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T H E U L T I M A T E S H O E S T R I N G A D V E N T U R E
PHOTO
HANNAH REYES
AS A FREELANCE TRAVEL BLOGGER,
I have the privilege of managing my
own time, and every now and then I
like to challenge myself. In 2010, I set
out on a 14-day tour of the Visayas. The
following year, I embarked on a 16-day
journey around Mindanao. This year,
I decided to up the ante and fulfill my
dream of exploring the country — from
the busiest towns pulsing with people
and activity, to the loneliest stretches of
beach and mountain. I had PHP50,000
in the bank and a lot of time on my
hands, so in February this year, I
set off make my dream come true.
Day 1
Starting offat
Kilometer Zero
It was a gloomy Wednesday morning
in February when I headed out of our
family home in Los Baños, Laguna with
a seven-kilo backpack full of clothes,
a camera, a laptop and a hammock.
I wanted to officially start my journey
from the original KM.0, which is the
Manila Cathedral, Intramuros, so I
boarded a bus bound for Manila. Once
there, some friends joined me for a tour
of The Walled City courtesy of a fellow
travel blogger and history buff, Ivan
Cultura. A few interesting bits stood
out, among them: all structures inside
this great city were destroyed during
World War II, except for San Agustin
Church, then the base of the Red Cross.
One historical account says that the
church was covered with an inch of
blood from all the wounded and the
dying. San Agustin Church is now a
UNESCO Heritage Site. From Manila
I headed to Rizal province, then went
island hopping and beach camping in
Zambales, and the Hundred Islands
in Alaminos, Pangasinan. From these
western provinces, I traveled north until
I reached Abra, then Ilocos Sur, on the
northwestern tip of Luzon, on Day 9.
The Shoestring Traveler
James R. Betia
His motto
Never defer a dream — the
minute you see your chance, take it.
His mission
To cover as much of the
archipelago without busting his budget.
Shoestring traveler
James on a street in
Binondo
