London and United Kingdom – There are lots of places worth visiting like the National Portrait Gallery where you can see Renaissance Paintings, Rembrandt, Monet, etc., The Historic Tower of London, Windsor Castles, The Bath, and other tourist attractions. There are too many to list here.

But what we enjoyed most was our visit to the prehistoric Stonehenge built some 3,000 years BC. There is a strange feeling when you are near this place, something that you cannot explain. While the Stonehenge is no longer complete as it was in its original form, it still exudes a certain aura of mystery and splendour. I took several pictures from different angles and could see the symmetry of the placement of the standing stones and the ones on top of them, including the openings and distance between the stones. The sight is indescribable and beyond comprehension that you really have to be there to really feel the strangeness of the Stonehenge. Nobody really knows the reason why the Stonehenge was built. One probable reason is that the openings are exactly where the first rays of the sun show during the summer and winter solstices. (more…)

You arrive at your hotel and check in at the front desk. While checking in, you give the front desk your credit card (for all the charges for your room). You get to your room and settle in. Someone calls the front desk and asks for (example) Room 620 (which happens to be your room).

Your phone rings in your room.. You answer, and the person on the other end says the following, “This is the front desk. After you checked in, we encountered a problem with your credit card information. Please re-read to me your credit card number and verify the last 3 digits on the reverse side of your charge card.”

Without a doubt in mind, you might give the caller your information, since the call seems to have come from the front desk. But actually it is a scam of someone calling from outside the hotel.

They ask for a random room number, then ask for your credit card number, and address information. The caller sounds so professional that you think you are talking with the front desk staff.

If you ever encounter this problem on a trip, tell the caller that you will be down at the front desk to clear up any problems. Then go to the front desk and ask if there was indeed any problem. If there was none, inform the manager of the hotel that someone called to scam you of your credit card information pretending to be a front desk employee. – ?

Salisi gang in Manila

Sunflower Health & Massage Clinic owners Derrick and his wife Monica Brillo recently returned from a holiday in the Philippines. While having lunch at Tokyo Tokyo Japanese Restaurant somewhere in Manila, Monica’s handbag was grabbed by a member of “Salisi Gang.” In it were her mobile phone and wallet that contained her driver’s license and all her credit cards, plus a lot of cash.

They were going to Villa Escudero in Laguna to relax. Since the phone numbers of their friends and relatives in the Philippines were stored in Monica’s mobile phone, they were unable to establish contact with anyone.

A planned holiday spoiled by thieves in our own native land.

Camera stolen in China

While visiting the Forbidden City, the camera of Dionne Dionisio was picked from her handbag. Dionne is one of the daughters of Obet Dionisio of Quakers Hill, NSW.

She has not yet downloaded the shots taken in many other sites in Shanghai and Beijing. The camera was used for wide angle shots. – ?

During our first week in Beijing, we first visited The Lama Temple (Yong He Gong). This is the best preserved temple in China. Fortunately, it was not severely damaged in spite of several foreign invasions or even by the Cultural Revolution.

Monks from Tibet, Mongolia, and Manchuria were the former residents of this temple. Lama means “Guru” or Teacher and normally associated with Tibetan Buddhism. There are varied statues of Buddha, depending on what you wish to pray for. It is said that Tibetan Buddhism was greatly influenced by the Nepal and Indian Buddhism. (more…)

The Great Wall is located about 70 kilometers north of the City of Beijing. It can be accessed through bus or trains, but with several stop overs. Since we were constrained by time, my host daughter Dionne hired a taxi for one whole day for our trip. Luckily, my “bunso” joined us here in Beijing to become our portable ATM. (more…)