“Tustan!” he yelled out in the melodic tone only locals use. The wind carried the word into the woods and valleys below us. “Tustan!” I echoed him but the sound of my own voice was not as soft and deep as his; he belonged here. Tustan, literally translated, the name of the place means “Stand … Continued
Paris or London? How could I choose between two cities which attract millions of visitors annually ? London is four times as large as Paris and has 4 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. London has London Eye, Paris has Eiffel Tower, London has pub food, Paris has croissants – ok, I have to admit this one … Continued
Africa. There are countless images and ideas you can conjure in your head when you hear that word, stories of war and genocide, starvation and disease, suffering beyond what western minds can even imagine. Most of us don’t want to imagine it, we open our morning paper and read about the violence in the Congo, … Continued
Do you like water or mountains? Snow or surf? Shopping or relaxing? Yeah, I like all of them all too. Now, you’re probably thinking that California is a pretty big place and not really a very specific topic. You’re right. It’s huge and that why it inspired me. Some parts of the gorgeous Golden State … Continued
This may not be the only reason but, I climbed Mt. Pico de Loro because someone (let’s name him Tsadiktus) requested me to take a picture of him atop the mountain’s summit. And so we invited Ronn, the friend that we met during our Talamitam-Batulao twin hike last December 2012, to be our guide for … Continued
Why do I travel? I’m searching for those moments when I lose myself. When I stop thinking. When my brain shuts off. When I just notice what is around me. I’m zooming around on my rented motorbike, observing the mountains outside of Bac Ha, a tiny town in northern Vietnam. The rice paddies stretch around … Continued
‘Kaziranga National Park’, as soon as these three words are heard, people start visualizing the picture of the Great One Horned Rhinoceros. This imagination is very valid, as Kaziranga is the only place where you can find the Indian Rhinos swaggering. The relation of One Horned Rhinoceros and Kaziranga is not a new phenomenon, rather … Continued
I was born in the city in Vietnam and have lived in the fast-paced city life all of my life here in the United States. Although I love the diversity of cultures, exchanges in ideas, and the excitement of city life, time simply flies by so quickly that I often find myself wondering if I … Continued
Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras: Understanding the Complexity One Step at a Time (Part 2) It has to be bore in mind that, as a continuing cultural landscape, the rice terraces should be seen and understood in relation to its environment (mountain landscape) and the traditions of its people (rituals, farming practices, beliefs, etc.). Key to … Continued
You can dress a puddle of mud up how you like. Call it a “mud spa”, “a mud volcano”, even a “mud fountain” if you want-but essentially, it remains what it is-a puddle of mud. These are my thoughts as I stood on the wooden steps of the 15 metre El Totumo mud volcano in … Continued