David Gareja (Udabno, Georgia)

Posted on 2 December, 2014 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

(All photos courtesy of Ms. Riva Galveztan)

After finishing our GNTA-sponsored tour of the Georgian countryside the day before, Riva and I again hired our trusted Georgian guide Sopho Makashvili to again tour us, this time to David Gareja (sometimes spelled Davit Gareja), the rock-hewn Georgian Orthodox monastery complex located in the Kakheti region of Eastern Georgia, After breakfast, the next day, we again met up with Sopho at Meidan Square and all three of us boarded the Mercedes Benz Vito panel van of our driver Giorgi.

David Gareja

The complex was founded in the 6th century by St. David Garejeli (who came with pupil Luciane), one of the Thirteen Assyrian monks from Mesopotamia who arrived in Georgia at the same time to strengthen Christianity. Many monasteries in modern Georgia are named after the Assyrian Fathers. David was drawn to the desolation and purity of Kakheti. Luciane and Dodo, another of David disciples, expanded the original Lavra monastery and also founded two other monasteries – Dodo’s Rka (literally, “the Horn of Dodo”) and Natlismtsemeli (“the Baptist“).

Lavra Monastery

Under the guidance of the 9th-century Georgian saint Ilarion, the monastery also saw further development. Its convent was particularly patronized by the Georgian royal and noble families. After he abdicated the throne, the 12th-century Georgian king Demetre I (the author of the famous Georgian hymn Thou Art a Vineyard) chose David Gareja as a place of his confinement.

Tomb of David Garejeli

For many centuries, despite its harsh environment, the monastery remained an important center of religious and cultural activity and, at certain periods, it owned extensive agricultural lands and many villages. The renaissance of fresco painting chronologically coincides with the general development of the life in the monasteries. From the late 11th to the early 13th centuries, the economic and cultural development of David Gareja reached its highest phase, with new monasteries (Udabno, Bertubani and Chichkhituri) being built and old ones being enlarged and reorganized.

The refectory of Udabno Monastery

With the downfall of the Georgian monarchy, the monastery suffered a lengthy period of decline. In 1265, it was devastated by the Mongol army. Later restored in the early 14th century by Giorgi V the Brilliant, it was sacked by Timur and survived the Safavid Persian attack of Shah Abbas I on Easter night of 1615 when over 6,000 monks were massacred and the monastery’s unique manuscripts and important works of Georgian art were destroyed. The monastery was resurrected under Onopre Machutadze, who was appointed Father Superior of David Gareja in 1690.

The frescoes of David Gareja

After the violent Bolshevik takeover of Georgia in 1921, the monastery was closed down and remained uninhabited. In the years of the Soviet War in Afghanistan, the monastery’s territory was used as a training ground and military firing range for the Soviet army because of its supposed resemblance to the hills of the Afghan war zone. As a result, it inflicted damage to the unique cycle of murals in the monastery. After the restoration of Georgia’s independence in 1991, the monastery life in David Gareja was revived. The monastery remains active today and serves as a popular destination of tourism and pilgrimage.

Wall murals pockmarked by shelling

There are two options to get to this isolated and once restricted area – either via Sagarejo (with a road in an acceptable state) or via Rustavi. We went there via the latter. From Tbilisi, we were driven southeast, to the half-desert slopes of 2,432 m. (7,979 ft.) high Mt. Gareja, passing by Udabno, a village inhabited by 200 families, mostly Svans who moved here in the beginning of the 1990s because of an ecological disaster. The silence here feels inherent, with a lot of the concrete houses empty and their doors broken. The village’s Oasis Club Restaurant, a watering hole frequented by visitors, was closed for the winter.

The village of Udabno

The road we travelled on was in a very bad state, washed out to bare rock in some places, but easily traversed by 4-wheel drive vehicles. It goes through a vast and bleak, semi-arid but very dramatic landscape of scrub grasslands and hills occasionally interspersed with salt lakes (a refuge for migratory birds), truly one of the most memorable places I have ever visited.

A pair of saltwater lakes along the dirt road

There’s not much living here in this stretching steppe besides birds of prey and the rare lone shepherd tending his flock of sheep. I imagined, at one point several thousand years ago, it must have been covered in forest before early man chopped the trees down in search of iron ore and wood, forever changing its micro climate.

Grazing sheep

After some 60–70 kms. and 2 hours of driving, we finally arrived at David Gareja. It snowed the day before, but it was sunny during our visit. Still, blustery winds made it seemed we were in sub-zero temperatures. The complex consists of hundreds of hermit cells, churches, chapels, refectories and living quarters hollowed out of the rock face. It has been subject to a border dispute between Georgia and Azerbaijan.

The author at David Gareja

Part of the complex is located in the Agstafa Rayon of Azerbaijan with a border fence literally built into the hillside. The area is also home to protected animal species and evidence of some of the oldest human habitations in the region. David Gareja is actually named for 12 monasteries in the immediate area but we were to only visit the monasteries of Davit Lavra (the only inhabited one today) and Udabno.

The modest interior of Lavra Monastery’s chapel

Our van was parked in a small lot in front of the fully functional main monastery of Lavra which has undergone substantial renovation. Sopho, Riva and I were accompanied by Giorgi. Here, we visited most of its rooms. The rooms not allowed for tourists are clearly marked with “no entrance” signs, in both English and Georgian. Inside the church we saw the tomb of St. David Garejeli. Outside the monastery is dry rock in reds, yellows and even pale blues stretching across the landscape.

Hiking to Udabno Monastery

The trail leading to the second monastery of Udabno (meaning “desert” or “wilderness” in English), high up on a bluff on the other side of the hill, was rather very steep, uneven and difficult, involving some scrambling over loose dirt and rocks in places. Luckily, I wore good and comfortable hiking shoes as well as brought my trekking pole (actually a monopod). Spraining your ankle would be really bad news here. The tough but manageable hike up took over an hour.

Remains of an uncompleted Soviet-era monorail

During our hike, we were joined by newly-arrived Polish couple Adrian Siesicki and Katarzyna Siesicka who hired a taxi to get to David Gareja. Along the way, we passed what remains of an uncompleted monorail started during Soviet times to carry passengers all the way up to the caves on the southern side. After zigzaging up the bottom half of the hill, our trail more or less followed the monorail’s line. Once on top, we had a wonderful view towards both Georgia and Azerbaijan, a vast valley 300 m. below that stretches away for miles. The view from here was worth the climb alone.

The Georgian side

The Azerbaijan side

On our way back, we saw many of the troglodyte churches of Udabno Monastery consisting of numerous caves carved into the rock, beside which are sheer unguarded drops. There are no guardrails. Some are more destroyed than others but still contain traces of faded frescoes depicting angels, apostles, etc. from the 11^th to 14th centuries, some just a few feet within cave walls.

A fresco-adorned niche

Fresco of an angel

Some are even found on exterior surfaces. The old monk’s refectory has a strangely carved rock along the floor that was once a low table. The wall above has a 10th century depiction of The Last Supper.

The strangely carved low rock table at the refectory

Fresco of The Last Supper

The descent provided us with great views of the surrounding landscape. Along the way, we passed by “David’s Tears,” the only spring in the area. This system of crevices, a unique hydro technical system used to collect the maximum amount of water during periods of rain (only 20-30 liters of water can be collected diurnally), was cut by the monks across sheets of rock on a steep mountain slope.

The system of crevices at David’s Tears

The high artistic skill of David Gareja’s frescoes (a celebrated Georgian school of fresco painting and manuscript illustration flourished here), an indispensable part of world treasure, has undergone nearly a thousand years of noticeable graffiti which has, together with erosion due to wind and sand and Russian artillery fire, taken its toll on some of the images which are unprotected by doors and open to the elements.

Grafitti on the walls

The story of how the monks came to live here is really fascinating and the great thing about the hauntingly historic, simple but charming David Gareja complex is that there has been little or no attempt to exploit it for tourism. What we saw was raw Nature without virtually any kind of facilities, thereby enjoying the peace, quiet, and remoteness of the place. It further proves my point – if you want to see amazing places with very few other tourists around, come to Georgia. According to a long held belief, they say that visiting David Gareja three times is equal to a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. In that case, I am already a third of the way to the Holy City.

The author, Riva, Kasha, Adrian and Sopho

David Gareja: Mt. Gareja, Udabno, Georgia. During the hot season, bring lots of water and beware of red, blunt-nosed poisonous vipers. Public toilets (a small house with a red roof), some 100 m. before the entrance, are very basic. The lunar, semi-desert landscape turns green and blooms with flowers in early summer.

The Mercedes-Benz Vito panel van we used

How To Get There: From April 14 to October 15, there is an inexpensive (25 GEL) daily tour, via a direct marshrutka (shuttle bus) of Gareji Line, going from and back to Tbilisi.

Qatar Airways has daily flights from Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (Clark, Pampanga) to Tbilisi (Republic of Georgia) with stopovers at Hamad International Airport (Doha, Qatar, 15 hrs.) and Heydar Aliyev International Airport (Baku, Azerbaijan, 1 hr.). Website: www.qatarairways.com.

Uplistsikhe Cave Complex (Georgia)

Posted on 29 November, 2014 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

We were already through with the first day of our 3-day GNTA-sponsored tour of the Georgia countryside, our last destination being the Stalin State Museum in Gori. We still had a lot of daylight left, so we decided to continue on to the ancient, rock-hewn and now abandoned town of Uplistsikhe (literally meaning “the lord’s fortress”), located in Shida Kartli, a suburb just 14 kms. (a 20-min. drive) east of Gori.

Uplistsikhe Cave Complex

Uplistsikhe is remarkable for the unique combination of various styles from rock-cut cultures of the region, most notably from Cappadocia in Anatolia (now modern Turkey) and Northern Iran, and the co-existence of pagan and Christian architecture. Built on the high rocky sandstone massif along the left bank of the Mtkvari River, the area was identified by archaeologists as one of the oldest urban settlements in Georgia, containing various structures dating from its founding in the Late Bronze Age (around 1,000 BC) to the Late Middle Ages (13^th century AD). Its natural sandstone rock easily lent itself to various kinds of treatment, making it possible to create complex decorative compositions.

The Mtkvari River

Strategically located in the heartland of ancient kingdom of Kartli (or Iberia as it was known to the Classical authors), the town’s age and importance as a major political and religious center of the country (between the 6^th century BC and the 11^th century AD) led medieval Georgian written tradition to ascribe its foundation to the mythical Uplos, son of Mtskhetos, and grandson of Kartlos.

The tourist complex

Early in the 4th century, with the Christianization of Kartli, Uplistsikhe seems to have declined in its importance, losing its position to Mtskheta and, later, to Tbilisi, new centers of Christian culture. During the Muslim conquest of Tbilisi in the 8th and 9th century, Uplistsikhe reemerged as a principal Georgian stronghold, becoming the residence of the kings of Kartli, during which the town grew to a size of around 20,000 people and evolved into an important caravan trading post along the Silk Road. However, a Mongol raid in 1240 destroyed large parts of the town, marking the ultimate eclipse of the town. It was virtually abandoned and, only occasionally, in times of foreign intrusions, used as a temporary shelter.

The start of our hike

The approximately 4-hectare Uplistsikhe complex, tentatively divided into 3 parts, consists of a south (lower), middle (the largest) and north (upper) part. The middle part, containing the bulk of Uplistsikhe’s rock-cut structures, is connected to the southern part via a narrow rock-cut pass and a tunnel. Narrow alleys and, sometimes, staircases radiate from the central “street” to the different structures.

The Theateron (Theater)

The ornate ceiling carved with octagonal Roman-style designs

Most of the caves are devoid of any decorations. However, some of the larger structures have coffered, tunnel-vaulted ceilings, with stone carved in imitation of logs, as well as niches, which may have been used for ceremonial purposes, in the back or sides. Archaeological excavations in the area since 1957 (when only the tops of a few caves were visible) have uncovered numerous artifacts from different periods, many of which are in the safekeeping of the National Museum in Tbilisi. Most of the unearthed artifacts include gold, silver and bronze jewelry, plus samples of ceramics and sculptures.

Sopho and Pancho performing “Romeo and Juliet” at the Theateron

The earthquake in 1920 completely destroyed several parts of the most vulnerable areas and the stability of the monument remains under substantial threat, prompting the Fund of Cultural Heritage of Georgia, a joint project of the World Bank and Government of Georgia, to launch a limited program of conservation in 2000. Since 2007, the Uplistsikhe cave complex has been on the tentative list for inclusion into the UNESCO World Heritage program. Originally, the city had about 700 caves but, today, only 150 remain.

Round pits thought to have been used for corn storage or for sacrificial purposes

We all arrived at Uplistsikhe at around 4 PM, paid the entrance fee and started our 2-hour exploration of the 40,000 sq. m. Shida Qalaqi (“Inner City”), which is less than half of the original whole, by hiking about 5 m. up the rocks (opposite the toilets and cafe at the entrance), then following the rock-cut path to the left. Steps, with metal railings, lead us up through what was the main gate. To the right, sitting under a corrugated roof, is the excavated main tower of the Shida Qalaqi’s defensive walls.

Tadpole-shaped pits that may have been ovens for baking bread

We observed many round pits dug in rock, thought to have been used for corn storage or for sacrificial purposes, while tadpole-shaped pits may have been ovens used for baking bread. Scattered throughout the city are narrow circular holes, of different depths, cut in the ground to hold several prisoners.

Inspecting a wine cellar

We also noticed a wine cellar, a pool for water storage and a wine press where grapes are crushed, allowing the juice to run down a chute into another container. During the hike, we made short stops in between to admire the beautiful view of the river and the whole surroundings.

A wine press

Ahead of us, overlooking the Mtkvari River, is the Theateron (Theater), probably a temple from the 1^st or 2^nd century AD where religious mystery plays may have been performed. This cave has a pointed arch, carved in the rock above it, and an ornate, tunnel-vaulted ceiling carved with octagonal Roman-style designs resembling three-dimensional plaster work. Behind the stage are dressing rooms.

The Temple of Makvliani

Returning towards the main gate, we turned left to wind your way up the main street. Down to the right is the large pre-Christian Temple of Makvliani. With an inner recess behind an arched portico, the open hall in front has stone seats for priests.

Tamaris Darbazi (Hall of Queen Tamar)

A little further up, on the left, is the big hall known as Tamaris Darbazi (Hall of Queen Tamar), almost certainly a pagan temple (though Georgia’s great Christian Queen Tamar may have used it later). Behind two columns cut from the rock is a stone seat dating from antiquity. The hall has loggias on three sides. The ribbed stone ceiling, cut to look like wooden beams, has a hole to let smoke out and light in. An open area, to its left, has stone niches along one side, thought to have once been a pharmacy or dovecote. To the right of Tamaris Darbazi is a large cave building, probably a pagan sun temple used for animal sacrifices and, later, converted into a 3-naved Christian basilica.

The 3-naved Christian basilica

Near the summit of the hill is the Uplistsulis Eklesia (Prince’s Church), a picturesque triple-church Christian basilica built with stone and brick in the 9th -10th centuries over what was probably Upliistsikhe’s most important pagan temple. Inside the simple interior are some candlelit icons but no frescoes (they have been whitewashed).

Uplistsulis Eklesia (Prince’s Church)

Outside, we again had breathtaking views of the river and the Caucasus Mountains. On our way back, we entered a dark, 40 m. long tunnel with a long flight of metal stairs, behind a reconstructed wall beside the old main gate, running down to the Mtkvari River, an emergency escape route that could also have been used for carrying water up to the city.

The simple church interior

Our visit to this lovely place with an interesting history was unique in that we really had full access to the whole site (elsewhere most of this would all be fenced off) so we really got the feel of this city literally cut into the mountainside by soaking up its history and rustic charm. Well off the beaten track, but definitely worth a visit. The memory of this lovely ancient cave city would linger in my mind long after I have gone home.

Exiting down the 40 m. long tunnel

Uplistsikhe: Shida Kartli, Gori, Georgia. Open 11 AM – 6 PM. Admission: 3 GEL.

Jvari Monastery (Mtskheta, Georgia)

Posted on 29 November, 2014 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

It was the first day of our Georgian Countryside Tour, sponsored by the Georgian National Tourism Administration and, after breakfast, Buddy, Pancho, Melissa, Riva and I proceeded to Meidan Square where we met up with our affable Georgian guide – Ms. Sopho Makashvili. GNTA also provided us with a white Mercedes-Benz Sprinter panel van and a driver.

The Jvari Monastery complex (photo: Ms. Riva Galveztan)

Our first destination was to be Jvari Monastery in the town of Mtskheta, just a 22 min. (20.6-km.) drive up north via the Tbilisi-Senaki-Leselidze Highway. Even from the main road, the church was already visible from afar as it is perched on top of a hill (the highest in the town) with splendid hues of orange, yellow, red and green. With its 1:7 size proportions, Jvari Monastery also looked like a head on the shoulders of the rock it was built on. We drove up almost to the monastery where there’s a small lot where cars can park for free.

Jvari Monastery seen from afar (photo: Ms. Riva Galveztan)

According to traditional accounts, in the early 4^th century, a large wooden cross, symbolizing the fall of paganism and rise of Christianity in Georgia, was erected over a pagan temple by Saint Nino, a female evangelist credited with converting King Mirian III of Iberia to Christianity. Pilgrims from all over the Caucasus were drawn to the cross after it was reportedly able to work miracles. In 545, just north of the cross, a cruciform church, known as the Small Church of Jvari, was built. Between 586 and 605, the larger and present”Great Church of Jvari” was constructed directly above the site of the wooden cross by Erismtavari Stepanoz I, the Presiding Prince of Kartli (Iberia).

The Church of the Holy Cross (photo: Ms. Riva Galveztan)

During the Soviet period, the church was preserved as a National Monument, but access to it was very difficult due to tight security at a nearby military base. After the independence of Georgia in 1991, the building was restored to active religious use in 1996. In 2004, the monastery, together with other monuments of Mtskheta, were placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, by the World Monuments Fund, as part of the “Historical Monuments of Mtskheta” and, in 2009, was added to the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger.

The ruins of the Small Church of Jvari (photo: Ms. Riva Galveztan)

Entrance to the monastery is free of charge. The monastery complex is rather small and it was once fortified as remnants of a stone wall and a gate, built in the late Middle Ages, still survive to this day. From a viewpoint, we were rewarded with stunning views of of Mtskheta (the old capital of the ancient Kingdom of Iberia), with Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in its very heart; the Saguramos mountains and the amassing confluence of the the Aragvi and the Mtkvari (Kura) Rivers.

View of Mtskheta, the Saguramos Mountains and the confluence of the Mtkvari and Aragvi Rivers (photo: Ms. Riva Galveztan)

This picturesque view of these two rivers, “that are mixed like two sisters,” was described by the Russian classic poet Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov (October 3, 1814 – July 27, 1841) in his poem “Mtsyri.” They say that when it is not very rainy, you can see clearly that both rivers have water of different colors: blue and dark blue.

The southern facade (photo: Ms. Riva Galveztan)

The Church of the Holy Cross, a domed tetraconch, is an early example of a “four-apsed church with four niches,” a church design found in the architecture of Georgia, Armenia and Caucasian Albania. Often referred to as a “Hripsime-type plan” (after its best known example, the church of St. Hripsime in Armenia), this church had a great impact on the further development of Georgian architecture, serving as a model for many other churches. Three-quarter cylindrical niches, between the 4 apses, are open to the central space and 3 rows of squinches affect the transition from the square central bay to the base of the dome’s drum. The ruins of the Small Church of Jvari are still visible beside the church.

Bas-relief of the Ascension of the Cross (photo: Ms. Riva Galveztan)

The church is also the first Georgian church where reliefs take a significant place in the décor of its external facades which is decorated with varied and exceptional bas-relief sculptures with Hellenistic and Sasanian influences, some of which are accompanied by explanatory inscriptions in Georgian Asomtavruli script. The fine proportions and remarkable technique of these relief sculptures distinguishes it from the sculptures from earlier bas-relief carving common in the region.

Bas relief of Adarnase I of Iberia (photo: Ms. Riva Galveztan)

The entrance tympanum, on the southern façade, is adorned with a relief of the Glorification of the Cross and also shows an Ascension of Christ. On the facet of the drum of the dome is a figure of an unidentified person, possibly the architect. An inscription on the eastern facade mentions the principal builders of the church as Stephanos (patricius), his brother Demetre (hypatos) and son Adarnase (hypatos). Over the centuries, its stone blocks have been degraded, suffering damage from acidic rain, wind erosion and inadequate maintenance which all play a part in deteriorating the monastery.

Replica of the cross of St. Nino (photo: Ms. Riva Galveztan)

Before we entered the church, the women had to cover their heads with scarves and a second one to wrap around the waist as a skirt (there were scarves available for visitors to quickly borrow). However, it seems that it is not very strictly enforced. We were also allowed to take photos inside the church but we avoided using our camera’s flash.

Sopho, Pancho and Consul Buddy inside the Church of the Holy Cross (photo: Ms. Riva Galveztan)

The rather rough and simple interior didn’t have any impressive frescoes or richly decorated altar, just the usual gorgeous icons (including one of St. Nino) and a huge, carved wooden cross (a replica of the original cross of St Nino) on its original octagonal base, but its simplicity suggested some peace and quiet. The inner height also made the church look very spacious. The high windows at the top of the church allows light to come through and cascade across.

The author lighting a candle

On our way down the hill, we passed the monument of Russian poet Mikhail Lermontov on the right side and made a short stopover at the Tree of Wishes. A Georgian tradition, The pilgrims come there to fasten cloth ribbons or small pieces of canvas over its branches, with the hopes that their wishes will be granted.

Icon of St. George slaying the dragon

The place, with its unique history, tranquility and unforgettable views, was truly fabulous. Though not large or ornate, the lovely Church of the Holy Cross is very attractive in a strong, simple way and an iconic site in the history of Georgian Orthodox Christianity. Many couples get married here.

The Tree of Wishes (photo: Ms. Riva Galveztan)

Georgia National Tourism Administration: 4, Sanapiro St, 0105, Tbilisi, Georgia. Tel: +995 32 43 69 99. E-mail: info@gnta.ge. Website: www.georgia.travel; www.gnta.ge.

The Cave City of Vardzia (Georgia)

Posted on 27 November, 2014 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

From Akhaltsikhe, it was a fantastic drive up to Vardzia, with old castles and churches along the way. Soon, we espied the wide-mouthed caves gaping at us from across the valley as we drove in. Vardzia, on the left bank of the Mtkvari River, 30 kms. from the town of Aspindza, was excavated from solid rock along the slopes of the Erusheti Mountain during the second half of the 12^th century. The caves, stretching along the cliff for some 500 m., rises up to 19 tiers.

The Cave City of Vardzia

Four distinct building phases have been identified at Vardzia. The first phase, during the reign of Giorgi III (1156-1184), was when the site was laid out and the first cave dwellings excavated; the second between Giorgi’s death and the marriage of fabled queen Tamar, his successor, in 1186 (when the Church of the Dormition was carved out and decorated); the third from that date until Tamar’s victory at the Battle of Basian (circa 1203), during which time many more dwellings as well as the defenses, water supply, and a complex irrigation network ( to water fertile, terraced farmlands on the outside slopes) were constructed.

The author and Riva

The fourth phase was a period of partial rebuilding, after the devastating earthquake of 1283 literally ripped the place apart, shattering the mountain slope, destroying more than two-thirds of the city and exposing the hidden innards of the remainder. Vardzia escaped the onslaught of the Mongol invaders in the 1290s and the monastery community persisted until it was sacked by the Persians, under Shah Tahmasp I, in 1551. After the Ottoman takeover in the 16^th century, the site was largely abandoned.

The steep uphill path to the cave city

The greater Vardzia area includes also the early 11^th-century church at Zeda Vardzia and the 10^th to 12^th-century rock village and cave churches of Ananuri. The main lower site, carved from the cliff’s central stratum of tufaceous breccia at an elevation of 1,300 m. above sea level, is divided, into an eastern and a western part, by the Church of the Dormition. In the eastern part of the complex are 79 separate cave dwellings, in 8 tiers, with a total of 242 rooms, including 6 chapels, “Tamar’s Room,” a meeting room, reception chamber, pharmacy and 25 wine cellars (185 wine jars sunk into the floor document the importance of viticulture to the monastic economy).

Steel ladders facilitate access to caves

In the western part, between the external bell tower and the large main church, are a further 40 houses, in 13 tiers, with a total of 165 rooms, including 6 chapels, a refectory with a bakery, other ovens for baking bread, and a forge. Beyond the bell tower, the complex rises to 19 tiers, with steps leading to a cemetery. Infrastructure includes access tunnels, water facilities and provision for defense. It is assumed that the only access to this mountain stronghold was via a hidden tunnel whose entrance was near the banks of the Mtkvari River.

Walkways connecting the caves

The Church of the Dormition, the central spiritual and monumental focus of the site, is sometimes known as the Church of the Assumption, which corresponds with the Orthodox Feast of the Dormition. It dates to the 1180s and was erected by Tamar to house the icon of the Virgin of Vardzia after receiving divine help in her campaigns. It has an important series of wall paintings. Similarly carved from the rock, with walls reinforced in stone, the church is 8.2 m. (27 ft.), 14.5 m. (48 ft.) long and has a height of 9.2 m. (30 ft.).

The Church of the Dormition

The wall paintings of the church and narthex, not frescoes but executed in secco, are of crucial significance in the development of the Medieval Georgian mural painting. Ascribed to Rati Surameli, eristavi of Kartli, portraits of him, as well as royal founders Giorgi III alongside her niece Tamar, are commemorated on the north wall. Tamar lacks the ribbon that is the attribute of a married woman. Her inscription includes the formula “God grant her a long life.” Giorgi, on the other hand, does not. The paintings are dated to between Giorgi’s death in 1184 and Tamar’s marriage in 1186.

At the vaults and upper walls are episodes, in a sequence, from the life of Christ (Annunciation, followed by the Nativity, Presentation in the Temple, Baptism, Transfiguration, Raising of Lazarus, Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, Last Supper, Washing of the Feet, Crucifixion, Harrowing of Hell,Ascension, Descent of the Holy Spirit and Dormition).

At a lower level, more accessible as intercessors, are paintings of saints and stylites. On the sanctuary’s rear wall, behind the altar, are Twelve Church Fathers while in the narthex are scenes of the Last Judgment, Bosom of Abraham, Angels bearing a Medallion with the Cross, and 3 scenes from the life of Saint Stephen. Other paintings were lost during the 1283 earthquake.

Since 1985 the site has formed part of the Vardzia Historical–Architectural Museum-Reserve, which includes 46 architectural sites, 12 archaeological sites, and 21 sites of monumental art. In 1999, the extended area of Vardzia-Khertvisi, now part of a state heritage reserve, has been submitted for future inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a Cultural Site. In 2007, it was resubmitted as a mixed Cultural and Natural Site.

Tadpole-shaped pits that may have been ovens for baking bread

The Refectory

From 2012, conservation of the wall paintings in the Church of the Dormition was carried out by the Courtauld Institute of Art in conjunction with the National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia and Tbilisi State Academy of Arts. Today, the place is maintained by a small group of zealous monks. About 300 (out of 6,000) apartments and halls can be visited and, in some tunnels, the old irrigation pipes still bring drinkable water.

The premises of the monks

Upon arrival, Ruby opted to stay behind at the parking lot (she has been to Vardzia before) while Riva and I walked up a path whose initial approach leads steeply uphill for 30-40 m. up. It was not easy climbing, but we wore good shoes and I brought along my trekking pole (actually a monopod). As we went through the caves at Vardzia, we walked up and down very steep, narrow and low corridors and stairs, most deformed with time. Some of the balconies we passed by were also not fenced (truly not for the faint of heart). We sometimes went through tunnels in near total darkness.

A narrow passageway

Though the earthquake destroyed a significant part of this cave city carved into the mountainside, what remains was still an unbelievable sight and quite unique and truly amazing to behold. Vardzia looks like it was taken directly from the pages of Lord of the Rings. All I can really say was “Wow.” Walking around and seeing the caves, and the connections between them, was truly mind blowing. The views of the valley are interesting and unbelievable, and the combination of architectural buildings and the caves is astonishing. The most surprising part of our visit was the lack of other visitors. For about 2 hours, Riva and I explored the caves and paths on the mountain but we encountered less than 20 people!

View of the valley from the 2-arch portico of the Church of the Dormition

Vardzia: Samtskhe-Javakheti, Georgia. Open daily (except Mondays), 10 AM – 7 PM. Admission: 3 GEL (adults), 1 GEL (students), 2 GEL (group of 10 person or more).

Ticket Office

How To Get There: From Tblisi, take a marshrutka (minibus) from Digomi Bus station to Akhaltsikhe. Travel time is about 3 to 4 hours and fare is 12 GEL. From Akhaltsekhi, take another marshrutka to Vardzia. Travel time is an hour and costs 6 GEL. For Vardzia, the taxi (worth it if you are a group of 3 to 4 people that can share the fare) is the easiest mode of transport while a marshrutka the second best option. The last marshrutka from Akhaltsikhe for Vardzia leaves at 1:20 pm. Be there 10 minutes earlier as, once full, the marshrutka will depart earlier. The marshrutkas operate 3 times a day. Leave Tbilisi by 7 AM so that you can reach Akhaltsikhe by 10 AM and catch the marshrutka leaving for Vardzia at 10:30 AM and return to Akhaltsikhe via the last marshrutka at 3 PM. The last marshrutka for Tbilisi from Akhaltsekhi departs at 7 PM.

Taxi hired from Akhaltsikhe

Punta Cruz Watchtower (Maribojoc, Bohol)

Posted on 2 October, 2014 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

Earthquake-damaged Punta Cruz Watchtower

From Hinagdanan Cave, we returned to our airconditioned coaster for the 22 min./21.7-km. drive, via Carlos P. Garcia Ave and Tagbilaran North Road, to Maribojoc where we were to watch the sunset at the Spanish-era Punta Cruz Watchtower, located at the most westerly point of Bohol.

Built in 1796 as a defense against pirates, the Castillo de San Vicente, as it was called then, has ramparts shaped in a perfect isosceles triangle over which rises a short hexagonal tower. From its windows at the top, coast watchers can see as far as Cebu, Siquijor, and Mindanao.

Plaque installed by National Historical Intitute

Maribojoc was severely hit by the 7.2 magnitude earthquake on October 15, 2013. Many houses were destroyed or damaged and its historical Spanish Church of the Holy Cross was completely destroyed. The watchtower also sustained significant damage, especially on its upper portion. Inscriptions on top of the main entrance were destroyed.

The viewing deck and cross

Sunset at Punta Cruz

Before the earthquake, the watchtower and the sunset was the only thing that appealed to visitors. Today, Punta Cruz watchtower is no longer directly along the sea. From the view deck in front of its time-weathered wooden cross, we saw that the old coastline has receded some 50 to 100 m., a result of 400 hectares of sea-bed being lifted more than a meter due to tectonic uplift.

New coastline at the left

New coastline at the right

Bohol actually added more land to its area when the water permanently receded as wider coastlines were exposed. The high tide mark had changed such that the tidal flat (hunasan) dried out and the shoreline widened. No longer submerged by seawater, exposed brain corals and branching coral recruits within the Punta Cruz Marine Sanctuary started bleaching.

Our media group

How to Get There: From the Tagbilaran Integrated Bus Terminal in Dao, take a bus going to Tubigon. These pass along Punta Cruz. Upon dropping off at Punta Cruz, walk down, for about 500 m., to the watch tower.

Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery (Laguna)

Posted on 26 August, 2014 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

The Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery

From the Church of St. Bartholomew, Jandy, Maricar, Violet, Lanny and I left the town proper. Just 2 kms. out of the town is the Baroque-style, 1-hectare Underground Cemetery. The first and only one of its kind in the country, it was built in 1845 by Franciscan Fr. Vicente Velloc. This would be my second visit, having done so 15 years ago. We parked the Toyota Revo at the Shell service station across it.

Plaque installed by National Historical Institute (NHI)

The scrollwork-decorated octagonal red brick walls, 18 ft. high arch and 2 elaborate wrought iron gates were still there and remain quite impressive. The enclosed circular garden is surrounded by 240 (120 on each side) above-ground, apartment-type niches similar to Manila’s Paco Cemetery.

The scrollwork-decorated octagonal red brick walls and 18 ft. high arch

Maricar, Violet and Lanny

The oldest niche is dated 1886 and the last interment was in 1982, nine years (August 1, 1973) after it was declared as a National Historical Landmark by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 260 (with amendments on June 11, 1978 by virtue of Administrative Order 1505). Its historical marker was only unveiled on October 24, 1981.

The above ground crypts

Traversing the red tiled walkway, we entered the dome-like cemetery chapel, used for requiem or funeral mass, which was built in a strange arabesque style and has blue and white tiles. Inside is the Sto. Entierro, the glass bier of the dead Christ. The planked ceiling which was water-damaged during my first visit was now partially repaired.

Father and son in front of the chapel

The interior of chapel

We went down one of the two stairways leading 15 ft. down to the underground crypt which contain 36 tombs (housing the remains of Spanish friars and prominent people), arranged in 4 walls with burial plaques. Unlike my first visit, I was now allowed to take pictures (but no flash). Back at the chapel, we signed the customary guest book and left.

The underground crypts

Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery: Brgy. Bambang, Nagcarlan, Laguna. Open Tuesdays to Sundays. Admission is free. Donations are needed and welcomed.

Angkor Archaeological Park (Siem Reap, Cambodia)

Posted on 31 July, 2014 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

Our second day in Siem Reap was to be spent exploring Angkor Archaeological Park, particularly its star attraction – Angkor Wat. After breakfast at Bopha Angkor Hotel, Violet, Osang, Jandy and I were met at the lobby by our previous tuktuk driver who brought us, from the bus station, to the hotel the previous day. A lot of tourists tour Angkor this way.

Check out “Hotel and Inn Review: Bopha Angkor Hotel & Restaurant”

He agreed to bring us, on board his tuktuk, to the park and back for US$5 each (they prefer this payment rather than their local currency – the rial).

Touring Angkor Archaeological Park via tuktuk

Aside from Angkor Wat, we were to also visited Bayon Temple, Preah Pithu, Terrace of the Elephants, Terrace of the Leper King, Royal Palace and Phimeanakas Temple, Baphuon Temple, Chao Say Tevoda, Ta Prohm Temple, Banteay Kdei and Thommanon Temple.

A rainy arrival……

The tuktuk drive took around 20 mins. and we arrived at the park by 10:30 AM. It was drizzling when we arrived.

Check out “Bayon Temple,” “Preah Pithu,” “Terrace of the Elephants,” “Terrace of the Leper King,” “Royal Palace and Phimeanakas Temple,” “Baphuon Temple,” “Chau Say Tevoda,” “Ta Prohm Temple,” “Banteay Kdei” and “Thommanon Temple”

Half-Day Cu Chi Tunnel Tour (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)

Posted on 27 July, 2014 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

No visit to Ho Chi Minh City is complete without a visit to the infamous Cu Chi Tunnels and, during our walking tour of the French Quarter, Osang, Violet, Jandy and I visited the Saigon Tourist Office to book a half-day afternoon guided tour. After lunch at the Propaganda Cafe, we promptly returned to the tourist office by 1 PM where we were to be picked up by our tour bus.

The video documentary

This 75-mile (121 km.) long complex of tunnels has been preserved by the Vietnamese government and turned into a war memorial park with two different tunnel display sites open to visitors – Ben Dinh, closer to Saigon, and Ben Duoc (15 kms. further) which contains part of the original tunnel system. We were to visit the former, the site where most group tours go. As such, it can be extremely crowded.

Exhibit of Vietnam-era weapons

Our 40-km. trip to Ben Dinh took us 1.5 hours. There are a number of stalls selling food and drinks near the entrance. Our Cu Chi tunnel tour started at a classroom-style hut with a wall chart and a cross-section of the tunnels. Here, we were shown an introductory black and white, Russian-made video detailing the tunnel’s long 25-year construction as well as live footage of American planes dousing the land with Agent Orange and destroying it with bombs.

A B-52 bomb crater

Then, Mr. Do Thanh Ngan, our local English-speaking guide took us on a fascinating tour of the Cu Chi tunnels along a well defined walking track, with lots of interesting things to see spaced at regular intervals, that loops around the area. Along the way, we walked past huge, mind-boggling hollow basins of earth, actually bomb craters that are evidence of the heavy B-52 bombing campaigns in the region during the Vietnam War.

Entrance to the Ham Hoi Truong (meeting room)

During the Vietnam War, the tunnel system was a safe haven for thousands of Vietnamese soldiers and civilians and it was virtually an underground city with dwelling houses, schools, hospitals and factories. Through lots of compelling photos and personal effects left behind, we learned more about the conditions these people lived in, the hardships they faced, and the amazing ingenuity employed to maintain life in the tunnels. We also saw examples of how people lived and what they ate.

Jandy trying out the hidden tunnel entrance

At one seemingly empty area, our guide pointed to us a small, hidden tunnel entrance just beneath our feet. A Vietnamese soldier first demonstrated to us how to enter and exit the tunnel, closing the entrance with a 2 x 1.5-ft. manhole cover. A tourist also successfully tried her hand in doing so, followed by Jandy.

An array of terrifying but lethal booby traps

Chong bo (door trap): heavily spiked wooden cross sections suspended above a door or opening via a trip wire. When the wire is tripped, the trap swings down and impales the victim

A see-saw trap with sharp punji sticks at the bottom of the pit

Also on display were the different types of lethally terrifying but clever booby traps using punji sticks, ironically made from the scrap metal of the American’s artillery, bomb and rocket shells, which were used on American soldiers – chong bat (swinging up trap), chong can coi (see-saw trap), chong canh cua (window trap), chong ghe xep (folding chair trap), chong tru quay (rolling trap), chong-hom (fish trap), chong bo (door trap) and hong tho (sticking trap).

Tiny chimneys that disperses smoke from the kitchen

Tiny ventilation shafts

We also wandered past tiny little chimneys in the ground that dispersed smoke from the underground hoang cam kitchens, tiny ventilation shafts and climbed up what remained of a U.S. army M-41 tank destroyed by a delay mine in 1970. Underground conference rooms (ham hoi truong), where campaigns such as the Tet Offensive were planned in 1968, have also been restored. There were also some mannequins re-enacting soldiers in different settings (an army camp, military workshop, etc.).

The destroyed American M-41 light tank

Jandy and I, as well as other guests, were given the opportunity to do a tough crawl through a 100 m. long section of the “touristed” tunnels, never part of the real network, which have been specially created and enlarged (around 50%) and widened so that the larger Western tourists can now fit through. Though low powered lights have been installed to make traveling through them easier, it is still not recommended for the claustrophobic.

The tunnel entrance

The tunnel we entered

Violet tried but gave up while Osang remained above ground. The crawl space was so small and tight that I found it impossible to believe that anyone ever survived here before the tunnel was enlarged. For those who may not want to, or may not be able to continue, exit points were located at the 20 m., 40m., 60m. and 80 m. marks. Jandy and I exited after 20 m. This was the highlight of our tour

Cong binh xuong (military workshop)

A sandal-making factory

Other above-ground attractions include numerous souvenir shops, at the end of the walking track, some focusing on war memorabilia as well as the traditional Vietnamese souvenirs which could be found elsewhere. Nearby is a shooting range where visitors can play real war games by firing a variety of authentic Vietnam-era assault weapons such as the K-54 pistol, the M-16 rifle, AK-47, M1 carbine, M1 Garand, Russian SKS and the M-30 and M-60 light machine guns.

Jandy at one of the souvenir shops

Firing range rates

Sounds like great fun but I cannot help but put off from my mind what these “toys” were really designed for – killing. Besides firing a weapon costs 20,000 VND/bullet (US$0.95) for the K-54 pistol all the way up to 40,000 VND/bullet (US$1.88) for AK-47 and M-60 machine gun, and you have to buy at least 10 bullets (you can, however, share these with someone else).

Jandy, Violet and Osang posing with some manikins

Jandy, Violet and Osang posing with a pair of mannequins

Cu Chi Tunnels (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)

Posted on 27 July, 2014 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

The Cu Chi Tunnels, in the Cu Chi District, were the improvised response of the poorly-equipped Viet Minh peasant army to the American’s high-tech ordnance, helicopters, artillery, bombers and chemical weapons. Started sometime in the late 1940s during the war against the French (used mostly for communication between villages and to evade French army sweeps of the area), these dugouts and tunnels were built in the hard, red earth of Cu Chi (ideal for their construction) over a period of 25 years.

Constructing combat tunnels and trenches

Around 1960, the Viet Cong’s National Liberation Front (NLF) insurgency began in earnest and the old Viet Minh tunnel system assumed enormous strategic importance. Most of Cu Chi district and the nearby area were brought under firm Viet Cong control and, within a few years, the tunnels were repaired and new extensions excavated. It was used as a base for infiltrating intelligence agents and sabotage teams into Saigon and, during the 1968 Tet Offensive, the stunning attacks in Saigon were planned and launched from Cu Chi.

A primitive weapon factory (1962)

In early 1963, the Ngo Dinh Diem government implemented the Strategic Hamlets Program. Fortified encampments, built to house people who had been ‘relocated’ from communist-controlled areas, were surrounded by many rows of sharp bamboo spikes. The program was carried out with incredible incompetence, alienating the peasantry. The Viet Cong also launched a major effort to defeat it, tunneling into the hamlets and controlling them from within and, by the end of the year, the first showpiece hamlet (in the Ben Cat district, next to Cu Chi) had been overrun.

Captured American weapons (1966)

By the end of 1965, a complete Viet Cong victory became a distinct possibility after the series of setbacks and defeats suffered by the South Vietnamese forces in the Cu Chi area. In the early months of that year, the guerrillas boldly held a victory parade in the middle of Cu Chi town and their strength in and around Cu Chi was one of the reasons the Lyndon B. Johnson administration decided to involve U.S. troops in the war.

Children sawing the barrel of a cannon for use in an underground shelter (1968)

To deal with the threat posed by VC control of an area so near the South Vietnamese capital, one of the U.S.A.’s first actions was to establish a large base camp in Cu Chi district. Unknowingly, they built it right on top of an existing tunnel network. It took months for the 25th Division to figure out why they kept getting shot at in their tents at night.

American tunnel rat creeping out of a tunnel

The US and Australian troops tried a variety of methods to ‘pacify’ the area around Cu Chi, which came to be known as the Iron Triangle. They launched large-scale ground operations involving tens of thousands of troops but failed to locate the tunnels. To deny the VC cover and supplies, rice paddies were defoliated, huge swathes of jungle bulldozed, and villages evacuated and razed. The Americans also sprayed chemical defoliants on the area aerially and a few months later ignited the tinder-dry vegetation with gasoline and napalm. But the intense heat interacted with the wet tropical air in such a way as to create cloudbursts that extinguished the fires. The VC remained safe and sound in their tunnels. Unable to win this battle with chemicals, the US army began sending men down into the tunnels. These ‘tunnel rats’, who were often involved in underground fire fights, sustained appallingly high casualty rates.

American soldiers using dogs to discover tunnels

When the Americans began using German shepherd dogs, trained to use their keen sense of smell to locate trapdoors and guerrillas, the VC began washing with American soap, which gave off a scent the canines identified as friendly. Captured US uniforms were put out to confuse the dogs further. Most importantly, the dogs were not able to spot booby traps. So many dogs were killed or maimed that their horrified handlers then refused to send them into the tunnels.

Getting ready for battle to protect base (1966)

Guerillas getting ready for battle to protect their base (1966)

The U.S.A. declared Cu Chi a free-strike zone: little authorization was needed to shoot at anything in the area, random artillery was fired into the area at night, and pilots were told to drop unused bombs and napalm there before returning to base. But the VC stayed put. Finally, in the late 1960s, American B-52s carpet-bombed the whole area, destroying most of the tunnels along with everything else around. The gesture was militarily useless by then because the U.S.A. was already on its way out of the war. The tunnels had served their purpose.

Guerillas of Nguan Duc village on the wreck of an American helicopter (1965)

Guerillas of Nguan Duc village inspect the wreck of an American helicopter (1965)

The VC guerrillas serving in the tunnels lived in extremely difficult conditions and suffered horrific casualties. Only about 6,000 of the 16, 000 cadres who fought in the tunnels survived the war. Thousands of civilians in the area were killed. Their tenacity was extraordinary considering the bombings, the pressures of living underground for weeks or months at a time and the deaths of countless friends and comrades.

Surgery performed inside the tunnels

The villages of Cu Chi have since been presented with numerous honorific awards, decorations and citations by the government, and many have been declared ‘heroic villages’. Since 1975 new hamlets have been established and the population of the area has more than doubled; however, chemical defoliants remain in the soil and water, and crop yields are still poor.

Saigon Central Post Office (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)

Posted on 27 July, 2014 by Benjie Layug — Leave a reply

The largest and busiest central post office in Vietnam, this Neo-Classical-style building, one of the most recognizable landmarks in the city and a fine example of French colonial architecture, is a mixture of Gothic, Renaissance and French influences. This big, airy and spacious building was designed and constructed, between 1886 and 1891, by the famous French civil engineer and architect Gustave Eiffel (of Eiffel Tower fame).

Saigon Central Post Office

Its vaulted roof, massively high arched ceiling (carried by the two rows of steel pillars), numerous wickets, wooden counters (that seem like ticket counters), ornate furnishings, green window shutters and creatively designed arched windows (with engaged piers) are reminiscent of old European railway stations.

Clock above the main entrance

Above the main entrance, with its intricate ironwork, is its original and still working giant clock. The gorgeous, patterned floor tiles inside represent antique maps.

The post office’s massive interior

Though still a completely functional post office housing a useful office center with phones and fax lines, the building administration have also added souvenir shops (ref magnets, post cards, T-shirts, wallets, coin and stamp collector sets, etc.), currency exchange offices (though their rates was pretty high they are better than rates at the airport), wooden benches for tired tourists, and the still original phone booths (above which are clocks with times of select Asian cities) to make international calls (others are now ATM booths).

Phone and ATM booths

Inside this never too crowded but never really empty post office, on the upper part of both walls flanking the main entrance, are two large, eighteenth century maps that were painted on the walls just after the post office was built.

Map of Southern Vietnam and Cambodia

Map of Greater Saigon

On the left side is a map of Southern Vietnam and Cambodia entitled Lignes telegraphiques du Sud Vietnam et Cambodge 1892 (“Telegraphic lines of Southern Vietnam and Cambodia 1892”) while on the right side is a map of Greater Saigon entitled Saigon et ses environs 1892 (“Saigon and its environment 1892’). At the end of the expansive hall is a huge portrait of Ho Chi Minh.

Osang, Jandy, Violet, the author and Australian friend Gerald Hosiah

Saigon Central Post Office: 2 Công xã Paris, Bến Nghé, tp. (opposite Notre Dame Cathedral), Ho Chi Minh City. Open 8 AM – 5 PM. Tel: +84 8 3822 1677.

This travel blog, a diary of the author’s local and international travels, aims to provide the reader with news and information on people, places and events that would interest the avid traveler and tourist. But, it also aims to be much more, providing insights on the wonders of this beautiful country, as well as the world, beyond the strict confines of the city. Have a BLAST seeing old churches, exotic temples, educational museums as well as palm-fringed islands; white sand beaches; thundering waterfalls; placid lakes; fiery sunsets; turquoise seas; cathedral-like caves; swirling rivers; majestic mountains; stupendous, amphitheater-like rice terraces; awesome volcanoes and the like. Get to know the movers and shakers in the tourism industry; find out where to titillate the palate; rejuvenate your body; feed your adrenalin, unwind and relax; satisfy your craving for history and culture; and find out what's being celebrated and where.

BENJAMIN “BENJIE” LAYUG, an architect by profession (he finished his B. S. Architecture degree from the University of the Philippines Diliman in 1982), is also a copy editor for two publishing houses; travel writer; blogger; architectural historian; author; concert. movie and musical reviewer (for www.pep.ph); and a motivational speaker.

As a free-lance travel writer, he has, in the past, contributed articles to Travel Update, Philippine Daily Inquirer, COLORS, TODAY, 7107 Islands Magazine, Business Day and Bluprint. He currently writes for Artplus Magazine and the Business Mirror.

He is also the author of the following travel books:

A Philippine Odyssey (New Day Publishers, 2005)
Pathfinder’s Travel Guide: Boracay (Great Books Trading, 2006)
A Tourist Guide to Notable Philippine Churches (New Day Publishers, 2007)
A Tourist to Notable Philippine Historical Landmarks, Monuments and Shrines (New Day Publishers, 2010)
A Tourist Guide to Notable Philippine Museums (New Day Publishers, 2012)

Some of his books now appear in the local library shelves of the National Library of the Philippines, De La Salle University, Ateneo de Manila University, University of Sto. Tomas, U.P. Diliman, Centro Escolar University, San Sebastian College, Miriam College, Silliman University, to name a few, as well as internationally at the National Library of Australia and the University of California Berkeley Library.

Now a senior citizen, he is probably one of the oldest, if not the oldest, active travel blogger in the country today. He also has a lifestyle blog called F.Y.I.:Firing Your Imagination (www.firingyourimagination.blogspot.com). Benjie has traveled to two-thirds (53) of the country’s 81 provinces and over 20 countries in 4 continents.