"We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment."
-Hillaire Belloc
i started travelling when i was in medical school. i was given a 1 month travel grant in Japan in 1987 under the JICA program (japan international cooperation agency) .
it was a fascinating experience to ride the plane d first time. i was so amazed on how beautiful Japan is!
truly there is a different world out there and a lot different from where i grew up.
 |
| wearing their traditional kimono with my foster family |
first time living in a foster family for a week...
first time to ride on a bullet train (shinkansen)
first time in disney....tokyo disneyland!
a lot of firsts on my first trip outside the philippines.
and i promised myself i study and work hard so i can travel in the future.
then after i finished medicine i travelled more...and more.
i went to hong kong with my siblings and some friends in the early 90's.
i enjoyed the freedom and adventure that travel brings.
i couldnt forget the first time i went to usa. my mayor kuya arnel and sister mates were residing there in the 90's.
they brought me to places which i only read before.
 |
| crookedest street in the world |
 |
| grand canyon |
since i was in my 20's i went to all the theme parks in california. i was so daring that i tried all the rollercoaster rides with lots of loops. oh... how one can be so young and so carefree!!!
 |
| magic mountain |
 |
| universal studios |
for sightseeing i wander on the beauty of grand canyon, reno, lake tahoe, las vegas, sf and palm spring ...
 |
| with kuya mayor arnel |
 |
| reno |
i was mesmerized with phantom of the opera play . later i made it a point to see a play whenever i travel. so far i have added lion king, beauty and the beast and the cats in my list.
 |
| cherry picking |
 |
| first time to see snow ! |
 |
| first time to see squirrel |
when we got married , our honeymoon was in hong kong.
 |
| fertlity buddha? |
then riki became my travelling companion .
we've been to singapore, thailand, malaysia, japan n china
 |
| floating market-bangkok |
 |
| tokyo |
we also went to usa for a west and east coast tour.
 |
| washington dc 2005 |
 |
| san francisco bridge |
 |
| philadelpia |
we really enjoyed celine dion live concert at las vegas as well as circus de soleil at the treasure island hotel.
 |
| harvard university |
 |
| jay leno behind ! |
 |
| with Ninong n Tita Sandy Sumpaico at FIGO 2000 |
 |
| FIGO 2000 Washington DC |
i have a travel buddy ochie who also loves to travel. weve been to many places like hong kong, china, new jersey, maryland and new york usa
 |
| shenzhen group tour |
my two kids were still in stroller when we went to HK with the whole mendoza clan. it was a real disaster as rico was very playful and could get lost easily.
 |
| rico n nica in a stroller |
 |
| at the harbour |
 |
| lolo, elene , rico n nica at Ocean Park |
i was in for a real test as "mom" the first time i travel with my kids with no maids in the states for a month long vacation. rj was even in a stroller!
 |
| legoland |
 |
| jelly belly factory |
 |
| knotts berry farm |
it was like "extra challenge" for me as i am a both a mom and nanny to them.
 |
| big bear with my mama n papa |
 |
| universal studios |
when my three kids were older (meaning we dont carry a stroller anymore) i brought them to hk many times and some asian countries.
 |
| malaysia |
hong kong became a friendly getaway for us since then.
 |
| chinese new year in HK 2004 |
 |
| 2008 |
 |
| 2009 |
our ever gracious host in hong kong- annie and raymund corpuz with their kids
 |
| 2004 |
 |
| 2008 |
 |
| nicole,nica,rico n kelvin |
it was a different adventure when riki and i went to australia to visit his brother. my in- laws travelled with us.
 |
| captain cook cruise along sydney harbour |
 |
| kuya rollie n family |
 |
| ate rona's house |
brisbane is a quiet place where malls closed at 6pm. queensland is a place where most of the theme parks are located but i didnt bring along my kids : ( sydney is sydney with its opera house.
mmmm
i felt so blessed beause i had a chance to travel with my parents and sister mafe to the holy land israel, jordan n egypt. it was a rare moment wishing on the wailing wall in jerusalem.
 |
| wailing wall |
 |
| Jordan River cruise where Jesus once stood |
turkish bath is something i would never forget.
as well a bath in the dead sea and sea of galilee.
 |
| dead sea |
 |
| sea of galilee |
petra was a rare sight to see as well as arum wadi in jordan. both wonders of the world!
 |
| raiders of the lost ark here! |
 |
| petra |
camel ride on our way to mt. sinai at 3 am is a unique experience. this is where the 10 commandments were given to moses. it was breathtaking as we see the sunrise!
 |
| mafe n ate |
having a picture taken at the famous sphinx n pyramids of giza and see how a mummy looks like is a fascinating experience in egypt.
but of all the places I had been, europe had different kind of beauty and splendor.
from oberramergau and munich in germany
 |
| oberranergau is a place where passion play of jesus is held every 10 years |
 |
| munich |
to picturesque innsbruck and breathtaking vienna in austria.
 |
| bustos group |
 |
| trying their famous sacher cake at hotel sacher |
to statusque venice, italy
 |
| st. mark's square |
|
 |
| venice canal |
and luxurious milan, italy
 |
| can i buy an LV? |
....amazing budapest, hungary
 |
| bulakenos |
and last ....old but rich prague, czeck republic.
 |
| charles bridge |
 |
| astronomical clock in the old town square |
 |
| old town square |
they are all places with different works of art all over. they all have a very rich history and culture.
of the 196 countries in the world i have been to 20 of them or approx 10% . of the seven continents, i havent been only in south america as antartica is non habitable.
as st. augustine says "the world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page."
making this blog is a lot of fun although time consuming as there are lots of pictures to choose from.
travels gives me a sense of fulfillment. it broadens my horizon .... makes me want to strive more and keep myself healthy so i can see more places in the future.
it also brings back memories of when i was younger and innocent...to what i am now... experienced and matured...meaning old : )
