DER TRAVELS: BANAUE

Banaue was just part of our side trip while going to Sagada, Mountain Province. Banaue is a 4th class municipality in the province of Ifugao, Philippines. It is widely known as the site of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Batad Rice Terraces and Bangaan Rice Terraces. 

I am so excited to visit the very famous "Hagdan-hagdang Palayan (Banaue Rice Terraces)". May mga napanood akong mga news na hindi na raw naaalagaan ng maayos ang palayan dahil mga propesyunal na ang mga anak ng mga tao doon at wala nang sumusunod sa yapak ng kanilang mga magulang. I'm a little bit sad to hear that because it's part of the Filipino culture and our identity as Filipinos.

We travelled 8 hours from MOA to reach our first stop: Banaue Welcome Arch. Dito pa lang, nararamdaman na namin ang lamig ng hangin. 

Epic fail jump shot..but still my heart is super kilig and excited to explore more of Banaue.

College of Teacher Education Faculty Photo Session at the Banaue Welcome Arch

Souvenirs: Quite expensive but really show the creativity of the people in Banaue. I was amazed by a very cute tissue holder that I really thought of buying it but I also find it expensive.

Second stop: Banaue Rice Terraces

Banaue Rice Terraces: an iconic and ancient landscape of the Philippines that is said to be the greatest engineering masterpiece of the indigenous people in Ifugao: the Igorots. It felt so surreal. It's really a dream come true for me. I just saw pictures of the famous Banaue Rice Terraces in my Sibika at Kultura and Makabayan books in elementay...but to see it in person sends chills to my heart..Oh Phillippines! Your beauty is indeed a masterpiece. 

Travelling in my own land gives me a sense of identity, adventure and freedom. It allows me to get away from the normal life (daily routines), experience cultures which I'm a part of, get to know places only seen in Filipino movies and read in books, get to try new food, and of course meet new people and learn from them.

I've met a  Native Igorot who's wearing their traditional costume so that tourists can take a picture with her. I asked her about her age using the Filipino language but she did not answer me. I thought she's having a hearing problem. I repeated my question in a louder manner so that she can hear me but still no answer from her. I tried using the English language, then she answered "Nevermind". I was like..woaaaahh..mas naintindihan niya pa ang English kay sa Filipino...

Doon ko lang nalaman na hindi pala nasakop ng mga Espanyol ang Banaue. Ang unang nakarating na manananakop sa kanilang lugar ay mga Amerikano kaya ang mga matatandang Igorot ay mas may alam sa salitang Ingles. 

Der's Tip: The Banaue Rice Terraces Viewpoint has a restaurant so you can have your breakfast there.  There dishes are very affordable, delicious and they have big servings. My tip:  You should order first before heading to the viewpoint so that while they are preparing for your food, you are enjoying the view and taking pictures at the Rice Terraces. It really saves time.

I am proud to be a Filipino...visiting places only seen in books sends happiness to my heart. I really appreciate all the things that I've learned through my travels.

'till next travel diary loves,

XOXO

DER <3

Thoughts of a Travelbuff 😍

Why do I travel?

I travel not to BRAG but to SHOW. To show that no matter what is your status in life, you can still go to places if you will just save.

I travel not to ESCAPE MY REALITY but  to SEE THE WORLD'S REALITY. I'm contained in my own thoughts and routines that I tend to forget how others are functioning.

I travel not to IMPRESS but to EXPRESS. Express the other side of me. Express without being afraid of the judgement of others.

I travel not for POSTING but for CAPTURING. Many would travel just to post something in social media. It's seems to be a requirement in the digital world. I travel to capture. I always love taking pictures. My family and friends knew that I post pictures a week or a month after my travel.

I travel not to CONNECT but to DISCONNECT. Disconnect to the hustle and bustle of my city life. Disconnect to the negativity of the world.

I travel not to FIND PLACES but to GET LOST IN PLACES. Sometimes you will find yourself through getting lost. You will discover new things about yourself if you get lost in the wilderness.

I travel not to ISOLATE MYSELF but to EXPERIENCE. There's more to life than the four walls of my classroom and my cubicle.

'till next adventure loves ^_^
xoxo DER <3

An Open Letter To My Ultimate Crush

I just need you to know how I feel.

This open letter idea just popped up into my mind.

Personally, I'm going through a tough time right now trying to figure out what everything means. We all know what it's like to have a crush. To add on to that, sometimes we like people that affect our lives in either a positive or negative way. I like to think that we have all had at least one great experience when it comes to a crush. On the other hand, we've also had a few instances where it just didn't work out. Sometimes, us women have a lot of trouble with this. We overthink things, we stress ourselves out, and even lead ourselves on with guys. Because I am struggling with these issues, here's what I have to say to the guy I have a crush on:   

Hey you!! This one is for you. And the funny thing is, you will probably not even know that I wrote this for and about you. 

Most of the time, I'm a super chill girl that says it how it is. I'm straight up and honest with people when it comes to how I feel. I don't know what happened, but ever since you walked into my life, you completely changed the game for me. Obviously, by now, I have had many different experiences when it comes to having feelings for someone, but this is so different. At this point in your lives, in relationships, we either break up or we get married. How crazy is that?

From the moment I have met you I felt something I don’t understand. You are special, so special and I do not even think you realize how special you are. When I saw you I felt this instant attraction and for me this was weird because you are not my standard ‘type’. We share the same passion. We actually met in a competition. You are younger than me but you think more matured than me (how ironic is that?).

At this point, I don't know how I feel. Do you want something more than friends or are you just trying to pass the time?

I will not chase you. I've spent too much time in my past chasing people that did not even deserve my time. If you can't invest your time in me, how can I invest my time in you? By constantly being the one to text first and pursue the relationship, I feel like I'm just setting myself up for failure. I will not do that anymore. I want you to talk to me, and not just when you're bored. I need to know that you value me instead of making me your back up plan.

Sometimes, I act like an annoying girl that leads herself on more than you do. I plan things out in my head and prepare for the future together. I get so excited for you to meet my family, spend holidays together, and experience so many things together. I don't know why I do, I just can't help it. I enjoy being around you and I see myself being with you for more than you have even thought about. Sometimes I just have too many feelings that I want to share, but you'll just have to go with it. You're going to have to accept me as I am, even when I cry about small things or want to spend as much time as possible with you.

You may not like yourself, but I do. You talk down on yourself, but you don't even understand how much I value you in my life. We may have only known each other for a few months out of our lives, but I wish you would see how important you are to me. I believe that you have so much going for you and that you're going to go so far in your life. I just hope that maybe, just maybe, I could be there to witness that.

So, overall, I want you to text me. I want you to be honest with me. Even if it's to tell me that you don't reciprocate those feelings, I want to know how you feel about me. I just need something that proves to me that you're worth my time and effort.

If you think that this might have could be written for you, I challenge you to ask me if I wrote this for you..

DecemberBells: FAMILY CELERATIONS

"Christmas is the season of joy, of holiday greetings exchanged, of gift giving and of families united."

Christmas is the time of the year where we got to spend holidays with the people we love: OUR FAMILY!

 I really love HOLIDAYS!!

Let's start with the 3rd Birthday Celebration of my God daughter/Cousin Jaliyah.

We went to Canigao Island to celebrate her birthday.

 The Birthday Girl!!

 Hello there Mr. Lechon..

 Setting up for the game...

 Cute little cousins

 HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY JALIYAH :)

 Calm and relaxing place to unwind

 Birthday girl blowing her cakes.

Second, Christmas day celebration.

 Opening gifts..and gifts..and gifts..

MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM MY FAMILY TO YOURS <3

'till next celebration loves.

xoxo DER <3