About TravelswithCharie

Welcome to travelswithcharie.com. I’m Charie and I’ve been traveling solo for decades. It all started when my would be travel companion backed out at the last minute on my first trip to Europe. This didn’t stop me from exploring the world on my own. And here I am, still traipsing the old and familiar paths as well as finding new places to discover. There’s so much more to see.

My travel experiences have been published in print and e-zines. You can find the places I’ve visited under the Destinations category. If you would like to contact me, here is my email address: travelswithcharie@gmail.com.

Friday Night Writer’s Series interviews Charie of TravelswithCharie.

https://www.travelswithcharie.com/2021/02/friday-night-writers-series.html

Unexpected recognition.

https://www.travelswithcharie.com/2025/12/unexpected-recognition.html

BalayniCharie Foundation is a grassroots school supplies program established in 2006 by Charie. It benefits the schoolchildren in Capiz, Philippines. Read more about the programs and schools awarded with school supplies by BalayniCharie here: www.balaynicharie.blogspot.com.

Thank you for reading my travel posts. If you’d like to check out my Instagram, here’s the link:

The Gold of Ancestors: Pre-Colonial Philippine Treasures

Openwork basket, Surigao, 10th-13th century What a wonderful surprise this exhibition is! These gold objects, about a thousand of them, add a rich layer to Philippine history. This collection which was found in various sites in the Philippines, date back to the 10th-13th centuries. It demonstrates the well developed culture of pre colonial Philippines which the Spaniard, Antonio Pigafetta, recorded in 1521 when Ferdinand Magellan landed in the islands. A thriving interchange between the Philippines and its Asian neighbors existed prior to the arrival of Magellan as attested by some of these gold accouterments which show for example, images from Hindu mythology. The motifs and curvilinear ornamentation of the openwork basket (shown above) intimate Chinese designs found in their ceramics and textiles. Torso ornament, 10th-13th century Weighing four kilos of gold, this sash is worn across the chest similar to the upavita (sacred thread) style in Hindu culture. This sash w...

The Art of Carlos Botong Francisco - Progress of Medicine in the Philippines

Pre-colonial period Pag-unlad ng Panggagamot sa Pilipinas (The Progress of Medicine in the Philippines) is a group of four large-scale paintings depicting healing practices in the Philippines from pre-colonial times to the modern period. Carlos Botong Francisco was commissioned in 1953 by Dr. Agerico Sison who was then the director of Philippine General Hospital (PGH) together with Dr. Eduardo Quisumbing of the National Museum, Dr. Florentino Herrera, Jr. and Dr. Constantino Manahan. These oil on canvas paintings measure 2.92 meters in height and 2.76 meters in width (9.71 ft x 8.92 ft) and were displayed at the main entrance hall of PGH for over five decades. Owing to its location, the artworks were in a state of "severe deterioration" at the beginning of the 21st century from exposure to heat, humidity, dirt, dust, smoke, insect stains, grime, termites and an oxidized synthetic resin used in an earlier restoration. These canvases were restored three times, the last was...

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