Summertime turns my wanderlust into hyperdrive and being its hopeless slave, I just have a simple wish.
Blabbing aside, I've been to other places but the 10 countries / cities below have all been my lifelong pursuit. I thank God that He made the first four places possible for me. 4 down, 6 to go!
Aside from it being the nearest to Pinas at nakakahiya naman na eto na lang eh di ko pa ma afford puntahan, it was actually my first taste of going overseas without my family. It was my first time to really feel like an empowered working girl. (CHECK! 2004, and 2007)
Had a fantasy of visiting this place almost 20 years ago while I was reading a tour book in our cozy apartment in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Decades sure changed a lot of my perception of the place, but this city continues to fascinate me with all their mixed cuisine and hip places to go, on a cruise ship nonetheless. God! You the Man! (CHECK! 2008)
... from the Sydney Opera house to the cosmopolitan stretch of beaches in Gold Coast,
The best time to visit is during St. Patty's day having a blast at an Irish Pub. Australians are friendly (but the Japanese tops them), I wish I could just bloody understand what they're saying sometimes. [CHECK ...TWICE! (Sydney and Gold Coast 2006 and 2009)]
Where my American dream began from watching that blasted 'Charmed' tv series over and over again. Many sites to tour - the Golden Gate Bridge, Cable Car, The Wharf, Alcatraz, Lombard St, prominent structures such as the Victorian Houses, Ghirardelli Square, Coit Tower and Bank of America. I sure left my heart in San Francisco - (for this is where we had our honeymoon <3). What a peaceful and romantic city. Also had my first amaretto sour in America at a forgotten bar corner. (DONE! 2011)
From SATC, to Heroes, to Godzilla, Home Alone 2, The Devil's Advocate, Independence Day, West Side Story, now the Avengers... You name it. Most movies and well known TV series were shot (or referred to, in the case of 'Friends') in New York City - The concrete jungle were dreams are made of :) The best time to go I guess would be during Christmas season where horses on sleigh rides at Central Park as well as the Rockefeller Center with it's famous Herculean Christmas tree will be wondrously illuminated. (here's hoping by Christmas season of this year)
I can't forget my dad's out of the country trip to Italy when I was around 7. My first taste of Kinder chocolates for pasalubong and my dad's bagahe smelling of chilled apples. That and based on my astrological profile, this is one of the cities ruled by the constellation Leo. What grandeur and greatness! From the ancient to modern day, I bet this tour will give me a taste of both.
300... That Brad Pitt movie 'Troy'... Ok, I'll just settle for Mama Mia. Isn't Greece (Santorini & Mykonos) with its stark white edifices on top of hills contrasting the deep azure color of the sea a sight just beyond beautiful?
That magnificent view on a Zell Am See hotel used in the Band of Brothers TV series, not to mention the Eagle's Nest. And long long ago, when the words 'Alpine' to me was synonymous to milk and 'Bavarian' was a milky center of a doughnut -that's all to Austria's credit. Call it a Nazi country, I'm just after the pristine hills bursting alive with the sound of music. ♫
Sphinx, Pharoahs, Cleopatra, the Pyramids of Giza, mummies, camels, the smell of sweetly spiced roasted dates... its exotic charm never ends.
The Walled City of Jerusalem - Where our Lord once trod. I wonder what the Sea of Galilee looks like, olive groves, Nazareth, Bethlehem,... My only concern would be if me and my husband will survive the trip with all their civil war (lol!). That's why I put it last on my list. But as they say, If your time's up, it's up! Ika nga ni Dean Winchester, 'If I'm going down, I'll go down swingin'.
If we do, however, survive the Jerusalem tour, then I'd want to go to the following: (The Runner Ups)
As Rick O' Connell of the Mummy character once said, 'I only gamble with my life, never my money'... well, in this place, I hope to elude even the faintest calls of the slot machine... This metropolis reminds me of that Charlene Duncan lyrics*♫♪ I've been to paradahhys... but I've never been to me...'♪♫*
Aside from it being Fyodor Dostoyevski's homeland, I was inspired by that juvenile book 'Choose Your Own Adventure' where I found myself as a spy on a bridge in Leningrad.
The Taj Mahal, Bollywood, Slumdog Millionaire, authentic Indian chicken curry, and hopefully being able to afford to wine and dine at the five star resort above (Oberoi Udaivilas Resort, Udaipur).... Anyone can dream.
(Excellence Riviera, Cancun) - The land of the beauty queens and limitless chimichangas ;p. Being closest to where I currently live - California.
(Majestic Resorts, Punta Cana) - dubbed as the 'Poor Man's Riviera. I heard that the Dominican Republic has tons to offer the budget savvy tourist.
(Viva Barcelona!) Home of Baile Flamenco! (at bilang conquerors lang ng Pilipinas), I have to see Basilica de la Sagrada Familia by the time its completed in 2026, plus my husband wants to tour the land of the classical guitar.
And finally, the no-brainer - CANADA
Because my relatives will feel bad if I've been to all the places above except theirs :D
I know it sounds far -fetched, but hey, if dreams are free, why not make it a grand one right?
On a smaller scale, I will soon feature the best of the Philippines I've been to and the ones I hope to visit someday. Biyahe na!
To be able to travel to my top 10 dream destinations in between trips to the Philippines before I die at the age of 90 (Aba baket? Mangangarap na lang din naman ako taas taasan ko na di ba?)..
Part of the reason why as I child, when most little girls wanted to be nurses or doctors, I wanted to be a stewardess. To be able to travel the world. But then, 'feminists' crushed that idea growing up (as if dreaming to be beautiful or simply serving coffee in another language above the clouds was kind of a crime), I changed my dream to becoming a lawyer - until finding out that most lawyers lie (those that practice defending the obviously guilty anyway), I settled into taking Business Administration major in Marketing - good move I guess.Blabbing aside, I've been to other places but the 10 countries / cities below have all been my lifelong pursuit. I thank God that He made the first four places possible for me. 4 down, 6 to go!
1) Hong Kong
Aside from it being the nearest to Pinas at nakakahiya naman na eto na lang eh di ko pa ma afford puntahan, it was actually my first taste of going overseas without my family. It was my first time to really feel like an empowered working girl. (CHECK! 2004, and 2007)
2) Singapore
Had a fantasy of visiting this place almost 20 years ago while I was reading a tour book in our cozy apartment in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Decades sure changed a lot of my perception of the place, but this city continues to fascinate me with all their mixed cuisine and hip places to go, on a cruise ship nonetheless. God! You the Man! (CHECK! 2008)
3) Australia
Finding Nemo, kangaroos and koalas...
... from the Sydney Opera house to the cosmopolitan stretch of beaches in Gold Coast,
The best time to visit is during St. Patty's day having a blast at an Irish Pub. Australians are friendly (but the Japanese tops them), I wish I could just bloody understand what they're saying sometimes. [CHECK ...TWICE! (Sydney and Gold Coast 2006 and 2009)]
4) San Francisco
5) New York
From SATC, to Heroes, to Godzilla, Home Alone 2, The Devil's Advocate, Independence Day, West Side Story, now the Avengers... You name it. Most movies and well known TV series were shot (or referred to, in the case of 'Friends') in New York City - The concrete jungle were dreams are made of :) The best time to go I guess would be during Christmas season where horses on sleigh rides at Central Park as well as the Rockefeller Center with it's famous Herculean Christmas tree will be wondrously illuminated. (here's hoping by Christmas season of this year)
6) Rome
I can't forget my dad's out of the country trip to Italy when I was around 7. My first taste of Kinder chocolates for pasalubong and my dad's bagahe smelling of chilled apples. That and based on my astrological profile, this is one of the cities ruled by the constellation Leo. What grandeur and greatness! From the ancient to modern day, I bet this tour will give me a taste of both.
7) Greece
300... That Brad Pitt movie 'Troy'... Ok, I'll just settle for Mama Mia. Isn't Greece (Santorini & Mykonos) with its stark white edifices on top of hills contrasting the deep azure color of the sea a sight just beyond beautiful?
8) Austria
That magnificent view on a Zell Am See hotel used in the Band of Brothers TV series, not to mention the Eagle's Nest. And long long ago, when the words 'Alpine' to me was synonymous to milk and 'Bavarian' was a milky center of a doughnut -that's all to Austria's credit. Call it a Nazi country, I'm just after the pristine hills bursting alive with the sound of music. ♫
9) Egypt
Sphinx, Pharoahs, Cleopatra, the Pyramids of Giza, mummies, camels, the smell of sweetly spiced roasted dates... its exotic charm never ends.
10) Israel
The Walled City of Jerusalem - Where our Lord once trod. I wonder what the Sea of Galilee looks like, olive groves, Nazareth, Bethlehem,... My only concern would be if me and my husband will survive the trip with all their civil war (lol!). That's why I put it last on my list. But as they say, If your time's up, it's up! Ika nga ni Dean Winchester, 'If I'm going down, I'll go down swingin'.
If we do, however, survive the Jerusalem tour, then I'd want to go to the following: (The Runner Ups)
Monte Carlo
As Rick O' Connell of the Mummy character once said, 'I only gamble with my life, never my money'... well, in this place, I hope to elude even the faintest calls of the slot machine... This metropolis reminds me of that Charlene Duncan lyrics*♫♪ I've been to paradahhys... but I've never been to me...'♪♫*
Moscow
Aside from it being Fyodor Dostoyevski's homeland, I was inspired by that juvenile book 'Choose Your Own Adventure' where I found myself as a spy on a bridge in Leningrad.
India
The Taj Mahal, Bollywood, Slumdog Millionaire, authentic Indian chicken curry, and hopefully being able to afford to wine and dine at the five star resort above (Oberoi Udaivilas Resort, Udaipur).... Anyone can dream.
Mexico
(Excellence Riviera, Cancun) - The land of the beauty queens and limitless chimichangas ;p. Being closest to where I currently live - California.
Dominican Republic
(Majestic Resorts, Punta Cana) - dubbed as the 'Poor Man's Riviera. I heard that the Dominican Republic has tons to offer the budget savvy tourist.
Alaska Cruise
The Grand Canyon
Spain
This picture reminded me of the closing scene from 50 First Dates.. and hearing that Hawaiian version of 'Somewhere over the Rainbow' makes me teary eyed ;,). Isn't God just magnificently creative?
The Grand Canyon
Speaking of His Magnificence... My big mouth was silenced by this breathtaking scene. To lodge at the Amangiri Resort in Utah if we win the lotto, otherwise, we'll settle for Motel6 :D
(Viva Barcelona!) Home of Baile Flamenco! (at bilang conquerors lang ng Pilipinas), I have to see Basilica de la Sagrada Familia by the time its completed in 2026, plus my husband wants to tour the land of the classical guitar.
And finally, the no-brainer - CANADA
Because my relatives will feel bad if I've been to all the places above except theirs :D
I know it sounds far -fetched, but hey, if dreams are free, why not make it a grand one right?
On a smaller scale, I will soon feature the best of the Philippines I've been to and the ones I hope to visit someday. Biyahe na!
