{"id":1311,"date":"2013-08-07T06:57:00","date_gmt":"2013-08-06T22:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/66.147.244.209\/~canadiu3\/?p=1311"},"modified":"2014-04-05T19:24:06","modified_gmt":"2014-04-05T11:24:06","slug":"james-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2013\/08\/07\/james-journey\/","title":{"rendered":"James’ Journey"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"James<\/a>
James at Taraw Ridge, El Nido, Palawan.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mula Aparri hanggang Jolo <\/i>and more.<\/p>\n

James Betia has certainly made a name for himself for traveling the entire Philippine archipelago in just 100 days. Not only did he go backpacking around the country, but he did it the cheapest way possible.<\/p>\n

For James, traveling doesn\u2019t have to break the bank. It only has to do with your wanderlust\u2014an innate desire to travel and explore that can only be satisfied when you put your most adventurous foot forward.<\/p>\n

\"Surfing<\/a><\/p>\n

An Awakening<\/h6>\n

James started traveling a little when he was in college, but really took it by heart after quitting his job as a school administrator. A routinary work-behind-a-desk, nine-to-five job just didn\u2019t cut it for him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI ask myself if I want to teach [for the rest of my] life and [my] answer was a resounding NO!\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, he spends his time wherever his wanderlust takes him. Surfing in Baler one weekend, then helping out less fortunate kids in Jomalig the next.<\/p>\n

Other than helping out and giving back to the country that blessed him with so many things to explore, James\u2019 motivation in documenting his escapades is his future family.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to chronicle my life’s journey here on earth [because] I want to give my future kids and grandkids an inspiration, [something that] they can be proud of. Me as [their] dad and granddad, telling their peers stories of my adventures, the crazy things I did for the love of traveling.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Accommodations<\/a>
Accommodations in Batad? Hammock!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Traveling Essentials<\/h6>\n

James professed that he cannot travel without his hammock, a water bottle, and his Macbook Air. Avid readers of his travel blog knows that he\u2019s spent many-a-nights swinging in his hammock between trees, enjoying the rush of the ocean waves and the dazzling nightsky above.<\/p>\n

Although he enjoys lavish accommodations every once in a while, James is an advocate of traveling on a shoestring.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen Filipinos think of traveling, they always think of a grand vacation and end up staying at home [because they couldn\u2019t afford that grand getaway]. I always tell them that traveling can be cheap and you don’t need a [huge] stash of cash to enjoy a certain place.\u201d<\/p>\n

To save money while traveling, James has a few tips. \u201cBring a water bottle. You [don\u2019t just] save on water expenses, you also help reduce plastic waste.\u201d He also adds to keep a stash of instant coffee to save on caffeinated beverage expenses. Second, \u201cdo as the locals do\u2014take public transportation, eat local delicacies, visit the public market, and stay at homestays. Try to enjoy the destination from a local\u2019s perspective.\u201d Lastly, he said you should plan ahead. \u201cBook your flights early, contact friends around the place, read blogs\/sites that can give you the latest update [about your destination].\u201d<\/p>\n

He has also encountered his share of foreign travelers, often enjoying simpler amenities when compared to local tourists\u2014something that he is also very fond of.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always encourage foreigners to go and ask the locals, stay away from tourist traps because off-the-beaten-path destinations is [where you\u2019ll find] the real Philippines.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Turtle<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s more fun in the Philippines\u201d<\/h6>\n

When asked about his favorite destination in the country, James answered without missing a beat.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love Kalinga province. Going there, you will be greeted with centuries-old Narra trees and acres and acres of rice terraces. You wouldn’t believe that it was engineered [and built] by bare hands and feet. Plus the culture is almost the same [as] 50 years ago\u2014they still tattoo their bodies, and the more the tattoos [you have], the higher your social significance. And it\u2019s really far from the hustle and bustle of the metropolis.\u201d<\/p>\n

Among his too-many-to-mention travels and adventures, James shared that two of his most unforgettable experiences while backpacking around the Philippines were \u201cswimming with the whalesharks in Donsol, Sorsogon and seeing a 100-kilo green sea turtle lay eggs under my hammock in Davao Oriental.\u201d<\/p>\n

Of course, traveling has its share of misadventures. James isn\u2019t spared from unwanted events. \u201cI can’t think of any [unwanted experience here] because the Philippines is so warm toward travelers and strangers. The most danger I\u2019ve ever been into while traveling was when I got held up in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. They took my passport, travel money, and camera.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Sand<\/a>
Sand bar in Jomalig, Quezon Province.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
What\u2019s next for James Betia?<\/h6>\n

James is now starting a new chapter in his life – figuratively and literally. He is currently writing his book about his 100-day escapade around the Pearl of the Orient, and he plans to have it published soon.<\/p>\n

One can truly say that he is living The Life. And for James, he really is living the life he only dreamed of in the past.<\/p>\n

When asked about his tips for aspiring travelers, he only has three words of advice: \u201cBuy a map, start exploring your own locality, and have a travel destinations bucket list.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mula Aparri hanggang Jolo and more. James Betia has certainly made a name for himself for traveling the entire Philippine …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[79],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1311","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-travel","mauthors-ching-dee","mauthors-philippine-canadian-inquirer"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1311","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1311"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1311\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1311"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1311"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1311"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}