Church – Maldo Travels

Portugal – Towns, Mountains and Lakes

Jean Maldonado — Sat, 05 Sep 2020 14:26:00 +0000

On our trip to Portugal, we stayed at a friend’s family’s place in Canas de Senhorim which is about a 1-hour 45-minute drive from Porto where we landed. There are several car rental companies within walking distance from the airport and our friend normally rents from Drive & Go. The drive to Canas de Senhorim is beautiful as we pass by mountain landscapes along winding roads. We were staying here for about a week and we did some grocery shopping in the bigger town of Nelas which is a short 10-minute drive away. For eating out in restaurants, we headed to the city of Viseu which was a 30-minute drive away. For activities, the Serra da Estrela national park is close by as well as several small towns.

Praia da Lagoa Comprida

It took us about a 1-hour drive to get to this lake in Serra da Estrela and the route is very scenic as we climb the mountains along winding roads. There are a couple of small mountainside towns on the way before reaching the car park which is next to the dam at the lake. There’s a small shop/cafe here and you can walk along the dam for some great pictures. The lake is huge and there were a couple of groups of people sunbathing by the lake. We found a spot on one of the large boulders by the lake and went for a swim. The weather was great when we went with 30-degree temperatures but the lake was still quite cold which made for a refreshing swim. After doing some swimming, we went for a walk around the lake and there are many large boulders that would be great for bouldering. Overall, it was a great place to spend a relaxing afternoon.

Viseu

One of the main attractions in this city is Sé Catedral de Viseu which dates back to the 12th century. Entrance to the cathedral and adjacent square which has some iconic tile artwork is free, but you can also pay to visit the museum which goes through very old buildings. The architecture and stonework of the cathedral appear to be untouched which allows you to appreciate the history in this place. Across the main plaza, you can find the newer Igreja da Misericórdia de Viseu. Next to this church, you can find a viewpoint that looks over the city. We walked around the stone-tiled city which has several shops in its high streets and ended up at Jardim da Ribeira. There is a funicular here which goes up to Igreja da Misericórdia de Viseu, but the highlight at this time of year was the Feira de São Mateus. This yearly event takes place at the end of August and the beginning of September. There were many funfair games, food stalls, and a stage with live music. One of the iconic foods was the farturas which were being sold everywhere. These were very tasty and are similar to churros but much larger.

Mangualde

This was one of the bigger towns close to Canas de Senhorim. The highlight here is the Live Beach which is an artificial beach. It’s a great place to relax with beach chairs and parasols available for hire. There is also a bar/restaurant, a kids area, and a football pitch in the sand. After going for a swim, you can head to the Chapel of Nossa Senhora do Castelo which is at the top of a hill and makes for a great viewpoint. You can either drive up to the parking area or walk up some steps. There’s also a restaurant there which is famous for serving a snail dish.

Quito – City in the Middle of the World

Jean Maldonado — Wed, 22 Aug 2018 18:00:02 +0000

The capital city of Ecuador, Quito, was among the first ones to be named a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its vast historic city center is so well preserved that it’s like going back in time to colonial Spain. Since the city is located between mountains, the geographical terrain is hilly with ravines which make the city take a long and narrow shape. This should be taken into consideration when picking a place to stay since it can take at least an hour to traverse the city from north to south. Quito is also the closest city to the equator which lies to the north of the city and has a monument dedicated to it. Being so close to the sun, the climate is naturally hot. However, being located in the mountains, the weather is unpredictable and changes throughout the day. It is normally chilly in the early morning/evenings and hot throughout the day reaching its peak at midday. Sunblock is a must and you should always leave with a sweater in case you get back at night when it’s cooler. Being a modernizing and metropolitan city there are many things to do in the city. Being my natal city, I could go on and on about all the things there are to do, so I’ll go over some which I find the most interesting.

Convento de San Francisco

The largest religious complex in the historic city center was built over a period of 150 years between the 16th and 17th century. It’s located in Plaza de San Francisco and not only is it full of history but also bears a local legend. The legend of Cantuña tells the tale of an indigenous native being tasked with building the atrium by the Franciscan priests. Cantuña ambitiously promised he would get it done in 6 months. He brought together a group of indigenous workers for the construction but they didn’t progress as quickly as Cantuña had hoped. The day before the deadline, the devil appeared before Cantuña and offered to help him finish construction in exchange for his soul. Cantuña accepted but on the condition that every last stone would be put in place by the deadline. The devil agreed and got his demons to work on it and they progressed quickly finishing by the deadline. So when the day came, the devil returned to claim Cantuña’s soul. However, Cantuña had covertly hidden a stone before the demons started working and told the devil the construction was not fully completed. The devil, ashamed of being fooled by a mere mortal returned to hiding in the depths of hell. There’s a tombstone of Cantuña in one of the chapels so the person exists, but it’s not known how the legend came about or which stone is missing. Part of the Convent has been turned into a museum and costs only 2 USD¹. It exhibits the history of the convent and has seasonal exhibitions. There are many chapels and the main church has much of its detailed interior decor bathed in gold.

La Basilica del Voto Nacional

Inspired by the Notre Damme and Bourges cathedrals, La Basilica is a magnificent structure with details local to the region. The gargoyles are not like the typical ones found in other basilicas, instead, they are of animals native to Ecuador. Plans to build the La Basilica began in 1882 but the first stone was only laid in 1892. Construction took over 30 years and although it appears to be finished, it’s not officially completed. Local legend states that the end of the world will arrive if the La Basilica is ever finished. Entrance costs 2 USD with access to the towers. The altitude can make climbing the winding steep steps tiring but it is the highlight of the visit. Given that the La Basilica is located in the city center, it yields breathtaking views of the city and an unobstructed view of El Panecillo.

TeleferiQo

The TeleferiQo is found west of the city center and go up the east side of the Pichincha volcano. The easiest way to get there is via taxi/Uber² since it is off the Occidental Highway. The bus would leave you on the highway where you would have to walk uphill for about 30-45 minutes to the park entrance. A taxi/Uber on the other hand would leave you at the entrance. There are two entrances; one is for Vulqano Park which is a small theme park and the other is for the TeleferiQo. If you take a taxi/Uber, make sure to tell them you wish to be dropped off at the entrance to TeleferiQo as this is further uphill. The ticket office is right next to the cable car entrance and it costs 8.50 USD. Make sure you bring ID as this is required to purchase a ticket. This is done as a security measure to track visitors who have gone up and come back down. Once you have your ticket, you can then queue up at the entrance where the operators will instruct you to get on. You are also told to keep your ticket for the way back. If you don’t have it, you’ll need to buy another one at the top. The ascent of over 800 meters to 3945 meters above sea level and takes around 20 minutes.

Once at the top, you’ll notice it is a lot windier and chilly so make sure to take warm clothing. There are a few shops/stalls and a cafe that sells coca tea to help with altitude sickness. As soon as you step out of the cable car there is a viewpoint looking out towards the city center. There is another viewpoint a short walk down going left as you exit the cable car station. This viewpoint looks out towards the south of the city and has two giant chairs which make for great pictures. From here you can see just how far the city stretches south. It has grown so much that it is no longer possible to see the city limits. On a clear day, you’ll also be able to see the volcanoes in the vicinity. There is a panel which illustrates their location and displays some information on them. Once you have taken in the sights from here, you can continue on a short 10-minute walk upwards towards another viewpoint. This viewpoint also looks out towards the city center and has some swings which get pretty busy as everyone wants to take pictures with them. For most tourists, the journey ends here and they’ll make their way back down. However, for the more adventurous ones, it is possible to hike all the way up to the summit of Rucu Pichincha. The hike to the summit at 4696 meters takes about 3-4 hours depending on your fitness and whether you’ve taken time to acclimatize to the altitude. Being at almost 4000 meters above sea level, just walking is tiring so hiking uphill and at some point doing some rock climbing can be exhausting. The reward is definitely worth it though as the views from the summit are the best in the city and if you’re lucky enough to get up there on a clear day, you’ll be able to see the surrounding volcanos. If you decide to do the hike, go as early as possible since the weather in the mountains tends to be clear early in the day with clouds approaching in the early afternoon.

Cuenca – Beautiful Colonial City

Jean Maldonado — Thu, 16 Aug 2018 15:25:33 +0000

The capital city of the Azuay province is approximately an 8-hour bus ride south of Quito. A 50-minute flight is also an option, however, the Cuenca airport is notorious for being in a windy location causing many delays and cancellations due to weather. We made our way down to Cuenca from the ruins of Ingapirca which is about 1-hour 30-miunutes away. If you take a bus or drive there, you’ll likely arrive before dusk so it’s a good idea to catch the sunset at a viewpoint. The Mirador de Turi is a great viewpoint for this with a panoramic view of the red-topped buildings of Cuenca. There are also a few bars and restaurants at the viewpoint to get something to eat.

Throughout the day, Cuenca has many plazas, churches, and museums to explore in its historic city center. The city is also well known for the arts and has produced many famous Ecuadorian writers, poets, and artists. The new cathedral, Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepcion, was completed in 1975 and replaced the old cathedral which is now a museum. Both are located in the main plaza of Parque Calderon. The new cathedral has a neo-gothic style with a marble interior and three iconic white and blue domes.

Around the corner from the new cathedral is the popular Plaza de las Flores. This flower market is located outside another smaller colonial church, La Iglesia El Carmen de la Asuncion or El Santuario Mariano which is also worth a quick visit to. This small church is over 100 years old and is so well preserved that walking into it feels like going back in time.

Walking away from the colonial cobblestoned historic city center of Cuenca, you can see painted murals and eventually reach the modern Museum of Pumapungo. This museum not only exhibits the history and culture of Cuenca but is also located next to an archaeological site of Incan ruins. The museum is very well organized to showcase different periods of Cuenca’s people and history. One of my favorite sections was the numismatic room in the basement. Here you can travel through history by observing the currencies that Ecuador had used before the US Dollar.