Life in Leyte

aerial view of Tacloban, Leyte

a beautiful spot uptown Leyte

bamboo bridges and nipa houses

kids rowing and playing

bumpy road

amazing rice fields

I will capture your precious time as your read along a special tour to a place that became known to the world when the Typhoon Haiyan utterly destroyed this province in 2013. I will be your tour guide for the day and if you plan to visit the Philippines, do not forget to look up and search for Leyte.

Leyte is mostly surrounded by water and geographically speaking, it is one of the reasons why this place can be heavily damaged by natural calamities. This and some other reasons may eventually affect the people’s way of life.

Life in Leyte is simple. You can see the aerial view of Tacloban which is known to be the capital city of Leyte. It is not a big city but it is the doorway to the many treasures Leyte hides in herself. Notice the beautiful tree planted between those two bodies of water, a pool and the sea. You can always escape to a fresh and beautiful scene where you don’t need to spend your precious gold. You only need extra hours to do that. Look at the bridges. It is not always made of metal or cement but of bamboos and other special trees. You will experience movements while you walk like those of the hanging bridges in the forests. Dip yourself in the water if you must and savor the splendidly cool sea water. Hear the laughter of the kids while they row their small boats as they enjoy their time while it lasts. Pass a bumpy road on a motorcycle and you won’t even notice that your hair is already full of dust. In a way, it is not at all that bumpy but it is in some area. In addition, do not forget to smell the morning breeze with an aroma of freshly plowed rice field. You will love it.

Close you eyes and imagine all these. You will suddenly forget the noise from the bustling city. Linger onto that for an instant before you slowly turn you worktable upside down.

 

The Sunken Temple

The Sunken Temple also called Wat Saam Prasob is found in Sangklaburi.  This temple is known for being weathered , old and worn because it has been there sitting on the water for more than 30 years.

This temple was in the heart of a small town that was destroyed when Vajiralongkorn Dam in Thailand was built. These are the only remnants that can be seen until today of what was once a pivot place of the Mon and the Karen tribes.  Many people visit this place by boat.

Weathered, old and almost forgotten as it may seem but I still wonder why many people still come to visit this place.  It may be because of the unfortunate situation that this place went through and people are curious about it or is it because of the history that were rooted when this place was once on the ground and not under water.  Oh well, let the place speak alone for itself!

 

Unusual

River Kwai (pronounced as Kw-ey) is an unusual exciting place to visit while in the Western part of Thailand. The best time to visit this river is first thing after sunshine. I can guarantee an awesome and unusual experience when you get up close as an inch away from a passing train. People stand on the railways to take photos and selfies as the train approaches. We do not get this kind of experience in other places. If ever you find your way in this place, do not miss the chance to take a selfie on the passing train along the River Kwai bridge.

waiting for the train

chug..chug..chug..

up close with the train

too close

an inch away from where I was standing

bye bye

see you again!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Abandoned

Taken in Chiang Mai’s Art in Paradise.  It’s an amazing 4D picture of an abandoned ship.

Taken in one of the famous places ravaged by the strongest typhoon in 2013 – Haiyan (locally known Yolanda).  This is an old chapel in one of the city’s tourist spot – The Sto. Nino Shrine.  It was once the mansion of our First Lady Imelda Marcos.