On Travel

I have been looking at where I’ve been all this time. I realize I’ve traveled to places but still want to go off and check out some more new ones. So far, I’ve been to rural and urban Mindanao–and it is a fascinating place of people and landscape. And in the Cordillera, I feel at home. The sheer beauty of the pine-clad mountains and the clouds above summits where we would sometimes pitch our tents, are always inspiring. In the Visayas, I like the warmth of the people–it’s always a joy as a traveler and a photographer.

Then there’s Nepal where I have been blown away by the massiveness of the Himalayas. As a longtime outdoor enthusiast,seeing the snowcapped mountains was a dream fulfilled last year. That was a trip that will still be in my mind for years to come. I traveled with friends but I decided to stay behind to look beyond the picture perfect snow mountains of Nepal. Bangladesh was also a joy for me as an imagemaker. I think there’s a special alertness and awareness in you as a traveler when you’re alone. I think its because you know you are dealing with each experience purely on your own instincts. I think it is always exciting and very enriching. There’s a lot to be said about solo travel.

The first time I did the Bangkok- Cambodia trip in 2005 was also an eye-opener for me. It was beautiful to be immersed in the Southeast Asian cultures I found. There was rarely any English spoken except when Caucasians were my fellow travelers. I still have to do Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos,etc. The list goes on for SEA.

In the summer of 2004, I traveled with my camera and backpack across the United States after finishing a photography workshop in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It was about 7am, I remember when I dragged my backpack from that busy hostel ( forgetting to leave my room keys–sorry ) to the quiet roadside and waited for a ride. Then I decided to hitch a ride with a young woman in a green car. She asked me where I was going and I simply said the nearest Greyhound bus station . She said that next time, I should not just flag down any car because you never know. I nodded but I was just grateful someone brought me to the station. Then I arrived in Flagstaff, Arizona. I joined a 50USD tourist trip to the the Grand Canyon ( it’s awesome–as Americans would say) , then I switched to the Amtrak and went on past several small towns until I got to Chicago (at the Union Station, I left my bags inside a rental locker ) and I had the chance to walk around and check out the “Windy City”. I liked Chicago. Then I got back on the train and went to New York City. I arrived at Penn station at 3 am. It was too early to call a friend who I was supposed to meet so I put my arms around my backpack and pulled my lightstand close by and slept till 7am. Glad it was ac . I called my friend at 7am and before 8am I was eating breakfast at R’s studio apartment near Central Park. Nice place.