The purpose in life..

It's been a long time since I'm here blogging. Most of the time I just share photos and articles. But this morning. I was reading an article in the newspaper which was talking about how a girl quit her job to travel and find herself. And it got me thinking. 

A little background about the article. This girl's a Uni graduate and came out to work in the corporate world. She got tired of climbing the corporate ladder and wanted to find herself. So she took off to Guatemala for 3 weeks. Hoping to find what she really wanted in life. There she met travellers who are as lost as her and did not know what they wanted to do with their lives either. Until she met a yoga instructor (who is now her boyfriend) and she opened a restaurant there and an agency helping others to look for jobs for Spanish teachers. That was 4 years ago that she left Singapore and she seems to have found her purpose in life. 

What I want to share here is this. If you want to find yourself. You do not need to leave the corporate world. Neither does it guarantee that once you leave and travel you will be able to find yourself. And I strongly disagree with the fact that travellers are lost. I have met and known travellers who know exactly why they are travelling. And travellers who are travelling to find themselves - but not lost. 

I've a full time job and in the corporate world. I face the corporate ladder and dog-eats-dog world every day. But do I know what I want to do with my life? I do. I know that this job I have now allows me to earn enough to continue travelling when I have the time. But it doesn't mean that I lose myself when I stop travelling. 

In the 9 years that I am in this full time job of mine. I travel. I travel to places that I grew up dreaming of. Never thinking they will come true one day. I travel alone. Living by the day.

Travelling opened up my eyes to the places beyond the horizon. It made me come back more appreciative of what I have and taught me things that education did not.

One of the first few places I travelled to alone.. Malacca, Malaysia.

Another one of the first few places I travelled to alone.. Taken at the foot of Mount Phousi, Luang Prabang, Laos. 

I didn't only take the less trodden path. But I splurged once in a while when I went to DisneyLand in Hong Kong. Universal Studios in Osaka. DisneySea in Tokyo. Of course with every splurge it came with a price. But have I ever regretted spending more money than what I brought over? Never. I worked so hard back home. Why shouldn't I treat myself a little better when I'm away?

With Mickey in DisneySea, Tokyo! 

I learnt to appreciate the beauty of Mother Nature. Especially when I started backpacking to The Philippines.

Kids playing on the sand bank in Batanyan Island, Cebu, Philippines. 

A 8 hours banca ride from Coron to El Nido, Philippines. 

Sunrise in Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia.

I made new friends along the way and hung out with them.. Just like a local. =) 

My friend and I sitting on the ledge of a waterfall in Siquijor, Philippines. 

And a family and me rafting away in Bali, Indonesia.

 I went to places that I never even dreamed of sometimes. Learning the ways as I go along. 

On top of one of the 5 peaks in Mount Hua Shan, Xi'an, China.

Floating down the Yellow River on a pig skin raft, China.

Drinking horse wine - neat - once we got down the bus in Inner Mongolia, China. 

And to fulfill my dream of getting to Tibet. I planned and on a whim. Signed up for the tour and off I went! My first destination that was crossed off my bucket list! 

Beautiful beautiful Lin Zhi, Tibet, China. 

Of course a visit and climb to the Potala Palace is a given! Lhasa, Tibet. 

Another place on my bucket list was to backpack to Sri Lanka. I love the hospitality. The people. The nature. What I didn't really enjoy was the food.. Coz I came back home and swore off Indian food for a good 9 months!

Sunrise from our 'tent' in Madulkele, Kandy, Sri Lanka. Across us was the Knuckles Range. Breathtaking!

Finally seeing the fishermen on stilts in Galle, Sri Lanka!

Just not too long ago. I took a 3 weeks break and went back to the Philippines and decided that after procrastinating for so long. It's time to pick up scuba diving. Never have I accomplished something that I'm so proud of. Till the extent that I'm thinking of doing the divemaster course too!

My Open Water session in Camiguin, Philippines.

Fish feeding in process in Batangas, Philippines.

Heading down into the unknown off White Island in Camiguin, Philippines.

And seeing a white tip reef shark so close while down under in Maldives is the icing on the cake!

I learnt. Through backpacking and staying in hostels. And through driving on road trips. I don't need to leave the corporate world to find my purpose in life. I know what I want and I go for it! 

My travel peeves..

There are many articles out there about what kind of travellers (or rather tourists..) there are. And they always ask the same things.. Asking you which category you fall in. Which type of traveller you are. So I was having dinner with a friend recently and it just struck me that wouldn't it be fun to share what kind of traveller I am? =)

Bathroom picker:

I am icky when it comes to picking accommodation that does not have attached bathrooms. And even more icky if the bathroom comes in olive green. =/ I recently tried a open dorm hostel in Siargao Philippines and after the initial shock. It really was not too bad! Coz it was clean and there was no foul smell. =) But the best (or rather more memorable one that I had was the one in Galle Sri Lanka. Where it was an open bathroom! Hahaha.. Imagine showering in the rain! =D

My bathroom in a hostel!

My outdoor bathroom in Galle! 

My outdoor bathroom in Galle! 

Cheap and good accommodations:

When I mean cheap I really mean cheap. Anything about USD$80 per night is too expensive for me. Especially if I travel alone. My cheapest stay was in the dorm (yes.. That dorm..) for USD$3.50 per night. And my most expensive was a stay in Maldives (well it was my birthday week and I wanted to pamper myself..) and it set be back about USD$150 per night. =D The best deal I had? A villa for USD$40 in Krabi Thailand! Hahaha..  I scourge for my deals by comparing (Agoda. Tripadvisor. Individual websites of the place I wanted to stay in..) and of course booking in advance. I am a solo backpacker but I do not like scrambling for accommodations at the very last minute so it has been a habit that I will always book in advance. =) the headaches it save me is tremendous.

My overwater villa in Maldives!

And the open dorm I had in Siargao!

Street food and cafes:

I am always intrigued by the street food in each place I visit. But thing is. I am very selective on the kind of street food I try. I love fried and grilled insects and so far have tried locusts. Crickets. Grasshoppers. Tarantulas (I know this doesn't count. It's not an insect.. But still.. =P). Scorpions. Tried balut in Philippines but I could not bring myself to swallow the ungrown chick. =/ Worms are not my kinda thing either. Even though I have seen people slurping up tamilok in Philippines too. *horroz*

We were trying grilled golden locusts in Beijing. 

Street food in the cold in Lhasa.

I looked damn happy for some oily/grilled/spicy food!

My favourite tempura when I'm back in Philippines.

And the tamilok that I will never ever ever try! *shudderz*

And I simply love cafes. The smell of the beans.. The aroma of freshly ground coffee. And the decor and atmosphere of most cafes. 

In Malacca!

And another also in Malacca!

Local beers:

And me being me. I love my alcohol. Mainly the beers and ciders. Best when they are served icy cold and either I am alone enjoying the place I am in. Or with my drinking kakis/travellers while we stone and catch up. =)

In Sri Lanka!

And in Phnom Penh.

A must try Cambodian beer!

Water activities:

Sometimes I wonder if I was a fish my in my last lifetime. I could never stay away from water activities for too long. And now that on my last trip 'home' (read: Philippines) I picked up scuba diving. Nothing can keep me away from it for too long. *grinz* Mainly dived in Philippines and Maldives so far. (I only clocked 19 dives since May when I got my license. And next month. I am going for more! Perhaps I can hit 25 before 2014 comes to an end!) I love white water rafting too since my first experience in Bali Indonesia. And went on to do it in Kitulgala Sri Lanka. Cagayan de Oro Philippines is famous for their waters too so I gave it a try too! 

In Maldives.

That's me! =D

In Cagayan de Oro Philippines.

Picky about who I travel with: 

And like everyone else. I have pet peeves too. I dislike travelling with people who cannot sit still and want to pack the whole day with activities. Sometimes when you are at a place where you are keen in. It is annoying when your friend is walking around you looking listless. That feeling sucks. I do not like to travel to places where most people have been. Coz after seeing/reading so much about it. It just takes the thrill out of everything. I like to go where the locals go. Do what the locals do. And I get an experience like none other.

I dislike travelling with people who are super connected to technology. Checking your phone once every hour is too much for me. Even when eating if you can't put down you phone. Then 'Thank you. (Never) see you again.' When I travel alone. I check my phone probably in the early morning when I wake up and after dinner. If not for my job. I would love to stay unconnected totally. (That's for another post.)

I love travelling with people who are super laid back and have no plans. Maybe coz I love to plan for trips. I would ask those friends I love to travel with what they want to see so I can incorporate it into my plans. Other than that. It is free flow for all. =) We wake up when we are ready. Not because we had to rush from place to place. I used to be packing my 7 days back to back with places. usually covering 3 places in a week. But after my trip to Philippines in May. I realized that probably age is catching up and staying put in the same place for 7 days isn't too bad. And that is what I am doing on my next trip 'home'. =)

I love travelling with friends who ain't sticky and enjoys doing and seeing the things I do.

So far me being the picky me. I only have 3 friends good for road trips and 2 friends for backpacking. Of course it can be 'mix and match' in a sense coz I haven't brought those 2 of those 3 road trips friends for backpacking. But we shall see. =)

What kinda traveller are you? =)

Question: why do I travel?

I was juz reading an article of why 'I tendered my resignation without securing the next job. Here's why I don't mind.' (Read the full article here: https://sg.news.yahoo.com/tendered-resignation-without-securing-next-033039932.html) and it evoked some thoughts in me but more related to travel then to work.

So I was wondering why do I travel as much as I do now and the reasons behind it. Initially I started travelling coz it was fun and pure fun. After a while the fun sort of died off and travelling became a journey to find myself. My independence. To detox.

1) To satisfy a craving of chicken rice balls and tako su: A day trip to Malacca with a friend. Along the way we saw super bikes and it juz made my day so much happier (I have a place in my heart for super bikes). After the dinner I was of course even happier. =)  

2) Being rebellious/adventurous.. depending which angle you are looking at: I have no bike license and whenever I mentioned about riding I had a friend who will give me that dead stare. (That was a friend who mattered most to me back then..) So knowing that I will piss him off in some way. I rode in Siquijor without a license and without a map in hand. In which I fell off 4 times off the bike and came home with scratches and bruises and burnt skin.

3) To check off my bucket list: The only place that was on the list for the longest time ever.. Tibet. Roof of the World. I went with an open mind and worried that I may not make it up the Potola Palace. But all my fears were unfounded coz I had the best time of my life. Ever.

4) Meeting new people and making new friends: On a trip to El Nido. I met and befriended a German and a couple from Russia and we are still in contact since. It's wonders how travel can bring people from such diverse background together.

5) Finding myself: Travelling with a friend I've never travelled with before who's also a solo traveller to Boracay. Each trip I embark on. I find a little more about myself and the person I lost touch with ever since I started working.

6) To get away from it all: My trip to Bali in December last year was impromptu and it was something I've never ever done before. I've never travelled on spontaneity and enjoy the process of planning. I went on a whim coz I juz wanted to get away for a little while. Hoping that coming back would bring me a fresh perspective on what is happening and how I could have done differently. But it didn't really work out that way.

7) To seek solace. Peace and inspiration: I went Kandy (Madulkele specifically) and suddenly my Chinese was all the more powerful.. (I was posting on my personal facebook page in Chinese flowery sentences.) Hahaha. The scenery took my breath away. Literally. The sunset and sunrise was awesome and the journey up was worth every single bone shattering moment. I found a peace within me that I haven't had in ages (even though I was travelling with 2 other friends) and that solace I was looking for all this time. Short lived - no doubt - but it was a time that seemed to slow down when I was there and I could breathe more easily.

All of us have different reasons for travelling. So more than others. So lesser. But whatever your reason may be. Have a good one and don't regret doing what you did! There would come a day that you will appreciate the opportunities you took. Travel is priceless. So are the memories that's etched forever.

Of trains and sights..

It's been almost a month since I skipped town for a good week and headed over to a country I wouldn't have considered going alone. But thanks to 2 friends and a random sentence. We headed over to Sri Lanka: Wonder of Asia.

We covered Kandy (Madulkelle). Kitugala. Nuwara Eliya. Yala. Galle and Colombo. But of course to get to Kandy. We had to take the train from Colombo and it was one of the most scenic route thus far.

'Colombo Fort Railway Station: This is the main railway station situated in the heart of Colombo. The building was built and put into operation in 1908. At present, the station consists of 10 platforms and caters 0.2 million passengers daily. It consists of passenger waiting room, changing room (utility rooms) and cafeterias. Station has special arrangements for disabled persons. The main seat reservation counter of the Sri Lanka Railways too is at the Colombo Fort Railway Station.' (Extracted from: http://www.railway.gov.lk/web/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=151%3Aslide-4&catid=48%3Aslideshow&lang=en)

It was a busy station no doubt. And coming from a country where trains were a transport of the yesteryears. It was amazing to see the hustle and bustle of the station and the clockwork precision in which people boarded and alighted the trains. Everyone seemed to know which platform to head to while I was juz soaking up the atmosphere and wishing that I had more chances to take a train.

Something caught my eye along the way..

And this was our train! I guessed us being us we decided to take the best class of the carriage (with air con) since it was gonna be almost 3 hours of train ride and we didn't know what to expect had we taken the other classes. 

Well maintained and clean and comfortable. With power sockets by the side of some seats.. It was really like any other ride. 

So I met a super nice stranger who was seated by the window seat and he got up one point and took long to come back. So I shifted over to his seat and this was what I caught on camera. *heartz*

As the train continued into the countryside and by the edge of the forest. The stranger came back but seeing that I was happily snapping away. He offered to change seats with me for the rest of trip 'It doesn't matter to me where I sit.' Awesome! So I did and captured the rest on my camera. 

I still enjoy travelling by trains compared to planes though the time taken would be longer. And still buses over trains. But these sights were something that would stay with me for a long time to come.