The Magnificent Tuti

There's an old internet adage about cats choosing their humans.

The lives of street cats in Manila aren't long, and they certainly aren't pleasant ones. The city can be a dark, terrible, empty, wet place filled with people who only yearn for fancier breeds much like they yearn for designer goods and whatnot.

The first time we met you, my girlfriend fed you outside the apartment, much to my disdain. This became an increasingly frequent occurrence, despite the fact that we sometimes saw you being fed and cuddled by neighbors outside (much to our bewildered amusement). Slowly but inevitably, however, you wormed your way into our hearts.

We rescued you, perhaps in the nick of time, after you were abandoned and wounded and most likely left to die like many of your kind. I personally nursed you back from the brink. That month when you went from a skeleton to a ball of fur will forever be a warm memory that perhaps proves I'm capable of doing some good in this world. That month when it was just you and me started a bond distinct to us both.

Who knew you'd grow into a bundle of eccentric joy?

Cats certainly have unique personalities - something one would know if they've been around them for long enough. You were lazy, but had frequent bursts of energy. You were patient, always silently waiting for your bowl to be filled behind all of your other companions. You loved cheek scratches, and had this weird glitch where you'd lick the air whenever your lower back was rubbed. You were snippy at times, but almost seemed like you wanted to be paraded around while being carried like a baby. You blepped when you were idle and it was the most adorable thing.

These are moments I will miss.

Sadly, it was never really meant to last. FIV is a real bitch. I guess it was inevitable, but we never thought it would happen in these trying times. We were fighting incredible odds. I hope you felt comfort and love and contentment in the short time you spent with us.

Like the first time we truly bonded, it was once again just the two of us in a small room with me holding you in my arms. That final hour we spent will stay with me for a very long time - with me comforting you and telling you it was okay, that you were always a fighter, that I was there and won't leave you again. You certainly didn't need my permission to cross over, but it felt like you did.

Maybe that's the toughest, most painful part. To have someone I cared for pass in my arms. I felt your last breath. I felt you let go. I don't think I've ever broken down like that. It is a small mercy that you waited for me despite the suffering. In your last moments, you still managed to capture my heart.

I don't think I'll ever know if pets are sentient like humans are. Yesterday will always be a point for that argument, at least for me.

"Hinintay ka na lang nya."

I heard that phrase a lot yesterday. It wasn't the first time I did, but it was the first time I felt how powerful those words can be. 

Your passing made me feel a raw, scorching pain I've never felt before, and I dread that I will inevitably feel that pain again as the years go by. Right now, the mark you left feels painful - an abrupt void that will take time to heal. Only time will tell how indelible that mark will be.

Right now though, it feels like a space was left empty and cold in my heart.

On Trainwrecks, Gratitude and the (Shitty) Year That Was

First photo of my 2020 camera roll. Hang in there, buddy.

Saying this year has been difficult is an understatement of epic proportions.

Just one blow after another, not counting those that we’ve all been experiencing for the past how-many-months-now. Unemployment at the start of the year, followed by over nine months of doubt, fear and all the crap that comes with it amplified by our current situation. Frequent night terrors, and maybe a bit of depression mixed in. The occasional bout with sleep paralysis - something I thought I’d never experience for myself. A million other annoying or sad or miserable things that lived rent free in my head for years, long suppressed and only resurfacing in the midst of all this chaos.

Lastly, the ongoing collective experience of the vast majority of the human race right now: being stranded in a terrible and seemingly unending nightmare with seemingly a very distant end in sight.

Absolutely exhausting, to be honest.

And somehow, I’m still one of the fortunate ones. Maybe that’s an understatement too. My struggles pale in comparison to innumerable others who have lost so, so much more than what I could possible imagine.

There’s a lot of things I’ve taken for granted over the years. If there’s anything good to come out of this pandemic, it’s that a lot of excesses and useless things have also been stripped from us. The grueling daily commute, the things that fed our materialism and vices, the huge reduction of passive acquaintances. In exchange, we’ve been given time - a LOT of time - to pursue hobbies, to have meaningful conversations and to nurture all the things that matter to us on a personal level. We’ve been given time to reflect on our lives and hopefully get an idea of what we truly deem valuable in life.

In a way, most of us have been given a chance to regain a bit of our humanity back. Enough, for me at least, to realize what I’m truly thankful for not just this year but for the past decade or so of my life.

A precious, beautiful, patient gem of a girlfriend who has done nothing but wonderful things throughout what might be the darkest period of my life so far. A loving (and sometimes annoying) family who often made an effort to check up on me, even if I chose to keep a lot of my personal troubles out of sight. The weirdest, most diverse (separate) groups of friends who have provided me with meaningful conversation (and even more trash talk) and kept me sane, grounded and engaged in what few hobbies I still have.

And a higher power who I hope still has plans for an exhausted trainwreck like me.

I wonder how selfish I really am, because I’m often only the most thankful when I’m somehow saved from being knee-deep in shitty situations. In any case, I'm thankful that I'm mostly unscathed and still relatively well.

Sometimes, we need to take what small victories we can. Low-hanging fruit and all that.

So yeah, what a shitshow dumpster fire of a year. Hopefully we’re nearing the end of this tunnel.

Later!

Au Revoir, Hyper

Death is the greatest looming spectre that haunts every single one of us.

Cold, scared, alone - I lose sleep thinking that death must be the one true personal experience. Maybe that's why we as a race have grown to become social creatures, and we value any form of companionship that we can get.

And with life comes the pain of loss.

We tend to outlive the pets we take in - and it is because of this that we are reminded of the pain of loss again and again and again over the years.

Maybe it's our way of numbing ourselves to the inevitable.

Animal companions give so much and ask for so little in return. Food, water, shelter - and maybe a little time to pull us away from a world that is hell-bent in consuming us. We think we're doing them a favor, when often the truth is that they're trying to help take our eyes away from an uncaring world, if only for the briefest of moments.

All you asked for is a bit of time. And I could not be there to provide company in your last moments.

I'm sorry buddy.

In our hubris, we failed you.

I failed you.

You did not deserve to go like this, and we do not deserve you.

If you can still find it in your pure little heart to forgive, someday I'll wait for you at the rainbow bridge.

Yes. You were a good boy.

Japan 2017 - Gaiden: Nijō Castle

Nijō Castle.

Osaka Castle is one of those mandatory stops in the famed city. It's pretty, heck, gorgrous even, at least from the outside - a quality one will see a lot of in Japan. I was just a tad bit disappointed to find out that it's been turned into a modern museum after its most recent reconstruction.

It's worth a stop, surely, if just for the history lessons - but there's a missing bit of authenticity for those who really want to see how the castles of old Japan once looked like. Maybe I've set my expectations from what media about Japan we outsiders consume, so there's that.

The silver lining was the gashapon machines in the castle gift shop, which spat out historical samurai miniatures - perfect for use in tabletop games for that exotic touch. Sadly, I didn't have a lot of hundred-yen coins with me, so  I wasn't able to get as much as I wanted.

Truly, if there ever was a hack to the gambling aspect of the human soul, Japan has found it in the form of gashapon. I had a feeling that these particular gashapons were exclusive to castles, and a bit of Googling confirmed my suspicions.

Based on the information available, there was only one place that was even remotely close to us - Nijō Castle in Kyoto.

Castle Gardens.

We had a packed itinerary, and I was really happy that we managed to sneak an unplanned visit during our day in Kyoto. Fushimi Inari-taisha sort of kicked my ass earlier, which made this side trip a bit sweeter.

Nijō Castle proved that sometimes things just click without rhyme or reason - it was much better than we expected, and despite everything I'd go so far as to say it's much better than Osaka Castle.

We were left in awe as we walked the same halls as the samurai of old. There was an atmosphere of serenity as everyone walked through the ancient corridors, admiring the remnants of an ancient society. There's something to be said about a culture being able to command respect even from foreigners, and Japan is one of the better examples of this.

Gardens, said to have been supervised by the Emperor himself, surrounded the castle while ancient stone walls stood guard against the myriad threats during the Sengoku period. Inside, recreations of gold leaf panels and hand-painted murals adorned the rooms.

It's an incredible feeling to see context being added to the names of historical figures from a time long gone - especially if one's only exposure to them are from hyperstylized retellings from countless shows and video games.

Overall, Nijō Castle was one of the highlights of the Osaka leg of our trip.

Personally, I guess this proves that good things can sometimes happen when we go out of our way in pursuit of our silly whims. Whether it's an infinite monkeys with infinite typewriters kind of thing, however, is anyone's guess.

Sengoku Loot.

And yeah - I burned a good bit of change on those damn samurai gashapons.

It was worth it.

Chapter 29

Life is a vast infinity of unknowns. (Taken at Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia)

Another year, another notch in my calendar.

Over the years, I've come to realize that very few things have grown as much in value as time. Severely limited and utterly irreplaceable, it's an oft overlooked moral imperative that we have to do as much good as we can in the world with what we have.

I suppose that's one of reasons why moving out has been one of the bigger decisions I've made in the past year. Time has grown increasingly important for me - which is inversely proportional to the omnipresent Filipino misfortune of Manila's slowly regressing traffic situation.

Eliminating the four-hour commute each day has done wonders for my well-being. That's easily twenty hours a week, eighty hours a month and eventually, 40 days a year. It's terrifying that people lose a month of their lives every year to meaningless travel. There's just so much value one gains back when time is saved. Less stress, more sleep and better opportunities to pursue one's fleeting interests - maybe that's one of the better gifts I've received in a very long time.

Oh, and the sometimes overwhelming sense of freedom of being (mostly) on one's own is just icing on the cake.

Despite everything, I'm glad to say I'm in a much better place. Heck, maybe things are even starting to look up.

Later!

Those Little Shards of Light

"As you get older, the questions come down to about two or three. How long? And what do I do with the time I've got left?"
- David Bowie

Let's get to the point - 2016 will forever be marked as one of those years.

I mean, screw cognitive dissonance. I'd rather not write a list of my struggles down, but this year has brought a lot of loss, sadness and fear. And perhaps least important among my personal troubles, I've not written as much as I'd like.

Then again, I'd like to think that maybe 2016 was meant to teach us some important lesson that we'd forget a year or two down the line. That's humanity for you, but I digress. That lesson boils down to the inevitability of change - and how scary change is (in more ways that one might think).

Our family attended Christmas Mass last weekend as a whole - something that hasn't happened in years (if not a decade or so). I remember the priest's sermon, particularly because I disagreed with it as he spoke. He emphasized the importance of a positive outlook in life, and the fact that we should always try to find the blessing in everything that happens to us - especially the bad things.

I could try to explain why such an outlook is a dangerous fallacy, but over the past few days I've come to realize that the lesson he was trying to say may have gone over my head. I was angry and frustrated at so many things this year. Maybe I still am - knots take a bit of time to untangle, after all.

I guess the priest's point was that we're living in very dark times, and at some point we'd need to look for those tiny shards of light in the darkness to help us find our way in this life. It's way too easy to lose one's way in this world. It's easy to overlook the little things that help us survive another difficult day and give us just that tiny bit of strength to keep pushing forward until things become easier again.

Despite the crap, I guess there were also a ton of cool things that happened this year.

That fantastic backpacking trip throughout Cebu (and Dumaguete) last summer.

Two (!) trips to Baguio.

An eye-opening week in Hong Kong.

Finding a new way to bond and tell stories via D&D.

Learning (and mostly failing) how to surf in Zambales.

And the awesomest girlfriend anyone could hope for.

I could list a lot more to fill a small book, but I'm way behind on my blog posts to recall everything. However, I'm pretty sure there's still a lot to be thankful for. A lot of small pieces of light scattered in the darkness that helped us survive into 2017.

So yeah. Even if you were such a dick, 2016, I'd like to thank you. We're tougher than we look, because we're made from stardust and all that positive mumbo jumbo.

Happy New Year (in a few hours)!

Later!

Chapter 28

Mango Bravo for breakfast, spaghetti for lunch, a proper steak for dinner and some ice cream cake to top it all off.

For some reason, I felt that I owed it to myself to have my birthday pass as discreetly as possible this year. For the longest time, I've thought that the "helpful" birthday reminders in our social media feeds remove a lot of human sentiment from the greetings, making them feel cheap and artificial. Removing that from my profile was a breath of fresh (digital) air. Not that the greetings aren't well received, but I personally appreciate it more when people remember the old fashioned way.

Life's been a good run so far, and I have a few stories in mind that I'm just itching to write about. I'll find time - sure - because stories about people's lives are few and far in between, and even rarer are the ones that make one feel alive and hopeful about the world. I'll talk about whale sharks and giant turtles and massive schools of fish that seem like silver whirlwinds under the sea, about newfound hobbies which would put my storytelling to the test, and about random getaways that gave me some much needed second wind to fight life's battles another day.

So yeah, another year added to my life's book and hopefully a little more wisdom added to my belt. Life is still a little too challenging these days but for the first time in a while, I slept last night with a rare sense of contentment and inner peace (hah!).

That's something I'll always be thankful for.

Yes, I'm still around, although not in these parts for the past few months. With some luck, I'll be back real soon.

Later!

To Anxiety and Beyond

They say that video game addiction is pure escapism - that there's something about real life that makes one spend hours upon hours avoiding it.

Maybe I'm still trying to figure out what I'm mentally running from - or maybe it's something I already know deep down and I'm just in denial trying to shield myself from realizing it. If there's anything I know with absolute certainty, it's that I'm in desperate need for a change.

What change that is, of course, is still up in the air (although I have a pretty good idea of what it probably is).

We spent a couple of days in my happy place recently - doing stuff like picking grapes, going to the beach and other whatnot that my younger self would have foolishly taken for granted. In that brief weekend, I felt a sense of relief I haven't felt in months. There was a mixture of fleeting sadness and disdain at the end of the trip because there was a real life we had to go back to. Perhaps the longing for an escape has grown into its own vice - a vice that I don't see myself trying to fight.

I've been waking up much earlier for the past few days (and dreaded the sheer notion that I'll need to will myself awake weeks beforehand). I've also been playing a lot less video games for a while now, for what that's worth. Maybe it's because my time for meaningful (or senseless) conversations, much needed sleep and winding-down-stuff have been cut drastically that I can't fit in some things anymore. In that time, I've learned how to play D&D (another thing my younger self would have scoffed at). I've cooked an awesome batch of hotpot. I've been trying to get myself started on doing a few crafts again.

People need little victories every now and then.

It's that pathological itch for learning rearing its familiar head again. "That's a good thing", someone once told me, or rather, someone told themselves while we were in a conversation. Without much choice in the matter, I agreed.

I feel like I'm at a different level of anxiety lately - the kind that ties the stomach in knots every waking moment and makes one reconsider their life choices. I remember a story about one of my college friends. Shortly after we graduated, he got a job at a call center, called it quits after mere days and returned to school to take a second degree in the medical field. He never looked back, and back then I wondered why anyone would make such a mistake in life.

These days, I know that it was I who was wrong. Four years are nothing compared to the rest of one's lifetime.

There are two more important things I've learned so far since then.

First, life is too short for us let our mistakes run too long. More importantly, life is long enough to allow us to correct them and live the rest committing more meaningful ones.

Thoughts After Lent

Basically me, over the Lenten weekend.

Like most years, the past weekend was spent at home.

We usually maintained a silent vigil as the rest of the household went off to the province, giving us much needed time for reflection over life in general.

I got a few things done over the past few days like repairing my debased Mage Knight miniatures (which I've put off for years) and managing to get enough exotic ingredients for a hotpot (like taro seafood balls, enoki and shiitake) amidst a silent city (which was extremely delicious).

It was nice that some of my favorite hangouts in Banawe were open (and barely crowded). I noticed that the servers were unusually cheerful (which is something I should try to be more of these days).

Besides that, all I did was sleep.

Maybe it's my body trying to greedily lap up the hours of lost sleep from living in a city with nightmarish traffic. Maybe it's my mind trying to comprehend the incomprehensible complexities that make up our lives. Maybe its the exhaustion from trying to discern what is important and, well, what things can be discarded as unnecessary burdens in a life meant to be lived.

Four days are not long enough to get shit together, but I guess it's enough for a start. The world will always keep moving despite what I think of it (and no, life is not as fair as movies make it out to be), and I guess it's an injustice to myself to not do anything about it.

Like I said, mine is a life meant to be lived and that's what I'm going to do.

Traversing Kalinga, Cagayan and Apayao

The North.

It has always seemed like I get to explore more of the north with every visit, and this time was no different.

Instead of a bus ride, we were lucky enough to book a cheap flight to Tuguegarao. The weather was beautiful during the entire week of our stay - cold and gloomy yet there was enough sun to bathe everything in a soothing light not unlike those we often see in magazine articles or documentaries of the north.

Batil Patung.

Our first meal was a serving of the famous batil patung- a dry noodle dish with an absurd amount of different toppings. Generous portions of sausage, chicharon (pork rind), pork liver and (in my case) carabao (water buffalo) meat were placed upon a helping of noodles. The dish was self-seasoned with onions and black vinegar, and is then served with egg drop soup that one can slurp separately or pour over the entire dish.

Our visit was paticularly busy this time - we managed to get to the fringes of two other provinces this time (apart from Kalinga) along with its sister province of Apayao and the paths through Cagayan that connects them.

Magapit Bridge.

Buntun Bridge was one of the landmarks of the many trips we had through the region. Overlooking the Cagayan River, it's the second longest bridge in the Philippines and is surpassed only by San Juanico Bridge that connects the islands of Samar and Leyte down south.

Nondescript Rice Field.

Rice fields are not an unusual sight in the region, along with groves of many different fruit-bearing trees. In open fields like these, the chill from the cold air is greatly magnified - doubly so for me because I didn't think to bring anything longer than shorts.

Freshly Picked Wood Ear Mushrooms.

It's not uncommon for people to partially live off the land out here - something that isn't really apparent for anyone who grew up in the cities, where every single amenity has a price tag attached to it.

Things like fresh coconuts (which are extremely costly in Manila) and mushrooms (which left me utterly fascinated) seemed to grow just around the corner, ready to pick for anyone who happened to pass by.

The Castle.

The Ramparts.

A Distant View of Buntun Bridge.

Saint Philomene Church, Alcala.

We also passed by Alcala in Cagayan, where the Saint Philomene Church - with its ornate golden doors - are located. Alcala also happens to where Teaño Milk Candy originates - a delicacy that's seen practically everywhere around Region II.

The Alternate Route to Cagayan.

Thanks to its geography, the region is rife with winding mountainside roads and bridges that cross flowing rivers. A lot of the places we passed by were incredibly picturesque, owing to the relatively unexploited natural wealth of the land.

Bridge Over Cagayan River.

Park View.

Unfortunately, one of the places we tried to visit - Talama Viewdeck - was closed. We got a few shots of its exterior, which was covered in pine trees like some abandoned outskirt of Baguio (with much less people).

Pines at the Talama Viewdeck.

Old Pasunglao Bridge.

One of the things that this trip reminded me was how much of an imperial mentality the powers-that-be have for Manila. Still, the unpaved backroads and old infrastructure still have a charm that I've always seen from old, forgotten things.

Conifers at the Tabuk Capitol.

We also got to visit Calvary Hills in Iguig, Cagayan - a sprawling hillside adorned with life-sized statues depicting the Stations of the Cross overlooked by an old brick church.

Calvary Church.

I'll have a separate post about this place in a month or so (if I remember to do it). I've never imagined a place like this existing in the Philippines. It's a shame that this isn't something that has been featured in any public tourism campaign I've come across. Still, there's some reason to assume that the place is packed during Holy Week.

Calvary Hill Altar.

Shrine to Our Lady of Piat.

We also stopped by Our Lady of Piat - one of the most venerated Marian images in the country. The Lady carries half a millennium of history with it (and is credited with countless miracles across the centuries), and I can only feel awe mixed with reverence as we walked through the inner recesses of the shrine (which, strangely enough, held a vague scent of roses) along with other pilgrims.

Ringo (the tabby) and Snowball ( the black cat).

Ringo, the pictured cat, has a rather interesting story. He was a feisty stray we rescued over a year ago (and by stray I mean we had to fish him from under a water tank because he has been crying in the same spot for a few days). He mistrusted everyone and tended to be a bit nippy when he didn't get his way. It was a tough decision, but it was decided that he'd be better off in the province where the world was a less terrifying place (for a rescue animal).

A year later, he was the sweetest cat along with his 'mate', Snowball. I don't know if it's because he's aged a little and has thus mellowed out or if it's the weather that prompts them to seek the nearest heat source, but Ringo is a testament to the inevitability of change.

Overall, with the amazing food (because goat meat is my weakness) and beautiful weather, it was a week well spent.

2015 - A Look Back

"Closing cycles. Not because of pride, incapacity or arrogance, but simply because that no longer fits your life. Shut the door, change the record, clean the house, shake off the dust. Stop being who you were, and change into who you are."

- Paolo Coelho

Alive. I'm happy to be living in the here and the now.

2015 has shown me that, and much more. There have been days when I saw my five-day-a-week routine as a mental prison, with the boredom and the stress slowly eating away inside. It's true that people sometimes hate  change - and now I realize that sometimes it has been me who was resisting change. The world, no matter how important anyone makes themselves feel, will always move forward. New doors will open and close along the way, and sometimes it takes someone choosing to get up and walk through to make a difference in their lives.

We can make things happen by choosing to make choices.

Challenge of the Year

Travelling to a foreign country alone and (literally barely) making it back.

Games of the Year

For expansions, I loved how The Taken King was put together. This was Destiny's best raid yet, and it encouraged entire fireteams to participate actively during the course of the expansion's flagship activity.

Until Dawn had me going until, well, dawn. I'm slightly partial to it because I've never seen anything similar to one of my favorite PS3 games - Heavy Rain - and the storytelling for this one was just as intense, if not more so.

Meal of the Year

Probably that bowl of arbi gosht (which may or may not have been what made me very sick).

Movies of the Year

Besides Star Wars (which is pretty much unanimous) and the various superhero movies this year?

Well, there's Kingsman, which turned out to be better than I expected (and certainly not for the squeamish). Then there's Maggie, a zombie drama starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. It's surprisingly good, and showed that the Governator has more things up his sleeves these days. There's Oren Peli's Area 51, yet another found footage film (that I'm a sucker for) about the eponymous desert base. Lastly, there's the infamous Heneral Luna which is a massive bummer for anyone who hasn't seen it by now.

What I'm Thankful for This Year

Hayao, the best cat in the universe. For being able to travel extensively and meeting a lot of new people. For being able to finish NaNoWriMo sans planning, and having the most supportive girlfriend who'll suffer reading through it next year. For being shown that the future holds so many options, and for the hope that we'd be able to take the path that would lead us to the best possible future.

And for being healthy, alive, and able to continue my battles another day. 

Later!

To Cambodia and Back

Angkor Wat.

We've visited Cambodia a couple of months ago (hence this is a long overdue post). This is the second time I've been out of the country this year, and if there's anything that's been emphasized for me, it's that the world is a terrifyingly large place, and the disparity between its many peoples can only be apparent to someone who travels.

Causeway to Angkor Wat.

To say that Cambodia has a long way to go as a developing country is a gross understatement. Decades of conflict during the Cold War have set the country back by many years. Despite this, rapid modernization is undeniably present in the country - Western staples such as malls, convenience stores and hotels seem to be within arm's reach, at least from what we saw in Siem Reap (and I assume that the case would be the same for Phnom Penh).

Angkor Wat - Exterior Wall.

What Cambodia lacks in modern infrastructure, it more than makes up for with its tourism industry. The country has a surprisingly rich past dating back to over a millennium. Countless (and I mean countless) temples dot the landscape - architectural marvels that have stood the test of time and have survived wars, natural disasters and looting. The famous Angkor Wat is but one of Cambodia's more famous landmarks and is flocked by countless visitors daily.

Sanskrit.

From walls covered in long forgotten stories written in Sanskrit to entire carvings depicting the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata, there is an astounding amount of history preserved in the ancient stone. The modern Khmer people have deep respect for their history and culture, as evidenced by the level of preservation of their ancient artifacts.

Ramayana.

Sanskrit.

Recurring themes are visible throughout the different temples, as the ancient Khmer Empire has strong roots from the Indian subcontinent. Our guide mentioned that each temple was aligned to either Hinduism or Buddhism (and later temples to both).

The Lotus.

The Naga lines most temple causeways.

Reclining Buddha.

Buddha is given shade by the Naga.

The views are definitely breathtaking. Climbing atop the temples takes a bit of work, but seeing the magnificent views (that were once only reserved for the highest of royals and holy men) is a privilege for anyone living today.

Angkor Wat - Side Entrance.

Angkor Wat - Middle Wall.

Angkor Wat - Center Interior.

Angkor Wat - Overlook.

Angkor Wat - Stairway to Heaven.

Angkor Wat - Rear.

Of course, Angkor Wat isn't the only temple that Cambodia has to offer. Ta Prohm, made famous by the Tomb Raider film,was an eerie sight - ancient stone structures slowly being reclaimed by the forest, with the massive roots of the spung trees carving through the rock like it was clay.

The lingering effects of the past are seen on the way to the smaller temples. Millions of landmines have been deployed throughout the country over the years, and victims try to make a living by playing music or selling handcrafted souvenirs and fruits.

Ta Prohm - Entrance.

Ta Prohm - Entrance Close-up.

Ta Prohm - Ruined Wall.

Ta Prohm - Spung Tree Over Temple.

Ta Prohm - Spung Tree Growing Out of Rocks.

Even the paths towards the major landmarks were decorated with ancient pieces of architecture. Gates, signifying the territories encompassed by sacred grounds, stand tall above the thick foliage.

The Gate - See our van on the other side for size comparison.

The Gate - Elephants adorn the stone, which is an homage to Vishnu.

Elephant Training Grounds.

Temple Stones - Grounds staff pile them around while waiting for resources for their restoration efforts.

My personal favorite was Bayon. Massive stone heads depicting Buddha are found in its interior, most of which were carved and stacked like Lego bricks. Temples like these took generations to complete. Imagine spending one's lifetime dedicated to the completion of a singular goal - something that's unthinkable these days.

Bayon - Side.

Bayon - Exterior.

Bayon - Interior.

Bayon - Exterior Front.

Bayon - Exterior.

Needless to say, expect a lot of walking when visiting Cambodia. We had to trek to the top of a rather high hill to see the sunset on our first day (which was unfortunately crowded when we got there).

We also got to climb a mountain to visit one of the more sacred Hindu sites - a mountain spring that fed water to the entirety of Siem Reap in ancient times. The mountain is rife with symbolisms of the creation myth, particularly of the sivat linga - a representation of the union between man and woman.

The highest part of the mountain has the streams running through these carvings, as if the water itself is made fertile by their gods.

Sivat Linga.

Overall, I'd say Cambodia is worth the visit. The country is a massive change of pace from the insanity of the modern world, and revisiting a country's unspoiled past is one way to disconnect from the craziness.

The Fine Print
I'd recommend visiting as a group to allow expenses to be split. I think we spent a little less than PhP 25,000 per person for the entire four day trip, which included the air fare, tour guide, a rented van, the hotel stay and allowances for food, souvenirs, tips and miscellaneous stuff like massages, exotic food (like tarantulas and silkworms) and the infamous happy pizza.

I prefer their airport over NAIA, even though it's a lot smaller. NAIA is that bad.

Bring US dollars and (for the love of all that is holy) do not exchange them for Khmer riel at a forex counter unless you like carrying a bag full of paper money (or fancy yourself a millionaire for a short while). US dollars are generally accepted as the standard currency and the local currency is mostly used for spare change. Some establishments, especially souvenir shops, also accept other currencies, including Philippine pesos.

Best Meal of the Trip - Hot Pot Buffet at Market Street.

The food is great - expect a lot of Thai and Indian influence in local restaurants, such as tamarind-based tom yum and different curries. I'm a huge fan of coconut milk, so this was mostly my cup of tea. Western choices are available, although I don't understand why anyone would choose that over local cuisine.

We stayed at the Sonyn Retreat House and I was surprised and satisfied with the service they provided. The Khmer people are probably one of the most hospitable folks I've met so far.

Lastly, do listen to your guide, should you decide to hire one - it's way worth it.