#adventuresofrie

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Quick antipolo ride yesterday. Ride sana ulit today kaso 2 days na nagba-bike si jowa and pagod na daw siya. Hahaha. Actually napagod din ako, masyado kasi kami nagpabibo kahapon. May isang segment pa nag unahan kami kaso hindi niya ako naabutan, dapat kasi recovery ride lang niya kahapon since nag bike na siya nung Saturday. Hahaha. Kaya ayun medyo laspag nadin. Dami kong personal record sa strava for that ride kahapon. Tinry ko pa kasi bilisan yung pa-akyat ng valley golf and cloud9 to see if may ibibilis pa ako. And ayun ang dami kong improvements. And may favorite segment ako dun sa may cavaliers banda iniisprintan ko na. Kaya ko pa palang bilisan, pero syempre 'di yun ubra pag long rides na dun yung daan. Okay lang mag time trial pag dun lang talaga punta namin. First time ko rin gamitin yung helmet na regalo ni aleck sakin last week. And sinuot ko rin yun bago kong jersey.

Binisita narin pala namin yung future subdivision namin. Yung house sa photo is just a model house. 'Di pa kasi tinatayo yung samin kasi may mga inaayos pang papers and medyo nadelay gawa nung nag lock down nitong May. Pero hopefully by July masimulan na siya. Medyo namo-mroblema lang kami sa daan kasi sa totoo lang ang tarik papunta samin. Hahaha. Umaabot ng 25% gradient!! Sa totoo lang tinulak ko bike ko halfway paakyat kasi natatakot ako tsaka 'di ko kaya. E si aleck kayang kaya niya. Nung nag purchase kasi kami ng house last year 'di pa kami as in into cycling nun. Malapit sa pinto art museum yung subdivision namin and medyo exclusive siya. Pero okay yung location, malapit sa highway, may nearby hospitals, food chains, grocery and malls. Yung daan lang talaga lusong at ahon. So ngayon namomroblema kami pano kami mag ba-bike pag dun na kami nakatira. Hahaha. Mangyayari talaga is isasakay muna sa car yung bike tas park nearby then dun na starting point. Di pwede start mismo sa bahay namin kasi baka dun palang laspag na sa sobrang tindi ng ahon. Hahaha.

Yung cycling kasi hindi nalang siya weekend hobby for us. It's part of our lifestyle. My bf was the one who actually encouraged me to have an active and healthy lifestyle. Sobrang health conscious kasi yun, ayaw niya ng lagi nakaupo lang or nakahiga. Kailangan may activity or movement talaga. Pre-pandemic sobrang sipag nun mag gym as in almost everyday. Tapos umiinom pa ng mga supplements. Sabi nga niya yung cycling is something na gagawin namin hanggang tumanda. Even his dad kasi nasa 50s na pero grabe sobrang lakas parin pumadyak. Dati ayaw ko mag labas ng pera for a bike pero yun nga investment narin kasi namin siya. 'Di lumilipas isang linggo na hindi kami nakaka-bike.

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First part of my Bali trip is now up on the blog :-) 

Haven’t posted in my wordpress account in a while, so I’m just gonna link it here :-) 

Click here to read more about it.

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Last Saturday, I went on my first hiking trip with my officemates. Yhen was the one who organized the trip and contacted our guide for our hike. One of my goals this year and is on my bucket list is to be able to climb a mountain which I’ve never done before. So I was really excited for this one. 

“One of the popular destinations in Rizal, Mt. Binacayan just like its neighboring mountains is known for its limestone formation with a magnificent view of Sierra Madre and Rizal province from the peak. For those who want to experience something new, Mt. Binacayan has minor bouldering parts which makes this destination challenging for some beginners. Along the trail, you can see different rock formations, and at the top you can catch the magnificent sea of clouds as the sun rises over the town in the morning.” - trailadventours.com

Mountain: Mt. Binacayan Difficulty: 4/10 Location: Rodriguez, Rizal

Going up was very steep and rocky therefore gloves are needed. You can buy at the baranggay for 40-60php depending on what type of gloves you'll buy. Raincoats and other type of protections are also available. We didn't really take much breaks in between, our guide said usually it takes 2-3 hours depending on your groups pacing. We immediately headed to the summit first as there were a lot of hikers that day and they were trying to divide the groups in different trails to avoid delays. The other groups proceeded to the viewing deck first.

View from the Summit and viewing decks. It was really breath taking up there. It felt so great being up above and seeing the wonderful view.

We were actually suppose to go on a twin hike and climb another mountain which is Mt. Pamitinan but most of us were beginners and our legs won't be able to make it. Lol. I didn't really feel it at first but when we took a long break at started to descent that's when my knees started to ache. But it was really great adventure overall. Would definitely climb again.

Itinerary: 0300 Take a van from Cubao bound to Rodriguez, Rizal 0400 ETA Rodriguez, Rizal; take a tryke to Brgy. Wawa 0430 ETA Brg. Wawa; register to baranggay 0500 Start trek 0800 ETA Summit 1000 Start Descent 1200 Back at Brgy. Wawa

Expenses: Van from Cubao to Rizal - 50php/head Tricycle from Rizal to Brgy. Wawa -20php/head Registration Fee - 30php/head Guide Fee - 100php/head (good for 7 persons)

Things to bring:

Water Trail Mix / Light Snacks Towel / Extra Shirt Headlamps / Flashlights

Guide Contact Person: Kuya Ogie - +63 947386778

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Surfed for an hour and a half. My instructor said I did pretty good for a first timer. I was able to stand up the first try. Only rented the board for an hour but I ended up extending 30 more mins because I enjoyed so much. Maaan, it was so much fun!! If my body's not too sore tomorrow I'll prolly catch some more waves 🌊

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7 hours in the bus and I finally made it to La Union (was expecting a 5 hour ride but the bus had a lot of stopovers). Staying in at Charlie’s Hangar Surf and Hostel. ❤️

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Went for a morning birthday surf and spent 2 hours in the water. My body’s still sore from yesterday but idc hahaha excuse my face for I was so tired after. My instructor already taught me to catch my own waves without him having to push my board and I had to paddle my arms off! Lol hahaha. Ahhh i’m not ready to go back to Manila just yet :(

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Dubai and Moscow from up above. No plans yet for Feb and March although some of my friends have been messaging and inviting me to go back to LU or Zambales but just for an overnight trip. But might go to Baguio on CNY holiday. I’m really excited for April though cos I’ll be heading to Thailand with my aunt and some of her friends (it will be my 6th country already) and then Cebu on May with my mom cos it’s their hs reunion and I volunteered to pay for all her expenses (bought her a plane ticket as a surprise). 

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When you're comfortable enough to eat and drink alone. Night 1 of my Elyu trip. Spoiling myself with good food tonight. I've had too much sangria for tonight but I guess I'll be sleeping tight. Hahaha. Ang sarap sa tenga ng beach waves nakaka-antok lalo huhuhu I wish to live near the beach in the future.

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Since last year, I’ve already been planning out on where to go and what to doon my birthday. As you guys know, I went on a beach trip last weekend (January 6-8) in La Union for my 24th birthday in which I already posted some photos here. I’ll be sharing with you guys some more details regarding this trip incase you'd want to take a visit or plan to spend your vacation in La Union in the future. In this blog, you’ll find a guide on how to get there, fares, where to stay, and expenses. I’ll be having a separate post for the places you can eat around La Union.

I don’t really know much about La Union aside from the fact that it’s the surfing capital of the Philippines. It was my first time to go there and just relied on google and maps in locating places. Also read a lot of blogs before this trip so I know my how to’s and must try places. Find more about this trip by reading the whole post :-)

How to get there:

1. Ride a bus going to Vigan/Laoag. (Partas Cubao and Pasay is the best option as per other bloggers as well, they said there’s a direct bus going to La Union but I wasn’t able to find one lol. It took me almost 7 hours to get there due to stop overs. I saw that you can book a direct ticket through this website. One way fare is 449php)

2. Drop off in San Juan (the driver might ask you where in San Juan, depends on where you’ll be staying but I did drop off at San Juan Surf Resort. If you don’t wanna walk, there’s a tricycle terminal nearby at 40php if you’re solo and 10php per head if 3-4 persons)

Our bus left at 6am and I think there’s an hour interval per bus (not quite sure tho). We had about 3 stopovers I think that’s why I found the trip long. But they say usually it’s just around 4-6 hours. I arrived at my hostel around 12:30pm.

Where to stay:

CHARLIE’S SURF & HANGAR HOSTEL

I was originally supposed to book my stay at Flotsam and Jetsam Hostel. However, there’s no available room in the dorm type that I wanted for January 6 and I didn’t want to change hostel. Luckily, I found this newly opened hostel called Charlie’s surf and hangar. I was chatting with my surfing instructor and he told me he was teaching one of the owner’s daughter of that hostel and told me they were a family of pilots. So maybe that’s the story behind their interior. It was so cool seeing this big plane (which you can actually enter inside).

I booked for the 8-bed dorm for 750php each night. It’s air-conditioned and shared by both males and females. They keys were electronic which you can tap at the doors for you to enter. They will also provide you keys for the locker and like a storage area where you can leave your gadgets while charging. They do have common bathrooms (separate male and female) and a lounge area with the seaside view. Each room has a veranda where you can hang your wet clothes. Aside from the 8-bed dorm, they also have a 4 and 6-bed dorm priced at 850php and 950php per night. There’s no free breakfast though unlike other hostels. If you want a cheap place to stay I would definitely recommend this place. It’s very neat, clean and a relaxing place to stay. 

What to do:

One thing you shouldn’t miss doing in La Union is to go surfing. 

San Juan Surf School (own by famous surfer Luke Landrigan) offers surfing lessons for 400php inclusive of the board rent and instructor per hour. If you already know how to surf, their surf boards are available for rent at 200php per hour. They teach you the parts of the board and the basic positions and how to’s of surfing. Aside from surfing they also have paddle board, skim board, and kayak that you can rent. My instructor, Kuya Joel told me that some people where asking them why their quite expensive compared if you go surfing in Zambales or other areas. The reason behind it is that their instructors have permits and they undergo training. I went surfing on my 2nd day for 1 hour and a half and another 2 hours on my 3rd day. It was so addicting. Although my arms hurts from paddling. 

Overall, it was really great experience. I’ll definitely come back here. I still have a lot of things on my list that I wasn’t really able to try. I wanna go trekking to Tangadan falls next time and go cliff jumping. There’s just so much to explore in the beautiful place of La Union. By the way, sorry if I only have a few photos. Lol. I didn’t really take a lot of pictures and just enjoyed the moment. And most of my photos are food photos. Hahaha. Lol. Watch out for my next post! :-)

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Hello, I made it to Boracay alone and the hostel is so pretty!!

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I haven’t really posted that much about my trip to Boracay. But here are some snaps I’ve taken during my vacation.

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Last day in Moscow today and I seriously cannot wait to blog about it. Everything has been amazing 💓

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September has been by far one of the most amazing months I’ve had this year. I still can’t believe that I was able to conquer my third country and continent for the year. Everything still feels a bit surreal. A week has already passed and I’m still on high about this trip. This has got to be one of the most memorable trips ever. I never really thought that life could be so much more exciting and that I would get to experience things like this because of my work.

My trip to Russia has been such a delight. I’ve learned so much from this trip. To be able to attend that seminar was so inspiring knowing that I’m learning from the best of the best. And having to meet them was such a wonderful experience. I’m just so grateful for having been given this chance. I didn’t really expect it. I just do my work the very best that I can and didn’t know I could be rewarded with this kind of thing.

And yes, this time I didn’t go on a trip just for leisure. It was actually for a business trip. I went to attend a seminar in Moscow, Russia together with our president, vice president, and assistant vice president. I really don’t know what good have I done to deserve such thing. But nonetheless, I’m still thankful for the opportunity given to me. I cannot fully disclose the information to you guys but I’m gonna try to write about my experience about the trip.

Day 1

I don’t really have much photos on the day we arrived. There was just some sort of a welcome dinner. It’s like a cocktail dinner and you just get to meet the other representatives and do a little chit chat. I had wine and what they call a Moscow mule which was good by the way. It had some ginger in it, lemon juice and vodka. I immediately went to bed after the event because I was having a terrible headache due to jet lag. Our room was super cool by the way! The tv was inside the mirror or idk. Hahaha. Super futuristic shit.

Day 2

First day of the seminar. I woke up at around 6 because breakfast was at 7 and the seminar starts at 8. I had some Egg’s Benedict and some cappuccino to start the day. There was also a breakfast buffet which was one of the things I always look forward to because of the different types cheese, cold cuts, and assorted fish. The seminar was from 8am-5pm and I have learned so much. Lunch was served while the seminar is on going. There were different snacks too being served every now and then. Dinner was super entertaining! We ate at Yar Restaurant. It’s a theatre like restaurant and there were many performances. Russian dance, aerial show, hoola hoop act, etc. Food was lovely! I really loved that arugula salad with shrimps plus the chicken kiev was a bomb. I wasn’t able to finish my dessert though because I was so full already.

Day 3

The seminar continues for a full day again. I have learned so much during that 2 day seminar in all honesty. I was really excited to get back to work because of all the ideas I had in my head. And as the seminar ends, we had this awards night for dinner. We headed over to Genatsvale who serves Georgian food. Everything was super good and I was really overwhelmed with the amount of food on the table which they replenish from time to time. We also won the Homer awards for the overall best licensee. So yay!

Day 4

This day was allotted for a factory visit. And due to confidentiality I won’t be able to share any information or show photos of it. So anyway, after the tour we then headed to Kaluga for lunch. It was raining that day and was super cold and windy. The view was incredible though. And again, my most awaited part was the dinner which was super fabulous. We had dinner in a boat via Flotilla Radisson Royal River Cruise. The view was super amazing and breath-taking. Moscow is so beautiful even at night. I didn’t really eat much because I was still full from lunch.

Day 5

On our last day, they have arrange a tour in Kremlin for us. Walking through the streets of Moscow was fun. I really love their architectural structures and the history behind it. Everything was so beautiful. The churches, the museums, the parks--everything! It was only a half day tour but educational. We had our lunch at Cafe Pushkin afterwards and then went a little shopping and strolling before going to the airport.

Going to this trip didn’t really feel like work at all. I’m so grateful for having been given this opportunity and once in a lifetime experience. I was learning and having fun at the same time. It was indeed a memorable trip that I’ll forever treasure.

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I just got back from my Boracay trip yesterday morning. As some of you may know, I went on this trip alone. My college friend was suppose to join me on this trip but something came up and she was not able to make it to our flight and only told me the night before. I actually had hesitations wether to still push through with the trip or not. But I knew deep inside I really wanted to go even if I'm alone.

I had a lot of firsts this year and this trip has made it to the list. It was my first time riding a plane solo, with no friends or any company of some sort. It was a little nerve-racking to be honest. It's not my first time to ride a plane but it feels different when you don't know anyone. Good thing it was just an hour ride so I was able to survive it.

This is also not the first time that I traveled solo outside Manila but technically, its the farthest I've ever been by myself. And its not just an overnight but a 4-day trip to be exact. I don't really have troubles in traveling alone because I always do research prior my trip. Plus there's always google to help me out and it doesn't hurt to ask incase you're lost.

I always tell my friends that they should try traveling alone even just once in their life. I swear, its a life changing experience for me. It also gave me the chance to reflect in life and realize a lot of things. Surprisingly, you'll also get to discover more about yourself.  Its funny though because I can travel alone but still lack courage when it comes to socializing and talking to other people. I'm trying my best though, and going on solo trip helps me enhance my social skills and be less awkward. Its also challenging at the same time which I love. It's like a game of survival.

I have no regrets on going in this trip even though I went  there by myself because I was really never alone. My high school friend was there so we were able to meet up, I guy from my hostel approached me and started a conversation. I got to meet new people and gained friends from Boracay Pub Crawl. Also, it doesn't make you a loner or an emo kid just because you travel alone. I'm just really making the most out of my early 20s. Its the time to be selfish they say. I'm just trying live life and do things while I'm still young and while I can.

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Off to my 3rd country and continent for the year. ✈️

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This photo is giving me that Palm Dreams feels. Lol. Missing South Africa tho. It’s been almost 3 months since that trip and up to now I’m still obsessing with my photos.