Personal, Story Time, Travel

It’s Time for Africa

My addiction to traveling is getting severe now. It started during my first trip abroad. I was 22 back then. I went to Japan for a month of training.

I never really dreamt of traveling the world to be honest. I was realistic for a young age. I always knew that when I grow up, I would be employed in a company with a salary enough for rent and food for the month. And I will live paycheck per paycheck.

After I finished my degree, I was hired by one of the giants in the Heavy Equipment industry. I didn’t expect to get in really. And guess what, part of our job is to be assigned in different countries all over the world.

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Somewhere in Kyoto, Japan. (December 2014)

My first exposure to traveling is when I went to Japan for training as I’ve said earlier. After that, they gave my assignment. I was assigned in Burkina Faso. A country somewhere in West Africa. I was very happy. It’s Africa so I expected during my free time to go to a Safari, jungle, have immersive cultural experience, Sahara, etc. And Waka Waka is their National Song right? I spent a good month learning the song and its dance moves.

I was wrong.

There are no Waka Waka Dance Parties on Fridays. And they’re supposed to say “eh eh” when I greeted them “Jumbo”. What’s happening in this part of Africa?

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With my fellow trainees, Ray and Von in Goree Island, Dakar, Senegal. (June 2015)

I was assigned in a Gold Mine Site. 300+ km from the nearest city. We are literally in the middle of nowhere and there’s no jungle here. Too bad. So I work Mondays through Saturdays, 5:30-16:30. I spend my Sundays in my room. And a good part of it in my bed.

Every 9 weeks, I have a 3-week vacation in Dakar. 5 days in the office, the remaining would be spent in our house or in the supermarché.

Now, I’m on my second and last year in Burkina Faso. After this one, I will be transferred to another country. Not my choice obviously but hopefully a better one.

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Batu Caves, Malaysia with my sister, Nikka. (April 2016)

For my last Home Leave, I got the chance to visit Malaysia and Cambodia for a couple of weeks. It’s nice but not enough. I ended up wanting to travel more. Leave everything to travel forever. I can’t. I don’t have enough savings yet. I need this job more than ever.

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Bayon Temple, Siem Reap, Cambodia. (April 2016)

210 more days to go before my next vacation in the Philippines this December, I already booked a trip to Singapore and Malaysia. I daydream of traveling a lot. Get frustrated even. If I can find time, I research. My Wanderlist is getting longer and longer.

Too many places, too little time.

92 thoughts on “It’s Time for Africa”

  11. Meron pa akong dalawang vacation sa Senegal eh. Pero africa pa din. Hahaha. Pero sa vacation ko sa dec sa Singapore at Penang. Nakatsamba ng promo eh. Hehe

  12. Sakto!!! See u in dec sg. Hahahaha I’ll pretend close na tayo, tapos sabihin ko na “pre dalahan mo nman ako ng senegal bill kahit isa lng, collection ko lang… Thanks” 🙈🙈🙈

  15. Wait, check ko sa aking wallet kung andun yung iba. Yubg iba nasa pinas eh. Naglinis ako ng wallet kasi nung umuwi ako sa pinas, sagabal. Hahaha

  17. Onga no. Ngayon ko lang naisip yan. Tsama di naman collection na collection. Normally kasi mga tira lang yun sa travels ko. Like for example may layover ako sa dubai ganyan eh pagbibili ng foods eh yung butas susuklian ng Dirhams ba yun. Tas dito naman minsan euro ang sukli sa airport. Hahaha. Bale meron akong euro na coin, yen, francs, ringgit, cambodian riel ba yun at vietnamese dong. At dollar pa pala. Yan pa lang. Hahaha

  18. Panalo!!! Dami na din. Trip ko kc collect talaga is yung fresh from the country… Hindi yung pinapalit lang sa money changer… Lolz… ☝🏻️☝🏻☝🏻

  19. Yep. So far yan pa lang naman yung mga napuntahan kong countries except sa Vietnamese Dong tsaka sa euro na coin. Sinukli lang sa airport sa dakar. Well ang dollar eh pinapalit ko sa airport. For emergency. Accepted kasi kapag sa mga airport ganyan pag layovers.

  20. Nice, USD major cash mo pala! #panalo…. Blog ka ng experience mo sa long flight…. 3.5hrs lang longest trip ko sa plane… 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

  21. Meron akong blog post ata. I can fly title. Pero not elaborate. Medyo boring pero masaya. Yung combined aerial time from Pinas to here is more than 24 hrs. 3 plane rides. Saklap. Hahaha

  29. Tsaka pinipilit ko kasi na sa blog maging active. At least araw2 may post. Parang yun na pinakajournal ko. Yung mga nakaraang mga experience ko. Tsaka dami ko ding binabasang books ngayon kasi. Busy2.

  37. Sa bagay. Nasanay na kasi ako magbasa talaga kasi mula bata pa. Naging extreme na lang yunh pagbili bili ko nung nagkawork na. Dati hiram lang, book sale or dload ng ebook.

  41. Oh di ba. Ayaw mo bang alam mo na mangyayari at yung detailed na background ng kwento. Nabasa ko lahat ang HP at madaming details na kelangan pero di nasama sa movie kasi siyempre ilang oras lang yun. Hahahaha.

  43. Ah. Oo. Yun lang. Kelangan ng wide na imagination sa books. Kasi idedescribe lang siya sa books. Kaw na bahala magfill ng ibang details ganyan

  48. Gaano ka na katagal jan? Lapit na kayo sa Malaysia. Kumusya cost of living. Naghahanap ako ng accomodation namin ng kaibigan ko for december. Mamahal ng hotel. May marerecommend ka ba?

  50. Light sleeper kasi ako. Tsaka di ako sanay may kasama sa kwarto. Baka imbes na marelax eh mastress ako. Kainis nga sa SG. Sobrang mahal. Sa cambodia or KL eh 1400 may maganda na airbnb na.

  52. Mahal din sa airbnb jan sa SG. Haha. Cheap hotel? Yan ba yung chain hotels na Hotel 81 at Fragrance? Hahahaha. Parang sogo ba ng SG yan? Hahahaha

  54. Actually nagbook ako jan. Kaso huli ko na nalaman na ganun pala. So baka cancel na lang. Tas pikit matang magpapabook ng mas maayos na hotel. Hahahaha. First time kasi magtratravel outsidr of PH yung kasama ko. So dapat pleasant ang stay muna.

  58. So saan pala yung the best na hotel 81 location? Kasi hotel 81 princess nabook ko. Geylang. Red light district daw yun? So madami naggaganunan sa hotel. Tas thin walled daw kaya rinig. Hahaha

  62. Yung essential lang. Pero isang araw na dedicated sa Universal. Tagal na ba 5 days? Magpepenang pa kasi kami eh. 20k sa bencoolen. Shet. Hahahaha

  72. Nalilito na tuloy ako. Hahahaha. Bahala na nga. Ngayon lang kasi ako magbobook ng hotel na ako ang gagastos. Normally kasi sagot ng kumpanya. Tas kapag nagtratravel ako airbnb naman. Hmmmmm

  74. Onga eh. Tas kelangan ko ding magbudget kasi after ng aking contract dito sa March eh magbabackpacking ako ng ilang months sa South east Asia.

  76. Yep. Nagstart na ako last month. Tho wala din naman akong gastos kundi sa mga books ko lang sa Amazon Kindle tsaka sa impulse buying ko ng kung ano2 OL. Hahahaha

  83. Many many years na… Every now and then ako nauwi sa atin…. Para makapag drive at maka gala…. Wala nmang limit basta may annual leave ka sa deposite pwede umuwi

  86. Aw. Ang sakit naman niyan sa bulsa. Pero buti daming budget airlines sa asia. Dito sa Africa wala masyado. Ang Round Trip ticket ko mula diti hanggang senegal na nasa 3-4 hours lang eh 800 euros. Nasa 42k pesos. Shemet. Hahaha

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