Manila = Malltown. QED
The capital of the Philippines is Manila, and the word comes from the indigenous Tagalog word “Maynila,” meaning “the place where” (“May”) the Nila plant grows. The Nila plant is… Read More
Lew Toulmin, PhD, FRGS
Lew Toulmin, PhD, FRGS, is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and of The Explorers Club. He has worked in 30 developing countries and traveled to 145 of the world’s 196 nations. He and his wife Susan live in Silver Spring.
Will Amelia Earhart Be Found Next Month?
Permit No, Permit Yes Last summer and fall I wrote in this column about an expedition planned for November 2025, that hoped to find Amelia Earhart’s Lockheed Electra off Taraia… Read More
The View from Manila Across the South China Sea
On my recent visit to the Philippines, I flew into Manila and visited the cities of Clark and Subic Bay, northwest of Manila, all three on the main island of… Read More
UKRAINE WAR PREDICTIONS
As you may recall from previous columns, in 1987 I was offered a job at the CIA as an analyst and writer for the President’s Daily Brief (PDB), but took… Read More
Fear and Trembling on an SSSSSSSS to the Philippines
The other day I needed to fly to the Philippines, on a Semi-Serious, Silly Secret Squirrel Sauce Southern Soujourn (SSSSSSSS). I had only been to the Philippines twice before, once… Read More
Camino Part 8: Santiago to the Coast
In today’s column I will conclude our eight-part trip across northern Spain on the Camino Frances, part of the amazing Camino de Santiago. In previous stories I hiked over 100… Read More
Hiking The Famous Camino Part 7: Santiago and the Botofumeiro
Arrival! I made it!!! Approaching the Plaza del Obradoiro in the center of Santiago de Compostela I could hear the Galician bagpiper under the arch at the entrance to the… Read More
Hiking The Famous Camino Part 6: Portomarin to Santiago
Last month I left us in the attractive river town of Portomarin, an early stop on my 102 kilometer (km) hike on the Camino Francés, part of the complex Camino… Read More
Hiking The Famous Camino de Santiago Part 5: I Get Rolling Along
OK, from my previous columns you’ve got your logistics and your gear all set for your Camino de Santiago adventure! Now you can look over my shoulder and see what… Read More
Hiking The Famous Camino de Santiago Part 4: Don’t Forget/Do Forget This Gear
This month I will cover the gear I found essential on my 100+ kilometer Camino de Santiago Francés route hike in May of 2025. First I will tell you about… Read More
Hiking The Famous Camino de Santiago Part 3: Three Songs for Your Hike
This month I will give you three songs you can sing while hiking the famous Camino de Santiago in northern Spain. Two are tailored to the Camino and one is,… Read More
Will Amelia Earhart Be Found Next Year?
Expedition to Gardner/Nikumaroro Island If you follow this column you know that one of the several viable hypotheses about the Earhart disappearance is that she and her navigator Fred Noonan… Read More