Pieces of the Philippines in Paris

I was pleasantly surprised when I saw “pieces” of the Philippines during my one-day stay in Paris in November last year.

I didn’t expect to see anything that would remind me of the Philippines while I was there, for Paris and Manila are about 10,750 kilometers away from each other.

The “discoveries” were serendipitous. After all, I didn’t look for them. I just saw them by chance.

Eiffel Tower

The first piece was on Eiffel Tower itself.

Up to now I’m not 100 percent sure what it was all about, but it showed a picture of a bridge in the Philippines that was designed by Gustave Eiffel, the brains behind the iconic French tower that bears his name.

It says: “1890 – Santa Cruz de la Laguna bridge, Manila”

The Wikipedia article about Gustave Eiffel did list the Quezon Bridge in Manila as one of the many works of Eiffel.

However, I couldn’t find anything saying that the Santa Cruz de la Laguna Bridge and Quezon Bridge are the same thing, with different names.

But what are the chances that Eiffel built two bridges in Manila? I’m guessing that it’s the same bridge.

Pictures

I found the second piece in an area along the Seine River, while on my way from the Eiffel Tower to the Louvre.

There was a photo exhibit in the place, where I saw pictures taken by a certain Jake Verzosa.

Yup, part of the Eiffel Tower is visible from that spot

I took pictures of Verzosa’s pictures (hmmm, it’s like photocopying the photocopy of something), but I don’t think I can post them here.

Anyway, what really matters is the thought that home is really just around the corner, even if I’m in a city that seems to be light-years away from it.

From the Great Wall to the Berlin Wall

From the Great Wall...

I would like to start the new year right by being thankful for the old one, 2009. 

Last year I met new friends, put an end to something that I should have ended years ago <wink> and stepped foot on places that I never thought I’d actually see in person.

Friends

In 2009, I gained friends from various parts of the world, thanks to the journalism workshops that I attended in Macau, China in May and Bonn, Germany from mid-November to early December.

End

Now I no longer have any unfinished business. Closure is a good thing.

Places

In April I set foot on the Great Wall, one of the new Seven Wonders of the World.

After only seven months, I saw vestiges of the Berlin Wall, probably the most concrete symbol of the Cold War.

... to the Berlin Wall

I feel so blessed.

Two-time visitor celebrates Macau handover 10th anniversary

Portuguese man and Chinese woman behind me. A symbol of the fusion of Portuguese and Chinese cultures in Macau

This month Macau celebrated the 10th year of the transfer of the territory’s sovereignty from Portuguese to Chinese hands.

I have many fond memories of Macau because I’ve been there twice: first in 2007 for about three hours, and then this year for three weeks.

I was not there during the festivities, but I’d like to take part in the celebration by enumerating the top 10 attractions that visitors ought to see when they’re in Macau.

1. Senado Square

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2. Ruins of St. Paul’s

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3. Macau Tower

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4. Casinos

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5. Venetian Hotel

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6. Guia Lighthouse

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7. A Ma Temple

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8. Kun Lam Statue

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9. Red Market

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10. Hac Sa Beach

Mayon Volcano is a part of me

Mayon Volcano is known for its perfect cone (Photo: My mother)

Mayon Volcano is in the news again because of recent volcanic activity there.

I’ve been reminded that it’s one of the places in the Philippines that I’d really like to see.

The volcano is not only beautiful; it’s also located in Albay, the home province of my mother.

A visit there would be a homecoming of sorts for me.

Cologne Cathedral is a colossal church

I’ve seen so many Catholic churches, but the Cologne Cathedral is a bit different from them all.

It’s the biggest church I’ve seen so far.

The Cologne Cathedral is really massive; I found it hard to look for a place where I could take good pictures of it.

I knelt, walked far away from the church, I tried almost everything and yet I couldn’t take a picture of the church in its entirety.

The only time I was able to take a photo of the whole church was when we were taken to a tower on the other side of the Rhine River.

The Cologne Cathedral reminded me of someone’s words about church architecture: churches are an assertion of the enormous power of God.

You’d be humbled by the grandeur of your surroundings.

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Balls in Berlin

Balls and the Berliner Fernsehturm (Berlin TV Tower)

Berlin train

Practice video…

Phnom Penh: Cambodia’s compact capital city

Wat Ounalum is near the National Museum and the Foreign Correspondents Club (FCC) of Cambodia

Phnom Penh got its name from Wat Phnom, arguably its most important temple

Cambodia is very much in the news again these days, mainly due to tensions with neighboring Thailand.

However, I won’t discuss here their strained relations.

I’d rather talk about the sights that I’ve personally seen in the two kingdoms.

I’ve already written three posts about Bangkok, the capital of Thailand.

So it’s only fair that I write something about Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh, this time around.

Compact

One of my simplest pleasures in life is walking.

That’s why for me, Phnom Penh is such a fun city to explore: almost all of the major attractions are located near the meeting point of the Mekong, Tonle Sap and Bassac Rivers.

View Larger Map

Victory Monument. Cambodia gained independence from France in 1953

A good place to start a walking tour of Phnom Penh is at the Independence Monument or Victory Monument on Preah Sihanouk Boulevard.

Preah Sihanouk Boulevard, Sothearos Boulevard and Sisowath Quay contain most of the city’s must-see sights.

Cambodia-Vietnam Monument

On Sothearos Boulevard is the Cambodia-Vietnam Monument, a symbol of the friendship between the two Southeast Asian countries.

Also on Sothearos Boulevard is the Royal Palace compound, the number one attraction in the seat of power of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

Some of the major sights inside are the Throne Hall, the Preah Tineang Chanchhaya and the Silver Pagoda.

Visitors are required to pay a fee of 25,000 riels or 6.25 US dollars each before they are allowed to enter the Royal Palace compound. That was the rate in November last year, I don’t know whether it has changed or not.

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Shopping

Of all the sights shown in this post, only the Central and Russian Markets are relatively far from the major roads mentioned in the preceding paragraph.

That could mean the end of a walking tour, and the start of a shopping spree! Shopaholics would love the cheap but quality products that Phnom Penh’s markets offer.

100 Riels. 1 US dollar is worth about 4,000 riels

One thing though about money in Cambodia: it’s not really necessary to change your US dollars to the local currency, the riel. The locals prefer the greenback.

But make sure your US dollars are crisp and clean, especially the Franklins and the Grants. The locals would reject damaged and/or dirty bills.

Genocide

The Russian Market is about one-and-a-half kilometers away from the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, a reminder of the murderous Khmer Rouge regime of Pol Pot in 1970s Cambodia.

A visit to the museum could be combined with a trip to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek, about 12 kilometers south of the city.

This will be the subject of a post in the future.

Hong Kong skyline is best viewed from the ‘stars’

Currently three out of the 20 tallest buildings in the world are in Hong Kong: Two International Finance Center, Central Plaza and Bank of China Tower.

These structures and more make the former British crown colony’s skyline one of the best in the world, if not the best.

Bruce Lee's star

The view from the Avenue of Stars, along the Victoria Harbor waterfront on Kowloon Peninsula, is particularly spectacular.

Stars

While on Hong Kong’s version of Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, visitors can see some of the territory’s most famous tourist attractions: Victoria Peak, Victoria Harbor and of course, the Hong Kong skyline.

I won’t pretend to know all of the people whose names are engraved in the stars on the Avenue of Stars.

Three names stand out though: Bruce Lee, Jet Li and Jackie Chan. Who doesn’t know these martial artists anyway?

The Avenue of Stars is a tourists’ paradise – wherever they look there’s a subject worthy of being photographed.

Touring Kuala Lumpur with the whole family

Malaysian Parliament

My visit to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia was my first foreign trip with my mother and my sister. And so far, it’s been the only one.

We had another companion, my mother’s friend.

The friend of my mother’s friend (relationships are a little bit tricky sometimes) – a Malaysian citizen – served as our tour guide.

Getting around Kuala Lumpur was easy because we had a local in tow.

The guided tour was great in the sense that we saved time and some dough.

But it deprived me of that exciting “I’m lost” feeling.

For me, the best part of a trip is finding things on my own. 

I enjoy using a map and asking total strangers to locate a certain destination. I consider those activities a part of the learning process.