Chicago, the largest city of the State Illinois is also known in other names, “the Land of Lincoln” and “the Second City.” Who ever blessed the city with the latter nomenclature must probably be a travesty. But make no mistake about it: There’s nothing second- rate about this first-class city destination. Going just by the numbers gives you an idea of all it has to offer: 560 parks, 49 museums, 15 miles of lakefront bathing beaches, 200 live theaters, and 7000 restaurants(research). They all cater to a roughly 9-10M residents and visitors all throughout the year. This week the number is bloated, graced and laced by roughly an additional 50,000 rotarians, spouses, Rotaractors, interactors, alumni, etc from over 150 countries all over the world on that famous week 18-22 June 2005-all set against one of the world’s most spectacular skylines!

Summer is a delicious time to visit Chicago-especially if you’re still in town during the annual taste of Chicago, June 24 – July 4, (immediately after the centennial celebration of RI the week prior), a wildly popular lakefront celebration of the city’s exceptionally diverse cultural and culinary scene. We were not able to cover the coming week. (We were there for the centennial celebration of Rotary International existence as a worldwide organization of professional and business men and women and the 95th convention of the same)

"Dare to be in town for this tasty event? No problem! Steal time from convention to lazy-stroll in the famous Lakeshore Drive to drown and feast on drooling sight of 2 pieces and sometimes one or none at all. To make any summer day special, just add volleyball on north avenue beach; retail nirvana along the magnificent mile; gallery crawls through world-renowned museums; a seat along the third base line at ivy-covered Wrigley field, home of the world famous Chicago cubs; a mouthwatering window-ogling along Michigan avenue; fancy on trade for the famous number “23” or Jordan at Nike; or simply a taste of the original crispy meals at KFC or McDonald’s outlets. The nighttime options are just as promising-after dinner in one or two of Chicago’s thousand of eateries, take in a show at a jazz or blues bar, catch a live theatre or bar performance, or head to the top of the Sears Towers(the world’s second tallest building) to see the whole big picture sparkling at your feet."

The prior week a classmate from the Philippines and some of the rotary entourage “tsismis-fed” me of the coming of celebrities to Chicago coinciding with the rotary convention. I was hoping to be lucky enough to get a glimpse of stars like Oprah, George Clooney or native John Cusack. We were just late for such personalities Matt Damon who just stopped to grab a bite at Pizzeria Uno; Vivica A Fox, Queen Latifah and Justin Timberlake at Le Passage! But I deemed myself to be more fortunate just seeing my long missed classmates and being with my fellow rotarians PPs Rambo Sia, Willy Aninias, Ato Estrellado, Precy(of sister club RC Sta Rosa Centro) and Spouses Cora, Bing and Maya, and a couple of hundreds more from our district led by DG Mike and Spouse Susan among the thousands Rotarians from all over the world who swarmed and thronged McCormick’s place.

But we were lucky enough to have come to Chicago to do what we came here for. To join in the celebration of 100 years of Rotary and to handover our centennial project hammer and gavel, duly signed by all centennial club presidents and AGs of RI district 3820 to the big man of Rotary International this Rotary Year, RI president Glenn Estess himself in the presence of his aide Don Osborne and a representative delegate of RC Sta Rosa Centro as witness.

Members of the RC San Pablo City South(RI# 17007) daringly and literally dissected the United states from west to east and back by taking land on rented car from San Francisco to Chicago to New York to Florida all the way back to Los Angeles on delicately designed and adroitly engineered highways of the Americas, 8000 miles and 10 and a half days of travel, a searing adventure and a scenic leisure travel that may be done only once in the lifetime of these dedicated rotarian travelers.

I was not alone behind the wheels. PP Rambo, driven by intense obsession to wrestle the highways of the Americas, mustered enough courage to do what I loved so much, to master the US highways. Fueled with the insatiable desire to steer the wheels he braved the torrid temperatures of the desert and remained oblivious to the cacophony of snores and familiar nocturnal din of his weary passengers as I sit on the navigator side of the rented vehicle either wrestling with the maze on the map or drooling in deep slumber. I drive the days as he took care of the night.

San Francisco to Chicago took us 3 days and 2 nights to travel 1650 miles that covered the states of Nevada, Colorado, Utah, Nebraska, Iowa and Illinois into the arms of the warm-blooded classmates of class 76 UST faculty of Medicine and Surgery who welcomed, nourished, bathed, fed, inebriated and sheltered me and 7 of my co-rotarians from our district on this very special week. All for FREE. But the Charity will not end there as we go on in our journey.

The first encounter was Bernie, the mother of accommodations. She drove 300 miles to refurbish what will be our home for the rotary week, complete with board and lodging and a fully stocked ref. Followed by the energetic Yen “Carlos primero or Uno” de Estrada in the middle of the night, augmenting what Bernie had provided, care and understanding and of course, native Filipino delicacies we are missing for 10 days now. I sorry missed Gus “to life,” the beer and the “loop” of Kalamazoo, MI, for the second time at over 90 mph, trying to catch up with my sister who promised me Lobster for dinner but is already fast falling asleep. But even the 90mph was not enough to chance upon the “wanderlusting” Romy and family. We should have done a hundred and disparaged the patrol. Popoy kept time, an hour early as a matter of fact, still with the boyish looks donning a celebrated necktie. I mistook him for the head waiter as I completely forgot to make him pledge lobster. Sayang! He was saved by a relative freeholder candidate and we got a candle light dinner instead. I spurned to inconvenience Arden. The idea of disturbing her sleep in the wee hours of the morning I deemed contemptuous. The last encounter was Mane, who inspite of a stinging episode a couple of years ago, was still in her usual captivating girlish simplicity. She provided the last of the visceratonic spree for me and my group. Still Lobster was nowhere in the menu.

The Golden Gate, Casinos of Las Vegas, Reno and Atlantic City, Colorado mountains, Mississippi River of Huckleberry Finn, Ground Zero, Times square, Empire states, BMW bridges of New York, The Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, Sears Towers, Disneyworld, Theme parks, The White House at Washington DC Grand Canyon, and a host of others were mere cover items and titles of our pads and notebooks in our younger days. Except for Ground Zero, which will remain a living memento of a gruesome terror, all the rest are dreams fulfilled. I assure you, we have seen more but the factor of age has undeniably caught up with me.

The 25 states seen AND COVERED along the way: California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Washington DC, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona,

We deliberately missed Anaheim and RI in Evanston, (although I’ve seen it in a prior visit). The trip to RI Headquaters, One Rotary Center in Evanston, Illinois is highly recommended and is considered a must for all rotarians, old and new. Given the chance to sit at the desk of the RI President in the relocated room where the first Rotary meeting was held in 1905 including parts and fixtures of the original building, the experience will serve as inspiration to young or old Rotarians. Nobody in the group is interested and inspired enough to be district governor, much more RI president. Hehehe

Some say the effort, the travel by land, is senseless and futile. Some even went as far as to discourage. I can’t blame them. They will never be able to handle the thrill, fun and oh, maybe the mere thought of the cost it entails. The travel requires greater physical stamina and endurance, courage and determination, high degree of anticipation and urgency for the participants. The exercise is basically rolling in the seemingly endless highways, relentlessly interrupted by miles and miles of summer constructions and improvements, with either barren brown or ice-laced mountains, rivers and deserts to your left and to your right, hailstorm, sandstorm, rains and tornado chasing from far and up most of the time. But God was with us in all these travels. Guided by a Divine Grace, all the paths that we accessed were roads of comfort and the nights were toned by accommodations of ease and peace. At every destination were the warm hands and hospitality of hosts ready to give an egging rub of comfort, hot soup and homely beds to the dead beat but jubilant travelers. In the morning, still on sponsored breakfast, reassurance and encouragement, sometimes support, to go on.

The cost: Still computing, but reassuringly cheap!

The Maalmo-Copenhagen RI convention in 2006 and New Orleans RI convention in 2007 BY LAND, anyone!!!!!!!!

RAUL,

PP RC SPCSouth