Little Rock, AR

Arkansas State Capitol

After a quick layover in Atlanta, we flew into Little Rock and drove to the State Capitol to see the monuments.

Since our first stop, the back door of the State Capitol, was locked, we toured the grounds first. In the humid 95-degree weather, we drove from monument to monument instead of taking the usual walking tour. We stopped by:

• a replica of the American Revolution Bicentennial bell, one of 50 distributed to the States in 1950 after a Liberty Fund drive;
• the Justice Building;
• the Law Enforcement Officers' memorial, a shrine to men & women who have lost their lives in the line of duty (below);
• the Vietnam Veterans memorial, which bears the names of 400+ fallen Arkansans (below),
• the Medal of Honor memorial, honoring 25 Arkansans who received congressional medals for serving in conflicts from the Civil War to Vietnam;
  
• the War of 1812 memorial fountain;
• the Eternal Flame, which remembers the founders of the American Legion;
  
• the monument to Confederate Women;
  
• the monument to Confederate Soldiers; and
• "Testament," statues of the Little Rock Nine, who face the Governor's office as if in perpetual appeal to former Governor Orval Faubus where he signed the order that sent the National Guard to bar them entry and oppose federally-mandated integration. (See Little Rock Central High School below for more info.)
  

The bronze front doors of the Capitol building - purchased in 1910 from Tiffany's in New York for $10,000 - being permanently closed to public entry, we at last entered the Arkansas State Capitol (above) through the front tunnel entrance. Outside, the top of the capitol building dome is covered with gold leaf. Inside, it's brilliantly painted, while a rotunda chandelier from the Mitchell-Vance Company of New York - 18 feet high and measuring 24 feet in diameter - hangs in all its brass, copper, zinc, iron and glass glory.

In the rotunda to which the front doors would allow entry, are portraits of governors past, including one of a young Bill Clinton. In the north side of the building is the House Chamber; in the south, the Senate Chamber. Each are flanked by potraits of the current legislative bodies, as well as those back to the early 1900's.

Clinton Presidential Library
(More to come.)

Little Rock Central HS

While the high school is still in operation today, the Visitor Center across the street is accessible to visitors without appointments. The building which formerly housed the Center, an old Mobil gas station is currently being fitted for an education center. The newly fitted Visitor's Center is a font of information, telling the story of the federally-mandated & enforced integration of Central High School through exhibits & multimedia interviews with politicians, news reporters, the general citizenry of Little Rock, and, of course, the Little Rock Nine themselves.



Some background on the integration crisis...

After the 1954 Supreme Court decision that outlawed segregation in public education (Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka), the Little Rock School District planned "gradual integration that would begin at Central HS in 1957." Volunteers were recruited from Horace Mann HS, and - even though they would be attending top-ranking Central HS, which "had so many more courses, and dramatics and speech and tennis courts and a big, beautiful stadium" (Minnijean Brown, one of the Little Rock Nine) - they were warned:

"...you're not going to be able to go to football games or basketball games.. You're not going to be able to participate in the choir or drama club, or be on the track team. You can't go to the prom." (Carlotta Walls LaNier)

Their parents were threatened with job loss and harrassment. And on September 3, 1957, the first day of school for Central HS, after then-governor Orval Faubus promised to call out the Arkansas National Guard to "maintain and restore order," the Little Rock Nine were barred from the school by the Guard.

"I thought [Faubus] was there to protect me. How wrong I was." (Thelma Mothershed Wair)

The Nine had planned to meet at the school to enter together, but when Elizabeth Eckford arrived alone on another corner, she was surrounded by newspaper reporters & an angry, screaming white mob.

For more history & context, National Parks Service has a great resource page.

River Market

We headed over to the River Market, next to Riverfront Park and adjacent to the Arkansas River. Here, we were able to cross a pedestrian bridge, and discovered skateboarders and a handful of restaurants and shops that created a lovely - if deliberate - "Main Street" vibe. Another sign of gentrification: the pavillions & plazas in the park are currently all available for rent for a song!

After walking around, we were delighted to find a restaurant called Flying Fish, where could gorge ourselves on crab legs, catfish, shrimp, calamari and all the usual trimmings amidst a wall of adopted singing fish. It was truly a you-had-to-be-there moment.

Crater of Diamonds State Park

The next day, we drove 2.5 hours to Murfreesboro, home of Crater of Diamonds State Park, the ONLY public diamond mine in the world. 37.5 acres of plowed field, the Crater of Diamonds is home to rocks and minerals, such as amethyst, jasper (I know I found some!), peridot, garnet, quartz, and, of course, diamonds. Buying trowels & renting (with a deposit) screens to sift through the soil, we spent about 5 hours in the sun, by turns admiring the motivational mini-monuments where miners before us found 40-carat diamonds and the like.

The on-site restaurant, the Kimberlite Cafe, is only open during the summer season, and was manned by a handful of local teenage girls who were pretty polite. The lunch specials were well-priced, even though they clearly had a monopoly on food in the general area.

Hot Springs, AR

On the way back to Little Rock, we decided to drive through Hot Springs to try out McClard's BBQ. Little did we know that the much-lauded restaurant is actually closed on Mondays. Our consolation prize? We got back to our hotel and ordered bottles of McClard's famous BBQ sauce to be delivered to our homes. As diner legend has it, in the late 1920's, a traveler who was unable to pay $10 for his 2-month stay in the former hotel instead offered the proprietors "the world's greatest barbeque sauce" recipe.

With a menu touted by the Food Network, the Travel Channel, Travelocity, Southern Living, and Playboy, McClard's is also on the list of "1,000 Places to See Before You Die" and "1,000 Things to Eat Before You Die." So if may add my two cents, even though we missed the dining experience, their sauce is truly delish on babyback ribs.

Riviera Maya, Mexico

Oh, Jetblue...

Fifteen minutes into Cancun, and my traveling companion has already been detained for sharing a name with a wanted man, and our only checked bag lost. Apparently, for flights from NYC to Cancun, JetBlue "doesn't send bags direct." According to our friendly baggage claim attendant here at the airport, at least. But not to worry, this half an hour delay only means that we've completely skipped out on the pandemonium of the security checkpoint at the exit. And yet the $30 Jetblue credit "for future use" sitting in my pocket does not comfort me. (More on that later in the post.) I just stood at the desk praying that our pre-booked airport transfer to the resort hadn't left us.

After we raced through the timeshare/tour package gauntlet that is the passageway between the customs desk and the exit to the Mexican sun, Tourex found us no more than two steps outside the sliding glass doors...after only three taxicabs attempt to solicit us, but not quick enough to help us shed a particularly persistent cabbie who wouldn't leave even after finding out that we'd prepaid for our ride to the resort.

While our knowledgeable driver drove us the 30-40 minutes to the Catalonia Puerto Aventuras resort, making two stops at other resorts to drop other passengers, we learn that the Quintana Roo region - the eastern part of the Yucatan peninsula - encompasses Cancún, Cozumel, la Isla Mujeres, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Juárez, and the ancient Maya ruins of Tulum, Tupak, and Xcaret.

Catalonia Puerto Aventuras, all-inclusive...and yet...

Upon check-in at Catalonia Puerto Aventuras, we are handed two Bellinis, and taken to our rooms. Even though I had a badly-sprained ankle, the best the front desk could do was a room on the ground floor (which required flights of stairs since everything was on the 2nd floor level). Also painful: the circuitous, strolling paths (which would have been great for night time strolling), and a resort map that was not entirely useful. Mostly, in that it was not indicative of actual walkways or paths, resulting in more ankle-bruising walks to nowhere. However, to drown out the pain of flights of stairs every time I left the room, we were constantly offered tequila. Sometimes jokingly. Maybe.

Not being big drinkers, we enjoyed the eating & snacking offered at this all-inclusive resort most. But it takes a bit of maneuvering. Here's why...

There are two buffet restaurants, one of which is closed for breakfast & lunch on alternate days. It's best to scope out which days once you arrive. There are four reservations-only restaurants on-site:

• Japanese (Mikado)
• Italian
• Mexican; and
• Steak (Bamboleo)

And go knowing that the resort's goal is to limit you to two dinner reservations per 4-night stay, and three reservations per 5-night stay. (According to the front desk anyway.) Plus, you have to trek down to a canopy on the far beach to find their dinner reservation table, so get reservations when you arrive pronto.

The breakfast selection at the buffett was extensive and healthy. The dinner selection, however, was just passable. We enjoyed our dinners at Bamboleo and Mikado much more. Especially when followed by dessert at the Creperie!

The resort also featured a four pools, beach & pool volleyball, and festive ping pong tournaments. Not to mention a complimentary taxi to the popular Playa del Carmen. What isn't included is snorkeling & kayaking, and of course, tipping the cleaning & waitstaff. The resort tour desk also arranges trips to Tulum and Mayan pyramids at Chichen Itza. If I may insert a plug for guest services here, they were above and beyond in helping badgering...I mean, following up with...JetBlue to deliver my lost luggage.

Redeeming JetBlue Credit
After losing the same bag going to Mexico (through Orlando International Airport) and flying home to New York direct, JetBlue seemed tho think that a credit of US$30 will cover any amount of time spent searching for lost luggage, and spinning your wheels at their desk or on the phone with customer service. What might have made the lost luggage chronicles slightly more palatable would have been if the credit could actually be used. Rather, the Jetblue representative at the sales desk (on the Mexican side), who helped upgrade us to a direct flight home, didn't know how to use it. It took another call to Jetblue in the US to manage a refund.

Denver, CO

Denver International Airport

We took the red-eye to Denver in uncomfortable, barely reclining seats courtesy of Frontier Airlines. Being spoiled by JetBlue, I was aghast at the pay-per-view TV, which I decidedly declined in favor of a book instead. And, in another instance of being eminently prepared, I noshed on snacks from home for the -hour trip.

While our landing at DIA was uneventful (just the way we like it), the airport was sight to behold. Perfectly mastering desert aesthetic, the interior of DIA was filled with tile floor decorations. Upon driving away from the airport, however, it looked vaguely like a series of brightly-lit circus tents...


U.S. Mint

One morning, we joined a free 1-hour tour at the Mint (on 320 West Colfax Avenue), which is definitely not a drop-by-on-a-whim kind of place to visit. Luckily, you can make reservations or wait for standby tickets. And come forewarned: No bags, cameras, phones, or water bottles are permitted entry. As we waited for the rest of our tour group to filter in, we were given two pennies - one printed, one blank - and learned that the ridges of our coins protect the face of the coin. (No word on the purpose of ridges on the side of a quarter though.) Most intriguingly, we learned that the mini "D" or "P" printed on each coin signifies the location of the mint from whence the coin comes ("D" for Denver, or west of Mississippi; "P" for Philadelphia, or east).


Colorado State Capitol Building

While we opted against the free 45-minute tour of the building (on Colfax Avenue & Lincoln Street), we did admire it from afar (also known as the quaint park across the street). Modeled after the Capitol building in D.C., the CO State Capitol Building was built in the Neoclassical style, with a gold dome that is covered with approximately 200 ounces of 24-karat gold in commemoration of the miners and pioneers of the Gold Rush who settled the state. What's most original about the Capitol Building is that all the materials that went into its construction can be found in Colorado, with the exception of brass and oak trimmings. Most notably, the entire known supply of the rare Colorado rose onyx, or Beulah red marble, is used for the wainscoting (or paneling) of this building.

Those who take the tour up to the OB deck - exactly 1 mile above sea level - can climb a winding 93-step stairway to the top of the Rotunda for a panoramic view of the city and the Rocky Mountains, where you can see from the Wyoming border, to Pikes Peak. Markers atop indicate the names of all visible peaks on the roughly 120-mile long mountain panorama. In fact, it's against state law to construct any building blocking the view of the mountains from the Capitol -- talk about human foresight.


Hiking Chautaqua Park

Visiting Denver, the outdoor-sy town that it is, we got into the vibe by hiking the Royal Arch Trail. (Which we chose whilst at Lookout Point, a stop on the road to the park that has a helpful map of which mountain is which.) At the base of the mountain, we encountered a wine tasting event sponsored by the Continental Divide Trail Alliance & Redwood Creek. To commemorate rock climbing pioneer Royal Robbins' 3rd Flatiron climb, they offered unsuspecting hikers these free posters, organic gorp, red & white wines, and a souvenir that not every hiker can boast - a mini climbing hook keychain. Not to be distracted by free wine, we forged our way up the terrain to pass "hiker's thumb."

Alas, staying behind with a friend who did not appreciate the thinner air as we climbed the steep, rocky trail, I was not to see the Royal Arch, a "20 ft rock arch that beautifully frames the Boulder valley to the southeast and massive Flatirons to the north."



LoDo

Because no visit is complete without a night on the town, we traversed Lower Downtown Historic District, meeting a truly diverse crowd. Age-wise, that is. We crawled through: the hip, young Theorie, the home of MTV's Real World: Denver; The Tavern, a sardine-can corner bar with a mixed-age crowd and doormen who definitely do not know or care what the official maximum capacity is; and LoDo's Bar & Grill, home of strong drinks & good vibes. But we called in an early night when all the bars in Denver apparently close at 2am.

Tea House
On our last morning, we visited Tea House for a champagne brunch. The tall windows, the gorgeously rich ,Indian-inspired decor, and their fabulous mimosas made a wonderful last impression of Denver.


On my next trip to Colorado, I'd love to visit the spot where Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico converge. Just so I could say that I'd been in four states at once.

As for Denver, I'd definitely make reservations for the Flagstaff restaurant, not to mention drop by for an author signing at the largest independent bookstore in the U.S. - Tattered Cover.

All destinations for another trip!

Washington, D.C.

Getting there

After a nauseating 4-hour ride on an Apex bus that we boarded on East Broadway, we arrived in Washington, D.C.'s much smaller Chinatown & began our 10-minute walk to the Harrington Hotel on 11th Street, NW. Why, you ask, is it designated "NW"? The District is divided into quadrants, at the center of which is the U.S. Capitol Building, the seat of Congress, our legislative branch. Actually, to be more precise, an inlaid star on the floor of the Rotunda (where Presidents lie in state) marks the true center of the quadrants. But I digress...

The Harrington

To its advantage, the Harrington Hotel is extremely well-situated, being within walking distance of places like Ford's Theater, the Old Post Office, and the National Mall, just to name a few. Considering its convenient location amidst several major tourist attractions, the hotel is very economical indeed. In addition, the front desk provided the most useful neighborhood map of D.C. that I could get my hands on for this trip. However, economical hotels are not without their drawbacks.

The Harrington is unassuming, but undeniably worn. Having arrived two hours earlier than check-in time, we left our luggage at the front desk, where, instead of tucking the suitcases we'd left in their trust in a safe place behind the desk, the concierge left our luggage sitting in the lobby, unsecured and unattended. Our luggage was moved only after we expressed our security concerns. And upon returning to the Harrington a mere three hours later, my suitcase was delivered to our room bearing streaks of fresh white paint with no recourse to be had from hotel management. But enough about the lousy, apathetic service...

The rooms are quite spartan at the Harrington, which is fine for visitors like us, toursists who are out and about for most of the day. With the antique tub, the tightly spaced bathroom, and the permanently stained bed sheets, I came to think of the Harrington more as a hostel than a hote. And I came to be very glad we thought to bring our own bedding – pillowcases especially, since I disturbed a creepy crawler when I uncovered the bedspread on the first day. Like I said, there are drawbacks to a poorly-maintained, if frugal and conveniently-situated, hotel.

Ye Olde Post Office

After a quick lunch at the Harrington, we took a short, self-guided walking tour to get our bearings, and our first stop was the Downtown Welcome Center. Do not be fooled by the name – the Welcome Center is actually a souvenir shop! However, at the bus tour sales counter outside, we did pick up a pretty nice color map of D.C., which guided our walk to the Old Post Office Pavilion.

Today, the Old Post Office is not nearly as impressive as it had to have been when it was first built (in 1899). In fact, as a testament to the velocity of technology at the turn of the 20th century, the planned demolition of the Old Post Office Building was stalled only by the Great Depression - a mere three decades after it was built!

Today, within Washington’s first skyscraper (at a mere 12 stories!), you'll find a smattering of small shops and typical mall fare, nothing too impressive – that is, until you get to the observation deck in the Clock Tower. Sitting on Pennsylvania Avenue, midway between the Capitol Building and the White House, the Old Post Office has a truly breathtaking, 360-degree view of the city. Not to mention that you’ll get a great sense of direction for the town from up top. The Post Office closes at 10:45pm in the summer, but I’d recommend paying it a visit during the daylight hours on a clear day for the best view.

International Spy Museum

We visited the popular International Spy Museum on F Street NW, where we arguably had the most fun…and definitely paid the most to visit! (Admission is $16; most public venues in D.C. are free.)

The museum’s focus on the role of espionage in national and global history glorifies the covert profession, displaying an array of spy instruments, including weapons, vehicles, bugs, and cameras (in a pair of glasses? a cigar? a block of wood!?), and profiling famous spies (Josephine Baker!) and cases. From the ancient Greco-Romans, to the American Revolution & Civil Wars, to the ensuing World Wars and the Cold War, the Spy Museum transcends time to explain spy codes, technologies, and methods. There's even a minor exhibit on those valiant messengers (and the secret fear of every New Yorker), the pigeon.

It’s recommended that visitors allot up to two hours to fully traverse the Spy Museum, but that assessment is overly conservative; I’d give the museum up to four hours for those who want to walk through, read, and try everything! A special favorite of mine was a program that showed the makeup tricks of the spies, some of which disguised a young woman as an infirm old man, and a middle-aged man as a non-descript, age-indeterminate, complete non-entity. Another interesting exhibit was the "code" that sprung up between prisoners during the Cold War. Unfortunately, while the Spy Museum is only a block away from FBI Headquarters, all FBI tours have been indefinitely suspended. But you can learn about former FBI agent, Robert Hanssen's, spying at the International Spy Museum instead.

Monuments on the National Mall

And after a mediocre dinner at a so-called Mongolian buffet in Chinatown, we took a nighttime stroll to the west end of the National Mall, starting at the White House. From there, completely underestimating the distance, we walked to the Washington Monument, where we sat to admire the Lincoln Memorial and to catch a second wind. We then walked to the WWII Monument and admired the fountain before walking alongside the Reflecting Pool, passing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on our way to the Lincoln Memorial.

The Lincoln Memorial was as grand as ever, and, atop the stairs, Lincoln held court with plenty of late-night visitors. There were fewer visitors at the exhibits that had an entrance at the foot of the stairs, where myriad audio and video multimedia showed the life and times of Lincoln, as well as those of his memorial monument.

Although we had planned to complete the circuit around the Reflecting Pool and see the Korean War Veterans Memorial on our way back, we learned just how “way leads on to way.” Being thoroughly exhausted by the long walks to the Washington & Lincoln Memorials, we took a cab back to the hotel instead.

The Smithsonian: National Zoo & NARA

After breakfasting up the block from Ford’s Theatre, at the serpentine counter of a 1950’s-era diner throwback, the Waffle Shop, on 10th Street NW, we took the Red line on the Metro to Cleveland Park, the recommended stop for the National Zoo. (The other stop, Woodley Park/Zoo, is also about 4 blocks away from the Zoo, but is an uphill hike.) On the walk to the Zoo, we frugally stopped into a neighborhood supermarket for some bottled water, which, considering the 100-200% markup we found at the Zoo, we highly recommend to all Zoo visitors.

As with all other Smithsonian attractions, the National Zoo has free admission. Inexplicably, the Visitor Center at the Zoo charges $1 per printed map. Since there are so many guide markers and maps across the Zoo, the map isn't exactly a necessity; but for those who like a guide to hang on to, you can print the map here. We were able to pick up a stray map inside the zoo & to complete the karmic cycle, we gave it away on our way out of the Zoo. By far, my favourite exhibits were the Giant Panda Habitat and the Animal Nursery. Also, be sure to catch a daily animal feeding and/or training session if you can!

Our last stop before dining at the Hard Rock Cafe was the National Archives & Records Administration, which is part of the Smithsonian consortium, and home to historically invaluable documents such as:

• the "Perot" Magna Carta of 1297 (no longer on display)
  
• the Declaration of Independence
  
• the Constitution, including the Bill of Rights
• Barry Faulkner's murals (Declaration - Constitution)
• the Emancipation Proclamation
• and so much more.
  

The line to enter the Rotunda holding the "Charters of Freedom" (consisting of the Declaration and the Constitution) can be a good wait. However, once you are allowed past the gates, mind the guards' counsel - do not be fooled (or bullied) into thinking that you must wait on line to view all the documents. There is no line, and the documents are not in any particular order - chronological or otherwise - so locate your targets and sidle up to view them! The most popular documents, of course, are the headliners - the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

The Smithsonian: National Air & Space, Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden & National Museum of Natural History

We first dropped by the National Air & Space Museum, where we caught a free 11:30am IMAX in the Einstein Planetarium, called The Stars Tonight. The show is naught but a primer on the night sky, and novice astronomers would do better to skip the show & spend more time in the "Exploring the Planets" exhibit.

Another permanent exhibit worth noting here is "WWII Aviation," which is good for American history buffs as well as aviation enthusiasts. My favourite exhibit, however, was on temporary loan from the National Museum of American History; an exhibit called "Treasures of American History." This exhibit, housing iconic items of American history, is divided into four sections:

• "Creativity & Innovation"
  Including: a Stradivari violin; Dorothy's ruby slippers; Bell's telephone; Edison’s light bulb; the oldest surviving Levi's; Eastman's Kodak camera; part of ENIAC; R2-D2 and C-3PO from Star Wars; the Liotta-Cooley Artificial Heart; a Röntgen X-ray tube; Colt's revolver; samples of Fleming's original Penicillium notatum mold, plutonium, and Salk's polio vaccine.
  
  
• "American Biography"
  Including: Helen Keller's "touch" watch; an autographed Babe Ruth baseball; Andrew Jackson’s uniform; Susan B. Anthony’s red shawl; Margaret Mead’s dress; Ed Roberts’ wheelchair; Sandra Day O’Connor’s judicial robes; Cesar Chavez’s union jacket; Louis Armstrong’s cornet; Marilyn Monroe’s kidskin gloves; and Muhammad Ali’s boxing gloves.
  
  
• "National Challenges"
  Including: George Washington’s uniform & sword; a slave tag; a model of Whitney's cotton gin; Lewis and Clark’s compass; gold from Sutter’s Mill; Lincoln’s top hat; a suffrage sash & pin; FDR's Fireside Chat microphone; a Japanese internment camp sign; and the Greensboro lunch counter.
  
  
• "American Identity"
  Including: Bradford's silver cup; Torah mantle of one of the first synagogues in San Francisco; Jefferson's Bible; an early Teddy Bear; Kermit the Frog; the M*A*S*H signpost; the 60 Minutes stopwatch; and Archie Bunker’s arm chair.

After NASM, as we walked down Jefferson Drive SW, we opted to cross through the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden, which owns over 11,000 pieces of modern art (late 19th century Impressionism through Post-Modernism of the 1960's) and contemporary art (1960's to present).

As part of the Smithsonian family, the Hirshhorn charges no admission fee; however donations are accepted. The Hirshhorn Museum & Garden is said to house rotating exhibits in order to showcase its rather extensive collection, and the Garden in particular seems to be a natural spot to seek a bit of respite from the town's tourist hustle. In front of a fountain within the sunken garden, you'll find a number of wrought iron lawn furniture, as well as a smattering of park benches throughout the rest of the garden. You'll find it hard to resist settling in a shady spot to admire the sculptures tastefully spread throughout the garden.

At the National Museum of National History, we missed a three o'clock Tarantula feeding due to the renovation of the Orkin Hall and some poorly worded directions to the temporary "Bug Corner. " Instead, we stood on line at the Gems & Minerals section of the Hall of Geology. The main attractions? The Star of Asia sapphire and the Hope Diamond.

Truth be told, the 300+ carat sapphire known as the Star of Asia was a mite disappointing. Pictures of the star sapphire don't convey the actual blue color; however, the 6-pronged star-shaped pattern, known as asterism, is an astounding natural phenomenon caused by the presence of slender needles of the mineral rutile.

The Hope Diamond, on the other hand, a sight to behold. Even the display is a work of art. Thought to have originated from a mine in Golconda, India, this diamond has passed through the hands of France's Sun King (Louis XIV), Louis XV, and Louis XVI, who gifted the then 100+ carat, "French blue" gem to Marie Antoinette. It is through a series of thefts, inheritances, sales, and artful trimming, that the 45-carat Hope Diamond as we know it today finally found a home within the Smithsonian Institution through a donation from diamond merchant Harry Winston. (For information on the curse of the Hope Diamond, read & research online, as the Smithsonian does not deal in speculation on this.)

All said, my favourite was neither of those gems, but the 128-carat Tiffany Diamond. Almost thrice the size of the Hope Diamond, this is one of the largest yellow diamonds ever mined in the entire world. What began in South Africa as a 287-carat yellow diamond was cut to its current size, and set in Jean Schlumberger's "Bird on a Rock" design, accented by a gold and platinum, diamond-encrusted bird with a ruby eye. On loan to the Smithsonian to celebrate the establishment of The Tiffany & Co. Foundation Collection, an endowment for "the acquisition of important and unusual gemstones to be displayed...[at the] National Gem Collection Gallery," the Tiffany Diamond will be at the National Museum of National History until September 2007.

After the Hall of Gems & Minerals, we took a stroll to the U.S. Capitol Building, the heart of the District's quadrants. On this sunny Saturday, there were wedding photographers and tourists aplenty. We decided against trekking up the steps or admiring the rotunda in favor of simply gawking at the Neoclassical silhouette. By the time we walked back to the Harrington, we were wishing we had taken a bike tour instead!

Dining at Ristorante Tosca

For our last dinner in D.C., we visited the more upscale Ristorante Tosca for a taste of Northern Italian fare. As a main course, I had "grilled pork tenderloin in a rosemary and Porcini mushroom crust" accompanied by "olive oil poached artichokes, sautéed black kale and black truffle sauce," which was quite delectable. I also tried a bite of "grilled rack of milk-fed veal" with "roasted garlic potato purée and asparagus timbale" off a friend's plate, but I liked the pork better. At Tosca, the pale pastel decor and lush carpeting provides an elegant and cozy meal for every individual table. And best of all, the service at this three-star restaurant gets five stars in my book!

As with all weekend trips, the trip ended with a bus ride home, with a complimentary detour in Philadelphia. But for $35 roundtrip, I really can't complain. I only wish the drivers were less aggressive...it marked the first time I've ever been carsick - I can't say I enjoyed that! On my next trip to D.C., I must remember to visit the National Aquarium and Arlington National Cemetery. I'd love to see JFK's "eternal flame" and the Changing of the Guards!

Ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral

At the end of Rua de São Paulo today, only a single façade and 66 stone steps remain of what was once the biggest Catholic Church in East Asia. And, of course, the crypts of its founding Jesuits.

Built in 1580 atop one of Macau's seven hills, the Cathedral of St. Paul suffered two major fires, in 1595 and 1601 respectively, leading to the massive reconstruction effort that began in 1602 and took 35 years to complete.

In its heyday, St. Paul's Cathedral was the recipient of major gifts from European royalty, claiming three beautifully decorated halls and a vaulted roof, courtesy of the Roman legacy.

However, the church finally succumbed to fire during a strong typhoon that hit Macau in 1835, leaving the greatest church in Macau, save the southern façade, decimated. The Ruins of St. Paul's were later restored in the 1990's.

The architecture of this church, dedicated to Saint Paul the Apostle of Jesus, must have been quite grand in its heyday. Indeed, even today, with a lone surviving wall, the Ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral are quite a sight to behold. The carved granite façade consists of five tiers:

• the first tier comprises ten columns in the Ionic style, with the phrase "MATER DEI" ("Mother of God") carved over the center entrance;
• the second comprises the statues of four saints enshrined in their respective altars between ten Corinthian-style columns;
• a shrine on the third tier centers a bronze statue of Mary;
• the shrine on the fourth tier holds a bronze of Jesus Christ; and
  
• the fifth tier consists of a bas-relief of a dove with its wings outstretched. (Local folklore has it that the eye of the dove once contained a brilliant sapphire that so incited greed that more than a few locals had been seriously hurt, or even dying, climbing the church's south wall seeking it).

An assortment of bas-reliefs, or low-relief carvings, adorn the last remaining wall of St. Paul's, including European symbols such as of those of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ and that of a sailing ship - neither wholly unexpected of a Catholic church of the day - much like the cross standing at the coping of the wall. But what is so distinctive about the carvings at St. Paul's is the seemingly seamless fusion between the apparently incongruous symbols of the European, the Christian, and the Chinese. For example, the façade holds bas-reliefs of the chrysanthemum and the cherry - blatantly Chinese symbols - as well as Chinese inscriptions. Not to mention the very Chinese-inspired stone lions sitting on the third and fourth tiers. Oddly enough, there's also an etching of Madonna (a Christian symbol) stomping on a multi-headed dragon (a Chinese-inspired demon). With the blatant intertwining such of disparate symbols, the Church itself becomes the most significant symbol of acceptance and harmony.

Surveying the elegance of the surviving façade, it's not hard to imagine why St. Paul's is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. After all, the Ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral is a prime example of "a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history." The wall is a lasting symbol of the joining of two cultures which began so long ago with Portuguese imperialists, and has grown to represent the symbiosis of cultures that endures in Macau to this day.

Leal Senado Square

Imagine walking down the main square of Macau, strolling on the smooth antique-white stone mosaic that's swathed by graceful, waving ribbons of black stone. You are in downtown Macau.

As visitors stroll on the colored stones that extend from Leal Senado Square to the ruins of St. Paul's Cathedral, they finding global staples like Starbucks, McDonald's, abd Haagen Dazs. The square consists of an elegant fountain, trees providing shade, benches for respite from the heat, and a number of cafes.

The Leal Senado, Portuguese for "Loyal Senate," was so dubbed in 1810 by Portugal's Prince Regent João, later to become King John VI. Located at one end of the Square, the Leal Senado was erected in 1748, and was the seat of Macau's government when it was still a Portuguese colony. After the handover of the island to China in 1999, it is became the headquarters of the Instituto para os Assuntos Cívicos e Municipais," the Institute of Civic & Municipal Affairs."

Christmas Eve @ Lan Kwai Fong

In the ritzy business district that is Central, the L-shaped D'Aguilar and Lan Kwai Fong Streets make 90-degree angles to form the core of the nightlife hub in HK known as Lan Kwai Fong. And, as with all hip, happening places worldwide, the area has expanded since its inception, the opening of the first international restaurant by German-Canadian businessman, Allen Zeman, in the early 1980's. The famous LKF rectangle is now cradled by nearby Wyndham, Wing Wah, Wo On and Wellington Streets.

A hotspot renown for clubbing, drinking, and international cuisine, the streets of LKF on Christmas Eve saw such perfectly engineered crowd control that it seemed as though visitors had silently colluded with police to model a crowd control drill. With one-way only sidewalks, extensive barricades, and a strong police presence, one could only cross the street by walking all the way downhill only to walk up the opposite side. Inconvenient, but scenic - and no doubt an efficient solution in response to the trampling of approximately twenty New Years Eve revelers in the early 1990's.

Regularly frequented by expatriates & international students, this particular Christmas Eve, the super steep, sometimes cobblestone streets of LKF were teeming with revelers, deterred by neither the steep sloping streets, nor the massive crowds that had some patrons of local pubs and bars spilling into the streets. A special note for the ladies: Opt for low heels, unless you practice walking downhill in 4-inch heels while tipsy daily. (And I'm only being a little sarcastic here...I actually know someone who performs this balancing act superbly.)

And if you think the streets crowded, just wait until you get inside a club. We stopped in at Paparazzi, located on the fourth floor of the Onfem Tower (29 Wyndham St.), where you'll find the bar set aflame at regular intervals, and sweaty bodies packed at the rectangular bar, at the tables, on the dance floor, as well as in the open VIP area - in short, every square inch of a club on a middle floor of a building! While the music was good, the dance floor left something to be desired (i.e. personal space). The most refreshing thing about Paparazzi was leaving the club for fresh air & searching for some late night dining, another trademark of LKF.

The LFK area is home to a variety of international cuisines to please every palate, including Russian, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, Indian, Lebanese, French, Italian, and even Australian. And, in the true spirit of tourists, we opted for an authentic Chinese meal alfresco at the top of the hill, and took a walking tour through the crowded streets of Lan Kwai Fong before returning to the peacefulness of Whampoa Garden.

Wishing Tree

Long famous to both residents from Hong Kong & mainland China, as well as to international tourists, the Wishing Tree is a banyan tree planted nearby the Taoist, Tin Hou Temple in the village of Lam Tsuen. The site has been so popular that it claims its own exit on the expressway, and is accessible by both bus and minibus from the Taipo Market MTR station. (With the tree so close to the mainland border, a taxi all the way from HK would be a tad extravagant.)

I'd like to begin by dispelling a conventional tourist misconception: there are actually two Wishing Trees; the one right off the main road is the more famous tree, the one that is nearly ubiquitous in earlier TVB series. Village folklore says that this tree, known as the Spirit Tree, addresses wishes regarding good health and academics, while one closer to the temple is for prayers related to marriage and children. In popular images of these trees, they are laden with red slips of paper - on which the faithful convey their hearts' desires to their gods - and attached to small oranges to help the papers sail up to and settle upon the tree's branches; the higher the branch, the more likely your wish is to come true.

Unfortunately for this visitor and those who visited the trees after Chinese New Year of 2005, the Wishing Trees of yesteryear are no more. Since the main branch of the larger and more popular Spirit Tree broke off and broke an elderly visitor's leg during the CNY celebrations of February 2005, visitors are no longer permitted to hang their wishes on the Wishing Trees. Instead, wooden gates have been erected to contain all wishes, and what's left of the fallen branch is encased in a glass box with the government's apologies. Steel barriers now encircle the trees, and the small Taoist temples at the foot each tree are now enclosed by steel and padlocked as well.

The saddest change is that the two ailing trees are now supported by a grid of steel and rope structures. Today, the Wishing Trees are naught but a nostalgic visit for the curious tourist.

HK Museum of Art

We were lucky enough to visit the Hong Kong Museum of Art on a Wednesday, when the museum offers free admission for all visitors. I was excited to see the famous watercolor of a horse in the Xubaishai Collection of Chinese Painting & Calligraphy. However, not being a particular student of Chinese art, I appreciated the comprehensive author biographies and extensively descriptive placards that accompanied each work.

The Museum had quite a range, spanning from Chinese art from the 1600's, to contemporary installation art. One exhibit was simultaneously grotesque and amazing, featuring hair of all shades that had been fashioned into tiny shoes. Although the hair collected came from salons, somehow all that hair in a single room was just too creepy. However, the message behind the medium was much more intriguing: the artistic use of novel forms of expression.

The museum also houses more hands-on, if slightly incongruous, exhibits. Like the activity room where a variety of presses can embosses "traditional" Chinese symbols onto coloured paper scraps. Did you know that fish, such as the omnipresent carp, represent marital bliss & fecundity? Or that cranes and peaches represent longevity? The activity room is an unexpected breath of fresh air amongst the text-heavy exhibits - and the perfect place to make your own souvenirs.

My favourite exhibit was the Japanese garden, whose simple and restful environment simply demanded quiet from visitors. Like a piece I saw in the Noguchi Museum in Brooklyn years ago, the fountain within the garden was but a carved black cube that recycled the flowing water it held. Sitting on a sand-coloured wooden bench, hearing the quietly flowing fountain, and seeing the hanging tatami combined to make a noticeably calming experience.

Avenue of Stars

Nearby the Hong Kong Museum of Art, this refreshing promenade on the Tsim Tsa Tsui waterfront is reminiscent of Hollywood's famous Walk of Fame. overlooking Victoria Harbour, the Avenue of the Stars was formally opened in April 2004, containing dedications to a variety of stars beyond the omnipresent Bruce Lee, David Chiang, and Jackie Chan.

Here, instead of pink & charcoal terrazzo stars, you'll find Hong Kong film industry notables honoured by a single frame of a film reel, wherein they leave their handprints, and an adjacent, interposed star that reads their names in both English and Chinese. For those eager for a brief lesson on HK film, the promenade holds souvenir kiosks and a wealth of information kiosks about major Chinese film conventions, milestones, and classics.

For tourists interested in finding the perfect HK backdrop for pictures to send home, the promenade has an assortment of life-size bronzes of directors in their chairs, cameramen behind their lens and, of course, Bruce Lee in a martial arts stance. There are other great picture spots as well, like the larger-than-life film reel, slate, and other film paraphernalia that is set up on pedestals.

Go to the Avenue of Stars to take your pictures in the last hour or two of daylight, and stay until eight o'clock for the Symphony of Lights show. It's truly an uninhibited panoramic of the HK skyline.