Best Travels in Asia
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Q & A with Idell, my Ultimate Travel Buddy
1. Name three best trips we had together.
Idell said:
a. Vietnam On our 1st trip, it was with your mom & I realized you're one of the best people I've met.
b. Myanmar. Amazing 3 consecutive nights on the bus.
c. Sri Lanka. Where I discovered that I love surfing.
Tre said:
a. Myanmar, the country where I've felt that we're certified and genuine travel buddies through good times, poo times, no shower times, beer times, and no bedtimes.
b. Sri Lanka, where we had an overdosed amount of on-and-off sleep hours due to the long bus stops and train rides.
c. Mt. Kota Kinabalu, our first climb together. We encourage and push each other to reach the top.
2. What is your most favorite trip?
Idell said: Myanmar
Tre said: Myanmar! Apir! ( A Visayan word that means "high five" in the Philippines)
Bonus: and Sri Lanka! This is my blog post so I can add more answers if I want to Ahahaa.
3. Give three unforgettable activities in our travels.
Idell said:
b. Skydive in Bantayan
c. Surfing in Sri Lanka
Tre said:
b. Seaplane in Bintan, Indonesia
c. Waterfall jumping in Hualien, Taiwan
4. Which country would you want to go to again?
Idell said: Taiwan
5. Name all the countries we've been to, according to your favorites.
Idell said: Of course, the Philippines is no. 1. Then Taiwan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Malaysia(KK), Indonesia(Surabaya & Bintan), Thailand(Krabi), and Vietnam.
Tre said:
1. March 2017 - Bagan, Inle Lake, and Yangon in Myanmar
2. July 2017 - Hikkaduwa & Colombo in Sri Lanka
3. April 2016 - Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
4. May 2016 - Krabi, Thailand
5. April 2017 - Benguet and Tarlac in the Philippines
6. October 2017 - Surabaya, Indonesia
7. June 2017 - Bintan, Indonesia
8. January 2016 - Sky Diving, Philippines
9. July 2016 - Hualien and Taipei in Taiwan
10. March 2016 - Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
11. Singapore, where we met and started all our travel plans together.
6. Among the people, we've met in our travels which particular person do you remember most?
Idell said: Katriin Wu. She became our English translator for our river trekking activity in Taiwan.
Tre said: It would be Roland, our mountain guide in Kota Kinabalu. He kept saying “keep going”, "almost there" and "walk in zigzag to protect your knees." He scolded me when I left my bag on top of the mountain; I foolishly did that so I could reach the summit easily. We all laughed about what I did all day long; even now when I talked about it I can still feel the tickles in my stomach.
7. What are the three funniest moments we had together?
Idell said:
a. Water rafting activity in Thailand. I enjoyed the activity so much that I forgot to wear my slippers and left the place barefooted.
b. When we were waiting for the train in Taiwan, going to Hualien, we were very early on the platform, sitting on the bench, waiting for the exact train, and when the train was fast approaching we didn't know which door to get to in. Then we were running and rushing to the door last minute.
c. A night before our Mt. Pulag hike, we were inside the tent before going to sleep, you took pictures and videos for us then suddenly nonsense things happened! That was crazy. We laughed so much that you almost cried. I still have the video, Do you want it?
a. Mt. Pulag climb in the Philippines. We were inside the tent with our flashlight on. You tried to scare me by turning off the flashlight as I took a video of us goofing around. I was screaming for you to stop because it gave both of us goosebumps. We laughed ourselves to sleep.
b. Taipei, Taiwan. We were tired yet we planned to go to church that day. Both of us woke up early but no one stood up. It was an automatic response that both of us were not going. We talked about it late that day and we both laughed because no one dared to say a thing that morning.
c. Mt. Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. You can't stop talking and laughing about me leaving my bag during the climb while I try to make my way to the summit. I can't believe I did that, it was an impulsive thing to do. Walking for hours plus the weight of my bag which wasn’t that heavy felt like a burden, so I dropped it off without thinking.
Bonus:
d. Krabi, Thailand. Jenga time! It was our first time playing Jenga in our guesthouse. You tried different kinds of tactics to distract me.
e. Hikkaduwa, Sri Lanka. The untrailed hikes, long strenuous travel time, and food deprivation. Due to the long rides of commuting, we had no time to have a good meal. We were laughing like mad people for feeling so hungry the whole trip. Our plans for doing a sunrise hike always ended up with a sunset hike.
8. Which trait that I possess irritates you during our travels?
Idell said: I can't remember any.
Tre said: You have the power to put yourself to sleep anywhere and anytime you want to. I always have to wait for you to wake up during those long bus rides and train stops.
9. Most delicious cuisine or dish you've tried on our trips?
Idell said: Grilled Snails in Taiwan.
10. Which country did we get lost more often?
Idell said: Taiwan?
Tre said: Taiwan!
11. What's the scariest thing we did in all our travels?
Idell said: The Hike in Mt. Kinabalu where I thought I won't make it but you and Kath helped me out.
Tre said: Ijen Crater hikes at night in Surabaya, Indonesia. One slip and we're dead meat. It was pitch black and the smell of sulfur was everywhere.
12. What's your most favorite beach?
Idell said: Bantayan Island in Cebu, Philippines
Tre said: The two islands are connected by a sandbar creating a path in between them during low tides in Krabi, Thailand.
13. Which country taught you a significant lesson about life?
Idell said: Indonesia, particularly in Ijen. Remember, the miners? We are so blessed yet we complain a lot.
Tre said: The porters in Mt. Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. During our climb, my bag is packed with food, water, first aid, and my DSLR camera. It wasn't that heavy but walking for hours felt like carrying three sacks of rice. The steep climb made it even worse. However, it was nothing compared to the mountain porters who carry fresh supplies to the cabins every day. One happy porter carried a mattress at his back for goodness sake. I've realized how the human mind can withstand any kind of challenge with perseverance.
Bonus: Agreed, the Ijen Crater Hike for sure. There was an accident when we did our night hike. A tourist was in the way for one miner; he lost his balance and dropped the whole sulfur stone on his foot. The path was just enough for a miner to get through, we were such a nuisance for them there. I can't imagine the weight of that stone; he wasn't even wearing a mask. All he had was some piece of cloth around his back and a rope to keep the stone in place. What made it worse is that they're paid so much less for that kind of dangerous job they have. It opened my eyes to the complexity of life.
14. Most magical experience?
Idell said: Skydive. I never dreamed of jumping on the plane my whole life until we did it.
Tre said: Night snorkeling in Krabi, Thailand. It was swimming with the plankton night snorkeling. Our boat stayed still in one spot as we wore our goggles with nervous smiles. As all the lights went off, we swam in the dark waters. Idell and I held each other’s hands. We floated effortlessly, and as we moved our arms, a flicker of blue lights shone on the water below. It was like swimming in a black sky with blue shining stars. Wow!
Bonus: Having tea in the mountains of Taiwan. Something about tea and the mountains made me really magical. It was like a glimpse of a monk's life with his everyday life.
15. Which part of our travels that you consider the most unbelievable experience?
Idell said: Myanmar. 3 homeless nights.
Tre said: Skydiving in the Philippines. I can't imagine we did that. I knew we could and we did but that was just an unbelievable experience.
16. Cite five life-threatening activities we've done.
Idell said:
a. Skydiving
b. First major hike in Kota Kinabalu
c. Joining a marathon without enough preparation
d. Completing the 42km run in Bedok, Singapore in 1 day which is supposed to be a 3-day run
e. Getting lost in Ximending, Taiwan in the middle of the night
e. Getting lost in Ximending, Taiwan in the middle of the night
Tre said:
a. The night hike in Ijen Crater, Indonesia. Imagine hiking at dawn when it’s still dark, and cold, and climbing boulders to cross a treacherous winding rocky path to an active volcano.
b. Mt. Kota Kinabalu Summit climb. We didn't have enough sleep, prone to altitude sickness, and losing our balance meant goodbye world.
c. Hiking in Sri Lanka. No hiking trails. Nobody knew where we were.
d. Changing accommodations in Sri Lanka. We didn't know that guy who offered his guesthouse but go with it anyway.
e. Night bus rides in Sri Lanka. We were in the backseat, the road was bad and the long ride was just sickening especially without having food for hours.
Idell said: Being left on a scheduled trip after our seaplane adventure. Remember, Bintan, Indonesia?
Tre said: I remember that! Ahahaa Mine would be having to control my poop and pee in Myanmar because we literally lived on the bus for days.
Idell said: Bus from Bagan to Inle Lake, can't imagine if we didn't have any seatbelt.
Tre said: Motorcycle ride to Ijen Crater in Indonesia. No helmet. Pitch Black. No road reflector lights. I fell asleep for 5-10 seconds.
19. What's the most memorable bus or train ride in all our travels?
Idell said: Sri Lanka, of course! Ahahah I almost slept in the entire 10-hr trip.
Tre said: Sri Lanka! The trains went up to the mountains and you can see all the trees and farmlands on the horizon. These are old trains that bring a nostalgic feeling of the past. Some doors are even open where you can sit on the edge, feel the breeze, and just be amazed by the sound of the train against the rustic train tracks.
20. We are living both in different countries now, where do we plan to meet up for our next destination?
Idell said: You’re the best person to travel with to Nepal.
Tre said: Nepal it is! Amen to that Dellata, you're always the best! Then China, Australia, the US, and Europe eh?! Cheers Dell! Missyah!
Have fun and be safe ^__^
Do you want more adventure?
Here is a Compilation of all my thrilling escapades over the past few years. Perhaps it's time to revisit your own bucket list and make some progress towards achieving your goals.
Where am I going next?
My next adventure is to Los Angeles, California and I have here a survival guide on how to go around the city.
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