Romantic Udaipur

Where we stayed:  Panorama Guest House

Wander Photo: November 2012

It's been a year since I had a love affair with dear Mt. Pinatubo.  The hours spent traversing lahar-filled landscape was worth it. I vividly remember how Its azure blue lake coolly welcomed us.

I would not mind re-visiting her again.  For now, I will be content in reading back what happened here. 

What to Wear in India for Women Travelers

Prior to this trip, I had a hard time selecting my wardrobe for the whole duration of our stay.  I admit I had apprehensions proceeding with this voyage since the onslaught of several violent cases against women starting from the 2012 Delhi gang rape.  Almost each month thereafter, the media did not fail in delivering grim news about local women and female travelers alike. Either from a simple child molestation case to devastating gang rape stories.  Such incidents, no matter the scale, should be treated and dealt with equal fervor. Somehow I turned a blind eye from all of those events.

A year before, there were supposed to be five of us.  However, three did not push through for whatever personal reasons they may have.  Since I have already purchased non-refundable tickets and truly fueled by my secret desire to finally lay my eyes on Taj Mahal, I went ahead with friend Marx as planned.

Scouring through many travel blogs and Indian forums, I somehow got a rough idea on how women visiting this colorful country should dress up.  Most advise I have read were to dress modestly which emphasized on the do-not-expose-too much-skin topic. If possible, you can dress like the locals if you are comfortable about it.  A Salwar Kameez is worn by almost all local women, in the cities and far-flung provinces alike. Kurta for women are also worn just like what I am wearing below.  However, as an alternative, you may create your own ensemble.  Of course, you can still wear the usual jeans and shirts. Just always have a shawl/scarf ready around your shoulders.  I opted to not choose the latter since I wanted to blend in.

Kurta for women: bought this pair in a local bazaar in Jaipur

The Other Way to Pagsanjan Falls

After my arrival from India a few weeks earlier, I found my feet becoming itchy again.  I agreed to my friend's invite in visiting the famed Pagsanjan Falls.  I have been to Pagsanjan town a couple of times but never have I laid eyes on the actual falls itself.  Who was I t turn down such an invite?  And so me and my seven friends enjoyed its cool waters one very happy Monday.

Among seven of my travel buddies, I only know three of them personally.  I missed Chino so much that the moment I saw him I guessed I ignored the others to whom I should have said hello first (#peace!).  I smiled at Jherson's and Arjay's familiar grins.  Then I admired the online stars in the persons of Jeffrey and Glen. Lastly, two young men were initiated in our loud circle of travel bloggers sitting at the corner of McDonald's Sta. Cruz, Xander and Richard.  Their muse arrived a little late, but not too late. 

We headed towards Pagsanjan town proper to meet Kuya from the local tourism office. We bought packed binalot lunch and top-loaded towards Pueblo El Salvador Eco Park in Tibatib, Cavinti, Laguna.  It was my second time and the 30-minute ride towards the falls was a very enjoyable experience for all of us.  I suddenly remembered my very first on-top-of-the-world ride back in Camarines Norte.  Incidentally, that was when we were also heading for waterfalls.

Back:  Xander,  Richard, Glen
Middle:  Arjay, Chino
Front:  Glen, Jherson and me

Magnificent Mumbai

We took a local plane from Goa to Mumbai which left at 7:30 am.  After about an hour's flight, we reached Mumbai and dared to reach the city center by taking the train. Carrying all our heavy bags, we bought our tickets but did not know on which platform we were supposed to be heading.  Our arrival coincided with several trains' arrival so people were rushing to the exit. Tired and quite overwhelmed by what we witnessed, Marx and I just decided to take the cab.  About an hour later, we reached our hotel with the skies threatening to cry.

We stayed at Travelers Inn located in a side street a few blocks away from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus famous .  I was struck on how beautiful and the intricate this structure was. If this was not located in the center of a busy intersection, I'm sure that I could spend an entire day taking snapshots of her different angles.  However, we did not spent much time since we only have an afternoon to explore the bustling city.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus panoramic view

The Ghost of Goa

After completing our first full day in India, next on our list was the once Portuguese-ruled town that is called Goa.  We hopped on a sleeper bus at INR 800 per person, arriving at the following day at noon time.  Our host , Sand Castle guest house instructed us to take a taxi from the terminal. From there we alighted in front of Novotel Resort and finally reached our home for the next two days.  We rested for a few hours after having lunch and headed on to the nearly deserted Candolim beach which was just a five-minute walk from our hostel.

Dog prints everywhere!

Late afternoon at Candolim Beach

Brave in Bangalore

India is not included in some tourists' must-see places bucket list.  However, having been exposed to souls with the same passion, my yearning for the new and undiscovered led me to agree in taking on a wild and unexpected journey to one of the world's most diverse and populous country.

After about five hours of travel time from Kuala Lumpur, our plane finally landed quietly in Bengaluru International Airport.  Before the wheels touched India's landmass, I had a glimpsed above how vast the country of India really was.  All I saw were plains, tiny buildings and curving rivers as far as my eyes can see.  I did not have a window seat so I just got content in getting flitting glimpses from the tiny window.  The clouds partly hid the view but it still was breathtaking at first glance. The feeling was like falling in love. Exciting, thrilling but always with a hint of uncertainty.

While proceeding to the immigration counters, the below sign greeted us.  Visa-on-arrival were given to some ASEAN countries including the Philippines.  If we had known this, perhaps we would consider not applying for a tourist visa back home.  But it is also convenient since you no longer have to spend more time at the airport when all you want to do is drop your bags at the hotel, jump on the bed and sleep.

One Night in Kuala Lumpur

It was my first time to travel alone in and out of the country.  Though my friend Marx joined me the next day, it had not really occurred to me that it will actually happen. The thought only sank in the moment I was booking my accommodation for a one-night stay here in Kuala Lumpur a few months back.

The Philippine Islands from above

Goa's Little Secret

I remember a friend constantly barraging me for updates on what Goa is like.  Goa is famous for its long stretch of beach and is considered as one of the major tourist attractions of Western India.  

Sand Castle Guesthouse & Sand Witch Art Cafe. 
What a cool name!

Marx and I had the luxury of staying two nights in this quiet city.  There are many big and posh resorts here but I guess staying in a cozy guesthouse will help you feel more at home. 

Kolkata's Sunny Sunflower Guesthouse

Kolkata was the last leg in our two-week-visit-India marathon.  We arrived early evening on September 29 at Howrah Junction.  Again, India surprised us because we felt we were in another country once more.

Once outside, we immediately fell in line at the counter to get our prepaid taxi ticket and asked to be delivered promptly to 7 Royd St. where our guesthouse is located.

Twin A/C room with private bath and cable TV