Carlo Borja: Travel

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When I set foot in the island of Bali on June 2018, I immediately fell in love with the place.

There are so many good memories I brought with me and the best way to show them is through pictures.

By the way, we were there because it was our company's annual retreat.

It's actually amazing to see how the company has grown. As of this writing, around 28 countries are represented in this team of 70+ people. (Only 40 was able to come though).

We also happened to be co-organizing Running Remote, the largest remote work conference in the world. This happened on the 23rd and 24th. It was incredible.

That is Amir of Todoist and Joel of Buffer.

But, less of those and more of Bali!

So yes, I stayed in this really awesome villa. Probably the best accommodation I've ever had in my entire life.

Who could say no to this?

Add to that the beautiful scenery and the lovely smell of nature everywhere you go!

It is also culturally rich and the locals are very much open to educating you about their history. They are very nice people too!

For coffee junkies like me, they are home to the best coffee in the world. I had to buy some even though it was really expensive.

And who could forget their world-renowned beer? They call it Bintang.

This beer is best enjoyed at night when the island comes to life with all the parties and festivities going on.

Tourists are always sure to have a great time.

I could go on and on.

But, I would end here.

The point is Bali sure held a place in my heart.

It was memorable. And more importantly, I made a lot of new friends along the way.

I will definitely come back soon if I have the chance.

I both love and hate early morning flights.

The airport is not as busy during this time. It's pretty much relaxed from the airport to the plan ride itself.

But, on the flip side I have to wake up early, travel very early, miss breakfast, feel sleepy and sometimes miss stuff.

There are a lot of reasons why I have to take flights during this time. But, as much as possible I avoid flights before sunrise. My body clock will thank me for it.

Hats off to the 'morning' people who love these flights.

I wish I had that.

My girlfriend and I went to Tokyo on a winter season (December 2016). It was just for 2 days (not enough time) but we had so much fun.

Japan has always been on top of our travel list and we're glad to say that we could already cross it off our bucket list.

Here are some of the things we love about Tokyo:

1. The transportation system

During our entire stay, we relied on their trains as our main form of transportation. It was quite daunting at first when we saw the complicated subway map. But, in just a few hours we actually got the hang of it and I must say that I really love it. It was so efficient and well planned. It will never make you think of traffic again.

Nakamise Shopping Street

2. The people are disciplined (and generally nice)

We live in a place where people could get so rowdy disobeying all the rules. We noticed that the Japanese people followed every single traffic sign and general city rules. This makes the place so safe. Plus, the people are nice. You could easily ask for help and they would try their best to do so even if there is a language barrier.

Some yummy Japanese street food

3. The food is glorious

All the food we ate in Japan were delicious. From ramen, to chicken and even fast food! Seriously. I don’t know why. But, the food there is amazing. Even 7-Eleven had some pretty good and healthy choices.

At the Hamarikyu Gardens

4. A mix of old and new

It is absolutely awesome how in the middle of a busy urban setting you could see very well preserved old gardens, temples and culture. This I think is what makes Japan unique. The mix of modern and ancient culture is something you’d notice in almost every area.

Sensoji Temple

5. There’s so much to explore

Tokyo is filled with so many places to go to! I must admit that 2 days wasn’t enough. We should have stayed there for a week but we didn’t have that much time. Tokyo is so huge you need a lot of time to be able to go to all the good spots and places. Did I mention Tokyo is just a small part of Japan? There really are so many places to explore in the land of the rising sun.

I could go on and on but that would make this post a really long list.

It is obvious how we really enjoyed Tokyo. We fell in love with the city and hopefully we will be able to go back — maybe another place in Japan next time.

Ueno Park

With Hachiko

Here are some video clips from the trip:

It was my second time in Bohol and this time it was for our annual company gathering.

There's something about this place that really captivates me.

The island is very laid back, the people are very nice and you'll see nature at its best.

Plus, we stayed at a very luxurious and excellent hotel named Bellevue.

It couldn't get any better than that.

I got to meet my colleagues from Time Doctor and Staff.com. We got to bond as a team which is a very important thing especially for us remote workers.

We also had some key meetings and workshops which gave us some valuable insights and skills moving forward. These are all valuable especially that the company is continuing to grow.

I love the fact that my work allows me to get to relax and experience places like this.

Looking forward to the next one!

Here are some video snaps from the trip:

I was fortunate enough to represent GBG Cagayan de Oro during the Google Community Summit Asia 2014. It was held in Sri Lanka and it was absolutely an amazing experience.

It was my first time to attend a summit this huge. There are many stories and memories that I could share. But, I can summarize them into these three.

Connecting with other managers

The summit was attended by the GBG and GDG managers of Asia. There were also Google Developer Experts. Not only did I get to connect and know some of them, I also had a multi-cultural experience. It was amazing. Talking to these people with different cultures widened my knowledge of the world.

Empowered and inspired

The summit was filled with keynotes, conferences, discussions and brainstorming. There was an overflow of brilliant ideas and I was there consuming every bit of knowledge I could get. I definitely learned a lot of things and I am very excited to share them with our local business community here in Cagayan de Oro.

A mini vacation

Aside from attending the summit, we were able to take some sidetrips in Bangkok (Thailand) and Colombo (Sri Lanka). These sidetrips only lasted for a few hours. But, they were absolutely enough to make this whole experience worthwhile.

I would like to thank my community manager, Jon for giving me this opportunity to represent our community in an Asian Summit. In case you do not know, I am the co-manager of the Google Business Group here in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines.

Also, props to Google for organizing events like this. It definitely empowers the awesome communities that they have already built.

This was definitely an experience I will never forget.

Last June 13, me and my girlfriend went to Manila to watch Hillsong United live in concert.

I grew up listening to and singing their songs at church. That's why I got really excited when I heard that they were coming back here in our country. Now was my chance to finally get to see them live!

Hillsong United Live in Manila

No words could express how really powerful and moving that night was. Araneta Coliseum was packed with people who were gathered together in sincere worship. Everyone was singing, dancing, shouting, jumping and going crazy for Jesus!

I wanted to take a lot of pictures and videos. But, I did not miss the chance to experience the live worship first hand. So, I just took a few, set aside my camera and just sang my heart out for the Lord.

Joel Houston also gave a very powerful and really personal exhortation.

Hillsong United Live in Manila

"These cameras, lights, coliseum, people... all of these things mean nothing if we are not doing this for Jesus."

I was so blessed by how the team led everyone into worship. From the start to the end of the concert, it was very evident that they did not do those things for their own glory. It was Jesus' name that was lifted up.

Hillsong United Live in Manila

The night ended with the team praying for Manila and the Philippines that everyone will come to know and lift up the name of Jesus.

We went home really filled with the Holy Spirit after such an extraordinary and memorable worship experience.

Praise God for the lives of the Hillsong United team and how He touched everyone's hearts during that concert.

Here are a few video clips from my phone:

From Cagayan de Oro, going to Dapitan is a 9 hour long bus ride.

Fantasyland Bus

It was actually the longest bus ride I've ever had so far. But, that long trip was worth it. I got to explore the Shrine City of the Philippines in all its goodness.

Dapitan City is all about Jose Rizal, Fantasyland and Dakak Beach Resort. At least that's what most tourists visit in the city.

Jose Rizal

The trip started with a city tour that showed us how Dapitan was built with the memories of our own national hero, Jose Rizal. Having a glimpse of our own history is always a good thing to do.

Fantasyland

Swinger Ride at Fantasyland Dapitan

At night, Dapitan City shines with its famous Fantasyland. It is an amusement park that's worth bringing your kids to. It's not as great as the ones I've experienced before. But, I guess its the best Mindanao has to offer.

Dakak Beach Resort

To top the whole trip off, we stayed at the very relaxing Dakak Park and Beach Resort. The beach was awesome and the pool was quite a treat.

It's more fun in the Philippines indeed.

Have you been to Dapitan already? I'd love to hear your experiences. Let me know in the comments below.

This year went off to a great start. On the first day of 2014, me and my girlfriend decided go on an adventure.

We went to the Queen City of the South to experience some new and exciting things.

Larsian and Sky Walk

On the first night, we tested out Cebu's famous place for barbecue: Larsian sa Fuente.

It is the best place for affordable and delicious grilled food. I highly recommend it to all the foodies out there. Dining in the place is an experience in itself.

Dinner cost: PHP 225.00 for the 2 of us. That's a lot of food already.

After dinner, we went to the nearby Crown Regency Hotel and Towers to experience the famous Sky Walk adventure.

Overlooking Cebu from 430 feet up (the highest tower in the city) was a different kind of thrill. It was scary but so much fun!

Sky Walk: PHP 550 per person (100 deposit for the wristband - will be refunded after use)
Socks: PHP 20 per pair
Hard copy of photo: PHP 150 per photo

Whale Shark Watching at Oslob

Early morning the next day, we headed down south to Oslob, Cebu to get to swim with their whale sharks (locally known as butanding).

This was the most challenging thing to do for me. I do not know how to swim and the thought of swimming with whale sharks is pretty crazy enough.

Thank God I managed to do it. Surprisingly, the whale sharks even though they were huge were very gentle and friendly.

I slightly got seasick after the experience but it was something I would never forget for the rest of my life. I will probably try it again sometime soon. Hopefully I get to learn how to swim before that time comes.

Bus to Oslob: PHP 159 per person (one way)
Swimming with the whale sharks: PHP 550 per person (rate for the locals)
Underwater Cam Rent: 500

Tip: Bring your own underwater cam to save on expenses. It's also a bonus if you know how to operate your cam. The divers there unfortunately were not able to take good photos of us underwater.

Side Trip: Tumalog Falls and Kwartel

Because we were already in Oslob, we did not miss the chance to also visit Tumalog Falls. From the whale shark watching area, you only need to hire a habal-habal driver to get you to the place.

The place was enchanting. It's a captivating sight of nature.

After checking the falls, we also visited the historical Kwartel at Oslob. This place though a small area is filled with some interesting bits and pieces of Philippine history. It's worth checking out.

Habal-habal ride: 350 (ride to Tumalog falls and Kwartel)
Tumalog falls entrance fee: 20 per person

Museums

On the last day of our trip, we visited two historical houses in Cebu.

First was Casa Gorordo Museum along Lopez Jaena Street. This house was built in the 1850s.

The other one was the Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House which is also near the area. This one is much older than the former.

Both residences showed us the rich history of the Filipino culture and people along with some interesting antiques to behold.

Casa Gorordo Entrance Fee: 40/person
Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House Entrance Fee: 25/person

I am glad my year started out with a relaxing and memorable adventure with my girlfriend. Nothing beats the enriching experience you get from a vacation especially when you are with a loved one.

To more adventures this 2014 and the years to come!

I'm Carlo Borja

Education

Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan

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Head of Online Marketing

Marketing Staff

Youth Pastor

SEO and Online Marketing Consultant

Community Manager

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