Adventure of a Lifetime ft. Coldplay

Post graduation celebration and unemployed feels? 

Juanderful getaway. 

This post is about my five-day trip to Manila which primarily supposed to be and already planned as an AHFOD concert trip but because of unexpected circumstances, it turned out to be a getaway trip. And it is never disappointing, Ah didn't we have fun? (I'm already quoting Coldplay! :D )

♬ Everything you want's a dream away

and we are legend everyday ♬

Adventure Of A Lifetime

good thing that the concert was held at the MOA concert grounds because I didn't have to buy a concert ticket. AHFOD Manila ticket is much expensive than the rest.

I departed from DVO airport on Apr. 3 along with my friend, Pearlyn, but in a separate plane. There was that really awesome opportunity that happened when I checked in which i let to pass. The checker told me that they were looking for volunteer passengers who would like to fly via Cagayan (dvo-cagayan-mnl), I didn't know for what reason though, but they said that they will give a free return ticket  anywhere in the PH with allowance to whoever is willing. I could have. I should have. But thinking about the connecting flight got me nauseous. So I didn't. Will I ever forgive myself? :(

I and Pearlyn met at MOA for lunch and we directed to Dasmariñas, Cavite which went for like 1h30m travel time because of the traffic. Basically our days there were composed of endless roadtrips (and my motion sickness).

♬ I think I landed 

In a world I hadn't seen

when I'm feeling ordinary

when I don't know what I mean. ♬

A Head Full Of Dreams

The day of the concert, I had a dilemma. We included beach in our itinerary but the closest beach from Pasay is in Nasugbu. That was like 3h away without including the traffic. I have decided to forget about the concert because I don't have a ticket anyway and just go to the beach so we can have more time. The idea was already set in my mind. We left Cavite at 10am and we unconsciously landed in Luneta. By the way, the drivers we met in Manila are very hospitable to tourists and that made an impression to me. [Segue: You see, I really find my country beautiful, and I'm thankful that there are still a lot of people who are kind-hearted. And if that is not, enough for my countrymen to appreciate the PH, then it's their baggage to carry. I find no problem with what I see around, but when I'm in the social media, there seemed to be alot. idk. But I swear, there is no other place I would want to live in other than in the Philippines. ]

Umm, Around the place I saw a number of people who are out of their mind (?) and I wanted to really listen but our time was very limited for that day. But I heard statements like "Pinatay nila tayong lahat" (from the old man whom according to the bystander, was a very intelligent man and is around that place every single day. I think he was talking about the japanese occupation in the PH. not sure tho.) and another "Papatayin niya tayong lahat" with a feeling of conviction (from a woman who passed by the Rizal park and kept on looking back as if she had a fight with someone, and I think she was pertaining to the President??? I'm making hypotheses but I will not try to continue the scientific method okay)

I have always wanted to visit the museums but idk which one is the art gallery because there were lots of national museum buildings around and I was tired of walking.

♬ come on and raise it, come on and raise this noise

for the million people who got not one voice

come on it’s not over if you mean it say loud

come on all for Love, out from the underground

away with me, we don’t need words

close your eyes and see and we’ll be birds

flying free, holding on in the mystery ♬

Birds

That day I met Rizal. You know how I look up to this man, and in that moment, I literally looked up to him. The photo-bomber building is very disappointing.

Next on our itinerary for that day was the Venice Piazza at McKinley Hills, Taguig. I'm very thankful to have grab. We would be lost without it.

From Luneta to Taguig it could have only taken us 30m to get there, but of course EDSA cannot get away with the long line of traffic. It was almost 4pm when we were on the way to Taguig so we decided impulsively to just cancel the Nasugbu trip and proceed to the concert by later. 

We were already mesmerized by the place the moment we got in the Venice  grand Canal Mall.

We just wandered around the place and enjoyed the view. It was such an eye-candy and I feel so delighted. The place is surrounded by Restaurants and inside the building is the shopping mall. I believe there is also a cinema room, I just never bothered to search for it.

My favourite street food. The ball of puff.

A spot for good lighting. Tee-hee

Originally, we did not intend to stay there until dark, but as you can see, impulsive decisions give the best outcome. (This is relative, please be guided)

We stayed there until 7pm then we headed to MOA concert grounds. Just in time for the concert because we arrived at, like, 20m before the band went on stage.

♬ what I wouldn’t give for just a moment to hold

yeah I live for this feeling this everglow ♬

Everglow

That. very. moment.

My first international band concert (bucketlist? kinda!)

It's fine that I wasn't able to witness the performance, as long as we were breathing the same air. I have paid much already with the plane ticket. And I'm just a potato bumhead, so I'm contented with what I came for. It was 2014 when I declared that Coldplay is the BEST BAND in the world. It was about the contracts though (money basis). But now I believe every band is the best in their own ways because they all saved me. [And I'm not just out for Chris Martin because when I love a band, I love every member regardless of their preferences lol. (But Matt Healy is an exception, sorry)]. 

My all time favorite song from them is Yellow. And I have two songs from them which I made an effort to write the lyrics so I can memorize, Fix You and Everglow. Well yeah, I attended the concert because I love Coldplay and their music. (I'm just disappointed with some of the local celebs who attended to promote sponsors, but nvm, it's their lives anyway.)

We travelled back to Cavite, and decided that in the morning we'll just head off to Tagaytay.

P.S: I've decided to write a feature about Tagaytay on a separate blog so the following read will just be short picture descriptions.

From Silang, we rode a bus to there, and that took more or less an hour which only cost php37.00 . When we arrived there, the skyranch was still closed so a tricycle driver offered to tour us for php400.00 (People's Park in the Sky, Picnic grove, Skyranch). We spend quite a time for bargain but when the driver said "Wala pong manloloko dito sa Tagaytay", we left it all to his conscience. Maybe it could have been cheaper if we rode the Jeepney, but what we paid for is worth the distance anyway. 

♬ Life has a beautiful crazy design

and time seemed to say

Forget the world and its weight

And here I just want to stay ♬

Amazing Day

How beautiful Tagaytay is. Not only because of the place. Not only because of the people. It's even more beautiful because of how it made me feel.

The breathtaking Taal Volcano aka the shortest volcano in the country is viewed beautifully from the Picnic grove.

Sky Ranch. My happy place is always the amusement park.

I'm not even mad bruh. It was so lit and my eyes are sensitive to sunlight (and screens)

♬ yes I want to grow yes I want to feel
yes I want to know show me how to heal it up
see the forest there in every seed
angels in the marble waiting to be freed
just need love when the going is rough saying

we’re going to get it get it together right now ♬

Up&Up

View from the Sky Eye. I love flying. I almost wanted to stay up there.

To the People's Park in the Sky.

Souvenirs.

The next morning we didn't go any farther. We went to The District Imus for Lunch and for the Miracle Art Exhibit.

♬ It's easy to be lethal
I'm learning from the news
It's a guidebook for the blues
Saying it's the very same steeple
People want to choose
They just see it from different views ♬

Hypnotised (Kaleidoscope EP)

I saw my soulmate!! I was so happy!

I'm not really into 3D art but thanks for Van gogh's portrait :) I liked it there.

*kunwari in a room full of art i'd still stare at you*

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Aaand, those are the highlights of my trip. But before I end this blog, please meet the baby girl who takes away the exhaustion after a long day, she's baby Andy (Pearl's cousin)

She really likes sounds but she doesn't like being touched. :3

[Important: Just a tip for amateur travelers, having internet connection anywhere is very essential. Download all the apps that you need. From the CebuPac, to grab, to Agoda. Believe me, it helps more than you can ever think. Also it is important to research for places you wish to go to. I used the maps for available routes, then grab for the fare cost, and even google for the mall hours.]

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I have seen the bad side of the Philippines but her beauty is overpowering. 

My dear countrymen, our country doesn't owe us anything, but we owe her everything.

Love the Philippines, fight for her. Not only because it's our duty as Filipino citizens but because our heart is with her. That's what you do for something you love, you fight for it. 

My only wish for this place is for the people to finally come together as one.

Pilipino tayo, dapat Pilipinas muna.

xx, gayle

[photos  taken using phone camera.

lyrics from AHFOD album by coldplay

retrieved from their official website]