“The heart of man is very much like the sea, it has its storms, it has its tides and in its depths it has its pearls too.” Vincent Van Gogh This is my childhood beach, back in our ancestral home where we live so close to the sea, we smell of salt and ocean all day long.. © Jojie Alcantara Ferrando Whitesand Beach, San Ignacio Manay, Davao Oriental In photo swimming : Kuya Meric Yumang * * * * Advertisements
This Centennial Dao Tree in Brgy. Magdug, Governor Generoso of Davao Oriental stands over 260 feet tall with massive branches — quite an imposing 300-year old character by the highway.
“Rest but never quit. Even the sun has a sinking spell each evening. But it always rises the next morning. At sunrise, every soul is born again.”–Muhammad Ali
“I am a child of the Moon being raised by the Sun in a world walked by stars and a sky drawn with flowers.” ~Zara Ventris
Selenophilia is a love of the moon. I love gazing at its beauty wherever I travel. I admit I tend to do crazy stuff influenced by the lunar cycle (menstrual phase in disguise). I have a strange affinity with this night beacon during bouts of insomnia. Tonight from our porch, I basked in the glow of the full Worm Moon while capturing its mystic serenity. It teaches us to learn from past mistakes and move forward to new beginnings, like tidal ebbs and flows. How about you? Are you willing to let go of your past? :- 03.22.2019 © Jojie Alcantara #FullWormMoon# #newbeginnings
On July 7, 2007, the ancient city of Petra in Jordan became one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and an even more famous tourist destination than when it was first shown in the movie Indiana Jones. Dating back to the first century AD, its design achievement reflects the advance civilization of the Nabataeans who perfectly carved their city in the rock mountains. The Treasury (Al Khazna) is the first stunning structure upon entering Petra. This masterpiece stands 150 feet tall and 100 feet wide. Petra is famously referred to as a “rose-red” city, but its reddish hue comes in the late afternoon. In midday, the monuments appear pinkish or yellowish depending on sunlight. ©Jojie Alcantara 2017
Wet market vendor in Ha Long, Vietnam © Jojie Alcantara
Halong City in Quang Ninh Province of Vietnam is a quiet but blossoming town right in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Halong Bay. Quite laid back from other touristy cities, the roads are wide and without traffic (maybe peak season is different). Apart from popular Ha Long Bay cruises, it also offers beach activities, nature treks, local food and night markets. Divided into two main areas: there is Hon Gai on the other side of the bridge where local life, culture and food can be experienced. These are Vietnamese girls in traditional dress called “ao dai”, in a backdrop of Ha Long Bay. Bai Chay is the central tourist area on the other side where Ha Long Bay is filled with luxury cruises or traditional junk boat tours. Other options are: an artificial beach, restaurants, cafes and varying structures from high end resorts to boutique hotels lined along the bay. © Jojie Alcantara This January, Vietnam was the host country of the 38th ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2019. Held in Ha Long, …
I open up my heart and
I’m gonna do my part and
Make this a positively beautiful day.
I actually felt like I dropped into a rabbit hole and emerged in Wonderland, where everything around me was huge and I have shrunk into an immaterial being.
What I know for sure is that every sunrise is like a new page, a chance to right ourselves and receive each day in all its glory. Each day is a wonder. ~Oprah Winfrey
The city of Tiberias in northern Israel was founded by Herod Antipas and named in honor of the Roman emperor Tiberius. It nestles lalong the significant Sea of Galilee (lowest freshwater lake on earth, sourced from Jordan River).
“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
“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” ~ Martin Buber
“Life is like the ocean. Waves will try to knock you down and push you back to where you started but once you fight through them, the entire ocean is yours.”
“To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting an ordinary place… I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.” — Elliott Erwitt
This year alone I rode in a chopper three times over Davao region, doing aerial photography in the traditional way.
“As you walk and eat and travel, be where you are. Otherwise you will miss most of your life.” ― Gautama Buddha
