New York
July 28, 2026
Of the many facets of ancient history that fascinate me, the most intriguing perhaps is the story of early humans spreading out from Africa some 70,000 years ago. Today we populate every single part of the globe. How thrilling would it be to retrace their paths? Although given the vast area – literally the globe – maybe I could tackle this is shorter segments.
And therein was born the idea of this summer’s trip: retracing the expansion of Austronesian speakers from the south-east coast of Taiwan to island South East Asia (specifically Philippines for this trip) to Papua New Guinea. The intent is to seek out aboriginal cultures in each country, stemming from the ancients. Not all retain such cultures, neither are all easy to access. But time will tell how much I can manage.
As I write this, another idea sends its tendrils through my head – wandering across Sundaland and Sahul, those land bridges from eons past that our ancestors crossed. But that’ll keep for now.
Not having been to any of these countries, there are likely surprises galore in store. These itchy feet are itching to go! Stay tuned for stories and photos coming soon. Please click on the links for each country or access them from the home page.
ITCHY FEET TRAVELS 