer in CA, USA.
Meeting Place: Boracay Island, Philippines
Date: November 2011

Last weekend, I got the chance to scratch one item off my bucket list. That was to go on a solo trip. After analyzing that I could make this trip work without having to spend too much the same way as those cheap holiday deals to Paphos, I no longer hesitated and booked my flight to the City of Golden Friendship.

enjoying the view of Bohol’s Chocolate Hills up in the air

Actually it wasn’t technically a solo trip since I made arrangements to join some friends when they went to CDO. However, I flew in Cagayan de Oro City a day earlier and when my friends missed their flight and booked for the last flight going to the city, it gave me more time to explore the city on my own. 2 months ago, I went on a solo trip to Davao City and last month, I also went on a solo trip to Surigao City. But I don’t believe I should count those trips since I was to meet travel buddies from my travel group within a 24-hr period plus I met people who aided me on where to go. The CDO trip was different. I was on my own in an unfamiliar territory, well at least for the next 24-hours.

walking towards the airport gate’s exit to ride a jeepney

I had 3 nights and 2.5 days to explore the city of Cagayan de Oro. I even thought of going to Camiguin Island or Bukidnon for a day tour but due to unexpected issues at work, I had to forget about those plans and worked on checking for budget holidays that would still allow me to enjoy my trip without emptying my pockets.

people hanging out at Divisoria engrossed with a movie shown on a big screen

On my first night, I simply explored the whole stretch of Divisoria, a road in CDO which was transformed into a lively night market during Fridays and Saturdays. This was the first time I saw too many ukay ukay being sold in the streets. I also got the chance to see folks enjoying their super budget meals as if they were attending a cocktail event at some posh place. The Divisoria Night market is one great place to go on a foodtrip as you’ll be able to find different food varieties. And of course, I had my own food trip session too!

the art of eating while standing

discovered this steel bridge while touring the city

What’s great about travelling solo is that you own your time. You do not wait for others nor do they wait on you. You have the freedom to choose your adventure at your own pace. And this was what I did on my second day. I planned to wake up late but didn’t so after finishing some reports, I went out to tour the city. At the last minute, I decided to jump in a jeepney heading for the Macahambus Cave in Talakag, CDO. The girl who went with me inside the cave couldn’t believe I was travelling alone.

entered the Macahambus Cave

Less than 15 minutes after, we finished our cave exploration and they encouraged me to go to the Macahambus Adventure Park and try out their hanging sky bridge, zip line and rappelling. After expressing my worry of not being able to find a jeepney going home, the staff of the park suggested I hitch a ride on their manager’s motorcycle as he was headed to the city after the park closes. I agreed on that arrangement and got the chance to walk in the three sky bridges and zip lined after.

hitched a ride going to the city with this view unfolding before me

When I met my friends on my second night and told them what I’ve been doing, my friend looked more worried than I am and to think that she is from CDO. She mentioned that she couldn’t do what I did if she was placed in my shoes. Her fear would consumer her.

I realized that there are still lots of folks who are not open to the idea of solo travelling as they tend to hesitate and think of the what ifs and what nots. I reassured my friends that there’s nothing they should be afraid of. I also have this thinking that if it’s my time, it’ll be my time (I hope it’s not soon though. LOL) so I should try to make the most out of it.

My trip to Cagayan de Oro City was an eye opener for me as I got the opportunity to discover new places on my own. I guess other folks were right about what they say of solo travelling, that you’ll get the chance to discover yourself more and you’d be surprised with its outcome.

And as for me, my travelling feet can’t wait for its next travel adventure, solo or not!

You see, I have never travelled solo before. Which was why I immediately came up with plans of travelling to the north of Cebu just to contribute to this month’s blog carnival. However, aside from financial issues, hesitations and what if questions won over which was why up to now I have never travelled solo…or so I thought.

But wait! Memories started to flood my senses. Maybe it was my brain’s way of complaining how “stressed” it was at my attempt to go on a solo trip or come up with thoughts on solo traveling. And it actually hit me! I remembered travelling solo!

My braincells transported me back in college where I cross-registered in our sister campus in Quezon City. I went there on my own. I remembered going to SM North Edsa and even had the guts to watch a movie in Robinson’s Galleria on my own. Then went solo to the National Library and even went to GMA, Cavite to visit relatives. Travelling on these routes may be easy for some people, but for me who was from Cebu and wasn’t used to the busy streets of Manila, it was really something out of the extraordinary. I also recalled travelling to Tacloban and enrolled for summer classes on another sister campus too. And this was 13 years ago.

But if you were to ask me if I have ever embarked on a solo journey after that time, my answer is a plain “NO”. 13 years and counting, I have constantly travelled with friends and the thought of solo travelling was something I never considered. Maybe the availability of friends who were willing to travel with me was one reason why I never thought of going on a solo trip.

I am also the type of traveller who would start getting anxious the moment you step on a bus while someone seats beside you. My paranoia and pessimistic side would probably eat me alive. The thought of even planning on a solo trip these days would make me think twice. Not that it’s dangerous for a female traveller to travel solo but it’s more of battling with my pyschotic mind full of uncertainties and what nots.

And if you were to consider group travels, there are great perks that come with it and some benefits I could think of at the top of my head includes:

• not having any dull moment on the trip
• splitting expenses on accommodation, food, transportation, etc
• a number of hands willing to take your profile shots
• the feeling of security knowing that you have a companion when you travel

But travelling on a group also presents disadvantages like having to wait for the other person to finish their daily rituals before you can go on with a trip or having to endure tantrums while on the road.

As for travelling solo, some benefits that I could think of include:

• being your own boss
• having the opportunity to experience new things on your own and meet new friends

As far as disadvantages are concerned, just think about the positive benefits I listed on top when travelling with a group and think of their counterpart. However, solo travelling is really not bad as opposed to what famous quotes say, like “No man is an island” or “It takes two to tango“.

Travelling solo is something I would want to do in the future. I may have those jitter bugs crawling up my nerves now but I also want to embark on a new adventure where it only involves me and me alone. Call me a loner if you must, but I believe that this is something that will pave way for new self discoveries and new adventures that would be a great story to tell my kin someday.

This is my entry to Pinoy Travel Bloggers’ Blog Carnival themed Solo Travel which is hosted by Philippine Blog Awards Best Travel Blog of 2010 Winner Nina Fuentes of Just Wandering. For more solo travel stories, click here.

Click on the Blog Carnival Logo on the left to access a list of interesting topics about the Philippines through the eyes of each Pinoy Travel Blogger.