The Philippines was a very surreal experience for me. A culture shock. An assault on the senses. It felt like a long lost home, yet at the same time I felt like a stranger in my own country.

It seemed like I saw these banners everywhere… “Pilipinas kong Mahal!” My beloved Philippines.

This is just one view of many photos I’d taken of the roads while traveling through the provinces of Luzon.

We ate lunch at a popular Seafood Restaurant called “Silverio’s”. There were these banners in the parking lot that caught my eye.

The climate in Baguio was cool enough that I was actually feeling cold and I didn’t bring a jacket. Here is a typical view of pine trees in the outskirts of Baguio City.

We stopped at a beach resort called “The Sea of Dreams” in the town of Caba, in the province of La Union. I took several photos of the sunset here. I took tons of photos during the trip, but I’ll share a few favorites in the next few days.

I’m still reeling over my experiences in the Philippines… which ran the full spectrum of human emotions… from sadness and tragedy to retrospection and elation… a mixture of emotions that will definitely stay with me for the rest of my days.