The same blogger who added me among the Pinoy Travel Bloggers also nominated me to participate in My 7 Links Project .   This brilliant project by Tripbase intends “to unite bloggers from all sectors to share lessons learned and create a bank of long but not forgotten blog posts that deserve to see the light of day again”.  Thank you Marky Ramone Go of Nomadic Experiences  for the nomination.

 

 

MY MOST BEAUTIFUL POST: Reunion with the Sea Pets of Donsol

 

 

 

 

It was by far my most awesome animal experience.  One adventure for the books.  Very first time in late February 2011 and the next one last May.  This 2nd time around, with family. Beautiful animals. Beautiful experience. Beautiful family bonding time which lasted a week,  beginning with this trip to Donsol.  The adventure is forever inked in our memories. And that’s what makes it all the more beautiful.  And if anyone’s about to complain over the many face photos you find in this blog……..eat your heart out!  We love being FAMILY 😉

 

 

MY MOST CONTROVERSIAL POST:  Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar

 

 

 

This beats many a collector’s dream.  I am not sure whether to thank the collector,  to envy him, to condemn him or what.

 

Uprooted from various areas within the country were a small chapel, the entire turn of the century school building, and many ancestral houses to form part of the new “old town” representing Mr. Acuzar’s collections. This development inevitably invited many critics to scream foul, asserting that these historical landmarks are best left and preserved wherever they were. So much furor for the transfer of all these heritage structures to satisfy one man’s dream collection!  At the same time, there were also those who hail the transfer of all these ancestral and historical structures to one area with a good promise that the owner/collector will preserve the structures.  Though a private collection and property,  “Ciudad de Acuzar” is bound to attract a lot of attention, and likely curious visitors.

 

 

MY MOST HELPFUL POST:  Eating Around the Philippines

 

 

 

I have joined, and now moderate, a community of  travel bloggers  from all over the world.  Judging by the blogs written about the Philippines,  I felt compelled to jot down this “food guide” to introduce our local delicacies.   What it accomplished is to get more of my friends from TravelBlog to visit the country and feast on our local cuisine especially the fruits.   Unexpectedly, I also received a lot of mail from Filipino readers whose appetites and happy childhood memories  were stirred just reading this blog.

 

 

A  POST WHOSE SUCCESS SURPRISED ME:  Konya: Mevlana and the Center of Sufism

 

 

 

 

I knew nothing about Sufism till a few months before this trip. The mystique of the dance by the Whirling Dervishes held nothing for me. I may have read , even watched docu-films about them, but none registered. The dance is called “Sema” which has formed part of Turkish culture, custom and history. Sema represents the mystical journey of man’s spiritual ascent by way of maximum and unlimited tolerance, love without regard for race, color or creed.  A kind of spiritual maturity entailing acceptance of ALL religious beliefs.  Now, wouldn’t that philosophy bring peace to our world?  For sure,  this journey gave me a newfound tolerance for other religious philosophies.  

 

 

This post was hailed by TravelBlog as “Blog of the Year 2009”  for Middle East (Writing Category).

 

 

A  POST THAT I FELT DIDN’T GET THE  ATTENTION IT DESERVED:  When Every Prayer Bead Counts in Israel

 

 

 

 

At the time I visited Israel in 1996, I was not a very spiritual person. Perhaps I am still not. But I know that after this visit, I came home a changed person. Still a ‘work in progress’. But one’s got to try.

 

I have said rosaries every now and then before this trip, and I say them almost daily now. And this time, I ‘feel’ every passion in each rosary bead. Covering Israel is very much like saying the rosary every hour every day. The passion of Christ in each and every rosary bead is most felt in this Holy Land. Heretofore I would recite the rosary in an almost mechanical fashion. But now, I can picture the very image of each and every mystery and feel the presence of our Saviour in a most spiritual way.   So YES,  this blog deserves more attention. If not from you,  from ME — as a reminder of the transformation I went through back then.

 

 

MY MOST POPULAR POST: Craving For Bicolano Food?

 

 

 

 

I do not know if my “reputation” precedes me.  I love food.  I love dining out. I grew up with a good appreciation that my good behavior will be rewarded with a nice “edible” treat.

 

And so this blog tops the list in my wordpress blogsite.  My Travelblog Top Post  is obviously about food adventure in some resort town too.  So I am somehow getting this message that I should soon graduate into food blogging.  But then again,  all my travels are never complete without the food adventures.  So whether you like it or not, I’d stick to travel blogging.  🙂

 

 

THE POST THAT I AM  MOST PROUD OF : Same Places Through The Years  

 

 

 

 

This is about my first solo adventure and my very first trip to Europe.  Nerves strung high, anxieties overflowing, I made it to Bradford, England without a hitch.  From there, I wasted no weekend at the height of winter to visit other places then so alien to my eyes and young traveler’s mind.  Little did I know that this journey would stir that wanderlust and forever link me to the rest of the world.

 

This blog was also voted one of TravelBlog’s Best Blog For 2010  in both the Europe writing and the Europe photography sections.  It also earned for me the Hall of Fame Award in TravelBlog, after more than 2 years of blogging.

 

Now, it’s my turn to nominate 5 other travel bloggers for this My 7 Links Project.  Here goes:

 

The Pinay Solo Backpacker    She has no home, sweet home, just pure enjoyment of the world and culture. Nobody to look after her during her trip, nobody that will put barriers to the destinations she is willing to see… Gail is an icon in the blogosphere.  Never afraid to go, wherever her heart takes her. 

 

Flipnomad  His way of traveling kept on changing, from going to the usual resorts  to going to nearby provinces to backpacking. All these opened his eyes to a lot of other cultures and gave him a chance to meet interesting people that have interesting views in life. One trip he made which I plan to do is the one month El Nido trip.  What bliss!

 

The Lost Boy Lloyd A young blogger showing so much promise.  Lloyd looks forward to weekends and school breaks to do more traveling. A prolific blogger, and fast gaining a following from both young and old folks like me.

 

Philippine Travelogue  Another young blogger offering excellent travel tips on where to go, what to do, how to enjoy. Met Brenna by accident in Chinatown, spotted her through the many blogs she’s done which I have read. Very young indeed, and very talented.

 

Lakwatsero  Another icon in the blogosphere.  Angel treks, he climbs, he swims, he dives, he photographs, he writes, and he writes well!  Been following his blogs and enjoying them thoroughly.   The narratives and photographs will keep you entertained, and appropriately educated/informed.