Illinois, USA: Sears Tower and the view from the Skydeck

Sears Tower in Chicago was the tallest skyscraper in the world from 1973 to 1998. It's still the tallest building in Chicago and a visit to the Skydeck on the 103rd floor which is 1,353 feet (412 m) above ground, is definitely worth the visit.

It was our first real day in Chicago since we went straight to DeKalb as soon as we arrived at O'Hare. And we had a list of places to visit today, one of them being the famous Sears Tower.

They say that up there, you can see up to fifty miles on all sides. It was a great experience looking down at Chicago's magnificent skyscrapers. The city is known far and wide for its architecture which covers more than a century of history.

Contemporary structures are properly blended with old historic buildings, standing side-by-side in a harmonious mix of past, present and future. We'll see that in detail when we take the Architecture Cruise later in the month.

What looks like the beach and a sea is actually a large freshwater lake called Lake Michigan. Although I've swam in lakes, I've never experienced a freshwater urban beach before (meaning the usual beaches we all know about, the same fun without the saltwater).

In fact, the water was so blue, if I did not know it was a lake, I would have mistaken Lake Michigan for a sea. Even the river that runs through the city is very much clean and that was evident from where I stood.

It costs $12.95 to get up to the Skydeck and you can stay there for as long as you want during visiting hours.

Illinois, USA: Northern Illinois Univeristy in Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University (NIU) in DeKalb, Illinois is going to be our home away from home for the next four weeks. A public university founded in 1895, it has 25,000 students in seven degree-granting colleges that together offer 54 undergraduate and 74 graduate programs, and 12 doctoral programs.

DeKalb is about an hour and 30 minutes (104 kilometers) west of Chicago. Sad to say, there is no train service to DeKalb so we couldn't sneak out to Chicago that easily. Oh well!

Anyway, We got to tour campus today and visited some of its older buildings, including Altgeld Hall which houses the administration, and the East Lagoon where some wild Canadian geese can be found. NIU was in the news early this year being the site of another campus shooting incident in February. But all is well here and life has moved on. As the motto of NIU goes: "Forward, Together Forward."

Cultural Citizens & North-South Dialogue 2008

As soon as I arrived from Spain (and after speaking at R.O.X. about backpacking), I went straight to our Pre-Departure Orientation for the Cultural Citizens Program and North-South Dialogue 2008. I didn't even have time to rest and get some sleep! The program is sponsored by the US Department of State, Northern Illinois University and IVP Philippines. And thirty young Filipino leaders were selected nationwide from close to 200 applicants to participate in the first batch.

Part of the activities were out-of-town trips hosted by our colleagues. Last Thursday, we were in Lipa City, Batangas. Most of the day was spent at the Summit Point Golf and Country Club. We passed by the farm and stables of the Leviste Family called Levely Manor, before proceeding back to Manila. This was the location of the now defunct Charley's Farm Dining.

One lucky person will win six SEAIR gift-certificates to Busuanga!

We are giving away not one, not two, but six SEAIR gift certificates to Busuanga to one lucky person! This is the biggest give-away of Ivan About Town and the SEAIR Adventure Club ever! You and five friends can fly from Manila to Busuanga with six SEAIR airfare gift certificates up for grabs!

SEAIR has been providing the longest-running uninterrupted service to Busuanga, and now provides the fastest flights with its Dornier 328 aircraft.

So how do you join? All you have to do is tell us why you want to go to Busuanga via SEAIR, by Friday, 20 June 2008, at 8:00 p.m. You can use your personal blog, Multiply, Friendster, or any other social networking site, or any website for that matter for as long as your entry has a link to the SEAIR website. The entry which best captures the attention of our judges will get the 6 gift certificates!

To let us know you joined this contest, post the link of your entry as a comment in SEAIR starts 35-minute flights to Northern Palawan. Like the previous raffle, make sure you place your full name in the name field since you will need a valid ID to claim the tickets if you win. The winner will be notified by e-mail so make sure you double check your e-mail address before submitting your comment. Tickets will be valid from now until 15 October 2008. Good luck!

4D 3N Baler surfing packages for as low as P9,034
For as low as P9,034 per person (double/triple sharing), you can enjoy a 4D 3N surfing trip to Baler, Aurora. All packages include round-trip airfare via Seair (Manila-Baler-Manila); 4 days/3 nights accommodation at Bahia de Baler, Bay's Inn or Amco Beach Resort; daily breakfasts; a half-day surfing lesson; round-trip airport transfers and 12% EVAT. So what are you waiting for? Book now!

For reservations, please call SEAIR-LEP at (632) 843-7308. Rates are subject to change without prior notice.

SEAIR P2,999 all-in promo tickets available until June 2!
SEAIR is offering a special rate of P2,999 roundtrip all-in for flights to Boracay, Busuanga, Baler and Daet from June 16 - October 12, 2008. Selling period is from May 26, 2008 to June 2, 2008.

For inquiries and reservations please call SEAIR reservations at 8490100.

Spain: Crossing the Greenwich Meridian

All good things have to come to an end. I took this photo of the arch marking the Greenwich Meridian while on the way back to Madrid by bus from Barcelona. That's the end of our Spanish adventure. We're now in Doha, Qatar for an eight hour layover before flying back to Manila. But I won't be in Manila for long because in a few days, I'm flying to Chicago!