accommodations: bolivia

Hotel La Valle - La Paz

Vehicles can't enter the street where this hotel is located so the taxi driver had to drop me someplace else. I wished he walked me up to the door of the hotel because I had a really hard time to find it. I kept walking up and down Evaristo Valle and the other streets nearby but still couldn't see any sign of the hotel. With my limited Spanish, I asked help from a number of locals but most of them didn't know where it was or pointed me to the wrong direction. I swear it took me at least 30 minutes to finally find it. And when I got there, the old man at the front desk told me there was no vacant room. I insisted that I have a reservation and when he still didn't believe me, I showed him the e-mail from their address. Apparently, it wasn't him that I was exchanging e-mails with because he didn't speak English and not one of the staff spoke any English.

My room was very small, probably the smallest I had in my entire trip. The small window opens to the hallway so it somehow felt like I was a prisoner. The shower took a long time to get hot but at least I had hot water. For 85Bs, I had a cable tv and a very light breakfast. My room was on the fourth floor and of course, there was no elevator. I was breathless every time I went up my room. All guests were, anyway. I just hated the acoustics of the building. In the afternoon, I could hear the clacking of typewriter keys from the ground floor. Yes, they're still using a typewriter.

I had a love-hate relationship with the old men at the front desk. There were times when it felt like they didn't want me there. But there were also times when they sounded happy while talking to me. But even with that kind of relationship, I kept coming back to that hotel and stayed for 10 nights. It was a too long time that the senora serving breakfast had stopped asking me what I wanted to drink and just brought me jugo every morning.

And oh, when a friend came to my hotel, he didn't have any problems finding it. What's wrong with me?


La Torre Hotel - Tupiza

I only chose La Torre because I was taking the Salt Flats tour with them. It was near the bus station so I just walked when I got there. I asked for a single room and I was given one with two double beds. Now that's a lot of space I could trash. The place was bright and the atmosphere was good (not that noisy, too) but my windows only open to the corridor. Breakfast was good. Or maybe I had a good time eating because I finally met the three people I would be in the tour with and I felt comfortable with them.


Pachamama Hostel - Sucre

Now, this one I didn't choose. I was in Uyuni the day before I went to Sucre and didn't like the idea of spending a night there. It was a good thing that one of the guys in my tour was also going to Sucre. I was too lazy to book a room and he was staying in the hostel he stayed before so I just decided to tag along with him. We were supposed to arrive at the bus station at 4am and we agreed to wait for the morning before we head to the hostel. But we reached Sucre an hour earlier, and someplace else he wasn't familiar with. So we just took a cab and spent three hours in the plaza (which is another story).

Anyway, the hostel is just a few blocks from the plaza so we went there on foot and a sleepy but friendly boy named Martin greeted us. I think he just woke up when I rang their bell. I got my own room at the first floor for 70Bs. They have a big and lovely courtyard. There was no breakfast but they have a kitchen and I experienced for the first time cooking my own food in a hostel.


Hostal Compania de Jesus - Potosi

I read from the LP guidebook that this hostal was a former Carmelite monastery. I was intrigued so I headed there from the bus station and thankfully, they had a room for me. The building has tiny but pretty courtyards and it was sort of a maze inside that I had some difficulty finding the dining area. My room was big enough and clean although the toilet and its door looked really old. It was particularly cold in Potosi but the sheets they provided were warm enough. There was a view of a bell tower and Cerro Rico from my toilet window. (While waiting for the shower to get hot, you can pass time by enjoying the view. Wait, was there a hot shower? I can't exactly remember.)

When night came, I was awaiting for creepy noises or voices and other out-of-this-world phenomenon to happen. Thankfully, nothing abnormal happened.


Hotel La Cupula - Copacabana

This is the most beautiful accommodation I have ever had in my six weeks of traveling in Peru and Bolivia. Beauty has a price though and I had to walk for more than two hours to get to this hotel. It's not the norm. It's just than when I went to Copacabana, there was a strike and all the roads to the town were blocked. And it didn't help that the map in my phone showed a wrong location of La Cupula. I only realized that when I had already descended a very steep road. So I had to crawl walk back up and walk a little more up to get there.

A friendly staff welcomed me and carried my backpack to my room. This was the first and only time that someone helped me with my stuff and I really appreciated it. I took the cheapest room they got. My room was a little small but it was cute and really lovely. It was also the only room I had that had a heater. It got very cold at night and the heater was a big help.

They also have two grass gardens and there were some hammock for lounging in lazy afternoons. One time, there was a flock of sheep outside my room and I had no idea why they were there but it was a good surprise. I didn't have a view of Lake Titicaca from my room. But I only needed to go out and I could see the lake and the town. It was really, really, really beautiful.

View of Copacabana from Hotel La Cupula.

i got what it takes to ride down the world's most dangerous road

That's what my t-shirt says, so I guess I really do.

Our service vehicle. Seriously, the road is much scary in pictures than it actually is.

The web says that the North Yungas Road was dubbed by the Inter-American Development Bank as the World's Most Dangerous Road in 1995. I couldn't find a link to the exact article but they say that it's because of the number of people who were killed in this road every year. It is also called Camino de la Muerte or Death Road.

When I was researching about La Paz, the Death Road is one of the top things to do in the city. I told my self that there would be no way I would miss it when I get to the city. The fact that my insurance wouldn't pay me if anything bad happened since I was willingly exposing myself to danger didn't deter my enthusiasm. So I searched for a reputable operator and found good reviews about Vertigo. They also have a tally of their riders' nationalities in their website so it became my goal to put Philippines in it. Haha.

Since I got sick the day after I got to La Paz, I was not able to visit their office to book a ride earlier. I was only able to do so a day before and alas, no one has booked yet. They only leave if there were at least three riders. Because I really wanted to ride with Vertigo, I told myself that if I couldn't leave the next day I would just go to Tupiza and take another chance when I get back to La Paz.

Later that afternoon, I received a call from them and told me that two other people confirmed and I could ride on the day I want to. Yes! I rushed to their office to fill-out forms and for fitting of their safety gears which include full face helmet, elbow and knee pads, full finger gloves, jackets and trousers. The fee was 480Bs but since I 'liked' their Facebook page, I got a 10B-discount.

Extreme llama at La Cumbre.

We were supposed to leave at 8am but there was a marathon so we had to leave an hour earlier. That morning I met the English couple, Cat and Ed, whom I will ride with. They didn't have prior experience in downhill mountain biking. I also didn't. (I don't count that one time when I biked from Mahukdam to our camp in Tubod.) So we told ourselves that we would do it really slowly. Though it was impossible to go slow when the road is sloping down.

By the time we got to La Cumbre, the start of the ride, there were already many other groups. We were at 4700masl and during that time, it was the highest elevation I have been. The end of the ride is at 1200masl, a total of 3500m of descent for a span of 63km. It was really cold even though the sun was intense, which was almost always the case when I was in the Andes.

Our guide Jose and our driver Jose (yes, it's crazy) gave us our bikes and safety gears. We had a short practice on our bikes before we descended and I was trying to recall the last time I took my bike out for a ride. I couldn't. Haha. But still, I was confident and that was more important. Jose also gave us a few safety reminders and tips to avoid any accidents.

Admiring the beautiful scenery.

While keeping our eyes on the road.

The first part of the ride was along a few tens of kilometers of concrete road. The view was really amazing with snow-capped peaks, deep valleys and very rugged terrain. I was at the back of the group and going a little slower, trying to take in the scenery. But I had to focus more on the road because there was still traffic and the curves are really sharp that if I apply brake a little late, something not good might happen. There was also one point when there was a slow-moving truck ahead of us. Everyone has already overtook it but I was hesitant because by the time I got close to it, the road was already winding and there were oncoming vehicles. The driver of our service vehicle, which stayed close to us (or me) at the back, had to sound his horn to tell me that it was already safe to pass the truck.

We had a few breaks along the road to rest and take some photos. Jose was also taking photos and videos while on his bike and I found it unsafe but crazy and amazing how he manages to focus on the road and the camera. We then stopped at Unduavi to pay a fee of 25Bs. The money is used for road maintenance since it isn't (supposed to be) used by the public anymore and for other safety services. We also had snacks (breakfast for me) and pee break. I found it weird and annoying that the cubicles don't have doors. Even if there were separate toilets for men and women, I still wanted my privacy.

Enjoying the ride. I was smiling in all the pictures our guide took.

From Unduavi, we rode our van to skip the 8km-uphill part of the road. When we got to the start of the dirt road, Jose reiterate the safety protocols and explained that in the Death Road, vehicles going down should be on the left side. And that's the side where the steep cliffs are. Then I started doubting if I could reach Coroico unscathed. Good thing is that we didn't come across any vehicle going up.

It's not called Death Road for nothing.

As I was riding down, I didn't feel any fear and my anxiety faded away. I was completely enjoying the ride. The road, I think, is wide enough. There were parts where the rocks on the ground were loose but I managed to tackle them with ease. And although there were lots of hairpin bends and very sharp curves, if the rider knows that he has to slow down when approaching the bend and not when he is already there, the ride is pretty safe.

While we were resting, Jose told us stories of some riders who fell to the cliff and died. One guy was being playful with his friend and they were pushing each other while on their bikes. One person fell and it's so horrible just thinking how the other guy felt after the incident. The other was a girl who got surprised by a vehicle (not sure if it was coming up or down) and was not able to stop or control her bike and fell. The most recent incident was that of vehicle driven by someone who was drunk.

Waterfalls! And one of the many crosses along the Death Road reminding everyone of the lives claimed by the road.

The ride was approximately four hours though I couldn't be sure because I wasn't really tracking time. I just knew that we were nearing the end of the ride when it started to get hot. It was so hot that I felt like I was back home. But I didn't took my jacket off because I didn't like the sun. Haha. And in the Yungas, I was bitten by small yellow bugs on my arms. They didn't hurt and wasn't itchy at all so I wasn't aware that I already had lots of bites. It has been more than a month but I could still trace the marks left on my skin.

 *All the photos in this post are taken by our guide, Jose, of Vertigo.

(I am trying to post a video but since my connection right now sucks, I will post it soon.)

accommodations: peru

Happy Up Here Guesthouse - Lima

I don't remember the exact reason why I chose this place. Probably, it was the cheapest single room with private bath that I could find. For 20USD, I got a spacious room (albeit dark and old) and breakfast of bread, butter, jam and coffee. I was the only guest that time so I received a very personal service from Ana, the owner. She made sure I had everything I needed for the night before she left. She let me had my breakfast late because I wanted to sleep in, check-out much later because my bus didn't leave until 4pm and called a taxi to take me to the bus station.

The guesthouse is located in a residential area in San Borja but very near bus stations such as Cruz del Sur, Excluciva, among others.


Hospedaje Turistico Recoleta - Cusco

Again, I booked this accommodation before getting to Cusco and the price is 20USD. When the taxi driver told me that we were already in front of the guesthouse, I was confused because I couldn't see where the entrance is. It turns out that I had to ring a bell (which is the case in many guesthouses) before someone opens the door for me. It is a little walk from the Plaza de Armas but at least the streets are not going up.

What I liked about Recoleta is that they serve a hearty breakfast (relatively); two pieces of bread, butter, jam, coffee, egg and banana. But what I really hated is the noise. The floor is wooden so I could hear all the footsteps. My room was beside the dining area so people chatting in the early morning disturbed my sleep. The acoustics was so bad that I could even hear the sound of a bag being zipped open. They are also a little strict because washing of clothes in the toilet was not allowed (it's difficult to dry them anyway, but still) and shower time must be limited. Staff is average. They let me leave my bag when I left for Aguas Calientes.

I learned here that there are no complimentary drinking water in the accommodations at least in Peru and Bolivia. (When I was in Vietnam, all the places I stayed in offered free refills of safe drinking water.)

Hallway of Recoleta.

Hospedaje los Caminantes - Aguas Calientes

I expected everything to be expensive in Aguas Calientes so I consider Los Caminantes as the best value accommodation I had in Peru. I paid 30 Soles for a private room and bath with plenty of hot water. There was no breakfast included but it didn't matter since I left at the crack of dawn to hike up Machu Picchu anyway. WiFi was only available in the lobby.

Los Caminantes is along the train tracks but still relatively quiet. The room I got was facing the river so I had a beautiful view from my window.

View from my room.

??? - Ollantaytambo

I was too exhausted to even bother get the name of this hostel. It's the nearest hostel from the train station (right side of the road if heading to the station). For 25 Soles, I got a room with a private bath. The room was clean enough for my standard and surprisingly, there was also hot shower. The hostel is along a river but the sound of the rushing water was overpowered by the annoying noise from the television the night I was there.

The receiving area has lots of tables and chairs so I assumed it was also a restaurant, but it wasn't. The nearby restaurants were still close at 9am so I had to walk a few hundred meters to get breakfast.


La Posada del Virrey - Arequipa

Posada means inn, so do I call this place an inn? Anyway, I showed up here at night without prior booking. Thanks to the low season, I was able to get a private room, but a shared bath for 25 Soles. Breakfast was not included but they have two kitchens. The place itself looked old. And it was difficult to climb up the very narrow stairs. The rooftop terrace was a lovely touch and there is a nice view of the city at night when the buildings are all lit up.

The shared bathroom was clean. There was plenty of hot water but only from the faucet, not the shower. On my second night, an earthquake rocked Arequipa and for a moment I was scared that the building might collapse.

I booked my one-day tour of the Colca Canyon with them. Staff didn't speak English but I was touched when she walked me outside, hailed a cab for me to the bus station and made sure that the driver charged me the right amount.


Nasca Lodge - Nasca

At a price of only 12USD, they even offer a free pick-up service. Now that's value for money. But I made a mistake in my e-mail and instead of typing 8pm, I put 8am as the time of my departure from Arequipa. When I get there, Maribel, the friendly lady in the lodge who by the way speaks good English was still apologetic that she was not able to send someone to pick me up at the bus station.

The building looked new. My room was big, and I mean really big. I had a small cable television. WiFi was fast but there were times when I lost connection in my room. Breakfast for 6 Soles consist of three pieces of bread, butter, jam, egg, ham, coffee and juice.

I booked a flight over Nasca in the hotel the morning I arrived. And in the afternoon Maribel provided me with a city map and gave suggestions on what to do in town. Since I was undecided on whether I should go to Ica or Paracas the next day, she gave me info on how to get to both towns and possible place to stay.


Hotel Posada del Sol - Ica

I headed to Ica from Nasca eventually. I was lucky that the bus station was just a walking distance to the city center so I can just walk around and look for a room. The first three guesthouses I went to didn't have WiFi so I ended up in Posada del Sol. The price was a little steep considering the area and the season. And the room I was given was in the fifth floor. Elevators are unheard of in budget accommodations.

The staff didn't speak English and wasn't really nice when I checked in. But when I got back the next day from a tour, he suddenly became friendly and tried to engage me in a conversation, in Spanish.


Belen Annex - Lima

As usual, the lack of WiFi in my first choice of accommodation led me to this hostel. During the last days of my travel, a means to communicate with friends became a necessity to me.

The hostel is in a large colonial building on the Plaza San Martin. I was hesitant to enter at first because I couldn't fathom how a budget (45 Soles isn't exactly cheap but I was in Lima) accommodation will exist in such a place. But the charm of the building didn't reflect in my room. Figures. The age showed, and my television didn't work (not that it mattered). And although my room was facing the plaza, I had no windows.

The staff who welcomed me took forever to fill out the guestbook before he gave me my keys. On my first night, the television in its huge lobby was turned on all night so I had difficulty to get some sleep. Fortunately, someone was in his right mind to turn it off the next day.

The gold/yellow door is the entrance to Belen Annex.

reflections from traveling halfway around the globe

Reflection of a snow-capped mountain on Lake Honda. One of the many lakes we visited on the SW Bolivia tour.

A week ago, I came back from traveling solo in Peru and Bolivia for a month and a half. I started toying with the idea of going to South America a year ago when I realized that I will be able to save enough money from my previous job. But when my contract ended, I was vacillating and only decided to push through with the idea six days before I left Manila.

Yes, I was scared that I will regret traveling by the time I get there. I was afraid that something bad might happen to me on the road; or that I will end up getting lost because I don't speak Spanish; or all my cash and cards will be stolen; or that I will never make friends with anyone because of my introversion. And the list of my concerns doesn't end.

However, the idea of traveling kept bugging me. I kept telling myself that if I don't do this now, I might not get another chance (which I proved to be somehow wrong). I had the money, the time (because I was, and still, unemployed) and all I needed was guts and some doze of craziness. So one morning, I found myself buying a  round-trip ticket to Lima. And by that time, there was no turning back.

As I left for the airport, I was still thinking if I was doing the right thing. My anxiety was proven when I faced some problems in Hong Kong. My backpack's hip belt was damaged. I almost cried because of it and was considering to just go back to Manila. Worse, there were many issues to be addressed before I could check-in for my flight to Lima. (Thank you KLM for your discriminating check-in protocols.)

But the good thing is that I was able to gather some strength and not let these little bumps prevent me from going on. It was just the beginning because later on the trip, I had to overcome more bumps. In La Paz, I had to walk up and down a street several times for at least half an hour to find my hotel. My bag was heavy, I haven't had enough sleep from the overnight bus, the altitude makes breathing a toil, I badly needed to pee. And when I finally found my hotel, the staff coldly shooed me away saying (in Spanish because he doesn't speak any English) that he has no vacant room. These things may not seem really serious but they could easily demoralize a weary traveler.

In terms of accommodation, I have my reservations (in both its meanings). I don't want to share a room. I don't want to share a bathroom. And as much as possible, I booked my room in advance to make sure that I get what I wanted. But there are times when we have to sacrifice for our priority.

It was late at night when I reached Ollantaytambo from Aguas Calientes. I didn't have a prior booking because everything in the booking websites were expensive. Call me crazy but by that time, my mind was set that a few dollars was more important than resting my body from several hours of walking up and down Machu Picchu.

Or we just have to accept that getting out of our comfort zone is inevitable when traveling. When I joined the four-day Southwest Bolivia tour, I knew beforehand that the accommodation will be very basic. I knew that I will be sharing the room with whomever I was in the trip with. But I didn't know that there will be no shower for the first three days. Or that there were no toilets along the road. Only baños naturales, señorita.

You're lucky if there are toilets. If none, go pee anywhere.

Toilets or none, traveling in a faraway place has proven that many of my fears are baseless. I was afraid of thieves but the only one I can blame for the stuff I lost is myself (like the forgotten t-shirt in the toilet in a train station). I have this fear that tour organizers always tell you lies but then I enjoyed all the tours I joined. Reading other people's blogs about the horrors of overnight buses made me think twice about taking it. I was in six overnight buses and several daytime trips. Everything went smoothly. The only thing that annoyed me was the occasional vendors selling stuffs from fake silver jewelry to natural medicines in the shorter-distance buses preventing me from getting some much-needed sleep.

When I told a friend that I shared a room with three men for three nights, she was shocked and worried for my safety. Because we never know what people are capable of. But that morbid thought never crossed my mind. I just thought, "Oh, cool. This is new." Our worries are developed from our perception of what we don't know or haven't experienced yet. But once we get subjected to these unknowns, we realize that the world isn't as bad as we think it is; that most of the time people are there to help you, not to take advantage of you; stray dogs won't bite you without apparent reason; and that you are just too paranoid.

At the salt hotel. One of the rooms I shared with two Englishmen and a retired Canadian.

Too paranoid that you make a day-to-day itinerary. A month before I left, I made research and listed the attractions that I must see, the activities I wanted to do, the number of days I will have to spend in a certain place, the bus to take, possible tour agencies and how much everything will cost. In a way it was a good thing because I didn't want to be clueless when I step on a place I am not familiar with. But then, unexpected things come up that will ruin your detailed itinerary. Or sometimes, you just feel like doing something else.

My trip was supposed to be a journey to Machu Picchu. But on my first night in Peru, I decided that I will go to Cusco the next day. I was a little fatalistic and my rationale was that if anything happened to me, at least I have already crossed out in my list the main reason why I was in South America.

Nope, I won't say that after seeing Machu Picchu I could already die. I want to live longer so that I could travel more.

I like the I'll-figure-it-out-when-I-get-there attitude I developed later on the trip. As I noted earlier, I prefer having my room booked before I get to a place. But wanting to save a few dollars more, I ditched Hostelbookers, referred to my LP guidebook for cheaper options or just walk around the city to find an acceptable place. Most of the time the cheaper ones didn't have a website, nor an e-mail address indicated. And that's when another type of adventure begins. Of course for seasoned travelers, this is nothing but a routine. But in my case, finding a hostel in a foreign place becomes a sense of accomplishment.
 
Convenience was also one of the factors why I didn't follow my itinerary. Since there was no direct bus from Cusco to Copacabana, I headed straight to La Paz instead. And I spent much more time in La Paz than I planned to because I got sick (I had TD) and I was still sick (I had bad colds and I didn't want to climb a mountain with a sometimes clogged-sometimes runny nose). I also extended my stay in Sucre mainly because I was foolish enough to wait for something to happen. But little did I know that all these delays and crazy decisions will lead me to the one thing that gave my trip a different meaning.

Here's the thing. I don't believe that all things happen for a reason. I don't believe that you meet people for a reason. It's just plain crazy to give meanings to everything. You meet people because you're on the road. And it just so happens that they were taking the same road. And so with all the people (travelers and locals) I met, I didn't expect to have any strong connections with them. Add to that the fact that I am introverted. I would have been happy if I did but that would've been unlikely. But there was one who got really close, and who really got into me.

To make the long story short, the feeling wasn't mutual. We got along just fine but I felt that for him, I was only one of the hundreds who are just passersby. As my friend puts it, traveling is like a mini-lifetime. You get to a place you know nothing about. You don't know anybody at first. And then you meet people, you have fun, make friends, maybe get your heart broken, too. But eventually, you have to say goodbye. And the passerby, which is me, while bidding goodbye was trying to hold back the tears I wish he could see and that would make him want me to stay.

Did I regret any part of this trip? Nope. Though I admit there were times I wish I was home eating sinigang rather than a bland grilled meat. I'll have my heart broken many times. I'll sacrifice enough sleep and skip shower. I'll wear the same clothes for days on end. Heck, I'll even spend the wee hours of a really cold morning in a plaza listening to bizarre stories of a guy (that is probably high in whatever) if it means traveling all over again. And yes, going on this trip turns out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life.

My Son is not Called Ruins for Nothing

Ever since seeing the episode of Departures in Vietnam where they visited My Son Sanctuary (or My Son), I have wanted to go there and experience walking in the ruins myself. And so when I had the chance to travel to Vietnam, this was on top of my priorities.

My Son is a complex of Hindu temples built by the Champa Kingdom. It may be nothing compared to the Angkor in terms of size but it is much older. Construction of these temples began as early as the 4th century. Unfortunately, most of these temples are crumbling or have been destroyed during the Vietnam War.

Most people join group tours from Hoin An to visit Vietnam. I found the cheapest half-day tour costs 100,000 dong which includes a boat ride at the end of the trip. But I decided to go by myself even though it would cost more since I also wanted to see the sunset in the ruins.

My host in Hoi An was kind enough to arrange a transportation for me. My driver and his motorcycle was on the old side and as expected, the tire burst a few kilometers on the trip. We were lucky that a repair shop was just a few meters away and we were good to go after a few minutes.

The weird thing is that my driver does not know where exactly My Son is. It didn't help that signs to the site are very rare. So he kept on asking other locals if we were going the right direction. In other circumstances, I would have been pissed and frustrated but I felt no negativity at all. Maybe because I was taking this as part of my adventure or I just couldn't get angry at an old person who I am sure is not going to scam me.

Just as we arrived at about 4pm, a tour bus was leaving. I thought to myself that it would be great having only a number of people in the site. I paid the entrance fee which is 60,000 dong. And as I expected, the parking fee for foreigners is higher (5000 dong) than what a local will have to pay (3000 dong). I wonder if locals could enter the site free because my driver was able to roam My Son without paying anything.

I walked around the site for around an hour an half. I lingered on some sites taking in the details. I tried to act like an explorer hoping to find something that's been hidden to everyone but since the ruins is pretty small, I guess everything has been found already. And there are signs telling you not to go any further or higher.

As I have mentioned before, most of the temples of My Son are crumbling. As I walked around the site, I also found a few bomb craters. I wonder what the case would be if the Vietnam War did not happen, or at least if the Americans did not bomb this place. Wars claimed lives of innocent people and destroyed treasures centuries-old civilizations left us such as this.

Efforts however are being done to restore My Son. As I was walking around the site, I saw lots of temples being reconstructed. I just hope they do a good job at this and at least make them look like they are really ancient and not built just yesterday. (Like what they did to the Cham Towers.)

I read that many people who go to My Son are disappointed by the size of the site and that there aren't much to see except for a few crumbling towers. Well, My Son is not called ruins for nothing, right? I guess visiting My Son is more about appreciating its rich culture and history rather than a feast for the eyes.

One of the temples in the site that is undergoing reconstruction.

My Son is Vietnamese and means beautiful mountains.

Mt. Pulag: The Best Sunrise of My Life (So Far)

It was a few minutes past 4am when we started our ascent to the peak of Mt. Pulag. The 5km hike up would take about 1-2hours depending on our pace, according to our guide. We were one of the last groups to leave the camp and I was a little worried that sunrise might come before we reach the peak.

The night was very cold. Without gloves, my hands were getting numb. We walked fast so that our bodies would warm up. The good thing was that the terrain at the start of the climb is only gently sloping. We still had to stop a few times though, to wait for the other members and rest for a few minutes. At 2000+m, the elevation was no joke to us who are near-sea-level dwellers.

As we were walking (and still far from the peak), we could already see a glimmer of light on the horizon. We were able to walk at a steady (and relatively fast) pace on the gently sloping grounds. But the last few hundred meters to the peak was really steep. Everyone was panting and had to stop a few times to catch our breath. We kept on pushing ourselves because we didn't want to miss the sunrise.

They say that God rewards those who persevere to the end. Though out of breath, we had smile on our faces as we reach the peak of Mt. Pulag. We knew we were in for a treat. The sun didn't fully come out until after 30 minutes or so though. We watched the sky as it turns to light, slowly revealing a magnificent landscape. This in itself makes our trip already well worth it. But then the sun finally revealed itself amidst the sea of clouds. I am out of words.

It was still dark when we reached the peak.

Playing with silhouettes.

More than a hundred were blessed to witness the sunrise at Mt. Pulag.

Taking the Tourist Bus in Vietnam

Before leaving for my nine-day trip in Vietnam, I wanted to book everything in advance so that I wouldn't have to be bothered when I get there. The trains are somewhat expensive for me so I decided to just take the tourist bus since many travelers use this anyway.

From what I read in several travel forums, the two most trusted companies operating bus tours are Kim Tours and Sinh Cafe (which is now known as The Sinh Tourist). I opted for the latter for the simple reason that the name has more appeal to me. (Haha) I sent an e-mail to inquire about the availability of tickets for my desired travel dates, the cost and how to book. I received a reply in a few days and they gave me instructions, which is by wiring them the payment. I didn't see Sinh Cafe in the company name where I should send my payment and I immediately realized that this is one of those 'fakes' pretending to be the real one. (Even if they were the real one, I wouldn't bother because wiring money is tiresome and I would rather take my chance on booking when I get there.)

I scoured the web to find the website of the real one. I was still not able to book in advance though. I didn't know if it was my connection or their website which has a problem that time.

On my first day in Vietnam, the first thing I had to do was to book my bus tickets. I was lucky that the hostel I stayed in HCMC was very near their office which is along De Tham St. I was able to book my desired schedule and was really glad that it was cheaper than I expected. I only paid about 976,000vnd for HCMC-Nha Trang-Hoi An-Hue-Hanoi trips. I also got a free souvenir shirt. (I am a sucker for freebies!)


For my first overnight trip, I had no expectation with the sleeper bus. I thought that it would be just like any other buses only with much larger leg rooms so that you could recline your seats more. But to my surprise, there were real beds, (or at least close to a real bed) double-deckers arranged in three rows, which made me look forward to a restful sleep. The beds are long enough. However, the beds at the front and the middle portion are shorter and was not enough for me. They also provide a blanket and you get 500ml water. (I wonder how often they wash those blankets.) There's also a toilet but in only one of the three overnight buses I took is functioning. Wearing shoes/slippers inside the bus is not allowed so we had to take them off and put them in a plastic bag. This is actually nice to make sure that the bus is kept clean. I think it is also because in Vietnam you have to remove your foot wear upon entering a house and since people sleep in the overnight bus, it is considered a house. Here's to hoping that all sleeper buses are like this.

Inside the Sinh Tourist sleeper bus (HCMC-Nha Trang)