INQUIRER.NET executive editor Leo Magno goes to the highest point in the state of Illinois at the viewdeck of the Sears Tower, 1,353 feet from street level (the building itself is 1,451 feet high, 1,730 feet if the antenna is included). Magno visits the restroom at the skydeck which, according to Sears, is the highest restroom in the world from street level, excluding restrooms inside airplanes flying overhead at 30,000 feet.

Video taken in Chicago, Illinois.

INQUIRER.NET executive editor Leo Magno accelerates from zero to 160 kph in less than three seconds onboard the tallest Slingshot in the world.

The amusement ride, the tallest such Slingshot at 390 feet, is at the Midway Arcade on International Drive in Orlando, Florida.

By Candice Montenegro, Contributor
INQUIRER.net

FOR SOMEONE like me who lives right smack in the middle of Quezon City, the Alabang area is practically unknown territory. Malls, restaurants, and other commercial establishments are within a 30-minute drive, so except for the occasional road trip to visit friends, there usually is no need for me to travel down south.

Café Año gave me a reason to.

The quaint little restaurant is hard to miss. Located in Westgate, Filinvest Alabang, Café Año is right next to Alabang Town Center and is just a few kilometers away from nearby village Ayala Alabang.

I interviewed Café Año president Dionnie Guerrero. Check out the video.

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INQUIRER.NET multimedia reporter Erika Tapalla tries out the unique spiral escalator at Caesars Palace.

Video taken by Eribelle Tapalla in Las Vegas, Nevada.

By Izah Morales
INQUIRER.net

THRILLED yet scared.

These were the mixed emotions of a first-timer in Quiapo.

The place is known as the playground of those who like to slash bags or pick someone’s pocket. In spite of these risks, however, people from all walks of life still visit Quiapo because it simply has a lot to offer.

Every Friday, Black Nazarene devotees flock to the Basilika ng Nazareno to hear Mass. A few who seek other answers stroll outside the church, where fortune tellers await them.

Here’s a video I took showing faith and fate co-existing in Quiapo.

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By Izah Morales
INQUIRER.net

ASK for a P1,000 bill. Browse your old Araling Panlipunan book. Surely, you will see the sketch of the Banaue Rice Terraces. Yet seeing the greens with your own two eyes would mean a guessing game on which is which. You will be surprised to see many terraces in Banaue, Ifugao.

The one sketched in a P1,000 bill is the terraces located in what they call the view deck, near the town proper of Banaue. You would not only have the chance to see the staircase-like mountain, but you may also walk directly into the rice paddies.

The view deck at Banaue View Point can be easily accessed through a short tricycle ride from the town proper.

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By Fung Yu, Contributor
INQUIRER.net

Author’s note: This article uses Apple’s QuickTime and Adobe Flash in providing an immersive experience by means of virtual reality technology. QuickTime and/or Flash are required to view the 360-degree VRs. Average VR size is 2.3MB each.

“A LOT of hot air!”

That was what I told my friends when they asked me after I got back from attending the 12th International Hot Air Balloon Festival. They were supposed to go with us that morning, but the thought of waking up and being on the road at 3 in the morning was surely a tough one.

The pleasant drive towards Clark Freeport Zone, where the festival is always held, took about an hour from Manila. Officially, this was my third time to attend the balloon festival.

For the uninitiated, the balloon flight always takes place early in the morning or late in the afternoon. This is because in order for a balloon to generate lift, there should be a significant difference in temperature between the ambient air and the air inside the balloon. With hot air being lighter than cold air, the lower temperature early in the morning and late in the afternoon serves to make the balloons more buoyant.

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UPDATE: Editor’s note: Added video.

By Lawrence Casiraya
INQUIRER.net

THE HUANG Pu River cuts through Shanghai, dividing it between ultra-modern Pudong and culture-rich Puxi. After a hurried lunch, I took a quick break from the first-day sessions at the Intel Developer Forum, which was at the Shanghai Convention Center in Pudong, located near the river.

Being the lone Filipino journalist, I bumped into a fellow journalist named Kema (editor of CNET Turkey) while grabbing a smoke outside. A first-timer like myself, I tagged along when he said he was crossing to the other side via this tunnel right (Editor’s note: The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel) in front of SCC.

What the heck, I thought, I’ve got a few minutes to kill and a bit of a walk would be a welcome treat because I was feeling the springtime chill.

Not much walking, however, because it was actually a train ride to the other side of the river. The ride cost 40 yuans (or RMB as they call it here).

Anyway, so much for sightseeing, I did expect to see the bottom of the river! It was more like a light show that reminded me a lot of Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey.” “Lightseeing” tunnel then, huh?

Here’s a video I took.

By Lawrence Casiraya
INQUIRER.net

UPDATE: Editor’s note: Corrected blog post.

SHANGHAI, China–Shanghai is full of skyscrapers it’s a pain in the neck — literally.

Which isn’t surprising since it’s touted as China’s modern metropolis. The Orient Pearl Tower sticks out from among the rest because of how it looks. Yes, it’s that one next to Chairman Mao (Editor’s note: Thanks to our readers who noticed the error and pointed out that this is a statue of Chen Yi.) the statue of Chen Yi, who was Shanghai’s first mayor when the People’s Republic of China was founded .

It reminded me a lot of Malaysia’s Petronas Towers because everywhere you go, it’s just a head turn away. It’s actually a TV tower (third largest in Asia) but it stands out from among many skyscrapers because of its rocket-ship look.

The Orient Pearl is just right beside the convention center in Pudong where I’m covering the Intel Developer Forum, so each time I go out I couldn’t help but crane my neck up.

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