Hoàn Kiếm Lake and the Legend of the Restored Sword – Hanoi, Vietnam

June 19, 2013 by Leave a Comment
hanoi vietnam

On the Chu River in Thanh Hóa Province lived a fisherman named Lê Thận. One night, Thận hauled up his fishing net. It felt heavy and Thận was filled with joy thinking he was going to have a big catch. Pulling the net to the boat side, though, Thận saw the “catch” to be nothing but an iron bar resembling a blunt knife without a handle. “Ah me,” Thận sighed, “the only catch for the whole night and it turns out to be this worthless piece of iron.” Thận threw it away. It is the start of the Legend of the Restored Sword Lake as told by the official website of Vietnam. It is a long story but the short of it is that the iron bar appeared to Thận in the following … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Hanoi, Religious Sites, Rivers and Lakes, Roads + Bridges, Vietnam Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Sunrise at Culion Church and Fortress – Palawan, Philippines

May 18, 2013 by 1 Comment
La Inmaculada Concepcion Churh in Culion

I was able to beat my alarm clock. At five in the morning, I woke up from a short and shallow slumber, opened my eyes, got up and out of the bed, and then the alarm clock went off. It was one of those rare mornings that I was able to score against it. That's how excited I was to start the day. My friend Mica decided to stay in the room and continue her journey in dreamland. After brushing my teeth as efficiently as I could, I grabbed my camera, went down the hall to the lobby, and made my way to the church to watch the sunrise that Culion is starting to be known for. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Coron, Culion, Busuanga, Historical Sites, Lighthouses, Palawan, Philippines, Religious Sites Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Laoang Island: A Motorcycle Tour – Northern Samar, Philippines

March 8, 2013 by 2 Comments
Onay Beach (literally means Suicide Beach) in Laoang Island, Northern Samar

“There’s only one jeepney in the whole of Laoang Island,” shared Putot, one of our new friends. Celerino, nicknamed Putot, seldom spoke. If I’m not mistaken, it was probably the third time that I heard his voice in the two days that he accompanied us as we explored Laoang, Northern Samar. We were at a cottage along Onay Beach with two other locals Rocca and Mark. “You’re kidding,” I uttered. It was one of the rare times that he said a word yet he chose to say something as unbelievable as that. “I’m not,” Putot said. “He’s not,” confirmed Mark. Later, we would ask a couple of local government workers to verify. As it turned out, there really was just one … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Beaches and Islands, Historical Sites, Philippines, Religious Sites

Dauis Church – Bohol, Philippines

February 21, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Dauis Church

Dauis is one of the two municipalities in Panglao Island. It faces Tagbilaran in the main island of Bohol. The center of Catholic faith in the town is the Our Lady of Assumption Church, more popularly known as Dauis Church. Founded by Jesuits Fr. Diego de Ayala and Fr. Joseph Gregorio, the original church was constructed with lighter materials. The present church was buily in 1863 under the supervision of Rev. Fr. Julio Saldana. It is actually the fifth "version" of the church. The architecture of the church is a mixture of many styles. The top part of the facade is neoclassical, the bottom Romanesque, and the tower Gothic. Even the windows of the nave were heavily influenced by … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Bohol, Religious Sites Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Churches in Southwestern Bohol: Dauis, Baclayon, Albur, and Loboc – Philippines

February 21, 2013 by 3 Comments
Alburquerque Church

Legend has it that some time during the Spanish era, pirates invaded the coastal town of Dauis, Bohol. The townsfolk locked themselves up in the church but it wasn't long until they ran out of food and water. To their surprise, a well miraculously appeared near the altar of the church, which supplied them with water. The church was just yards from the shore but the water from the well was fresh, something the people could not explain. To this day, the well can be seen inside the church and still provides water, which many believe to have healing properties. Stories of miracles like this make old churches in the Philippines more curious, more interesting, more charming. And it doesn't even … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Bohol, Religious Sites Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Batu Caves and All Things Tall – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

February 18, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Batu Caves, Malaysia

Dozens of macaque monkeys ushered visitors up the 272-step staircase to the Temple Cave. Actually, saying that they were "ushering" would be sugarcoating it. Not only did some of them follow visitors around, a few also found themselves on one end of a mini-brawl when they start getting territorial or when they just try to snatch food from unsuspecting tourists. It was the last day of our week-long trip across the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and there was no better way to end this journey than a stop at one of the most visited sites in Kuala Lumpur --- Batu Caves. Batu Caves is actually a 4-million year old karst hill with a network of caves and chambers running through and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Caves, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Mountains and Hills, Religious Sites Tagged With: , , , , ,

Angkor Temples: 10 Tips for an Enjoyable Tour – Siem Reap, Cambodia

January 13, 2013 by 5 Comments
Bayon Temple

Setting foot on the grounds of Angkor Wat is scratching off one of the top items on my bucket list. It has always been a dream and I was glad to finally make it a reality when I visited Siem Reap. Angkor Wat can be overwhelming. It is huge, even bigger than what I imagined. But Angkor Wat is just one of the many structures at Angkor Archaeological Park. There are several other temples dotting the jungles of this part of Cambodia and many of them are well worth a visit. Thus, exploring Angkor is not really a walk in the park. If anything, it can suck out all the energy in you and make the experience less enjoyable. Thus, I'm compiling some tips to help you make your trip hassle-free. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Cambodia, Historical Sites, Religious Sites, Siem Reap Tagged With: , , , ,

Thommanon and Chau Say Tevoda: The Twin Temples of Angkor – Siem Reap, Cambodia

January 10, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Thommanon Temple in Angkor, Cambodia

A 12-year old boy was the first to greet me upon stepping on the temple grounds. He introduced himself to be a tour guide and although I politely declined, he insisted on accompanying me as I walked around the ancient structures. I thought he would let me be but the little boy followed me around. Having been warned by other backpackers about many scams involving children, I explained to the kid that (1) this temple was not part of my itinerary and I was just taking quick photos of the place, (2) I was in a hurry because it was late and I was still halfway my tour, and (3) I wouldn't have the money to pay him. All of my reasons were true, by the way. Still, he continued trailing me and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Cambodia, Religious Sites, Siem Reap Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Goddess Tuptim Shrine: Stranded Amidst Giant Penises – Bangkok, Thailand

December 5, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Chao Mae Tuptim Shrine in Bangkok

Never had I ever imagined myself to be surrounded by big, hard dicks. Yes, I said it. Dicks. Cocks. Penises. And after my recent trip to Bangkok, I guess I don't have to imagine at all. I experienced it. For real. And I will give you a blow-by-blow account on how it happened. Before you get too excited (or too disgusted), let me just say that they're not real penises. They come in all sizes and colors! Most of them are wooden, some are bright red, and one particular phallus measures up to 10 feet long tall. How I got here, a mere twist of fate. Would you believe me if I tell you everything was unintentional? Well, believe me. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Bangkok, Religious Sites, Thailand Tagged With: , , , ,

Preah Prom Rath Pagoda: The Gracious Souls at the Temple – Siem Reap, Cambodia

December 2, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Wat Preah Prom Rath

The sun was scorching the pavements of Siem Reap but I was more than ready to flaunt my newly acquired biking skills. After spending the entire morning learning how to bike for the first time (since I was a kid), I roamed around the city in two wheels, looking for anything of interest. And Wat Preah Prom Rath was certainly interesting. I breezed through the gate straight to the bike parking area, where a group of young locals were quietly having a conversation. After a quick smile and a nod at them, I walked around the site. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Cambodia, Religious Sites, Siem Reap Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,
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