The Continuous Search For Shangrila

9:43pm: Stonehenge
There are hundreds of myths and legends that surrounds the Stonehenge. Stories of how it came upon and what's it for range from human sacrifice to astronomy. Many people attribute the building of this pre-historic monument to Danes, Romans, Saxons, Greeks, Atlanteans, Egyptians, Phoenician, Celts, King Aurelius, Merlin and even Aliens! But one of the most popular beliefs was that the Stonehenge was built by the Druids. The high priests of the Celts constructed it for sacrificial ceremonies.

It has been a curious subject for antiquarians and archaeologists for a long time, debating who actually did it and how the monuments and the pits came to be. John Aubrey was among the first to examine the site with a scientific basis in 1666, linking the Stonehenge to the Druids. It was continued by Dr. William Stukely in the early 18th century, supporting Aubrey's findings that it was indeed built by the Druids. Stonehenge's popularity was even mentioned within Arthurian legend, putting Wiltshire on history and on tourist maps.

9:58pm: St. Patrick
Every March 17, we commemorate St. Patrick's Day even the Non-Irish like me. Why do we celebrate it? And who is St. Paddy anyway? Aside from the fact that it is a great day to celebrate and get drunk, the only other thing I know from its history is that supposedly St. Patrick is famous for banishing all the snakes from Ireland. But it's actually false when you search for it.

St. Patrick was responsible for converting Irish pagans to Christian although this wasn't an easy task as he was enslaved by a group of Irish marauders that raided his village. His success in converting pagans ired the Celtic Druids resulting to his multiple arrest in which he always escapes. He traveled throughout Ireland, establishing monasteries across the country. His death on March 17 in AD 461 was then commemorated as St. Patrick's day ever since. So wear greens and you now have an excuse for drinking too much beer haha.

9:56pm: Simply Bali
When we say Bali, we almost always imagine, clear-blue water, long, white shoreline, friendly and hospitable people. number one tourist attraction. It actually lives up to its reputation. Bali is one of over 13, 000 islands in the Indonesian archipelago, a mile away from the eastern tip of the island Java. Although Indonesia is largely a Muslim country, Bali is a pocket of Hindu religion and culture. Some of the visible signs of similarities are the tiny offerings of flowers, glutinous rice and salt in little bamboo leaf trays found in every Balinese house.

Bali has a long tradition of painting rich in floral designs and flame-and-mountain motifs. Batik fabrics are pretty popular especially with the tourists and locals alike although it is originally from Java island. Eating is one fun activity in Bali. Nasi goreng (fried rice)is one must-try food as well as mie goreng (fried noodles). A little warning though, Indonesian spices can be extremely hot. Make sure to find your heat tolerance level.

10:19pm: Local Cuisines
When in foreign land, do you eat in local restaurants? Would you try the spicy cuisines in India, Thailand and Malaysia? Would you try the sumptuous Mediterranean meals served in Lebanon? The raw fishes in Japan? The sweet breads and bolilo of Mexico? Eating local cuisines and experiencing the way locals do it will be one way to budget your travel money more than dining on the hotels and fancy restaurants. When I'm traveling in new places, I make sure that I get a taste of their local cooking prides because aside from saving money, it is another way to discover and learn more about the culture of the place you're visiting. The food being serve tells a lot about the people and their history and you can never go wrong tasting different meals in any point in the planet.

There's a whole, different experience in eating foods that are new to you and your taste buds. Some people, often than not, falls in love with a place basically because of the local cuisines. Do not ever limit your travel tales with plain burger and fries meal, go out of your personal boundaries by chewing on that grilled innards in Hong Kong.

9:09pm: A Piece of Maori
Did you know that the Maori people comprise 10% of New Zealand's population and that they are the original inhabitants of the island before Europeans came in here? Well, that was the case until the continuous increase in population of foreigners gave way to the destabilization of the indigenous group. They have quite an interesting history like their literature being orally passed into the succeeding generations. Their striking tattoos are also prominent feature of the Maori people.

But if you look closer to these work of arts, it is actually more distinct than tattoo because in Ta moko (permanent body and face marking), the skin is carved using chisels rather than being punctured leaving the skin with grooves rather than a smooth surface. Yikes. That must have hurt like hell. It is highly recommended that when in New Zealand to drop by the Tamaki Maori Village to experience the closest thing about the Maori Culture. Learn all about their other traditions and affairs and have a taste of their traditional meals cooked underground with hot rocks!

10:26pm: New Zealand
We might probably only remember this country (or perhaps just known) because this is where the legendary trilogy Lord of the Rings was shot but there is much more to see in New Zealand than the scenic snow-capped mountains and rolling hills that we know. New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean. It is pretty small, about the same size of Colorado or the UK. Population is mostly composed of European descent but the Maori are the largest minorities in the country. Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand has actually the largest Polynesian population in the world.

The indigenous Maori people named New Zealand Aotearoa which means "The Land of the Long White Cloud". The island-country has the Queen Elizabeth as the head of the state although she is represented by an Governor-General that she appoints upon the exclusive advise of the Prime Minister. Due to its geographic location and isolation from the rest of the world, New Zealand has maintained its diverse flora and fauna although it suffered from great extinction after being occupied by foreign people.

10:14pm: Know Your Geography
It never really occurred to me how much big an issue this Geography thing ongoing on our country. I am dismayed with the statistics showing how little Americans know about geography. It may have been a subject we used to ignore when we were kids but it's not something that we should be taking for granted either. Whenever I watch that segment in Jay Leno where he asks random American if they know who this someone is or where is this, I don't know if I should laugh at the this people or be annoyed of how stupid they sound.

Yes, I feel annoyed whenever they don't get it right and it embarrasses me immensely knowing that in the other side of the globe, there are children, people, who are struggling everyday to get their education. We are living in the most powerful country in the world who boasts of unparalleled education system yet there are still people who thinks that France is a continent and cannot put where Texas is. Time to check the system.

10:15pm: Travel Cheap
This is perhaps the ideal season to go on a holiday. The sun is so bright and there are inspiring spring colors everywhere you go. If you are reconsidering because of some factors, there might be something that you can do about it. After all, traveling now may not always equate to a big budget. You can plan a trip inside or outside your own country without spending too much money on that trip alone. You just gotta know your holiday funds before anything else. how much you can spend at the maximum. There are a lot of airline promos ongoing anywhere you just have to be aware of them and book correctly so as to assure a breezy flight, like choose dates that are less popular because peak seasons means higher rates than usual.

If you're going outside your own country, say somewhere really far, take note of the exchange rates as this may also be a huge part of your budgeting. If possible, try researching some quite affordable places to stay in your country of choice. I'm sure there are tons who offer pretty reasonable prices with equal great accommodations. Of course plan this weeks or months ahead to make sure everything will just be fine.

10:13pm: Must Try In Sao Paulo
By now, everyone should be aware that going to Sao Paulo means experiencing a whole lot of different cuisines, variety of dishes that are simply divine for the palates. We tried Almanara restaurant that serves traditional Lebanese cuisines. It is owned by Lebanese immigrants who brought with them authentic family recipes which are being enjoyed today in Sao Paulo. They serve the best grilled fillet mignon on skewers so you should definitely try it. For an authentic Brazilian taste, we went to Brasil a Gosto where they make dishes with local ingredients. Food was very delicious and the ambiance in the restaurant is pretty great not to mention romantic too. They have an extensive wine listing for all genuine wine lovers out there.

If you want a break from posh and pretty expensive dining restaurants, head over to Frevo where they served the award-winning beirute pita sandwich. It is simply amazing with the variation of roast beef, oregano, tomato and cheese. Locals frequently go here for a quick bite of sandwiches, fruit juice or refreshing beer, depending on your taste. For a taste of innovative pizza, try pizza with oyster mushrooms and cabbage only served in Pedaco da Pizza. It's good because they are open til 6 in the morning on weekends so lots of time to catch the famous pizza.

10:54pm: Getting Around Sao Paulo
Major cities around the world cannot help but deal with traffic everyday. Major highways are filled with cars and grumpy motorists as well and don't let me talk about rush hour for that is another story to be told. Well, Sao Paulo is not excluded to this kind of jams, with 11 million people, 6 million passenger cars, 650, 000 and 32, 000 taxis, who wouldn't expect any traffic? I had a firsthand experience of how bad their traffics are when we went here for a vacation. Well, they have decent enough public transportation to get us from here to there. The Metro is by far the easiest way to get around the city with just three lines to memorize: the North-South line, East-West line and the line that travels underneath the Avenida Paulista where it meets the North-South line at Paraiso and Ana Rosa stations.

But pretty much everyone will agree that taxi is the most convenient way to tour around the city when everything else fails. Anywhere in the city you can find taxi and just tell them where you specifically want to go. Driving in car will always be a foolish decision due to the chaotic traffic. Besides parking fee is difficult to find and pretty expensive to say the least.

9:54pm: Damn The Dam
I've seen too many of Hoover Dam but mostly from films, magazines and ads in the telly and I always though to myself that it ain't really that big. Boy was I wrong on this one? Hoover Dam is massive, darn! I guess it wasn't named as one of the Top 10 Construction Achievements of the 20th Century for nothing. Visitors from all over the world go all the way to Nevada just to see for their eyes it. I'm sure they also feast with what they see and can only marvel at its massiveness. Aside from being a National Historic landmark, Hoover dam is said to be the highest concrete dam in the Western Hemisphere, standing tall at 725 feet above the Colorado River.

It was named, obviously, after America's 31st President, Herbert Hoover who played a large role in agreement about water allocations along the nearby states. Another interesting part with the tour is that you can pick whichever way you want to start your tour as there are many locations where you can start and conduct your two-hour tour of the dam. The 500-foot elevator descent will take you to a close-up look at the power generators that are housed in the base of the dam. The view in the observation deck is enough for everyone to drop their jaws, literally.

9:59pm: Circus Circus
Everyone, especially kids, will definitely enjoy Circus Circus Hotel and Casino. I sure did! Well, it's not a theme park if that's what you're thinking, it still has the casino effect that is so popular here in Las Vegas if don't already know, but the good thing about this hotel is that they do have carnival features spread all over the place. They have an awesome arcade that is so large all the kids in middle school could probably fit in and play their hearts out (more than 300 video and pinball games). There's also trick mirrors and three-ring show that runs non-stop. Plus, these circus acts are for free!

When you first step into the premise of the hotel, you won't miss the clown marquee that will greet you at the entrance. It was installed by the Young Electric Sign Company and was constructed in 1976. We tried the food in Pink Pony one night, a cheerful bright-red 24-hour eatery near Circusland RV Park. The place is fully adorned with paintings of clowns on the walls and pink pony carpeting that pretty much all the kids inside are having too much fun stepping and jumping up and down.

10:12pm: Avenida Paulista
A Sao Paulo City is never complete if you don't ever get to walk the Paulista Avenue, one of the most important avenues in the city. It's like a stretch of Sao Paulo's central business district where you can see tons of skyscrapers that probably houses financial institutions or cultural institutions, banks and other important looking building. It can be compared to New York's Fifth Avenue probably because of the financial, commercial and cultural status. Yes, the Avenida is also swarming with large and extensive shopping area.

Great and popular private schools can also be found in the area such as Maria Imaculada school for girls, the Anglican Saint Paul's school and Dante Alighieri private school. Centro Cultural Itau is also found in here near Casa das Rosas. Most of the best and posh restaurants are found in the Avenida, you just gotta know how to find them.

10:20pm: Museu Do Ipiranga
I found the Ipiranga Museum within a pretty park in the Ipiranga neighborhood. It was created in 1895 to commemorate the independence of Brazil in 1822. It was also a step in saving and recording the rich history of the country be preserving important Brazilian artifacts. Being the oldest Museum in Sao Paulo City, it exhibits arts that tells the history of Brazil from the 19th and 20th century beginning to Dom Pedro I, a leader of Brazilian Independence Proclamation. The museum also holds historic letters, photographs, famous painting by the local artists, maps of the city of Sao Paulo and historical documents that highlights the lifestyle of Paulistas (this is what they call people born in Sao Paulo) that lived during those periods.

Aside from the mentioned things above, they also keep indigenous objects, clothings, furnitures, tools, paints and other personal items. Some of the museum's most valuable collections are originals that belonged to Alberto Santos Dumont, thousands of amateur photos which helped in documenting family life in Sao Paulo and printed materials related to the Constitutionalist Revolution of 1932, something that is considered to be key events in Brazil.

10:28pm: Mercado Municipal

If you enjoy food, Mercado Municipal or Municipal Market is the place for you. A total feast for the eye and the stomach it is also know for its diversity of aromas, colors and flavors with products varying from fruits, legumes, wines, cheeses, chocolates, meats, seafood, spices and more. It is a common tourist attraction on its own right, a place to eat some traditional snacks like huge mortadela sandwich or the cod fish pastel (deep fried pastry).

The Municipal Market also known as "Mercadao" is located in downtown Sao Paulo. An impressive building in neoclassical style that measures over 22,ooo square metres in area and boasting also boasting a collection of beautiful stained glass windows. It is estimated to be visited by some 600, 000 visitors per month with a whopping 3,000 employees to serve them. The stained glass windows that adds to the general attractiveness of the Market have been every photographer's subject, whether local or international. The best advise I can give is to take care of your belongings as there are too many people in the place and foreigners should always be in the lookout.

10:33pm: Saint Paul
Sao Paulo have often been compared with its rival Brazilian city Rio de Janeiro for its striking natural setting but Sao Paulo's attraction lies mainly in its people and culture. With over 10 million inhabitants, it is considered as the world's third largest city and the largest in South America. Sao Paulo is the Portuguese for Saint Paul, a name that was use in when Jesuits founded the city on the 25th of January 1554, a day when Conversion of Saint Paul is being celebrated.

It is a melting pot of different people with different languages and accents, religions and cuisines among others. A metropolis that is alive day and night with restaurants and bars scattered around the city. One may have the impression that they are in Los Angeles or New York City because of the towering skycrapers found everywhere. Sao Paulo has a reputation for its legendary gourmands: Japanese, Italian nuova cucina, Brazilian, Chinese, Jewish or Arab foods. they have it and people come to Sao Paulo mainly because of it. Sao Paulo is one heck of a city that everyone shouldn't miss in their life if given the chance to see and experience.

10:25pm: MGM Grand
With its large size, MGM Grand Hotel can overwhelm anyone who will see it, whether a tourist from any part of the world or a regular American living in the mainland US. It is simply massive with an area covering a whopping 6.6 acres! It includes a 30-story main building with more than 5,000 rooms: The Signature at MGM Grand which includes 3 towers with 576 rooms each and the award-winning Skyloft Penthouses. this stats are enough to make my head spin I won't mention other lavishness.

With its great decor and ambiance, MGM Grand hotel is one good place to make every trip's stay worthy with helpful staff at all hours, you'll certainly want to come back here just as long as you have the dough. It also houses prestigious assemblage of dining rooms such as Joel Robuchon's two sterling entries, Shibuya, Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill and Emeril's New Orleans Fish House. Guests can also visit the hotel's Lion Habitat located in the casino area which features a glass tunnel that provides easy viewing of the hotel's resident lions that actually lives on a ranch outside the city.

9:38pm: Caesars Palace

When it opened on the Las Vegas strip in 1966, Caesar's Palace became the new standard for elegance. Despite competition with newer hotels, Caesars still holds a world-class entertainment, shopping, gaming options and plushest resorts available in the area. The Palace has a total of 3,300 rooms and suites in the hotel for guests all over the world to enjoy, making it the largest place to stay in Las Vegas. The casino below the hotel has a 129,000 square feet of gaming space available for guests who want to try their luck and skill with the slot and casino tables.

Many people identify Caesars Palace by its Garden of the Gods pools and gardens, a place that offers a breathtaking plant arrangements and tranquil water gardens. Greek and Roman decor adorn every corner of the hotel. There's a lifelike replica of the Colosseum inside that can seat up to 4,100! With bars, shopping centers, 18 holes of golf and Vegas shows, one can never ran out of things to do in Vegas. You may choose to get drunk or spend all the money trying to win that sleek car in the slot machine, all up to you.

10:21pm: Beverly Hills
When we hear of Beverly Hills, we automatically connect it with the glitzy and glamorous home of the Hollywood stars, posh restaurants, grand mansions and expensive shopping areas. Plus there's that Beverly Hills 90210 series back in the 90s. Anyway, a lot of people always equate Beverly Hills to Hollywood when in reality, the suburb Hollywood is far from a glamorous place, it's more of a state of mind.

It is in Beverly Hills where many stars actually live, dine and shop. In Rodeo Drive, probably the most expensive and most famous shopping district in the world, is where you can find the likes of Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie shopping their life away. Well-known restaurants like Spago, The Grill, Polo Lounge and Crustacean are flocked by movie stars almost every day. It is indeed a place for the few fortunate people to live in comfort and shop and dine at their own leisure. It is a common sight to see stretch of limos in the tree-lined streets, brand new Mercedes Benzes and sleek Ferraris.

10:47pm: Hollywood Wax Museum
It might feel creepy at first but you'll get used to this life-size wax version of important and famous people. Be sure that you have your camera along because it's so fun take photos of Dorothy and her friends (Tin Man, The Cowardly Lion and Scarecrow) and make everyone believe (if ever they do believe) that you've hobnobbed with Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp or your favorite past president!

The horror section is kinda creepy though, with all the gory and gooey stuff on display but me and my friends always enjoy making fun of the stuff inside. Hollywood Wax Museum attracts a lot of tourists and guests each year because it is the only wax museum dedicated in showcasing Hollywood celebrities. Each time we pass on a certain celebrity we try enumerating the movies they've done and we look at the wax versions of the actors and actresses to see if they have the vaguest similarity at all. You might be surprise too at what you will find.

9:30pm: Universal Studios Hollywood
Going to Universal Studios is always an ultimate experience to be had. The thrilling rides are really for adventurous people, whether you're young or old. Have a taste of the Simpson family in The Simpson Ride. Join Homer, Bart, Marge, Lisa and Maggie on a visit to Krustyland complete with evil plots from Sideshow Bob. There's Jurassic Park where a raft takes you through a jungle in the midst of dinosaurs (complete with a T-Rex coming after you!). See the lovable Curious George in his playland, have psychological thrill ride in the Revenge of Mummy.

A peek at the Studio Tour would complete your experience of the Universal Studios. you can visit sets of some blockbuster movies including of what remains from the War of the Worlds as well as in-production sets. There's also a tour of some hit television shows and if you're lucky enough you can have a glimpse of the current show shooting there. Who knows you might bump into one of the famous wives from Wisteria Lane. All in all, it is a fun-filled day to be spent inside the studio.

10:20pm: Knott's Berry Theme Park
Last Saturday, together with a bunch of friends, once again I experienced the thrill of riding the Knott's Berry theme park. As usual it was thrilling and fun rides amidst all the screaming in Timber Mountain Log Ride and the Bigfoot Rapids. Maybe it was the water's effect on us because the fun is absolutely found in the sharpest drops, each time feels different so the fun never really ends.

The park was built by the Knotts family to entertain patrons of their famous restaurant who would often be waiting for hours in line just to be seated. nice thinking for the Knotts family. It is actually a pretty affordable theme park with prices like 51.95 for non-California residents, a lot cheaper than Disneyland. We also trooped to Charles Schultz Theatre to learn more about the man who created the famous beagle Snoopy and other Peanuts characters. There's so much to enjoy inside Knott's Berry theme park that a day wasn't enough to get enough of all the rides and sights.

10:02pm: Whiskey And Wine, Killing Me Shot At A Time...
Don't miss the opportunity to explore California's wine country, it's an adventure itself I kid you not. Napa Valley is considered by a lot of people to be the best wine production region in the area situated in Napa County, just north of San Francisco Bay Area. Among the internationally acclaimed wines that can be found in Napa are Cabernet Sauvignon who go best with meat or cheese dishes according to the guides. There's also Pinoit Noir, a kind of grape that is difficult to grow and turn to wine that it actually takes years to develop a good one.

Wine tasting can be quite a challenge because there's so many wine to taste that you don't actually distinguish the difference of the wines you've tasted to the next one but it's a nice experience nonetheless. The feeling you get upon seeing thousands of barrels of wines and thinking to yourself, how much of these you can stuff in yourself without passing. Funny thought to be thinking when surrounded by fine wines we've all been dreaming of since college.

11:29pm: Childhood Goonies
Although Cannon Beach may seem to be every tourist's destination, I didn't miss the chance to check out Ecola State Park, now a unit of Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. According to history, it took 18 months of exploration by the Corps of Discovery over difficult terrain to find a beached whale. They encountered bad weathers and trails enough to prevent them from reaching the said whale. I fell in love with its rich history along with the amazing sceneries it provides people.

Since I love hiking, I embarked on the 6-mile trail hike, which thankful I successfully finished due to a good weather that day. Every now and then I stop to admire some wildflowers that are abundant in the path and catching my breath with all the wonderful views I am seeing from where I was standing. It also helps with my nature and Oregon appreciation that one of my all-time favorite film as a kid was mostly shot in this area. The Goonies! I clearly remember the monolith in the film and it was the same one I saw when we went earlier to Cannon Beach, the Haystack Rock. Awesome findings!

10:25pm: Portland
There's a long list of to-do in the "most livable city" in America. A city that can be enjoyed whether on feet, on car or in bike, Portland is one city that should be in everyone's list of destination in America. If you have no idea where to go and what to do, just head over to Pioneer Courthouse Square where you can pick brochures or ask for information about the local sights at the Travel Portland Information Center. If you're geeky like me and you've heard about the famous Powell's City of Books, this is where you'll go first. I oohed and aahed with the millions of books I am seeing and couldn't decide where to go first. Ha!

I know I cannot live on that bookstore, and besides there are still tons of places to see, I obligingly trod out of the bookstore to our next destination: Portland Classical Chinese Garden. It's this big garden in the Chinatown area which was built by 65 workmen from Suzhou to create a classical Chinese structures. Most of the plants in here can only be found in China and some were really old. It can be anyone's secret garden actually, if you haven't got anything remotely interesting to do, you can spend some of your time in here while sipping a green tea.