Today's photo of the day is of Wausau, Wisconsin, a place I never thought I would visit during the winter because I'm typically shy of the cold and snow. A hike through Rib Mountain State Park completely changed my mind however. Birch and oak trees gently swayed with snow and ice; the landscape –white on white–was more brilliant than I anticipated.

As I hiked through one of the oldest geological formations on Earth, I could hear the silence. Simon and Garfunkle's song, "The Sound of Silence" echoed in my mind. The tints of aqua and white formed an Ansel Adam-esque backdrop and it was hard not to feel close to Nature.

The New York Times can make endless predictions of why Chile, Egypt etc. etc. will be the hottest destinations of 2012 but I generally take any publication's crystal ball with a pinch of salt. After all, travel is a very personal decision. Your bucket list may not be the same as mine for many reasons.

As a travel blogger and journalist, traveling to places where I feel as though I have learned something new and different is key. I don't really subscribe to the "visit sexy places" theory, although there's nothing wrong with visiting St. Barts or the Bahamas to sip a mint julep on a hammock.

If you're into adventurous travel, then "off the beaten path" –to use a cliched phrase –is more appealing. So, where are my adventurous tweeps dying to visit in 2012? Find out:

Travel Bloggers Spill their 2012 Destination Yearnings

(in alphabetical order)

BackPackForever: Personal picks include 1. Nepal. Been wanting to go since Matt Dillon said in Something About Mary, "All I have are these damn Nepalese coins."  2. Myanmar/Burma: we want to party with the KNLA and figure out what the real name of that country is. 3. Borneo and Deer Cave: Ever since that Planet Earth Series came out, this has been at the top of our list.

James Bond Rock, Thailand, Phang Nga. Photo courtesy of farbspiel, Flickr

Beers and Beans: Our top pick would be Thailand. We're itching to sample some of the country's beaches.

Clare Appleyard: 1. Antarctica 2. Antarctica 3. Antarctica. Other wishes: Okavango Delta; Victoria Falls; Singapore; Aurora Borealis; Mexico

CultureIst:

As someone who hates to fly, I figure why not go all out this year and venture as far away as I can afford? I always aim big when planning a year in travel, this way, if things don't work out with my "reach" choices I can fall back on "probable admits" without having to stoop down to my "safety" picks.

So this year, I hope to visit Jordan — I'm a sucker for epic landscapes; Jamaica – I'm a closet reggae lover who worships Bob Marley and his colorful beanie (I plan to wear one while there); and Lombok and the Gili islands — sometimes I like to go places where I have no access to email, Twitter, Facebook or Angry Birds.

Downtown Traveler:

My top picks for 2012 are all in the USA: Salt Lake City, Yellowstone National Park and Cape Cod. With so many great (and affordable) destinations close to home, there's no need to undergo lengthy flights in the new year! Start with SLC, an under-appreciated town where you can ski, dine at fine restaurants and outlet shop in the span of one day. In the spring, head to Yellowstone to enjoy the stunning hot springs, wildlife and hiking. Cap off your summer with a weekend getaway in Cape Cod, where you can camp inexpensively, rent bikes and relax on the beach. Here's to an exciting 2012!

Photo: Alexandria, Egypt. Courtesy of J Abadie on Flickr

The Expeditioner: 

1) Egypt: Not only are the crowds gone and the prices have plummeted, but you can see both history in the making as well as history from centuries ago. 2) Europe: Goobye euro denomination strength, hello travel deals in the Continent. 3) Brazil: See it now before the World Cup and Olympics cause an influx of tourists.

Belize port; photo courtesy of Brandon Seils, Flickr

Foodie International: 1. Tbilisi, Georgia 2. San Sebastian, Spain 3. Santiago, Chile 4. Helsinki, Finland 5. Penang, Malaysia. I think Georgia is the next best thing as far as international travel.

Fly Brother: Addis Ababa, Bangkok, Bucharest, Buenos Aires, Cape Town, Helsinki, Milan, Vienna

GloboTreks: Belize! Not because I'm here, but because 2012 is the year of the Maya, and Belize is considered the hear of the Maya world. Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico will have tons of celebrations in 2012 for the end of the Mayan calendar.

Jeff Titelius: England, because of the Queen's diamond jubilee and of course, the Olympics.

Kirsten Alana:

Tokyo, Japan – It's removed [enough] from the largest amount of 2011's tsunami and earthquake damage and safely outside the zone of nuclear meltdown. It's a modern city in the midst of a country that has not forgotten old traditions. My brother, who lives there, tells me the spirits of the people are still strong and they are determined to move on and rebuild. I'd love to spend a month using Tokyo as a home base to then explore the rest of the fascinating country of Japan.

Brisbane, Australia – Ever since I was a teenager watching Baz Luhrmann's early films I have wanted to explore "the land down under". Now that I have friends on the Sunshine Coast, I'm more determined than ever that 2012 will be the year I finally discover just what all the fuss is about. Even though the bugs and critters are numerous, it's the wild beauty of the country that just keeps calling to me so I'll take my chances with the snakes.

Sweden - I grew up with a strong observance of Swedish traditions and my mother went to college in Uppsala, however I've never been to the land of my ancestors. I plan to rectify that in 2012. How could I go another year without seeing the beauty of Swedish design firsthand, sampling their culinary excellence and marveling at the beauty of the rural landscapes in this Scandinavian country.

Leah Travels:

Rio de Janiero: Rio will soon enough be on world's stage with the World Cup and the summer Olympics coming in 2014 and 2016 respectively. The city
is going through great lengths to put its best foot forward. Get there before all the world will be.

Belfast: In April, it will be 100 years ago that the Titanic, built in Belfast, sank. The new Titanic museum is set to open in March, just before
the anniversary. Coupled with its rich musical history and the new museum, Belfast should be on travelers' radar for 2012.

Mario Travels: My picks for 2012:  The Riviera Maya (Mexico); Ghana (West Africa); Bonaire (Netherland Antilles); Curacao (Lesser Antilles).

Santa Fe Traveler: We really want to go Ireland and Italy & Spain and I have a weird yen to go to Easter Island. And the beach somewhere.

Zimbabwe. Photo courtesy of Idee Per Viaggiare, Flickr

Spunky Girl Monologues:

Northwestern China: China is in the process of turning Kasghar into the next Shenzen. Although this decision may be good for China's economy, it will pretty much erase the culture and character of this region. If you want to experience this nomadic corner of China and explore ancient Silk Road sites, 2012 is the year to do it -before they disappear forever.

Zimbabwe: Zim has received a bad rap in the news, but don't let that deter you. The people of Zim are extremely friendly and the country is beautiful. If you're thinking of visiting Zim in 2012 be sure to do a couple of game drives in Hwange (but bring warm clothes, it gets super cold at night).

Banff, Canada: I am a HUGE supporter of Banff. It's easily one of the most beautiful places in Canada and should be on every bucket list. Whether you're an outdoor enthusiast, shopper or foodie, Banff has it. Plus, it's surrounded by the Canadian Rocky Mountains and home to several wild animals (I'm not referring to the seasonal staff!)

Starry Eyed Travels: Peru, Bolivia and Argentina top my list. I think my home city London will also be great in 2012. At a push, I'd say Peru is top!

Traveling Ted: Trinidad & Tobago's Carnivale

Wandering Aramean: Stockholm — for beer with friends; Berlin and Ljubljana, Skope, Istanbul and Munich one week in January. Hawaii, Portland and Philly also confirmed so far. Hawaii (HNL) is for the first JFK-HNL flight on Hawaiian. Just being somewhere different is joy enough. I love the challenges travel throws at me.

***

My personal destination picks?: Abu Dhabi, Mexico (a country I've been longing to visit for most of 2011), Costa Rica and Spain.

If you'd like to be included in this list, drop me a line at charu AT Butterflydiary DOT COM.

There are some places that I am hesitant to visit initially, but end up falling in love with. Travel is like a kaleidoscope in that aspect — you don't really know what you'll get until you get there.

Detroit is one visit I will always remember from 2011. There's so much to Motor City beyond the silver GM Building, the indefatigable assembly line pioneered by Ford, and the dreary thought of worker layoffs and stringent Unions. Detroit is for the foodie, the adventurer, the architect lover in all of us.

Beyond the Willy Wonka Car Production Factory: Detroit, a City for Serious Foodies

I visited Detroit in April, 2011 and drank in everything: from the developed, ethnic fabric in Dearborn, Michigan to the more run down outskirts like Corktown. Corktown is not pretty, by any stretch of the overactive imagination, but the area is a cultural melting pot and a fabric of Irish immigrant settlers and a now more hip, young urban crowd. Detroit is a place for foodies, and one iconic dining option –Slow's BBQ on Michigan Avenue — has reinvented the culinary vernacular.

As I discovered, Detroit has surprisingly polished and diverse food choices. It would take a very uncreative person to starve here. One of my favorite places to eat was Pizzeria Biga which boasts Neapalitano-style brick oven pizzas with chewy, flavorful crust. Getting a slice of pizza these days is akin to sipping a generously warm latte from Dunkin Donuts — genuine, quality, but expected. Pizzeria Biga ups the ante and really gives you a flavorful experience.

For restaurants that have that "fun factor" woven into their aura and decor, there is plenty of action in Greektown, considered the most famous neighborhood in Downtown Detroit. At Pegasus Taverna,with its unassuming exterior, there is much gaiety, action and familial laughter. Savvy servers bring flaming plates of Greek Kasseri cheese lit ablaze with brandy to your table (the dish is called Saganaki Opa and the servers really and do shout Opa –a word which is often used to describe a joyful occasion or emotion). The patrons clap, as though at a concert. The restaurant makes one relive scenes from My Big Fat Greek Wedding – minus the tacky.

A misty morning in Dearborn, Michigan

The Creme de la Creme of Museums

A visit to the Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village alone will inspire to you to appreciate the amount of American innovation that occurred at the turn of the century. Ford's vision and motto was that "ordinary Americans can do extraordinary things" and he was a vast collector of iconic inventions (from Edison's Menlo Park home reproduction to the actual bicycle where the Wright Brothers worked in Dayton, Ohio), you can truly see the innovations that shaped America.

At a popular places like Greenfield village, you can see school buses filled with children on field trips, tourists eager to inhale the spirit of turn of the century America, and museum curators eager to show off their vast knowledge. Detroit is full of passionate people, eager to recount legends, pass on their knowledge to those keen to soak it up, and features the creme de la cream of automobile and American innovation museums. 

The sacred, iconic Piquette Plant Assembly, where Henry Ford and his team assembled the first Model T and several other models, is a museum pilgrimage that no automobile connoisseur could afford to miss. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002, this unassuming mill-style building was home to the realization of Ford's singular, stubborn dream of providing every American with an affordable car.

Creaky stairs, original wooden floors, even Ford's old office corner — everything is preserved, loved, cherished. Each year, volunteers work on preserving the antique cars to make sure all parts are intact, polished, functional, and every second of their labor of love is a donation. What a testament to the vision of Ford, I thought, and what level of respect. Visitors can sit in a small room with benches and watch a documentary on Ford's vision and realization.

The Only Place in North America Where You Can Look South Toward Canada

In Detroit, I discovered what it felt like to be in the only place in North America where you can gaze South toward Canada (I remember being in the General Motors building, a tall, silvery cylindrical skyscraper that looked a futuristic lighthouse), towards Windsor.

A City of Architectural Masterpieces

From the unmistakeable Guardian Building that lights up the city skyline, to the distinctly Detroit Pewabic pottery (the eponymous school still operates today and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1991), there is so much square footage of Detroit devoted to architecture and the arts. Pewabic pottery is known for its distinct, almost phantasmagoric quality of glazing with rich and deep colors.

A newly renovated bedroom at The Henry, an Autograph Collection Hotel in Dearborn, MI

The outskirts of Detroit, en route to Corktown

Corktown may not be a place to linger or sit in a cafe, but it has spots that are being renovated.

In Corktown, at the intersection of Wabash & Michigan Avenues. You're not in Kansas anymore.

An iconic restaurant in Corktown and Detroit itself, Slow's BBQ has brought tourists, celebrities, locals together in pursuit of a

new revitalized cuisine. Surprisingly, there are a lot of vegetarian and vegan options on the menu.

A Brush Motor Company car stands on the original wooden floor at the Piquette Assembly Plant in Detroit. Volunteers painstakingly restore each and every car to perfection on an annual basis

Inside the iconic Guardian Building, considered to be one of Detroit's architectural masterpieces

The rich glazed Pewabic Pottery Tiles that are distinctly Detroit

Stately servers put on a show of "Saganaki Opa" (flaming Greek Kasseri cheese and brandy) at Pegasus Restaurant in Greektown

A city that is never on autopilot: Detroit at night

Our "Behind the Scenes" Series continues with a Q&A with Chuck Mardiks, Managing Director of MMGY Global's New York Office. Chuck provides us with his valuable insight on working with travel bloggers, his do's and dont's and more. 

Each New Year, I fully believe in having an experience. It's a plus if that experience is non local, since the travel bug always encourages me to seek some new tradition for celebration.

Last year, I celebrated New Year's Eve by doing a chilly but energizing 5K Midnight Run in Central Park. What better way to start off the New Year on a healthy foot? You get delicious mugs of hot chocolate at the end of the race, as well as sparkling cider at about the half mile mark, and fireworks as a background. Unusual? A bit. It certainly is different from watching the Times Square Ball drop or enjoying drinks at a bar, although there's nothing wrong with those options either.

This year, I was curious to see if Americans celebrate New Year's Eve in unusual ways; if you're looking for some inspiration, try these on for size:

MEDITATION OR YOGA CLASSES:

While most people wouldn't enjoy doing the "downward facing dog" at the stroke of midnight, there's something peaceful and powerful about meditating to usher in the New Year. Marisa Gross, a yoga junkie who has done a few of these to ring in the New Year says, "the benefits and economics of it all surely outweighs going out to dinners, bars and clubs."

Photo credit: Hazy Moon Center

Several cities offer New Year's Eve meditation options. Los Angeles has one at the Hazy Moon Zen Center where you'll get a lesson in the basic principles of Buddhism and also practice sutras leading up to midnight. In New York City, there are some options in Brooklyn to get your zen fix.

THROW A POTLUCK PARTY:

Let's face it, parties are fun, but doing all that work can be grueling! One idea, according to the site Money Crashers, is to make the party a BYOA Affair (Bring Your Own Appetizer). The truth is, people just want an excuse to party, so even if you serve one up with Peppermint Bark, Eggnog, Twizzlers and Champagne, it's likely to be a success. Encourage friends you know to bring their own bottle of wine, and if you get 10-20 friends to show up, the affair could be relatively painless and an ark-load of fun.

Of course if your own birthday happens to fall on December 31st, you have all the more reason to celebrate.  Joy Frank Collins whose son turns 8 this year says, "Ever since December 31, 2003, my family has celebrated New Year's Eve by having a birthday party for our son. He gets that there is another big event going on, but I still think deep down he thinks all the revelry is to celebrate him.

DO THE OLIVE DROP IN PALM SPRINGS, CA:

There's a new tradition in Palm Springs, CA and one inspired by the New York Times Square Ball Drop but paying respect to Palm Springs' tradition drink –the martini. But thankfully, this doesn't involve you standing in the freezing cold for eight hours or more, hoping to catch a glimpse of Lady Gaga. This is the first time the city of Palm Springs has planned an Olive Drop, and it has started a grassroots campaign for tourists and residents in bars and restaurants. The idea is simple: instead of raising a champagne glass at midnight, you drop an olive into your martini glass.

Restaurants and bars participating in the inaugural Palm Springs Olive Drop include: LULU California Bistro, LG's Prime Steakhouse, Johannes, Zin American Bistro, Zini Cafe Mediterrano, The Falls, Village Pub and Tropicale.

ENJOY A SCOTTISH BAGPIPE DINNER: 

New Year's Eve is a great time to be bold with your culinary adventures, so why not explore a cuisine you've been meaning to try? New York City is offering a three-course dinner at Mary, Queen of Scots and the bash will feature bagpipes, of course. $65 for the prixe fixe at 115 Allen Street. For reservations call 212 460 0915.

Photo credit: Mary, Queen of Scots

HIP HOP BOWLING:

If you want to get revved up for the New Year, go bowling! There are midnight bowling parties all over the country, from Bay City. Michigan to New York City's Bowlmor Lanes. If you really want to get moving, Bowlmor Lanes in Times Square has a five-hour open bar party hosted by "Dancing with the Stars'" Karina Smirnoff. Bowl to hip-hop and rock music all for the price of $75 and up.

It's impossible to truly experience the spirit of New York City without taking in a good window display or two –preferably several. Each stores vies for attention and it's always a surprise as to what the general theme of the displays will be.

In the case of Bergdorf Goodman (my hands down favorite this year), the window displays are typically unveiled mid November, closer to Thanksgiving. The theme of Bergdorf Goodman is usually sophisticated yet quirky and unexpected.

In contrast are the winning, yet less opulent displays from Macy's and Saks Fifth Avenue. While Saks Fifth Avenue definitely merits a walk by this year (the hand painted white and black barrels and pulleys are stuff the Metropolitan Opera is made of), Macy's left me a tad disappointed. Clock gear? Really? 

Missing from the below photo series are Lord & Taylor, Bloomingdale's and Barneys New York and I'm hoping to add them later on. Take a look and leave me a comment: which one of these is your favorite? 

MACY'S HOLIDAY WINDOW DISPLAY AT 34TH STREET, HERALD SQUARE, NEW YORK CITY

BERGDORF GOODMAN 2011 HOLIDAY DISPLAY

The walk leading to Bergdorf's, on 57th street between 5th and 6th Avenues, is so festive this time of year. Every building sparkles in champagne. 

LOUIS VUITTON HOLIDAY DISPLAY

SAKS FIFTH AVENUE 2011 HOLIDAY DISPLAY 

SEPHORA

The very last place I expected to find a Japanese tea ceremony was in Macau. 

While the English can wax on about their royal "High Tea" and the fancy assortment of scones, watercress sandwiches and what not, the concept of tea as a beverage that is freshly brewed, prepared and served is a Chinese concept that spread to other countries. In as early as 727 A.D., The Chinese Tang Court presented tea as a gift to Emperor Shomu of Japan. Tea then was planted in the Imperial Garden of Kyoto in 794 A.D.

So, I should not have been surprised to see the various ways the Macanese take their tea during my recent visit.

The Chinese and Japanese have profited from centuries to make their tea just right (tea was discovered in 2772 B.C. by the Chinese emperor and inventor Shennong, and initially planted in the Chengdou province in China).

Wherever we went, the place settings and the attention to detail seemed so other wordly. "Only in Asia," I thought, thinking of the crazy mess in my dining room. I was sure my new Macanese friends would have a mild heart attack if they set foot into my house. 

One of my first experiences with how the Macanese served their tea was at the authentic Cantonese restaurant, "Treasure Palace" located on the main level of the Boulevard of the "City of Dreams" Macau. The giant "City of Dreams" triplex can put many Manhattan skyscrapers to shame, and as with many prestigious restaurants in Macau, is located smack dab in the thick of all the action: the Cotai Strip (the Cotai Strip was modeled after the Vegas Strip –some say it outshines Vegas).

"Treasure Palace" didn't serve us a proper Chinese tea, but the food was so beautifully presented and the service was superb, so I wanted to show you what an authentic Cantonese culinary/tea experience can be. As soon as you enter the restaurant, you're greeted by a long red lacquered tea station where a beautifully-dressed lady is curating tea as though she was born in a tea garden. Everything you see below is fragrant, loose leaf tea, which she carefully scoops, measures and then pours into one of the clear teapots below for steeping. 

And then there is our place setting  – a group of eight hungry journalists seated around a table on which a clear glass Lazy Susan rests. The restaurant itself is characterized by a bold red decor, but the place setting is so minimalist and white. And for people who are not comfortable with the chopsticks, no big! The servers are used to frequent requests of supplying forks and knives.

We gaze at a peaceful artificial lake that glistens, right outside our window. Everything seems calm and zen, and very healthy. None of the hustle and bustle I typically associate with casinos (City of Dreams pulls a substantial portion of its income from its casinos) and the atmosphere naturally lent itself to finding your inner peace.

The menu is created and supervised by Chef Tam Kwok-Fung, who is known for his mastery of the Cantonese cuisine. If you're a vegetarian, you'll have no issues because they will supply you with steamed vegetable dumplings that are perfectly done (the dough is not overcooked or too watery, and the flavors are well balanced, sodium free and not spicy), as well as several vegetable dishes of your choice. 

But this all brings me back to the tea. The tea we had at Treasure Palace was Chinese tea, and you may have had various versions of this tea in Chinese restaurants around the world. But the experience got me thinking about the difference between the Chinese and Japanese tea ceremonies because immediately following lunch, we visited an authentic Japanese hotel, the "Okura."

The Okura is a newly minted hotel (it opened in July, 2011) that was built specifically to cater to the increasing number of Japanese visitors to Macau.

Visitors are greeted in the lobby by a beautiful blooming Japanese cherry blossom tree, and a lady in a pale pink Kimono who is as perfectly groomed and styled as a Harajuku doll. 

The "Okura" is part of the "Galaxy Macau" five-star resort. 

When you visit one of the many rooms in the hotel Okura, you'll see how much pains the designers took to keep the rooms quite minimalist –but there's always that spotlight on the tea (notice the difference in the Chinese and Japanese tea displays). 

The highlight of my trip was meeting the Japanese Tea Ceremony Mistress in Okura's signature restaurant, Yamazato. The exquisite, graceful and Kimono-clad Shirai Yayoi is a master of the ancient style of serving Japanese tea (the proper terminology for this ceremony is "Otemae") for over 50 years, and has performed this ceremony to several Japanese emperors including the late Emperor Hirohito and his son,  the current Emperor Akihito. 

It was a joy and a thrill to be able to get into the "igloo" with her (note: the "igloo" is not the official name for where the tea ceremony is held but rather my inept, watered down way to give you an idea of what it looked like; the inside of the "igloo" is warm, cozy and very very clean). I had a picture taken of my with Shirai Yayoi but unfortunately –much to my extreme disappointment –the SD card got corrupted and I could not retrieve them when I came home! 

Below you'll see one of my writer buddies, Alexis Quinlan, who was also with me as Yayoi showed us how the tea is prepared. 

The art of the Ancient Japenese Tea Ceremony is a very quiet, reflective ceremony, and one that involves a lot of patience and the art of savoring. Yayoi had several precise steps she took before offering us a pot of the freshly prepared "matcha" tea. The reason why the matcha tea is served with sweets is to balance the bitter aspect of the tea. So the ceremony, in essence, is not only about drinking the tea –it's about appreciating all the little but significant steps in the preparation of the tea —a ritual that changed my life forever. 

PREPARATION: Alexis and I sat in silence and watched Yayoi prepare the tea herself. She took a teapot of clear boiling water and set it aside. Then she made sure the teacups themselves were sparkling clean, before scooping up a precise amount of freshly powdered green Matcha tea and placing the powder at the bottom of a master bowl.

There are some precise rules applied to the utensils and how to care for them, clean them and have them ready for the Tea Ceremony. Everything is placed on a clean mat made of bamboo, upon which the guests sit.

APPRECIATION: What I loved most about watching Yayoi is how she appreciated every little task, from ladling the hot water into the master bowl, to whisking the matcha green tea and the water. As she handed the cups to us, with both hands and a courteous bow, she ordered us to "appreciate the bowl" after we were done tasting and drinking the tea.

Before tasting the tea, we followed Yayoi's example of sniffing, savoring and sipping the tea gingerly, and then gulping it down. It's impressive that even when it comes down to the art of drinking tea, there are fine steps to follow to enhance your appreciation. 

I left Hotel Okura with a sense of accomplishment, and now I wanted to transfer this spirit of zen-ness and appreciation to all my daily tasks, from boiling my American tea kettle to doing the dishes. As the saying goes, it's easy to do things, it's hard to do them well. After Yayoi told me to "appreciate the bowl" I surrendered to her wisdom and simplicity because the latter must be —had to be — the key to happiness.

For the second time in two years, I've been invited to attend TravelGuard's "World's Unluckiest Traveler" contest results, and listen to the plight of some really unfortunate globetrotters. Last year, Dr. Gary Feldman won for what I thought was a genuinely funny yet unfortunate story: he was standing on the edge of a cliff to answer Nature's Call in Vietnam, and slipped and tumbled 30 feet, and broke both his legs. 

I've been in a pretty pickle here and there but some of the stories submitted to the Insurance Company deserve to be on the Travel Channel (file under "Travel Nightmares"). 

We interviewed the winner of TravelGuard's 2011 "World's Unluckiest Traveler" contest, a do-gooder who saved her husband's life. Rebecca Fisher was on her last minute honeymoon to New Zealand when she discovered that she'd have to give emergency surgery to her husband, and ended up saving his life. 

We caught up with Rebecca in a Q&A, and were curious to know if she enjoyed any part of her trip at all, and how she plans to spend that delicious $10,000.

1. You went from becoming a "last minute" bride to a "last minute" nurse and congratulations for taking care of your husband so well. If you could highlight your MOST frustrating aspect of the entire experience, what would it be?

7. What do you plan on doing with the award?

It is really too soon to tell.  Bruce’s children are very excited and coming up with ideas all the time.
I’m leanings towards Tahiti and staying in a bungalow over the ocean. Something relaxing.

For many travelers, Macau is the Asian version of Vegas. And while I won't deny that during my recent visit there, I did encounter more marble lobbies, fountains and upscale shopping venues than I have in a while, I was pleasantly surprised to discover the "other" side of Macau.

The Ruins of St. Paul was formerly St. Paul's College, and is now a much loved, much visited landmark by several tourists. It's refreshing to see the watermark of the Portuguese influence in Macau, and I experienced quite a magical walk from the Ruins, down the steps, and through the narrow cobblestone streets that reminded me of Sicilian towns.

Arguable the most famous cultural landmark in Macau, the Ruins of St. Paul were made a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Historic Center of Macau in 2005.

The Ruins of St. Paul actually refer to a site that featured two prominent buildings in Macau: the first was the Cathedral of St. Paul, which was built by the Jesuits and completed in 1602. You won't find traces of the cathedral on site, I'm afraid, because it was destroyed by a fire in 1835.

But you can see the southern stone facade carved by Jesuits who fled their native Japan (in the early 1600s), and if you venture down into the catacombs, you will encounter a chilling crypt and their bones. 

So, this landmark –which is a popular place for brides to get photographed (we encountered a beautiful bride getting her pictures taken on the day of our visit) — gives you a slice of Macau you never thought you would find. 

Here's a photo walk from the Ruins all the way to Senado Square where you can see the brightly-colored Pagoda, and all the festive paper lanterns from the Mooncake Festival. 

The Ruins of St. Paul is a much-photographed landmark, but it did not disappoint because I was thrilled to get a glimpse into the history and culture of Macau (cliched as that phrase may sound). The facade has intricate carvings and detailing, and the Cathedral of Macau was the largest Catholic church in Asia at the time.

A walk from the Ruins will lead you through narrow alleyways and cobblestone streets flanked by traditional stores selling everything from pigskin to hand-made souvenirs. 

These slices of meat can be purchased by the pound. The prices are in Macanese Patacas (written as MOP$). A U.S. dollar yields roughly 8 Patacas, using the exchange rate as of December 2011.

The feeling of being in Asia is palpable.  I never felt hurried or rushed or had pushy salespeople throwing their wares in my face, and I was very happy about that. Typically in Macau, you can browse and shop in peace and not feel too bothered. 

I absolutely love corners like these where you can absorb the flavor of a place in just one glance. From the Chinese lettering flanking the door to the carefully cut and laid cobbestones that are done in the traditional black and white basalt stones (a Portuguese technique), the alleys leading to Senado Square can be full of surprises. 

Yes, sadly, there is both a McDonald's and a Starbucks in Senado Square. The chain store globalization trend continues. But at least, there are other stores for you to enjoy the authentic Macanese experience.

The Mooncake Festival decorations still were everywhere. The brightly colored paper lanterns are just one way that the Macanese celebrate their festivals. What is a mooncake? It's a Chinese dessert that has a filling of a duck's egg. 

The culmination of your walk will be the unmistakeable Pagoda in Senado Square. Also called "Senate Square," the paved area was the center of Macau, and where a lot of the parades, dances and festive celebrations take place on a monthly basis. Senado Square using the traditional Portuguese pavement technique which are done using black and white stones made of basalt and limestone.