Philippine Travels

This is by far one of the best ways to get to Angeles city after spending time on the plane..Nothing better then to head from the airport to the Swagman for a bit to eat and a beer before on to the bus knowing you are going to be in the city of Sin in a few hours.. They even serve beer on the bus.. what more could you want!!! Tip: When arriving at the airport walk upstairs to arrivials to get a drop off cab and make sure it is metered.. you will have the haggle.. if no one comes to the party.. then just walk out across the road and get one of the local cabs.. once again.. make sure it is metered.. also download the map and address from the Swagman site, thus the driver can't pretend to be lost!!! Many thanks to the many before me that have done this route and shared their knowledge. http://www.swaggy.com/

Siargao: A Surfing Paradise The unspoiled teardrop shaped island called Siargao is a Shangri-la for adventurers and nature lovers. It is the surfing capital of the Philippines. This surfing haven is located 800 kilometers Southeast of Manila. Siargao is now one of the world's great frontiers for surf exploration. Its most popular break is "Cloud Nine." Surfing is best from July to November when strong waves are in constant motion. The powerful wave-off "Cloud 9" has been hailed as one of the world's five toughest breaks and has been frequently compared to the famous surf of Hawaii and Australia. Siargao's "Cloud Nine", a powerful hollow right hander, featured in "Surf Magazine" as one of the ten best waves in the world. East of Siargao Islands lies the Philippine Deep that rises from over 34,000 ft to a belt of reefs. This Oceanic trench is the reason for the excellent surf in Siargao; because it is so deep and the continental shelf n

La Union Interactive Map drag the map with your cursor, zoom with the controls, click on icons for info

After Bali was first put on the surfing map in the early 1970's the pioneers of Indonesian surfing slowly started peeling back the frontiers of the wave-rich nation. They ventured east and west along the archipelago to ride waves that had never been ridden before: Bill Boyum and Bob Laverty discovered Grajagan in 1973; Kevin Lovett, John Geisel and Peter Troy landed on Nias in 1975; Paul King layed the first tracks in Sumbawa during the mid-80's. In each of these instances word quickly spread through the surfing world and surfers headed - first in trickles, then in swarms - to the new locations, each hoping to get their own slice of the magic. The hordes of subsequent surfers often pushing the original pioneers deeper into the remote regions of Indonesia to discover even more great waves. However, every now and again an expedition didn't tip-toe into the dark but rather, took a giant leap into the unknown. The distance they leapt measured by how long it took other traveller

Journey advise to Philippines on 1 to 5 months recommend protection against the following infections: Recommended vaccinations Starting Diphtheria 1 day Hepatitis A (infectious hepatitis) 1 week Hepatitis B 3 - 4 weeks Tetanus 1 day Japanese encephalitis 3 weeks Yellow fever - transit 10 days Malaria in the Philippines 7 days When to start vaccinations before leaving:: 7 days Read more about the single vaccinations below. If you need more information, Ask the Doctor Diphtheria Diphtheria is a serious throat infection, which infects from person-to-person through the air. The vaccination should be less than 10 years old otherwise a booster is needed. Hepatitis A (infectious hepatitis) Infectious hepatitis infects through contaminated food and water. Vaccination consists of two injections about 12 months apart, which protects for up to 25 years. The first vaccination protects for 12 months. The hepatitis A vaccine can be combined with the vaccine against hepatitis B. Hepatitis B

Nowadays, travelers expect more than just comfort and convenience. They want to be surprised. Travelers seek establishments that are noticeably different in look and feel. Kapuluan Vista Resort can provide just that- an exceptional resort experience. Kapuluan Vista Resort is a leading-edge destination that has distinguished itself by combining natural beauty, a diversity of activities and events, and delightful accommodation. Visitors to Kapulan Vista Resort will be showered with the wealth of the Filipino culture through its pristine surroundings; design and architecture, food, art and most importantly, the spirit of the people. Style, distinction, warmth and intimacy are the key elements in the architecture and design of Kapuluan Vista Resort. We want to create a special and differentiated property that will attract customer’s individual needs. The vision was accomplished with the support and expertise of architects Gian “Buji” Libarnes and Kelvin De Chavez. They united t

South Philippine Sea Swell Chart

The Hash House Harriers (abbreviated to HHH, H3, or referred to simply as Hashing) is an international group of non-competitive Running, Social, drinking clubs. An event organized by a club is known as a Hash or Hash Run, with participants calling themselves Hashers Organization. The Hash House Harriers is a decentralized organization, with each chapter (sometimes called a Kennel) individually managed with no uniting organizational hierarchy (although the locations of national and international gatherings are decided by a meeting involving representatives from a number of hashes). A kennel's management is typically known as the MisManagement and consists of individuals with various duties and titles. There are more than 1,700 kennels spanning all seven continents. Most major cities are home to at least one chapter. Kennels typically contain 20-100 members, usually mixed-sex, and some metropolitan area Hashes can draw more than 1,000 hashers to an event. History Hashing originated i

I need to come back and edit this post from 2009, links are dead.. will work on it soon. Get jaxtr | Login

Philippines surf crew Hanging Out, San Juan, La Union, Philippines Quiksilver Open Cloud 9 Lanuza '07: through the eyes of the Cebu Surf Community

 All credit goes to Scott Ruffenr for this Classic handcrafted piece of writing Nick the young MD from California just checked into the hotel across the driveway from my apartment. We had met just a week ago, so I hailed him from across the way and invited him in for a drink. He drives a big van that he says he needs to haul “the gang” around with, presumably the family of his wife, as he had told me he was married to a Filipina. We share the same mechanic for our vehicles, and in my first conversation with him had garnered the fact that he was married , and was planning on building a house or estate down on the very remote island of Negros. I guess every place one has not visited in a third world country seems “remote” and therefore only worth visiting; and not taken seriously as a place to reside for a westerner. He disagreed in my assessment of the area being remote, and extolled the virtues of his chosen place, assuring me there were plenty of retired foreigners li

 All credit goes to Scott Ruffenr for this Classic handcrafted piece of writing Jazzy hasn’t got an ounce of fat on him. There he sits on that injection molded plastic chair, next to a gray plastic stack table; a picture of true Malay genetics. Even an untraveled westerner would never mistake him for Chinese or Japanese. High cheekbones and a longish jaw form a triangular face on a sort of flat plane. It’s as if his facial bones and skull are trying to force their way to the surface from under his exceedingly lean skin. The only hair on his face is a dozen or so whiskers protruding from his chin about 3 inches down towards his chest. Small brown almond shaped eyes angle upwards toward his temples. Long tombstone shaped teeth dangle at odd angles from his bluish- black receding gums. He is wearing a knitted beanie cap with Jamaican national colors, although his somewhat curly, shoulder length hair is too thin for proper dreadlocks. His brother Josh sits at the same table spo

 All credit goes to Scott Ruffenr for this Classic handcrafted piece of writing The surfboard shapers have arrived today. A large gray van is parked in the entrance to the driveway, and our landlord Bill is greeting the occupants. “Hey Mate! How ya goin’? Are you ready for a beer?” chirps Bill. “Bloody Oath” is the reply from the occupants. Trevor, one of the shapers, exits the van first. A smallish man, the first impression one has is the contradictory features of his physical appearance. He has a ruddy complexion, cadaverous cheeks, a pointed nose, and smallish mouth. His skin is of the Irish- English type with lots of freckles, and the years he has spent in the sun have weathered his hands, arms, and particularly the back of his neck; which is deeply furrowed like a cracked old red leather catcher’s mitt. His fingers are of average length, but the ends of each appendage are bulbous and calloused. He looks as if he could crawl on ceilings just like geckos do. Doubtless th

All credit goes to Scott Ruffenr for this Classic handcrafted piece of writing Neddy -  The Filipina Wife Chubby brown cheeks behind a toothy smile, her broad flat nose features two flared nostrils that bear a striking resemblance to the business end of a double-barreled ,12 gauge shotgun. She ties her short, black hair up behind her head housemaid style. Prodigious and pendulous breasts hang unencumbered by any sort of brassiere under her oversize t-shirts. Happy and talkative, she is a cheerful ball of fat dragging her slippers as she walks across the driveway, chattering to the workers and her children. One of her favorite pastimes is sitting on the terrace while one of the many women who help with cleaning the building, pick her scalp for white hairs. I sometimes think they are really looking for lice. This scene can go for a couple of hours some afternoons, with the chatter between the women never seeming to ebb. What do they talk about? Family, friends, and money are my

All credit goes to Scott Ruffenr for this Classic handcrafted piece of writing   Flat gray light obscures the horizon, merging the sky and sea into one vast expanse from north to south along the undulating La Union coastline. Low green hills trap the early morning smoke from trash fires; giving one the impression of steam emanating from the thick rain soaked trees and brush. Perhaps it looked like this for the invading American infantry sitting offshore waiting to assault the Japanese occupiers some 60 years ago. You will see no evidence now of that titanic conflict. The small barrios dotting the coast seem to have been completely undisturbed. No testimony remains to the conflict. No statues of heroes, nor any monument or markers to the soldiers remain, only San Miguel Beer and Coca-Cola signs signal commerce of the 21st century. Jeepneys and trikes ply the belt highway, moving the seemingly unlimited amount of school children on their way to classes. They all wear uniforms of