commentary

Happy birthday, Gandhi

By Ellen / commentary, travel destinations / October 2, 2022 October 2, 2022

part of the museum at agakhan palace in pune

The world could use a political ethicist like him.

Contradictions in Mumbai – travel notes

By Ellen / commentary, travel experts / September 21, 2022 September 21, 2022

ellen between two indian women

Ellen sees extremes right and left.

‘Authentic travel’ revelation

By Ellen / commentary, life lessons, slow travel, travel experts / July 15, 2022 July 18, 2022

A man checks his bamboo fishing trap in Malay, Philippines, in an authentic travel shot.

I never did like labels…

‘Travel the world in retirement’ pep talk

By Ellen / commentary, early retirement, health care abroad, updated in 2022 / May 30, 2022 June 10, 2022

You’ve planned and saved – but still have doubts.

Money shock in Bangkok

By Ellen / budget travel, commentary, life lessons, slow travel / April 18, 2022 April 18, 2022

Shoppers outside a Bangkok mall.

Money down the drain in city life.

So many tears

By Theo / commentary, early retirement, life lessons, slow travel / April 14, 2022 April 17, 2022

Theo has so many tears leaving Malay, Aklan, Philippines, for Bangkok, Thailand.

Theo is emotional about leaving the Philippines.

Norman’s grave

By Theo / commentary, early retirement, life lessons / February 23, 2022 February 23, 2022

Norman's grave in Malay, Aklan, Philippines, and a picture of the former U.S. service member.

Theo’s effort to help a dead expat.

The good, the bad, and the ugly

By Theo / commentary, slow travel / November 7, 2021 November 7, 2021

Theo and vaccinated Ati tribe members smile at the camera.

Updates from Malay, Aklan, Philippines.

Art, homes, lives; duality and unity

By Ellen / commentary, life lessons / September 17, 2021 September 18, 2021

Duality vs. Unity

A crazy artist, poor Ati, homeless refugees and me — we are all the same.

18 months in Malay, lifelong spiritual quest

By Ellen / commentary, COVID-19, life lessons, slow travel / September 15, 2021 September 15, 2021

God’s time, not mine.

Commentary: 9/11 and the pandemic

By Ellen / commentary / September 11, 2021 September 11, 2021

Image from ABC News of the North Tower burning at the World Trade Center on 9/11, 2001.

Thoughts on 9/11 and the pandemic.

Fabulous 50th birthday at HangOut Beach Resort

By Ellen / commentary, COVID-19, life lessons / September 1, 2021 September 2, 2021

ellen at the talbe yolly prepared for ellen's 50th birthday

The owner is a good friend.

Selfish thoughts amid pandemic poverty

By Ellen / commentary, COVID-19 / August 11, 2021 August 12, 2021

A modest nipa hut on a mainland Malay beach in the Philippines.

Ellen fesses up.

Lockdown 2021; COVID-19 in Motag, Malay, Aklan

By Ellen / commentary, COVID-19, slow travel / June 12, 2021 June 12, 2021

budget breakdown for march 2020

The pandemic ain’t over yet in this part of the world.

That time we saw a UFO in Mexico

By Ellen / commentary, life lessons / May 26, 2021 May 28, 2021

Theo and Ellen at Chichen Itza on one Mexico trip in the mid-2000s.

We saw nearly the opposite of the leaked U.S. Navy video.

Earth connections versus territory claims

By Ellen / commentary / April 11, 2021 May 18, 2021

Philippines from space station, shot taken by Soichi Noguchi, a Japanese astronaut.

What does China plan to do in the West Philippine Sea?

COVID-19 news from Boracay

By Ellen / commentary, slow travel, travel experts / January 27, 2021 January 27, 2021

COVID-19 news from Boracay includes several new cases at a luxury resort.

With 16 confirmed COVID-19 cases, some people are a bit worried.

Asian ecommerce experience: An American uses Shopee

By Ellen / commentary, retired budget travel, slow travel, travel experts / December 11, 2020 December 11, 2020

Asia's answer to Amazon: ecommerce sites like Shopee

Good. Inexpensive. Easy.

Theo celebrates 5 years of early retirement as a slow traveler

By Theo / budget travel, commentary, early retirement, slow travel, travel experts / December 8, 2020 December 8, 2020

Theo's retirement cake at work.

Imagine.

New requirement for local visitors to Boracay: QR code

By Ellen / commentary, COVID-19, slow travel / December 4, 2020 December 4, 2020

Generic QR code over Boracay's famous White Beach in the Philippines.

We’ve gone from free to travel the world, to stuck in a QR code process.

(Is 2020 over yet?)