Share your unforgettable travel stories

Food & Travel
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I’ll start!

Muntik na akong ma-“taken” sa Morocco.

Pupunta kasi kami ng friend ko sa Chefchaouen by bus pero di namin naabutan. May lumapit samin na taxi driver na nagsabi na mura lang daw then hatid sundo kami. Pumayag kami pero pinapunta pa kami sa isang malayong restaurant at dun daw kami maghintay ng taxi. Akala namin nasa labas lang ng bus station. So ayun kinutuban na kami na may mali kaya tumakas kami, umalis kami sa resto at nagtago, tumakbo (as in parang action film).

Ang ending nakahanap rin kami ng legit na tour sa isang hotel at na-enjoy ang Blue City. Ilang beses rin kami nascam sa Morocco kaya di ko siya nirerecommend puntahan kung solo lang. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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My solo trip three years ago. Went to Berlin, Potsdam, Nuremberg, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Rome, and Florence in September of 2017. I try to travel alone every year because it feels liberating. Sometimes it’s scary, foolish even, but it’s one of the things that truly make me feel alive.

I love reading maps and figuring out public transportation on my own, watching people and imagining their stories while waiting at the airport, subway, bus terminals. My favorite is the high speed trains in Europe (lower carbon footprint and more scenic routes).

I was on the last leg of my EU trip. I took a budget flight from Budapest to Rome, checked-in at the hotel, and for the next three days, I would go to Rome Termini Train Station and randomly choose where to go next.

Getting lost is actually one of the most amazing experiences I look forward to when travelling solo. It makes me become a better problem-solver, more creative and resourceful, and it’s the best way to meet the world.

I remember texting @mimi and @karl because they were also in Italy at the time and I was hoping to see them in Rome before they fly back to Manila. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to meet because I was already on my way to Florence on the day they were supposed to leave.

On my third day in Rome, it was drizzling but I didn’t want to waste the day so I borrowed an umbrella from the hotel and decided to walk from Rome to Vatican. It was just a little over 5kms and I wanted to get some gelato on the way. I did find a gelateria ten minutes from the hotel and it was glorious. I was feeling ecstatic finding my gelato and hopeful that the rain would eventually stop so I can go to Venice.

And then in between gelato licks, I got the text message. It says my best friend @tourniquet has passed away. I was extremely happy then extremely sad, all in five minutes. As if it wasn’t surreal enough, it started pouring heavily. I cried in the rain while walking all the way to the Vatican.

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I missed a connecting flight - three business trips in a row. You kind of realize that as you get older, you’re not as spry as you used to be.

Well, one of those connecting flights, I missed it because I wanted Sungei Road laksa. Worth it. Have not had as good laksa since.

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Oh @finn :comfort:
I remember that trip. Sayang nga we didn’t get to meet up then.

@lastboyonearth haha, what a reason to miss a flight! But I would understand, laksa is :heartpump:

@BeachPatrol ang scary!

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Try 328 Katong Laksa. My ultimate favorite laksa. So simple, yet so complex. :yummy:

I’ve missed a few flights too due to various reasons (e.g. traffic, bad weather, love, etc). Also experienced several instances of delayed flights due to technical issues including a few emergency landings in HK, Taipei, LAX. They provide full board and lodging but it can be a nightmare if schedule is tight.

Most recent adventure was the family trip in HK during the local protests. We were a group of 10 with Senior Citizens and kids. It was a challenge, but I guess that’s also what made it more memorable and precious.

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After making a mad dash just to make it to my connecting flight dahil late nagland ung 1st leg plane ko, I was so relieved when I finally made my way to my 2nd leg seat. Chill mode na ako then suddenly may bonggang surprise pa pala ang tadhana. nabuhusan ako ng coffee ng flight attendant! like basang basa ako - hair, face and my top. buti na lang di na mainit ung kape at hindi ako nakaputi!!! She said sorry but un lang. walang compli or any paconsuelo gift/gesture from the airline. :uhoh:

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Kichijoji, Tokyo, Japan: I couldn’t find my hotel, so I asked a young lad. When he saw my map, nagulat ako, naglakad na siya, mga 10 minutes away lang daw. Chika-chika, syempre, ayun, hanggang sa hinatid na nga niya ako sa hotel. Kakatuwa. Gusto rin niya raw kasi ma-practice English niya. :inlove:

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Phuket, Thailand - solo trip. stayed at a hostel, sumama ako sa mga kabataang backpackers to Bangla road. Dun ko unang nakawitness ng pingpong show. wth!

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I made the rounds that day once I figured out I was missing my flight. I had Sungei Road, 328 Katong Laksa, and Assam Laksa near Johor Bahru.

Was also with the kids in HK, but the protests had wound down. Excellent oportunity to talk to the eldest about street protests, and why there were so many signs supporting Trump (she’s not a fan).

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Hanoi, Vietnam - traveling with Baguio friends. We checked average temperatures in January, sabi ni mareng wiki 14-20 degrees C so sabi namin, psh, Baguio weather, kayang-kaya so we brought light clothes. It was effing 0-4 degrees C and raining when we got there. (^%*!!!) We had to buy bubble jackets to keep warm (which I hated as it made me look like a Michelin tires mascot).

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Nadukutan ng mobile phone sa Paris train. Pero nahulog nya nung lumingon ako. That “thud” na tunog pagbagsak ng cellphone ko na tumingin lahat at alam na dinudukot nya ang mobile ko pero walang nagsasalita. Pinulot nya, pagpulot nya nakatitig ako sa kanya. Tapos nilahad ko kamay ko. Binigay nya, sabay layo.

Walang namagitan na salita. Afterwards ko na lang narealize na, holymomma, ninanakawan ako at nakipag eye to eye pa ko sa salarin. In a foreign land.

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Wife and I ventured out to the Marrakech tanneries, very much aware of the tricks that locals employ to earn money. On our way to the tannery, we chanced upon a “helpful local” who offered to guide us, but we politely declined and told him that we knew the direction to the place.

After reaching the tannery and exploring a few of the shops, we decided to leave and “helpful local” was waiting for us on the street demanding for payment. Sabi ko sa kanya na we did not take him up on his offer kasi alam naman namin yung direction, but I still offered him 20 Moroccan Dirhams (roughly P100) as goodwill. Lalo naging aggressive yung tao, asking for more money, and a crowd of mostly teenage boys was already gathering to intimidate us into paying. Took out my phone and threatened to call the police so they backed out.

On our way out of the tannery, the group still followed us with a few of them riding on motorcycles. Parang magka-kuntsaba lahat ng locals kasi they were trying na mawala kami by telling us that the road is closed and we should take another route. We still maintained course until we reached the main souk, and the entire time I was telling my wife that if the worst came, she should run for her life. :fearful: Shared the experience with our riad keeper and he told us that had we followed the wrong directions of the locals, we might have ended on a dead-end street and who knows what would’ve happened.

Lessons learned: be firm and polite; and always be fit just in case there’s a need for fight or flight. :grinning:

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Japan trip for 11 days with my family.
Tokyo - Osaka - kyoto - Fukuoka

More than a year of planning. Great memories especially when it was the first time of your wife and kid in Japan.
I felt I was from Japan and proud to be their tour guide.

Ichiran is still the best ramen
Best time of the year. Autumn.

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Italy trip with my ate two years ago - the second trip we took na kaming dalawa lang. We spent ten days just exploring and eating our way through Venice, Florence, Bologna, and Modena. I met all her Italian friends who brought us around and fed us well. We tried all the good food we can find and had the best wine with literally every meal. She was our map reader and navigator and I was the food sniffer. Lol. We are already close to begin with, but even get closer when we travel together. :heart:

Probably the most expensive trip I did, but those were the best euros spent in my life. :pleased:

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June 2007. I was having a quarter life crisis and I just wanted to go to a place where nobody knew me.

I was at the airport; I exceeded my luggage limit and was rummaging through my bags deciding which to leave behind. (Yes, it was exactly like the opening scene in That Thing Called Tadhana.) He showed up out of nowhere, asked me where I’m headed (Singapore), and offered me his extra baggage allowance. We approached the counter together. The PAL CSO then said the flight was full and if it’s okay for us to sit next to each other, she will upgrade us to Business Class.

That was my first Business Class experience. We ended up working together in Singapore for 5 years. He is one of my best friends to this day.

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Indochina backpacking.

First stop, Thailand. From Thailand, nag-bus kami to Laos. Nung nag-cross ng border to Laos, bumaba kami ng bus, tapos immigration counter, tapos sumakay ulit ng bus.

From Laos, pumunta kaming Cambodia. Dalawang bus trip, 13 hours total. Dumaan ulit kami sa Thailand, so Thailand border ulit. Bumaba kami ng bus para magpatatak sa immigration. Pagkagaling sa immigration counter, nakita namin yung mga bag namin nasa gilid ng kalsada. Yung bus nasa kabilang side ng border na. Kinuha namin bags namin na nasa Laos side of the border pa. Tapos tumakbo na kami papunta sa bus. Andar na ulit.

Maya-maya, may sumusunod na police car sa bus namin. Excited kami ng friends ko kasi may eksena. Pustahan kami kung ano yung matter. Sabi nung isa, hala baka may smuggler dito.

HInarang ng mga pulis yung bus namin. Pumasok sa bus, may hinahanap.

Tapos tinuro ako. “You!” Tapos gulong-gulo ako. Pinababa ako ng bus. Tinatanong sakin kung alin yung gamit namin ng mga kasama ko. Kinakausap ako in Thai so di ko maintindihan. "English only please :pensive: " Kinalkal yung mga bag namin sa gilid ng highway. Wala silang nakuha. After siguro mga 30 minutes, pinaakyat din ako sa bus.

HIndi ko pa rin alam hanggang ngayon. Tingin ko pinagkamalan akong drug mule. Pero buong trip na yon, di ako matahimik. Nasabi ko lang sa nanay ko na hinabol ako ng pulis nung nakauwi na ako sa PIlipinas. Nung bumalik ako sa Thailand, kinabahan pa rin ako sa immigration. Haha.

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Yeah right. Imagine, just have travel documents with me coz i lost my passport in Tokyo Disneyland. :sweat_smile: It was a remarkable visit!

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Haha Na Scam lang naman kami malapit sa border ng thailand at Cambodia! haha pero at least tig 100 Baht lang naman ang kinuha! :rofl:

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Medyo nakakarelate ako kay @finn.

Last year le spouse and I went to EU for our 10th anniv. As we enjoyed the tiny streets in the Nice old town, breathed in the Mediterranean breeze, and filled our five senses in the market at Cours Saleya, we received a call that my brother-in-law passed away. One minute we were having one of the best times of our lives, only to plunge into the worst the next. We were only halfway through our trip, and what’s worse was that the whole family was apart at that time. We were in Nice, our kids were in Pampanga with my folks, my parents-in-law were in Osaka, my other brother-in-law in Manila, and the brother-in-law who passed away was based in Sydney. The earliest flight we could get was 4 days after we received the news. We had to go through the remaining parts of the trip itinerary, which was not the best thing to experience. It was confusing. Imagine, being able to see all these amazing places and when you begin to appreciate and feel awe, you get pulled back in and remember that you have just experience loss.

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I cut my trip early then. I had my return flight rescheduled that night because it didn’t feel right to stay any longer. :sigh: