Taking in Hong Kong and Philippines

These guys, in Lake Sebu in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao,
are separating fibers from the abaca tree and laying it out to dry in the sun.
The abaca tree looks like a banana tree, and they make a lot of colorful,
silky-soft traditional cloth from its fibers.

For my book about head wraps around the world, I went up north in the Philippines
to find the Ifugao people who wear turbans. This woman is Ifugao,
but from a tribe that wears hats made of handwoven cloth and chicken feathers.

This is the mountainside in Banaue with stone steps.
You’ve got to be here to really appreciate its beauty.
This is also the area where folks who didn’t know any better
liked to call me “Ne-guh-ro.”