The Travel Junkie Is Now a Nomad Mommy!

Happiness [is] only real when shared.
- Chris McCandles, Into The Wild

Yesterday, at 8:23 AM, in a hospital which used to be a hotel... the Pinay Travel Junkie turned into a nomad mum.

Meet Luna, our new backpacking buddy!

Victoria Point, Myanmar

We stepped on Myanmar unfortunately just for a visa run. It was a border cross, or river cross, from the province of Ranong (Thailand) to Kawthaung (Myanmar) also known as Victoria Point.

The visa run package that we arranged in Ranong was 400 THB each. The rate isn't that bad since it includes hotel pick up/drop off, a big boat (a covered longtail boat ideal for rainy season), and a representative to guide us with the procedure. However, we needed to pay also for visa in Myanmar worth $10. This visa will only allow you to walk around town for fifteen to twenty minutes, no more.

Welcome sign at the small port.

Ranong

Ranong is one of the southern provinces of Thailand, located on Kra Isthmus, the narrow strip that connects mainland Thailand with the Malay Peninsula. The province is known for having the most rainfall of all Thailand, the rainy season lasting for about eight months. This could be a reason why Ranong is the least populated province.

Looks familiar? Chicharon from the town's market.

Phuket Town

We had too much of Thailand's southern islands and beaches that we weren't interested to see Phuket beach anymore. Besides, we've read (and fellow Pinoy Couchsurfer Poch told us) that accommodation is overpriced, and food is crappy (not that we're really choosy).

So we stayed in Phuket town instead, a charming Sino-Portuguese city that was once a bustling stop on the India-China trade route.

Old shophouses along Thalang Road.

A Climb With John

Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die.
- Amelia Burr

It was 2007. Because of an unexpected approved vacation leave, I was able to join a climb with All Terrain Mountaineering Club (ATMC). Straight from a graveyard shift (I too, was a call center agent in my past life), I headed to Jam's station along Taft Ave. to meet up with the group. And that's where I met John.

Gulugod Baboy, named so because of the peak's contour. Photo by Jhe Cruzana.

The Big 3-0: A Backpacker's Flashback

I turned 30 yesterday. And nope, I didn't throw a big party nor vacationed somewhere remote and exotic. I would have if I wasn't 38 weeks pregnant - or more of, if our family elders didn't disapprove it.

My celebration was very boring simple. With a handful of relatives, we had lunch at a Chinese restaurant in Tarlac City, about thirty minutes away from a small farming town my hubby and I temporarily reside in. Still, it meant a lot to me for it's been ages since I last celebrated with my parents.

'Cave connection' spelunking in Sagada. Back in 2001, when none of us had digital cameras yet. My first backpacking trip.
Yes I may be 30 now, but for me I started living at 21. I started living the moment I wore a pair of borrowed hiking sandals and used an overnight backpack for the very first time.

1st Blogversary: A Year of Growth

I've got a dream, I've got a dream
And I know I can share it if you want me to
If you're goin' my way, I'll go with you
- Jim Croce, I Got A Name

That dream was to travel around the world. It seemed far fetched for me - a Filipina who earns just enough to pay for my bills, and well, my parents'. But because of my palpable hunger for adventure and street-garnered knowledge, with magnanimous sacrifices, I began to make it happen.

LoQal.ph interview with blogger Pinay (then 6-month preggy) Travel Junkie about backpacking while pregnant. One of this year's highlights.
And this day exactly a year ago, "Confessions of a Pinay Travel Junkie" was born so I could share my wanderful experiences to my fellow travel addicts.