As I continue to be glued to the TV watching the Olympics, I figured they are worth writing about 2 weeks in a row! Growing up I always dreamed of being in the Olympics. As I mentioned last week, it’s great to see ‘older’ athletes medaling, but I think I may be just short of the conditioning I would need to win a medal - in the next summer, or next winter, Olympics!

However, in my dream world, I would be an Olympic gold medalist in beach volleyball. Having played Division 1 indoor volleyball at the University of Vermont, I had enough trouble getting a decent vertical jump off the hardwood floor, let alone on a sandy beach! To be able to jump like Kerri Walsh or have the agility of Misty May would make me feel like Superwoman - not to mention, I would have a gold medal around my neck.

For the Winter Olympics, I’ve always wanted to do the ski jump and feel what it is like to truly fly - without the wings of an aircraft - and land safely! I climbed the steps of a real Olympic ski jump in Oslo and saw how incredibly steep the jump really is. It’s like standing vertically at the starting point, but that didn’t faze me - I would love to learn how to fly!

In which sport have you dreamed of being an Olympian?

-Alex Young, vice president and associate publisher

I spent last Saturday in Macau with publisher Fran Gallagher. We saw the historical part of the city and the incredible development that has been occurring in the past few years. The amount of visitors and buildings is incredible! My first trip to Macau was in 1997 when it was a small, sleepy town with a rich heritage of Portuguese influence. There was the Mandarin Oriental, Hyatt Regency and the Lisboa to choose from as far as hotels. It was a very local community with a few casinos and barely any traffic.

Fast forward to 2008 and the change is like night and day! Every day is a new development and a new hotel being finished. The Venetian, Wynn and MGM hotels are complete and I believe there are 50+ new luxury hotels scheduled to be open in the very near future. The Venetian alone has more than 75,000 visitors daily and the Wynn Macau is far exceeding the profits of the Las Vegas property!

We had a quick tour through the Venetian (I made a small contribution to the blackjack tables!) and then we headed into old Macau. The majority of the building in Macau is on reclaimed land, and bridges connections to islands that were not even in existence 10 years ago. We walked a winding path to see the ruins of St. Paul’s facade, a Jesuit church that burned in the 1800s. Now, only the front of it is standing (also the cover of GT’s July issue!). Walking up to the church was like walking through a maze of wall-to-wall people, mostly visitors from mainland China, who were, on the whole, a great group of tourists.

It was also impossible to take a picture of the church without getting any other tourists in the shot. I asked the local who was showing us around if there would have been any tourists on the street ten years ago. She answered that no, there wouldn’t have been tourists, and taking a picture would not have been a problem. It goes to show that in a world being threatened with rising fuel prices and questionable economies, there is always room for growth and a positive outlook on the future.

-Alex Young, vice president and associate publisher

There are a lot of places in the world that should be on every traveler’s list of things to see. Some are more famous than others, and some are more off the beaten track as well. Some of my personal favorites can be classified in all of these categories.

The Iguazu Falls, from the Argentina and Brazil sides, are one of the top places on any list. I am a sucker for natural wonders so I could have spent more time there than the couple of days that I did, but they are truly spectacular. Since I am on the natural wonders track, I would also not miss the Grand Canyon. Although I have been there on dozens of occasions I still stand in awe every time. Now, from canyons to mountains, the sight of the Himalayas with the naked eye gives me shivers and not from the cold. However, I must admit that I prefer them from a bit of a distance and am not about to do any climbing! I am adventurous, not suicidal.

The next two are combined natural and man-made wonders. On this part of my list are the amazing Nile and Yangtze rivers in Egypt and China respectively. It may sound corny and touristy, but taking a cruise up or down both of these rivers is absolutely memorable. The natural aspect is breathtaking, but to combine that with the historical structures in the banks of both rivers just can’t be beat if you are trying to add a little culture to your trip. Despite never having been a major fan of cruising, this is the best way to experience Egypt from Aswan to Luxor and everything in between.

The last on my list for this edition is going to be my absolute favorite - a safari anywhere in Africa. There is just something so special about being close to creatures in their natural habitats that we spend our childhoods dreaming about, and yes, hyenas do really laugh. I always say the best way to get me out of bed before dawn is to put me in a safari camp, which if you knew me well would really be a testament to the excitement of being on safari.

There you have it. More to come next time.

-Morissa Pawl, vice president western region

About 10 years ago, I had the chance to visit the Great Wall of China. Now, most people go during the spring or early summer when the weather is nice and the crowds are abundant. I, however, am not “most people.” I chose to go in the dead of winter.

I have been to many frosty places during the winter months, such as Russia, Scotland and Japan, but have never been quite as cold as I was standing on The Wall. Granted, I am from Southern California, where 50 degrees is a cold snap, but this was beyond artic. Luckily, I had chosen to take the cable car to the wall rather than climb from the bottom, because I’m sure hypothermia and frostbite would have set in early.

My sister, who had never been outside the US, was with me because I’d decided it would be fun to watch  a green traveler in a culture so harsh and different from ours. I was right about that, but it ended up being a lifesaver having another warm body. Despite two pairs of long johns, wool pants, ski outerwear, gloves and boots, we were still freezing. My little ski cap was in fact much like wearing a paper hat, for all the warmth it was providing, so before making the trek up the piece of wall we were dropped off at, we noticed a few Mongolian men selling fur hats. Being the conscientious person that I am, I asked what they were made of, and to my horror, they eeked out the word ”cat”. I happen to be quite the cat lover, so I indignantly refused. That is until I walked about 50 yards on. Teetering on an impending sub-zero demise, my sister reminded me that the cat was already dead and I should take advantage of its sacrifice. Growing up I rarely agreed with my sister, but at that very moment she seemed to have the wisdom of Confucius, so I ended up bringing new meaning to the Dr. Suess story of The Cat in the Hat.

All the icy weather and bone-chilling cold aside, it was one of the most magnificent sights to behold. I have been to many world wonders, and each one was awe-inspiring, but there was something unique about the wall. Perhaps it was the sheer size of the structure or the history that went along with it, but whatever it was, when we stepped foot on it for the first time the cold seemed to dissipate. It was as if it had a life of its own; or perhaps when one is standing in the presence of such an astounding human feat, it takes your breath away enough that you forget about your extremities turning blue. Whatever the case may be, it was indescribable.

-Morissa Pawl, vice president western region