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My trip to the mysterious India had been greatly affected by the people coming from all over India.

With so much appreciation for the things life has shown me, I would like to dedicate this portion to the faces that made my trip more than just an ordinary trip....

Pure white Makrana marble's ethereal beauty...
Subtle variations of tints and tones...
Intricate Pietra Dura work...
Sheer craftsmanship...
Lakhs of admirers for over 300 years...

The Taj Mahal, houses the tomb of Emperor Shah Jahan's beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal is a symbol of Mughal architecture dated since the 17th century - India's pride and joy.

Many travellers come to the desert state of Rajasthan in search for India's true meaning of the past... Both the Thar desert and the Aravalli Ranges contribute to the magnificent landscapes and the rugged skyline over dunes seems diametrically opposed to its wondrous palaces, pavilions and temples.

Rajasthan... "the land of the Rajputs" and the home of the rajas is a must-see destination when travelling to India.

A photography journey to the Jewel in the Crown....

Singapore was the first part of my journey. The short 3 and a half hour flight was full of delightful moments. From observing who the passengers were on board and what their main purpose might be for traveling to analyzing the expressions on their faces and the activities they were doing to pass the time away gave me the opportunity to reflect on my own.

Flying with Cebu Pacific has always been pleasant but without the frills of other international airlines. After touching down at Changi International Airport, I excitedly disembarked and headed straight to the immigration counter. I have realized how convenient it was for me to travel with everything in my rucksack when I was passing through the arrival area and passengers were patiently waiting for their luggage to be loaded on to the carousel while I headed straight to the immigration counter with a smile on my face. Singapore immigration procedures are quite efficient that it only took me minutes to get my passport stamped, got out and took a cab. But since it was almost midnight, my eyes could barely accommodate some of airport’s interesting scenes and lethargically told the cab driver of my hotel’s address. Wary, I firmly held on to my dilapidated hostel business card and headed straight to the city center. After several minutes of arguing with the cab driver about the direction, I found myself checking in to ‘our’ room. I was sharing a mixed dormitory with 5 other persons, whose nationality I never found out, sexes I never knew and faces I never saw. But the moment my exhausted body felt the warmth and comfort of my narrow bunk bed, I fell asleep. Believe it or not, the rest was history.

This was my first extensive travel to Singapore. I woke up early morning of the next day praying and thanking God for another day of my life. I couldn’t imagine having to share the room with people I never knew. I guess this experience comes with budget travel. After breakfast, I headed back to the airport terminal for my free city tour, an amazing Singapore Airport customer service program for passengers with outward connecting or stopover flights.

I once asked by a friend how fascinated (an overstatement, I guess) I was with the thought of visiting Banaue, also known as Banawe for most Filipinos, I dreary shrugged to confirm. For most Filipinos, this place is commonly considered as dull and not-so illustrious Philippine outskirt territory. The thought remained unscathed for centuries until a few days ago (though it was my fifth time) when my writing pursuit pervasively enveloped my thirst for learning.

The metacognition leap overwhelmed the whole educational trip as together with my tourism students, we were able to see the other side of Filipino perspective. The processes involved in understanding how this unpretentious and restrained little town has greatly affected tourism and how this cultural sanctuary found its way to the soul of travelers across the globe, made it even more interestingly daunting to attempt discovering what really makes it a destination to behold. With so much more to return to in the future, this scholarly task brought a new meaning to the word Cultural Heritage both for me and my students.

Not so many will attempt to arduously travel to experience an opportunity to learn;

Not so many will have the opportunity to get to know and understand deeper our heritage as Filipinos;

Not so many will finally recognize that we not just a hodge-podge of cultures but a truly unique and one-of-kind culture of our own…

Banaue... A Culture on its Own.
My Banaue Travelogue