Dipnalban, Batanes province, The Phil

Doing my best here to dig up really good memories and make myself smile ...

The hills in Dipnalban, Batanes, the northernmost province in The Philippines, where the typhoons used to exit. Significant climate change has diverted the typhoons so that they have become unpredictable in terms of where they enter and exit the country and how strong they become. Definitely bad news for the farmers in the heretofore 'safer' regions, while those who used to suffer the brunt every time now have some breathing space. Just some.

We grew up thinking Batanes was a wild place somewhere in the South China Sea where you just didn't think of having your holiday. That has changed and it's a beauty. Still wild, of course. Crime rate practically 0%, friendly inhabitants, yummy food (of course!), and breathtaking scenery. Best time to go is Feb, Mar, Apr and May. This shot was taken in January and it was abnormally cold.