Back to Peru for Machu Picchu! (Yes, I'm aware that's a shockingly bad rhyme)
And so began another chicken bus ride- this time from La Paz to Cusco (via Copacabana and Puno).. And at this point, I will need to add a couple of extra ways to tell you have unwittingly booked a chicken bus:
* When you ask the woman at the booking office if the bus is cama, or semi-cama (classes of bus in SAm: cama= awesome reclining seats, semi-cama= half recline), she wont meet your gaze and responds "ah, semi-cama".
* After transferring buses 3 times and being stranded in Puno for hours, the bus finally arrives- and there is poo on the floor of it! Human? Animal? Who knows! But it makes for a cold old trip to Cusco with the windows open!
Right, so obviously due to the delays, I didn't arrive at Cusco until around 2.30 (instead of 10.30pm, only 4 hours late). So following a great sleep, I set to exploring the city- and it is gorgeous! One of the most beautiful in South America! There are gorgeous old buildings and plazas around every corner! And also the most optimistic hawkers around every corner! "Art students" selling their paintings, people trying to con you into a massage, people selling jumpers/socks/jewellery/dolls/you name it, and people trying to get you to book a tour with their company! I was contemplating making a recording of "no, gracias" to save myself some energy! These hawkers were relentless, and eternally cheerful! After turning a particular "art student" down for the 3rd time in the one day (he just happened to be everywhere I went), he responded with "maybe later?"! Unbelievably optimistic! (Although as an aside, I DID buy one of that bloke's paintings on my last day in Cusco- it seemed only fair!)
I was also sucked into doing a few of tours, but I figure that it was easier than doing it myself, PLUS I had a bus driver named Nestor!! (Long story, the reference was just for Jakie)- one to the Inca sites around Cusco, one to the Sacred Valley, and one to Machu Picchu.
Machu Picchu was left until last, and getting picked up at 4.40am was a bit of a rude shock!! But it was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO worth it! The train line isn't fully fixed, so there is a bit of bus-ing in between stations, but the train itself has glass panels in it's ceiling, so you can make the most of the view! Awesome! And after mastering the stairs at the site itself, the view is truly spectacular! The ruins are in pretty good nick considering how many tourists go there (and how many do the wrong thing by climbing all over everything). But once the inital flood of tour groups from the morning was over, it was quite calm in the afternoon, and it allowed me to take some top photos! (Hopefully these will make it home ok!) The Sacred Valley was gorgeous, but Machu Picchu was spectacular! One of the best days of my whole trip! I was lucky in that my tour guide happened to have grown up in the region, knows A LOT about Inca history, and has even written a book about Machu Picchu and the Incas. It meant that he was able to answer any question and tell you so much about the place- fabulous!
So despite the fact that I spent the best part of a week in Cusco, I think I have pretty much summed things up succinctly!
Next stop- Chile!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Bolivia- I´ll be seeing you again!!
Bolivia in Brief
So, at the crack of dawn, I boarded my bus- once again it was an upmarket chicken bus, and headed off to La Paz, Bolivia (with a short stop-over in Copacabana).
Copacabana is a super-touristy little place, just past the Peru-Bolivia border at Titicaca. I spent a nice bit of time checking out the market stalls for bargains, and being mistaken for being Argentinian (what the?!). Then my next chicken bus arrived to take me to La Paz.. Not too long past Copacabana, the bus stopped at a port near the lake. We were all told to hop off the bus, buy a ticket for a ricketty little boat and meet the bus on the other side of the lake- yep, the bus was loaded onto a punt, and sent across the river!..
Once we were all across, it was off to La Paz again!.. The outskirts of the city are almost rural looking, but as for downtown- it's awesome!.. I treated myself to a room in a nice hotel for the couple of nights I was spending there- good move! I was given my swipe card, the porter picked up my dirty old backpack without batting an eyelid (nice bloke!), and we headed for the lift. Once inside the lift, I realised that i was in room 1301 (on the 13th floor), and the lift only went to the 12th floor.. I was kinda confused for a minute, until we walked up the stairs from the 12th floor to my room, and the porter opened the door- ummmmm... it was a penthouse suite!!!!!!!!!!! How on Earth did I swing that!?!? My own kitchen! King-size bed!!! And HUGE dining setting! And the rooftop was my balcony!!! My nights there were probably the best I have slept for the whole trip! Oh yeah, when I got back from dinner, my bed had been turned down, chocolate on the pillow, and a nice note wishing me "dulces sueños" (sweet dreams). LUXURY!!!
I spent my few days there wandering up and down the giant hilled streets, seeing all the gorgeous old building, monuments and cathedrals. In fact I was there for Good Friday, so I saw the parade down the main street with crosses and priests and bands playing hymns.. And, of course- there was shopping! Bolivia is SUPER CHEAP! I'm not even that good at bargaining, but I managed to get some Alpaca scarves for around $3 Australian! But, there was SOME restraint! I can only fit SO MUCH into my backpack! Even the minibar prices are reasonable!! THAT'S how cheap the place is!!! I even ate at the hotel restaurant for an extremely reasonable price (and got asked by one of the waiters, whereabouts in Ecuador I was from- UMMMMM, I'm not THAT short!)
An AC/DC incident, and more details on strange places to hear Oz music
On my last night in La Paz, I was heading back towards the hotel, when I saw a crowd gathered watching a busker. It was a bloke with some skeleton marionettes, and a "stage" for them. He set everything up, and was ready to roll... And what should the skeletons be "playing" to, but AC/DC!!!! Sensational!!!
I need to go back a bit to fill you in on other run ins with Oz music- When I was in Lima having dinner with the American bloke from the bus, the restaurant we ate at was playing Crowded House's Best of!!! Fabulous! As I'm sitting here in the internet cafe in Arica, Chile, they are cranking out Divinyls!!! When I was in Cusco (yes, spoiler alert), and heading back to the hostel at night from Plaza de Armas, there was a cop who took it upon himself to accompany me back to the hostel (which was SO not necessary, but I figured a bit of security couldn't hurt). When I told him I was Australian, he played me some Midnight Oil and Men At Work via his phone!
OK, so it's dinner time here in Chile- so I'll be off! Be good!
So, at the crack of dawn, I boarded my bus- once again it was an upmarket chicken bus, and headed off to La Paz, Bolivia (with a short stop-over in Copacabana).
Copacabana is a super-touristy little place, just past the Peru-Bolivia border at Titicaca. I spent a nice bit of time checking out the market stalls for bargains, and being mistaken for being Argentinian (what the?!). Then my next chicken bus arrived to take me to La Paz.. Not too long past Copacabana, the bus stopped at a port near the lake. We were all told to hop off the bus, buy a ticket for a ricketty little boat and meet the bus on the other side of the lake- yep, the bus was loaded onto a punt, and sent across the river!..
Once we were all across, it was off to La Paz again!.. The outskirts of the city are almost rural looking, but as for downtown- it's awesome!.. I treated myself to a room in a nice hotel for the couple of nights I was spending there- good move! I was given my swipe card, the porter picked up my dirty old backpack without batting an eyelid (nice bloke!), and we headed for the lift. Once inside the lift, I realised that i was in room 1301 (on the 13th floor), and the lift only went to the 12th floor.. I was kinda confused for a minute, until we walked up the stairs from the 12th floor to my room, and the porter opened the door- ummmmm... it was a penthouse suite!!!!!!!!!!! How on Earth did I swing that!?!? My own kitchen! King-size bed!!! And HUGE dining setting! And the rooftop was my balcony!!! My nights there were probably the best I have slept for the whole trip! Oh yeah, when I got back from dinner, my bed had been turned down, chocolate on the pillow, and a nice note wishing me "dulces sueños" (sweet dreams). LUXURY!!!
I spent my few days there wandering up and down the giant hilled streets, seeing all the gorgeous old building, monuments and cathedrals. In fact I was there for Good Friday, so I saw the parade down the main street with crosses and priests and bands playing hymns.. And, of course- there was shopping! Bolivia is SUPER CHEAP! I'm not even that good at bargaining, but I managed to get some Alpaca scarves for around $3 Australian! But, there was SOME restraint! I can only fit SO MUCH into my backpack! Even the minibar prices are reasonable!! THAT'S how cheap the place is!!! I even ate at the hotel restaurant for an extremely reasonable price (and got asked by one of the waiters, whereabouts in Ecuador I was from- UMMMMM, I'm not THAT short!)
An AC/DC incident, and more details on strange places to hear Oz music
On my last night in La Paz, I was heading back towards the hotel, when I saw a crowd gathered watching a busker. It was a bloke with some skeleton marionettes, and a "stage" for them. He set everything up, and was ready to roll... And what should the skeletons be "playing" to, but AC/DC!!!! Sensational!!!
I need to go back a bit to fill you in on other run ins with Oz music- When I was in Lima having dinner with the American bloke from the bus, the restaurant we ate at was playing Crowded House's Best of!!! Fabulous! As I'm sitting here in the internet cafe in Arica, Chile, they are cranking out Divinyls!!! When I was in Cusco (yes, spoiler alert), and heading back to the hostel at night from Plaza de Armas, there was a cop who took it upon himself to accompany me back to the hostel (which was SO not necessary, but I figured a bit of security couldn't hurt). When I told him I was Australian, he played me some Midnight Oil and Men At Work via his phone!
OK, so it's dinner time here in Chile- so I'll be off! Be good!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
PERU- Part One!... Lima, Arequipa, Puno....
Dinner was great, thanks for asking... Now to the go in Lima...
With the passing of time, I no longer feel the need to slag off the bus trip from Guayaquil to Lima.. I was originally going to spend a bit of time banging on about how the "hostess" hated my guts. Then how she got her comeupance when she tried to argue with me about my needing a visa to enter Peru- she thought Australia was in Europe (no, not AUSTRIA!) And how it is suspected that she had something to do with the disappearance of the iPod belonging to Jeremy (the American bloke on the bus).. But I'm kinda over it now!
So eventually we arrived (I say WE, because Jeremy and I spent nearly the whole 28 hours on the bus yakking, and he decided to stay at the same hostel) in Lima. The hostel wasn't downtown, but in a swanky suburb called Miraflores, which is right by the ocean, and also has some Inca ruins there too. That just blows my mind!! In a city as big as Lima, there are still some original Inca ruins- which are amazing, by the way!
Jez and I took a walk along the path that separates the ocean from the town, which also happens to have lots of parks along it. We stopped to watch the sun set at a particular park that had some interesting sculpture (ie- a couple in bed together). He was constantly harrassed by people selling flowers urging him to buy me some, and eventually someone filled us in that it was Parque del Amor! Hence the flowers! Hilarious!!
As I outlined earlier, I went and saw the ruins (which were ace). And also spent some valuable time getting my laundry organised!!.. With that all done, I was ready for a night out... And who should be geared up but Mariela (a Scottish lass who has been living in Spain for 7 years)- funny that a Scot would fancy a drink!? And Pedro (one of the guys working at the hostel) made us his secret recipe pisco sours! Top start! We moved from club to club before settling on one that played western rock. It was kinda nice to have a break from South American music...... Although secretly I was hoping for some reggaeton!!!!.. Unfortunately I made the decision to take my camera out with us...... And ended up leaving it in a taxi!.. BOO!!!!!!! I was devastated to have lost a whole heap of photos, but so be it.. We had a great night! And as the blokes from the company I went to the Amazon with told me- you'll have to come back and take more photos! TOO TRUE!!!
Arequipa!!!...
So once I had sorted out getting a police report re- the camera(many thanks go out to Christian the manager of the hostel in Lima for his help!), I was off to Arequipa on a cushy overnight bus- it was pretty swish, and the hostess even organised a game of bingo!
In Arequipa I stayed at a hostel where there was only one staff member who spoke English! (And her English wasn't all that flash, either!) But it was kinda good for me to have to really try and use Spanish, without resorting to English. Plus it kinda showed me how my comprehension of Spanish has come along really well! First up, I bought a new camera- and I LOVE IT! The city of Arequipa is gorgeous! There is a lovely old monestary (which in reality is a convent), a stunning cathedral, and other amazing buildings. I happened to be there for Palm Sunday, and despite the fact that I'm a non-practising Catholic, I got swept up and headed to church. There were traditionally dressed Peruvian women weaving palms into crosses and adding pictures of Jesus, flowers, herbs etc to them. They sold these, and the congregation wave them at appropriate times. Amazing!
I was convinced to stay an extra night (I was only going stay for one), by John who runs the hostel (who despite the English name, no speaka the English), which I did. I went out for dinner with Rob, a German medical student.. And we wondered why the waiter looked at us strangely when we ordered the same thing each. When they arrived, we found out why- each serve was enough to feed three people quite easily! And we had one each! As you can imagine, we didn't really make a dent in the meals, and we hurriedly paid the bill and ran!! (BTW- it cost me around $2 Australian). Instead of going out (as we had planned), it was a quiet night in just chatting with the other backpackers staying there..
Titicaca and Puno... Yes, it's a great name!!
Then I headed off to Puno, on Lake Titicaca. I got in (after my chicken bus trip) at around 10pm, and it was sooooooooooooo bloody cold!!!! I slept in several layers of clothes, and had to rug up if I was out after the sun had set! I did a boat trip of the lake, and saw the floating islands (which, contrary to what I had thought, aren't really islands- the native people construct them out of reeds!).. Then we headed off to Taquile island. There we hiked up the side of the island to reach the town square. The way up was lined with gum trees which made me feel a touch nostalgic towards home!.. We had a sticky beak around, then went to a local restaurant to have yummy quinoa soap and grilled lake trout for lunch! We headed across the island to the other side and descended the 500 stone steps. On the way down there were heaps of locals- most with babies or supplies strapped to their backs, walking up the steps! Unbelievable! It was a very pleasant cruise back to Puno.. And it was then that I decided to make La Paz my next stop!..
With the passing of time, I no longer feel the need to slag off the bus trip from Guayaquil to Lima.. I was originally going to spend a bit of time banging on about how the "hostess" hated my guts. Then how she got her comeupance when she tried to argue with me about my needing a visa to enter Peru- she thought Australia was in Europe (no, not AUSTRIA!) And how it is suspected that she had something to do with the disappearance of the iPod belonging to Jeremy (the American bloke on the bus).. But I'm kinda over it now!
So eventually we arrived (I say WE, because Jeremy and I spent nearly the whole 28 hours on the bus yakking, and he decided to stay at the same hostel) in Lima. The hostel wasn't downtown, but in a swanky suburb called Miraflores, which is right by the ocean, and also has some Inca ruins there too. That just blows my mind!! In a city as big as Lima, there are still some original Inca ruins- which are amazing, by the way!
Jez and I took a walk along the path that separates the ocean from the town, which also happens to have lots of parks along it. We stopped to watch the sun set at a particular park that had some interesting sculpture (ie- a couple in bed together). He was constantly harrassed by people selling flowers urging him to buy me some, and eventually someone filled us in that it was Parque del Amor! Hence the flowers! Hilarious!!
As I outlined earlier, I went and saw the ruins (which were ace). And also spent some valuable time getting my laundry organised!!.. With that all done, I was ready for a night out... And who should be geared up but Mariela (a Scottish lass who has been living in Spain for 7 years)- funny that a Scot would fancy a drink!? And Pedro (one of the guys working at the hostel) made us his secret recipe pisco sours! Top start! We moved from club to club before settling on one that played western rock. It was kinda nice to have a break from South American music...... Although secretly I was hoping for some reggaeton!!!!.. Unfortunately I made the decision to take my camera out with us...... And ended up leaving it in a taxi!.. BOO!!!!!!! I was devastated to have lost a whole heap of photos, but so be it.. We had a great night! And as the blokes from the company I went to the Amazon with told me- you'll have to come back and take more photos! TOO TRUE!!!
Arequipa!!!...
So once I had sorted out getting a police report re- the camera(many thanks go out to Christian the manager of the hostel in Lima for his help!), I was off to Arequipa on a cushy overnight bus- it was pretty swish, and the hostess even organised a game of bingo!
In Arequipa I stayed at a hostel where there was only one staff member who spoke English! (And her English wasn't all that flash, either!) But it was kinda good for me to have to really try and use Spanish, without resorting to English. Plus it kinda showed me how my comprehension of Spanish has come along really well! First up, I bought a new camera- and I LOVE IT! The city of Arequipa is gorgeous! There is a lovely old monestary (which in reality is a convent), a stunning cathedral, and other amazing buildings. I happened to be there for Palm Sunday, and despite the fact that I'm a non-practising Catholic, I got swept up and headed to church. There were traditionally dressed Peruvian women weaving palms into crosses and adding pictures of Jesus, flowers, herbs etc to them. They sold these, and the congregation wave them at appropriate times. Amazing!
I was convinced to stay an extra night (I was only going stay for one), by John who runs the hostel (who despite the English name, no speaka the English), which I did. I went out for dinner with Rob, a German medical student.. And we wondered why the waiter looked at us strangely when we ordered the same thing each. When they arrived, we found out why- each serve was enough to feed three people quite easily! And we had one each! As you can imagine, we didn't really make a dent in the meals, and we hurriedly paid the bill and ran!! (BTW- it cost me around $2 Australian). Instead of going out (as we had planned), it was a quiet night in just chatting with the other backpackers staying there..
Titicaca and Puno... Yes, it's a great name!!
Then I headed off to Puno, on Lake Titicaca. I got in (after my chicken bus trip) at around 10pm, and it was sooooooooooooo bloody cold!!!! I slept in several layers of clothes, and had to rug up if I was out after the sun had set! I did a boat trip of the lake, and saw the floating islands (which, contrary to what I had thought, aren't really islands- the native people construct them out of reeds!).. Then we headed off to Taquile island. There we hiked up the side of the island to reach the town square. The way up was lined with gum trees which made me feel a touch nostalgic towards home!.. We had a sticky beak around, then went to a local restaurant to have yummy quinoa soap and grilled lake trout for lunch! We headed across the island to the other side and descended the 500 stone steps. On the way down there were heaps of locals- most with babies or supplies strapped to their backs, walking up the steps! Unbelievable! It was a very pleasant cruise back to Puno.. And it was then that I decided to make La Paz my next stop!..
A brief "Chicken Bus" Interlude...
OK, let me rephrase that- upmarket chicken bus!
The "chicken bus" is an essential part of South and Central American transport- basically they are former US school buses that get retired from the beat in the US, and sent further south. Once down south, they get decked out in all sorts of amazing colours and patterns and used as a means of transport. The "chicken" bit apparently comes from the fact that often poultry and other livestock are taken on the bus. But having said that, I have also heard that it is because the buses would stop for anyone- even a chicken flapping its wing. Perhaps it's a combo of these??..
Now, I must admit that my own chicken bus experience has been limited to short distances within a city, and not long distance. BUT! I have unwittingly purchased tickets for what could only be described as "upmarket chicken buses" for long haul rides..
HOW TO TELL YOU HAVE PURCHASED A TICKET FOR AN UPMARKET CHICKEN BUS
* When asking to buy a ticket for the next bus, the lady at the counter convinces you to buy a ticket for the 3pm bus- and it's currently 3.25pm.
* When asking the person behind the counter if they need to see your passport- they laugh!
* Despite the journey being international and taking around 14 hours, it costs around $15 Australian.
* When you find your bus, you discover that the windscreen has a gigantic crack completely through it. It's ok though- there's masking tape holding it together.
* When stowing your luggage under the bus (yes, I told you it was an upmarket chicken bus), the bloke doesn't give you a receipt to claim your bag back. When you ask why, he laughs.
* You board the bus to find that it is full of local women with babies strapped to themselves in brightly coloured slings (plus or minus birds- no, not chickens, but budgies!)
* It's now 4pm, and the bus was due to leave at 3pm- the natives start to get restless and begin a chant. They stomp their feet and yell "VAMOS TORTUGA!" (Translation- let's go, tortoise!!) This chant is again trotted out any time the bus starts to slow (crusing for more passengers- great idea! It's certainly not stinking hot and full to capacity in the bus!?), or when the driver suggests stopping for a snack break.
They are a whole heap of fun, and you can meet some great people (when you're crammed in next to them!)
I swear, I WILL post about Peru (Part One), but it's dinner time, OK!!
The "chicken bus" is an essential part of South and Central American transport- basically they are former US school buses that get retired from the beat in the US, and sent further south. Once down south, they get decked out in all sorts of amazing colours and patterns and used as a means of transport. The "chicken" bit apparently comes from the fact that often poultry and other livestock are taken on the bus. But having said that, I have also heard that it is because the buses would stop for anyone- even a chicken flapping its wing. Perhaps it's a combo of these??..
Now, I must admit that my own chicken bus experience has been limited to short distances within a city, and not long distance. BUT! I have unwittingly purchased tickets for what could only be described as "upmarket chicken buses" for long haul rides..
HOW TO TELL YOU HAVE PURCHASED A TICKET FOR AN UPMARKET CHICKEN BUS
* When asking to buy a ticket for the next bus, the lady at the counter convinces you to buy a ticket for the 3pm bus- and it's currently 3.25pm.
* When asking the person behind the counter if they need to see your passport- they laugh!
* Despite the journey being international and taking around 14 hours, it costs around $15 Australian.
* When you find your bus, you discover that the windscreen has a gigantic crack completely through it. It's ok though- there's masking tape holding it together.
* When stowing your luggage under the bus (yes, I told you it was an upmarket chicken bus), the bloke doesn't give you a receipt to claim your bag back. When you ask why, he laughs.
* You board the bus to find that it is full of local women with babies strapped to themselves in brightly coloured slings (plus or minus birds- no, not chickens, but budgies!)
* It's now 4pm, and the bus was due to leave at 3pm- the natives start to get restless and begin a chant. They stomp their feet and yell "VAMOS TORTUGA!" (Translation- let's go, tortoise!!) This chant is again trotted out any time the bus starts to slow (crusing for more passengers- great idea! It's certainly not stinking hot and full to capacity in the bus!?), or when the driver suggests stopping for a snack break.
They are a whole heap of fun, and you can meet some great people (when you're crammed in next to them!)
I swear, I WILL post about Peru (Part One), but it's dinner time, OK!!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Ecuador- Thanks for making me feel tall!!!!...
Yep, you read correctly- TALL
Upon arrival into Quito, I noticed two important things:
1) I am taller than around 90% of the population- male and female!!!, and
2) It gets bloody cold at night in Quito!!!
It was a shock to the system to have to wear long sleeves!!! But having said that, I didn't really mind- the days in Quito were sunny. And for a big city, Quito is GORGEOUS! The hostel I was staying in was next to the old city, and from it's fifth floor bar, there was the most AMAZING view of the city! The old buildings, cathedrals, churches, plazas were all soooooooooooooooo pretty! And the people are incredibly friendly! (In one particular case, TOO friendly!.. Yes, a bloke grabbed my boob when he was allegedly going to look at my necklace). But they are lovely people nonetheless!
I spent my days in Quito wandering the hills of the old city, and testing out my Spanish bargaining skills at the market.. I got into the swing of it eventually, and bought the CUTEST bag! (Along with other bits and pieces!) I walked up the 300-plus stairs to Parque Ichimbia which has an amazing view of Quito. And then hoofed it up to the statue of the virgin on El Panecillo (yep, more stairs).. So I was looking forward to a snooze on the bus overnight to Guayaquil after a day of stairclimbing..
Unfortunately the bus to Guayaquil was CHOCKERS, (and full of kids, no less), so there wasn't a heap of sleep to be had. Added to that was the fact that the bus arrived in Guayaquil at 4.30am!!! So I had a wee kip at the bus station before sorting out my bus ticket to Lima.
The guesthouse I was staying at in Guayaquil was right on the Malecon- a gorgeous area along the river. And so in 24 hours, I tried to cram as much of Guayaquil in as possible! For some reason it seemed like a good idea to walk up the stairs (uh huh, I know!) to the lighthouse at Santa Ana.. Only 450-odd stairs... But it was worth it! The houses there are painted in a rainbow of colours, and the is an amazing view of the city from the top of the hill. (And the added bonus of a pirate-themed park for the kids!)
Following that expedition I decided to see as many of the plazas and parks as possible. Parque Bolivar was my fave though- it has iguanas wandering around in it! And a pond full of turtles! It was cute watching the turtles climb over the ledge into the second part of the pond!.. And also watching the looks on toddlers' faces when parents put them down next to the iguanas for photos!
So after an early night, I was all set for my bus to Lima (all 24 hours of it!)....
Upon arrival into Quito, I noticed two important things:
1) I am taller than around 90% of the population- male and female!!!, and
2) It gets bloody cold at night in Quito!!!
It was a shock to the system to have to wear long sleeves!!! But having said that, I didn't really mind- the days in Quito were sunny. And for a big city, Quito is GORGEOUS! The hostel I was staying in was next to the old city, and from it's fifth floor bar, there was the most AMAZING view of the city! The old buildings, cathedrals, churches, plazas were all soooooooooooooooo pretty! And the people are incredibly friendly! (In one particular case, TOO friendly!.. Yes, a bloke grabbed my boob when he was allegedly going to look at my necklace). But they are lovely people nonetheless!
I spent my days in Quito wandering the hills of the old city, and testing out my Spanish bargaining skills at the market.. I got into the swing of it eventually, and bought the CUTEST bag! (Along with other bits and pieces!) I walked up the 300-plus stairs to Parque Ichimbia which has an amazing view of Quito. And then hoofed it up to the statue of the virgin on El Panecillo (yep, more stairs).. So I was looking forward to a snooze on the bus overnight to Guayaquil after a day of stairclimbing..
Unfortunately the bus to Guayaquil was CHOCKERS, (and full of kids, no less), so there wasn't a heap of sleep to be had. Added to that was the fact that the bus arrived in Guayaquil at 4.30am!!! So I had a wee kip at the bus station before sorting out my bus ticket to Lima.
The guesthouse I was staying at in Guayaquil was right on the Malecon- a gorgeous area along the river. And so in 24 hours, I tried to cram as much of Guayaquil in as possible! For some reason it seemed like a good idea to walk up the stairs (uh huh, I know!) to the lighthouse at Santa Ana.. Only 450-odd stairs... But it was worth it! The houses there are painted in a rainbow of colours, and the is an amazing view of the city from the top of the hill. (And the added bonus of a pirate-themed park for the kids!)
Following that expedition I decided to see as many of the plazas and parks as possible. Parque Bolivar was my fave though- it has iguanas wandering around in it! And a pond full of turtles! It was cute watching the turtles climb over the ledge into the second part of the pond!.. And also watching the looks on toddlers' faces when parents put them down next to the iguanas for photos!
So after an early night, I was all set for my bus to Lima (all 24 hours of it!)....
Monday, March 22, 2010
COLOMBIA!!!!!!!!!!.... And a Trini update!...
Embarrassing???... You could say that!!
On my last night in Trinidad, I decided to bongo bus it to Port of Spain to go out to Sweet Lime (a fantastic restaurant on the Avenue).. So I tied my hair back and hoped that I wouldn't look TOO windswept when I got into town!.. Naturally, the driver took some ridiculous route, and I ended up nowhere near the restaurant.. Which I guess gave me time to fix my hair on the way!
The restaurant had a rather attractive bloke singing as entertainment, and I was natually seated right near him (not my doing- blame the waitress!).. During the Bob Marley classic "Is This Love", he sat down at my table, and sang.. Which was pretty damn embarrassing.. He then thought that he was going to get in trouble (he assumed that I was dining with a bloke), so he got up again.. And I thought all my embarrassment was over for the night.. But no! He had been dedicating songs to people dining at the restaurant (some requested the dedications, others didn't!)... And he decided to dedicate a song to me. He realised that I wasn't dining with anyone, so he plonked himself down and sang a soppy ballad to me, forcing me to hold his hand... Jesus!!! And of course, the WHOLE restaurant was looking!... SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO embarrassing!!!!... I finished up my meal pretty quickly!.. And then headed to the nearest bar for some rum!.. Which is where I met McGarvey, the Trini gangster.... But that's a whole other story!!... By the way, you need to look up the song "Hold You" (or hold yuh, as it is in the Caribbean) by Gyptian on youtube, so that you can have it stuck in your head for days on end! It was on SUPER high rotation in Trinidad, and despite hearing it about 20 times a day (no exaggeration!) I still love it and can't get enough of it!
Mum, I'm ok, and so's the house- no need to sell it to pay the ransom!
So after flying through Panama (yet again! but this time I treated myself to a bed in a hotel!), I arrived in Cartagena Colombia!!.. My taxi driver pointed out all the sights on the way to the hostel, and I was amazed at the contrast between the old city and Bocagrande (the swish area of town that I was to stay in). I packed myself off for an early night, because I was getting up early for a trip to Playa Blanca..
I managed to get out of bed on time and headed off with a few people from the hostel and the most disorganised tour guide you could imagine!! He had perfected the art of looking busy and avoiding organising anything! But eventually we ended up on a boat! The sea happened to be pretty damn choppy that day, and we were literally hanging on for dear life! I ended up with a REALLY sore bum afterwards! But we eventually made it to Playa Blanca, which lived up to its name by having the softest, whitest sand! The water was soooooo blue/green, it was amazing!!!
That night happened to be June's birthday (June being one of the women who worked at the hostel I was staying at). So we cracked open my bottle of rum punch to celebrate, and the evening degenerated into aguardiente shots and much silliness (complete with cake fights, birthday hats and balloons).. Once midnight hit, it was officially Paddy's day, and we were taught some Irish dancing by Fidelma!.. We eventually got to bed.. The next couple of days involved seeing the sights of the old city. It is so amazingly beautiful- no wonder it's all Unesco listed! Two of the best things I saw there included the old fort (complete with rum smuggling passages you can walk down!), and a museum housed in a building that was used during the Spanish Inquisition (complete with exhibition on the "interrogation tools" used- gruesome!)..
It was just an amazing place, and I will sooooooooooooo be coming back to Colombia!! Even in spite of the farewell that I was dealt at the airport! I was interrogated by several official-looking blokes in army uniforms at the airport, and apparently because I spent such a short time there, I was a person of interest!.. So my baggage was searched VERY thoroughly! I thought they were going to open the coffee I had bought too! I was patted down, and then told that I should go upstairs.. Upstairs involved a further interrogation, along with xrays and a more in depth pat down... Holy crap!... Eventually they were satisfied that I wasn't taking any of Colombia's finest with me, and I was allowed to board the plane.. So I didn't get abducted by Colombian druglords!... Nor was I acting as a drug mule- luckily!
And I am now chilling in Quito. (Chilling is right, it's bloody cold here!)...
On my last night in Trinidad, I decided to bongo bus it to Port of Spain to go out to Sweet Lime (a fantastic restaurant on the Avenue).. So I tied my hair back and hoped that I wouldn't look TOO windswept when I got into town!.. Naturally, the driver took some ridiculous route, and I ended up nowhere near the restaurant.. Which I guess gave me time to fix my hair on the way!
The restaurant had a rather attractive bloke singing as entertainment, and I was natually seated right near him (not my doing- blame the waitress!).. During the Bob Marley classic "Is This Love", he sat down at my table, and sang.. Which was pretty damn embarrassing.. He then thought that he was going to get in trouble (he assumed that I was dining with a bloke), so he got up again.. And I thought all my embarrassment was over for the night.. But no! He had been dedicating songs to people dining at the restaurant (some requested the dedications, others didn't!)... And he decided to dedicate a song to me. He realised that I wasn't dining with anyone, so he plonked himself down and sang a soppy ballad to me, forcing me to hold his hand... Jesus!!! And of course, the WHOLE restaurant was looking!... SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO embarrassing!!!!... I finished up my meal pretty quickly!.. And then headed to the nearest bar for some rum!.. Which is where I met McGarvey, the Trini gangster.... But that's a whole other story!!... By the way, you need to look up the song "Hold You" (or hold yuh, as it is in the Caribbean) by Gyptian on youtube, so that you can have it stuck in your head for days on end! It was on SUPER high rotation in Trinidad, and despite hearing it about 20 times a day (no exaggeration!) I still love it and can't get enough of it!
Mum, I'm ok, and so's the house- no need to sell it to pay the ransom!
So after flying through Panama (yet again! but this time I treated myself to a bed in a hotel!), I arrived in Cartagena Colombia!!.. My taxi driver pointed out all the sights on the way to the hostel, and I was amazed at the contrast between the old city and Bocagrande (the swish area of town that I was to stay in). I packed myself off for an early night, because I was getting up early for a trip to Playa Blanca..
I managed to get out of bed on time and headed off with a few people from the hostel and the most disorganised tour guide you could imagine!! He had perfected the art of looking busy and avoiding organising anything! But eventually we ended up on a boat! The sea happened to be pretty damn choppy that day, and we were literally hanging on for dear life! I ended up with a REALLY sore bum afterwards! But we eventually made it to Playa Blanca, which lived up to its name by having the softest, whitest sand! The water was soooooo blue/green, it was amazing!!!
That night happened to be June's birthday (June being one of the women who worked at the hostel I was staying at). So we cracked open my bottle of rum punch to celebrate, and the evening degenerated into aguardiente shots and much silliness (complete with cake fights, birthday hats and balloons).. Once midnight hit, it was officially Paddy's day, and we were taught some Irish dancing by Fidelma!.. We eventually got to bed.. The next couple of days involved seeing the sights of the old city. It is so amazingly beautiful- no wonder it's all Unesco listed! Two of the best things I saw there included the old fort (complete with rum smuggling passages you can walk down!), and a museum housed in a building that was used during the Spanish Inquisition (complete with exhibition on the "interrogation tools" used- gruesome!)..
It was just an amazing place, and I will sooooooooooooo be coming back to Colombia!! Even in spite of the farewell that I was dealt at the airport! I was interrogated by several official-looking blokes in army uniforms at the airport, and apparently because I spent such a short time there, I was a person of interest!.. So my baggage was searched VERY thoroughly! I thought they were going to open the coffee I had bought too! I was patted down, and then told that I should go upstairs.. Upstairs involved a further interrogation, along with xrays and a more in depth pat down... Holy crap!... Eventually they were satisfied that I wasn't taking any of Colombia's finest with me, and I was allowed to board the plane.. So I didn't get abducted by Colombian druglords!... Nor was I acting as a drug mule- luckily!
And I am now chilling in Quito. (Chilling is right, it's bloody cold here!)...
Friday, March 19, 2010
Trinidad..... Going with the flow....
Equal parts frustrating and fantastic!!!
After spending time in Brazil speaking Portuguese, and in Argentina/Uruguay "speaking" Spanish, I was really looking forward to not having to struggle with language and being able to get what I want a bit easier in Trinidad.. It didn't turn out to be the case!! But I still had an amazing time!!!
My first few days were spent staying at a guesthouse in Port of Spain- man, that is one CRAZY town!!!... Even in the middle of peak hour traffic, guys will slam on the brakes so that women can cross the road!.. The traffic itself is NUTS! The people are sooooooooo friendly (in fact, some of the men were a little TOO friendly- I have never had so many marriage proposals anywhere before!).. The rum punch is pretty darn great!.. And the seafood is divine!!.. (Except that it may not be the dish that you order!... I had a waitress tell me she wouldn't give me what I ordered, despite the fact that the said they did have the dish I wanted!!.. It was a nice meal anyway though!!!!)
But after a couple of days there (and half a day being spent trying to send a package of souvenirs back to Oz), I needed some beach time!.. So I popped down to Chagaramas for the last part of my time there. The "resort" I was in happened to be right next to the army base, so I was woken up each morning by the army fellas chanting and marching!.. I did a few day trips to places like Maracas Bay and Diego Martin, and they are AMAZINGLY beautiful!! I didn't actually intend to go to Diego Martin, but the maxi taxi (Trinidad's version of the bongo bus) didn't go to Sangre Grande like it was supposed to!!.. That's just what happens in Trinidad, I guess!! You gotta go with the flow!!
Speaking of the maxi taxis- they are decked out according to the personality of the driver, and play SUPER LOUD music that the driver happens to like.... So you end up on a soca one, or rnb one, or a reggae one... AWESOME!! I haven't heard The Thong Song so much for years!!!
OH! I just remembered another strange place to hear Aussie music- the duty free shop in Panama City had Men At Work's "Down Under" cranked up when I arrived for my marathon stop over effort on the way to Trinidad!
I absolutely LOVED Trinidad- and will have to go back there for Carnival! Everyone who lives there says how sensational it is... So maybe next year????...... Yes, this is a just a quick post- gotta get back to sightseeing!!!
After spending time in Brazil speaking Portuguese, and in Argentina/Uruguay "speaking" Spanish, I was really looking forward to not having to struggle with language and being able to get what I want a bit easier in Trinidad.. It didn't turn out to be the case!! But I still had an amazing time!!!
My first few days were spent staying at a guesthouse in Port of Spain- man, that is one CRAZY town!!!... Even in the middle of peak hour traffic, guys will slam on the brakes so that women can cross the road!.. The traffic itself is NUTS! The people are sooooooooo friendly (in fact, some of the men were a little TOO friendly- I have never had so many marriage proposals anywhere before!).. The rum punch is pretty darn great!.. And the seafood is divine!!.. (Except that it may not be the dish that you order!... I had a waitress tell me she wouldn't give me what I ordered, despite the fact that the said they did have the dish I wanted!!.. It was a nice meal anyway though!!!!)
But after a couple of days there (and half a day being spent trying to send a package of souvenirs back to Oz), I needed some beach time!.. So I popped down to Chagaramas for the last part of my time there. The "resort" I was in happened to be right next to the army base, so I was woken up each morning by the army fellas chanting and marching!.. I did a few day trips to places like Maracas Bay and Diego Martin, and they are AMAZINGLY beautiful!! I didn't actually intend to go to Diego Martin, but the maxi taxi (Trinidad's version of the bongo bus) didn't go to Sangre Grande like it was supposed to!!.. That's just what happens in Trinidad, I guess!! You gotta go with the flow!!
Speaking of the maxi taxis- they are decked out according to the personality of the driver, and play SUPER LOUD music that the driver happens to like.... So you end up on a soca one, or rnb one, or a reggae one... AWESOME!! I haven't heard The Thong Song so much for years!!!
OH! I just remembered another strange place to hear Aussie music- the duty free shop in Panama City had Men At Work's "Down Under" cranked up when I arrived for my marathon stop over effort on the way to Trinidad!
I absolutely LOVED Trinidad- and will have to go back there for Carnival! Everyone who lives there says how sensational it is... So maybe next year????...... Yes, this is a just a quick post- gotta get back to sightseeing!!!
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