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Chile’s Atacama Desert: No Need to Get Prickly

In Chile's Atacama Desert, one of my favorite activities was a guided hike through, up and over Los Cardones Ravine, at the junction of two minor rivers.   It's funny: If you ask me to stroll along a river wash and look at some cacti and rocks, … [Read More...]

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Chile’s Atacama: Now That I’ve Found You, Never Desert Me

One afternoon back in 1985, I was holed up in my high school library, hiding from the strains of adolescent society, when I stumbled across a book about the world's most extreme destinations. One in particular captured my fancy: Chile's Atacama … [Read More...]

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A Philippine Comedy of Errors: Part Ten

Continued from A Philippine Comedy of Errors: Part Nine The story is almost over. I swear. But I really don't want to leave you hanging. I mean, we've come this far, right? This is the tale of the daylight drive back from Banaue to Manila, my … [Read More...]

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Travel Gear Review: Rollnband Packing Bands

I find myself packing a suitcase at least once a month, and have long been a clothes folder rather than a clothes roller. But when a nice young man from the Pacific Northwest contacted me and asked me to try out his stretchy, two-sided packing … [Read More...]

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A Philippine Comedy of Errors: Part Nine

Continued from A Philippine Comedy of Errors: Part Eight It's safe to say that the-cave-and-coffins mountain town of Sagada (“sah-gah-dah”) wasn't my favorite part of this epic sojourn, but the drive from Banaue to Sagada was pretty darn … [Read More...]

Coffins stacked at the mouth of Lumiang Cave in Sagada,   Philippines

A Philippine Comedy of Errors: Part Eight

Continued from A Philippine Comedy of Errors: Part Seven   The journey to Sagada ("sah-gah-dah"), a lushly green, diesel-choked and crowded Mountain Province village about 90 minutes north of Banaue is stunning, winding and pretty much … [Read More...]

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Off to Chile

  I started the year with only one firm travel goal:  Visiting South America for the first time. Tomorrow, I'm off to meet that goal in the long, skinny country of Chile! … [Read More...]

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A Philippine Comedy of Errors: Part Seven

Continued from A Philippine Comedy of Errors: Part Six   The Batad Rice Terraces are the big-ticket draw in the northern Philippines. A UNESCO World Heritage Site in a bowl-shaped valley, this emerald-green landscape is an astonishing … [Read More...]