25-08-2011
My lack of knowledge continues to amaze me. Arrived at the Paracas National Park with no clue about it. Then we were seated on a speed boat with a guide, still clueless. First stop was an island with cacti like formations on the ground, as per the guide they were made 2000 years ago, doubting me checked it on returning, it was true - the candelabra made by the Paracas people.
Next were the Ballestas islands. The thing that I noticed first were the wonderful rock formations, arches and cliffs coming together beautifully. Then the wildlife, I have never seen so many birds together. Pelicans, Peruvian boobies, Cormorants,Penguins, Turkey Vultures and Inca turns covered the islands and the sky above. Over 7 million birds migrate here in Summer. Spotted a few sea lions lounging on the rocks and some frolicking in the water. We managed to get away with only a few droppings on the boat from the birds but our faces were drenched with sea water by the time we returned.
After a late lovely seafood lunch we visited the desert part of the National Park. It is literally only desert. The beaches look pretty but it is so cold, sat on the roof of the truck but could only manage 10 minutes up there in spite of being rugged up. Back to our campsite after a pretty sunset.
Borrowed the mats from the poolside and used them as a mattress, slept well.
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Friday, August 26, 2011
Peru- Lima- Day 2
24-08-2011
The Indian bureaucracy never fails to amaze me. We spent our entire day there, did get the visas so it ended well. We were asked to show our tickets for India, the website specifically states not to buy the tickets till you get the visa. We then put our details on a website for tickets and in the bit where we can review the booking before confirming we printed it. That was our pretence tickets and that is what we were told to do. We actually booked our tickets as soon as we got the visa.
When we were at the embassy we had to evacuate the building due to an earthquake, we never even felt it. Watched a lot of Hindi tv while we were waiting, loved all the drama, even the 15 minute teleshopping commercial had tears, hugs and miracles.
Skipped the group dinner and went to explore as much as we could of Lima's old town. Really pretty at night but also busy. The two main Plazas - San Martin and de Armas have beautiful buildings and connected by a bustling pedestrian pathway. There are some lovely leather shoe shops on that path. The ones I liked were not in my size, disappointing.
Jeevan's latest name is Pablo, it's easier than repeating his real one at takeaways. Managed to get a vegetarian burrito , I think our Spanish is improving.
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The Indian bureaucracy never fails to amaze me. We spent our entire day there, did get the visas so it ended well. We were asked to show our tickets for India, the website specifically states not to buy the tickets till you get the visa. We then put our details on a website for tickets and in the bit where we can review the booking before confirming we printed it. That was our pretence tickets and that is what we were told to do. We actually booked our tickets as soon as we got the visa.
When we were at the embassy we had to evacuate the building due to an earthquake, we never even felt it. Watched a lot of Hindi tv while we were waiting, loved all the drama, even the 15 minute teleshopping commercial had tears, hugs and miracles.
Skipped the group dinner and went to explore as much as we could of Lima's old town. Really pretty at night but also busy. The two main Plazas - San Martin and de Armas have beautiful buildings and connected by a bustling pedestrian pathway. There are some lovely leather shoe shops on that path. The ones I liked were not in my size, disappointing.
Jeevan's latest name is Pablo, it's easier than repeating his real one at takeaways. Managed to get a vegetarian burrito , I think our Spanish is improving.
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Peru- Lima - Day 1
23-08-2011
Drove to Lima today. Peru reminds me a lot of India and the Police are no different. We were stopped 4 times along the way and some sort of ticket was threatened upon us, being willing to get the ticket but not pay the bribe we were let off with no ticket!! Absolute waste of time.
Massive sand dunes along the way, lining the roads, I am not sure how the sand does not spill on to the road. There was a coastal fog all over the city not at all like a beach town.
Farewell dinner as 11 people leave tomorrow. Went to an uptown beachfront restaurant, followed by a Karaoke bar ( happy to sing the Spanish songs too), then to a Salsa dance club ( gave that a go too) and then a regular English song playing dance club. When the place closed we continued our party on the Hotel's rooftop. A girl (mother is a masseuse) was happy to give massages and the Hotel's massage table and oils were in the room on the roof so we got massages to end the night
( very random night).
Sad to say goodbye to them, it has been a good group.
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Drove to Lima today. Peru reminds me a lot of India and the Police are no different. We were stopped 4 times along the way and some sort of ticket was threatened upon us, being willing to get the ticket but not pay the bribe we were let off with no ticket!! Absolute waste of time.
Massive sand dunes along the way, lining the roads, I am not sure how the sand does not spill on to the road. There was a coastal fog all over the city not at all like a beach town.
Farewell dinner as 11 people leave tomorrow. Went to an uptown beachfront restaurant, followed by a Karaoke bar ( happy to sing the Spanish songs too), then to a Salsa dance club ( gave that a go too) and then a regular English song playing dance club. When the place closed we continued our party on the Hotel's rooftop. A girl (mother is a masseuse) was happy to give massages and the Hotel's massage table and oils were in the room on the roof so we got massages to end the night
( very random night).
Sad to say goodbye to them, it has been a good group.
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Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Peru - Huaraz/ Lake 69
22-08-2011
Early morning start for a long day ahead .
A three hour drive got us to the national park for our hike to Lake 69. Along the way we stopped first at a cemetery with a large statue of Jesus with open arms (this seems to be a common statue in South America) for the victims of 1970. Then took a break at Lake Llanganuco. An absolutely stunning lake, snow capped mountains around, glistening blue water and trees on one side.
Started our hike with us dressed in thermals and jackets, stripped quite quickly along the way as it was much warmer than expected. The hike to the lake is uphill or flat. A lot of it is along the base of Mt. Huascaran, the highest peak in Peru and the second highest in South America. The initial uphill is sloping and quite gentle but the second half is steep and hard. We started at 3900m above sea level and got to 4600m, the altitude hit a lot of people, including Jeevan. I got away with a mild headache at the top but Jeevan felt sick along the way up (thought he was going to die a lot of the time but was unwilling to stop!) , was quite cheerful once we actually reached the lake.
The Lake 69( so named as it is number 69 of the 292 lakes and did not have a local name) was worth the climb. Snow was melting down the mountainside and entering the lake from various sides, obviously the water was then icy cold. The water was bright blue and clear, I don't think anything could survive in the water. At times a firecracker going off like sound would pierce the air as a piece of ice broke off the glaciers. Two of our group jumped into the water, one even skinny dipped, crazy people. The walk down was much easier.
The drives though long were fun as the cd being played was filled with 150 songs from the 80s. The two sitting in the front were 18 years old and had never heard some of the songs while the rest of us at the back sang and danced all the way.
Went to dinner at the number one restaurant on trip advisor, don't think it was worth that rank. Laughed a lot, Jeevan kept hearing the wrong things mostly weight related ( fab- fat, wait- weight, blame it on the altitude).
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Early morning start for a long day ahead .
A three hour drive got us to the national park for our hike to Lake 69. Along the way we stopped first at a cemetery with a large statue of Jesus with open arms (this seems to be a common statue in South America) for the victims of 1970. Then took a break at Lake Llanganuco. An absolutely stunning lake, snow capped mountains around, glistening blue water and trees on one side.
Started our hike with us dressed in thermals and jackets, stripped quite quickly along the way as it was much warmer than expected. The hike to the lake is uphill or flat. A lot of it is along the base of Mt. Huascaran, the highest peak in Peru and the second highest in South America. The initial uphill is sloping and quite gentle but the second half is steep and hard. We started at 3900m above sea level and got to 4600m, the altitude hit a lot of people, including Jeevan. I got away with a mild headache at the top but Jeevan felt sick along the way up (thought he was going to die a lot of the time but was unwilling to stop!) , was quite cheerful once we actually reached the lake.
The Lake 69( so named as it is number 69 of the 292 lakes and did not have a local name) was worth the climb. Snow was melting down the mountainside and entering the lake from various sides, obviously the water was then icy cold. The water was bright blue and clear, I don't think anything could survive in the water. At times a firecracker going off like sound would pierce the air as a piece of ice broke off the glaciers. Two of our group jumped into the water, one even skinny dipped, crazy people. The walk down was much easier.
The drives though long were fun as the cd being played was filled with 150 songs from the 80s. The two sitting in the front were 18 years old and had never heard some of the songs while the rest of us at the back sang and danced all the way.
Went to dinner at the number one restaurant on trip advisor, don't think it was worth that rank. Laughed a lot, Jeevan kept hearing the wrong things mostly weight related ( fab- fat, wait- weight, blame it on the altitude).
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Peru- Huaraz - Day 2
21-08-2011
Lazy day.
With nothing on the agenda most of it was spent relaxing. After a late start, had an early lunch at a Plaza. Glorious day to sit out and enjoy the sun.
Walked around the markets for a bit. Guinea pigs in various forms were on display- alive, dead, skinned, gutted, I could not get out of there quick enough . A few of the others had it for dinner- cuy.
In 1970 an earthquake followed by an avalanche wiped out the city, there are a few statues in remembrance. The place is so bustling now which goes to show people always recover and life goes on.
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Lazy day.
With nothing on the agenda most of it was spent relaxing. After a late start, had an early lunch at a Plaza. Glorious day to sit out and enjoy the sun.
Walked around the markets for a bit. Guinea pigs in various forms were on display- alive, dead, skinned, gutted, I could not get out of there quick enough . A few of the others had it for dinner- cuy.
In 1970 an earthquake followed by an avalanche wiped out the city, there are a few statues in remembrance. The place is so bustling now which goes to show people always recover and life goes on.
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Sunday, August 21, 2011
Peru- Huaraz
20-08-02011
Our guide found a shortcut so the drive time was cut down by a 5-6 hours, yay.
Prior to reaching Huaraz we summited at 4080m, the views were wonderful from there. The highest peaks in Peru were on display in all their glory.
After dinner we went to a club, which was filled with locals and had Spanish music going, which was great. Only problem was, that it seemed to be a below 18 only crowd, everybody was drinking and smoking but they seemed so young ( I am obviously showing my age). Even spotted some junior mafia, three of them in black suits with cigarettes in hand.
Looking forward to a sleep in tomorrow. Have nothing planned for the day except lazing around.
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Our guide found a shortcut so the drive time was cut down by a 5-6 hours, yay.
Prior to reaching Huaraz we summited at 4080m, the views were wonderful from there. The highest peaks in Peru were on display in all their glory.
After dinner we went to a club, which was filled with locals and had Spanish music going, which was great. Only problem was, that it seemed to be a below 18 only crowd, everybody was drinking and smoking but they seemed so young ( I am obviously showing my age). Even spotted some junior mafia, three of them in black suits with cigarettes in hand.
Looking forward to a sleep in tomorrow. Have nothing planned for the day except lazing around.
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Peru- Huanchaco
19-08-2011
Spent the morning at the Chan Chan ruins. The area was occupied by the Chimu people, pre- Incas. Only one of the smaller complexes is open to the tourists and is quite impressive. A lot of replicas of the artwork has been made and placed in area to give the bigger picture. I enjoyed the next site more, the Temple of the moon as everything was as it had been. This was from an earlier set of people, the Moches. The decapitator was carved and painted on the walks all around. Every 100 years they covered it and built on top so on digging a lot of intact artwork has been discovered.
The rest of the day was spent in the gloomy beachside, no sun today. A lot of surfers around, must be so cold. Fishermen use reed boats that date to the 4th century . A lot of the day was wasted trying to sort out our Indian visas. The man at the other end wanted me to write bigger on a document and rescan it as his printer was printing it too small!
Sleep was horrible tonight due to blasting loud music from a club nearby which continued till 0430( we had to wake up at 0500). The weird thing was there were only 2-3 people there so it was not a very happening place.
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Spent the morning at the Chan Chan ruins. The area was occupied by the Chimu people, pre- Incas. Only one of the smaller complexes is open to the tourists and is quite impressive. A lot of replicas of the artwork has been made and placed in area to give the bigger picture. I enjoyed the next site more, the Temple of the moon as everything was as it had been. This was from an earlier set of people, the Moches. The decapitator was carved and painted on the walks all around. Every 100 years they covered it and built on top so on digging a lot of intact artwork has been discovered.
The rest of the day was spent in the gloomy beachside, no sun today. A lot of surfers around, must be so cold. Fishermen use reed boats that date to the 4th century . A lot of the day was wasted trying to sort out our Indian visas. The man at the other end wanted me to write bigger on a document and rescan it as his printer was printing it too small!
Sleep was horrible tonight due to blasting loud music from a club nearby which continued till 0430( we had to wake up at 0500). The weird thing was there were only 2-3 people there so it was not a very happening place.
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Peru- Driving day+ King of Sipan
18-08-2011
We drove and drove and drove some more. The places remind me a lot of India and Peru seems a lot poorer than Ecuador. It is so so dry, I had not expected so much dessert around.
On the way stopped at Lambayeque for the Museo Reales de Tumbes de Sipan. Again I am amazed at my lack of knowledge. This was such a well presented museum, containing the archaeological finds from the Tombs. There were the two kings of Sipan, old and new, around 1700 years old, along with the human sacrifices. The older king's guard had his feet intact when he was buried alive but the newer one, 300 years younger, had his feet chopped off to prevent him from running away! The pottery and the gold were really well done. The earrings and nose rings were massive as were the belts and rattles they wore. They even had a yin and yang kind of thing with gold and silver peanuts. Their main god is known as the decapitator for the number of human sacrifices that were made to him.
Arrived late in the evening to Huanchaco. There is a vegetarian restaurant next door, but the best thing is the man who owns it. I loved his life's philosophy. He is a Dutch man married to a Peruvian lady, as he said he has a family, a restaurant that opens to a beach and he needs nothing more. He had a lot of things for sale at his shop, all related to some form of charity with no profits for him. Wish I was a bit like him.
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We drove and drove and drove some more. The places remind me a lot of India and Peru seems a lot poorer than Ecuador. It is so so dry, I had not expected so much dessert around.
On the way stopped at Lambayeque for the Museo Reales de Tumbes de Sipan. Again I am amazed at my lack of knowledge. This was such a well presented museum, containing the archaeological finds from the Tombs. There were the two kings of Sipan, old and new, around 1700 years old, along with the human sacrifices. The older king's guard had his feet intact when he was buried alive but the newer one, 300 years younger, had his feet chopped off to prevent him from running away! The pottery and the gold were really well done. The earrings and nose rings were massive as were the belts and rattles they wore. They even had a yin and yang kind of thing with gold and silver peanuts. Their main god is known as the decapitator for the number of human sacrifices that were made to him.
Arrived late in the evening to Huanchaco. There is a vegetarian restaurant next door, but the best thing is the man who owns it. I loved his life's philosophy. He is a Dutch man married to a Peruvian lady, as he said he has a family, a restaurant that opens to a beach and he needs nothing more. He had a lot of things for sale at his shop, all related to some form of charity with no profits for him. Wish I was a bit like him.
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Peru- Punta Sal - Day 2
17-08-2011
Today was the perfect day to lay on the beach, relax and do nothing. Sadly I was in the group in charge for the food ( head chef !) so had to make breakfast and then go to town to shop for the rest of the days. Bonfire with grilled food for dinner made things easy.
In the afternoon we saw humpback whales flipping in the ocean, it was a wonderful sight and so unexpected . There was some nudity from a birthday boy from another tour group at night, not such a wonderful sight.
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Today was the perfect day to lay on the beach, relax and do nothing. Sadly I was in the group in charge for the food ( head chef !) so had to make breakfast and then go to town to shop for the rest of the days. Bonfire with grilled food for dinner made things easy.
In the afternoon we saw humpback whales flipping in the ocean, it was a wonderful sight and so unexpected . There was some nudity from a birthday boy from another tour group at night, not such a wonderful sight.
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Peru- Punta Sal- Day 1
16-08-2011
One of the longest border crossings I have done. Nearly 2 hours to leave Ecuador, the Peru side was really quick.
Arrived to a lovely warm beach. Punta Sal. Spent the evening playing Bananagram, more fun than scrabble.
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One of the longest border crossings I have done. Nearly 2 hours to leave Ecuador, the Peru side was really quick.
Arrived to a lovely warm beach. Punta Sal. Spent the evening playing Bananagram, more fun than scrabble.
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Ecuador- Cuencha
15-08-2011
It is a pretty city, also quite a clean one.
Morning spent touring a Panama hat factory. The Ecuadorians must find it quite annoying that the hat is made here but famous as the " Panama" hat ( after it was shipped there for workers to wear when making the Panama canal). Amazingly a worker can take up to a year to make a hat depending on the number of strands. Tried on multiple hats, they even had a wedding dress in the same material.
Went to a local market after that where a man was mooning and large roasted pigs were being served for lunch. Bought tamarind and made our way to the churches.
The churches were really pretty but just walking around the city was nice. After spending a week with everybody it was good to have sometime to ourselves. Visited a museum, saw some artwork, shrunken heads and coins dating from 1600s. The oldest coin with a date on it was from 1700s, pretty cool.
There were some ruins behind the museum that were supposed to be from the times of the Incas. The tunnel was most likely the only thing authentic, all the others seemed too new, I even saw a man placing the stones and cementing it in one area. Beyond that there was a park with a small aviary, colourful birds but felt sad for the eagles that were confined in the small space.
Walked along the river, dinner and then watched trashy tv after ages ( cooking shows- Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson and Gordon Ramsay).
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It is a pretty city, also quite a clean one.
Morning spent touring a Panama hat factory. The Ecuadorians must find it quite annoying that the hat is made here but famous as the " Panama" hat ( after it was shipped there for workers to wear when making the Panama canal). Amazingly a worker can take up to a year to make a hat depending on the number of strands. Tried on multiple hats, they even had a wedding dress in the same material.
Went to a local market after that where a man was mooning and large roasted pigs were being served for lunch. Bought tamarind and made our way to the churches.
The churches were really pretty but just walking around the city was nice. After spending a week with everybody it was good to have sometime to ourselves. Visited a museum, saw some artwork, shrunken heads and coins dating from 1600s. The oldest coin with a date on it was from 1700s, pretty cool.
There were some ruins behind the museum that were supposed to be from the times of the Incas. The tunnel was most likely the only thing authentic, all the others seemed too new, I even saw a man placing the stones and cementing it in one area. Beyond that there was a park with a small aviary, colourful birds but felt sad for the eagles that were confined in the small space.
Walked along the river, dinner and then watched trashy tv after ages ( cooking shows- Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson and Gordon Ramsay).
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Monday, August 15, 2011
Ecuador - Driving day
14-08-2011
Packed and ready to leave at five in the morning. As per me I didn't think I slept very well in the first two hours but woke with drool on my jumper. Supposedly Jeevan waved some banana bread under my nose but I slept on. Obviously I snoozed better than I thought. Managed to read a complete Jodi Picoult novel, Sing you home, along the way, that is how long the drive was!
Our truck, Gus, broke down once which as per the stories is a good record for her. The drives are so picturesque, at one point it was sunny and there was a sea of clouds below us in between the mountains.
Reached Cuenca in the evening, it is supposed to the prettiest town in Ecuador. We thought we would duck out for a quick dinner as everybody was exhausted but got caught up in a festival celebration of some sort. There were fireworks and regional dances on display, one very energetic group and the other a little slow. For me the best bit were the fire lanterns that floated in the sky and blew away with the wind.
Tomorrow is supposed to be our last chance for a sleep in, we have to be ready and done with breakfast by 9:30. That is so not a late start!
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Packed and ready to leave at five in the morning. As per me I didn't think I slept very well in the first two hours but woke with drool on my jumper. Supposedly Jeevan waved some banana bread under my nose but I slept on. Obviously I snoozed better than I thought. Managed to read a complete Jodi Picoult novel, Sing you home, along the way, that is how long the drive was!
Our truck, Gus, broke down once which as per the stories is a good record for her. The drives are so picturesque, at one point it was sunny and there was a sea of clouds below us in between the mountains.
Reached Cuenca in the evening, it is supposed to the prettiest town in Ecuador. We thought we would duck out for a quick dinner as everybody was exhausted but got caught up in a festival celebration of some sort. There were fireworks and regional dances on display, one very energetic group and the other a little slow. For me the best bit were the fire lanterns that floated in the sky and blew away with the wind.
Tomorrow is supposed to be our last chance for a sleep in, we have to be ready and done with breakfast by 9:30. That is so not a late start!
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Ecuador - Chugchilan
13-08-2011
Started with riding on top of a truck to Lake Quilotoa (3800m) and trekking back down. We had a guide with us and it would have been difficult without one. At the beginning a notice says there are blue arrows throughout to direct us, saw only one at the end. I wonder if the guides have removed the rest, hmmmm.
The hike was first around the crater lake, a bit more breathless on the uphill (blaming it on the altitude rather than unfitness). The next two hours was downhill or flat, down the volcano first then into a village. Some parts through sand which was fun, sinking into the sand rather than stopping myself slipping on the gravel.
The next bit was in a canyon, downhill first, then across a stream on a log, lastly uphill. Had all of us huffing and panting. The views along the way and then seeing the distance we had covered made it worthwhile.
Out of the eight of us, six still had a bit more energy so we went to the cloud forest. We cheated and took a ride there and back, walked through the forest for an hour with a guide.
After our sweaty, busy morning, this walk was very relaxing. The cloud forest is literally a forest within the clouds. As we entered, a heavy mist hanging around us, it felt like we were entering another world, eerie or magical, differing opinions. A variety of trees, fruits, flowers and lots of horse poo. Jeevan broke a major branch of a tree, more than 400 years old, when I thought us sitting on it would make a great picture.
Reached back to the lodge in time for a dance performance by school girls. They were so cute in their glittery costumes especially when they started quarreling about certain steps. Jeevan was the pole holder as they braided laces around it and then we all joined in.
Finally managed to get to a hot shower, the layer of dust that coated me was scrubbed off (my eyelashes had turned white), just in time for a Mexican dinner.
It's rakhi today, thinking of my brothers.
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Started with riding on top of a truck to Lake Quilotoa (3800m) and trekking back down. We had a guide with us and it would have been difficult without one. At the beginning a notice says there are blue arrows throughout to direct us, saw only one at the end. I wonder if the guides have removed the rest, hmmmm.
The hike was first around the crater lake, a bit more breathless on the uphill (blaming it on the altitude rather than unfitness). The next two hours was downhill or flat, down the volcano first then into a village. Some parts through sand which was fun, sinking into the sand rather than stopping myself slipping on the gravel.
The next bit was in a canyon, downhill first, then across a stream on a log, lastly uphill. Had all of us huffing and panting. The views along the way and then seeing the distance we had covered made it worthwhile.
Out of the eight of us, six still had a bit more energy so we went to the cloud forest. We cheated and took a ride there and back, walked through the forest for an hour with a guide.
After our sweaty, busy morning, this walk was very relaxing. The cloud forest is literally a forest within the clouds. As we entered, a heavy mist hanging around us, it felt like we were entering another world, eerie or magical, differing opinions. A variety of trees, fruits, flowers and lots of horse poo. Jeevan broke a major branch of a tree, more than 400 years old, when I thought us sitting on it would make a great picture.
Reached back to the lodge in time for a dance performance by school girls. They were so cute in their glittery costumes especially when they started quarreling about certain steps. Jeevan was the pole holder as they braided laces around it and then we all joined in.
Finally managed to get to a hot shower, the layer of dust that coated me was scrubbed off (my eyelashes had turned white), just in time for a Mexican dinner.
It's rakhi today, thinking of my brothers.
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Ecuador - Quilotoa loop
12-08-2011
Drove a part of the Quilotoa loop. The Andes is beautiful, on the drive saw quite a few snow covered volcanoes. Also saw a man in orange Lycra on his balcony cycling on an exercise bike, watching the traffic go by.
The people here remind me of the mountain people in Darjeeling, they have similar features and dress in the same manner. We crossed quite a few non touristy, small villages, life seems so simple here. I was walking and thinking how untouched it was from the outside world till I came across a sign for the Internet cafe.
We were trying to take pictures along the way to capture the beauty but the amazing feeling of actually viewing it is something different. The Lake Quilotoa , a crater lake, is dazzling. Sadly we were too late for the hike today so will have to come back in the morning for it.
From the lake to the Chugchilan, the village we stayed at, was an hour's drive downhill on a dirt track . The Black Sheep Inn, one of the best Eco lodges in the world, made the trip worthwhile. Owned and run by two backpackers who visited the area in 1993 and never looked back. Very well done, the toilets look out into the wilderness , the yoga studio is mainly glass and opens out into a sun deck with beautiful views. The gymnasium is done up with weights made of recycled wood and stone. They even have a sauna and hot tub. The food here is only vegetarian, makes it great for me.
Have a lot planned for tomorrow.
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Drove a part of the Quilotoa loop. The Andes is beautiful, on the drive saw quite a few snow covered volcanoes. Also saw a man in orange Lycra on his balcony cycling on an exercise bike, watching the traffic go by.
The people here remind me of the mountain people in Darjeeling, they have similar features and dress in the same manner. We crossed quite a few non touristy, small villages, life seems so simple here. I was walking and thinking how untouched it was from the outside world till I came across a sign for the Internet cafe.
We were trying to take pictures along the way to capture the beauty but the amazing feeling of actually viewing it is something different. The Lake Quilotoa , a crater lake, is dazzling. Sadly we were too late for the hike today so will have to come back in the morning for it.
From the lake to the Chugchilan, the village we stayed at, was an hour's drive downhill on a dirt track . The Black Sheep Inn, one of the best Eco lodges in the world, made the trip worthwhile. Owned and run by two backpackers who visited the area in 1993 and never looked back. Very well done, the toilets look out into the wilderness , the yoga studio is mainly glass and opens out into a sun deck with beautiful views. The gymnasium is done up with weights made of recycled wood and stone. They even have a sauna and hot tub. The food here is only vegetarian, makes it great for me.
Have a lot planned for tomorrow.
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Ecuador - Rio Verde/ Banos - Day 3
11-08-2011
Hitchhiked to town. Sat at the back of lorry which had just delivered cauliflowers. New experiences everyday
Spent a part of the day climbing a mountain to see the Tungurahua volcano. It was all uphill on the way going and later found out it was 12 kms in total. Good activity for the day. Roamed around in town looking for cooked guinea pig (not for me, still vegetarian) but they had sold out for the day.
Bought some candy being made in front of us, lots of stretching and hitting involved. Then headed back to our campsite. Used a local bus which was showing the most inappropriate movie, first girl on girl then man on man action interspersed with loads of extreme violence. All this in a span of twenty minutes, we just kept laughing but two kids in front of us were fascinated.
Helped make dinner, we have to do in turns. Not my group today but I was doing nothing else. I am amazed at the things that were made. I am team leader for my group, luckily no more cooking for another week but the pressure is on.
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Hitchhiked to town. Sat at the back of lorry which had just delivered cauliflowers. New experiences everyday
Spent a part of the day climbing a mountain to see the Tungurahua volcano. It was all uphill on the way going and later found out it was 12 kms in total. Good activity for the day. Roamed around in town looking for cooked guinea pig (not for me, still vegetarian) but they had sold out for the day.
Bought some candy being made in front of us, lots of stretching and hitting involved. Then headed back to our campsite. Used a local bus which was showing the most inappropriate movie, first girl on girl then man on man action interspersed with loads of extreme violence. All this in a span of twenty minutes, we just kept laughing but two kids in front of us were fascinated.
Helped make dinner, we have to do in turns. Not my group today but I was doing nothing else. I am amazed at the things that were made. I am team leader for my group, luckily no more cooking for another week but the pressure is on.
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Ecuador- Rio Verde/ Banos - Day 2
10-08-2011
Rained all night, sounded great in the tent but the rafting is cancelled.
Instead we went canyoning, eight of us signed up for it. I want to be an adventurous person but lack the courage generally. This time I did it all. I am glad Jeevan came along in spite of his dodgy back.
In Ecuador if you are given a lot of safety gear you must be heading for something dangerous. In the Amazon we did a lot of things but no safety gear. Here we were loaded with things, wet suits, warm jackets, life vests, harnesses, butt protectors, helmets and shoes.
Started with simple things, small jumps into the water and falling back into the water (the guide held the harness clip while we stayed straight ). Then came the optional jump, 6 meters into a deep pool along side a waterfall. I jumped! Actually it's quite easy when everybody screams 1-2-3 jump, one cannot help but jump. Nearly fell off the waterfall when I tried to climb a rock on my own. Glad I was clipped on to a rope so Jeevan pulled me back, I would not be writing this blog otherwise.
Zip lined down a waterfall, jumped a few more places, slid into water, forwards, backwards and then abseiled down two large waterfalls. My first time abseiling, at first I had difficulty getting the concept of leaning back, the second one was better.
Had so much fun, returned to a much needed hot shower and hot soup. Spent the rest of the day lounging around in hammocks and playing badminton . Played after years, lost all three games against Jeevan but it was close (at least I like to think so).
Will sleep well tonight, most likely will have bruises tomorrow but have survived to see another day.
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Rained all night, sounded great in the tent but the rafting is cancelled.
Instead we went canyoning, eight of us signed up for it. I want to be an adventurous person but lack the courage generally. This time I did it all. I am glad Jeevan came along in spite of his dodgy back.
In Ecuador if you are given a lot of safety gear you must be heading for something dangerous. In the Amazon we did a lot of things but no safety gear. Here we were loaded with things, wet suits, warm jackets, life vests, harnesses, butt protectors, helmets and shoes.
Started with simple things, small jumps into the water and falling back into the water (the guide held the harness clip while we stayed straight ). Then came the optional jump, 6 meters into a deep pool along side a waterfall. I jumped! Actually it's quite easy when everybody screams 1-2-3 jump, one cannot help but jump. Nearly fell off the waterfall when I tried to climb a rock on my own. Glad I was clipped on to a rope so Jeevan pulled me back, I would not be writing this blog otherwise.
Zip lined down a waterfall, jumped a few more places, slid into water, forwards, backwards and then abseiled down two large waterfalls. My first time abseiling, at first I had difficulty getting the concept of leaning back, the second one was better.
Had so much fun, returned to a much needed hot shower and hot soup. Spent the rest of the day lounging around in hammocks and playing badminton . Played after years, lost all three games against Jeevan but it was close (at least I like to think so).
Will sleep well tonight, most likely will have bruises tomorrow but have survived to see another day.
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Ecuador - Rio Verde/ Banos - Day 1
9-08-2011
Drove to Banos, slept most of the way. This is the adventurous sports town. Lunched here, at before returning to our campsite. Had an Oreo milkshake with my lunch at Mama Fanny's. Tasted okish but looked vile, grey with a murky top.
Our campsite ( Pequeno Paraiso) is lovely, the tents are brand new so hopefully no rain water gets inside. The afternoon was spent contemplating the various activities we would like to do in the next few days. The options are - canyoning, White water rafting, bridge swing, fishing for trout and having it cooked, hiking to see an active volcano or some waterfalls and relaxing in hot springs. We have put our names down for the White water rafting which is the first activity tomorrow morning , the rest will be decided after that.
Barbecue (the owner has an Aussie husband) for our welcome dinner, pigged out on the brownies.
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Drove to Banos, slept most of the way. This is the adventurous sports town. Lunched here, at before returning to our campsite. Had an Oreo milkshake with my lunch at Mama Fanny's. Tasted okish but looked vile, grey with a murky top.
Our campsite ( Pequeno Paraiso) is lovely, the tents are brand new so hopefully no rain water gets inside. The afternoon was spent contemplating the various activities we would like to do in the next few days. The options are - canyoning, White water rafting, bridge swing, fishing for trout and having it cooked, hiking to see an active volcano or some waterfalls and relaxing in hot springs. We have put our names down for the White water rafting which is the first activity tomorrow morning , the rest will be decided after that.
Barbecue (the owner has an Aussie husband) for our welcome dinner, pigged out on the brownies.
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Ecuador- Amazon- Day 3
8-08-2011
As I get older I sometimes think that I haven't really changed over the years but here I realised I have. I would never have done the things I have in the past few days when I was growing up because I was never the adventurous type. I have had so much fun that I am glad I am older and more willing to try new things.
Went for a long hike in the Amazon basin. Before we started we were shown a fruit that is used for painting faces. All of us had reddish/orange artwork on our faces before the hike. Again the wellingtons came in use. We walked through streams, stood under gushing waterfalls ( the force of the water actually hurt my head sometimes) and climbed through them (the guides tied ropes at places to help us).
Then through the forest itself, the uphill involved the use of all four limbs at times but was better than the downhill which was steep and quite slippery. I fell once and screamed louder than it actually hurt but Jeevan fell hard onto a log ( I was the only witness while mine was for all to see), no scream but lots of pain ( maybe it's better to scream). Jeevan hobbled holding his back for the rest of the way, for once I didn't laugh.
After the hike, sweaty and dirty we got to swim in a pool at the bottom of a waterfall as it made it's way to the river. There was a ledge from which a lot of people jumped into the water. That is when the wimp in me resurfaced, I wanted to jump but as the ledge was not really jutting, rather sloping down I was worried I would hit the rocks. I sat and worried about it, a guy offered to hold my hand and jump (Jeevan's back wasn't ready for such activity) but I still was not ready . When it was nearly time to go I finally gathered the courage and did the jump, everybody cheered and clapped but the person happiest was me. I would have been so disappointed in myself had I left without doing it. Yay for me.
We actually returned two hours before dinner so had time to lie in the hammock, enjoy the view and read a book. Lovely way to spend an evening.
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As I get older I sometimes think that I haven't really changed over the years but here I realised I have. I would never have done the things I have in the past few days when I was growing up because I was never the adventurous type. I have had so much fun that I am glad I am older and more willing to try new things.
Went for a long hike in the Amazon basin. Before we started we were shown a fruit that is used for painting faces. All of us had reddish/orange artwork on our faces before the hike. Again the wellingtons came in use. We walked through streams, stood under gushing waterfalls ( the force of the water actually hurt my head sometimes) and climbed through them (the guides tied ropes at places to help us).
Then through the forest itself, the uphill involved the use of all four limbs at times but was better than the downhill which was steep and quite slippery. I fell once and screamed louder than it actually hurt but Jeevan fell hard onto a log ( I was the only witness while mine was for all to see), no scream but lots of pain ( maybe it's better to scream). Jeevan hobbled holding his back for the rest of the way, for once I didn't laugh.
After the hike, sweaty and dirty we got to swim in a pool at the bottom of a waterfall as it made it's way to the river. There was a ledge from which a lot of people jumped into the water. That is when the wimp in me resurfaced, I wanted to jump but as the ledge was not really jutting, rather sloping down I was worried I would hit the rocks. I sat and worried about it, a guy offered to hold my hand and jump (Jeevan's back wasn't ready for such activity) but I still was not ready . When it was nearly time to go I finally gathered the courage and did the jump, everybody cheered and clapped but the person happiest was me. I would have been so disappointed in myself had I left without doing it. Yay for me.
We actually returned two hours before dinner so had time to lie in the hammock, enjoy the view and read a book. Lovely way to spend an evening.
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Ecuador - Amazon- Day 2
7-08-2011
Clambered onto the back of a jeep to get to the river. We managed to cram quite a few of us in there, no need for seat belts as there was nowhere to move. Got in to narrow motorised boats to get to the animal sanctuary . It felt very touristy and movie like as that is how river travel in the Amazon is shown. Very peaceful.
The amaZOOnia is a privately funded, volunteer filled, sanctuary. They are doing a good job. As per the guides there seem to be a few mentally unstable monkeys around, one even self harms. Each of the animal has an interesting story surrounding it. Most of them are abandoned pets, some treated very poorly (muscles cut out so the macaw could not fly). Saw many things for the first time, a few I had seen before. Macaws, tucans, spider monkeys, fur monkeys, capybara, turtles sunbathing in a row, caimans, ocelot, sadly the Anaconda was shy so did not see her, would have loved to see one. They are doing a good job of rehabilitating the animals.
The afternoon was spent tubing down the river. It was lovely. I have never done this before and I loved it. Due to the currents being strong 5-6 large rubber tubes were tied together. The guide paddled while we soaked up the sun, the rapids at times gave us a bit of a rush, especially when we raised our arms up. Jumped off the tubes to swim along at times, other times just dipped my feet ( at times butt) in the water. Stopped midway to visit an indigenous village, Santa Monica. The house we went to was of the shaman, he and his wife seem to be the founders of the village. Did not get to meet him but did see his wife. Learnt about their ways of living, fishing, drank some chiqua ( yucca, sweet potato and water) and some herbal tea. Short game of soccer in which the Ecuadorians beat the Rest of the World quite easily. Continued on the tubes down the river to our lodge. If we were in shallow water and there were rocks underneath, our guide would shout - up your butt- meaning raise yourselves to prevent scratches. It was amazing, the rainforest all around us and we were just floating by. Wonderful experience.
Had to work for dinner, over 300 stairs above was the lodge. Carried a tube as we navigated the steps, a few were missing a half, would not have been good to fall through, it was a long way down.
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Clambered onto the back of a jeep to get to the river. We managed to cram quite a few of us in there, no need for seat belts as there was nowhere to move. Got in to narrow motorised boats to get to the animal sanctuary . It felt very touristy and movie like as that is how river travel in the Amazon is shown. Very peaceful.
The amaZOOnia is a privately funded, volunteer filled, sanctuary. They are doing a good job. As per the guides there seem to be a few mentally unstable monkeys around, one even self harms. Each of the animal has an interesting story surrounding it. Most of them are abandoned pets, some treated very poorly (muscles cut out so the macaw could not fly). Saw many things for the first time, a few I had seen before. Macaws, tucans, spider monkeys, fur monkeys, capybara, turtles sunbathing in a row, caimans, ocelot, sadly the Anaconda was shy so did not see her, would have loved to see one. They are doing a good job of rehabilitating the animals.
The afternoon was spent tubing down the river. It was lovely. I have never done this before and I loved it. Due to the currents being strong 5-6 large rubber tubes were tied together. The guide paddled while we soaked up the sun, the rapids at times gave us a bit of a rush, especially when we raised our arms up. Jumped off the tubes to swim along at times, other times just dipped my feet ( at times butt) in the water. Stopped midway to visit an indigenous village, Santa Monica. The house we went to was of the shaman, he and his wife seem to be the founders of the village. Did not get to meet him but did see his wife. Learnt about their ways of living, fishing, drank some chiqua ( yucca, sweet potato and water) and some herbal tea. Short game of soccer in which the Ecuadorians beat the Rest of the World quite easily. Continued on the tubes down the river to our lodge. If we were in shallow water and there were rocks underneath, our guide would shout - up your butt- meaning raise yourselves to prevent scratches. It was amazing, the rainforest all around us and we were just floating by. Wonderful experience.
Had to work for dinner, over 300 stairs above was the lodge. Carried a tube as we navigated the steps, a few were missing a half, would not have been good to fall through, it was a long way down.
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Ecuador - Amazon - Day 1
6-08-2011
As we were driving to the Amazon I naturally thought it would be warm along the way. But we had to go up and then down, summited at 4000m above sea level, my teeth were chattering. Foolishly I had worn shorts and sandals and once the back pack is put away it isn't accessible for the journey. Hot once we actually reached the Amazon basin.
We are staying at an Eco lodge, though the amenities are basic the views are wonderful. Jeevan and me have a sort of cabin on stilts, the balcony has a hammock as it overlooks the river with it's twists and turns.
After lunch we went on a walk. We were told it would be around three hours and were each given a pair of wellingtons. After the Galapagos where a three hour walk consisted of 10 minutes of walking and the rest at looking we were in for a surprise. It started innocently enough with information about various plants along the way and even ate some ants (lemony in taste, I think one bit my tongue). I was so thankful for the wellingtons as we trudged through wet mud (the Hindi word describes it so much better - kichad).
After a short stop for everybody to catch up the real fun began. We went canyoning, scrambled our way through canyons. Our bodies were suspended in between rocks as we made our way across. There were areas we had to squeeze ourselves through rocks, there would be a drop down but the rocks merged on the top, so no sunlight. We had two guides and they did help people who struggled at times. One point we were in a bat cave, got to see an albino bat, and as we climbed the rocks bats flew around us, bit like a horror movie. Luckily some of us had head torches.
Finally came out in the sunlight, it was longer than three hours and no simple walk. We were all filthy,wet, hands were scratched but it was such an achievement. Some people hated it but I would love to do it again.
Slept really well.
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As we were driving to the Amazon I naturally thought it would be warm along the way. But we had to go up and then down, summited at 4000m above sea level, my teeth were chattering. Foolishly I had worn shorts and sandals and once the back pack is put away it isn't accessible for the journey. Hot once we actually reached the Amazon basin.
We are staying at an Eco lodge, though the amenities are basic the views are wonderful. Jeevan and me have a sort of cabin on stilts, the balcony has a hammock as it overlooks the river with it's twists and turns.
After lunch we went on a walk. We were told it would be around three hours and were each given a pair of wellingtons. After the Galapagos where a three hour walk consisted of 10 minutes of walking and the rest at looking we were in for a surprise. It started innocently enough with information about various plants along the way and even ate some ants (lemony in taste, I think one bit my tongue). I was so thankful for the wellingtons as we trudged through wet mud (the Hindi word describes it so much better - kichad).
After a short stop for everybody to catch up the real fun began. We went canyoning, scrambled our way through canyons. Our bodies were suspended in between rocks as we made our way across. There were areas we had to squeeze ourselves through rocks, there would be a drop down but the rocks merged on the top, so no sunlight. We had two guides and they did help people who struggled at times. One point we were in a bat cave, got to see an albino bat, and as we climbed the rocks bats flew around us, bit like a horror movie. Luckily some of us had head torches.
Finally came out in the sunlight, it was longer than three hours and no simple walk. We were all filthy,wet, hands were scratched but it was such an achievement. Some people hated it but I would love to do it again.
Slept really well.
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Ecuador - Quito/ Old town
5-08-2011
Spent the morning getting ready for my roughing out tour, haircut, pedicure and facial, all set.
Afternoon in the old town, guided by a metropolitan police. There were only three of us and funnily enough it was a lady who worked in the same hospital as Jeevan in Perth and is on our tour too.
This was the policeman's first English tour and we had fun trying to help him find the words. Started at Plaza Grande, Independence day is tomorrow so a lot was happening here. At the Independence monument, with liberty on the top, there were a lot of wreaths around. The Cathedral on one side, Municipal buildings on another, the Presidential palace and a shopping area completed the square.
From there we went to La Compania, a stunning church. Baroque styled facade and gold filled interiors. Saint Mariana is buried at the main altar. The bell tower has been destroyed in a fire so the bells are placed on the ground inside.
Iglesia de San Francisco was next. The attached museum had a lot of religious art, some quite gruesome crucifixion statues but saw a new form of paintings, on marble , impressive.
Last was the old hospital built in the 16th century, now a museum displaying the various civilisations through the centuries in Ecuador.
Ate some raw mango and fresh coconut, felt like I was in India and Sri Lanka.
Met with our tour group in the evening. Had a group dinner and drinks afterwards, everybody seems nice, so far.
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Spent the morning getting ready for my roughing out tour, haircut, pedicure and facial, all set.
Afternoon in the old town, guided by a metropolitan police. There were only three of us and funnily enough it was a lady who worked in the same hospital as Jeevan in Perth and is on our tour too.
This was the policeman's first English tour and we had fun trying to help him find the words. Started at Plaza Grande, Independence day is tomorrow so a lot was happening here. At the Independence monument, with liberty on the top, there were a lot of wreaths around. The Cathedral on one side, Municipal buildings on another, the Presidential palace and a shopping area completed the square.
From there we went to La Compania, a stunning church. Baroque styled facade and gold filled interiors. Saint Mariana is buried at the main altar. The bell tower has been destroyed in a fire so the bells are placed on the ground inside.
Iglesia de San Francisco was next. The attached museum had a lot of religious art, some quite gruesome crucifixion statues but saw a new form of paintings, on marble , impressive.
Last was the old hospital built in the 16th century, now a museum displaying the various civilisations through the centuries in Ecuador.
Ate some raw mango and fresh coconut, felt like I was in India and Sri Lanka.
Met with our tour group in the evening. Had a group dinner and drinks afterwards, everybody seems nice, so far.
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Ecuador- Quito/ Volcano Pichincha
4-08-2011
Easy day today.
Took the teleferiqo ( cable car) up to a view point. The ride in itself was nice, slow but pretty all the way. Didn't come prepared for a hike otherwise the one to the volcano would have been good. Cotopaxi , the highest active volcano , peeked out of the clouds at times.
Spent the rest of the time planning our trip for the next few months.
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Easy day today.
Took the teleferiqo ( cable car) up to a view point. The ride in itself was nice, slow but pretty all the way. Didn't come prepared for a hike otherwise the one to the volcano would have been good. Cotopaxi , the highest active volcano , peeked out of the clouds at times.
Spent the rest of the time planning our trip for the next few months.
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Ecuador- Otavalo
3-08-2011
Knowing no Spanish we reached Otavalo with 3 public bus changes quite easily. At a stop we saw dead pigs hung from hooks in quite a few shops.
On arriving there we realised how underprepared we were, did not know where the market was or the Spanish term for it. Finally someone came to our help and we arrived at Plaza de Ponchos.
In spite of it not being Saturday, the big market day, it was still pretty full. Paintings, sweaters, shawls, jewellery, everything handmade, all beautiful. Gave into temptation, bought rings (new wedding rings ;) ), necklaces (convinced Jeevan to buy a tortoise one) and some artwork.
Went a few streets down to the food market. Saw some interesting things, a complete pig skin fried, various meats, breads, fruit and got to eat great tamarind.
Returned in time to get to a great Italian restaurant for dinner.
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Knowing no Spanish we reached Otavalo with 3 public bus changes quite easily. At a stop we saw dead pigs hung from hooks in quite a few shops.
On arriving there we realised how underprepared we were, did not know where the market was or the Spanish term for it. Finally someone came to our help and we arrived at Plaza de Ponchos.
In spite of it not being Saturday, the big market day, it was still pretty full. Paintings, sweaters, shawls, jewellery, everything handmade, all beautiful. Gave into temptation, bought rings (new wedding rings ;) ), necklaces (convinced Jeevan to buy a tortoise one) and some artwork.
Went a few streets down to the food market. Saw some interesting things, a complete pig skin fried, various meats, breads, fruit and got to eat great tamarind.
Returned in time to get to a great Italian restaurant for dinner.
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Ecuador- Quito/ Mitad del Mundo.
2-08-2011
Planned to walk around the old town. On our way there passed a Mahatma Gandhi statue, very random.
Climbed up the towers of La Basilica, one has the last bit of the stairs as ladders outside. My feet were tingling as I climbed them. I read a cool story about a lady saying how Ecuadorians are fearless while others always feel scared climbing up. She supposedly climbed up when she was 8 months pregnant to give her baby an adrenaline rush and make him fearless too. The views from there are great too. Went up to the bell tower later, ringing the bell allows you to make a wish. As a general rule I have made the same wish everywhere I have gone through most of my adult life. Childhood wishes were way more exciting, flying chairs, magic tree and the food box( a box where there is always something yummy, yup I went to a boarding school), quite obviously all from Enid Blyton books.
Change of plans, got on to a bus leading out of town to Mitad del Mundo ( the middle of the earth ). There is a large monument at the site of the equator line, found in the 18th century. They did pretty well it's only 240 meters away from the point as per the GPS. We went to the GPS site and had a guided visit of the small museum there.
Were shown shrunken heads , 150 years old. Learnt the process of shrinking heads, important ones were worn around the neck while the enemy heads were on the ends of the spears. Then saw an indigenous hut as well as pictures of some tribesmen(if the string around their waist is missing they consider themselves naked). If you were married to an important man and he died before you, bad luck, you were buried with him, eeks. Didn't work the other way round as the important man would have 2-3 wives.
Then for the experiments around the equator line. Water goes straight down at the equator line, a meter away to the north it went anti clockwise and to the south clockwise. At the equator line we both were able to balance eggs on a nail, even have certificates for it, able to push Jeevan's raised arms down easily but could not do it elsewhere. We were quite entertained.
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Planned to walk around the old town. On our way there passed a Mahatma Gandhi statue, very random.
Climbed up the towers of La Basilica, one has the last bit of the stairs as ladders outside. My feet were tingling as I climbed them. I read a cool story about a lady saying how Ecuadorians are fearless while others always feel scared climbing up. She supposedly climbed up when she was 8 months pregnant to give her baby an adrenaline rush and make him fearless too. The views from there are great too. Went up to the bell tower later, ringing the bell allows you to make a wish. As a general rule I have made the same wish everywhere I have gone through most of my adult life. Childhood wishes were way more exciting, flying chairs, magic tree and the food box( a box where there is always something yummy, yup I went to a boarding school), quite obviously all from Enid Blyton books.
Change of plans, got on to a bus leading out of town to Mitad del Mundo ( the middle of the earth ). There is a large monument at the site of the equator line, found in the 18th century. They did pretty well it's only 240 meters away from the point as per the GPS. We went to the GPS site and had a guided visit of the small museum there.
Were shown shrunken heads , 150 years old. Learnt the process of shrinking heads, important ones were worn around the neck while the enemy heads were on the ends of the spears. Then saw an indigenous hut as well as pictures of some tribesmen(if the string around their waist is missing they consider themselves naked). If you were married to an important man and he died before you, bad luck, you were buried with him, eeks. Didn't work the other way round as the important man would have 2-3 wives.
Then for the experiments around the equator line. Water goes straight down at the equator line, a meter away to the north it went anti clockwise and to the south clockwise. At the equator line we both were able to balance eggs on a nail, even have certificates for it, able to push Jeevan's raised arms down easily but could not do it elsewhere. We were quite entertained.
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Ecuador- Galapagos - Day 5
1-08-2011
An even earlier rise today to get to Bachas beach before we catch our flight. Beautiful beach and we even managed to see a flamingo, more orange than pink.
We have had great people on the cruise with us, the cutest being Joshua. He is a 5, to be soon 6, year old boy, the youngest in the crowd. Speaks fluent German and English ( German mother and British father), more often than not at the Captain's table . Always the first with a question at the briefings. Lost his first tooth here while snorkelling, swallowed it, so checking his poo daily so that the tooth fairy can come visit. Poor boy started crying when the time came to say goodbye, everybody had a soft corner for him.
Slept the whole flight through, the cruise really tired me out. When we were landing I noticed how close we were to the houses and I had been told a special license is needed by pilots to fly in South America , easy to see why.
Ate at an awesome Ecuadorian restaurant , there is hope for me to continue trying to be vegetarian.
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An even earlier rise today to get to Bachas beach before we catch our flight. Beautiful beach and we even managed to see a flamingo, more orange than pink.
We have had great people on the cruise with us, the cutest being Joshua. He is a 5, to be soon 6, year old boy, the youngest in the crowd. Speaks fluent German and English ( German mother and British father), more often than not at the Captain's table . Always the first with a question at the briefings. Lost his first tooth here while snorkelling, swallowed it, so checking his poo daily so that the tooth fairy can come visit. Poor boy started crying when the time came to say goodbye, everybody had a soft corner for him.
Slept the whole flight through, the cruise really tired me out. When we were landing I noticed how close we were to the houses and I had been told a special license is needed by pilots to fly in South America , easy to see why.
Ate at an awesome Ecuadorian restaurant , there is hope for me to continue trying to be vegetarian.
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Ecuador- Galapagos - Day 4
31-07-2011
No snorkelling but loads of tortoise.
Morning visit to the Charles Darwin centre at Santa Cruz island. They have done some pretty cool things. An island had only 15 tortoises left, they were all brought back to the centre and now more than a thousand have been placed back there. To increase the number without mixing of species a saddleback tortoise from San Diego zoo was brought in, he sure did his job well. Then there is Lonesome George, only one of his kind (was found alone on an island) and has been there for 40 years. Two female tortoises from different islands are in his pen to keep him from getting too lonely. I am not sure I agree with their policy of destroying the eggs resulting from tortoises from different islands, they obviously want to keep the bloodlines pure.
I like the centre's adaptability and innovativeness, the hi-fi incubators didn't last long due to the fluctuating electricity so they have a set up with mud, hair dryers and a thermometer. As the temperature can be regulated more females have been coming out of the centre. They have a cute tortoise wilderness training program, the adorable little babies have to rough it so they can get ready for their respective islands.
Some shopping time before lunch, loads of " I love boobies" t-shirts around. At the pier as fishermen were sorting their daily load, an iguana was gnawing on a fish, they are supposed to be vegetarian!
Afternoon at another part of the island, the highlands. Walked through a larva tunnel, large, cool and wet. Continued through to an area where the wild tortoise come to play (i.e. mate) at this time of the year. The males were there, ladies were obviously running late. They are massive, very ancient looking creatures. If you get into their personal space they hiss and trudge towards you.
Near the area is a touristy spot with a cafe, shops and three tortoise shells. We crawled into one and took some tortoise-ish pictures, the shells are heavy. Jeevan did manage to do a few push ups when he was in, that's my man.
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No snorkelling but loads of tortoise.
Morning visit to the Charles Darwin centre at Santa Cruz island. They have done some pretty cool things. An island had only 15 tortoises left, they were all brought back to the centre and now more than a thousand have been placed back there. To increase the number without mixing of species a saddleback tortoise from San Diego zoo was brought in, he sure did his job well. Then there is Lonesome George, only one of his kind (was found alone on an island) and has been there for 40 years. Two female tortoises from different islands are in his pen to keep him from getting too lonely. I am not sure I agree with their policy of destroying the eggs resulting from tortoises from different islands, they obviously want to keep the bloodlines pure.
I like the centre's adaptability and innovativeness, the hi-fi incubators didn't last long due to the fluctuating electricity so they have a set up with mud, hair dryers and a thermometer. As the temperature can be regulated more females have been coming out of the centre. They have a cute tortoise wilderness training program, the adorable little babies have to rough it so they can get ready for their respective islands.
Some shopping time before lunch, loads of " I love boobies" t-shirts around. At the pier as fishermen were sorting their daily load, an iguana was gnawing on a fish, they are supposed to be vegetarian!
Afternoon at another part of the island, the highlands. Walked through a larva tunnel, large, cool and wet. Continued through to an area where the wild tortoise come to play (i.e. mate) at this time of the year. The males were there, ladies were obviously running late. They are massive, very ancient looking creatures. If you get into their personal space they hiss and trudge towards you.
Near the area is a touristy spot with a cafe, shops and three tortoise shells. We crawled into one and took some tortoise-ish pictures, the shells are heavy. Jeevan did manage to do a few push ups when he was in, that's my man.
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Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Eucador- Galapagos - Day 3
30-07-2011
Morning was spent at the Santiago island. Saw loads of sea lions and a few fur sea lions. The cutest was a baby sea lion that was recently born, placenta still attached, trying to suckle. The mother looked exhausted. More marine iguanas, crabs, pelicans , American oyster catchers ( beautiful bright red beaks),doves and yellow
Warblers. Was shown a few intact crab shells that had been molted off, on my own I would have thought they were dead crabs. Also saw the Darwin's toilet, the water rises and then gushes out of this hole with a noise that sounds pretty much like a flush in a loo.
Lucky day today, snorkeled in the morning and again the afternoon. In the morning saw a few turtles, sea lions and small rays.The second outing was deep sea snorkeling, it was a lovely afternoon for it. The sun was shining and the water was crystal clear. There were a variety of fish,at one point of time everywhere we looked we could see nothing else but a massive shoal of smallish silver fish. Sea lions swam along side and it was lovely watching them frolicking in the water, especially when they twirl. A huge Manta ray came close to us and then sadly swam away, obviously we weren't interesting enough. Then the best bit of all was seeing the shark , I have finally swum with the sharks. Spotted a few marine iguanas clutching on to the rocks below and feeding on the sea weed, still managing to look menacing.
Went for a walk to the Rabida island in the afternoon. The sand here is red and the incense ( smells good) trees along with the cacti cover a large part of the ground. Spotted a Galapagos hawk, seen them before but this was more up close and personal. Went for a panga ride to spot some bobbies ( love saying it). Spotted them along with frigatebirds, pelicans, herons, nardees and sea lions( a few fur ones were peeking out of caves).
Ice cream festival at the boat followed by dinner and the Neptune party in celebration of the fact that we have crossed the equator four times in this trip. Tonight sharks decided to join the sea lions in the hunt for the flying fish along the boat . We got to see quite a few sharks along with the sea lions and the poor flying fish as well as the shadowy presence of the rays.
Another amazing day.
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Morning was spent at the Santiago island. Saw loads of sea lions and a few fur sea lions. The cutest was a baby sea lion that was recently born, placenta still attached, trying to suckle. The mother looked exhausted. More marine iguanas, crabs, pelicans , American oyster catchers ( beautiful bright red beaks),doves and yellow
Warblers. Was shown a few intact crab shells that had been molted off, on my own I would have thought they were dead crabs. Also saw the Darwin's toilet, the water rises and then gushes out of this hole with a noise that sounds pretty much like a flush in a loo.
Lucky day today, snorkeled in the morning and again the afternoon. In the morning saw a few turtles, sea lions and small rays.The second outing was deep sea snorkeling, it was a lovely afternoon for it. The sun was shining and the water was crystal clear. There were a variety of fish,at one point of time everywhere we looked we could see nothing else but a massive shoal of smallish silver fish. Sea lions swam along side and it was lovely watching them frolicking in the water, especially when they twirl. A huge Manta ray came close to us and then sadly swam away, obviously we weren't interesting enough. Then the best bit of all was seeing the shark , I have finally swum with the sharks. Spotted a few marine iguanas clutching on to the rocks below and feeding on the sea weed, still managing to look menacing.
Went for a walk to the Rabida island in the afternoon. The sand here is red and the incense ( smells good) trees along with the cacti cover a large part of the ground. Spotted a Galapagos hawk, seen them before but this was more up close and personal. Went for a panga ride to spot some bobbies ( love saying it). Spotted them along with frigatebirds, pelicans, herons, nardees and sea lions( a few fur ones were peeking out of caves).
Ice cream festival at the boat followed by dinner and the Neptune party in celebration of the fact that we have crossed the equator four times in this trip. Tonight sharks decided to join the sea lions in the hunt for the flying fish along the boat . We got to see quite a few sharks along with the sea lions and the poor flying fish as well as the shadowy presence of the rays.
Another amazing day.
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Eucador - Galapagos - Day 2
29-07-2011
This isn't exactly a relax and sleep in type of cruise, things start early.
Morning outing was to the Urbina bay in Isabela island. Hiking on the trail we spotted two giant tortoises (not as big as I had hoped). Then a few land iguanas, colorful, large and quite fascinating. Learnt a bit about the Darwin finches and mockingbirds as they flew by.
Then the bit I love, snorkeling. Water was murkier than yesterday due to the extra minerals but still a good experience. We went out quite a bit so saw turtles and great fish along the way.
The afternoon was spent at the youngest Galapagos island, Fernandina. It also has an active volcano, last eruption two years ago! This island is amazing, wildlife is fearless here. Even the ground here is different, it is covered with small bits of coral and sea urchin spikes.
The rocks are covered by mean looking marine iguanas ( nasty sex life with their two penises, by the way). They blend in so well with the larva rocks that we had to work hard not to step on them. The first one we saw was alone, everyone started snapping pictures till we looked up and saw hundreds of them ten meters away. They snort a lot, all the salt has to come out some way.
The sea lions with their babies are pretty cute and they know it. They pose for the cameras ( at least I think so ). They bark and make grunting noises. Seem to live in harmony with the iguanas.
Took quite a lot of pictures of the colorful crabs( Sally light foot) they look so good against the black background. The flightless cormorants drying their wings is a classic.
Barbecue on the deck followed by watching sea lions hunt flying fish that were attracted to the light on the boat.
Another great day.
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This isn't exactly a relax and sleep in type of cruise, things start early.
Morning outing was to the Urbina bay in Isabela island. Hiking on the trail we spotted two giant tortoises (not as big as I had hoped). Then a few land iguanas, colorful, large and quite fascinating. Learnt a bit about the Darwin finches and mockingbirds as they flew by.
Then the bit I love, snorkeling. Water was murkier than yesterday due to the extra minerals but still a good experience. We went out quite a bit so saw turtles and great fish along the way.
The afternoon was spent at the youngest Galapagos island, Fernandina. It also has an active volcano, last eruption two years ago! This island is amazing, wildlife is fearless here. Even the ground here is different, it is covered with small bits of coral and sea urchin spikes.
The rocks are covered by mean looking marine iguanas ( nasty sex life with their two penises, by the way). They blend in so well with the larva rocks that we had to work hard not to step on them. The first one we saw was alone, everyone started snapping pictures till we looked up and saw hundreds of them ten meters away. They snort a lot, all the salt has to come out some way.
The sea lions with their babies are pretty cute and they know it. They pose for the cameras ( at least I think so ). They bark and make grunting noises. Seem to live in harmony with the iguanas.
Took quite a lot of pictures of the colorful crabs( Sally light foot) they look so good against the black background. The flightless cormorants drying their wings is a classic.
Barbecue on the deck followed by watching sea lions hunt flying fish that were attracted to the light on the boat.
Another great day.
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Ecuador- Galapagos- Day 1
Arrived safe and sound on our boat, our home for the next 5 days.
After the welcome speech, the safety drill and outfitting of our snorkeling gear, we were ready .
Visited the Bartolome island, one of the younger islands. A family of sea-lions awaited us as we got off the pangas ( dinghies). It's made of volcanic larva so the red crabs are striking against the black background. Climbed to the top for the beautiful view, the Pinnacle rock makes a lovely backdrop amidst the water. Saw Blue footed bobbies, always want to giggle when I say or hear it ( obviously showing my immaturity ).
Went snorkeling too, loved it, loved it. We went around the rocks, numerous shoals of fish awaited us. Them along with the sun rays through the water and only with the two of us there made it very special. Jeevan noticed a turtle looking up at him on the way back. Spotted a few penguins as well.
Slept as soon as dinner was over, hoping for more such great days here.
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After the welcome speech, the safety drill and outfitting of our snorkeling gear, we were ready .
Visited the Bartolome island, one of the younger islands. A family of sea-lions awaited us as we got off the pangas ( dinghies). It's made of volcanic larva so the red crabs are striking against the black background. Climbed to the top for the beautiful view, the Pinnacle rock makes a lovely backdrop amidst the water. Saw Blue footed bobbies, always want to giggle when I say or hear it ( obviously showing my immaturity ).
Went snorkeling too, loved it, loved it. We went around the rocks, numerous shoals of fish awaited us. Them along with the sun rays through the water and only with the two of us there made it very special. Jeevan noticed a turtle looking up at him on the way back. Spotted a few penguins as well.
Slept as soon as dinner was over, hoping for more such great days here.
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Eucador - Quito
27-07-2011
Jet lagged, so instead of sleeping in as planned we both were up early .
Did not do much today other than wander the streets nearby. Sat at a park and watched small children zip lining, very cute. Judging by the restaurants nearby I am not sure how long I can stick to being vegetarian.
I think the altitude got to both of us as we both had weird headaches and neck pains. Early night for the flight tomorrow to the Galapagos islands.
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Jet lagged, so instead of sleeping in as planned we both were up early .
Did not do much today other than wander the streets nearby. Sat at a park and watched small children zip lining, very cute. Judging by the restaurants nearby I am not sure how long I can stick to being vegetarian.
I think the altitude got to both of us as we both had weird headaches and neck pains. Early night for the flight tomorrow to the Galapagos islands.
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New York/ Miami/ Quito
26-07-2011
We had a funny taxi driver. He spent all his time ( nearly two hours ) on his hands free talking to the driver of the taxi ahead of us. Then lost his way.
The second part of the journey which was to take four hours took more than ten hours. Entered the plane on time but it didn't take off for nearly two hours due to some sort of computer glitch. When we finally took off an engine problem was discovered and we landed back in Miami fifteen minutes later. The captain was very calm and assured but there were fire engines with sirens blaring awaiting us. Reached down smoothly and two hours later took off in another flight.
South America, finally. Exhausted but happy to be safe.
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We had a funny taxi driver. He spent all his time ( nearly two hours ) on his hands free talking to the driver of the taxi ahead of us. Then lost his way.
The second part of the journey which was to take four hours took more than ten hours. Entered the plane on time but it didn't take off for nearly two hours due to some sort of computer glitch. When we finally took off an engine problem was discovered and we landed back in Miami fifteen minutes later. The captain was very calm and assured but there were fire engines with sirens blaring awaiting us. Reached down smoothly and two hours later took off in another flight.
South America, finally. Exhausted but happy to be safe.
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Manchester/ Shannon/ New York
25-07-2011
Left my phone at home so Jeevan had to run uphill with the backpack on to get it, made it to the train with a minute to spare. Felt bad when I saw the sweat dripping off him.
At Shannon we had pre-clearance for the USA which made up for the flight delay. Reached New York and spent the night at one of my best friend's place. Her place was awesome, she has done it so well, we have grown up so much since we last met.
No sleep for nearly 40 hours has made us so tired.
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Left my phone at home so Jeevan had to run uphill with the backpack on to get it, made it to the train with a minute to spare. Felt bad when I saw the sweat dripping off him.
At Shannon we had pre-clearance for the USA which made up for the flight delay. Reached New York and spent the night at one of my best friend's place. Her place was awesome, she has done it so well, we have grown up so much since we last met.
No sleep for nearly 40 hours has made us so tired.
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England- Tong Village
24-07-2011
Last day in England. Last minute shopping, chatting, eating and laundry.
Feeling sad to say goodbye.
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Last day in England. Last minute shopping, chatting, eating and laundry.
Feeling sad to say goodbye.
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Hungary- Budapest - Day 5
23-07-2011
Last day in Budapest.
Morning in the Jewish quarters. The Dohany synagogue which is the biggest in Europe is really pretty. Due to it being Saturday we could not the interiors but were able to see the Holocaust memorial, the weeping willow, in the courtyard. Along the walk in the area we saw three other lovely synagogues and the Carl Lutz memorial ( would have easily missed it had we not been looking for it ). The market hall in the area was small,dingy and full of junk, hated it.
Was not really sure that I wanted to visit another market hall but glad I did as the next one was fun. It was large,different levels had fruit, fish and clothes. One corner had a food court where we had langos once again. The best were the ones with garlic, that is how we saw the locals have it .
Back to the hotel where we spent a few hours watching the news of the horrifying shooting in Norway.
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Last day in Budapest.
Morning in the Jewish quarters. The Dohany synagogue which is the biggest in Europe is really pretty. Due to it being Saturday we could not the interiors but were able to see the Holocaust memorial, the weeping willow, in the courtyard. Along the walk in the area we saw three other lovely synagogues and the Carl Lutz memorial ( would have easily missed it had we not been looking for it ). The market hall in the area was small,dingy and full of junk, hated it.
Was not really sure that I wanted to visit another market hall but glad I did as the next one was fun. It was large,different levels had fruit, fish and clothes. One corner had a food court where we had langos once again. The best were the ones with garlic, that is how we saw the locals have it .
Back to the hotel where we spent a few hours watching the news of the horrifying shooting in Norway.
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Hungary- Budapest- Day 4
22-07-2011
The day started on a cruise on the Danube with some champagne and a walk around the Margaret Island. The island has a running track which is protective for the knees, how cool is that.
Spent a few hours at The Terror Museum. I am not sure of exactly what I was expecting but not what was actually there. The building had been used during the Nazi rule as well as the Communist rule . There were stories and pictures of that gruesome era. There were pamphlets in English in each room but not really explaining the items in the room so I found it disappointing.
Arrived at the majestic Heroes square which was built for the millennium celebration in 1896. Close by is a park with the Vajdahunyad Castle. In front of it there was a river exhibition i.e. pieces of art dispersed in water. According to my mother the exhibition was spoiling her pictures!
Walked by the Szechenyl baths, people with towels wrapped over their head were wandering around. On our way back we stopped at the touristy bits of the Andrassy boulevard like the Opera house and Deak Ferenc Ter with it's church without a spire( could not afford one).
Had dinner at all you can eat and drink place, good way to try different dishes and drink too much alcohol.
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The day started on a cruise on the Danube with some champagne and a walk around the Margaret Island. The island has a running track which is protective for the knees, how cool is that.
Spent a few hours at The Terror Museum. I am not sure of exactly what I was expecting but not what was actually there. The building had been used during the Nazi rule as well as the Communist rule . There were stories and pictures of that gruesome era. There were pamphlets in English in each room but not really explaining the items in the room so I found it disappointing.
Arrived at the majestic Heroes square which was built for the millennium celebration in 1896. Close by is a park with the Vajdahunyad Castle. In front of it there was a river exhibition i.e. pieces of art dispersed in water. According to my mother the exhibition was spoiling her pictures!
Walked by the Szechenyl baths, people with towels wrapped over their head were wandering around. On our way back we stopped at the touristy bits of the Andrassy boulevard like the Opera house and Deak Ferenc Ter with it's church without a spire( could not afford one).
Had dinner at all you can eat and drink place, good way to try different dishes and drink too much alcohol.
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Hungary - Budapest - Day 3
21-07-2011
Castle Hill had us occupied for the day.
First we walked across the Chain Bridge, the oldest bridge across the Danube , with tongue-less lions protecting it on both ends ( didn't stop the enemies from destroying it in the war). At one end is the Gresham Palace, the Four Seasons hotel, quite a grand building. The other end is the funicular that takes you up the castle hill.
Once up there we visited the really pretty Matthias church. It's lovely inside and outside. Next was the Fisherman's Bastion, a waste of our money as a little further down we later climbed the wall for free and basically the same view. Great views though from both areas .
The Hilton from afar looks very much part of the surrounding beautiful landscape but close up it's quite jarring with all the glass. The whole district otherwise is lovely with various museums , the palace, the fountains, the statue of a massive mythical bird ( Turul). Also visited the underground labyrinth, quite extensive. The rooms are divided into different ages starting from the historic to the present. The last is the best, it's about Homo Consummus.
Jeevan still had more energy so went to the Roosevelt and Heroes Square, I plan to visit tomorrow.
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Castle Hill had us occupied for the day.
First we walked across the Chain Bridge, the oldest bridge across the Danube , with tongue-less lions protecting it on both ends ( didn't stop the enemies from destroying it in the war). At one end is the Gresham Palace, the Four Seasons hotel, quite a grand building. The other end is the funicular that takes you up the castle hill.
Once up there we visited the really pretty Matthias church. It's lovely inside and outside. Next was the Fisherman's Bastion, a waste of our money as a little further down we later climbed the wall for free and basically the same view. Great views though from both areas .
The Hilton from afar looks very much part of the surrounding beautiful landscape but close up it's quite jarring with all the glass. The whole district otherwise is lovely with various museums , the palace, the fountains, the statue of a massive mythical bird ( Turul). Also visited the underground labyrinth, quite extensive. The rooms are divided into different ages starting from the historic to the present. The last is the best, it's about Homo Consummus.
Jeevan still had more energy so went to the Roosevelt and Heroes Square, I plan to visit tomorrow.
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Hungary - Budapest- Day 2
20-07-2011
Drizzling in the morning so we did a scenic tram ride along the river. So many interesting things to see, yay.
Next was the cue for the Parliament building , it is one of the most magnificent Parliament buildings I have seen. Guided tour inside, there was a miniature of the building made by matchsticks ( would never have guessed), a gift from a Hungarian family ,a wall of their house had to be broken for this is to be brought out intact. The Royal jewels were on display, as well as the biggest carpet Europe. What really impressed me was the artificial marble, to try and use material only from Hungary they came up with this. Other than being warmer to touch than marble there seemed to be no other obvious difference, to make it a variety of things were used including horse hair!
Walked along Imre Nagy's statue on a bridge, to Ronald Reagan's statue at the Freedom square. Reached St. Stephen's cathedral, the dome is visible throughout the city. His right hand is on display and is paraded around the city once a year.
The afternoon was spent at Gellert hill. The citadel provides great views of the city, built initially as a fortress to protect the Austrian rule over Hungary. It now contains a hotel as well as a bunker with wax figures depicting the uses of the rooms. Pictures in there tell a sad story of World War II and the years following it. The Statue of Liberty on the hill is a celebration of the end of the war.
Climbed down the hill to to the Rock temple, sadly closed this week for renovations. Passed some thermal baths,there are quite a few around the city. Strolled across the Danube over one of the many bridges, back into Pest. There are so many beautiful buildings around, makes it an absolute pleasure strolling around the city. Last bit of the day was spent around the bustling Vasi Utca.
A slight misunderstanding about where we meeting for dinner had us waiting around but we all found each other,eventually.
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Drizzling in the morning so we did a scenic tram ride along the river. So many interesting things to see, yay.
Next was the cue for the Parliament building , it is one of the most magnificent Parliament buildings I have seen. Guided tour inside, there was a miniature of the building made by matchsticks ( would never have guessed), a gift from a Hungarian family ,a wall of their house had to be broken for this is to be brought out intact. The Royal jewels were on display, as well as the biggest carpet Europe. What really impressed me was the artificial marble, to try and use material only from Hungary they came up with this. Other than being warmer to touch than marble there seemed to be no other obvious difference, to make it a variety of things were used including horse hair!
Walked along Imre Nagy's statue on a bridge, to Ronald Reagan's statue at the Freedom square. Reached St. Stephen's cathedral, the dome is visible throughout the city. His right hand is on display and is paraded around the city once a year.
The afternoon was spent at Gellert hill. The citadel provides great views of the city, built initially as a fortress to protect the Austrian rule over Hungary. It now contains a hotel as well as a bunker with wax figures depicting the uses of the rooms. Pictures in there tell a sad story of World War II and the years following it. The Statue of Liberty on the hill is a celebration of the end of the war.
Climbed down the hill to to the Rock temple, sadly closed this week for renovations. Passed some thermal baths,there are quite a few around the city. Strolled across the Danube over one of the many bridges, back into Pest. There are so many beautiful buildings around, makes it an absolute pleasure strolling around the city. Last bit of the day was spent around the bustling Vasi Utca.
A slight misunderstanding about where we meeting for dinner had us waiting around but we all found each other,eventually.
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Hungary- Budapest - Day 1
19-07-2011
Reached Budapest in the evening. Loved the excitement in my Grandmother's face, a holiday !
Nice hotel in Central Pest. Have brought the rain with us, sadly. Walked around at night, beautiful buildings around. More exploring tomorrow.
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Reached Budapest in the evening. Loved the excitement in my Grandmother's face, a holiday !
Nice hotel in Central Pest. Have brought the rain with us, sadly. Walked around at night, beautiful buildings around. More exploring tomorrow.
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Hungary- Budapest - Day 1
19-07-2011
Reached Budapest in the evening. Loved the excitement in my Grandmother's face, a holiday !
Nice hotel in Central Pest. Have brought the rain with us, sadly. Walked around at night, beautiful buildings around. More exploring tomorrow.
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Reached Budapest in the evening. Loved the excitement in my Grandmother's face, a holiday !
Nice hotel in Central Pest. Have brought the rain with us, sadly. Walked around at night, beautiful buildings around. More exploring tomorrow.
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England- Leeds
18-07-2011
Relaxing day.
Another movie, a bit of shopping and a visit to the Leeds Art Gallery ( creepy art piece of a sheep in formalin! ).
Spent the evening at my uncle's place where he finally cooked me a meal. What a meal, multiple starters , mains and lovely dessert. He cooks so well, just wish he did it more often.
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Relaxing day.
Another movie, a bit of shopping and a visit to the Leeds Art Gallery ( creepy art piece of a sheep in formalin! ).
Spent the evening at my uncle's place where he finally cooked me a meal. What a meal, multiple starters , mains and lovely dessert. He cooks so well, just wish he did it more often.
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England- National Coal Museum
17-07-2011
The rain didn't cease for a moment so spent the day indoors.
Visited the Coal Mining museum. It is at the site of an old coal mine. Good history along with recuperating ponies and a tour of the baths but the best bit was the guided walk through the underground mine itself. That is one job I could not have done, even going down for the hour was a little scary for me ( held my mother's hand, more for her claustrophobia than mine). The lift that takes you down has no light so it's like plunging down in the dark,though relatively well lit up underground. It's drafty, cold and slippery too. One of the ex miners took us around and gave us quite an insight into their lives, not very pleasant though it did improve over the years.
Went for Delhi Belly that night. Had heard good things about the movie but I enjoyed it way more than I had expected. It is like no Hindi movie I have seen, laughed throughout.
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The rain didn't cease for a moment so spent the day indoors.
Visited the Coal Mining museum. It is at the site of an old coal mine. Good history along with recuperating ponies and a tour of the baths but the best bit was the guided walk through the underground mine itself. That is one job I could not have done, even going down for the hour was a little scary for me ( held my mother's hand, more for her claustrophobia than mine). The lift that takes you down has no light so it's like plunging down in the dark,though relatively well lit up underground. It's drafty, cold and slippery too. One of the ex miners took us around and gave us quite an insight into their lives, not very pleasant though it did improve over the years.
Went for Delhi Belly that night. Had heard good things about the movie but I enjoyed it way more than I had expected. It is like no Hindi movie I have seen, laughed throughout.
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England- hiking
16-07-2011
Rained most of the morning , as the clouds dispersed we were off.
First stop the Brimham Rocks. Clambered up on a few to get great views of the surrounding areas, including the massive golf ball like structures which make up a US surveillance station. There is one where a massive rock is on a tiny base, could fall any moment , tried pushing it over, unsuccessful.
Next was Malham Cove. It was a good walk to the top and back for us as well as the three dogs. We enjoyed the top with the clints and grykes not the dogs as they kept slipping through the gaps.
Dinner plans had to be changed as Toby, the 10 month old puppy went berserk on seeing other dogs, barked loud and hard. The racket was just outside the pub so we were too embarrassed to enter with him. Great Chinese take away instead.
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Rained most of the morning , as the clouds dispersed we were off.
First stop the Brimham Rocks. Clambered up on a few to get great views of the surrounding areas, including the massive golf ball like structures which make up a US surveillance station. There is one where a massive rock is on a tiny base, could fall any moment , tried pushing it over, unsuccessful.
Next was Malham Cove. It was a good walk to the top and back for us as well as the three dogs. We enjoyed the top with the clints and grykes not the dogs as they kept slipping through the gaps.
Dinner plans had to be changed as Toby, the 10 month old puppy went berserk on seeing other dogs, barked loud and hard. The racket was just outside the pub so we were too embarrassed to enter with him. Great Chinese take away instead.
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England- Sculpture Park
15-07-2011
We were discussing Henry Moore in the car and it was decided some cultural education was necessary.
The Yorkshire Sculpture Park has a variety of interesting things spread over acres and acres of greenery. Had a lot of fun trying to figure out the " Moorish" ( Henry Moore's ) sculptures. There was an area with movement sensor music so the more we jumped, more the music. One end is a picture perfect countryside of a bridge with flowing water underneath, swans gliding along and pretty wild flowers all around.
Jaime Plensa had an exhibition on display. Some very unusual pieces, a pair of large of human faces made of stainless steel mesh ( which faced you as you walked along, loved it) tree huggers and sitting humans. In the gallery were two noteworthy rooms, one filled with alabaster faces, they were in various stages of being craved and gave the room an eerie feel. I expected one to open it's eyes any moment, also seemed more like a movie 3D effect than actual 3D. The other room was the Gong room, each gong makes a different sound as you hit it, a dull boom rather than a clang. The last room had a video playing, soft porn in the name of art, don't think my grandmother liked that too much.
Spent most of the day there, the rest of it at the beach. Eating the fish and chips was a defensive game as you saved them from the ferocious seagulls. Had mine been attacked I would have screamed, dropped it all and run for sure.
Ate some ice cream and watched children trying to walk on water in large blown up plastic/rubber bubbles. An unusual thing here is that all the park benches are in the memory of somebody or the other. Found a secluded rose garden with benches , one of which had a bouquet on it for the death anniversary of the person " who sat here and loved the view" .
Seems like today is the last sunny day for the week ( as per the weather forecast), glad it was spent all outdoors.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
We were discussing Henry Moore in the car and it was decided some cultural education was necessary.
The Yorkshire Sculpture Park has a variety of interesting things spread over acres and acres of greenery. Had a lot of fun trying to figure out the " Moorish" ( Henry Moore's ) sculptures. There was an area with movement sensor music so the more we jumped, more the music. One end is a picture perfect countryside of a bridge with flowing water underneath, swans gliding along and pretty wild flowers all around.
Jaime Plensa had an exhibition on display. Some very unusual pieces, a pair of large of human faces made of stainless steel mesh ( which faced you as you walked along, loved it) tree huggers and sitting humans. In the gallery were two noteworthy rooms, one filled with alabaster faces, they were in various stages of being craved and gave the room an eerie feel. I expected one to open it's eyes any moment, also seemed more like a movie 3D effect than actual 3D. The other room was the Gong room, each gong makes a different sound as you hit it, a dull boom rather than a clang. The last room had a video playing, soft porn in the name of art, don't think my grandmother liked that too much.
Spent most of the day there, the rest of it at the beach. Eating the fish and chips was a defensive game as you saved them from the ferocious seagulls. Had mine been attacked I would have screamed, dropped it all and run for sure.
Ate some ice cream and watched children trying to walk on water in large blown up plastic/rubber bubbles. An unusual thing here is that all the park benches are in the memory of somebody or the other. Found a secluded rose garden with benches , one of which had a bouquet on it for the death anniversary of the person " who sat here and loved the view" .
Seems like today is the last sunny day for the week ( as per the weather forecast), glad it was spent all outdoors.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
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