PHILIPPINES

It’s funny. Before this blog, I would never have been caught dead at a wet market.

In awe today as I was five years ago, Ugu’s place is one of those special…

Truly a world-class facility, we couldn’t wait for this return visit, and see just how much…

Small but unique, Ark of Avilon is an…

It’s the break of dawn and I’m standing here, alone on Sabang Beach. It’s dark, not a soul is awake, not even the vagrant dogs I had befriended the night before. Gentle streams of crisp, ocean breeze whistle past my ears as I’m lulled by the steady rhythm of waves crashing onto the shore.

Going through this subterranean network made you feel like you were visiting some ancient basilica…

This ecosystem, to me, had a surreal, otherworldly quality that felt mysterious and primeval. Deafeningly silent, it was teeming with life, maybe even death.

They resemble worms but are actually saltwater clams with very small shells. Sometimes referred to as “termites of the sea”, they’re notorious for boring into and feasting on rotting wood submerged in sea water, such as dead mangrove roots, piers, even wooden ships.

Also known locally as samaral, taragbago, kitang, or tabago, danggit is a type of fish called Spinefoot or Rabbitfish in English. The term lamayo refers to a method of preparation where the fish, in this case danggit, is butterflied, soaked in vinegar with crushed garlic and black pepper, then partially dried before being packed and frozen.

A mysterious, secretive lake hidden amidst a series of towering limestone cliffs…