The Seven Wonders of the Philippines

Rice Terraces in fog

Rice Terraces of Banaue
The Rice Terraces of Banaue are perhaps the most well know attraction in the Philippines, and no list of the Seven Wonders of the Philippines would be complete without them.. Located in central Luzon, they have been carved by local Ifugao people over the last 3,000 thousand years. When you visit, you can see terraces still being built today. The locals often describe the terraces as the largest man made structure created without forced labor. If each terrace were laid end to end, they would stretch almost 14,000 miles. They were declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995 and placed on the endangered list in 2001.

Photo by Lexxmax

Tubbataha Reef
Located in the middle of the Sulu Sea, Tubbataha Reef is one of the largest and best preserved reef systems in the world. Actually composed to two atolls, Tubbataha is far removed from any human settlement, it is a 92 mile boat trip from the city of Puerto Princessa. The marine park covers over 968 km² and is home to over 300 coral species and 400 fish species, rivaling the diversity of the Great Barrier Reef. The few pieces of atoll which are above water are also home to a large number of seabirds. It was inscribed on the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites in 1993.

Chocolate Hills
The Chocolate Hills are located on the Island of Bohol. They are over 1,200 hills, covering over 50 km² and get their name because the grass which covers the hills turns brown during the dry season. The hills are almost all conical in shape and made of limestone. Many people have believed that they were human creations. Geologists are not entirely sure how they were created. Theories include erosion of limestone, volcanic uplift, and accretion of limestone around basalt fragments from a volcanic eruption. The government of the Philippines has declared it one of their flagship tourist destinations. The Chocolate Hills are so central to the people of Bohol, they appear on the flag of the province.

Taal Volcano: Image by Johs Bousel

Taal Volcano
Taal volcano has a unique distinction in the world. It contains the largest island, inside of a lake, which is on an island, which is inside a lake, which is on an island. (got that?) Taal is a very active volcano which has killed over 5,000 people in recorded history. It has been named one of 16 decade volcanoes in the world worthy of special study. Inside the Taal caldera is Lake Tall, which is a 25km across. The lake is know for its high sulfur content and is also home to many endemic species of freshwater fish. Taal is only 50km from the city of Manila.

Mayon Volcano: Image by Kool.Angot

Mayon Volcano
Mayon volcano is perhaps the most perfectly shaped conic volcano in the world. It has been called by some the “Filipino Mount Fuji”. Located in south east Luzon, it is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. It has erupted close to 50 times since the year 1600, with the most recent eruption occurring in 2006. 77 people were killed in an eruption in 1993 and 75,000 people had to be evacuated from their homes during an eruption in 1984. It rises 2462 m over Legazpi City in the province of Albany.

Underground River of Puerto Princessa

Boracay
Boracay is a small island approximately 200 miles south of Manila and is very close to the major island of Panay. Its white sand beaches and direct flights from all over Asia, have made it one of the Philippines most popular tourist destinations. White Beach is the longest beach on Boracay and extends 4 km on west side of the islands.

Honorable Mention

El Nido
Located on the northern tip of the island of Palawan, El Nido is known for its distinctive limestone islands and inlets. El Nido consistently scores high in surveys of top eco-tourist destinations in the world. Forbes magazine rated the wreck dives off the island of Coron as some one of the top 10 dive sites in the world. Archeological evidence of human habitation dating back 22,000 years has also been found in El Nido.

Batanes
The Province of Batanes is the northern most, and smallest province in the Philippines. It is located almost halfway between is island of Luzon and Taiwan. The culture of the Ivatan people is unique in the Philippines. Crime in Batanes is almost unknown as many police officials have complained of nothing to do with zero crimes reported and no one in the jails.

Mall of Asia
It may be surprising to some, but one of the largest malls in the world is in Manila. The SM Mall of Asia is third largest mall in the world in terms of gross leaseable area, surpassed only by two malls in China (neither of which is anywhere near capacity). The Mall of Asia consists of four separate buildings connected by open air walkways. It is 50% larger than the Mall of America and 10% larger than the West Edmonton Mall. It addition to the standard mall fare, it also is host to an Olympic sized ice skating rink.

Guest Post: Eating Our Way Through Valencia

Stalking Gary

As I stared at the sixth course of our third five-star dinner in Spain, I realized: this was a long, long way from my past life as a schoolteacher!

Lillie eating dessert in Bendiorm

My name is Lillie, and for six years I was a high school English teacher in the Boston Public Schools, saving money and scheming future adventures. In August of 2009, I finally flew out of Boston to embrace the world! Since then I have had nine glorious months voyaging through Asia, West Africa, and finally Europe.

From the very day I started my own travel blog in July, I knew full well that the world’s number one travel blogger is Gary Arndt of Everything Everywhere. When I learned a few weeks ago that Gary would be in Spain the same time I was, I sent an email asking if I could meet up with him. When Gary agreed, I hopped aboard a nine-hour train from Andalusia to Valencia to meet him in person.

“So basically you’re a stalker,” replied a woman when I told her this story.

“Um,” I stuttered, “I mean, not really, but… fine, sort of.”

Labels aside, sending Gary that email and boarding that long train ride to meet him were two of the best decisions I have made on this trip. Instead of just chatting with me for five minutes over a cafe con leche, Gary generously invited me actually join him for a week of pure amazingness in Spain!

We Commence Eating

The first night I met Gary, we had reservations already made for us in what is rumored to be one of the best restaurants in Valencia, Seu Xerea. Imagine how I felt, after weeks of cheap falafel wraps and stale ham on bread, to sit down at a white-tableclothed setting and set my tongue upon the first course: a strawberry-infused gazpacho soup. YUM! Course after course continued to come out: petite and heavenly morsels of vegetables, fluffy bread, fish, meat, and then chocolate, each paired with top-notch wines.

Gary cannot eat wheat, so the chef created bread out of spelt flour. “This is the first piece of bread I have eaten in a year,” sighed Gary contently as he munched away. At the end of the meal, the head chef himself came out to sit with us and have a leisurely chat. How special I felt! And in all honesty this man was one of the nicest and most interesting fellows in town. You know why else he’s awesome? Before he became a five-star chef, he used to be a schoolteacher! When I returned to my scrubby ten-bed hostel room to sleep, I was glowing with euphoria.

Seafood Paella at la Pepica

The next morning, our friends in the Valencia Ministry of Tourism arranged for Gary and me to have lunch near the America’s Cup venue, at a famous beachfront paella spot, la Pepica. I misinterpreted the scale of my map and ended up walking (then running) about eight miles and arriving to the table twenty minutes late and oozing with sweat. Always classy, that’s me! Gary graciously forgave my tardiness and odor.

Over our seafood paella, fried calamari, fresh salad, and tiny little muscles (“Seafood popcorn!” we said), I was finally able to ask Gary the millions of blogger questions I had been longing to understand. The clouds in my novice blogger head began to clear. After lunch, Gary invited me to watch the creation of his weekly podcast, This Week in Travel…. and even had me be a guest to let me talk about my site!

Spain = Tapas

That evening, we met up for traditional tapas with the Valencia Ministry of Tourism folks and all the main presenters at the tourism conference being held the next day, in Casa Montana, one of the oldest taverns in Spain. To my right sat one of New York’s top PR agents, Meredith Pillon, who is running the Valencia tourism campaign, and to my left was Blanca, the Deputy Director of New York’s Tourism Office of Spain. In front of us extended plate after plate of the freshest tapas in, perhaps, all of Spain. “I never knew tapas could be like this!” I cooed as I placed another slice of micro-thin beef into my mouth. It was an unforgettable meal.

Salad course at the Arrop Restaurant

The Tourism Conference the following day was a huge success, and it was thrilling to see the presentations by Gary, Blanca, Meredith, and the dozen other big-shots I had supped with the previous night. And then that evening– oh sorry, I just drooled on the computer remembering it– we went to what is likely the classiest, coolest restaurant in all of Valencia: Arrop. Arrop was born from the partnership of a chef and an archaeologist, because it serves the cutting-edge five-star food in a sleek dining room which incorporates the actual ancient Arab Wall of Valencia. The food was not only swoon-worthy, but each course that came was a sheer work of art. And did I mention that everyone at the table was charming and delightful? We will not discuss how woefully underdressed I was, dusty backpacker that I am, and hope the the volume of my frizzy hair hypnotized my kind company away from my raggedy clothes.

Benidorm and Elche

The following day we drove to the beach town of Benidorm for Gary to give a speech to the Valencia tourism community on social media and networking. I piped in a few words, myself, to highlight the trueness of his message: if hotels, restaurants, and marketers do not get on board with this new media, the public conversation about them will go on without their input and they will be left behind!

Goat cheese and greens at the Villa Venecia, Benidorm

A giant herd of us descended for lunch upon the five-star Villa Venecia Hotel. “Oooh!” we gasped, gazing a the giant wall of windows overlooking the Mediterranean Sea and Benidorm’s arching Sunrise Beach. “Oooh, OOH!” we gasped twice more as the food began to come. Salad topped with creamy cheese… fried potatoes with a cap of egg and prosciutto… Valencia’s beloved paella… about four other courses that became a blur of joy… and then a martini glass filled with cream and chocolate ice cream. “Look at how big your eyes are!” laughed jolly Valencia Tourism Representative, Juan to me. Yes, I was staring. If I were a man and that food were a woman, I would have gotten slapped repeatedly for my lascivious leering.

The next day was a delightful tour of Benidorm, led by Benidorm’s finest and kindest tour guide, Maria. Lunch was muti-course ecstasy at La Cuina de Ponent, where we experienced a twist on Valencia’s standard paella: JUICY paella! “My dear friend the chef believes,” explained Maria, “that the rice is more delightful when you leave in the stock or the juice it is cooked in instead of draining it. And he is right: I so enjoy the juice!” We, too, lapped up that juice and rice with delight, and praised the chef when he came out to chat at the end.

When evening came, we dove into the teeming “Tapas alley” of Benidorm, sipping Cava champagne and slurping oysters at Bi-arritz tapas bar while elderly Spanish revelers burst into spontaneous song outside the next restaurant. “This is really a superior form of food,” said Gary, yoinking a second oyster off the plate. “Convenient, fun, and ya get a little bit of everything.” “Mmmph,” I replied, mouth full.

After that, we have noshed on all-you-can-eat Sushi in Benidorm, indulged in American fast food, and then today had a scrumptious lunch at La Huerto del Cura in Elche, which was the former orchard of priests!

I am now fat, wide-eyed, more well-informed about the travel blogging world, and happy. Thanks, Gary, thanks, Juan and tourism gurus, and thanks, brilliant chefs of Valencia, Benidorm, and Elche!

The Most Dangerous Runways of the World

Travelling journal “Travel Leisure” made the list of the most dangerous runways of the world. Sooner or later any tourist can appear in one of these places and that’s why we think that our dept is to warn travelers to fly with open eyes. You may never see such things again.

1. Paro Airport , Bhutan
All tourists arrive at Paro who want to visit Bhutan and walk on the ground of fire dragon, among the holy picks of Himalayas. But not even assaulting any highest picks of the planet, travelers risk their lives before visiting the kingdom. It’s the only airport in the kingdom which is surrounded by the picks of Himalayas, with 4.880 meters up. Only a skillful pilot being aware of local circumstances well enough, can take out the engine among slopes surrounded by high trees, without touching the picks and get onto the most dangerous runway of the world.

2. International Airport of Princess Juliana, St.Martin
Airport of Princess Juliana is one of the biggest transport bend of Caribbean region. The length of the runway here is only 2.180 meters. This is enough for small and middle size aircrafts but it’s not enough for wide-body Boeing 747 and Airbus A340 with tourists who regularly arrive at this airport.
The pilots have to approach very low, so that the liner nearly touches the barrier of the runway. The start of the runway is located straightly on the beach behind the barrier of the airport. So the risk is double, who knows what can fall from the aircraft before landing.

3. Reagan National Airport, Washington DC, USA
It’s very strange that such a huge airport appeare among the three leaders of the most dangerous runways of the world. This airport is located between 2 closed areas, that’s why the pilots must be very skillful to avoid strategically important objects-the Pentagon and CIA headquarters. During the fly the aircraft must gain height very fast and sharply turn left to avoid White House. After September 11 the security services follow these rules very strongly and if motion of the liner is doubtful, poor travelers can risk their lives.

4. Airport of Gibraltar
Uptight between the Mediterranean sea and Algeciras bay, the runway of 1.830 meters makes pilots be very sharp and accurate. A highway to Spain intersects the runway. During the flight and landing of the liners the road is exceeded with roadway gates and the police follows that no one of the reckless drivers could jump out before the aircraft.

5. Runway in Matekane, Lesotho
The runway of 416 meters is located on the edges of a mountain canyon on the height of 2.303 meters, so that all tourists visiting Lesotho should know: if the aircraft begins falling straight after the fly, it’s not so dangerous. It’s more dangerous when an unskillful pilot tries to avoid the mountain. “ The rule of the pilot in the mountains is as follows: better to fly downwind than upwind, as the mountains in Lesotho are stronger than pilots” says pilot Tom Clator.

6. Airport of Barra, Scotland
The airport is located on a small island of Hebrides. It’s a shallow-water bay, on which aircrafts land regularly. The level of the “landing rigidity” depends on flows and low tide. So the pilots who regularly bring tourists here, must be very attentive as they may get on a puddle.

7. Airport of Toncontin, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
To land successfully at Toncontin pilots must fly above the mountains and turn left on-the-mitre of 45 degree before the aircraft touches the runway. The latter itself is not so long -1.864 meters and is located in cotyloid valley. Airport built on the height of 1.005 meters above see level cannot locate liners bigger than Boeing 757. It is built up with houses, roads, restaurants and fuelling stations. All we remember the tragedy in Brazil in 2007, when the liner rolled out from the runway and run into the terminal station and burnt to the ground with passengers.

8. John Kennedy International Airport, New York
Pilots arriving at these airport must be very attentive not to run into the aircrafts arriving at the two neighbor airports – La Guardia and Newark. Such neighborhood makes pilots follow the upper limit of 4.575 meters and visibility of 8.25 km before coming up to the runway 13L. Each of them remembers the tragedy of 1960 here, when the aircraft United Airlines bumped into the liner TWA at the result of which the two aircrafts collapsed and 127 passengers died.

9. Airport of Madeira, Portugal
The pilots must approach to the airport of Madeira uptight between the mountains and the Atlantic Ocean, strongly clockwise. First pilots turn the aircraft towards the mountains and the last moment sharply turn to the right. The Portuguese have built one of the extraordinary airports of the world, its runway is located not on land, but in the air. The landing way of 2800 meters is built like a huge bridge and is located on 180columns 80 meters high. There is a car park under the landingway and there is no free space.

10. Airport of Hwang Ho, Island of Saba, Dutch Antilles
This airport is famous not only for its shortest runway of 396,5 meters, but also for the measurable weather. Arriving at the airport, pilots have to cope with strong winds and see breeze.

The Most Extreme Routes of the World

n mountain skiing, as well as in life, the moment comes at times when foolhardily it is desirable to be beyond the ordinary frames of routine. And then the skier or snowboarder approaches the beginning of one of “black” descends, and reckless trembling of heart paints the grey monotony of everyday life in all paints of a rainbow. What are the most abrupt descents of the world and where to find them? The answer can be found on this page.

1. La Chavanette, Avoriaz, France

The Swiss wall – It’s a name that does not say anything to the usual skier. However everybody who ever stood on the very brink of this steep descent of 200 meters, gets shivers merely from the hissing sounds of this name. «Only for professionals» – says the tablet at the beginning of the descent. The beginners, who are not frightened of the warning signs, will be stopped by the steep abyss, so abrupt that the skier who is standing on it is not able to see that there are only continuous potholes passed on a virgin soil and deep snow waiting for him ahead. And if the slope is smoothed out to an ice condition, it is impossible to survive on it.

2. Delirium Dive, Sunshine Village, Canada

Delirium Dive is the most abrupt descent of the Goat Eye Mountain. This is the favorite place of the reckless American skiers, whose adrenaline is warmed up not only by steepness, but also by a high danger of avalanches. The avalanche patrol insists on providing the skiers with avalanche beacons and on giving them shovel and a tester before the skiers leave on a route. Without them it is impossible to get on the elevator. Besides that, there is no possibility to rent equipment on the base of the resort; skilled skiers come here with their own equipment.

3. Grand Couloir, Courchevel, France

The well-known resort of Courchevel already became the talk of the town on news sites about the whims of the Russian oligarchs. And nevertheless the aim of going there is not only to get a cigarette lighted from 500 euro denominations and to squander brilliants. From the elevator station La Saulire starts the most difficult part of descent in the Big Couloir. If it hasn’t snowed for a week or two, the several first turns can be considered as a survival test, but further the route extends and the second half of the descent does not require any extreme skills.

4. Corbet’s Couloir, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, USA

Corbet’s Couloir is the descent, which skilled skiers and snowboarders should overcome at least once a life. The new elevator on the mountain Rendezvous will get any beginner here. Many go for a ride here – to the top point and downwards – on the elevator for several times, before they dare to undertake a reckless descent. However, the slope itself, the angle of which does not exceed 40 degrees at 15-metre width, is not too terrifying. The main thing is to overcome yourself and jump at the very beginning of descent. There are two ways either to jump at the left, then having flown by 3-4 meters to displace weight forward and to join the sharp turn, passing by the big rock, or to make a six-meter jump over the rocks.

5. Backside of the Valluga, St. Anton, Austria

To appear top of the most extreme ski zone of Austria is possible, only having passed the qualification test. The slope has a small angle of inclination and is usually covered with a fine snow, however the comfort of descent is deceptive – after all it ends with an abyss. It is enough to miss the left turn because of fear or inexperience and the adventure will end on the rocks – with 700 meters lower the slope.

6. Tortin, Verbier, Switzerland

The sensory acuity here depends on the condition of a route and the height of a snow cover. When there is much snow, the extremeness of descent may not be noticed. However when the slope is smoothed out, the farther skier flies, the higher are the hillocks and more terrifying is the descent. If the route is smoothed out to an ice condition, its passing turns to a deadly attraction.

First Impressions of Florence

Dome of the Florence Cathedral

Rome’s heyday was back in the days of emperors and gladiators. While many of the current structures in Rome were constructed around the time of the Renaissance, most of that talent and money to create those structures came not from Rome but from the north of Italy, in particular Florence. While Florence’s history does trace back to the Romans, it earned its place on the map as the center of the Renaissance. This is the city of Michelangelo, Galileo, Dante, Machiavelli, the Medici Family, and hundreds of other artists. Compared to Rome, Florence is a relatively modern city.

The moment I got off the train I was able to sense a difference between Florence and Rome. Florence is much smaller. The pace here seems slower. The people and the stores seem a bit more…..classy. There isn’t as much graffitti. While it clearly makes a living off of tourism, it doesn’t seem nearly as overrun with tourists as Rome.

Putting the 'art' back into street art

After finding a place to stay, as is my normal routine when I arrive in a new city, I set off with my pocket camera to get a feel for the place. While I was able to walk to most of the attractions in Rome, it would often take a while and at the end of the day my feet would be killing me. Walking around Florence is easy. You can get to all the major attractions in just a few minutes time. While there is car traffic, you get a feel that the city hasn’t changed all that much in the last several hundred years.

The biggest feature of the city is the Florence Cathedral. Its reddish/orange dome dominates the city skyline. It is said to be the 3rd largest church in the world after St. Peter’s in Rome and St. Paul’s in London. It is however much older than either of those churches with construction having begun in the 13th century, as opposed to the 16th and 17th century for St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s. The interior is downright bland compared to any of the major basilicas in Rome. Given how many artists came out of Florence, I expected it to be filled with art. The most notable artwork in the building is the painting on the dome which shows a scene from the last judgment.

Rub the snout for luck

From there it was a quick walk to the Piazza della Signoria where you really get the feel of being in a Renaissance city. The clock tower, the coats of arms and the sculptures, including a replica of David, thrust you back into the 16th century. Even though I’m a big fan of ancient Roman history, I got a bigger thrill being here than I did anywhere in Rome.

A few blocks further and I was at the New Market where they have the famous bronze statue of the pig. You can rub his snout for good luck, which given how shiny it is compared the rest of the body, it gets rubbed quite a bit.

There are two food items I was told to try while I was in Florence: Florentine steak and gelato. I’d had plenty of gelato in Rome and elsewhere, so I didn’t think it could be all that different in Florence, and it isn’t. The only thing I noticed is that the gelaterias have giant mounds of the stuff which look like something Richard Dreyfuss would have built in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. I did order and eat a Florentine steak, which I learned is just another word for “porterhouse”. Nonetheless, it was one of the better steaks I’ve ever had and it was HUGE. I’m now sort of curious to find out how a steak became associated with the city.

Tomorrow I’ll be seeing the sites properly with more time and taking photos. The next few days I plan on taking day trips to Pisa and Sienna. From there I’ll figure out how to get to San Marino and then Venice. My first impression of Florence are very positive. I can see why so many people have fallen in love with the city and have been so vocal about it on Twitter.

The Big Mac(Donald’s) Update

McDonald’s in Okinawa

Since I last did a McDonald’s update, I’ve gained a lot of readers. For those who are new, I try to eat at a McDonald’s restaurant in every country I visit. McDonald’s in every country are just a little bit different as they adjust the menu to fit local tastes. Eating at McDonald’s is an attempt to try and see how each country is different through the lens of something which is very familiar. I do not usually go out of my way to eat fast food, but I do eat at least this one meal at each place.

My last update was in Taiwan, so I have Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong/Macau to fill everyone in on . Brunei didn’t have a McDonald’s that I could see (but they did have Pizza Hut and Jollibee’s) and I’ll wait till I pass through KL to talk about Malaysia.

Japan

You think Japan you think seafood. It should come as no surprise that Japan’s contribution to the global McDonald’s menu should come from the sea. They have given us the Fliet-o-Ebi, or the shrimp sandwich. What was interesting was that the Japanese McDonald’s all had cheaper seafood sandwiches than beef sandwiches. This is opposite (outside of Lent) as it is almost anywhere else. The filet-o-fish was the cheapest thing on the menu and the Quarter Pounder was the most expensive.

McD’s in Geyongju, South Korea

I had a helluva time finding Diet Coke in Japan and South Korea. I guess they aren’t that fat so don’t feel the need to drink diet coke that often. I’d usually get a Grape Fanta when I ate in Japan.

In the Asian McDonald’s I’ve visited (except for Hong Kong) they had a very clever system for getting rid of your garbage. Each garbage bin had a drain attached for dumping your ice and extra beverages. You were then expected to stack your cups. Also, hard plastic like forks, drink tops and straws were usually put in a separate bin. It was very efficient. Very Japanese. The drain on the garbage is one of those simple ideas that really should be adapted everywhere. It reduces the weight and potential mess of the garbage by removing the liquids from the bag. It also reduces the volume by stacking the cups. It would be very simple to implement and I think everyone would use it immediately.

South Korea

South Korea has one of the more boring menus I’ve seen so far. The only really unique thing I saw was the pumpkin pie, which sounds like something that is probably on the menu in North America in the fall, but I don’t recall ever actually seeing it.

Lots of McDonald’s in Hong Kong

The one thing which sets South Korean McDonald’s apart from Japan was something you could see all over the country: space. Most of the Japanese McDonald’s I saw were very crowded. Many had spaces for eating while standing up against the wall. There were very few booths or large tables. This is sort of a reflection of everything in Japan. Everything is tiny and crowded.

In South Korea, even though the country has a higher population density than Japan, you don’t see the same amount of crowding. I noticed this the moment I arrived in Busan. The apartments were bigger, almost American sized. Likewise, the McDonald’s were more roomy and less seafood oriented. Even though South Korea is heavily into pork, I didn’t see a lot of pork on the menu.

They also had corn soup on the menu, which is something I also saw in other Asian countries. I don’t get why corn is so popular. It certainly isn’t a traditional Asian food.

Hong Kong/Macau

There is a McDonald’s smack in the middle of the historic area of Macau.

I noticed that Hong Kong and Taipei had way more fast food restaurants than I saw anywhere in Japan and South Korea. You’d see them around in Seoul and Tokyo, but not in the same degree as in Taipei or Hong Kong. I have no clue if it is a Chinese thing.

That being said, the two places I’ve eaten the most fast food were in Taipei and Hong Kong. I think that is more a function of me staying there far longer than I had originally planned, having a screwed up sleep schedule, and McDonald’s being open 24/7. If you recall from my report on Taipei, they had great fried chicken. The Hong Kong chicken wings were also really good. Probably not very good for me, but they taste good. The only unique thing I saw was the Prosperity burger, which was available in beef and pork. I think it might have been a seasonal thing like the Shamrock Shake, but for Chinese New Year. I also saw the Prosperity Burger in Malaysian Borneo, which has a sizable Chinese population.

I plan on doing a special McDonald’s update from Bali. From what I’ve heard, the menu is very different there.

8 Things You Might Not Have Known About Quebec

I’m currently in Montreal after having spent the last several days visiting Toronto and Ottawa by train (The Canadian passenger rail company VIA Rail is instituting a new wifi service so I and several other bloggers were invited to try it out.) I’ll be heading to Quebec City later today and I figured it would be a good time to do another installment of “8 Things You Might Not Have Known..”

1. Quebec is Canada’s largest province by area. At over 1,500,000 sq/km it is almost 50% larger than Ontario and only slightly smaller than Alaska. It is not as large as the Canadian territory of Nunavut which is over 2,000,000 sq/km in size. Nunavut is not a province, however.
2. It has the oldest English language newspaper in North America. Despite being a French speaking province, Quebec City is home to the Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph, an English language newspaper. It was founded in 1764, making it the oldest surviving newspaper and English newspaper, in North America.
3. America once invaded Quebec. The Battle of Chateauguay took place on October 26, 1813 during the War of 1812. 4,000 Americans attempted to take Montreal but were repulsed by 1,630 French Canadians. If the Americans had been successful, all subsequent North American history would have been different and there might not even be a Canada today.
4. The Appalachian Mountains run through Quebec. The mountain range keeps going after it hits the border and extends through Quebec all the way up to Labrador. I don’t think the Quebecois have their own version of hillbillies, however.
5. Quebec was the scene of many terrorism acts in the 60′s and 70′s. The Front de libération du Québec (FLQ) was a Quebec separtist organization which committed several political murders and bombings.
6. It took 30 years to finish the 1976 Olympics. The 1976 Olympics were held in Montreal and the city took on a huge debt to finance the games. The mayor of Montreal famously said “the Olympics can no more have a deficit than a man can have a baby”. Well, men started having babies when the bonds to pay for the Olympics weren’t finally paid off until 2006.
7. Olympic Stadium is largest inclined tower in the world. The stadium built fo the ’76 Olympics is unique in many ways. The tower, which supports the fabric dome roof of the stadium, is the largest inclined tower in the world (574 ft). The building wasn’t completed in time for the 1976 Olympics and ended up costing over $1.6b. Today the stadium has no permanent tenant since the Expos left for Washington. There have been calls to demolish the stadium because it has so many structural problems, but because it sits on top of a subway line, demolition would cost an additional $700m. This is why it is known as the “Big O” (as in owe).
8. The Montreal Canadiens are the most storied team in NHL history. The Canadiens were one of the original teams of the National Hockey Association in 1909. They have won the Stanley Cup 24 times and were the fist team in NHL history to win 3,000 games.