Meet the Nomads: Ferdz Decena

Ferdz is one of the first few blogs that I encountered whenever I'm researching about travelling in the Philippines. I was already reading his blog even prior in setting up my own blog.

He's been almost everywhere in the Philippines and probably will conquer the world soon.

Ferdz is also active in photography and in sharing his skills with other enthusiasts.

If you want to learn more about Ferdz, visit him at www.ironwulf.net.

Here's Flip's short interview with Ferdz.

How did you discover your passion for travelling?

"I have been traveling around since I was a kid. Our dad usually takes us around Luzon for a family vacation. I surely enjoyed those long road trips up north and down south. Then life and college happened those and I wasn't able to travel around for a while. It was during my early work years in 2000 when I miss being on the road and got hooked up with a travel group in the internet and decided to travel independently.

I started with mountain climbing. From my fumbling start at Pico de Loro, I got serious with it and went on to higher mountains like Mt Pulag then my first out of the country travel to Malaysia for Kota Kinabalu. Climbing mountains took me places. Then my first solo travel to Sagada intensified my yearning for travel more.I knew after being able to do that that I can go further."

What’s the most horrible experience that you’ve had on the road?

"I can't really say "Horrible", it may be horrible at those times but looking back after it seems like "memorable" instead and I laugh at those times when I remember them. Like my culture shock in China or being asked to go down the bus out of the middle of the mountain road in mainland China with a rifle pointed at me. Locally when we got stranded for two nights in Sabtang Batanes. And there's also an amusing night camping on an Aeta Village near Mt. Pinatubo where we woke up in a middle of the night when an enraged villages came to our camp screaming and exorcising us with a large bolo in hand. It seemed frightening then but looking back, it's one heck of an experience I could laugh out now."

What’s the most outstanding travel experience that you’ve ever had?

"Each new travel and discovery has always been outstanding but true there are always places that stand out. I guess mainland China truly tested my mettle as a traveler. Going to a place where no one understands you and you don't really understand them is challenging. Having your itinerary messed up because of a nation's riot and not knowing if you're budget will make at the end of the leg made for some truly outstanding experience."

What’s the biggest realization that you’ve got out of travelling?

"That everything's the same everywhere, they're just dancing on a different beat. It's funny sometimes when I go to a place and just realize we have a lot in common with people on another country. We battle the same problems of poverty and politics, of course in different conditions. People are afraid to go out. For example, people in Manila are afraid of going to Mindanao because of the violence and bombings. On the flipside people from Mindanao are afraid to go to Manila because of the violence as well, they are afraid to get mugged, shot or stabbed in the streets. Traveling makes you realize these things, like Tawi-tawi has many religion and co-exist in harmony with each other. The world is one big surprise."

What keeps you going? What keeps you motivated?

"Traveling has become a part of my life already not just a leisure activity so it's hard to stop. I breath travel as it puts me in perspective. Sometimes being away makes you see things in a bigger picture."

This is a silly and hypothetical one. If you would be given a chance to travel with a popular person or a celebrity, who would it be and why?

"Haha. I would like to travel with Diego Bunel on some of those dangerous places he's been to. Or ride different forms of transportation with Charley Booman. I think it would also be interesting to tag along some favorite travel writers like Pico Iyer, Franz Wizner or John Krakauer. I could learn a thing or two on how they weave their masterful writing."

What could stop you from travelling?

"When I'm down six feet under."

Among the places that you’ve been to, which one fascinated you the most?

"Wow! Every place seems fascinating really but I was really fascinated with the culture in Tawi-tawi at first because people from different religions inter-marry. I always thought the place was a muslim country. I always have this fascination with the cordillera regions. Batanes is also a favorite of mine. And those are just local destinations."

What's the best travel advice that you could give for a novice traveler like me?

"Don't rely too much on guide books. I found them too commercial already and if you follow their recommendations you'll end up on a place with a crowd of people holding the same guide book you have. Try to explore further, ask the locals for recommendations and create your own experience, not only what the books or people tell you is the "Best Of" or "To Die For"."

What do you think about yourself?

"Hmmm...well I'm just a guy who likes to travel and see the world and share it though my writing, photography and recently I'm experimenting with moving images as well. :)"

" To put it simply, Ironwulf.net is place I chronicle my travels with writing and photography." - Ferdz