Standing outside the fog-covered ruins of the Old Diplomat Hotel, I found the eerie vibe hard to ignore, as I pictured a cinematic vision of a sequel to The Haunting of Hill House and of Bly Manor. For all its paranormal tales of housing wandering spirits, the history of these rundown, charming architectural remains provided a fascinating backdrop to any eight-episode horror series.

During this pandemic, I was fortunate to sandwich far in between my self-imposed lockdown at home, a few working trips that strictly followed safety protocols, to the Cordillera highlands, the organic farms in Quezon, and the picturesque Lake Lumot in Cavinti, Laguna. The only thing missing was a socially-distanced jaunt to the beach. Just when I was starting to wonder if I had to wait for this damn pandemic to end before I could dip my toes again in the ocean, a travel writing assignment arrived in my inbox.