liliram - liliram

Retired early, but still active. Very involved in celebrating life!

I love traveling because I always come back with less cobwebs in my mind. It is as if I empty my mind of all clutter upon departure, and fill it with many happy memories upon arrival. I also like the idea that life is so focused on the present, and my senses are all playing to listen, feel , see, smell and taste everything novel or not so new. The fact that I only have to choose from a limited wardrobe, or use the same pair of shoes throughout my holiday , or work and survive on a single budget make life so much simpler. Sure, you sometimes get a raw deal in a few trips, or feel hassled by flight delays and cancellations, but the joys and simplicity of the present far outweigh the negatives. Oh, btw, I always end up gaining more friends after each trip. Many I kept......

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Ancient Europe 1996
April 26th 1996 -» June 3rd 1996 Spain, Portugal and France 2002
March 18th 2002 -» April 6th 2002 Central and Eastern Europe 2004
August 22nd 2004 -» September 15th 2004 Bonding with Sarah in US of A (2005)
March 11th 2005 -» April 9th 2005 Touring Europe with Shellane 2006
March 21st 2006 -» April 26th 2006 West Coast USA and Alaska 2007
May 16th 2007 -» June 4th 2007 New Year Holiday in Hongkong and Macau 2009
December 31st 2008 -» January 3rd 2009 Turkish and Greek Delights 2009
March 12th 2009 -» April 4th 2009 Meeting Friends and Family in China 2009
April 5th 2009 -» June 1st 2009 Indonesian Holiday 2009
October 20th 2009 -» October 28th 2009

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Joined on: November 15th 2008
Last Login: February 7th 2010

Blog Entries: 74
Photos: 1289
Recommended by 26, Recommends 33

TB Code: [blogger=99705]
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Blogs & Travel Journals

by liliram, order by Date newest first.

By liliram
January 14th 2010

Marooned in an Island in Davao Asia » Philippines » Davao » Samal Island

Pure Luxury: Just Us in this Island

Isla Malipano is an island among several Samal islands, just a 5 minute speedboat ride from the more famous Pearl Farm Resort. But first, you must take the 90 minute flight from Manila to Davao, then the 1 hour boat ride to Samal Island's Pearl Farm. ;-) Morning flights to Davao went as early as 6am, but we opted to take the 10am flight. We landed half an hour before noon and the shuttle took us for a short ride to the Pearl Farm jetty port. We were served a buffet lunch just before taking the boat that will ferry [View Full Entry]

By liliram
January 3rd 2010

Christmas Stars in Boracay Asia » Philippines » Boracay

Welcome, Year 2010!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL! I was hoping to bump into some TravelBloggers in Boracay as there were quite a number of tourists in this lovely island at the same time my family and I stayed to meet the new year. The weather forecast was not very encouraging. A WET new year's weekend, it threatened! But the sun was out and furiously beating down on us when we all arrived in the morning of December 30th for our 5-day holiday here. Must be quite a pleasant change for those guys who flew in from the harsh winter in Europe and [View Full Entry]

By liliram
December 23rd 2009

It's Almost Christmas (2009) Asia » Philippines » Manila

Istanbul, 13 Years After

A couple more nights and it's that time of the year once more. They say one of the longest Christmas Season can be found in this lone Catholic nation in Asia. Filipinos love Christmas and let everyone be warned that in this country, you can hear Christmas carols as early as September. And those Christmas decorations should be up long after Christmas, perhaps till the middle of January. Footloose I started off this year by spending New Year's with the family in Hongkong. Those were all of 4 days of bonding moments , dining galore, and playing tourists. Though we have [View Full Entry]

By liliram
October 27th 2009

Eating Around Indonesia: Bebek, Gudeg, Sambal, Sate Babi, Sop Buntut, Nasi and Ayam Gorem Asia » Indonesia » Bali » Ubud

Indonesian Food

What to eat in Indonesia? Long before we arrived here, we have been familiar with the world-famous Nasi Goreng and Sate Babi. Fried rice and barbecue to most. And then there's the famous sambal that goes with almost anything edible here. There are many places we tried, from high-end to the daily fare , and thought we should do a separate blog on what else, but FOOD! Bebek Bengil A trip to Ubud's rice paddies, art galleries and handicraft shops would not be complete without sampling the very famous, original Bebek Bengil . Those who have been reading my blogs would [View Full Entry]

By liliram
October 25th 2009

Murphy's Law at Work in Bali, Indonesia Asia » Indonesia » Bali » Nusa Dua

Sunset in Tanah Lot

From the temples of Prambanan and Borobudur to the beaches and ricefields of Bali. Dreams of sunrise and sunset photos of Tanah Lot and Uluwatu Temples and other Balinese-inspired architecture. So when our local guide Diwa told me that there may not be enough time to cover all the sites listed in our itinerary in time to catch the sunset at Tanah Lot, I was on a warpath. Well, not exactly. But you can say it did not draw out the best in me. One by one, we checked out the sites only to find that Diwa has included visits to [View Full Entry]

By liliram
October 23rd 2009

Prambanan @High Noon+Ramayana Ballet @ Night Asia » Indonesia » Java » Prambanan

Prambanan Temple Complex

As soon as we landed in Yogyakarta, I received a text message from Paul. The message read: "I guess it is not that difficult to spot a long-haired man with a beard." And it wasn't. Piece of cake. ;-) Paul drove us straight on to the Hindu temple complex in Prambanan . Just before entering the complex, we decided to buy our hats. This is when I remembered I forgot to bring my sunscreen. Oh well, let's hope the hat does the trick. Best sunny than wet. Prambanan Temple This ancient masterpiece is unquestionably the greatest Hindu architectural wonder in all [View Full Entry]

By liliram
October 20th 2009

Underrated Borobudur in Yogyakarta (Java, Indonesia) Asia » Indonesia » Java » Borobudur

Borobudur Temple

We have only seen it in photos. Yet we were not prepared for it. We were not discouraged that one of my friends suffered a leg problem on our first day in Yogyakarta and had to drag her leg while clocking it around the temple as locals do. But it certainly helped that we were with very competent local guides Bellong and Yantong who made sure their Ibu (mother in Bahasa Indonesia) did not miss this highlight of our trip. Awesome Borobudur This 9th century Buddhist temple is enough reason to make this trip to Yogyakarta. Or for that matter, to [View Full Entry]

By liliram
October 9th 2009

Southern Philippines: Davao In Focus Asia » Philippines » Davao

Davao By Day

What to do in Davao? I have made many visits to Davao in the past, and have felt I have run out of things to do. There is the famous Pearl Farm in Samal Island. I would not mind going back again, but surely , there has got to be other things to do. Then there is the Eden Nature Park where I remember fishing with my little Patricia, then aged 3. She caught a small one, yet that was one of her proudest moments then. Having made this 90 minute plane ride from Manila to this part of Southern Philippines, [View Full Entry]

By liliram
October 4th 2009

The Aftermath: Typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana) Leaves Manila In Misery Asia » Philippines » Manila

Flooded Streets

Typhoon Ondoy hit Manila last Saturday, September 26. It has been a week since, but the debris and heartbreaks left by the recent typhoon remain.......just as we braced ourselves for yet another typhoon. The days that followed the September 26 typhoon and flooding in the metropolis were blurred. I am writing this now, as I nurture a bad cold and cough, while cooped inside the house hoping and praying the misery ends. I was thankful that my entire family was fine and kept dry, busy checking on friends and distant relatives , after Mother Nature wreaked havoc on our country's capital. [View Full Entry]

Martin and Patricia Join the Relief Operations

By liliram
August 22nd 2009

Cagayan De Oro in Southern Philippines Asia » Philippines » Cagayan De Oro

A Single Classroom

It's another long weekend. And many have planned for this long weekend. Just slightly more than an hour's plane ride from Manila and Cagayan de Oro City in Mindanao welcomed us. There is work to do, and more.... Cagayan de Oro in Northern Mindanao, but in the southern part of the Philippines Cagayan de Oro looks and smells like another metropolis but there is a provincial touch to the place as people from hotel staff to vendors to the taxi driver seem to have enough time for everyone. There is no rush about how things are done . Perhaps people are [View Full Entry]

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