There are beautiful places in these islands that I do not particularly want to share, and have been hesitant to do so. These are serene spots you just want to preserve and protect yet at the same time you want others to feel what you went through.
Forbidden City or the Palace Museum is located at the center of Beijing City, close to Tiananmen Square.
On an assignment for a photo shoot for another coffee table book and went back home happy after so much vitamin sea and grounding with Mother Nature.
“Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you truly love. It will not lead you astray.” ~Rumi
“Happiness can be found in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” ~Prof. Albus Dumbledore (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban)
Not everyone was privileged to see another sunrise like you did, so before you start complaining; remember that the breath of life, is not for sale.
“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
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.
“The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious.” ~Albert Einstein
“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
“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.
“Someday you will find the one who will watch every sunrise with you until the sunset of your life.” – Unknown
“Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.” ~ Pamela Vaull Starr
“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.”
