2009 - A Year Of Travels and Photos

It was a year of travel-photo journey that took me to amazing places of Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao and a couple of countries outside the Islands Philippines. Year 2009 allowed me to go deep into forests and mountains as well as lazed around some of the most scenic beaches I have ever seen. It was also about learning history first-hand and be accompanied by some of the most awesome bloggers of the land. And speaking of Blogging, 2009 will be fondly remembered because this humble blog was a first-time finalist in the Photo-Blog category of the Philippine Blog Awards. To recap, here are my monthly account of the places I have featured here in Lawstude's Journey:

The lush Sierra Madre Mountain Range was a prominent display in these JANUARY posts that covered the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija and Aurora. Posts for this month included the quaint Saint Dominic Church in Bayombong, the foggy Dalton Pass, the beautiful mountainside of Laur, the calming Dupinga River in Gabaldon and the idyllic town of Dingalan.

Adventure in nature best describe posts in FEBRUARY. It was my first time to do White Water Rafting in Cagayan de Oro and also my first time to explore the amazing island paradise of Camiguin. Cagayan de Oro truly exemplified the "Gold" in its name while the volcanic Camiguin Island was indeed a seventh heaven for outdoor lovers.

History and festivities highlighted MARCH. It was my nth time to witness the Panagbenga Festival in Baguio City, and imho, it gets grander and better every year. A visit to Dambana ng Kagitingan located in Mount Samat, Bataan was also posted this month.

APRIL is all about summer and Oh Boy! what an amazing summer that was. Cagbalete Island off the coast of Mauban was just unbelievable with its long and wide shoreline while the beach in Pagbilao has become one of my instant favorites. The scenic Agta Beach and Tinago Falls in Biliran were also featured this month.

The merry month of MAY showed the continuation of the Biliran series visiting the Karaha Falls and the Mainit Hot Springs. A tour around "new" Macau as well as a walk around the "old" Macau were also featured. The month also started the posts on the off-beaten paths of Puerto Galera that included trips to Tamaraw Falls and Sitio Aninuan.

JUNE ushered the start of classroom season but there is no better teacher than the experiences you had while on the road. The beaches of Puerto Galera, the crowded Hong Kong and its harbor and the historic place of Tacloban City in Leyte provided enough experiences for me to learn what no classroom can teach.

I was a kid again in JULY. It was fun, fun, fun in Disneyland without getting my feet wet or my clothes soiled. Ivan Man Dy was also featured this month along with his Malacanang Tour where I got to see the Insides of the Presidential Palace with some of the most awesome Travel Bloggers of the land.

A mix of popular destinations and off-the-beaten tracks were featured in AUGUST. I have revisited the famous Hundred Islands of Alaminos, Pangasinan and have a post each on the three most popular islands (Governor's, Children's and Quezon). Backpacking Bataan was also made starting from Looc Cove in Bagac to Playa de Calete in Morong. A return to Manila's most famous walls of Intramuros capped the month.

Nature at its best is showcased in SEPTEMBER, my favorite month. The rough sea trip to Kabatian Island was all worth when you see the amazing rugged scape of rocks and seas. Imugan and Malico are two captivating spots in Nueva Vizcaya which showcased a wide array of natural high from the falls of the former to the pine forest of the latter. The month also started the series on the idyllic mountain town of Sagada.

OCTOBER featured more of the tranquil mountain town of Sagada. Sagada has been drawing backpackers for decades because of its lovely hikes, yoghurts and lemon pies and the companionship of like-minded travellers. I always wanted to go there and the place truly live up to its hype and more. A return to Blue Lagoon aka Maira-ira was also featured this month. This time around, I was with a different company but equally enjoyable.

Visaya's busiest metro and Ilocos' greatest natural structure were all in NOVEMBER. From the historical Cebu City, waiting until the sun sets in Mandaue City, to the varied scapes of Lapu-lapu City - there is always something new to learn and discover about Metropolitan Cebu. And up north, in Ilocos Norte, is one of the best natural formations I have seen - Kapurpurawan Rocks. Its whiteness and its contrast to the blue sky and sea is just a sight that will linger in your memories forever.

DECEMBER ended with a bang because of Bantayan Island and Taal, Batangas. Prominent in these places were century-old churches and the simple way of living. But the similarity ends there. The relaxed, bucolic little island of Bantayan is famous for its exquisite white sand beaches while the historic, small town of Taal is famous for its old Spanish colonial buildings that seem to take you back in time.

I thank GOD for keeping me safe in my travels and for letting me meet some of the best bloggers in these trips that have become my friends. It was a great 2009 for me but it is difficult not to believe that the next year will be better than the old one. Future is always good, no matter what happens. It will always give us what we need and what we want in secret. It will always bless us with right gifts. Thus in a deeper sense our belief in the New Year cannot deceive us.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!