The Travel Peoples

  It began on a vision board in January 2023. It was my first time to draw one. On it, I indicated The Netherlands as a destination. The truth was, it was not even on the list of countries we would like to live in for a long time.  Here, I wrote about my observations, the things I need to adjust to, and some tips. The Dutch way I've read a lot about the Dutch being straightforward to the point that they come out rude, especially with people who are used to sugarcoating words. However, I have not encountered rudeness or bluntness so far. It is the opposite. They are kind. Their common marks are " hallos " ("hello"), cheerfulness, and chattiness, in a good way.  Our neighbor stopped by to speak with us for minutes during our first meeting. Those we meet on the street smile, and say "hi", too.  Those in customer-facing jobs are accommodating to patrons. In grocery stores, they look after your convenience. In food outlets, they answer all your questions re...

  Preparing for take-off... As I wrote previously, here is the second part of my blog.  We returned to the Philippines for a five-day visit in late November 2022 to renew our driver's licenses. The process took two hours. We did it at the Land Transportation Office in Muntinlupa City. The processing began at 9 AM. Everything was the same, except that this time, the license is valid for 10 years (formerly five years). Yeyyy!  We followed the activities in our itinerary. Basically: Meet my side of the family, meet our close friends, and meet my husband's side. Thank God. We were able to accomplish those. Although I was hoping that we could stay longer to visit former churchmates, other friends, and relatives, especially my father's side. Besides, it was my husband's first time since 2018 to revisit home. Not to mention the grueling documentation so that he could travel.  All in all, it was a productive and pleasant short trip. We had things to do daily and ticked them ...

All by myself. Waiting to board to go back to the motherland.  At last! After almost four long years, and while the pandemic was raging, I was able to visit the Philippines again. Although it was very short, it was a productive visit. I finished the banking errands I intended to do.  Of course, it was also a time to see my family again, albeit for three-and-a-half days. Better than nothing, right? I made a short video of that brief sojourn . I never knew I would miss Jollibee. Even though I'm a healthy eater, my first breakfast was at Jollibee with mom. Then for dinner, we ordered takeout from Aristocrat. I missed torta de los Reyes, their flagship wafer cake. Yum! One thing I noticed, many stores shut down because of the pandemic. Those were the places we frequented when we lived in Makati City, particularly in the Bel-Air/Jupiter St./N. Garcia areas. As I was walking along Jupiter St. to head to SM Jazz, my favorite hangout spot before, to meet a friend, I felt a tinge of sa...

Traveling is like a conquest.  I don't know about you, but I get a different "high" when I am in a new place. Starting from planning a trip to landing at the destination, the experience gives a different sense of accomplishment that no awards or recognition can offer. Funny that Google Maps is taking note of my journey, whether near or far. It detected that in 2022 alone, I visited nine countries, 40 cities, and 318 places. Whoah! I never even thought of tracing that.  This is primarily because my family is fond of traveling. Our most recent one was in Germany. We spent our Christmas in Berlin then we returned to Warsaw for New Year. Someone said that Berlin, the capital, is not a clean city. On the contrary, we found it otherwise. It was not bad. To be fair. In Europe, it is common to see writings on the walls. I've seen more vandalism in Warsaw.  Enough of the dirt. What's more interesting is that one evening, we saw a fox hiding between the scooters in the park...

Milk bars abound in Poland. They were named as such because the cafeterias used to serve cheese cutlets during the reign of Communism in the country as a form of government subsidy. Retaining the name despite not serving milk or cheese exclusively, now, milk bars are famous for dishing out inexpensive Polish staple foods. My friend and I ate at Bar Bambino, somewhere in Warsaw. She fancied interviewing me about pierogi. It's my first time doing a food review. Haha!  Watch my video and comment on the channel. I would like to know your thoughts on pierogi, as I have only tasted a few. My favorite is pierogi in soup, which I ordered in one of the restaurants at the Royal Route.  

Many tourists flock to Winter Wonderland locations. They say Warsaw is a place to experience the majestic feeling of seeing blankets of snow. Try it during Fall, when it is cold but not freezing, and when it is sunny but not scorching. Here's a video to show what the capital of Poland looks and feels like before Winter.

Our latest chit-chat was with The Travel Peoples' mainstay, author and flight attendant Lia Ocampo.  A serial traveler, not only because of work but also because of her passion, Lia embarked on a four-country journey in Europe, with two different stopovers in France and Turkey. Watch how she did it and did it well. Learn which country left a surprising mark.