The following are musings from over a decade of travels, expressed by self-made toy brick sets. I've always found airplanes to be interesting in that for the duration of the flight, we put aside all norms of personal space to basically coexist in a very tight place.  In we go, to our predetermined homes for the next x hours! Take your time climbing the stairs; being extra careful is always a plus and the plane isn't going anywhere so there's no real need to rush. First and business class are where airlines make the majority of their money and feature the finest, most comfortable settings in the air.  Premium economy offer more comfortable seats and wider leg rooms, and can be had for a good discount if you book early enough. And of course, there's the economy class offering the most economical (pun intended) way to get to your destination. Regardless of the seats, entertainment options are similar across all with only the quality of the headphones being the difference. ...

Airports are among my favorite places in the world; full of chatter, employees working purposefully, mishaps, and people buzzing at the thought of their upcoming trips. That excitement is palpable and contagious! However getting to one's departure gate is but the end of a long list of steps to tick from the to-do list. The following are musings from over a decade of travels, expressed by self-made toy brick sets.  And every great trip begins with planning! A solid three months before every flight: flights are booked, hotels are researched, tours and itineraries are mapped out, and documents such as visas and insurance are prepared. The adventure officially starts at the airport, where our tradition of packing light (and shopping heavy in our destination) makes for a hassle-free check-in. Always be kind to the check-in staff. It's not only the classy thing to do, sometimes you might even score an upgrade (three, by our count). Online check-in lines are always shorter than regula...

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!