May 2018 The islands of the Philippines offer such diversity of topography and landscape that travel within the country can keep your bucket list filled up for quite a while.  The large islands such as Luzon and Mindanao are like small countries in themselves, with all the diversity of landscape and culture one could wish for.  Even the smaller main islands such as Panay and Negros have that same variety on offer, although they accomplish [...]

April 2018 Landscape, Damires Hills, Janijuay You may think I'm having another of my senior moments when you read the title for this piece, but I swear, if you go there you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.  Don't ask me how someplace in the boondocks of Panay Island in the Philippines calls up such strong associations with the Cotswolds, I have no answers for you.  I'm just reporting the facts, Bridget, so [...]

April 2018 Mountains near Bucari I will own it: there may be a degree of hyperbole in the title for this post.  There are no Matterhorns on display, no eternal snows (thank heavens!), nothing that a hiker with a good pair of boots and a few hours to spare can't conquer, so yes, "Alps" may be overstating the case a bit.  But if like me you spend most of your time in [...]