I Met Helen at Murchison Falls Park on Nov 25, 2012 in Africa Uganda The welcome committee hard at work.It’s not every day that you wake up in the middle of the night to pee and find yourself face-to-face with a full-grown hippo. What do you do? Do you crawl back to bed and endure the night with a bursting bladder?
Paradise in the Mist on Sep 8, 2012 in Philippines Asia As you cruise along the winding mist-covered mountain path to the hidden paradise as a first-time visitor, even then you will know the potential of what you see. Perhaps you will feel a little curious as you peer at the sprawling hills and turquoise...
My Kitenge Obsession on Aug 18, 2012 in Fashion Africa This is how you steal the show.Photo from Sechiafrique. This is not going to be my usual blog post, so please bear with me. I am currently eaten by an addiction that is emptying my pockets, but is giving me happy hormones, nonetheless. I love f...
Sumilon Glamping: A Family Affair on Aug 11, 2012 in Philippines Asia The beautiful shifting sand bar. “Are you sure you know how to paddle?” Basty glanced nervously at me while clutching tightly at Dale’s arms, droplets of sweat soiling his bright orange life vest. “Why are we headed to the trees?”Okay,...
A Thousand-Peso Thrift Trip on Aug 4, 2012 in Philippines Asia "Come, visit us!"Sometime in the past, a fully loaded word came into currency: "backpacking." It signified one of the most terrifying forces for luxury travel agents and high-starred hotels, but it heralded the birth of a new breed of travelers---the...
EBOLA Scare: Better Safe than Sorry on Jul 29, 2012Photo from http://mountaingorillas.gorillacd.org/I’ve just finished watching the film “Gorillas in the Mist” and was dreaming of a nice little trek at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in southwestern Uganda after my mission ends, as a gi...
On Both Sides Now: Crossing the Equator on Jul 3, 2012After idling in the empty beaches and trekking through silent jungles of Ssesse Islands, I declared I had enough of the quietness and wanted to see the Equator---this time, I wanted some adventure. So instead of tracing back our uneventful route back...
I Dream to Travel on Jun 17, 2012Dream on . . .It takes two to make a dream come true. One, you must have a dream to start with. Two, you must have the meansto achieve it. The collision of an ambitious dream and an equally passionate drive to pursue it can cause a spark that will ig...
Butt Shots, Blood Collectors, and Other Stories on May 23, 2012If you have it, work it!We need never be ashamed of our . . . rears (forgive me, Mr. Dickens). Especially if you’re on the verge of convulsing your way into the eternal black hole. When the man in the white gown tells you to lie prone and sticks th...
Wanderlust Begins at Home on May 10, 2012 in Philippines Blog Carnival Personal Click---the living room lights up for a few seconds, then a faint monologue, “Where’s my eyeglasses? It must be here somewhere. Oh, there, I’m wearing it, damn!” And yes, she really says “damn” but only in the dialect. Then click, the wor...
