Photo Essay: The Venetian and City of Dreams, Macau

It's "the most wonderful time of the year" and we're miles away from home. Christmas in Oaxaca City, Mexico sort of resembles that of the Philippines'. Unfortunately, instead of getting rid of this nasty thing called homesickness, the merry atmosphere on the eve of the 24th aggravated it further more. Watching families stroll together around the zocalo made me miss my family so much... The feeling now actually hurts.

What I miss most, their smiles.
I find browsing through our Macau trip photos therapeutic, that's why despite the holiday fever, I had the drive to resume my Meet My Backpacking Folks Series. Remember the day when we transferred from century-Old SanVa Hospederia to the more swanky Pousada De Coloane Beach Hotel? Well, we resisted the urge to swim in a deep sea of blankets and everyone quickly took turns in the shower (cause SanVa Hospederia's bathrooms made us cringe, none of us bothered to do so when we arrived in Macau the night before).

At about 4:00 in the afternoon, after much barking at everybody like some military officer reminding his soldiers of their schedule, we finally headed out.

The whole gang waiting for the bus.
A long walk from the bus stop to The Venetian's main entrance. Mum all sweaty, can be seen here removing her cardigan. Modelesque. Turned this pavement into a catwalk.
The folks marveled at every eye-catching design, and there were uhm, tons!
Gambling ain't for you? How about shopping? Neither of the two attracted us, but a quick walk by the Grand Canal was pretty entertaining.
According to Wikipedia, "The Venetian also boasts the largest number of Filipino gondoleers in the world". K! Sorry, did I miss the punchline?
Cotai Strip's skyline.
About to cross the street toward the City of Dreams.
Inside the City of Dreams' 360° Bubble Theatre.
The Dragon's Treasure (what we came here for) is a 10-minute visual treat. Mom just kept saying "Wow!".
Capped off the night with a dinner at the City of Dreams' food court. I sooo dig this funky ceiling!
Thankfully our first whole day in Macau went by without much bickering between me and my mom family members. This was what the family needed at that time, a breather. A break from stress brought about by conventional routine. Oh how I wish they are with us right now, routineless too.

Macau Series: Meet My Backpacking Folks

Meet My Backpacking Folks
Century-Old SanVa Hospederia
Largo Do Senado: And The Family Chaos Continues
Review: Pousada De Coloane Beach Hotel

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Snapshot Saturday: Feliz Navidad

Oaxaca City's zócalo is bustling tonight, and we joined the merrymaking for a short while. We watched marching bands, folk dancers, a capoeira exhibition, and a spectacular light (projected on the cathedral's facade!) and sound show at the main plaza. Some spectators, on the other hand, watched Luna dancing on her daddy's shoulders instead.

I also got what I wanted for Noche Buena. A meal with rice!

Maligayang Pasko Pilipinas kong mahal.

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Random 11 of 2011

2011's a year of fulfilling dreams: Living in Baguio, visiting India, backpacking with my parents, flying our daughter overseas for the first time, and finally kicking off our round-the-world vagabonding. Each waking day, I am thankful that everything's falling into place and we never take this opportunity for granted. The hubby and I strive hard in keeping our online jobs so as to continue this unconventional nomadic lifestyle... Until we get tired of it.

There's really nothing more I could ask for right now. Okay, except pinakbet for Noche Buena.

I've been to five countries plus one SAR this year, and here are eleven random travel moments off the top of my head (because it's a gargantuan task to select which trips to categorize under "The Best Of"):

1. Mt. Cabuyao hike, Benguet. An easy, breezy day hike with my mounaineeresque friends. My first after giving birth four months prior.


2. Being part of SEAir's Winter Batanes Tour. It gave me the chance to not only revisit Batanes but also to meet a wacky bunch of bloggers: James, Izah, Leon, Mike, Bless, and Batanes maven Engr. Joseph Dy (thanks Engr. for this photo!).


3. Eating Indian food in India. One of my fave cuisines everrr.


4. I was sorta forced to attend the Panagbenga Festival. I actually thought it was just going to be some chaotic parade, but hey, it was beautifully chaotic.


5. Took my geologist sis-in-law (who lives in Australia) to Mt. Pinatubo. For her, it was a dream trek come true.


6. Entering Dambulla Cave Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site (that dates back to the 1st century BC) in Sri Lanka.


7. Brought the whole family to Macau. It was my parents' first time to travel overseas. Luna's too.


8. My application for a U.S.A. visa was unexpectedly approved. Luna and I tagged along the hubby's business trip in California (sponsored by the company). We managed to squeeze a few sightseeing jaunts, such as our accidental visit in San Simeon where we saw elephant seals in their natural habitat.


9. Spent my 31st birthday hiking at Greater Blue Mountains, Australia.


10. Flew back to California and stayed for a month for the hubby's work. We braved the winter cold in San Francisco for an Alcatraz tour.


11. Climbed up Piramide de la Luna with our little Luna in Teotihuacan, and watched Aztec dancers stomp along the Avenue of the Dead while the sun slowly dipped. Surreal. We'll be here in Mexico for Christmas and New Year's eve as well.



To describe 2011 as awesome, is such an understatement... I raise my jigger of mezcal to more adventures mi amigos. I am sooo ready for you 2012! Salud!

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Snapshot Saturday: Postcard #11 Golden Gate Bridge

Golden Gate Bridge at Sunrise.
Ola! It's day 179 of our our round-the-world trip, and almost a week since we arrived in Ciudad De Mexico's Distrito Federal. Unfortunately we were only able to see a few of its sights due to work. Tomorrow, we pack our bags and head to the Historic Centre of Puebla to celebrate our daughter's fifteenth month on Earth.

Golden Gate Bridge in Fog seen from another angle.
I got a bunch of postcards to send next week to some of you guys! For now though let me show you the last postcard I mailed before we left California. It's the first (and maybe only) postcard I'm giving away that used lenticular printing technology. Yah know, that awesome kind of printing that makes you see different images from different angles.

Cool, eh?

It's not too late to join! Email your address to gaye.emami@yahoo.com to receive a postcard. Recipients are chosen via Random.org.

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Ola Mexico!

The rhythmic clickety-clack produced by man heels (you read that right!) faintly echoed across the peculiarly peaceful San Francisco International Airport at nine in the evening. It was most audible at our check-in line for Aero Mexico, where Mexicanos donning multihued snakeskin boots, leather jackets and cowboy hats turned our queue into a rodeo catwalk.

Noticeably less baggage compared to the stuff we brought from Philippines to Australia when we started our RTW.
We checked in four hours early for our flight. I made sure we had enough time for we almost didn't make it to our last one (Sydney-San Francisco). And yah know, sprinting with two carry ons, a stroller, a car infant seat and a heavy tot who still couldn't walk (let alone run) to the boarding gate is like a more brutal version of a baton relay which I ain't a fan of.

After our last Chinese meal of orange chicken and fried noodles (perhaps for a long time) at the food court we ambled to Gate A5. Our Boeing 737 bound for Ciudad De Mexico taxied on the dot, and soon enough we bid farewell to California's winter.

Not included in our itinerary. Bought this postcard anyway for someone it reminded me of.
At cruising altitude, the captain went through his usual spiel and informed the passengers of the plane's estimated arrival in three hours and forty minutes. Which didn't happen. Because of the city's dense fog at dawn, the pilots were forced to land in Guadalajara and standby for further instructions.

Hovering above Ciudad De Mexico. I leaned over the Korean guy who took my window seat without permission for this photo. He awoke shocked.
For almost half an hour, we waited in the plane until the airport's immigration officials decided to stamp us in to give us something to do. The transfer was a total chaos cause the ground staff didn't know what was happening. Sleepless me was throwing a tantrum but was back in high spirits when the immigration asked "Where do you live, Australia or Pilipinas?". Pilipinas never sounded so good.

He stamped my passport and said "That's it". After 173 days, we officially stepped on our third country for this trip. On our way to yet another boarding gate after collecting our luggage and checking in (again!), I grabbed a Guadalajara postcard for the awesome Ada Lajara of Adaphobic.

Luna's waking up-to-a-new-country face.
In fifty more minutes we arrived at our destination. We rode a taxi playing Rick Astley's Together Forever, got stuck in traffic because of a procession for La Virgen de Guadalupe (The Virgin Of Guadalupe), and finally settled in an 18th century house.

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Snapshot Saturday: Postcard #10 Muir Woods National Monument

It's day 166 of our round-the-world trip, and our last weekend in California. Though it's a fairly chilly afternoon, we drove to Muir Woods National Monument in Marin County, a primeval forest named after naturalist John Muir. The average age of this forest's resident redwoods are 500-800 years old. The oldest is about 1,200 years old and the tallest is 79 meters. Not for nothing are these trees called giant redwoods.

Random trivia: Some scenes of the film "Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes" were shot here.

It's not too late to join! Email your address to gaye.emami@yahoo.com to receive a postcard. Recipients are chosen via Random.org.

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