Puzzle of Green – Banaue Philippines In honor of the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day – I thought I’d go GREEN with Photo of the Week.  These are the luscious Rice Terraces of Banaue Philippines (UNESCO World Heritage Site).  People think the Philippines is only about beaches – well think again.  This northern part of the [...]

 View snapshots of the softball tournament Manila offered something that was totally unexpected; a western diet. When I left NYC last August to head to Vietnam, I left behind McDonalds, Chipotle, Starbucks, Burger King, Dunkin Donuts, and Dairy Queen. None of this exists in Ho Chi Minh City which is probably why I have lost [...]

View Philippine Rice Terrace Photography View snapshots of my trek to Batad - native chicken, trail shots, guest houses, and more! Nora had been teaching me many things along our hike; what berries to eat, how to catch dragon flies and save them for dinner, and roots to chew on to soothe a sore throat [...]

View Rice Terrace Photography View snapshots of trekking in Pula, Cambulo, and Batad  My lunch was packed, my sunscreen was on, my backpack was prepared, and my chariot tricycle pulled up outside my hotel. When the trike pulled up, it appeared to be already full making me slightly confused. Nora greeted me and introduced Joy, [...]

After trekking for 6 hours, I finally arrived here…paradise.  This waterfall near the rice terraces of Batad, Philippines was worth the harrowing trek down a steep cliff.  Normally waterfalls are a big disappointment to me, but this one was worth it.  The water was cool and the place secluded.  I felt as if I had [...]

View Philippine Rice Terrace Photography View snapshots of Hapao Travel I love rice. Rice pudding, fried rice, red beans and rice, rice krispies, wild rice, sticky rice, and even young rice ice cream (there really is such a flavor in Saigon!). I even applied to be on the show Survivor once; that’s how much I [...]

The photo of the week is from my recent trip to Banaue, Philippines.  This blind woman is wearing her native Ifugao dress, but I found her real beauty was her face; lots of experiences there to ponder.  You can view all of my photography from the Philippines at my Global Photography site.  Don’t forget, you [...]

I had been hearing about the amazing beaches in the Philippines for years now, so I always had it on my list as a ‘must see’. I had the perfect opportunity to travel to the Philippines for my niece’s softball tournament so I thought this would be my chance to finally experience the Philippine beach [...]