Creating this summary of all our adventures, for the benefit of long time friends of the travelogue and new readers. The info here is updated as of December 2024. 1. Map showing cities and sites in Europe I've been fortunate enough to explore since we started the travelogue in 2011. 2. Map reflecting data from the 1st but this time in country form. 3. My travel bucket list, in alphabetical order. 4. A list of favourite cities visited in no particular order and according to a number of factors: food, cultural experiences, historical significance, scenery, and shopping.

  Hello world, a lot sure has happened in the 5 years since we last published! We survived the great pandemic of our age. For you young-ins, that's Covid 19 (you'll learn a lot about it for sure). Artificial intelligence is disrupting EVERYTHING. As a note: this travelogue will continue to be (and will always be) written by a person; never AI. Nations are certainly going through some rather tumultuous times, to put it lightly.  Personally, your truly also went through some major life changes: Our family grew as we welcomed a son, born in the very year of the plague (2020). Read some life-changing books and listened to podcasts in the realm of philosophy (thank you Ryan Holiday, Yuval Noah Harari, Naval Ravikant) and general ways of living (thank you Tim Ferriss, Jocko Willink, Joe Rogan). What didn't change is the continuing mission to explore the world, albeit with a short 2 year pause during the height of the pandemic. Looking forward to catching up on a huge backlog of s...

It's no secret that our favorite place in the world is the mystical island of Santorini in Greece.  That is the reason why everything in our wedding was Greek-themed; from the colors, to the floral arrangement, the styling and the invitations.  Fortunately we met Jiggie and the guys from Team OSS , who were able to take it a step further and actually teleport our guests to the island, if but for a moment! These are the photographs that captured the experience. * The photo that started it all. (Santorini, 2013)

Last July 5, 2014, I married the love of my life.  These are the written chronicles of that beautiful day. After the beautiful church ceremony and the channeling of our inner models with the pictorial at Raffles Hotel, came my most awaited part, the reception. I was excited because I personally had a hand in organizing much of the food, entertainment and libations for the evening.  Hey man, if we're gonna throw a party like this once in our life, it might as well be the best party it can be! * Our reception was held at the  Blue Leaf Pavilion  in McKinley Hill, Taguig. Not only was the venue perfect with its proximity to the Church and hotel, wide open space and high ceiling, Blue Leaf also had ample parking slots, a nice garden area outside and extremely well-kept restrooms.

Last July 5, 2014, I married the love of my life.  These are the written chronicles of that beautiful day. Being an only child, I find that trust is a very important word, seldom given and hardly earned. Indeed, I am a believer of the age old adage, "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself." and can only truly count in one hand, the people that I have full faith in. But with a master of his craft, like our photographer  Oly Ruiz , at the helm, there was immediate and total confidence, assurance, and certainty, and it was our great pleasure to watch this genius work his magic. These are the official portraits of that important day, courtesty of Mr. Metrophoto .

Last July 5, 2014, I married the love of my life.  These are the written chronicles of that beautiful day. * For our wedding ceremony, we specifically chose the Magallanes Church in Makati due to its impressive architecture, steady vibe and proximity to the reception venue.

Last July 5, 2014, I married the love of my life.  These are the written chronicles of that beautiful day. * Down the hallway, in a much larger suite, my bride-to-be was getting ready for her big day.

Last July 5, 2014, I married the love of my life.  These are the written chronicles of that beautiful day. * On July 4, 2014, I checked in to my suite at the Raffles Hotel in Makati . After dinner with my parents and a late night visit from my cousins, I proceeded to write my vows on the huge desk in my room. At first I couldn't get my mind to settle down, so I went down to the Raffles Long Bar to get a drink (or three) and watch the World Cup match. The ideas flowed freely after. 

Being the fan of fairy tales and Disney movies that she is, my cousin, Rachel , decided to get married in an actual medieval castle. And since she is one of my closest female cousins (both in friendship and in age), I was stoked to be there! Originally built in the 13th Century and located a few miles from Florence in the Fiesole Hill , the Castello di Vincigliata has been a family stronghold, a glass production center and a prisoner-of-war camp during World War II before finally settling down to it’s most fitting role, a wedding venue . But it’s not just some medieval castle, it’s a  haunted  medieval castle!

The hounds chilling out in a rare moment of  peace .

Shaggy  the immigrant finally exploring the place where I have been disappearing to for the past 10 years. 

2:30am - Dog looking happy to be my guest for the evening rather than being home alone in his human female’s house. 2:45am - Dog rolling all over the bed, to get rid of my scent and replace it with his. 3:00am - Dog realizing that it’s friggin 3am, gives me the “WTF are we still awake?!?” look. 3:30am - No longer caring that his human male is taking his sweet time in checking his email, Dog starts to dream about food, cats and belly rubs.

Derpina  and  Derp , Friendzone-free!!  4/22/12

Someone’s excited for his trip to Jerusalem!

Dinner at Monicca’s House 3/10/12 Special thanks to her Tita and  Orlando-based   Superstar Chef ,  Jehann Richardson : Caprese Salad Mini Quail Eggs Benedict Baked Mussels and Oysters Asparagus with Bearnaise Sauce Mushroom Risotto Pasta with White Truffle Oil Roasted Prime Rib

Me:  Wake up, boy! Rockstar:  5 more minutes!!!