Mijo and I were back in Thailand in the later part of November because we got an invite from one of our friends in San Francisco to come visit them in Amphawa and Loy Krathong or Festival of Lights. I've never seen anything like it. Mijo and I had so much fun.
Follow me on my tour of Amphawa and the celebration of Festival of Lights or more known as Loy Krathong...
We found an online package tour in Guatemala that fell on the Labor Day day weekend and the best of all - it was on sale. We were not planning to go anywhere until we saw that ad.
At first, Mijo and I were dreading being hauled from city to city on a tour bus with other tourists. Not only that proved to be the best option when you don't have a lot of time traveling, we also got lucky that our tour guides are very knowledgeable and tour group was a happy bunch!
Follow me on our five-day trip to Guatemala...
Molto Bene! This is my canned answer whenever someone asks me how was my birthday trip to Florence.
Six years ago, Mijo suggested we spend my birthday in Rome. We enjoyed it so much that we promised we'll do it again when we get a chance. For my birthday this year, we thought of going to Florence. And what a birthday trip it was! Just like Rome, Florence or Firenze in Italian, is dotted with churches, arts, plazas, cafes and antiquities. I couldn't even tell you my Top 3 favorites because I have so many and I don't even know where to begin.
I was allowed at work to take a month off so that I can take care of my personal business and spend time with mom and siblings during the Holidays. That is why when I took my time off for a month, I savored every minute of my trips to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Manila and the island of Cebu. Everything was a novelty to me.
Mijo wanted to go away for Memorial Day long weekend because he is starting on a new job the following week in the same company. For this trip, we wanted a quick but relaxing vacation. Would you believe that we both thought of Vegas? We did our research and we found out that one can definitely relax in Vegas. Sight-seeing? I've done this during the few times I've been to Vegas. Casino and gambling? It gets tiring and they're all alike. If you've seen one, you probably do not need to see the rest. Plus I only enjoy the slot machines and my black jack skills are so-so. Shopping? I wish! It is more like window shopping. Buffets? Well, maybe. Shows? Definitely... not Celine Dion.
The rain and the cold weather in Northern California made us yearn for a warm weather vacation. My list is simple and short: nothing expensive, somewhere close by and having a tropical weather. We narrowed down our choices to three - Central America, Hawaii or Miami. When the unanimous choice was Central America, the first thing that popped out of my mind was El Salvador.
The sunshine was glorious in Victoria Lakes when we stepped out of the car. Almost instantly, Mijo started sneezing and my eyes got itchy and red. We didn't realize that it was springtime in Southern Australia . This means allergy season! No wonder everything was in bloom? This was the start of a vacation filled with sunshine. It didn't rain the whole time we were in Melbourne. This Filipino guy was a happy camper!
The city center is accessible by train from the airport. We had originally planned hailing a cab to the hotel but we took the train on the last minute. I don't remember why. Though it was a brief 10 minute, uneventful ride, it was already a Sydney experience in itself.
