Adventures of a First Time Solo Traveler

Lake Sevan

     Traveling solo had crossed my mind a couple of times in the past but I never thought I’d actually do it. I mean, I’ve gone to concerts before without company, thrice, but concerts are short events and do not require a lot of communicating with other people. Traveling, on the other hand, requires you to talk to strangers, ask questions and ask for directions. There’s also the eating alone part but I’ve already planned that out by buying take-aways so I can eat inside my hotel room. In short, I’m just afraid to travel alone because I’m just too shy to be around people let alone a crowd of strangers. But hey, this time, I gathered all the courage that I have and booked a flight for my first ever solo travel. Destination: Armenia.

     It was exciting at that stage where I was still planning my itinerary, booking my hotel and arranging tours. When all of that was settled and it was just a few days before my trip, it all starts to sink in and that terrifying feeling is now overpowering the excitement. I started imagining myself boarding a plane without any familiar face to talk to, walking in an unfamiliar street, blending in the crowd of different ethnicity, trying to understand different signage written in foreign alphabet, and asking questions and giving directions to people who understand and speak very little English. I was thinking about all these things until I was inside a cab on my way to the airport. 

     Communicating with people (co-workers, family members, friends and strangers) have always been a struggle for me that’s why it was my main concern for this trip. So I thought God must really love me because I’ve already had interesting conversations with two people since I entered the airport and boarded the plane. And they are not Filipinos, one is an Indian lady and the other one a guy from Oman. I am usually intimidated by other nationalities but I’ve gotten better dealing with them over time, thanks to my job. I may not be the one who approached first and started the conversation but I was grateful enough that I did not dash and ran away. The guy invited me for coffee though and I was like, uh, NO, THANKS!

     My flight landed in Dubai where I had a connecting flight to Armenia. It was delayed for a couple of hours though and heaven was like, this girl is not yet ready to travel alone, I’ll send her someone so she doesn’t have to do things on her own. The angels were probably thinking, “kawawa naman sya, walang kasama”. Haha! And voilà, I met a fellow Filipina solo traveler while waiting to board the plane and we found out that we are going to be on the same tour for three days. Great! 

     Our flight was supposed to land at 12:40am but because of the delay and the long line at the immigration for visa on arrival, I was only able to settle in my hotel room by 4am. The tour driver was scheduled to pick me up at 9:45am so I had 5 hours to get a decent sleep. I did not. Or maybe I did. I just didn’t get my everyday caffeine fix for that day. I’ve learned not to drink coffee whenever I am traveling because it makes me want to pee every freaking hour. TMI, I know, I’m sorry.

     I was picked up last and there were already four other solo travelers in the car including Liz, the girl I met at the airport. All of us are Filipinos by the way. I guess the tour organizer arranged it as such so there would be no language barrier and it would be easier for us to get along. LOL. There was wifi in the car and I was comfortably sitting at the back so the lack of caffeine was immediately forgotten. With the windows up and the fresh and cold breeze coming in, everything felt and looked better again. It was summer but we were headed to the mountains so it was still cold. Far from the hot air blowing in the Middle East.

restaurant by the lake

     We visited a loooot of monasteries during the tour which required a lot of walking and trekking. We had our lunch at a restaurant by the lake. I ordered pork, of course. I eat as much pork as I can when I travel out of the country because that’s the only time I can have them. After lunch, we headed straight to Sevanavank Monastery. I was wearing a black knitted sweater because I thought it was the day that we are going to Aragats Mountain – the snowcapped mountain. Hahaha! It was a mistake, I was sweating when we reached the top of the hill. But it is surrounded by the breathtaking view of Lake Sevan so it was worth the trek and the sweat. Our last destination for that day was Tsaghkadzor. We went on an open cable car ride and it was a little scary at first because I feel like I could fall down anytime. Liz and I tried to raise our hands and feet like we’re in a rollercoaster but the handle and the pedal went up as well. Hahaha! We were so scared to move a muscle after that. 

Tsaghkadzor cable car

     I fell asleep on our way back to the hotel. I was too tired because of all the trekking and lack of sleep. Liz and I agreed to meet in the evening to walk around the city but I gave her a wrong number and so I ended up walking alone around my hotel’s neighborhood looking for something familiar to eat. People were looking at me so I tried to keep my head low. Thank God there was KFC nearby. I bought a take away burger and brought it back to my hotel room to eat.

wine tasting at Areni Wine Factory

     On our second day, we were joined by a couple. It was a quiet tour compared to the first one. We also had a different driver who drives much carefully but it didn’t matter to me as long as I don’t get dizzy during the trip. We first went to Khor Virap and I was like, ugh another trekking. But I was wearing comfortable clothes that time so carry on. The tour destinations are farther that the first day tour so we only had three destinations – Khor Virap, Areni Wine Factory and Noravank Monastery. There were actually four but we opted not to go to Birds’ Cave as it looked like there was not much to see and we’re so hungry. It was almost two o’clock in the afternoon and we haven’t had our lunch yet. We had wine tasting before the meal. I liked their white wine. Too bad I cannot bring a bottle back home.

Noravank Monastery

     The tour ended early so Liz and I decided to walk around the city, eat out, and see the famous Republic Square. It was almost dark when we arrived but we still enjoyed taking pictures of the beautiful structures. You will really feel like, yup, this is definitely Europe. There are people though who were looking at us like they are not used to having Asians in their country and they would greet us “ni hao” which means hello in Chinese. I was weirded out by a father asking me to take a selfie with his daughter but I didn’t want to be rude so I obliged. And just the other day, I was also asked by another local to have a picture with him. Hmmm, weird.

apple tree

     Day 3 tour is my favorite one. :) This time we were joined by two ladies, both nurses from Dubai. Ladies day it was. We started the day with fruit picking. We didn’t know we had it in the itinerary so we were surprised when we stopped on the side of the highway. We got so excited when we saw real apple trees – red and green. We can pick the fruits straight from the tree and eat it. Aaaaahhhh! I felt like a kid again. Hahaha! FYI, we don’t have apple trees in the Philippines growing in our backyards so please understand my excitement. Hahaha! There were also apricots and it was also my first time to try it. See, it was just the first destination and I cannot stop myself from raving about it. We went to two more monasteries where I lost my hotel key card. I got so lost taking pictures of the monastery with the picturesque backdrop that I didn’t notice it slipping out of my jean pocket. Goodbye AMD 3,000. I got a lot of good pictures though. It was compensated.

the monastery where I lost my key card

     Our drive to Amberd Fortress felt like we were in a movie with country songs playing in the background. I don’t know how else to describe it but it felt so… country. We were traversing a narrow road with cows and sheep crossing and stopping the ride from time to time. Grass starting to dry and leaves are turning yellow. The sun is up and the weather is a little chilly with mists covering the mountains. It was quiet and peaceful like there’s not a single house around. And when we reached our destination it was freezing cold. We ran back to the van to get our jackets. Hahaha! It was useless though because the trek alone to the castle ruins will make you sweat. And as if that was not enough, we found our way to the top of the castle to get to the flag and get a panoramic view of the place. Stunning! I wouldn’t mind staying there after retirement. :)

Amberd Fortress

atop the castle ruins

     For our final destination, we drove further up until we reached the restaurant below Mt. Aragats. It was super cold that we could not stay for too long. We didn’t even think about climbing to the top of the mountain because we did not bring proper hiking clothes. Personally, I didn’t expect it to be 10°C cold.  It was summer so I thought my denim jacket would suffice. That was another mistake. We just took some pictures, sit for a while, take in the view and then asked our driver if we can go.
 

Aragats Mountain

     The ride back to the city was just as country as it can get. We were again stopped by a whole flock of sheep crossing the road. We got so excited that we even asked our driver to stop so we can take pictures. Aaahhhh! Adult life, you will wish that everything is just that simple, uncomplicated. If only I can freeze that time and bottle it up. *sigh* Anyway, after that encounter with the sheep, I think everyone fell asleep, well, except for the driver of course. 

they tried to block the road :D

     In the evening, Liz and I decided to visit the Painter’s Vernissage again because the first time we went it was almost dark and the painters are packing their artworks. This time around I was able to purchase two items including one which shows the colors of autumn – my favorite season. I still dream to travel during the fall but my job won’t allow me. We had dinner and coffee in our favorite restaurant (see, we already have our favorite restaurant after two days of walking around), watched the dancing fountain in Republic Square and then went on to search for my luggage bag replacement. The lock of my old one was broken when I picked it up from the baggage claim, yeah, it was kind of disappointing because it’s my favorite. :(

one of the paintings that I bought

Painters' Vernissage

     Day 4, my last full day in Armenia. I slept in until 2pm. Yup, this is vacation anyway and you are supposed to take a rest on your vacation. Right? Right. I did not schedule a tour for this day and Liz also left for Georgia so it’s just me that day. It’s the day that I am really on my own. Yay! I’m so nervous to get out of my hotel room, that’s the real reason I slept in. Hahaha! I was only able to gather my confidence back in the afternoon so I started my adventure by buying a prepaid sim card. I hopped into a cab and went straight to Cascade then google mapped my way to Freedom Square, Swan Lake, did some shopping in Northern Avenue and ended my day in Republic Square again. 

Cascade

     My last day was spent traveling to Georgia by van, thanks to my very helpful tour organizer. He talked to the cab driver to bring me to the terminal. There, I was seated next to another female solo traveler from England. See, I’m good at making friends now. Haha! We talked from time to time so the 6-hour travel did not seem too long. We had a lot of stopovers though but I didn’t mind. I was enjoying the view outside as we pass by Dilijan. I wanted to visit the place but I have limited time in Armenia. If I can come back, I’d schedule my travel in the autumn and I’d book my accommodation there. It would look so colorful during fall season. Someday, self, someday. For now, I’ll settle for pictures I see on the internet. Thanks for being nice to me, Armenia. -C

Republic Square

Maldives

     My hands have been itching to write this entry since we arrived from Maldives but I got too busy making the most out of my summer so here it is, more than two months late.

     I wanted to do something big for myself for my 31st birthday so I thought why not travel to one of my dream destinations? Incidentally, two of my friends wanted to go there too so we started planning. Two (one being me) from our group of three share the same birth month so we decided to pick the dates between our birthdates so it was like a pre and a post celebration. We were able to book our flights as early as July of last year (and yet we were not able to achieve the beach body that we’ve envisioned). Boooo! We knew that this one’s gonna cut a big chunk of our savings account hence the long preparation. By October, accommodation has also been taken cared of.

     Come January, we’ve been worrying how we can get our vacation leaves approved since three of us will be gone for three days all at the same time. But I’m not gonna bore you to the deets of how we were able to convince our manager. In the end, we we’re all able to go with stiff neck, backaches and so much cramming in between. Kidding! Who cares about a few hours layover and sleeping in the airport amidst loud chattering of other travelers? Nah! No biggie.

     Our flight landed in Velana International Airport at around 8:30am. (Note: I’m only referring to the time stamp in the pictures on my phone because I already forgot some of the information). It took a few minutes for our transport to arrive but it was a short drive to Hulhulmalé so it was not an issue. We were all too tired when we arrived at the hotel room so we decided to catch some sleep before going on a city tour. That was also a last minute decision since our flight was rescheduled at an earlier time which was a good thing. We were supposed to arrive late in the evening but thanks to FlyDubai and Emirates for the upgraded travel experience. We had a whole day to spend in the city.

     The afternoon was spent touring the capital of Maldives — Malé. We rode a ferry to get there. It was a short tour as it is a very small island which you can go around by merely walking. We visited a few swimming spots, yes, swimming spots in the city. Isn’t it amazing? Beaches, whether natural or man-made, are so accessible to its residents. And like the Philippines, Maldives is a tropical country which only have the summer and the rainy season. It is also prone to tsunami. In fact, one struck the city back in 2004 which killed a few of the locals and some tourists and it is where they built the Tsunami Tower which we also got the chance to visit.





     Another highlight of our tour was when our guide asked us to try their food. I think it was grated dried coconut inside a folded betel leaf (ikmo in Filipino). I didn’t want to eat it because I grew up seeing old folks chew, spit, apply to different body parts to heal various medical conditions. But I didn’t want to be rude either so I had to do it. One of the worst lies was when he asked me how was it and I had to tell him that it was okay. Because it wasn’t okay. It was disgusting! Until now, I still couldn’t accept the fact that I did eat a betel leaf.

     The next day, March 14th, was the start of our "real" Maldives adventure. The driver took us back to the airport where a commercial airplane will take us to another island called Maamigili. From there we will ride a coaster to take us to the port where a ferry will take us to our ultimate destination, the Sun Island Resort and Spa. Upon arrival at the resort, we were welcomed by the staff with drinks and some papers to sign. We were supposed to stay in one of their water bungalows for one night just to experience it but the staff offered it to us for two more nights at an affordable rate so we went ahead and giddily accepted it.

 

     It was late in the afternoon when we settled in so we decided to just take a short rest, watch the shark feeding from the water villa and then try their seafood market for dinner. We spent the night stargazing from our balcony, our home for the next three nights. We all thought, this... is life. We reminisced about our lives, the difficult part, the changes and the success, contemplated about the future, our plans and realized how blessed we are. Thank you, Lord. Dreams really do come true.

     The following day, I was still too tired to get up early so I let them roam around the island while I stayed a little longer in bed. I am so not a morning person. When they came back, we all took advantage of our first free breakfast in the island. Buffet style, baby! I enjoyed their pancakes, omelet and fruits the most. In fact I think I only ate pancakes, omelet and fruits for three consecutive mornings. Haha!

     We went straight into the water right after our breakfast. We were there for too long I guess hence our heavily sun burned skin afterwards. And as if the sun was not enough, we head into the ocean before the sun goes down to see some dolphins playing closely into our boat. I was so dizzy after the activity I thought I was gonna feed the dolphins with my earlier breakfast. Yikes!

     The resort houses different restaurants with a variety of cuisines to choose from. For our second night, we decided to try their Japanese and Italian restaurant where we spent a few dollars for a bottle of sweet white wine. Hey, it doesn't happen all the time especially where we came from so might as well spend and enjoy the fruits of our labor. 

     On our second morning in the resort, we decided to go around the island. But the sun was up too early so we decided to explore only half of it. Maybe the guests are still asleep because we had it all to ourselves. We tried every hammock that we could find. We took a lot of pictures of almost every corner of the beach. We shoot videos of us jumping and running. That side was just too beautiful not to be caught on camera. When we got tired, we filled our stomachs with our daily dose of English breakfast and decided to enjoy the pool water and the view of the dancing guests (and instructor) which we had been watching for two straight days now. Hahaha! One friend and I each rented a bicycle to roam around the resort, use as transportation from our room to the lobby and vice versa and for picture purposes, of course.

     On our last day at the reason, we started our day early yet again by exploring the other side of the island. We didn't see much though. It's more of the fishing side and the accommodation of the resort employees. There are some rooms and hammocks for the guests but the view on the other side is better. So we decided to go back to our room and prepare for our last free breakfast at the resort. We'll be checking out at noon so we had to prepare our things. Our flight is not until 11 in the evening so we arranged our departure from the resort at around 6pm so we can make the most of our stay. We stayed the whole afternoon in the pool with our clothes in our hand carry bags. I went back to the farther side of the island to savor its beauty for the last time. Aahhhh, it's always sad when the last day of your vacation comes and that day was no different. I didn't wanna go back to work but that is not an option right now. *sigh* Hopefully, I can come back to this paradise again. -C

Part 1: https://youtu.be/AsQEn2BbNHU

Part 2: https://youtu.be/1UCXOObqRNA

Part 3: https://youtu.be/28l2w-uXUl4

Part 4: https://youtu.be/zERpnj8oukE

Part 5: https://youtu.be/4nawyFyW1pg

1:28

 

I've always wanted to write something in a code but I'm pretty sure no one close to me will ever understand it because... no one is really... close to me. LOL! -C

A Letter to My 23-Year-Old Self

     It was the 2nd of February during the wee hours of the morning (3:27 to be exact) when I was awakened by the constant vibrating of my phone. I found out that I was added to a Twitter group by my mutual (an account you follow and follows you back) to a group chat. The group's objective was to create a secret project for someone that we love so dearly. I have no problem with that, in fact, I'm glad that I was considered let alone included.

     For days, we had this constant brainstorming of what output to be made, how are we going to do it and so forth. In the end, it was decided that each of us will submit a handwritten letter to that certain someone, compile it and give it as a gift. Everyone agreed. It is personal, it is simple, it is sweet.

     Come night before the deadline, I was cramming together with a lot of people on my timeline. Haha! I cannot think of anything to write. When was the last time I wrote a letter for someone? College days? And I poured my heart out in that letter. I tried to be sweet and all but it's just not in my DNA. And then I had an idea. Since I can see myself in that certain someone, why not write a letter to myself -- my 23-year old self. And so the writing began.

Dear 2010 version of myself,
 
     How do you feel? Do you feel like this is going to be your best year? Sana ‘no? Though your 2008 was incomparable, I still believe that more good things will come your way. Good things that are way better than money and good career – the simple things. The simple things like freedom to do the things that you want, emotional stability, good relationships and more. Sabi nga ni Usher, ♪♫♪ it’s the simple things in life we forget ♪♫♪. You are fortunate that you had these things right now. You know now to prioritize what’s really important and that is to spend more time with your family. Say I love you to everyone you love. Don’t be shy. This will help you to be more open and to express yourself freely. It’s not a bad thing.

     Spend time and money on the things and people that will matter in the long run. Learn to fight for what you want.  Don’t always give way to others. You also matter. You are important too. Some people want you to fight for them too. Don’t be a coward. This will save you a lot of regrets in the future. When you get older, I hope you will remember this part of your life and come back to the present-day with a smile. Happy and contented with your choices in life. Yun naman ang importante sa lahat di ‘ba? Yung naging masaya tayo? Yung masaya pa rin tayo? Because at the end of the day, it will only be you. Ikaw lang din ang maiiwan para sa sarili mo. So keep seeking and fighting for your happiness. You won’t regret it.

Love,

Your future self

Note: I was kind of expecting this one to be so touching and heart-tugging. I was surprised when it turned out to be light and easy. Guess I'm not a sappy person at all. -C