IT will be difficult to forget the year 2020. For a rabid traveler like me, the pandemic affected me heavily. As a cultural worker and writer, it meant lesser work, too. The year should have brought me to China and Morocco at least. However, as expected, neither happened.
During the first three and a half months of the lockdowns in the Philippines, I found myself marooned in the south, miles away from home, in Siquijor. The experience, nevertheless, was like no other. The first few weeks were long, exhausting, and restless. Eventually, they felt quick, predictable, even acceptable.
I like to think that my European friend Stephan and I adjusted to island living and the Visayan rhythm rather well. While most might think that the setup was inconvenient, when you realize how much messier, more unsafe elsewhere was at that time, you then get to appreciate the place even better—the prison island becomes a paradise, the foreign becomes familiar.
We snorkeled every afternoon in the company of turtles, sea snakes, dolphins that once again braved getting closer to the coast, and even the monkeys became more visible in the mountains. The day’s highlight for many of us stranded tourists was watching the intense sunsets, and the deeper friendships we cultivated with locals ultimately made our stay more memorable (shout out to Kath, Vivian, and Norbert!).
After spending another month in Manila, I eventually got back home in Ilocos Norte. As this year is finally coming to an end, with the promise that the much-coveted vaccines will soon be available, I could not help but to resume desiring and working on what I have always loved to do: planning future trips! While 2020 brought financial losses and the likelihood of these travel plans to happen may be low, daydreaming and being hopeful are after all free and exciting for me.
2021 should be brighter and I expect that it will take us closer to normalcy once more. Let me share the top 7 places in my 2021-2022 travel wish list:
Komodo National Park, Indonesia
Indonesia is a Southeast Asian jewel. I have been there four times, but I have yet to make it to Komodo (in December 2018, I went to Krakatoa a few days before it erupted). While I will content myself with watching the dragons at a safe distance, I will not think twice about exploring the underwater sceneries surrounding the islands.
Großglockner High Alpine Road, Austria
I also want to do an epic road trip along the pioneering scenic route in Europe. The meandering Großglockner road was built in 1935 with keen attention to highlighting the superlative beauty of the Alps. It remains to this day one of the most outstanding constructions, setting the standards for “tourist drives.” As they say, “the journey is the destination!”
Ruins of Palenque, Mexico
It puzzles me why Palenque, a Mayan religious center, remains not as famous as Chichen-Itza and Teotihuacan. Well, it should be! The charm of this complex stems from its unspoiled jungle setting. Mexico always ranks high on my list because of its historical and cultural ties with the Philippines. To explore our shared heritage is a personal pilgrimage.
Valley of Flowers National Park, India
“Roof of the World.” It is a shame that I have been to India twice, but I have never been to the Valley of Flowers in Uttarakhand. Suffice to say that this natural landscape is divine. When the gods created the universe, they must have spent half of the time perfecting this still uninhabited Himalayan corner.
Churches of Lalibela, Ethiopia
After being mind-blown by the rock-cut temples in India, I cannot resist wanting to visit these exceptional African monuments. Lalibela is a site of first rank, housing 11 rock-hewn churches without equal in the world. I have made three stopovers in Addis Ababa before, but I never made it past the airport. So, imagine the frustration.
Rabat, Morocco
Morocco needs to be in the list as it should have already been ticked off by now. Rabat is a harmonious blend of old and new, and that makes it appealing to me. The 20th-century capital reflects an ingenuous urban planning that is respectful of its ancient heritage. The city is also a good base in exploring Fez, Meknes and Volubilis.
Kyoto, Japan
The grand imperial capital city of Japan boasts an ensemble of historic monuments, including shrines, temples and a castle. Considering how near Japan is, there seems to be no more excuse to further delay a trip there. Kyoto has been the center of Japanese culture for over a millennium. That reason alone is more than enough for it to be included here.
If these dream trips will still be impossible to execute next year, or the year after that, I will have no problem just returning to the idyllic island of Siquijor—at least I get to go back to one of the best spots in the country.
Image credits: Laiza Limpin, Harri Järviseutu, Angel Olivares, Manu Khandelwal, Velit Gazel, Clyde Triganza, Bernard Joseph Guerrero, Julio Moreno
2 comments
This is the kind of articles I like to read at the start of the new year, hopefully the world will open up again soon and we will be able to go to these amazing destinations.
Thank you very much! We all need something nice to look forward to 🙂