Edwin

One of the largest Halloween street parties in the world happens in West Hollywood, California, just 6 blocks from our house.

On October 31st, you will see the craziest, most creative, most artistic and most absurd costumes you’d ever see. Over 300,000 people attend the West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval street party on Santa Monica Boulevard (from La Cienega to Robertson). Visitors prepare to bring your camera – you will have a blast! Admission is free and the event starts at 6 PM and runs until 1 AM.

Here are a few of the best costumes of 2014.

ADVENTURES IN LIFE. ADVENTURES IN LOVE. ADVENTURES IN GIVING.

It took a lot of friends to convince me to join Facebook. I resisted because I’m actually quite a private person. But my friend Brian advised me to open an account – so for good measure, I did. I didn’t know it would change my life.

My Facebook account soon replaced email as my way to communicate with my family to keep them abreast of my whereabouts. Sometimes, I over share because I lose sight that I am not just talking to my family anymore- there are 2,500 others reading this. Luckily, many friends didn’t mind my posts, in fact, got engaged.

Last year, a friend who was going through chemo wrote me a note “When I was going through my treatments, I would try not to log on for a week. That way I can read your posts and your friends’ witty comments when I am on my treatment. They made me laugh.” Another friend who was going through a bad divorce wrote, “Your posts were the only thing that could make me laugh during my tough divorce.”

I was glad to make small impact, but the truth is, it has changed me as well.

Facebook has allowed me to bask in the kindness of friends and strangers. It pushed me to the limits of my abilities. It enabled me to venture into places I’ve only dreamed about. It has allowed me to showcase my art. It became a medium to share my stories and adventures. Above all, it allowed me to impact over 16,000 poor children in the Philippines.

With that said – I want to introduce my new travel blog – EDWINTURE. I am hoping that with this blog, I can make you laugh a little, live a little and love a lot.

Whether I am scaling the pyramids in Giza, exploring ancient civilization in Greece, or cruising down the Thames, I hope you can join me in my edwintures. I can certainly use the company …

Lesson 1: They don’t have ketchup, they have tomato sauce.

Lesson 2: “E” is pronounced as “I” so if someone says “Wanna come see my dick?” that’s not what he meant in Australia.

Every single girl friend of mine is asking the same exact question – “Where are the good guys? I can’t seem to find them!”

Well, apparently, they’re not at golf courses, country clubs, bars or churches – they’ve been cycling at the Ride to Conquer Cancer cycling event to raise money for cancer research.

Here are few reasons why you should take up cycling in Australia …

I spent 5 nights and 6 days on the island of Hvar in Croatia. I was booked at the Adriana Hvar Spa Hotel  for 3 nights and another hotel for 2 nights. I was so spoiled and pampered at the Adriana that I came running back to them after a night at the other hotel. (It was like I was at Neiman Marcus and went down to Walmart). Nothing quite compares to the luxurious offerings of the Adriana. Nothing.

Located in the center of the historical area of Hvar, the Adriana offers an impressive full service spa, a rooftop terrace with a covered salt water swimming pool and a sky bar that serves Mediterranean specialties with panoramic views of the Cathedral, the Piazza and the bay.

Try to take photos of food for your records. Why? Because olfactory memories take us further back in time than other factors; this is supported by experimental evidence. Taking photos of what you ate during your trip will bring back happy memories of your trip.

Filling up the gas tank of your rental car can be quite confusing. Is the gas tank on the left or right side? Now, with this simple tip, you know exactly where the gas tank is.

I have been to hundreds of beaches around the world and I have never seen this phenomenon- sand that turns from white to pink during sunset. It’s quite hard to believe but it’s true.

Around 4:00 pm, the pure white sand of Elafonisi Beach (West coast of Crete) turns from pure white to dark pink. It’s as though someone sprinkled pink dust on the shores when you weren’t looking. In some light, the sand takes on a pink glow, said to be from corals. (Elafonisi Beach is actually protected by an EU environmental program.)

I was in Zurich when a friend posted something on my Facebook page “If you’re on a road trip in Europe, you definitely have to see the Christmas Markets in Germany. The Germans know how to celebrate Christmas more than any country.”

His post intrigued me — I grew up in the Philippines and few can beat Filipinos as far as going overboard with Christmas (Filipino families put up their Christmas trees as early October … I am not kidding!).

Almost every travel guide will tell you that the best time to visit Napa and Sonoma Valley is in the Summer. Yup, that’s about as right as saying that the best time to go to Toys R Us is a week before Christmas. It is chaotic, packed, and good luck on getting note and restaurant reservations.

A summer trip to Napa means standing in lines, fighting for a parking spot, waiting for your order for 30-40 minutes and sky high hotel rates.

Go in the Fall. – sometime from Sept to early November.  This is the time leaves turn to golden brown and it’s also when they harvest the grapes.  It’s not too hot, not too crowded, easy to get reservations at Michelin-rated restaurants and hotels are quite affordable.

I hope these images will convince you that I am right! See for yourself and fall in love with Napa.