Year: 2007

  • 2007: A year of travel

    This has been a pretty good year for traveling. I saw 2007 rolling in while standing atop a pedestrian bridge, looking towards the Melbourne CBD for the New Year’s fireworks. I welcomed it with family amidst a sea of strangers. It felt odd but it also felt right. View from the balcony of the Tahbilk…

  • Excess baggage, overbooking and seat 17G

    I fail at packing lightly. Knowing that I will be flying in a plane full of Filipinos who are no doubts bringing home heaps of pasalubongs, I still tried my luck at having an excess of 5 kilos for my check in luggage. My big luggage had a Twister DVD board game, Lundby Doll House…

  • From Tulla with Love

    In December 27, 2006, I made my first step in Australia at Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport. A year later, I’m back in Tulla, awaiting my flight back to Manila. It’s been quite memorable, these two Australian trips. I was able to live in a different country for almost 6 months. On the first trip, I was…

  • Lonely Planet Travel Journal Winner!

    We were so busy yesterday that I totally forgot to post about the Lonely Planet travel journal winner. gah Congratulations Estan! Breaking that sacred ritual made you a winner. As the judges and I agree, it’s not a travel story unless you commit a cultural faux pax XD A big thanks to Shubert, Karla and…

  • Lonely Planet Travel Journal contest is now closed

    Thank you for all four of you who joined my contest! Who will be the winner? Will it be Shubert and his very detailed account of his tours around the temples of Nagoya, Japan? Or will the prize go to Karla, who spent one sunny day with the butterflies in Hainan, China? Or will it…

  • Day 4: Horsham

    This is the last part of a series of posts about our mini-vacation in the Victorian countryside. After a whole day of driving through a scenic route that takes us from Ballarat through the small town of Ararat and up the Grampians, we finally arrive in Horsham. As you probably know by now (if you’ve…

  • Day 3: Ararat and The Grampians

    This is part 3 of a series of posts about our four-day trip to the Victorian countryside. Leaving Ballarat, we head on to Horsham, through a scenic tour of Ararat and The Grampians. We left Ballarat early. After a quick stop at the bank and stocking up on provisions at the nearest Aldi, we drove…

  • Day 2: Ballarat

    This is the second post in a series about our four-day trip in the Victorian countryside. The trip takes us from Melbourne to Ballarat, from Ballarat to the Grampians then on to Horsham. We woke up fairly early, since my brother-in-law has to be at work by 8:30am. Thanks to Google Maps, the accomodation we…

  • Day 1: Melbourne to Ballarat

    I just got back from a 4-day mini-holiday in the Victorian countryside. My brother-in-law had a teaching job in Ballarat and another in Horsham so he decided to bring the whole family. This is the first post of a series about our trip to Ballarat, The Grampians and Horsham. We started out late, leaving Melbourne…