Life is Beautiful!

“When spring came, even the false spring, there were no problems except where to be happiest. The only thing that could spoil a day was people and if you could keep from making engagements, each day had no limits. People were always the limiters of happiness except for the very few that were as good as spring itself.” ― Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast

DAY 3. I SPENT MY BIRTHDAY LIKE A KID BECAUSE WHY NOT?!

I never knew that I love rollercoasters until recently when my company went to Universal Studio in Singapore and I experienced such intense excitement riding one with my friends. I have a fear of heights and as a teenager I didn’t really enjoy going to theme parks because it’s always crowded and the lines are always too long. So during my Seoul trip, I made it a point to go to one of their most popular theme parks, Everland. When I found out about their wooden roller coaster, I knew I had spend some time there screaming like a kid. The rest of the rides didn't really interest me, I just wanted to ride a rollercoaster during my birthday. Hehe

T-Express is my favorite rollercoaster... so far!

Everland was wonderful, beautiful, and filled with exciting rides for kids and kids at heart. I couldn’t believe myself either; I was going to spend my 31st birthday in a theme park. Lolol. I spent Php 1400 for a full-day pass, 500 pesos for train tickets, 500 pesos for my lunch, and 4 hours of travel (getting lost) back and forth to Gyeonggi Do.
I have my own worries, but I still feel blessed. This trip brought me so much joy. Saeng-il chukahae 생일 축하해 (happy birthday) to me!

Every year during my birthday I would crave to bond with my best friends or family, but this year I knew had to spend it by myself. And so begins my misadventures amid strangers in the underground railway of South Korea.

9:55 AM - Bought breakfast at Cafe Bene Gangnam Station

The plan was: I would grab a bite and go to the shuttle meeting station. I was running at Gangnam train station coffee and bagel in my hands. I already knew I wouldn’t make it in time because there’s no such thing as Filipino time in Seoul. Haha I really didn’t have to run. There was no point. =\

10:10 AM - I emerged in front of the bus station in Gangnam, and of course I WAS LEFT BEHIND BY MY BUS! Lolol =D =D =D

I couldn't really eat my breakfast onboard so that's fine. I decided to just take the subway to Gyeonggi-do province, 1.5 hours away from Seoul. I sat down in one of the benches and gulped down my coffee. I have long day ahead of me.

10:30 AM - Departed from Gangnam to Everline

If you’d ask me how many stops and lane transfers it take to reach Everland, I will not be able to tell you. Everything happened in a blur and I found myself mostly lost and confused during my trip. Haha! I even had to go back to some of the stations because I went down the wrong ones several times. Hehe

I didn’t panic, though, and I never felt scared because the people I encountered during my trip were friendly and super helpful. I think it was one of my favorite parts in my trip: being able to communicate and connect with people from a wonderful country. Thankfully, I have a powerful phone battery and a little bit of Korean knowledge that got me through the whole adventure.

Reaching Everland on my own felt super exciting. It's amazing how efficient and VERY WELL PLANNED Korea’s transportation system is. A lot of young people and students also know how to speak English, so you don’t have to feel shy to ask for directions. More often than not, they will give assistance.

The view from Everline station was beautiful near sundown. It's one of my favorite stations in Korea.

11:45 - Arrival at Everland

Thanks to my Klook booking voucher, I didn't have to line up going in the theme park. In case you want to go to Everland, make sure you book a weekday because the place could get crowded with students and kids. I was by myself so going around the park only took me less than 4 hours.

And because I love extreme rides, I spent almost an hour lining up the T-Express rollercoaster--one of the largest wooden rollercoasters in the world. It was extremely scary but super exhilarating! If it wasn't for the line, I would've tried it several times.

Everland was blooming with tulips, roses, and other spring flowers. The weather was pleasant and I didn’t have to worry about too much sunshine or cold wind. Even with my transport mishap in the morning, I still felt that everything was perfect. I’ve been spending my birthdays for the past five years longing for “something special”. This was the year that I got it. It’s my favorite celebration. Traveling; being free, independent, brave, and carefree in a beautiful land--surrounded by beautiful flowers.

3:30 PM - Departure back to Seoul

By this time I was no longer worried about going back via train. But because I got confused (again) in one of the train stations, I had to ask two university girls how to transfer to my next line. And to my delight, one question led to a long conversation which lasted 6 stops! They were fluent in English so I was able to tell my story of why I was there alone. I was trying to practice some Korean as well and they were delighted to know that I put on effort to learn their tongue. They were also fascinated by the thought of a woman traveling by herself.

I think they were quite inspired to go out of Korea and go the Philippines. Youjin and Doyoung were such friendly girls from Gyeonggi-Do. Thank you for the very nice encounter. It's one that I won’t forget.

Back in Seoul I was contemplating about going to Itaewon to party, but it’s not my style. And I was already feeling accomplished. So I just hurried back to Chungmuro to grab a bite and a drink to cap off my short but lovely day.

When you’re in Korea, you need to try Chimaek (Korean 치맥) short for chicken and beer. BHC is a popular chain in Seoul, and luckily there's one branch near my hostel. So I popped in inside a cozy, youthful resto where university students are catching up and having fun conversations over delicious snack and beer.

I felt alone, but I was famished so I didn't really care much that I'm celebrating my birthday by myself. I’m not a big drinker, but Hoegarden is delicious when coupled with Korean fried chicken. The whole set was almost a thousand pesos but it was totally worth it!

I also ate Katsu Curry that day. Boy, Korea sure knows how to pack the pounds. <3 font="">

Maybe next year I’d probably do something simpler and a lot more meaningful with my family, but this time I knew I deserved this splurge. The only thing I want to maintain is to always feel young and energetic in whatever pursuit that interests me.

Palawan is the best island in the world—that is according to Travel + Leisure magazine in their latest reader poll, ranking 10 of the best islands in the world. Well I haven’t been to any other islands on the list aside from Boracay, but I have to agree that Palawan is indeed a thing of exquisite beauty. I couldn't be any prouder of the serenity and splendor of my country when it comes to nature—particularly bodies of water.

Last week, me and two of my friends went on a weekend getaway to a slightly rainy Coron, Palawan for some beach basking and much to our surprise, non-stop snorkelling!

Coron is a municipality in Busuangga Island, Palawan—this is where you will find a good variety of accommodation for your stay. The town, home to less than 50,000 people, have guest houses, hostels, and 2-3 star hotels that are only minutes away from the market, port and food places.

On day one, we were supposed to climb the Mt. Tapyas peak to get a panoramic view of Coron. Unfortunately, our luggage were delayed for eight hours and it was raining so we really couldn't brave 700 steps going on top of the mountain.

photo from budgetsetter.wordpress.com

A good thing we were able to go to Maquinit Hotspring which is 25 minutes from the town via tricycle. It was already 7:30 PM and pitch black on the way to the hot spring! Super scary but the bumpy trip was worth it! The 40-degree hot water from underground provided some much-needed relaxation for our tired muscles.

Photo courtesy of misteryongpalawan.blogspot.com

Tip: bring some beer and go here during daylight--the view is prettier.

Day 2 and 3 thankfully did not disappoint! It was time to get some more water actions. Our tour was arranged by Calamian travel and tours, with Che and Anthony as our tour guides, proving to us that people from Coron are adorably friendly.

The first stop was Kayangan Lake; the cleanest lake in Asia!

Coron has 13 lakes in total, but only two of them are open to the public and tourists for safety reasons. The Tagbanwa tribe are the only people who can access some of them. And according to our tour guide, some of the lakes are even more majestic than Kayangan and have mysteries and legends attached to them.

Me, and my friends Sarah and Cielo before we got wet for two days straight.

Tip: Don't say no to snorkelling here! Honestly, it's one of the best places on earth to peak underwater.

TIP: Don't bring heavy bags and ideally use a back pack.

This is the iconic Coron view before reaching the Kayangan lake. It's a 10-15 minute hike.

And this mountain range behind me is your very first view before reaching Kayangan lake and the rest of Coron Islands.

Our first taste of white beach was during lunch at Atwayan beach, a short stretch of white sand with nipa huts for lunches and more picture-taking.

Third day's lunch venue was a prettier version of Atwayan beach, and thanks to my memory problems, I forgot to get the name from the tour guide. =/ Boo! We stayed there for two hours and obviously grabbed the opportunity to take too many photos. We were the only group having our lunch there, so why not?

Aside form pristine bodies of waters, Coron is also known for its breath-taking rock formations that will awe you multiple times. Imagine being surrounded by a view like this when you sail from island to island! And these rock formations can also be found underwater!

Tip: Bring an underwater camera to capture the beauty and all the actions underwater!

We also went snorkelling to see the coral reefs at the Sietepicados islets, Barracuda lake (which was magnificent), and a Japanese ship-wreck site.

Unfortunately, we couldn't go to Malcapuya, Coron Bay and Banana Beach because of the unsafe waters that day. But, that's another reason to go back to Coron! Maybe next time I can scuba dive!

If you feel like you need to go to a beautiful place where you can just relax, bask in the sun, eat delicious food, and get carried away by the magical taste and sights of waves and nature, go to Coron, Palawan! Travel is your next best (and positive) distraction.

Until my next destination, xo!

Navigation

SPRING DAY - SPENDING MY BIRTHDAY IN SOUTH KOREA

Coron: A Most Beautiful Distraction