Angkor milestones

I'M looking forward to this afternoon. By 3 pm, we would be in Siem Reap, home of majestic Angkor Wat. It's our 3rd time to visit, and we go because I promised.

I committed that when Divya was 12, and Byren 16, Divya would join us in going up Angkor's main temple. So go we must. We've learned through experience that when you promise to visit a sacred site, you must fulfill your promise, particularly if there is something you've been asking for. And the more the difficulties and obstacles to fulfilling your promise, the greater your reward if you persevere. This is why we never say we will go to Manaoag unless we are absolutely sure we will be able to go there. We don't say we'll go to church if we absolutely can't do it.

I remember this one trip that Chiara, Aa, and I, took, which included a visit to a sacred mountain. This was scheduled for the day before our return flight home. The 2 were not as enthusiastic as I about going, and were actually happy there were delays and blockages to getting there . So, we were not able to go.

The next day, on our way to the airport train station, we met 2 men who promised to help Chiara and Aa get something they'd been wanting for a while. Aa dreamt of this the night before. They ended up scammed. It seemed their guardian angels turned their back on them in that one instance. This had never happened before. Painful lesson for the 2, but they learned never to mock these places, or make empty promises.

Angkor Wat is listed internationally as a place of peace and power. Besakih in Bali is another, so are Mihintale and Adam's Peak of Sri Lanka.

In the Philippines, we only have 3 of these sacred sites listed. The criteria is not based solely on religion, but by the energy they possess because of the ley lines that converge there. One of these sites is here in our country is Mt. Banahaw. The other 2 are Mt. Pinatubo and Mt.. Apo.

The first time we came to Angkor some 12 years ago, a fare promo just opened so i booked Aa, Chiara and I. We traveled with good friends Opel and Steve. Finances were limited then, and there were obligations waiting, but I couldn't ignore this wrenching desire to visit the place ever since Mrs. Camacho, my high school teacher, told us to open our text book to Angkor's page. I vividly remember the illustrated picture of a man surrounded by tall grass. He was holding a bolo, and behind the grass were the temples of Angkor.

I could almost hear the drumroll the first time we came to Angkor. My heart still surges in remembrance. Such is this places' effect on me.

It was on Phnom Bakeng where I first learned and actually experienced the value of being in the moment, to leave my mental and emotional baggages behind, and just focus on the sunset and the timelessness of the space.

On the way there, I received a disturbing call. It was a superhuman effort for me not worry, or think about the future, but I did it. It was a conscious effort on my part to bring back my attention to where I was, and focus on the gratitude I felt at all that moment.

Strangely enough, on the way down from the mountain, I received another call that the issue had been resolved.

Learning to be in the now and focusing on positive emotions is one of Angkor's many meaningful milestones for me.

Milestones. This is this year's theme for some of our clients who are joining us on this trip. Chiara, who received the inspiration for this at exactly 11:11 pm nights ago says this is apt.

Did you know that there is a meditation technique to harness the energy of a sacred site so they can help you fulfill your goals and make it manifest quicker?

Our next sacred site activity will be at n Bali, June 2018.

What about Angkor? promises.

See us at 29 Sari-sari Section, Baguio City Market, from 4:30 to 6:30 pm, Monday to Saturday. heart, and we would really want that tourists follow them, too.

We love our city that despite the existing problems like garbage, pollution and traffic, we still love it, and we do not welcome tourists who complain a lot about these problems because they themselves contribute further.

We welcome tourists to our city with hospitality and with a warm smile, but if tourists do not respect our culture, our values, our city, then there are 350,000 people willing to take up arms and prevent them from coming to our beloved city.

To the Baguio people, stop the cyberbullying as well. We are better than this. We are a city of values, remember. Let us show them that inasmuch as we love our city, we also have to respect other people’s opinions.

So, keep in mind that respect begets… begets…. RESPECT BEGETS RESPECT!