We were supposed to go to Batanes but only got as far as admiring this poster at the airport: DSC00419. As expected, bad weather prevented our group from pushing through with the trip. I totally understood... would rather skip the flight than do a John F. Kennedy Jr. Still, I couldn't help but feel envious at travellers like Jake Versoza who took this lovely Batanes photo .... Ivatan woman. ... Continue Reading...

DSC00084. An exciting point of my recent trip to Macau was my visit to Macau Tower, At 338 meters, it is on the world list as one of the highest towers, even taller than the Eiffel Tower in Paris (324 m). The Macau Tower is one of the peninsula's more famous landmarks and has been shown as a background in a number of movies. Going up Macau Tower cost HK$100. Unlike the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, this one has a scenic elevator and you can see the Macau landscape along the way. Fearful of heights (don't ask me why I chose to go up anyway), ... Continue Reading...

DSC00061. My gosh, why all those casinos and where do all those players get their mooney?! Here's a handy listing of all the casinos, hotels and other attractions that are soon to open in Macau: MGM Grand Macau - Five-star hotel with huge ballroom, spa, nightclub, convention center, 1500-seat theater and a split-level casino with 300 tables and 1,000 slot machines. Target launch date: December 2007 Ponte 16 - Five-star, 420-room Sofitel hotel with 19 "VIP mansions," spa, conference area, shops and casino. Target launch date: November ... Continue Reading...

DSC00047. The Venetian Macao Resort-Hotel was AWESOME. It's a must-see when you're in the territory because it's the latest attraction there. Bigger than its counterpart in Las Vegas and sitting on 97 hectares of reclaimed land on the new Cotai Strip ( Cotai being a combination of Coloane and Taipa). The Venetian Macao is "large enough to hold ninety Boeing 747 jumbo jets" with 3,000 luxurious suites in its hotel, a 15,000-seater arena and 350 high-end stores in its Grand Canal Shoppes. DSC00046. The Venice atmosphere ... Continue Reading...

me at st paul's ruins. macau scenes. Macau is not only East meets West. It is also a city of great contrasts. On the one hand are remnants of its old glory as an historic trading post and Portuguese enclave. On the other is the glamor and glitz of its casinos which has transformed it, in so short a time, into a territory that's destined to be greater than Las Vegas. ... Continue Reading...