TravelswithCharie

UPDATE : Odette Aquitania Ricasa just completed visiting all 193 UN countries on August 24, 2022 in Erbil, Iraq (her last country). She is the first Filipino to visit all 193 UN countries. She has also visited 301/330 TCC countries and territories. Congratulations! Odette Aquitania Ricasa Odette Aquitania Ricasa is poised to be the first Filipino American to travel to all 193 United Nations recognized sovereign countries. She has visited 189 countries, just four countries shy of 193. These travels have been rigorously validated by NomadMania. She is also a member of the Travelers Century Club (TCC) having visited 295 of 325 countries and territories on the TCC list. Odette is the author of six books*, an accomplished painter, a motivational speaker and a pianist.  Odette Ricasa has received numerous awards including First Prize in an International Speech Contest sponsored by Toastmasters Club and several Best Speaker awards from the Los Angele...

  After months spent at home all bundled up in sweaters and shawls, it was refreshing to go out to the orchards and see the blossoms invade the once dried up trees. Ahhh, spring is only three weeks away but in California, it’s here. What a lovely day! Sound the flute! Now it’s mute Bird’s delight, Day and night, Nightingale, In the dale, Lark in the sky, Merrily, Merrily, merrily, to welcome in the year.... Excerpt from William Blake, Spring And since to look at things in bloom, Fifty springs are little room, About the woodlands I will go To see the cherry hung with snow... Excerpt from A. E. Houseman, The Loveliest of Trees ***** Images by TravelswithCharie

Riza Rasco with the Latoka tribe in South Sudan UPDATE : Rasco completed the journey to all 193 UN sovereign countries in February 2025 after visiting North Korea. She is the first Filipino to have visited 203 countries and all 82 provinces of the Philippines. Congratulations! Riza Rasco describes herself as a bioengineer/biological scientist, an intellectual property professional and a world traveler. After working at DuPont Company for 17 years, she quit her job, took a long break from corporate life and started traveling full time. She is the co-founder of Philippine Global Explorers (PGE) and the founder of Explore Africa for Impact. In 2020, Riza hosted the Pandemic Traveler Series where she interviewed some of the most prolific travelers who shared their personal experiences, observations and stories during the Covid-19 pandemic. This is a project she initiated through PGE and can be watched on the PGE YouTube channel. Having traveled to 165 United Nations sovereign countries, ...