I had been eying, smelling, hearing, and came close to touching, but still had not officially tasted the famous Dampa seafood extravaganza in Manila, the Philippines.  Dave Damron from Life Excursion (check out his site) donated a small monetary fund which translated directly into getting dirty in some Dampa, also known as engorgement.

Dampa is a wet market full of all living and dead great tasting things from the sea.  Stalls at the market are piled high with an abundance of ultra fresh, squirming goodness.  I went to the Macapagal Blvd. …

The scenery on the ride was ravishing, and the bars that were imprinted on my buttocks for the next 2 days from sitting on the top of the jeep up the snake winding, unpaved road, were equally great.
As we continued to gain elevation the environment around us changed from humid tropical to mountain fresh.  Palms were converted to evergreens and even the cuisine changed from buko (coconut) juice and adobo to mountain coffee, pancakes and yogurt.

The jolt of clean air could be felt from my nostrils all the way into …

This is Part II of the Trek From Mayoyao to Batad article.  If you haven’t already seen Part I, check it out here.

I had been in Southeast Asia for 5 months.  I had hired guides to summit Mt. Merapi volcano on Java and for Orangutan Trekking in Sumatra.  I had volunteered doing construction with locals in Payatas and everyone I had come in contact with wore slippers (flip flops).  The toughest jobs where people in the Western world would be required to lace up steel toes,  SE Asians, wore slippers.
I …

This is Part I of a 2 part series of a wondrous hike through the gorgeous 2000 year old paradise rice terraces of Mayoyao where one is not just a tourist but a family friend to the magnificent rising amphitheater of Batad, in the Ifugao province of the Philippines.

I sloppily released a mouthful of bright red beetle juice saliva onto the ground as I struggled to keep my balance on the mud bogged trail.
“In Ifugao, American country music is very popular,” said my guide Efren.  “At a cafe in Phoenix,” …