Koh Samui is a cosmopolitan melting pot, attracting budget travelers staying for a month or two in simple beachside bungalows, to the wealthiest holidaymakers dropping in for a weekend at one of the many luxury resort or villa on the many white sand beaches of Koh Samui.
I will fly my DJI P2 V+ Quadcopter to the Big Buddha temple which sits majestically on a small rocky island off Koh Samui�s north-eastern corner. Known locally as Wat Phra Yai, its golden, 12-metre seated Buddha statue was built in 1972 and remains one of the island�s most popular attractions. The Big Buddha can be seen at a distance of several kilometres and is often the first landmark people see when arriving to Samui by air.
The Big Buddha sits in the Mara posture, with the left hand�s palm up resting on the lap and the right hand facing down, the fingers hanging over the knee and grazing the ground. It depicts a time during Buddha�s journey to enlightenment where he successfully subdued the temptations and dangers thrust at him by the devil-figure Mara by meditating and remaining calm. The pose is a symbol of steadfastness, purity and enlightenment.
Then we are going to fly to the famous Wat Plai Laem it is a Buddhist temple compound on Samui's north-east coast of Samui, featuring a striking white 18-arm image of Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy and Compassion. Wat Plai Laem offers visitors a view into Chinese-Thai beliefs as well as some elaborate Buddhist-themed art and architecture.
Wat Plai Laem is a living and active temple, where devotees come daily to pay homage to Guanyin and the Buddha, who is also depicted in a number of statues and murals around the temple. This is a relatively new temple but the art techniques used in its creation are centuries-old and based on ancient beliefs. Adding to its feel of tranquillity, the temple is surrounded by a lake, which is teeming with fish. Visitors who make a donation to the temple are given a bag of food to feed the fish.
I went to the most remote inhabited islands in the world Easter Island - "Rapa Nui". A society of Polynesian origin that settled there A.D. 300 established a powerful, imaginative and original tradition of monumental sculpture and architecture, free from any external infulence.
Easter Island (Spanish: Isla de Pascua) is a Polynesian island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian Triangle. Easter Island is famous for its 887 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by early Rapa Nui people. In 1995, UNESCO named Easter Island a World Heritage Site, with much of the island protected within Rapa Nui National Park.
The best known aspect of the Rapa Nui culture is the moai. The moai were believed to be the living faces of ancestors and had all been toppled by 1868. The moai rest on large stone platforms called ahu, the most famous of which are Ahu Tongariki, the largest ahu, and Ahu Vinapu, an ahu theorized to have been built by Incan Tupac Yupanqui. Some moai have hats of red volcanic stone known asPukao. Currently, the Rapa Nui and the Chilean government are focused on preserving and restoring the statues including denoting an area that includes many of the statues, Rapa Nui National Park, as a World Heritage site.
Anakena is a white coral sand beach in Rapa Nui National Park. Anakena has two ahus, Ahu-Ature has single moai and Ahu Nao-Nao has seven, two of which are deteriorated. It also has a palm grove and a car park. Anakena is unusual for Easter Island in that it is one of only two small sandy beaches in an otherwise rocky coastline.
This April 13, 2014 I will be featured on KMJS hosted by Ms. Jessica Soho. I didn�t expect this to happen as I was so busy with my work and have no time for the internet, luckily I opened my Facebook and one of the kindest Segment Producers of GMA 7 asked if they can feature me on their show because they saw one of my videos on youtube "Where on Earth is Rinell?" where I was dancing with the people around the world.
At first I couldn�t believe and thought it was a joke. My family experienced being scammed by someone, taking advantage while I�m far away. That experience gave us a big lesson in our lives. The conversation continues and she called me from overseas. I told her my story and my travel experiences.
We talked about my videos which I produced �Pinoy TravelChannel� a Filipino travel documentary by a man who once dreamed of traveling the world. Inspired by his failures in life he continued to follow his dream.
Recently I bought a World Map and posted into my living room, it is a fun way of tracking your travels by pinning the Countries or Cities you have visited. I pinned my first one which is my home country the Philippines then followed by a random pinning from the seven continents in the world. In total I pinned 88 countries and 101 cities so far and still pinning the ones that I had forgotten. What an accomplishment for an ordinary guy who dreamed of traveling the world. Visitors are amazed about how cool it is to see and use it as a tool of inspiration to conquer your dreams.
2nd - Fridge Magnet Collection
A refrigerator magnet is an ornament attached to a small magnet which is used to post items such as shopping lists or notes and now it became a popular collection for a traveler like me. The first thing I look for when I'm visiting a country is a fridge magnet and collecting it is very addictive. Colorful fridge magnets comes in a wide variety of forms and shape, some are made out of wood, stone, plastic, metal or rubber. It's a perfect souvenir and collection.
3rd - Globe Stand
Circle, Round, Ball a description that a traveler would firstly think about is planet Earth. My house would never be complete without a Globe Stand. I love spinning the globe and searching for the countries I visited or places that I would like to visit someday. It is a symbol of happiness and contentment, a world that I can hold a trophy of my success.
4th - Money Collection
I love collecting paper bill and who would not like to collect them if you are a traveler? This is definitely a sign that you are a traveler at heart! Expensive though but it's worth it, I have a paper bill that is out of the circulation, one is from Italy they called it "Italian Lire" a money that you would be an instant millionaire, because a million Lira is equivalent to $500 dollar bill.
5th - Travel Blog/Vlog
Pinoy Travel Channel is born! A documentary of my travels around the world. The reason why I made this blog/vlog because of my family. My job keeps me away from home for 8 months, and since I missed them a lot, my idea is to make a video and write something about my travels so they will not missed out what is happening about my life abroad at the same time they will be informed and learn something about the places, cultures and countries that I have visited.
Let me share you my 15-Day White Sea Expedition last June 2013. A Journey to the White Sea & Russian Arctic National Park an extraordinary experiences that satiate my thirst for infinite enrichment and knowledge, My voyage through the natural treasures of the Barents Sea and the seldom visited Russian Arctic National Park.
Every aspect of this detailed expedition will fascinate the readers and bring to life this fascinating part of the world. Adding to the exclusivity and excitement of this expedition I will access remote locations. Drive a Zodiac boat maneuvered it to explore the Journey of a Lifetime.
The expedition departs from Kirkenes, Norway, heads into the interior of the White Sea, then embarks on an ambitious voyage over 700 miles due north into the Arctic ice before entering Russian Arctic National Park. Following unparalleled exploration of the National Park, I will sail back across the Barents Sea into Norway to complete the expedition.
During the expedition, I was engaged with naturalists and Russian experts through captivating lectures and presentations to discover enticing aspects of Russian culture and history, while encountering the magnificence of this remote landscape.
An expert of expedition team hired to share those breadth of knowledge and broad skill. This team will provide hands-on experience and insight into the region�s rich history, culture, geography, eco-systems
and more as well as conduct excursions during the expedition. Lectures and other onboard experiences will add to the overall cultural immersion into the region.
Expedition Highlights
� Traveling through the Barents Sea � Arctic ports such as Arkhangelsk (Russia) and Murmansk (Russia) that edge the Barents Sea are typically ice-bound for five months of the year, but by visiting in early summer they can be seen at their best and offer opportunities to explore at leisure or by one of several organized shore experiences. During the course of sailing the Barents Sea, I can seek out the whales, seabirds and diverse species that ply these Arctic waters.
� Voyaging through the legendary White Sea � An inland seaway classified as internal Russian waters, the White Sea has a rich history that spans hundreds of years yet is maintained in the present day through many museums, galleries, countryside monasteries, historical forts, and local music and dance � all quite impressive considering the White Sea is frozen five months of the year.
Exploring the Solovetsky archipelago including Solovki and Anzerskiy Islands � I will arrive by Zodiac on Solovki and land adjacent to the walls of the iconic Solovetsky Monastery complex and the eight-tower kremlin that originally dates back to the 1430s. Now restored to its former glory, the monastery (which through the ages has been a church, prison, fortress and home to political exiles, artisans and clergymen) is a federal state memorial and museum.
An excellent hiking opportunities (such as ascending Verbokolskaya �Mountain� on Anzerskiy, the highest point in the archipelago), appreciating spectacular views of the tundra and broad seascapes, visits to Golgotha and Holy Trinity Monasteries (also on Anzerskiy), and Zodiac cruising to view seabirds.
� Chapoma River and Cape Kanin � Of particular note, the tiny �Pomor� village on the Chapoma River � a small authentic village that typifies daily life in this region.
After Cape Kanin, the last outpost of mainland Russia, I will skirt the ice edge looking for polar bears, seals, walrus and whales as it traverses the island of Novaya Zemlya before entering Russian Arctic National Park. Time and conditions permitting, Zodiac cruising will enable a first-hand visit to the icescapes of the midnight sun.
Russian Arctic National Park � Formed in 2009, this new national park encompasses sea ice, Arctic shores, mountainous peaks and glaciers. Residents & Guests will be among the first visitors to the National Park, enjoying island bird rookeries and a landing at North Cape to find glaucous gulls, Arctic terns, snowy owls, geese, eider ducks, among other animals including the polar bear. The National Park aims to preserve the natural habit of these animals as well as the cultural heritage of the area.
My Recent Expeditions
My Recent past expeditions have included an historic and record breaking voyage of Canada�s Northwest Passage (August/September 2012), Polynesia (May 2012), Melanesia (April 2012, Antarctica (December 2010/January 2011),Greenland (September 2010), and Papua New Guinea (November 2009).
I did some experiment on one of my travel around the world, this time in Hamburg Germany. I set my camera hidden, exposing only the street and the view of "Rathaus" a council house government building.
As I saw a lot of beggars in Europe with a lot of gimmick's I tried to played like them. Using my iPhone as my instrument, I will be playing "Fur Elise" Ludwig van Beethoven's popular composition as my music, then using my Bose wireless speaker to boost the sound and of course placing my hat as a basin for collecting money. (if ever someone decided to give :-P)
There are only three persons passing by the streets while I'm playing the music, some of them drop coins and one of them drop the big deal of money!! And how much would be?
A story of a Filipino who once dreamed of traveling the world....
One day I told to myself that I will travel the world! Do you remember yourself when you were a child asked by your parents or teachers the famous question "What would you like to be when you grow up?" and yes I still remember that "I want to be a Pilot!" as I wanted to travel the world at my very young age.
Everyone is asking me how did you do it? Are you rich? What kind of job is traveling and getting paid? These are some of the questions that I would like to answer but I can't disclose it. I signed an agreement between the company about confidentiality. A contract that will zip my mouth and protect the company's privacy. I have no against the policy because I respect the company and the people I worked with.
But how can I share my travel experiences to the world? "Pinoy Travel Channel" is born a personal documentary of my travels around the world. I blog, vlog, interviewing locals, eating local and exotic foods, plunging to the arctic and antarctic seas, driving a zodiac finding my way out of the icebergs, dancing and singing on the streets, riding a camel, swimming with the dolphins, going to Polynesia, Melanesia, Northwest Passage, White Sea and Antarctica for an Expedition, watching Lebron James as he dunk in front of me, these are the only few experiences that I share on my channel.
