tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-129610732011-12-13T01:11:07.189+08:00Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.comBlogger371100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12961073.post-68478274475113220942009-03-07T17:47:00.004+08:002009-05-23T02:24:40.097+08:00

Anilao, BatangasVilla TronoMarch 07, 2009One warm but overcast weekend in March, a number of friends and I went to Anilao to dive. It was the first time I'd be out in the open water after I got certified by Scuba Schools International (SSI).Anilao is reknowned for its captivating dive sites, as well as the diversity of its marine life. It is one of the most highly regarded dive destination in

Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12961073.post-25515041597317811732008-10-11T01:21:00.004+08:002009-05-23T02:24:12.204+08:00

Anilao, Municipality of MabiniBatangas2008-1011If there is something I must do before I die, it would be to dive into the deep blue sea.One weekend, I accepted an invitation from friends to go with them to Anilao, Batangas. As a fish sanctuary, Anilao was teeming with vibrant marine life. I stayed near the surface, having no diving license to speak of.It is easy to ignore, or dismiss things that

Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12961073.post-6310488694838092332008-08-01T12:33:00.002+08:002009-12-28T06:57:58.561+08:00

Do you know that flash flood has a taste? It tastes like a coin, infused with a hint of moss made complicated by the gritty texture of dirt and unbridled fear. That’s how flash flood tastes like. I had my face dunked into such a sordid concoction one weekend when we set out for Ipo to find a waterfall that the dumagats have described as immensely beautiful. We were also there to collect

Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12961073.post-69572631822154290742008-07-15T20:00:00.001+08:002008-09-15T21:43:51.406+08:00

Bikeout: Licau-Licau & Wawa DamUP, Diliman - Mun. San Mateo - Mun. Rodriguez - Licau-LicauJuly 13, 2008Sunday turned out to be a very interesting day. ‘twas good that I didn’t chicken out of the plan to bike to Licau-Licau come hell or high waters on Sunday. It was something I was meaning to do even before I bought my bike.As what Punkz (shown above pumping his legs to clear a long ascent)

Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12961073.post-1161394955581864962006-10-20T20:16:00.000+08:002006-10-22T05:30:15.683+08:00

Buruwisan FallsBrgy MacatadMt. Famy, Siniloan, LagunaAugust 13, 2006Last August I went with Congress Outdoors to Buruwisan Falls and rappelled into her 100-foot drop. The act of leaning back into a chasm was mind-numbing. Such an act defies all naturally hard wired tendencies aimed at self-preservation. Perhaps in an attempt to shut down fear and preclude utter embarrassment from freezing over at

Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12961073.post-1154423980038633622006-08-08T16:45:00.000+08:002006-08-08T20:02:32.973+08:00

Tignoan, Real, QuezonJune 13, 2006Real, Quezon, it is an adventure waiting to happen at your doorstep.I wouldn't have suspected that I could simply catch a bus near my house and get off at a fishing village where falls, skin diving sites and endless beaches are mere walking distance from each other. I couldn't have known that in three hours, I would have been transported into a place where the

Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12961073.post-1148969781331390512006-05-21T13:39:00.000+08:002006-05-30T18:27:37.400+08:00

BAGSIT RIVERZambales20-21 May 2006Tubig... Ilog... (Water... River...)People gravitate towards rivers. It is inevitable. Like giant umbilical cords, these meandering bodies of water fed our earliest communes giving rise to vast cities. It shouldn't come as a surprise that the water used to wet clays that marks the first pages of written history once flowed from a great river.It may sound like

Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12961073.post-1147562993921557222006-05-14T19:21:00.000+08:002006-05-14T09:03:46.253+08:00

(Something that is submitted late, Pahabol. Root is habol - or chase)The hardest thing about keeping a blog is finding the time to actually sit down and write. The next hardest thing is finding something to write about.It is inevitable that the first few entries would turn out to be an outpouring of sorts. Like a typhoon, it is hard to understand where all the water and wind could have come from

Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12961073.post-1146204563988046862006-05-01T14:00:00.000+08:002006-05-05T21:36:35.433+08:00

Mt. Isarog and Mt. IrigaCamarines SurApril 11-16, 2006 This quaint Holy Week break was spent in the Bicol Region. It started with a rushed Tuesday afternoon and ended with a very lethargic Sunday morning.What can I say about Bicol? It is such a clean, fresh and relaxed place to go to. We visited Pili, Isarog, Iriga and Naga. We went through some other towns but the names escaped me.The people are

Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12961073.post-1145738806401242582006-04-23T00:00:00.002+08:002006-04-23T05:07:35.863+08:00

The problem with photography as a hobby is the acquisition cost of equipment that you need to produce respectable results. So, you try to make your hobby get up from its lazy butt and go earn something so next time you buy a silly photo gadget with a ridiculous price, you won?t feel bad about it.So, I've been covering small events here and there for a minimal fee. Most of my shots from these

Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12961073.post-1145548810094605012006-04-06T23:28:00.000+08:002006-04-21T00:19:18.836+08:00

One night on my way home, I was especially jumpy because I had my camera with me...so I took photos.I took these photos in the wee hours of the night at the House of Representatives. It was unfortunate that I was unable to capture an image of the "Five Housemates" who are going about their nightly activities in and around the compound since they were at a meeting. With regards these "

Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12961073.post-1145504240653972782006-02-27T11:04:00.000+08:002006-04-20T21:37:40.970+08:00

I've been going through some pictures from Lomo and other toy cameras at Flickr and reminisced about the time in high school when I had access to a darkroom, and would sometime skip school to hide out under the Sydney Harbour Bridge at its northern end and just while away the afternoon taking pictures of things and stuff, and not really being sure if they came out sharp or if I got the exposure

Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12961073.post-1147558204702606442006-02-18T17:52:00.000+08:002006-05-16T02:07:18.926+08:00

Pico de LoroTernante, CaviteFebruary 18, 2006It hasn't been two months and I'm back climbing Pico de Loro with a different group of people. I wasn't that enthusiastic about climbing Pico again but like Pulag Revisited, this should serve as a challenge in finding something familiar and trying to look at it in a different way.It was an invitation I cannot refuse. Mai wanted to celebrate her

Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12961073.post-1147556909695931482006-02-12T05:14:00.000+08:002006-05-14T08:22:21.986+08:00

Mt. PulagThe Province of BenguetFeb. 12, 2006I have sentiments about climbing a mountain for the second time. C'mon, this country is sprawled lengthwise on a section of the Pacific Ring of Fire and volcanoes are strung to its length like beads on a rosary. Why should I climb a mountain for the second time when there are numerous mountains sprawled everywhere that I haven't been to or even know

Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12961073.post-1145730220687648072006-01-14T01:52:00.000+08:002006-04-23T02:23:40.706+08:00

Lush, verdant and lusciously damp; Pico de Loro was exactly as I expected. It has been a while since I climbed a mountain wrapped in verdant tropical rainforest.It is easy to get used to "well-pressed" National Park trails. It is easy to forget the sensation of being slapped crazy by foliage and thorny bamboo again and again in poorly maintained trails. It is easy to forget the sensation of

Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12961073.post-1145370206150569252006-01-13T22:10:00.000+08:002006-04-18T23:38:13.906+08:00

PGMA visited Navotas today amidst curses from motorists having to contend with blocked main arterial roads leading to bustling dockyards and ports. They put up choke points in roads that are choked enough as it is, and added an extra knot in an already inextricable tangle of cars, trucks and pushcarts.Who am I to complain, that is the way of the world - at least in these parts. And those who do

Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12961073.post-1145369317659895962005-12-27T21:30:00.000+08:002006-04-18T22:45:24.520+08:00

I had the opportunity to shoot at night at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral which was walking distance from Betty Go-Belmonte station, Quezon City. When you think of cathedrals, you normally associate it with a grand structure bounded by large open spaces, quaint landscapes and gardens. Immaculate Conception however, was bounded by apartment blocks and small establishments. There was hardly a

Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12961073.post-1136320200188632402005-11-29T16:04:00.000+08:002006-04-18T23:05:56.353+08:00

Mt. UgoNueva Vizcaya - Benguet November 26-28, 2005This climb was mostly visual for me - though of a different kind. The three days spent in the wilderness were appraised within the bounds of a 36 by 24mm film frame.I haven't quite decided whether I saw more or saw less of the wilderness and the people we pass in our journey. I haven't quite decided if having a camera in my hand, and looking at

Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12961073.post-1133789800683503222005-11-02T21:17:00.000+08:002006-04-18T23:51:08.906+08:00

Mt. PulagBenguetOctober 28 - 31, 2005It is easy to become fixated towards the empirical measure of things. We rely on it even if it is physically impossible for us to determine the difference anyway between say, fifteen and sixteen kilometers, or five hours and five hours and fifteen minutes. Without the labels or the watch that is strapped in our wrist, these lengths, spans and durations are

Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12961073.post-1130013790182495172005-10-23T02:25:00.000+08:002005-10-23T04:46:36.743+08:00

It has been ages since I last touched a paintbrush - perhaps about a decade since I last completed a painting. It troubles me to see an unfinished painting. It calls out to me. It teases, provokes and belittles the person in me that daubs the paint.I don't trust my eyes and hands to produce a painting of any worth. I trust my mind in conceiving, and bringing to imagined existence these images and

Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12961073.post-1129988201817770972005-10-22T20:00:00.000+08:002005-10-23T04:45:27.363+08:00

I am an artist, I can't resist the sight of the sunbeginning its ceremonious descent into blanket earthwhile trees at a distance - like tendrils of the most delicateof ferns, reach out to caress heaven,and the painful brightnesssilver draped in blue and greyskyscape where heroes rise and fallwhere battles are fought,where peace struggles to reign,where love gropes for triumph,where imagination

Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12961073.post-1128422661878741922005-09-26T21:00:00.000+08:002006-04-23T05:15:52.130+08:00

Kairukan FallsBrgy. Sitio Canauan, Morong, BataanSeptember 24 - 25, 2005Perception, it is never as untainted as what we would wish. We can't help to see our world through prejudiced eyes. Our minds are wired to be prejudiced so as to react faster by reacting to expectations rather than what is really there. And that is where the danger lies. Not all red fruits are sweet, and not all that is green

Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12961073.post-1126011317394443902005-09-06T20:38:00.000+08:002005-09-06T21:04:16.350+08:00

FaceIn this stillness I find your beauty,Wistful in its calmnessIn its pensive placidness,A fragile flower lost in a sea of thornsWaiting for the coming of the monsoon winds.Dark thunder surrounds you,An eerie reverberation that saturates theFaint scent of defianceAt this fate that surrounds you.You, that which the coming stormBends with impunityYet,You, who have raised your face at theGolden

Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12961073.post-1126004505075092472005-08-31T17:47:00.000+08:002005-09-06T19:01:45.080+08:00

The woman who became my grandmother almost three decades ago died today at the hospital at 7:25am. She left us after 96 years. April 04, 1937. Irenea Manuel and Marcelino Martinez.She was the foundation of my family, and the families of my aunts. She was the voice of temperence and everything that is good in me. She was patience, she was humility, she was perseverance, she was generosity. She

Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12961073.post-1125998371240976102005-08-22T16:50:00.000+08:002005-09-06T19:50:27.123+08:00

August 19 to 21(22), 2005CAMP VANESSABrgy. TibutunanMunicipality of Tipaculao (near Baler, capital of Aurora)Province of AuroraNo matter what the risks, no matter how gruelling......it is a glimpse of heaven at the end that keeps you prodding on.Discovered (but known to forest dwellers) in 2003, Camp Vanessa is a very difficult but rewarding destination. The name commemorates the first woman (UPM

Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12961073.post-1124007398149940122005-07-23T16:14:00.000+08:002005-09-07T03:53:34.466+08:00

Mt. Mariveles (Mariveles Range), Tarak Ridge, Barangay Alasasin, Bataan. Level I (daw). We passed by so many falls and water sources; Mariveles was beautiful! I’ll be coming back to this mountain range before this year ends with a much smaller group to feel the mountain and take more pictures. A great place to climb at a leisurely pace. The photos on this entry are taken by

Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12961073.post-1124007278454661432005-07-21T22:09:00.000+08:002005-08-14T16:17:54.230+08:00

Pack-Run! I hate running! Made 7.4 km in 51 minutes. I definitely hate running!

Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12961073.post-1124006814103501062005-07-19T22:00:00.000+08:002005-08-14T16:06:54.103+08:00

UPM requires applicants to run 6km in 45 minutes to qualify for the first climb. I clocked in at 51 minutes and was required to run again before the actual climb. Oh geeez, I hate running (whine...).

Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12961073.post-1124003614192236072005-07-08T20:00:00.000+08:002005-08-14T15:29:10.673+08:00

First time to try indoor wall climbing at Power Up Gym, Tandang Sora, Quezon City. The hardest thing is letting go for the first time once you reach the top of the kiddie wall (yeah, don’t laugh, everyone has to start somewhere). It was like: “What the fuck?!? Are you serious?!?�

Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12961073.post-1119764903856535632005-06-26T13:10:00.000+08:002005-06-26T13:48:23.860+08:00

What does it mean to be human?The irony of awareness of self and the body's succinct limitations, the mind's limits in its capacity to see deeper and wider into streams of thoughts, vis-à-vis the universe that the imagination can conjure up.Deeper into a face is a universe. Beyond TV are the coal pits.

Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12961073.post-1124006626116038832005-06-16T23:45:00.000+08:002005-09-06T19:45:29.066+08:00

How can someone get any work done around here? Diosme! Mt. Batulao. 811 meters ASL, located at Nasugbu, Batangas. Level I.I went with Congress Outdoors for this night trek on a Thursday. Be reminded that the House of Representatives have only 3 session days. To conserve power, they came up with this 4-day work week. And lo! The members of the Congress Outdoors take half a day off. No,

Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12961073.post-1123996430750199452005-06-10T13:05:00.000+08:002005-08-14T14:53:16.766+08:00

Talk talk talk... What's the point of all this talk but to remind the frail memomy of an old man from the future. So, you need a break from a pointless existence huh? Join an entourage! What a perfect opportunity to go out and mingle and enjoy the simple pleasures of a quaint trip to the mountains eh? Baguio City. The summer capital of the Philippines. Ahhh... All expense paid trip.

Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12961073.post-1124005494650277122005-06-06T21:00:00.000+08:002005-08-14T15:44:54.656+08:00

So ha, you’ve decided to join the University of the Philippines Mountaineers huh (again that is)? Let’s reminisce ten years ago... when you were a freshman (and such a naive bastard at that) shall we? Ah...without the embarrassment and aftermath of stupidity, what will be there to comfort us during old age eh? Which reminds me, I wonder what ever happened to that video of me

Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12961073.post-1119429762236217552005-05-30T00:30:00.000+08:002005-06-22T16:43:38.416+08:00

How do I bring myself to elucidate, on the deepest of feelings that I feel,when the thought of you comes to mind? It is hard when I feel so light and have to walk towards the keyboardto tell you of this ethereal feeling only to be stumped by itand be lost for words by it....In place of it, I say I love you and take care, though I mean more than that most of the time. 'tis hard

Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12961073.post-1119420210325146712005-05-23T13:34:00.000+08:002005-06-22T16:26:57.736+08:00

I don't mind being the third person on an unusual choice for a date between a fraternity brother and his girlfriend. Apparently, Kate was complaining that their relationship had revolved around routine and wanted a change – something exciting. I am at a lost why of all the things he could have chosen, my brod chose taking the girl out to the mountains. I think a trip to a theme park would have

Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12961073.post-1116563790850147792005-05-20T10:49:00.000+08:002005-05-20T20:54:16.536+08:00

865 meters above sea-level and considered a minor climb, Mt. Maculot will be a pleasant hike. As for preparation, it will just entail the basics. Tomorrow at 3am, we leave for Batangas.This is an excerpt from an email I sent my loving partner: "It is just an interest that I had carried since I entered the University and found out about the UPMountaineers Society. I had since kept the images from

Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12961073.post-1116514692080791152005-05-19T22:40:00.000+08:002005-05-20T19:29:09.773+08:00

I have always resisted the impulse to join networks like Friendster and Multiply simply because I wish not to be found. But there is always this need to want to speak out and be heard even if it is behind the curtains of anonymity. But, even under that veil, I am amazed to feel conscious of this whole exercise of baring myself it seems to the whole world. But of course, this anonimity and a

Ian V. Martinezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09687230820770796434noreply@blogger.com1