Michael W. of NY, USA

4. Featured Traveller 
(United States of America)

MichaelW Travels

Special Educator

Brooklyn, New York, USA

"Never stop Exploring"

Michael is a travel addict who loves exploring the world and finding great deals to get him to the places he visits.  He loves learning about foreign cultures, interacting with locals, checking out architecture, seeing animals in their natural habitat, trying local foods and taking photos along the way!

He is an active person, always on the move. I am not surprised  as he does like to run, workout, bike ride, watch baseball games....and travel.  

Ayuthaya THAILAND

He has travelled to at least 49 countries and still has India, mainland China, Sri Lanka, Laos, Burma, Argentina, Ecuador, Mauritius, Balkan countries, and more of Africa on his list of future travels.  He tends to love all the places that he has visited for different reasons, but does not intend to go back to these countries as he believes there are too many other places in the world to see.  

To have a place to post his photos, talk about travel & travel deals, he created the blog MichaelWTravels http://michaelwtravels.blogspot.com/ to highlight the details of his journeys. To our fellow travellers, I have the pleasure of introducing a friend from Brooklyn, New York, Michael W.  

And this is Michael's travel story.....

Budapest HUNGARY

I used to say that I would love to visit every country in the world, but that's not a realistic goal.  My goal for now is to visit at least 100 countries!  When I am on a journey, I prefer to get around by walking and using public transportation. I like taking public buses and trains with the locals. Taxis can be very expensive and not much quicker than public transportation.  I really love Tuk-Tuks,  a small passenger vehicle that resembles a three-wheeled motorcycle with a metal or canvas frame used in many countries around the world. I even paid to get to drive one around a town on Lake Atitlan, Guatemala with my wife and the driver in the backseat.  

A little adventure is always fun when visiting new places.  Things that I have done in some countries that I find exciting are....

• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ~ Canopy tour in the Tijuaca Forest
• Auckland, New Zealand ~ Harbour Bridge Climb
• Waitomo, New Zealand ~ Caving trip to Tumu Tumu Toobing
• Auckland, New Zealand ~ Canyoning and Abseiling in the Waitakere Ranges
• El Valle de Anton, Panama ~ Canopy Adventure Zipline Tour
• False Bay, South Africa ~ Great White Shark Cage Diving 
• Amazon River, Colombia ~ Piranha Fishing
• Bwindi Impenetrable Forest N.P., Uganda ~ Gorilla Trekking
• Jinja, Uganda ~ White Water Rafting on the White Nile
• Torres Del Paine N.P., Chile ~ Hiking in Chilean Patagonia

Jumping in Petra JORDAN

Jumping in Pictures ~ It's a lot of fun to take and you definitely end up with some interesting shots.  I started jumping a few years back when asked if a picture I posted on Virtual Tourist could be used for a collection being made of jumping pics. My good friend Norman, who is now popularly known as 'JumpingNorman' has a massive collection of jumping pictures.  Some he takes but most are sent to him from travellers living all over the world. After checking out some of his pictures, I thought it would be fun to start jumping, mainly when travelling.  You may send your jumping pictures too and let's jump together with JumpingNorman right here! 

While away from home, it is nice to eat somewhere familiar.  McDonalds' menus in each country vary which is pretty interesting.  I was impressed with the Maori wood carving decoration in McDonalds-Rotorua, New Zealand.  

Traditional Hat in Vienna AUSTRIA

The souvenir that I always try to buy in every country is a shot glass.  I was surprised that I did not find this in Thailand as you can buy almost anything possible among the street vendors and shopping malls. I also collect hats from around the world.  While shopping for a hat in Vienna, I was interviewed by a reporter and then quoted and had my picture in the local newspaper.

When travelling, I always look for different experiences that I can have interacting with animals.  It can be as simple as visiting a zoo, feeding a stray dog or taking a picture with someone's pet.  There are a few things that really stand out....

• Sydney, Australia ~ Featherdale Wildlife Park.  The highlight was getting to feed kangaroos, wallabies and emus
• Chiang-Mai, Thailand ~ The Elephant Conservation Centre. There is nothing like feeding an elephant or bathing one in a river.  The money you spend here goes to a great cause - all of the elephants living here were rescued from various abusive conditions.  
• Stellenbosch, South Africa ~ Cheetah Outreach - My wife and I got to interact with a king cheetah. What an amazing animal!
• Crystal River, Florida ~ The only place in the world where it is legal to swim with manatees. This was a unique and unforgettable experience
• African Safaris ~ Amazing experiences and wildlife spotting in Namibia, Kenya & Uganda

  

  Snorkeling with Manatees in Florida USA

  
  

When people tell me I am so lucky to travel so much, I tell them that they can do it too, and ask what is holding them back?  Here are a few tips that I would give to anyone interested in planning a trip....

• Do your research ~ Don't buy a guidebook and assume you are prepared. Read travel tips online and post questions to travel forums
• Invest in a compressible pillow ~ Sleep is essential when travelling and you don't want an uncomfortable pillow in a hotel that will keep you awake all night
• Buy a couple of convertible, zip-off pants as it will save you room in your backpack and come handy for varying weather
• Remember,  a trip is an investment in your time and money; have an idea of what you want to see and do to make your trip a success

 Some of the countries I have visited are......

Hungarian Folk Ensemble - Budapest HUNGARY

USA ~ Canada ~ Mexico ~ Guatemala ~ Honduras ~Panama ~Brazil ~Chile ~Colombia ~ Easter Island ~ Peru ~England ~ Scotland ~ Austria ~ Belgium ~ Czech Republic ~ Denmark ~ Estonia ~  Finland ~France ~ Germany ~ Hungary  ~ Italy ~ Latvia ~  Lithuania ~ Luxembourg ~ Netherlands ~ San Marino ~ Slovakia ~ Spain ~ Sweden ~ Turkey ~ Vatican City ~ Cambodia ~ Hong Kong ~ Macau ~ Thailand ~ Vietnam ~ Egypt ~ Kenya ~ Namibia ~ South Africa ~ Uganda ~ Israel ~ Jordan ~ United Arab Emirates ~ Australia ~ French Poynesia ~ New Zealand ~ Antigua & Barbuda ~ Bahamas ~ Netherlands ~ Antilles ~ Puerto Rico ~ Saint Maarten ~ Virgin Islands

 

There you go fellow travellers!  If you have not been to some countries mentioned above, visit MichaelW Travels. Make plans and get some tips, good deals, and interesting stories. 

Are you a traveller who would like to share your travel story with our blog and our readers?  Then, I'd love to hear from you!

Please email me at fromatravellersdesk@gmail.com

Related Blogs:
Featured Traveller #1 Norman from Arizona USA
Featured Traveller #2 Macit from Istanbul TURKEY
Featured Traveller #3 Aida from Manila PHILIPPINES
Featured Traveller #5 Marie from Sydney AUSTRALIA
Featured Traveller #6 ChrisKo from Vienna AUSTRIA 
Featured Traveller #7 Jeff from Winnipeg Manitoba CANADA  
Featured Traveller #8 Noreen from Cologne GERMANY
Featured Traveller #9 Armie from Manila PHILIPPINES
Featured Traveller #10 Nelieta from Cordoba ARGENTINA
Featured Traveller #11 Bojo from Quezon City PHILIPPINES 
Featured Traveller #12 Esmat from Kabul AGHANISTAN
Featured Traveller #13 Cris from Valenzuela City PHILIPPINES
Featured Traveller #14 Jeroen from Hoogeveen The NETHERLANDS
Featured Traveller #15 Angel from Iloilo City PHILIPPINES
Featured Traveller #16 Zara from Kuala Lumpur MALAYSIA
Featured Traveller #17 Kwan from Bangkok THAILAND
Featured Traveller #18 Jørn Eriksson from Oslo NORWAY
Featured Traveller #19 Cecille from Glasgow SCOTLAND
Featured Traveller #20 Marysia from Warsaw POLAND
Featured Traveller #21 Sharon from Geneva SWITZERLAND        
Featured Traveller #22 Wesam from Baghdad IRAQ
Featured Traveller #23 MoeAmine from Algiers ALGERIA
Featured Traveller #24 Ruxandra Ioana from Brussels BELGIUM
Featured Traveller #25 Darwin from Rizal PHILIPPINES
Featured Travellers #26 HiOporto from Oporto PORTUGAL
Featured Traveller #27 Drew from Seoul SOUTH KOREA
Featured Traveller #28 Steven from Lowestoft ENGLAND
Featured Traveller #29 Anje from Knysna SOUTH AFRICA

Featured Traveller #30 MichaelJ from California USA

Featured Traveller #31 Phebe from Singapore City SINGAPORE

Featured Traveller #32 Brad from Georgia USA

Featured Traveller #33 Antonis from Athens GREECE

Featured Traveller #34 Julio from California USA

Featured Traveller #35 Himanshu from New Delhi INDIA

Featured Traveller #36 Jessica from Oregon USA

Featured Traveller #37 Michael Angelo from Cavite PHILIPPINES

Featured Traveller #38 Omar from Casablanca MOROCCO

Featured Traveller #39 Keith from Singapore SINGAPORE

Featured Traveller #40 Kellen from Shanghai CHINA

Featured Traveller #41 Hanne from Cochabamba BOLIVIA

Watch for these blogs! 
They all have been travelling for many years and I can guarantee that all of them have travel tips that all of us can learn and benefit from.  I have to thank all other fellow travellers who have responded to my invite.  I will definitely publish your stories as soon as I have completed the details.

Aida of Manila, PHILIPPINES

3. Featured Traveller 
(Philippines) 

Aida Gregorio

Project Manager - Event Management

Manila, Philippines

"Friendship is like Water: it seeks its own level" 

We are lucky to have Adelaida (popularly known as Aida) as part of our Featured Travellers.  A busy woman as she is but still find time for local and international travel.  She had been to Asian countries like Hongkong, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, China, and Macau - and to European countries: Austria, Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy, and Vatican City.  As to her wishlist, she plans to visit Spain and Portugal in the near future.  Aida want to share some travel tips with our fellow travellers:  "Don't compare and don't convert.  Each place has its own character and I consider it disrespectful, particularly to its people, to compare one to another.  They can never be equal. One will stand out or one will fall short of the other.  Same is true for money matters.  The value of a currency varies from one country to another. Once you start converting a foreign price to your own home currency, either you'd end up buying a lot or none at all", she says.  Aida has some interesting information about her city, its culture and cuisine.  She wants to call
her story, "My Manila"
    
I was born and raised in a suburb of Manila which is home to the world famous (and feared) Balut.  My hometown, Pateros is a small municipality that was once a part of the province of Rizal.  Probably due to its geographical location, Pateros along with 13 other municipalities and 4 cities formed part of the greater Metro Manila in the mid 70's.  But while all the other municipalities have all been upgraded into cities, Pateros has remained (and I believe will forever remain) a municipality. Well, I am not complaining, after all, we get to enjoy "cityhood" benefits without having to pay exorbitant real property tax.

To the outside world, it seems that there are only 2 words that easily come to mind to describe Manila: sunset and traffic (and not necessarily in that order).  Yes, Manila has one of the world's horrendous traffic owing to the assortment of transport options --- from the horse-driven carriage called Kalesa, the manually pedalled pedicab, to the motorized tricycle and the iconic colourful jeepney.  Add them to the flying buses, cars, cabs, vans and the more than a million commuters, you will really find yourself in a parking lot in the middle of its 12-lane highway.

No wonder a lot of people look at Manila only as a transit point, which is really a pity as there's a lot more to Manila than this chaos. I always say that the City of Manila has 3 C's waiting to be discovered --- Culture, Cuisine, and Chaos.  Well,we're done with the latter, so let's start exploring the others.....on foot.

Binondo Manila

Binondo:
It's known as the "wholesale" capital with the presence of Divisoria, a big textile market where your haggling skills (coupled with charm and intimidation) will be put to the test.  A purchase is considered a success if you were able to get an item at half the published price.  Aside from textile, Divisoria is also the cheapest source of clothes, novelty items, foodstuff, snack items, and other knick-knacks.  Just a caution though, dress down and don't bring valuables when you decide to go shopping here.  And avoid it like a plague during Christmas season (read: November to December).  Otherwise, you'll literally be moved from your spot by the throng of people.

Also, within Binondo is Manila's chinatown which is a foodie's delight.  From baked goodies to street food to lauriat, you'll find them here.  In fact, one tour that is gaining popularity is a walking culinary tour of Chinatown.  But if you want to do it on your own, look for Eng Bee Tin.  It's a purple-themed Chinese bakery that sells hopia, tikoy, mooncake, among others.  And when I say purple-themed, it's because the entire store including shelves, chairs, tables, staff uniforms are colour purple. It even sells ube (purple yam) flavoured hopia.

Manila Cathedral - Intramuros, Manila

Intramuros:
It is Manila's version of Berlin Wall.  But unlike the latter, nobody dare remove Intramuros' walls.  Fact is, a commission was created to preserve and restore the walls including the buildings within the walls.  And when a local is asked for must see's in the city, Intramuros is the top-of-mind reply.

The walls is best seen on foot (though there are kalesa's for hire) in the afternoon.  Start at the Manila Cathedral, the country's seat of Catholic religion.  Then on to San Agustin Church and Father Blanco's Garden.  Across the cobblestone street is Casa Manila museum.  Down the road are old buildings that house government offices, universities and fine-dining restaurants. Don't be surprised too when you come face-to-face with life-size statues as you round a corner.  This is part of the plans to re-enact the walls' rich and tumultuous past. And as you round up your tour, crossover to Fort Santiago, once served as a prison of our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal.  Honestly, I have been to Intramuros several times, but have not totally explored it as a half day was not enough.
 

Rizal Park - Manila

Rizal Park:

Just outside Intramuros is an open park called Rizal Park, named after the national hero as this is where he was executed by firing squad.  A monument was erected in his honor and close to it is the "zero" kilometre marker where all distance measurements in the entire archipelago start.  At the west end of the park is the Quirino Grandstand where official parades were used to be held.

Manila Bay - Manila

Manila Bay Sunset: 
A trip to Manila will not be complete without seeing the famous Manila Bay sunset.  The reflection of the setting sun on the waters of Manila Bay is really soothing.  (Just ignore the smell of garbage and the nude kids swimming on the bay).

Manila is a melting pot, not only of people but, of food as well.  While Manila can’t lay claim to a specific dish, there’s a lot of must-eat food in the city which were mostly a “synergy” of Chinese, Spanish, and Malay cuisine.   But for this blog, I’ll name the ones that will challenge your palate and your “heart”.

Filipino Bread and Patries in Manila

Street Foods: 
Can you imagine yourself eating betamax, adidas, helmet, IUD?  How about those tongue-twisting Tokneneng and Kwek-kwek?  Well these “brand” names are products of Filipino ingenuity.  Betamax is grilled pig’s blood cut into small squares; Adidas is grilled chicken feet; Helmet is grilled chicken head; IUD is grilled chicken intestines; Tokneneng and Kwek-kwek are both breaded eggs, the difference lies on the size --- tokneneng is breaded quail egg while kwek-kwek is breaded chicken egg.  Of course, there are the more tamed ones like fishballs, squidballs, shark’s fin.  And don’t forget the formidable Balut – boiled duck’s embryo.  A trip to the Philippines won’t be complete without trying this delicacy.
 

Fruit Stalls in the Street of Manila

For more serious eating, there’s the famous adobo, dinuguan, kare-kare, lechon, bulalo, crispy pata, sisig and sinigang to name a few.  Adobo is pork/chicken stewed in vinegar;  Dinuguan is called chocolate soup (but that’s for sugar coating only, in reality, it’s pig’s intestines cooked in pig’s blood); Kare-kare is ox tail cooked in peanut sauce and best eaten with fish/shrimp paste as dip; Bulalo is beef bone marrow soup; Crispy pata is deep-fried knuckles; Sisig is sizzling chopped pig’s ears; and Sinigang is sour soup.

 

Halo-Halo

 Dessert:
As you may find out, Filipinos have a sweet tooth and a meal is not complete without a sweet dessert. There’s the dirty ice cream.  Not much difference from your regular ice cream except it is sold by a “sorbetero” (food loose ice cream vendor) pushing his cart.   It comes in various flavours and colours --- violet for ube, yellow for mango or cheese, green for avocado, brown for chocolate; name it, the sorbetero has it.  Other  popular desserts are Ube Halaya (purple yam) and Leche Flan (custard cake).  
 

Banana Cue

 Snacks:

And Filipinos love to eat, almost 5 times a day excluding midnight snack. The year-round popular “merienda” is Halo-Halo.  It is shaved ice with milk topped with various nuts, preserved fruits, halaya, leche flan and a scoop of ice cream.  Then there’s Banana Cue (fried banana), Camote Cue (fried sweet potato), Turon (fried banana wrapped in lumpia wrapper), Buchi (deep fried dough with mungbean filling).

The list can go on and on… you really have to come to Manila to experience this gastronomic treat!

Some Facts About Manila, the Philippines 

• Manila:  Capital of the Philippines
• Language: Tagalog
  
• Season: Wet season (June to November ) & Dry season (late November to May
  
• Population: As of Year 2007 (1,660,714)
  
• Land Area: 38.55 square kilometres
  
• Situated in: Located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east,Makati on the southeast, and Pasay City to the south
  
• Recommended Manila Tourist Attractions:  San Agustin Church, University of Santo Tomas, National Museum of the Philippines, Manila Cathedral, Fort Santiago, Chinatown, Roxas Boulevard, Santo Domingo Church, Tagaytay, University of the Philippines, Quiapo Church, Rockwell Centre, Malate Church, Luneta Park, Manila Bay, Manila City Hall, Casa Manila Museum, Old Congress Building, Greenbelt Park, Intramuros, Ayala Triangle Gardens, Rizal Shrine

* * * * *

Are you a traveller who would like to share your travel story with our blog and our readers?  Then, I'd love to hear from you! 
Please email me at fromatravellersdesk@gmail.com

Related Blogs:

Featured Traveller #1 Norman from Arizona USA

Featured Traveller #2 Macit from Istanbul TURKEY

Featured Traveller #4 MichaelW from New York, USA

Featured Traveller #5 Marie from Sydney AUSTRALIA 

Featured Traveller #6 ChrisKo from Vienna AUSTRIA  

Featured Traveller #7 Jeff from Winnipeg Manitoba CANADA

Featured Traveller #8 Noreen from Cologne GERMANY 

Featured Traveller #9 Armie from Manila PHILIPPINES 

Featured Traveller #10 Nelieta from Cordoba ARGENTINA 

Featured Traveller #11 Bojo from Quezon City PHILIPPINES 

Featured Traveller #12 Esmat from Kabul AGHANISTAN

Featured Traveller #13 Cris from Valenzuela City PHILIPPINES

Featured Traveller #14 Jeroen from Hoogeveen The NETHERLANDS

Featured Traveller #15 Angel from Iloilo City PHILIPPINES

Featured Traveller #16 Zara from Kuala Lumpur MALAYSIA

Featured Traveller #17 Kwan from Bangkok THAILAND

Featured Traveller #18 Jørn Eriksson from Oslo NORWAY 

Featured Traveller #19 Cecille from Glasgow SCOTLAND

Featured Traveller #20 Marysia from Warsaw POLAND

Featured Traveller #21 Sharon from Geneva SWITZERLAND       

Featured Traveller #22 Wesam from Baghdad IRAQ

Featured Traveller #23 MoeAmine from Algiers ALGERIA

Featured Traveller #24 Ruxandra Ioana from Brussels BELGIUM

Featured Traveller #25 Darwin from Rizal PHILIPPINES

Featured Travellers #26 HiOporto from Oporto PORTUGAL

Featured Traveller #27 Drew from Seoul SOUTH KOREA

Featured Traveller #28 Steven from Lowestoft ENGLAND

Featured Traveller #29 Anje from Knysna SOUTH AFRICA 

Featured Traveller #30 MichaelJ from California USA

Featured Traveller #31 Phebe from Singapore City SINGAPORE

Featured Traveller #32 Brad from Georgia USA

Featured Traveller #33 Antonis from Athens GREECE

Featured Traveller #34 Julio from California USA

Featured Traveller #35 Himanshu from New Delhi INDIA

Featured Traveller #36 Jessica from Oregon USA

Featured Traveller #37 Michael Angelo from Cavite PHILIPPINES

Featured Traveller #38 Omar from Casablanca MOROCCO

Featured Traveller #39 Keith from Singapore SINGAPORE

Featured Traveller #40 Kellen from Shanghai CHINA

Featured Traveller #41 Hanne from Cochabamba BOLIVIA

Watch for these blogs! 

They all have been travelling for many years and I can guarantee that all of them have travel tips that all of us can learn and benefit from.  I have to thank all other fellow travellers who have responded to my invite.  I will definitely publish your stories as soon as I have completed the details.

Sweet Oberrohrdorf

View of the Alps from Oberrohrdorf

I was in Baden in the village of Oberrohrdorf very recently and it became my base on my journey to a couple of places in Switzerland.  It was so sweet, not only the hosts of this long-awaited tour of the country, but also the ambiance and the view right from the bedroom window where I was comfortably accommodated. Emotions exist from the time we were picked up at the Zurich International Airport until we reached the home with a big Canadian flag hoisted in front of their house.  The couple raised the flag in our honour and they said they want their neighbours and friends to know that this is the home where Canadian guests are being welcomed.