wander for wonder

wonder | wander | women are on a month long indulgence of our happy feet after years of not traveling much at all. 

Mahala & Issa at the Hotel Okura walkway

This last week in the Philippines has been a dizzying whirlwind of errands and visits with local specialists and friends. Trips to favorite pasalubong centers and eateries we grew up with and continue to long for. 

Mimi's Cafe & pasalubong center

feast your senses

Ani Villas Thailand is an amazing dream destination. A visit here is a warm intimate embrace in the luxurious lap of which the nurturing Thais are world famous for.  

gastronomic delights in a heavenly haven

Beyond being beautiful, our hearts were completely won over by the venue staff. From when we landed at the Phuket airport, to the local docks, and the convoy to our villas - we were attended to with the welcoming hospitality and gentle old world care Thailand specializes in.

flipping out in Little Manila - Jersey City NJ

For those of you who have been following us for a while now and have read our regular stream of posts on New York City NY and Union City NJ, it's become obvious that these neighborhoods are our regular Stateside haunts.

But with Mahala visiting my little barrio for the first time, we decided to widen our range and reach. One day we agreed to meet a writer friend of ours in Jersey City for lunch and coffee.

We used to meet in Hoboken but with all the detours from the viaduct under construction, we decided to meet in her neck of the woods instead.

Although we had a wonderful buffet lunch in an East Indian restaurant neither of us had ever eaten at [Rasoi] - it turned out that the true treat for us was the Filipino [Pinoy] community in her neighborhood.