Spending a week in Bhutan yielded 3 blog posts here and I feel I'm not done yet. Not until I write about this. Of all the cultures I have experienced, theirs is markedly different in a way I feel compelled to explain. After all, it is not everyday that you find houses with hanging phalluses and the same subject painted on their walls. Some in full color, even beribboned, with matching pubic background. Excuse me, did you say THAT is the phallus of one of your favorite saints? Yes, this requires some good explaining. Our tour guide Sonam Norbu gave us a glimpse of Bhutanese culture as he narrated the story of the "Thunderbolt of Flaming Wisdom" which is how they referred to THAT. He narrated it so matter-of-factly that one begins to believe how seriously ... read more

I would have thought I stepped into my own imagination. My own dream. This trip to Bhutan is so markedly off the usual, beaten paths. Not being melodramatic, but Bhutan is truly one fairyland. Men and women in local costumes, dogs blending in with the locals like they are members of the small Bhutanese populace (they are still under 1 Million as of this writing), mountain views and bubbling streams, a culture so unique, a very strong national identity. Dzongs as Fortresses and Monasteries White monoliths dominate the landscape. Like castles. Some on dry, dead mountains. Others at the junction of flowing rivers. We have been to three dzongs, but managed to explore only 2. We regret having missed exploring the interiors of the Paro Dzong (Rinpung Dzong) as we were dead tired after that climb ... read more

This is not a travel blog. More like a Christmas e-blog sent out to friends, many I haven't seen in years. Much has happened (will still happen) this 2011 and here's a chronicle of what has kept us busy. Just a month more and the year 2011 ends. Merry Christmas, everyone! Having started the year with a family cruise calling on the ports of Singapore and Malacca , I managed quite a number of trips around the country. Certainly tons cheaper than traveling out of the country, but not one bit less enjoyable or lacking in excitement. Besides, I was able to do more local des... read more

Many tourists skip Manila. For this reason, I blogged about a few things to do when in Manila. You may wish to check this earlier blog and simply click on the photos to read another blog with more details. () I even went as far as dedicating one whole category under the title"Don't Skip Manila" to prove my point. While planning for that trip up North (there's Batanes, Banaue, Ilocos to name a few) or down south for some sun, sand and nature (there's Boracay, Palawan, Cebu, Bohol, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Siargao in Surigao, Siquihor and Negros off a long list) , a visitor's typical dilemna is what to do in Manila if "forced" to stay a night or two. If you don't want the city and long for nature or culture, here are some ... read more

It's not paradise. It's not everyone's cup of tea. Or (good, undiluted) coffee. It's dirty here and there. But there are pockets of interesting sites you may wish to have a look at before entirely skipping Manila to check out the beaches of Boracay, breathing the mountain air of Baguio, scaling the rice terraces of Banaue, taking a boat ride in the Underground River in Palawan, swimming in the big and small lagoons of El Nido, imagining the unspoilt islands of Batanes, marveling at the Chocolate Hills and tarsiers in Bohol, or diving somewhere off Anilao in Batangas. This year, I concentrated on domestic destinations and had a wonderful time rediscovering my own country. Each to his own taste. And mine is still lusting for more. In between trips to swim with the whale sharks of ... read more