Every seasoned extreme traveler has a hallucination story. It’s all about sacrifice but heaven is when you conquer any adventurous journey that you are aiming. The adventure started when nine different individuals meet in a bus station in Manila for the start of their Babuyan Island Quest. It was like the “Survivor Series”, the team was composed of nine adventure seekers with various professional backgrounds, all in one goal. Upon reaching the port of Camiguin in Brgy. Balatubat, Jun – the team leader immediately went to the Barangay Office to ask for possible assistance, luckily in a short while the local officials offered us the beachfront “casitas” for our accommodation.

On our second day, we left Camiguin Island to do some island hopping and whale watching before heading to Babuyan Claro. Watching a whale dive is simply awesome. They simply grab your attention, and then the silent way its slides down into the water. There was a genuine sense of loss when the whales disappear. Babuyan’s biggest and most beloved visitor – the Humpback whales (megaptera novaeangliae) are arriving during summer for their annual winter holiday, marking the start of whale watching season in the islands. Humpback whales are migrating from Alaska each year to breed and calve in Babuyan’s warm coastal waters, one of the Philippines marine sanctuary dedicated to whales and their habitat. Surveys by the WWF-Philippine’s Humpback Whale Research and Conservation Project over the last four years counted more than 36 individual Humpback whales in the waters of Fuga, Calayan and Batanes. The project group has been working in the area since 2000 when the local WWF confirmed the presence of the whales.

The humpback whale is one of the more energetic species of its kind, known in particular for its fantastic displays of jumping out of the water (breaching), flipper slapping, and lob tailing (arching just beneath the surface so the fluke, or tail, rises out of the water as the body descends). During mating season, they are also known for the complex and haunting “songs” that the males use to attract females. These songs can last for hours, and research has shown that although there are certain patterns that repeat in many of them, the males often improvise variations that make each song unique. Humpback feed on small crustaceans called krill, which they strain out of the water by forcing large amounts of seawater through their baleen, a series of fringed overlapping plates located in the jaw in the place where teeth would normally be found.

Its almost four hours in the sea before we finally reached the Fuga Island, a long island with never ending stretch of white sand and coral beaches. It was already 2pm so we decided to have a stopover to have our lunch. The head boatmen told us that its impossible for us to head to Babuyan Claro by that time so we just stayed in the island. The night was totally dark and cold so we roam around to find driftwoods for our campfire. It’s an exciting race; laughter’s and fun echo everywhere, from naughty to creepy stories, everybody is listening until wee hours of the morning.

Eyes were bit sored, temper where short, and fatigue was etched on everyone’s face – and I’m just talking about the journalists. Almost 4am when we left the island, still aiming to reach the Babuyan Claro. The breeze was exceptionally cold as we sail to the northern part of the islands. The waves are getting bigger as we reach the open sea, nobody knows that there was a cold front because of the islands lack of communication facilities. Some of us still managed to laugh, purposely to ease the stress and fear of the gigantic waves. It was like having the whitewater rafting in Kalinga and surfing in Siargao all at the same time. But who’s to blame? Its part of the adventure, even the strong fishermen’s are not sailing every Good Friday to follow the old beliefs that traveling is not safe during this special Lenten day. The adrenalin pumping waves was gone when we reached the Camiguin cove, we thought that it’s the end of our adventure, but the truth is it was just the beginning.

The third day was our turn to smile, we may have failed to conquer the three remaining islands but we still always have the “next time”. We may say that we are the real “survivors” because this time we are not guided by a script nor a series of reality-based obstacles but instead a true to life exhilarating adventure. It was a sunny morning; everybody was prepared for the beach hopping and dolphin watching. Halfway to the fronting Pamuktan Island, we already saw a couple of jolly dolphins, performing handful of show offs. As we sail around the island, dolphins are just coming out from the waters. The playful dolphins delighted everybody. We had some snorkeling right in the beach shore and then we head back to Camiguin for some bird watching and nature tripping. Ah! This is life.

The Babuyan group of islands is composed of five islands north of Aparri. All of the islands have small Ilokano communities. Phone lines and mobile phones are unheard and only few settlers have electricity powered by gasoline-supplied generators.

The province of Cagayan is bounded by the mountain ranges of Sierra Madre on the east extending up to the beaches of the coastal towns, on the south is Isabela province, on the west is the Cordillera Mountain and on the north by the Balintang, Babuyanes and the China Sea. The Babuyan group of islands which include Calayan, Dalupiri, Fuga, Camiguin and Babuyan Claro is about fifty nautical miles north of Aparri. There are no luxury resorts in these islands and no regular ferries but the trip here with all its inconvenience is well worth the effort.

Whether whale watching or discovering a great beach destination is your goal, Babuyan Group of Island offers a lot for the active traveler.

Babuyan Island adventure is all about dreaming a vacation after it was over. It gives you a never-ending discovery, almost impossible to forget.

The experience maybe unforgiving but truly it was a walk to remember.

This year, become a student of the matron of innovation, Mother Nature, and make your creative scrapbooking sing with originality.

The Hues to Choose

Glimpse out your window and what do you see?

If you’re in the part of the world that experiences seasonal changes, you no doubt spot falling leaves, barren trees and crisp, gray-blue skies. Allow those colors to inspire you as you begin to develop themes for your Thanksgiving scrapbook page ideas.

For instance, when purchasing your paper and cardstock, look for shades reminiscent of autumn. Gold. Rust. Brown. Stay away from bright yellow and spanking-new green for now – you’ll have plenty of opportunities to use those tints in the springtime.

Even your scrapbooking supplies can and should coordinate with the hues you choose. Markers of orange and deep red add an almost imperceptible autumnal cast upon the pages of your scrapbook albums. So do ribbons, stickers, and stamps of similar earthy tones.

Take a Walk on the Wild Side

Creative scrapbooking is often considered a sedentary activity, but not when you’re exploring interesting Thanksgiving scrapbook page ideas!

Don your favorite parka or sweatshirt and head out into the cool breeze of mid-afternoon for some pre-winter scavenging. Keep your eyes on the ground and in the trees for treasures to add to your November album.

Pretty leaves, delicate flowers, vibrant feathers, and even very small seeds and pebbles can add flavor and texture to the Thanksgiving pages in your scrapbook. Of course, don’t forget that anything alive may need to be specially preserved before inclusion in your book; otherwise, some plants tend to fall apart over time.

As you’re enjoying your nature walk, pay special attention to the scenes playing around you.

Fluffy squirrels scurrying about, people of all ages rushing to and fro while desperately holding onto their hats in the swirling wind, migrating birds flying in disciplined, “V” formations. When you get home, write down your observations; they’ll help you in the next steps of putting together your Thanksgiving scrapbook page ideas.

Raid the Photo Box

Admit it. You have dozens (if not hundreds) of photos that are scattered around the house. Maybe they’re in a few boxes. Perhaps they’re cataloged in manila envelopes. Or it could be that they’re housed in a million different places and you’d be hard-pressed to find them all.

Regardless, it’s time to seek as many of them out as possible. After all, chances are very strong that several of them can be worked into your Thanksgiving scrapbook page ideas.

Do you have a shot of Aunt Erma cycling against a November backdrop? How about three-and-a-half year old Billy playing in a huge stack of crunchy leaves? Those photos deserve a home… so why not incorporate them into your creative scrapbooking?

And if you aren’t certain you want them to be tucked away in your scrapbook albums forever, you can always make inexpensive copies of them on your home printer or at your local office supply store. Any way you choose to use them, they’ll be ideal additions to your scrapbook.

Make a Toast to Thanksgiving… And Get Started!

At this point, you have a host of Mother Nature-inspired objects, themes, notes, and remembrances to fuel your Thanksgiving scrapbook page ideas. So get a glass of your favorite fall beverage (hot apple cider is always a delicious motivator) and make a toast to the season.

Then get working on your creative scrapbooking. Thanksgiving will be here before you know it and just like the guest bedroom on your second floor, your album needs to be ready for visitors!

The town of Puerto Galera can be reached in about 3 hours from Manila via road. You can drive till Batangas Pier and from there ride a ferry to the town. You can even take your car along in a RORO ship. There are also bus services called ‘Sikat Tourist Service’ that leaves daily from the city state tower hotel on Mabini Street, Manila. Tourists can also reach this destination via ferry services that arrive at this town from Batangas and many other islands.

There are many good places to see in and around the town. Besides White and Sabang beaches, other attractions that charm guests here include lush nearby forests, waterfalls, coral reefs and so on. For the adventure lovers, scuba diving at the protected marine sanctuary is an exciting adventure sports to enjoy here.

Pondarosa Golf Trekk is another interesting activity. The road to this golf trekk from White Beach offers fantastic views. Tamaraw Fall is again a picturesque beauty located at a distance of about 14 km. One can walk or take a bike to reach this falls. This site again presents some awesome views. On the way you can see some beautiful beaches, mostly empty.

Other activities that are available in the area include Banana Boat ride, Jetski, Vinta (Local Sailboat) ride, Island Hopping, Mountain Biking, and snorkeling. For shopping, there are many good shops where you can buy souvenir items.

Puerto Galera offers some best possible accommodation options for the guests suiting every pocket and keeping in view the comfort of tourists. Furthermore, online hotel reservation service can also be used to instantly book a hotel. This process is safe and secure and will help you to reserve hotels in Puerto Galera without any hassle. Bayview Palm is a comfortable hotel here for the guests to stay.

Once you leave the airport, you will notice hundreds of vehicles assembled on the roads and you will notice that Dumaguete City is the city of the most motorcycles in the world. You now have many different choices when it comes to hotels, and pension houses that you want to stay in. Take the next tricycle, since there barely are taxis in Dumaguete City, and head to the classy Coco Grande, which is one of the most stylish and most pricy hotels in the city. Coco Grande is a Spanish inspired building in which you can also find services such as adventure tours and spas.

Another hotel you may want to visit is the Bethel Guest house. This guest house is held in a simple style, but it is located at the famous Dumaguete Boulevard which gives you a view on the sea. There are also other hotels such as Hotel Palwa and Ok Pensionne, if you are looking for something more affordable. Dumaguete City’s Boulevard is the ultimate landmark in the city because it survived decades, especially the war decade and is still standing today. Renovation work on the Boulevard is being done annually and thus the landscape and the monuments are still being protected. The Boulevard houses entertainers such as singers and dancers, and there are morning work-outs and worships that are being held daily at the Boulevard. Do not forget to stop by the Tempura vendors who will not only sell you fried goodies, but also Filipino Balut eggs.

Dumaguete City is a University town and perfect for students who want to study in a quiet environment with a quality education. There are four Universities that are currently located in Dumaguete City; Catholic St. Paul University, Foundation University, Negros Oriental State University, and famous Silliman University. Silliman University also known as SU is known word-wide and Silliman currently prides themselves of having a top Allied Health Science and Nursing education that will open doors for students who want to work abroad.

Dumaguete City is not only the city of gentle people and the city of Universities, but Dumaguete also has great holidays and so-called fiestas where people can relax, enjoy and most importantly taste the delicious food that will be served. One of the annual events in Dumaguete City is the Dumaguete City Fiesta which is being held every November 24. This even is packed with parades, special food displays and the Miss Dumaguete Pageant in which young ladies from Dumaguete compete for the coveted crown.

Another big event is the annual Buglasan Celebration. In this celebration, each city, town and municipality from Negros Oriental comes together in Dumaguete City to display their local foods and talents. This event is being celebrated in a little town specially built for Buglasan, called Sidlakan Negros. During the Buglasan, you will see many variety shows sponsored by the government, such as International student variety shows, band contests and singing contests.

Even though Dumaguete City seems to be a rather small city in Negros Oriental, it is full of surprises, festivals and not to forget good food. Visit this little great city by taking domestic flights from Manila or bus and boat trips from the other surrounding cities and provinces.

Having the name Amanpulo (which means peaceful) spells it’s true meaning and added to that feature is it’s alluring beauty and tranquility. However, to transport tourists from Manila to the island, there is always an airplane standing by. It is also used to transport goods and supplies to the island. The island can accommodate less than 100 people to stay. That is an assurance that the place is not that crowded compared to Boracay and Puerto Galera. The fact that it’s so small you can tour the whole island in 3-5 hours walk.

If you think walking around the island is boring, think again. The island has so many activities to offer just like diving, snorkeling, fishing, sailing, windsurfing, and beach combing. If you feel the romantic ambiance, try to arrange a barbecue night out with your date or simply grab your picnic basket and do your picnicking on the neighbor island. You can also indulge yourself in the island’s casitas (bungalow) that goes with a personal buggy. So if vacation is what you have in mind, always include Pamalican Island in your list of travel destinations in Asia.

But really, the problem isn’t the fact that we save things. The problem is finding it again later, right? I try my best to make sense of my mess. I try to keep the bills in one place, the school papers for each of my kids in another, and now that we have college bills (piles and piles of college bills), I need an entire file cabinet for the Sallie Mae paperwork!

The fact that I have any number of creative projects churning in my brain at any given time doesn’t help as I continually jot down little notes to myself and lists of things I hope to accomplish today, tomorrow, next weeksomeday. I know, I knowSometimes I am my own worst enemy!

I also go to school at night and have piles of my own books and homework lying around. And then there’s all the paperwork that comes with my volunteer work and cards and keepsakes from my friends or family trips that I hope to get into scrap books someday. Bills, coupons, homework, school notices, college loan information.It’s endless!

I’ve tried file folders, boxes, manila envelopes, binders, baskets, you name it, but I just can’t ever seem to get that paper monster under control! Occasionally I tackle the piles and weed out some of the non-essentials, recycling expired coupons and clippings I never got around to addressing but it never really eliminates the piles.

So what can we do to get all these papers in some sort of order? I have found a few tips that worked for me. The key, of course is to force ourselves to learn new habits to stay organized once we’ve organized our stuff.

One of the things that I found helpful was to put all of the kids’ school papers, copies of medical forms, copies of doctor’s notes, and any other pertinent information into a binder with dividers between kids. Depending on the number of kids you have, you may even want to have a different binder for each child.

I find this technique works especially well for sports schedules, team lists, and anything else related to extracurricular activities. Another important tip: Never get rid of old phone lists! If you’re really organized, create a master list of phone numbers and/or email

Another key witness in the anomalous ZTE broadband deal between the Philippines and China, surfaced early dawn today at a catholic school in San Juan, Green Hills, Metro Manila, after he was allegedly abducted more than 20 hours ago by unknown individuals as he disembarked from a Cathay Pacific Airways at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City, Philippines.

Rodolfo Lozado, a technical adviser to the multi-million dollar ZTE scandal and president of the Philippine Forest Development Council, an attached agency of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), told media during a press conference held inside the La Salle Catholic School in Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila that he was fetched by plainclothes men who introduced themselves as coming from the police security protection unit of the Philippine National Police.

Reports said Lozada was whisked away without passing through the customs and immigration personnel who normally inspect each arriving passenger from abroad so that the arrival time can be stamped on his valid passport.

Consequently, the family members and other relatives who were waiting for him at the arrival area got a surprise of their lives when Lozada was nowhere to be found. They only learned later from airport witnesses who said that some plainclothes personnel escorted him out at the exit door and spirited away.

In a press conference attended by catholic priests, bishops and nuns from the Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines, Lozada admitted that during the alleged kidnapping he was made to sign an affidavit without exactly knowing what was its content. He suspected that the affidavit will be used against him should he pushes through with his intention to testify at the Senate hearing spearheaded by the Blue Ribbon Committee chaired by Sen. Allan Peter Cayetano.

In the same conference, Lozada invoked his earlier testimonies that former Commission on Elections chairman Benjamin Abalos, who resigned after the Joey de Venecia, the son of House Speaker Jose de Venecia, implicated Abalos as the mastermind behind ZTE broadband scandal.

Lozada said that during a meeting at the Shangrila Hotel in Mandaluyong, he overheard Abalos convincing First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, who was in the same meeting, to convince President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to work out a deal that would make the ZTE broadband deal as part of the loan by the Philippine government