Glimpsing Gibbons in Laos

Looking down at my shoes, I can’t help but notice that the wooden platform beneath them appears less than sturdy. Fine cracks run the length of a few boards. The nails attaching the platform to the tree seem ridiculously small. If anything breaks, there’s a good eighty-feet between me and the forest floor.

I stay calm. I breathe. And then I jump.

I don’t, of course, leap into emptiness; the cables... [Read more]

Asean Tourism Forum 2006

I wasn’t sure what to expect from my first ASEAN Tourism Forum. For that matter, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the Philippines either. As a destination, I have always imagined the Philippines as curious and exotic. At the same time, I know plenty of Filipino people who are just pleasant and friendly. Perhaps, a couple of good reason’s why I jumped at the chance to attend this year’s ATF.

... [Read more]