Ifugao: Trekking along the rice terraces of Mayoyao

For four hours, we trekked along the rice terraces of Mayoyao. The good thing about the trek was that it was going down and our bus was going to meet us when we arrived at the bottom of the trail.

It may have been tiring at times no thanks to the hot sun. But the views were the best and things started to get better when it got cooler and cloudy. Along the way, we passed by one of the oldest burial mounds in Mayoyao. These burial mounds are temporary resting places for warriors of a particular clan. I don't think any of them are still in use.

Mayoyao is known for its stone-walled terraces. And you'd also notice that the ground under the houses are also stone-tiled. Which gives a very natural feel. And I hope it stays that way since plain concrete floors will look intrusive and out of place in such a setting.

I enjoyed the trek and the picturesque views of the terraces. The views could have been better if I was there while the rice terraces were being prepared for planting (glass surface thanks to the water) or when the rice was still green. Since most of the rice was harvested already, the rice terraces looked unkept. But the views were still wonderful nonetheless.

Dinner was amusingly high on cholesterol composed of more traditional Mayoyao food. The head of the slaughtered pig was made into dinakdakan, a dish I would consider the local version of sisig although the meat in this case was not chopped as finely. We were also served some duck soup. I binged on the really sweet pineapples they served for dessert to neutralize all that fat.

After dinner, we went to the town plaza for a wonderful cultural presentation of both the young and the old. What is noteworthy about this all is the fact that the older group is not a performing group but actual cultural practitioners, bearers of the Mayoyao's age-old traditions.

For those who are asking about the next tour, it will be in January, this time for the rice planting season. For reservations, please contact Josh Nalliw at +63 906 5308242.

Part 1: Trip to Mayoyao, Ifugao
Part 2: Mayoyao Rice Terraces in Ifugao
Part 3: Rice harvest experience in Mayoyao, Ifugao
Part 5: Journey across the Ifugao heartland

How to get to Banaue, Ifugao
Florida Bus has a regular trip from Manila direct to Banaue. It leaves Sampaloc, Manila (Lacson St. cor. S. H. Loyola St.) at 10:45 p.m. Or you can take any bus that goes to Cagayan Valley and get off at Solano, Nueva Vizcaya where you can catch regular trips to Banaue and other towns in Ifugao. From Baguio, KMS Bus Lines and Ohayami Trans leave for Banaue at least twice daily.

How to get to Mayoyao, Ifugao
Take a bus from Manila to Santiago, Isabela (any bus to Cagayan or Isabela passes by Santiago). There are mini-buses from Santiago to Mayoyao which leave thrice daily at 6 a.m., 11a.m. and 3 p.m. From Banaue, there is one daily trip to Mayoyao from Solano which passes Banaue between 12 to 1 p.m.

Ifugao: Rice harvest experience in Mayoyao, Ifugao

As soon as we finished breakfast, we hopped on our rickety bus and proceeded to Barangay Chaya where the rice harvest or Pfoto' Ad Majawjaw was going to be held. It was a short hike up from the main road to the house of our host. It was nice to see everyone in traditional Mayoyao attire.

First order of business, after the introductions of course, was the ceremonial slaughter of a pig. If you're not prepared to see blood or listen to a screeching pig, make sure to stay at the back. But being an inherent part of the Ifugao culture, it's very important to respect the ritual as it proceeds. After the slaughter, the participants partake of local rice wine. Once this is done, the harvest begins and the harvesters proceed to the first terrace to cut the rice stalks.

Here is some information from Pochon: "Rice harvesting is a community activity where each member is given a defined role. The women have a special role in the activity being the munbfoto' (the one who actually reaps the rice stalks). They are the ones who cut the rice stalks and hands over to the mun-akun (collectors). After collecting the rice stalks from the munbfoto', the mun-akun will then give to the munbfa-ud who will tie the rice stalks in bundles making sure that all bundles are proportionate. After tying in bundles, the munbfa-ud will give the bundles to the munkhongah whose job is to trim the stalks making them look neat. The munkhongah will then give the bundle to the munkhu-ud who will properly arrange the bundles at the rice granary. The munkhu-ud is the person responsible in making sure that the bundles are properly arranged in the rice granary. One important character in the rice harvest activity is the munhang, who does the cooking of food which the community members will partake for lunch."

Participants of the tour are free to join the harvest if they wish. But be ready to wade in the mud. Well, we settled for second best by harvesting the rice right by the paddy so as not to get ourselves muddied. Indeed, it's an arduous task especially under the hot sun. I was expecting it to be a bit cold but I guess global warming was at work. And I got a bad case of sunburn after today.

In Mayoyao, even people you don't know help out with the harvest. By tradition, each person who helps for a day is entitled to one bundle of rice. Harvests of each household are scheduled so as not to coincide with one another, or else there might not be enough hands to complete the task. So even if you don't have land, if you're resourceful and industrious enough, you can stock up on rice just by helping harvest. There is even a vantage point to find out who is harvesting rice that day.

There are also traditions when bringing bundled rice up to the house. You have to wait until at least ten bundles have been made before you bring it to the house. The host or his wife leads the bundles up to the house. It is first placed in an offering basket before the bundles are stored under the house. We also got a chance to pound the rice and watch an old lady winnow it to take out the pounded husks.

By tradition also, eating cannot commence until the harvest is over. But since it looked like the harvest was far from over, our hosts let us partake of the pig that was slaughtered this morning. The pig was boiled in broth and placed in skewers (barbecue sticks). In Mayoyao, the tradition is to count the people using skewers. Once everyone is counted, the pork is proportioned to each skewer to make sure everyone gets a share of the food.

Another aspect of this communal meal are the woven bamboo plates where the rice is placed. Each plate is shared by about five people and you just dig in using your hands. This is feasting the Mayoyao way and it was definitely fun! They also served us the broth in cups.

After lunch, we were treated to some Ifugao chants and dances before proceeding down for our trek along the rice terraces of Mayoyao.



Part 1: Trip to Mayoyao, Ifugao
Part 2: Mayoyao Rice Terraces in Ifugao
Part 4: Trekking along the rice terraces of Mayoyao
Part 5: Journey across the Ifugao heartland

How to get to Banaue, Ifugao
Florida Bus has a regular trip from Manila direct to Banaue. It leaves Sampaloc, Manila (Lacson St. cor. S. H. Loyola St.) at 10:45 p.m. Or you can take any bus that goes to Cagayan Valley and get off at Solano, Nueva Vizcaya where you can catch regular trips to Banaue and other towns in Ifugao. From Baguio, KMS Bus Lines and Ohayami Trans leave for Banaue at least twice daily.

How to get to Mayoyao, Ifugao
Take a bus from Manila to Santiago, Isabela (any bus to Cagayan or Isabela passes by Santiago). There are mini-buses from Santiago to Mayoyao which leave thrice daily at 6 a.m., 11a.m. and 3 p.m. From Banaue, there is one daily trip to Mayoyao from Solano which passes Banaue between 12 to 1 p.m.

Ifugao: Mayoyao Rice Terraces in Ifugao

The Mayoyao Rice Terraces are one of the five clusters included in the UNESCO World Heritage inscription Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras. It was great the Pochon Group organized the Pfoto' Ad Majawjaw or rice harvest in Mayoyao, an eco-cultural experience for tourists.

As the group mentions, "The Pfoto' Ad Majawjaw tour is an eco-cultural activity that the Pochon Group is organizing as its contribution to preserve the Mayoyao Rice Terraces and the culture that goes with the terraces. A portion of the proceeds of the tour will go to the heritage trust fund that will be used to help promote the indigenous culture of the Mayoyao People to its young generation and the people who wish to have an extra ordinary experience in this beautiful town where unexplored nature still abounds."

After our afternoon nap the day before, we trooped to the Mayoyao Museum for a demonstration on how a traditional Mayoyao house is constructed. We all slept early yesterday, still tired from the trip.

We were up early for the day's activities. Our hostel has a great vantage point of the Mayoyao Rice Terraces and its great waking up to such a wonderful view. We're leaving for Barangay Chaya after breakfast for our rice harvest experience.

Part 1: Trip to Mayoyao, Ifugao
Part 3: Rice harvest experience in Mayoyao, Ifugao
Part 4: Trekking along the rice terraces of Mayoyao
Part 5: Journey across the Ifugao heartland

How to get to Banaue, Ifugao
Florida Bus has a regular trip from Manila direct to Banaue. It leaves Sampaloc, Manila (Lacson St. cor. S. H. Loyola St.) at 10:45 p.m. Or you can take any bus that goes to Cagayan Valley and get off at Solano, Nueva Vizcaya where you can catch regular trips to Banaue and other towns in Ifugao. From Baguio, KMS Bus Lines and Ohayami Trans leave for Banaue at least twice daily.

How to get to Mayoyao, Ifugao
Take a bus from Manila to Santiago, Isabela (any bus to Cagayan or Isabela passes by Santiago). There are mini-buses from Santiago to Mayoyao which leave thrice daily at 6 a.m., 11a.m. and 3 p.m. From Banaue, there is one daily trip to Mayoyao from Solano which passes Banaue between 12 to 1 p.m.

Ifugao & Isabela: Trip to Mayoyao, Ifugao

After six hours on an evening bus, I found myself in Santiago, Isabela at 3:30 in the morning. It was a good thing I took the deluxe bus of Victory Liner since the ride was really comfortable. It was my first major local trip since I got back after close to three months abroad. We were meeting up with the organizers of the Mayoyao harvest experience in Santiago. And together, we would make the rough trip to the remote Ifugao town of Mayoyao on a hired rickety bus.

Josh, the president of the group, is my colleague from the Cultural Citizens Program and we were together in Illinois last month. Since we had arrived in Santiago earlier than expected (our ETA was 6 a.m. but the deluxe bus travels non-stop), we were able to make an unscheduled stop in Magat Dam before making our way to Mayoyao. I had been there once before as part of a heritage tour of Cagayan Valley.

There's another dam called Maris Dam (short for Magat River Irrgation System) which we passed by on the way to Mayoyao. Both dams are at the boundaries of Ramon, Isabela and Alfonso Lista, Ifugao. We were able to take photos of the fishermen dwarfed by the smaller dam before proceeding.

It was a wonder how I was able to doze off during that long bumpy ride. The next thing I knew, it was 7:30 a.m. and we had stopped over in Ubao in the town of Aguinaldo for breakfast. In the olden days, Ubao was known as a hunting area. But that is no longer the case today. Aside from the fact that hunting deer is illegal, deer are scarce.

We were back on the road a little later. Again, I dozed off. But I tried to keep myself awake so as not to miss some good views since we were not passing by this road on the way back to Manila. Before leaving the town of Aguinaldo, we passed by a waiting shed where a woman was selling moma (betel nut) and hapid leaves as well as a local kakanin called pinang-it which is known as bakle in Kiangan. I noticed a sign which said the curfew in this area was at 8:30 p.m. You must be kidding?! Then it hit me that we were out in the middle of nowhere.

Occasionally, we'd pass by clusters of houses along the road with freshly-harvested palay in bundles being dried under the sun. And there are the scarce trips of jeepneys with people on the roof of course.

Then we started to see large clusters of rice terraces. We were finally closing in on Mayoyao's town center. Mayoyao is one of the five clusters of rice terraces included in the UNESCO World Heritage inscription Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, the others being Bangaan and Batad in Banaue; Hungduan (which includes Hapao and the Poblacion); and Nagacadan in Kiangan.

We finally arrived in Mayoyao close to lunch. It turned out, the trip from Santiago, Isabela to Mayoyao, Ifugao (together with the food and photo stops of course) was longer than my bus ride from Manila to Isabela! I endured seven hours on a rickety bus. We navigated through rough, bumpy roads, but what I saw at the end was most definitely worth the trip. Our activities would begin after lunch and a short nap. We needed to get some rest after that very long trip.

Part 2: Mayoyao Rice Terraces in Ifugao
Part 3: Rice harvest experience in Mayoyao, Ifugao
Part 4: Trekking along the rice terraces of Mayoyao
Part 5: Journey across the Ifugao heartland

How to get to Banaue, Ifugao
Florida Bus has a regular trip from Manila direct to Banaue. It leaves Sampaloc, Manila (Lacson St. cor. S. H. Loyola St.) at 10:45 p.m. Or you can take any bus that goes to Cagayan Valley and get off at Solano, Nueva Vizcaya where you can catch regular trips to Banaue and other towns in Ifugao. From Baguio, KMS Bus Lines and Ohayami Trans leave for Banaue at least twice daily.

How to get to Mayoyao, Ifugao
Take a bus from Manila to Santiago, Isabela (any bus to Cagayan or Isabela passes by Santiago). There are mini-buses from Santiago to Mayoyao which leave thrice daily at 6 a.m., 11a.m. and 3 p.m. From Banaue, there is one daily trip to Mayoyao from Solano which passes Banaue between 12 to 1 p.m.

Manila: Legaspi Sunday Market is Makati's undiscovered food haven

Indeed it's a food haven waiting to be discovered. We all know about the Salcedo Saturday Market. But have you ever gone to the Legazpi Sunday Market, also known as the BSL Sunday Market? If you haven't, then it's about time you do and try out the great food!

Of course, you should try the best ensaimada in town, Imang Salud classic ensaimada, an old family recipe which we inherited from my great-grandmother, Salud Dayrit-Santos of San Fernando, Pampanga. These giant melt-in-your-mouth ensaimadas are guaranteed to tickle your taste buds. Also check out mom's tibok-tibok!

There's so much more to munch on. Check out the fresh lumpia of Yan Ching, the pizzas and samosa at Pizza di Grazzia, Becky's Kitchen and the traditional Spanish tortillas of Mantequilla. Warung Warung serves traditional Malay food such as beef rendang, kari ayam and ayam goreng, while Singaporean satay is a specialty of Island Satay.

I also adore the takoyaki, gyoza and other Japanese dishes. Next door one would find japchae and other Korean delights. Have you ever tried Turkish baklava? Well, Anatolia Cuisine serves that and more Turkish pastries. And there's Indian food such as methi chicken, mushroom mutter, shahi paneer and dal makhni. There are different kinds of deli from all over Europe. And great hamburgers in a bun served by Monster Burger.

There's food from all over the Philippines, Ilocos empanda, grilled meats, seafood and other ihaw-ihaw and ulam, fresh and dried seafood, it would take another post to enumerate them all.

For dessert, try the traditional Breton crepe, the many flavors of Fro-Yo's pure frozen yogurt, or Imang Salud's ensaimada of course! There are wines to accompany your meals (check out the lemon wine called Citrocello), as well as fresh fruit shakes. You can also also have local kakanin such as suman, puto and kalamay, or fresh fruits from all over the country and even abroad. My personal favorite would be the juicy red cherries!

So what are you waiting for? Check it out every Sunday at the Legazpi Car Park, Legaspi corner Herrera Streets, Makati City. That's in front of Starbucks Herrera, very near the Union Church of Manila.

Ultimate Trip: Sunday Brunch on August 24!
Ivan About Town, Manila Boy, Old Manila Walks, and Our Awesome Planet are cordially inviting you to join us in an "Ultimate Trip" to the market less-travelled, the Legaspi Sunday Market for a pre-holiday "Sunday Brunch," 10 a.m. to 12 noon on August 24. Check out the details in Manila Boy. The Legaspi Sunday Market is in the parking lot across Starbucks Herrera stretching to the Union Church of Makati, Herrera to Rada, corner Legaspi Streets, Legaspi Village, Makati City. We'll all meet at Starbucks Herrera at 10 a.m. RSVP by commenting below.

California, USA: Golden Gate Bridge, a San Francisco landmark

A trip to San Francisco would not be complete without visiting its most popular landmark, the Golden Gate Bridge.

Completed in 1937, the bridge is close to 2.74 kilometers long. It's the second time I had my photo taken from the view point at the north end of the bridge. Unfortunately, it wasn't as sunny as my 1993 photo since the famous San Francisco fog had already enveloped the area. And it sure was cold today! After a visit to the bridge, we had dinner at a Thai restaurant near the San Francisco International Airport. The long journey back to Manila begins.

Part 1: Napa Valley, California wine tasting experience
Part 2: San Francisco's cable car
Part 3: Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, California

California, USA: Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, California

Fisherman's Wharf is to San Francisco what La Rambla is to Barcelona. An iconic tourist attraction and neighborhood of San Francisco, California, it is full of life and culture.

There were street performers here too. And a lot of tourists from all over. It encompasses the northern waterfront area of San Francisco from Ghirardelli Square or Van Ness Avenue to Pier 35. Attractions within Fisherman's Wharf include Pier 39, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, the Cannery Shopping Center, Ghirardelli Square, Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum, the Musée Mécanique, the Wax Museum at Fisherman's Wharf, and Forbes Island.

One reason to come to Fisherman's Wharf is for the food! And I asked my classmate Armand to pick his favorites at Fisherman's Wharf. First on our list of things to taste is the clam chowder of Boudin which is served in a sourdough bread bowl. There are a lot of stalls which sell clam chowder but they say Boudin's is the best.

After having our hearty soup in Boudin's outdoor kiosk, we went to the food stands by the restaurant row to check out the fresh seafood, mostly shrimp & crab snacks. Most notable of the delicacies here is the Dungeness crab. We got servings of breaded shrimp & chips and calamari and chips.

From the restaurant area, we walked towards Pier 39, a shopping complex that was built on a pier. Along the way, you'd notice a lot of street performers, cruise lines leaving for a trip around the bay, and a great view of Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge on the other side of Pier 39.

The character of the buildings of Pier 39 fit a particular theme, very American. I wonder if these are old buildings adaptively-reused. It would have been fun to explore the shops and the restaurants. But we didn't have much time.

One thing which caught my attention were the fruit stands near the entrance. You can also check out the stage in Pier 39 which plays host to free performances by tricksters, magicians, jugglers, comedians and mimes. And don't miss the sea lions resting in Pier 39's K Dock.

Part 1: Napa Valley, California wine tasting experience
Part 2: San Francisco's cable car
Part 4: Golden Gate Bridge, a San Francisco landmark

California, USA: San Francisco's cable car

It's been 15 years since I last visited San Francisco. And one of the things I was not able to do then was to ride the famous San Francisco cable car. The San Francisco cable car system is part of the San Francisco Municipal Railway or Muni. It is said to be the last permanently-operational manually-operated cable car system in the world.

We bought ourselves a day pass on the Muni for US$11 which gives holders unlimited use of the cable car and other lines of the Muni for a day. A single ride on the cable car will cost you US5$. It was indeed an experience, and an even better one if you're cool with standing at the sides. We took the Powell-Mason line from Union Square to Fisherman's Wharf where we were going to have a late lunch.

Part 1: Napa Valley, California wine tasting experience
Part 3: Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, California
Part 4: Golden Gate Bridge, a San Francisco landmark

California, USA: Napa Valley, California wine tasting experience

Napa Valley, California is a world-class wine-producing region or viticultural area of the U.S. It's a very popular attraction since people troop there for the winery tours which most definitely includes wine-tasting!

Obviously, I'm now in sunny California. I arrived in chilly San Francisco late last night on a flight that was three hours delayed! Napa Valley is about an hour from San Francisco and we made a late morning drive to Napa Valley, said to be the second most popular destination in California after Disneyland. We first stopped over in the city of Napa for lunch at the Historic Napa Mill at this restaurant called the Napa General Store. I had a crispy chicken sandwich that was served with chipotle mayo, lettuce & house-cut fries. I heard their Asian-inspired food is also worth trying, creations of their Vietnamese chef.

After lunch, we proceeded to St. Helena to visit some wineries. There are just so many of them so we dropped by two of the popular ones.

Our first stop was at the Beringer Vineyards which is the oldest continuously-operating winery in the valley. The entire winery site was in fact designated a Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.

I joined the Introducing Beringer Tour which costs US$15 and includes wine-tasting inside the original Stone Winery. We were given samples of their Pinot Noir, Petite Sirah, and Sparkling White Zinfandel.

We then motored to the Robert Mondavi Winery for more wine-tasting. Mondavi is said to be the father and founder of the American fine wine industry. He founded the winery in 1966 with the goal of surpassing the finest wines in Europe. Sadly, he passed away a month ago at the age of 94.

At the winery, they offer wine-tasting of three wines of your choice for US$15. I tried out their 2002 Vine Hill Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006 Napa Valley Fume Blanc and 2006 Moscato d'Oro which I really liked.

It would have been fun to visit more wineries but we didn't have much time. So we called it a day. Thanks to my hosts, Armand and Iris, and their friend Mark, for taking me to Napa Valley today.

Part 2: San Francisco's cable car
Part 3: Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco, California
Part 4: Golden Gate Bridge, a San Francisco landmark

Illinois, USA: Random musings from DeKalb, Illinois

DeKalb, Illinois is a university town playing host to Northern Illinois University. We'll be leaving DeKalb in a few days. I can't imagine this has been my home away from home for the past four weeks! Did you know that barbed wire was invented in DeKalb, Illinois? There are a lot of heritage structures in DeKalb which remind us of this aspect of its history.

Some of the highlights during our stay were a barbecue picnic where we grilled some steak, nights out and karaoke in Starbusters every Wednesday, home-cooked dinners, and a picnic hosted by the Filipino community in DeKalb and Sycamore. Thank you to the Fil-Am community and to all the friends I met along the way. I had one hell of a time!

Illinois, USA: Puerto Rico and Mexico in Chicago

Today, we visited more neighborhoods of Chicago. Aside from Little Village which I visited weeks ago, another Mexican community of Chicago is Pilsen. The group did a lot of walking to check out the Mexican street art which is all over Pilsen. The murals are wonderfully-done and very symbolic, filled with a lot of elements from Mexican culture and history. Some are expressions of the situation of Mexicans in the United States.

There are a lot of fresh fruit stands around and we tried their local mangoes which taste like our Indian mangoes in the Philippines. It was raining at times so we weren't able to maximize our tour around Pilsen. But I sure did enjoy the street art.

We went next to the Puerto Rican community along Paseo Boricua. The funny thing about Chicago weather is that it is so unpredictable since the sun was out by the time we got there.

Just like in Pilsen, we walked around and explored the street. I made sure to try the local food. I had been tipped about a fried banana and meat snack called alcapurrias unique to the Puerto Rican community and was happy to find it in one of the shops. I also had some morcillas (blood sausages) which are different from the ones I had in Spain since the ones here are made mostly out of rice. After a late Puerto Rican lunch, we proceeded to Oakbrook Terrace, IL since we were going to watch the Buddy Holly Story at the Drury Lane Theatre later in the evening.

Illinois, USA: Chicago-style hot dogs

They say it's taboo to put ketchup on a genuine Chicago dog. A Chicago dog is a steamed or boiled all-beef hot dog on a poppy seed bun. Toppings include mustard, sweet pickle relish, onion, a dill pickle spear, tomato slices, sport peppers, and celery salt, but never ketchup! So since I was in Chicago, I made sure to try one.

I found a hot dog stand in Navy Pier which serves different types of hot dog sandwiches from across America. On the menu of America's Dog are the following:

• Chicago dog - mustard, relish, onion, sport peppers, tomato, pickle and celery salt
• Buffalo dog - Buffalo sauce, bleu cheese and celery salt
• Dallas dog - chili, onion and shredded cheddar cheese
• New York dog - sauerkraut and brown mustard
• Baltimore dog - deep-fried dog, melted cheddar cheese and grilled onions
• Kansas City dog - melted Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and yellow mustard
• Louisiana dog - BBQ sauce, grilled onions and tomato
• Green Bay dog - melted cheddar cheese
• Atlanta dog - coleslaw, chili, mustard, ketchup and onion
• Pittsburgh dog - chili and yellow mustard

Illinois, USA: Chicago architecture overload in the Chicago Architecture Cruise

One of the best ways to see Chicago is by getting on board the Chicago Architecture Cruise. The architecture of Chicago is said to have influenced and reflected the history of American architecture. You'll find a lot of prominent buildings in various architectural styles, designed by eminent architects of each period.

Many of these buildings, over 200, have been designated as Chicago Landmarks, an honor bestowed by the City Mayor and the Chicago City Council for historic buildings and sites in the city. Landmarks are chosen based on various criteria which include historical, economic, architectural, artistic, cultural, and social values. There are also 38 historic districts designated as landmarks. I wonder when Manila will do that.

The good thing about Chicago is that they protect their heritage since one a historic building is designated as a Chicago Landmark, it is subject to the Chicago Landmarks Ordinance. This requires owners who want to have any alterations beyond routine maintenance, up to and including demolition, to have their permit reviewed by the Commission on Chicago Landmarks. Among these are the Michigan Avenue Bridge (1920), London Guarantee Building (360 North Michigan - 1923), Tribune Tower (1925), North American Life Insurance Building (35 East Wacker - 1927), 333 North Michigan (1928), and the Carbide & Carbon Building (1929).

But Chicago is also a showcase of contemporary architecture where structures designed by some of the world's best architects can be found. Some of the interesting buildings include Marina City (the two towers which look like corn cobs - 1964), Lake Point Tower (1968), Sears Tower (once the tallest building in the world - 1974), and NBC Tower (1982). Under construction is the Trump Tower and the supertall skyscraper known as the Chicago Spire designed by Santiago Calatrava which will be taller than Sears Tower when completed in 2012.

Architecture lovers will have a blast on the Chicago Architecture Cruise. In great cities, the best architecture is built by the river! This 60-minute cruise costs US$24 per person and departs from Navy Pier every 45 minutes.

Illinois, USA: Springfield, Illinois and Abraham Lincoln

Springfield, Illinois is the hometown of President Abraham Lincoln. All over this state capital are images, symbols and historical landmarks that remind us of Lincoln, his life and his times.

I found out that the Lincoln Tomb was in the Oak Ridge Cemetery in front of our hotel. So I made sure to wake up early to visit before we left for our tour of Springfield. The burial room was closed when I got there since it opened later in the morning.

After breakfast at the hotel, we proceeded to the grand and elegant Illinois State Capitol for a guided tour. The Illinois State Congress was in recess so there was not much activity when we got there. We got to see the assembly halls of both the Senate (where Barack Obama once sat as a state senator) and the House. We were also shown the governor's office as well as the hall which used to house the Illinois Supreme Court before it transferred to another building next door.

Our next stop was the Lincoln Presidential Museum and Library where we got to enjoy the interactive exhibits, film showings and presentations on Lincoln. In the main hall are life-size wax figures of President Lincoln and his family as they were about to move to Washington, D.C. Don't miss the "Ghosts of the Library" and "The Union Theater" presentations.

We had a lot of time to go around the museum so I decided to sneak out and explore Springfield. On top of my list of things to see was the Lincoln Home which was five blocks from the museum. The neighborhood around the home of the Lincoln Family was preserved and recreated giving you a feel of how life was during Lincoln's time.

From the home, I walked back to the museum. But I made sure to pass by the Lincoln Law Office which is right beside the Old State Capitol. It was the seat of government from 1839 to 1876 where Lincoln, Stephen A. Douglas and Ulysses S. Grant used to work. Right in front of the museum is the Union Station but it is no longer in use since the railroad tracks have been transferred elsewhere.

Missouri, USA: St. Louis Gateway Arch in Missouri

After two weeks in Illinois, we were finally crossing state borders to neighboring Missouri to visit an iconic landmark of St. Louis, the Gateway Arch at the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. At 630 feet (192 meters), it is the tallest monument in the U.S.

We had some obstacles getting there since the usual riverfront roads to the arch were flooded as a result of the heavy rains that hit the region during the week. Flooding was all over the news the past week with towns along the Mississippi working to save their homes by building temporary levies with sandbags. Anyway, we finally got there and went around the museum under the arch.

From the base of the monument, you can take a tram to the observation deck at the top of the arch where, on a clear day, you can see as far as 48 kilometers. The tram ride costs US$10 per person. From the top, we could see the old courthouse and the baseball stadium where the St. Louis Cardinals were currently playing. I was toying around with the zoom of my camera and was able to take a shot of the batter on base and the pitcher!

You can also opt to take a riverboat ride for US$12 or a dinner cruise for US$40. But since the Gateway Arch Riverfront was flooded, that was out of the question.

After dinner at Union Station, a heritage structure adaptively-reused as a tourist mall (with restaurants, bars, shops and even a hotel), we drove back to Springfield, Illinois where we were to stay for the night.

Illinois, USA: Cahokia Mounds and prehistoric native American culture

The first thing I did when I found out I was flying to the U.S. was to find the nearest UNESCO World Heritage Site to Chicago. It was a good thing there was one in Illinois, the Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site. It excited me more when I found out that we were visiting it as part of our program itinerary since the only convenient way to get there was by renting a car.

According to UNESCO, Cahokia is the largest pre-Columbian settlement north of Mexico and was occupied primarily during the Mississippian period (800–1400), when it covered nearly 1,600 hectares and included some 120 mounds. The main mound in the complex is called Monks Mound, the largest prehistoric earthwork in the Americas, covering over 5 hectares and standing 30 meters high.

After watching a video at the Interpretative Center, we walked around the park and got to climb up Monks Mound where you can see nearby St. Louis, Illinois. If you don't want to rent a car, public transportation to the place is possible but a bit complicated. Directions are available in the Cahokia website. Take note that the Cahokia Mounds are in Collinsville, Illinois and not in the city of Cahokia.