“When Moses was alive, the pyramids were a thousand years old . . . . Here people learned to measure time by a calendar, to plot the stars by astronomy . . . . Here they developed that most awesome of all ideas – the idea of eternity.” ~ Walter Cronkite
A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985, Petra was named among the New7Wonders of the World in 2007 and chosen by Smithsonian Magazine as one of the “28 Places to See Before You Die”.
Wadi Rum Protected Area was declared in 2011 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its most outstanding desert landscapes, lending a surreal feel to the vast environment. If you think this is a scene from a Star Wars movie, there may be a little truth to it.
“Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small.” ~Anthony Bourdain
“Peace is present right here and now, in ourselves and in everything we do and see. Every breath we take, every step we take, can be filled with peace, joy, and serenity. The question is whether or not we are in touch with it. We need only to be awake, alive in the present moment.”
The Tojoman Lagoon is home to the stingless jellyfish within the Sohoton Cove National Park. This is situated in Bucas Grande Islands of Socorro in Surigao del Norte, a fast rising tourist destination and exciting foray for adventure seekers.
“Imagine if trees gave off wifi signals, we would be planting so many trees and we’d probably save the planet too. Too bad they only produce the oxygen we breathe.” ~ unknown
The stunning and serene Hibiya Park was designed and constructed as the first westernized urban-style park in Japan. It opened to the public in 1903, and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2003.
We are but mere specks in the universe, our lifespan a mere second on the whole time lapse of history that keeps unfolding. So let’s make the most of our millisecond here on earth as nurturing species. Share the love and compassion. Create a ripple so that mankind will be remembered. ~ Jojie Alcantara (Sunrise seascape, Davao City)
“May every sunrise hold more promise and every sunset hold more peace.” Stop the War.
“We do not remember days, we remember moments.” ~ Cesare Pavese
Here’s a beautiful sunrise captured in a different side of Dahican beach in Mati, Davao Oriental.
“Plenty of people miss their share of happiness not because they never found it but because they didn’t stop to enjoy it.” – William Faulkner
Years ago in 2003, we shot Hinatuan’s Enchanted River on our film camera. I wrote about it in the local paper, and eventually in Mabuhay Magazine, Manila Bulletin and other publications.
Local kids in Cateel, Davao Oriental enjoy the cool waters of Aliwagwag Falls, its stunning cascades a poignant reminder of nature’s fragile ecosystem when it was affected by the onslaught of supertyphoon Pablo (Bopha) in 2011.
” With earth under our backs, cradled in a forest glade. There we will point out the things we see – and acknowledge those things we do not. In solitude, we take in the wisdom offered in each other, and take in the hum of the forest.” — Phoebe Wahl
This Bitaog tree (Calophyllum inophyllum) in Brgy. Caloc-an, Magallanes, Agusan del Norte was officially declared the oldest tree in the country in June 1998 by the Dept. Of Tourism.
One particular sandstone head fell into the roots of a banyan tree they call a Bodhi Tree, considered sacred and symbolic to Buddhism. Over the years, this head became miraculously embedded in the tangled overgrowth, which created a stunning and powerful imagery to what the historic war represented.
The historic City of Ayutthaya (1351-1767), was the second capital of a flourishing Siamese Kingdom (Thailand’s old name). For 417 years from the 14th to the 18th centuries, it grew to be one of the world’s largest and most cosmopolitan urban areas and a most important center of global diplomacy and commerce during its time. It was said to be beautiful, luxurious and fabulous… think wild Paris of ancient history.
“I’ve learned that everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you’re climbing it.” ~ Andy Rooney
There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart. Pursue those. Fly free. Don’t let fear of what may happen hold you back from following your heart.
“Those who believe they can move mountains, do. Those who believe they can’t, cannot. Belief triggers the power to do.” ― David J. Schwartz, Magic Of Thinking Big
