A tale of two Vietnams

Last November 2017, I was in Hanoi and Cat Ba island in the province of Hai Phong. I have always wanted to write about my time there, but (insert excuses here). Life happened, but fret not this time because I’m making sure I’m going to make time to write something about Vietnam.

Hanoi’s Old Quarter

Through the waters of Cat Ba Island

On October 12, 2018 I flew to Ho Chi Minh City. To say I loved Vietnam seems like cliche, but I will say that it is one place that’s always been interesting for me. I suppose it’s the romantic in me. Maybe it’s the melodramatic Venus that’s always looking for something to be teary-eyed about. I’ll give you a short background.

Malapascua, take me back!

After having my fill of Cebu City, I was ready to take the bus and head way up north to see Malapascua. I’ve heard a lot of things about the place, especially the thresher sharks. Oblivious of what I may find, the first thing I saw when I reached Malapascua was the coast lined with small houses. From afar it definitely looked like any small Philippine village. At 4 in the afternoon it looked sleepy, with the seawater receding gently and not long after the light would slowly turn warm.

First glimpse of Malapascua

Queen City of the South

My first visit to Cebu wasn’t really a vacation, so I promised myself to come back. The first time I was there, traffic was so horrible because it was Christmas and I felt kind of miserable when I unexpectedly got stuck there for Christmas Eve. I knew all my friends who came to visit Cebu City had a nice time being there and I really wanted to feel that. I didn’t want to be able to remember Cebu City as the place where Colon street was horribly crowded with gift shoppers or be reminded of my frustrations as I walked from pier to pier looking for a boat home. This time around I was bent on experiencing the city.
Nicknamed as the Queen City of the South, Cebu City is the second most populous city in the Philippines after Metro Manila. Yet beyond this endearing title, Cebu city is a historical place that awakened the nerdy side of me. It is more than just the buildings and the streets; it whispers of the scorched soil of 1521 underneath the cemented roads, and the ruined church of Parian whose remains are now dusts scattered in history.

Tagaytay Hits

Tagaytay is such a well known place, so famous that I never really was so interested in going there. I’ve passed by it a few times during bus rides to Batangas, and I always thought the glances I get of Taal Volcano was already enough. This time however, I went mainstream hence I have a touristy picture of Taal Volcano, yay!! 🙂

Anilao – a breather from Manila

When clinical clerkship duties already feel overwhelming, I close my eyes and imagine the sea. I remember the sound of the waves, the cool breeze in contrast with the bright warm rays of the sun, the sharp broken pieces of dead corals battered and eventually ground to powder form, and the varying shades of blue created by the water and the horizon as it meets the sky.

Picture Perfect Nagsasa Cove

Three years ago I and three other friends first visited a place so picturesque it felt like looking at a life-sized postcard. The water was so clear, as though percolating through hundreds and hundreds of rocks and pebbles had given rise to such purity.

Mindanao’s Hidden Treasures

I have always been on a lookout for water wonders, the kind where the sea is a clear turqoise blue shade and brimming with living creatures but at the same time not tourist-laden. In the Philippines, it is impossible not to find one.

There are a lot more beautiful places in this country than what we already know of. There is Boracay, El Nido, Anilao, Malapascua, and Coron – all these places have already found their way into so many blogs by backpackers and adventurers. No one will contest to their awe-inspiring beauty, but beyond these there exists unspoiled beauty.