Museum – Maldo Travels

Quito – El Panecillo & La Libertad

Jean Maldonado — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 18:14:00 +0000

When in Quito, if you wake up to clear skies, you should immediately head to a viewpoint of the city. There are several viewpoints around the city, but the most popular and touristic one is probably El Panecillo. The hill is located just south of the colonial city center making it accessible no matter where you’re staying in the city. The surrounding area is notorious for thieves and known to be dangerous, but the hill itself is safe and patrolled by tourist police. The easiest way to get there is by car, so it would be best to take a taxi or an Uber¹. There are parking spaces available and there’s a local guard who charges 1 USD². Another option would be to take a tourist bus which normally departs from the park La Carolina. The hill has a statue of an aluminum winged Virgin Mary which costs 1 USD to enter. The museum details its history and construction. You can then head to the balcony for a view of the colonial city center. It’s not necessary to have access to the balcony for a great view of the city since you get unobstructed views throughout the hill. There are several stalls at the site with benches to rest on. It’s a popular site with the locals and on some days, there are planned events organized by the municipality.

Across from El Panecillo on the slopes of Pichincha, you can find La Libertad. There is a museum there called ‘Templo de la Patria‘ (Temple of the Homeland) dedicated to the heroes of the Battle of Pichincha. Once again, the surrounding area is known to be dangerous so it’s best to take a taxi or Uber there. The entrance is gated and you have to leave your ID with the guard if you’re parking there. The use of the car park is free and there is no cost to visit the museum. As you walk to the museum, you get a spectacular view of the city. You’ll be able to see the colonial city center, the start of the modern north, and also parts of the south. If the skies are clear, you’ll be able to see the peaks of the volcanos in ‘La Avenida de Los Vocanes’ (Volcano Avenue). When entering the museum, you’ll need to sign in at reception with your ID/Passport number. You’re then free to roam throughout the museum and learn about the history of the Battle of Pichincha. There are painted murals, tombs, and many artifacts from the battle on display. You can also get to the terrace which serves as another excellent viewpoint of the city.

Quito – Middle of the World Monument

Jean Maldonado — Fri, 03 Jan 2020 22:15:00 +0000

The capital city of Quito sits between mountains so it is long and narrow. Choosing how to get to Ciudad Mitad del Mundo will depend on where you are staying in the city. The official website lists several options which include a tour bus, public transport, or taxi/Uber³. The site has a guarded parking lot so going by car is also an option. The entrance ticket costs 5 USD⁴ and gives you access to all the museums and facilities at the site.

The highlight of the site is the monument at the center of the complex. Inside the monument, there is a museum that starts with a history of how the equatorial line was calculated. There is then a science section with interactive experiments concerning the Earth and equator. There are then several floors that display the different ethnic groups and cultures in Ecuador’s 3 main regions; coast, mountain range, and east. After climbing through these floors, you then reach the viewpoint at the top of the monument. From here, you can enjoy views of the surrounding landscape and city.

After visiting the monument, you can visit other museums in the complex or the planetarium which runs a show every hour. People start queuing for it about 15 minutes before the show starts so head there early as there are limited seats. We were at the end of the queue and didn’t manage to get in, so we decided to leave instead of waiting an hour for the next show.

Milan – Art, Culture and a Fashion Capital

Jean Maldonado — Mon, 22 Apr 2019 22:38:28 +0000

For the UK Easter break, we decided to go on a 4-day getaway to Milan. It’s a short 2-hour flight from London and we arrived at Malpensa Airport at around 10 AM. It’s a small airport so we got through customs quickly and were out by 10.20 AM. The train station is a short 5-minute walk away and buses to the city center are also available at the terminal. Buses cost 8 EUR⁴ and the train is 13 EUR. We decided to take the train and got on the 10.30 AM train to Milano Centrale. The onboard ticket man was very friendly and recommended us to get a daily travel card which cost 4.50 EUR to get around in the city. He also said we could touch and go using contactless credit cards. The train ride to Milano Centrale took about an hour so we got there at around 11.30 AM. The station is huge and there are no ticket barriers to exit so you just make your way out. From the station, we decided to walk to our Airbnb⁵ near Duomo since we had time to spare before our check-in time slot. It should take about 45 minutes to walk but we made several stops for pictures so it took us 1 hour 30 minutes. On the way, we walked through Giardini Pubblici Indro Montanelli which is a garden where the natural history museum is. We also came across the shopping district which has several Gallerias which are like shopping malls.

We got to our Airbnb at around 1 PM and after settling in we went looking for food. We soon found out that most of the local places close the kitchen between 2-3 PM. We managed to find a place that said they could serve us if we ordered quickly. After lunch, we headed to the historic city center. The main site is the Duomo and it is a truly magnificent cathedral. The building is huge and it has many columns all with great detail. The plaza also covers a large area and is great for pictures. We walked around the area and got back to the Airbnb by 7 PM.

Our next two days we took day trips to Como and Verona which you can find out more about from the links. On our last day, our flight was at 8 PM so we explored the city throughout the day. In the morning, we went to Sempione Park which is one of the biggest in Milan. We got off at the Cardona metro station and walked towards Castello Sforzesco which serves as an entrance to the park. It is free to enter the open areas of the castle and tickets are available for the museum. The park has gardens and a lake which make for a picturesque walk. We walked through the park and got to the Arco della Pace which is an arch dedicated to peace. From here, we went to get lunch and then to the Duomo.

There are several tickets available to visit the inside of the Duomo; cathedral only, cathedral plus stairs to the top, or cathedral plus lift to the top. We chose the ticket with lift access and it cost 37 EUR. Tickets can be bought online or at the ticket office. The queue for the lift was quite long and we waited for about 30 minutes. The stairs queue was practically empty so it would have been quicker and cheaper to go by stairs. Also, the lift entrance is around the back of the Duomo. Once inside, the lift takes you to the terrace area. The level of detail in the stonework is mesmerizing and there are several balconies that make for great pictures. You walk across the terrace to the front and climb a couple of stairs to get to the top. More impressive views from here and you can walk over to the other end of the cathedral. Watch your footing as some of the stonework can be slippery. Once we were done, we headed down to visit the inside of the cathedral.

The inside is massive and there are many tall columns throughout. It’s very gothic in style and nice to walk around. At the entrance of the cathedral, there are some stairs which lead underground. Here you’ll see some tombs and the original baptism pool. This is a museum-like area and there are several artifacts on display. When finished with this, the ticket also gives you access to the museum opposite the Duomo. Do keep in mind that the museum closes at 6 but the last entry is at 5 PM. So we couldn’t get in as we got there at 5.10 PM. Following the Duomo, we went for a quick walk around the area and came across the Leonardo da Vinci statue. From here we then headed to the airport for our flight back to London.

Verona – The City of Romeo and Juliet

Jean Maldonado — Sun, 21 Apr 2019 23:03:00 +0000

We took the 9.45 AM train from Milano Centrale to Verona Porta Nuova which took about 1 hour 50 minutes reaching Verona at 11.35 AM. The journey is quite scenic with vast crop fields and the alps in the distance. The Verona train station is on the outskirts of the city and it’s about a 20-minute walk from the train station to the city center. Once at the main plaza Piazza Bra, the area is filled with people walking around. There are several restaurants/cafes with outdoor seating around the plaza and along the side roads. There is a castle – Castelvecchio – a short 10-minute walk away towards the river. The entrance is free to explore the open areas of the castle and tickets can be purchased for entry to the museum. There is a bridge connected to the castle that crosses the river and is great for pictures.

By the time we were done walking around the castle, it was coming up to 1 PM so we went for lunch around the Verona Arena. After lunch, we continued walking towards the historic city center which is on the peninsula of the river. We found that there are many more restaurant options here. As we walked deeper into the city center, we came across Juliet’s Balcony. There is a very long queue here so we just walked by and continued to Piazza delle Erbe. At this plaza, there were many stalls selling all kinds of products and souvenirs. The surrounding buildings are very historic and there are also several restaurants and cafes. In the center of the plaza, there is a pillar with a chain hoop that people take pics with.

Going further in, there is another plaza Piazza dei Signori and there are several museums in the area. One of the museums is of the catacombs of previous Verona rulers. It was now coming up to 5 PM and our train back to Milan was at 5.45 PM, so we started heading back. On the way back we stopped at the Verona Arena for some pictures. This Roman Amphitheater is huge and still being used for concerts and events. After a quick rest stop here we walked back to the station and got our train back to Milano Centrale, arriving at around 8 PM. Overall, Verona is a beautiful city for a day trip with old architecture and Roman ruins.

Buenos Aires – Football and the City

Jean Maldonado — Fri, 05 Oct 2018 22:50:25 +0000

It’s about a 13-hour bus ride from Mendoza to Buenos Aires but we opted to take a flight for this journey. Our flight was scheduled to leave at 9 PM but it ended up being delayed until 11.40 PM. The flight time was only 1-hour 30-minutes and we arrived at the El Palomar Airport in Buenos Aires at around 1.10 AM. Getting through customs was quick and we managed to use the airport WiFi to order an Uber¹. The city is quite big and the Airport is located in the outskirts of the city. Our hostel was in the Monserrat area of the city center which took about 30 minutes to get to with no traffic and cost 360 ARS⁶. It was now around 2 AM so we checked in and went to get some sleep.

The City

Since we were staying close to the Boca Juniors stadium La Bonbonera, we decided to head there first. We took a quick 10 minute Uber ride there for 67 ARS. On the way, the Uber driver turned out to be a Boca Juniors fan and was telling us many stories and history about the stadium. He recommended we check out El Caminito after the stadium but told us to be wary of pickpockets and scam artists. He dropped us off at the museum entrance and at the ticket office, there are 3 types of tickets – Museum Only; Museum, Stadium, and Locker Room Tour; and Museum, Stadium, and Locker Room Tour plus a walk into the pitch. We chose to get the Museum, Stadium, and Locker Room Tour which cost 410 ARS each. The next tour was scheduled to start at 1 PM so we had about 20 minutes to wander through the museum. There are lots of memorabilia and footage of historic matches playing on several screens. The footage which has sound allows you to picture the energy at the games played in the stadium. Being on the opposing team must be truly intimidating.

You can also step outside from the museum onto the south stand for a view of the pitch. Once we were done exploring the museum, we headed to the meeting point a couple of minutes before the start of the tour and the guide starts the tour promptly. First, he takes you to the east stands and on the way, he gives a history of the stadium and the team. At the stands, we get some time for pictures before walking over to the north stands. Here we can walk out onto a part of the pitch behind the goal for some pictures. We then head up the stands for a couple more pictures before continuing to the locker room. At the locker room, there is a professional photographer who takes your picture sitting at your preferred player’s locker. This is then the end of our tour and we’re directed back to the museum. Those who bought the ticket for sideline access are taken to the pitch. When we left the museum, we headed to El Caminito which is a short walk away from the stadium.

There are several shops and restaurants in this area. Many of the restaurants have Tango shows while you eat. We picked a restaurant which had the famous Churrasco steaks and a Tango show. A thing to note is that nearly all the restaurants only accept cash, so make sure you take some with you. After lunch, we took a 10-minute taxi ride to Plaza Dorrego for 190 ARS. From here we walked to the Puerto Madero area which is a nice riverside walk. After resting at the park in the area, we continued up the riverside and passed the presidential office – La Casa Rosada. Next, we followed a road that took us to the Obelisco which had some scaffolding on it for an event that weekend. From here, we then walked to the Torre Monumental, stopping at the shopping center Galerías Pacifico. By this time, it was dark so we took an Uber back to the hostel. It was a quick 10-minute Uber ride and cost 149 ARS.

Huaraz – Chavin de Huantar

Jean Maldonado — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 21:29:00 +0000

Of the many tours available in the touristic town of Huaraz, this is one of the archaeological ones discovering an ancient civilization. Our tour left from the Plaza de Armas at 9 AM making a stop at Laguna Querococha about 1-hour 15-minutes into the journey. Its a quick 20 minute stop at this scenic lake which lies at almost 4000 meters above sea level. At this altitude, walking can be a little tiring but it’s a great opportunity to take some pictures with the lake and the mountains on the horizon.

As the tour bus continues to Chavin, the guide points out a geographical fault in the mountain which looks like the mountain has been torn apart. It’s then another hour to get to the town of Chavin where the archaeological site is located. Once inside, the guide gives you a history of the pre-Columbian civilization – the Chavin people – who lived there between 1000 BC and 200 BC. This ancient civilization was advanced for its time in architecture, astrology, and mathematics as well as being considered spiritual leaders. Neighboring civilization would travel to Chavin de Huantar for spiritual enlightenment, but only a select few were allowed to enter the sacred temple.

Walking from the entrance to the main plaza, you can see that archaeologists are still excavating the site. A large part of the site has been excavated though; including parts of the main temple. It is truly incredible to see how the Chavin had built their structures to withstand earthquakes and also use hydraulic techniques in underground water channels. No feature in the structures is a coincidence but has rather been precisely calculated for a reason; which the guide elaborates on. The highlight of the visit is going into the temple and wandering through the maze-like corridors. Overall, the visit takes about 1-hour 30-minutes. Make sure you put on sunblock and take a hat as a large part of the visit is outdoors.

Following the site visit, the guide takes you to a tourist restaurant in the town. I’ve never been a fan of tourist restaurants, so we let the guide know that we were going to go for a walk around town instead. In the town square, there are a couple of other restaurants with more traditional and cheaper options. We were given an hour for lunch which was enough to walk around and have a meal. The next and final stop is the archaeological museum for the site which is in the town itself. It’s a new and modern building and home to many of the artifacts found on the site. The information panels also have the English translation with lots of additional information about the site as well as the Chavin people. The museum is fairly small and the guide took us around in about 30 minutes. We finished with the museum visit around 3 PM and then got back on the bus. This was the end of the tour and the bus took us back to Huaraz arriving at around 5 PM.

Trujillo – Pre-Incan Civilizations

Jean Maldonado — Mon, 27 Aug 2018 23:37:15 +0000

Coming from Chachapoyas, the bus journey takes 13 hours stopping in Chiclayo first. We took the overnight trip with Movil Bus leaving Chachapoyas at 7.30 PM and arriving in Trujillo by 8.30 AM. It’s worth getting the VIP option where the seats recline 160 degrees to get some sleep. The first part of the journey is along the winding roads that descend the Andes, so keep that in mind if you get motion sickness. The bus terminal in Trujillo is quite big and somewhat modern. Upon exiting we came across a stall that was selling tours. We got some info but before buying we went to look at the bus schedules since we were leaving for Huaraz that night. Since we had a great experience with Movil Bus, we went with that company again for an overnight bus to Huaraz leaving at 10 PM. We left our bags with the bus company and then went back to the tour sales rep to purchase the tour. The tour was for transportation to Huaca del Sol y de la Luna, Huaca Arco Iris, Chan Chan, and the beach with a guide. We knew it was possible to get public transport/taxi between the sites but for 25 PEN⁷, this tour was more convenient and guided which is always best with archaeological sites. The pick up was scheduled for 10 AM which gave us some time to grab breakfast before heading out.

Huaca Del Sol Y De La Luna

There are two Huacas south of Trujillo, Huaca del Sol and Huaca de la Luna. They’re close to each other but only Huaca de la Luna is open to the public as the other one is still being excavated. Before heading to the site, you have to purchase tickets from the Museum entrance which is a short 5-minute drive from the archaeological site. Entrance tickets for the archaeological site (10 PEN) and the museum (5 PEN) have to be purchased here. If you’re a student then it’s 5 PEN and 3 PEN. The museum is fairly small but very modern and has many of the artifacts found in the Huacas. The information panels were both in Spanish and English so you can roam freely to learn about the Moche people who built the Huacas. We were given about 30-45 minutes to go through the museum before heading to the site itself. In Huaca de la Luna there are remains of a wall which stretches to the base of the mountain. There is a legend about why the wall is connected with the mountain. In a time before the Huaca was built, the Mochica people worked the land and two young men found a small colored snake whilst digging. The colors intrigued them so they took the snake home and raised it like a pet. As days went by, the snake quickly grew so the young men became scared and threw it in a river. The snake continued to grow and when it became huge, it went into the town and destroyed anything in its path. The people fled to take refuge at the base of the mountain but the snake managed to track them down. As the snake lept to devour the people, the mountain cracked open so the snake fell inside it. There’s a crack in the mountain which serves as ‘evidence’ for this legend. The mountain then closed saving the Mochica people. In an act of gratitude to the Mochica god – Aia Paec – they constructed the Huaca connected to the mountain.

Entering the site, the tour starts at what is known as the sacrificial hall. Archaeologists discovered human remains in a room at the far end of this hall. They believe these to be human sacrifices of warriors between the ages of 18 and 25. It is believed that that two warriors would battle each other with a club and shield in the desert, far away from the temple. The Mochica warriors wore a headdress and the winner of the battle was the warrior that managed to knock it off their opponent. The losing warrior was stripped naked, and a noose tied around his neck from which he was taken back to the temple. The priests were then in charge of preparing him for sacrifice in one of the rooms in the sacrificial hall. He was given a hallucinogenic drink – San Pedro – which cleansed his blood and essentially sedated him in preparation for his death. He was given this drink for two weeks after which he was sacrificed by cutting his neck and his blood poured into a cup. This cup was then taken to the high priest at the top of the temple who would drink half, and pour the other half on the ground as a tribute to the earth. The sacrifices were only carried out in times of crisis due to natural disasters. Since the Mochica’s god was represented by nature, they believed their god was angry with them and carried out sacrifices to appease them.

The Mochica built their temples in cycles. They believed every 80-100 years represented a life cycle where they buried the past and built a new one over it. They built their temples in this way, and in that period, one or two priests would have passed away. They buried them in the temple and sealed it off with clay-like bricks. Rather than burying the old temple with soil, they used bricks as a anti-seismic feature since they were going to build on top of it. Before burying the old temple, they would also coat the walls to protect its decor. Huaca de la Luna is made up of 5 levels. The highest level has eroded since it was the most exposed. However, archaeologists have excavated the site to reveal the lower levels which have been well preserved since they’d been buried. The walls are 100% original and have not been restored in any way. These walls have been decorated with the image of the Mochica god. The eyes are of an owl which represents air. The teeth are of a feline animal which represents the land. The hair is tentacle-like of an octopus which represents the sea. The pattern of the border represents a manta ray which again refers to the sea since the Mochica were mainly fishermen. There are also images of a blackfish around the god which is of a river freshwater fish. This is to show the Mochica not only fished in the sea, but also the rivers.

Arriving at the fifth level, we can see the alter from where the high priest drank the sacrificed warrior’s blood. The source of this theory comes from carvings found on Mochica ceramics showing a naked warrior and a priest drinking from a cup at an alter. From the fifth floor, we can also see an area known as the colonial square. It is named like this because it shows how the Spanish have raided the temple for its treasures and in doing so, have destroyed the structure effectively erasing a part of the Mochica culture. The fifth floor dates back to 600-650 AD where there was a major natural disaster in the area. This fact connects to a theory of what happened to the Mochica. It is believed that despite sacrifices being made by the Mochica, the natural disaster did not end. So the Mochica people lost faith and some decided to move away, closer to the sea. These people formed a new civilization known as Chimu.

The tour finishes in the great plaza which used to serve as the main entrance to the temple. From here we can see the multiple levels of the temple. Each mural is decorated and there appear to be six levels rather than five but this is because the first level is split into two. Every subsequent level was then built on top of the previous structure. The lower mural is decorated with the losing warriors or warriors fighting. The next level is decorated with warriors holding hands. This shows a sacrificial ceremony also consisted of dance and singing. Above that is a decoration of what is known as the decapitating spider. It shows an image of a spider holding a knife and a head. This showcases the ritual they carried out. Next, we see an image of a feline animal with two heads. The two heads represent duality. Finally, we see an image of a serpent which sheds its skin to represent how the Mochica built their temples. To the left of the main wall, there is what the archaeologists have called ‘The Mural of Myths’. It has carvings of the many stories about the Mochica.

Huaca Arco Iris

In the afternoon we continued to the north of Trujillo to Huaca Arco Iris. This site belonged to the Chimu culture which dates between 900 and 1470 AD. This civilization is found only on the northern coast of Peru. This Huaca belonged to Chan Chan which was the capital of the Chimu civilization. In it’s prime, Chan Chan stretched across 20 KM squared but is now reduced to 14 square KM. The internal walls have carvings and in some areas, you can see a yellow color. This gave the Huaca its first name – The Yellow Wall. Originally, all the walls had carvings but it has eroded on the outer walls and only remains in the inner walls. After the archaeologists progressed with their excavations, they revealed a carving which looks like two dragons breathing fire. The Huaca was then known as Huaca of the Dragon. Now it is known as Huaca Arco Iris (Rainbow) due to a rainbow shape above the ‘dragons’. The rainbow is symbolic to the Chimu since it represents rain which was scarce in the region. Other parts of the carving show fisherman, an altar, dancing warriors, and the carving of the ‘fire breathing dragons’ are actually sea horses holding an egg – one male and one female – which represents duality. Therefore, this Huaca was a temple for ceremonies and a place where people came to give offerings. Walking up the temple we can see deep holes on the sides which were used as deposits for offerings. Archaeologists found seeds, wood carvings, and ceramics. There are fourteen of these deposits. This reflects the lunar calendar since the Chimu worshipped the moon. The moon was the most important to the Chimu for three reasons; the moon could be seen in the day and night, the moon blocks the sun in an eclipse, and the moon controls the tide.

Next, the tour group is taken into the city for lunch. The tourist restaurant lunch spot was a block away from the Plaza de Armas. Now, I’ve never been a fan of tourist restaurants since they’re normally not authentic and tailored for tourists. After taking a look at the ‘tourist menu’ and the dishes going around, my hypothesis was valid plus the prices were a little too high for my liking. So we let the guide know we were gonna walk around and he just told us to be back in an hour. We noticed that even they don’t eat there and just leave the tourists there whilst they go somewhere else. After walking around we found a nice spot around the corner. The ‘Almuerzos’ – which are essentially lunch set menus including a drink – were only 9 PEN and very tasty.

Chan Chan

The last archaeological site of the tour was the ruins of Chan Chan. Chan Chan was the name of the capital city of the Chimu people, so these ruins were of the palace of the chief Chimu. It was like a fortified walled citadel with a single entrance/exit. The outer walls were of a trapezoid shape which served as an anti-seismic design measuring between 10 and 12 meters high. The citadel is like a huge maze with its internal walls measuring 3-4 meters high. To the left of the entrance was the route taken by workers who delivered food and resources for the palace. To the right was the route taken by important guests from neighboring civilizations which led to the main ceremonial plaza. The guests would bring offerings and these would be placed on a platform in the middle of the ceremonial plaza. The sides of the plaza were lined with benches which is where the guests would have sat for the ceremony. The ramp leading to the front is where the chief Chimu would have sat and addressed the public from. The plaza was designed in a way to project sound from one end to the other so the chief could be heard from everywhere. The walls have carvings split into three sections. The middle and biggest section looks like waves to represent the sea. The top section is clear to represent the sky, and the bottom section is lined with animals to represent the land. The reason why it is shown in this order is that the Chimu lived by the sea. So if you stand at the beach, you see the ground at the bottom, the sea in the middle, and the sky at the top.

The walls along the walkways are lined with more carvings. On one side the carvings look like steps that go up and down repeatedly throughout the length of the hallway. These represent the tide. The wall is split by a knee height perpendicular wall. There are carvings of fishes stretching from the northern side which are shown facing the middle. Likewise, the fishes from the south also face the middle. Therefore on one side, the fishes are traveling from north to south to represent the warm current that goes from Ecuador to Peru. The other side shows them traveling from south to north to represent the cold current that comes from Chile. On the opposite side, the parallel wall is carved into rows of rhombuses. This represents the fishermen’s nets. These carvings are present throughout the complex. At the end of the path was another smaller plaza which is were performers got ready before heading into the main plaza for the ceremony.

Walking past this into one of the structures, we arrive at the Hall of Attendant Hearings. This was an administrative building and was built like a labyrinth. It was built this way to make it difficult for intruders to find their way around. They had a system were they used carvings of pelicans to mark the entrance/exits of rooms which only the workers would have known how to use. The area was used to store ‘tributes’ from the people to the Chief. These were like taxes but since there was no money, it would be in the form of produce. So this vast area served as storage which needed to keep produce fresh. This is why the walls have rhombus-shaped holes to allow air to flow through. The rooms also have U-shaped compartments with a window where wood carvings were found. These wood carvings were probably used by the Chimu as a symbol of protection.

Next, we arrive at another big plaza. Unlike the plaza at the entrance, this one was not for visitors but private functions. Surrounding this plaza, there are many small houses where human remains were found. It is believed that when a Chief died, his wives would also have to die and be buried with him to follow him into the next life. As we go further into the complex, we arrive at what would have been a large reservoir. Although it is dry now, this reservoir would have been 4 meters deep filled with freshwater. The water would have been diverted from the river to fill up the reservoir. At night, the moon would reflect on the water and the place was used for ceremonies and sacrifices. In contrast to the Moche sacrifices, the Chimu sacrificed children between 12-13 years old as a tribute of purity. These reservoirs were also the downfall of the Chimu to the Incas. At around 1470, the Incas came to conquer and fought with the Chimu for many years. The Chimus were great warriors and the Incas could not break through the fortifications. However, the Incas noticed the water fed into the walled citadel. So they cut off the water supply which left the Chimu with no option than to surrender and join the Incan empire of Tawantinsuyu.

The final stop in the palace is the burial plaza of the Chief. The Chief’s body was prepped and put in the middle for five days for the people to pay their respects. The body was then taken up the ramp to the tomb which was surrounded by the small houses where his wives would be buried. Once the Chief was buried, his successor was not allowed to use the palace. He would have to build his own palace which is why there are ten palaces in Chan Chan, of which only this one has been excavated.

Huanchaco Beach

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar After finishing up at Chan Chan, we headed for the beach at Huanchaco at around 4.45 PM. This beach is about a 20-minute drive north of Chan Chan. It has a nice walkway, a pier and it’s a great spot to catch the sunset. However, we were only had until 5.30 PM before the tour headed back to Trujillo city center. We were back in the Plaza de Armas by 6 PM. From here we decided to check out one of the shopping plazas. It was a short 15-minute taxi ride (6 PEN) to Real Plaza which was close to the bus terminal. After walking around for a bit we found a cinema and decided to catch a movie before heading to the bus terminal for our next destination. leo.

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.

Alausi – Tren Nariz del Diablo

Jean Maldonado — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 10:48:45 +0000

Tren Ecuador is the restored tourist railway service between the capital Andean city of Quito and the coastal city of Guayaquil. Fully completed by 1908, it was considered an audacious project at the time due to the treacherous geological terrain of the Andes. La Nariz del Diablo (Devil’s Nose), is the highlight of the trip where the train traverses a 500-meter vertical rock face. The mountain was thought to be cursed by the devil who didn’t want the railway built, hence the name. Construction of the tracks at La Nariz del Diablo ended up taking the lives of over 2000 workers. The 1-way tour between Guayaquil and Quito and vice versa is a 4-day trip and costs 1000 USD⁸. If you can afford it, then its probably a great experience on an award-winning luxury train. If not, then it’s still possible to experience the train ride through La Nariz del Diablo via the town of Alausi.

From Quito, it is approximately a 6-hour scenic drive through volcano avenue to Alausi. A strategic stop is Ambato which is a beautiful city for a quick visit; well known for their bread and rabbit dish. Alausi is a very well kept town which has recently been built up for tourism. Its people are very welcoming and friendly and the town has many local cafes, restaurants, and souvenir craft stores. There is a beautiful plaza in the town center and also a viewpoint with a statue of St. Peter overlooking the town. Another highlight is the picturesque iron bridge at the end of the town. The train enters Alausi via this iron bridge when coming from Quito and stops at the train station in the middle of the town. It’s possible to buy tickets on site, however, I’d advise booking online since you’d likely arrive in the evening/night when the ticket office is closed. The prices are also the same (33 USD) and the tour is quite popular so you risk it being sold out. Note that this price is for a return ticket despite it not being made very clear on the website. The best seats are on the right side of the train since it looks out towards the landscape whereas the left mainly faces the mountainside. However, if you get vertigo or are afraid of heights, the right side is probably not for you. There are several departure slots and its best to check their website in case times change.

We chose the 8 AM departure to get back before the midday sun. The journey takes about 45 minutes and the views are breathtaking. The landscape changes a number of times from traversing the adrenaline-inducing heights of ravines to cruising alongside the river Chanchán. The river produces a strong smell from the volcanic minerals it carries. You’ll also notice vertical railway tracks connected with cables. These were used for communicating signals between stations. When the train gets to the section of La Nariz del Diablo, the 500-meter descent begins. A pioneering method was used to achieve this making it one of the greatest engineering accomplishments at the time. The train travels across and when it approaches the end, an operator gets off and switches the tracks. The train then reverses in the other direction and the operator once again switches the track when it gets to the other side. This process is repeated which effectively sees the train zigzag to the bottom of La Nariz del Diablo. As the train approaches the town of Sibambe, you’ll go past some of the original carriages which are now in a decaying state. The train then goes just past Sibambe and stops at a viewpoint for pictures of La Nariz del Diablo. Despite getting backlight due to the sun being behind the mountain, the view was impressive. For better lighting, it’s better to take an afternoon departure.

The group is given about 15 minutes to take pictures before heading back to the town of Sibambe. In this town, the locals put on a folkloric dance show. At the end of their performance, they invite visitors to dance with them and show you a couple of dance steps. The group is then given around 30 minutes to buy souvenirs and visit the small museum outlining the history of the railway. There is also a cafe there to get some snacks and drinks. In the meantime, the locomotive makes a U-turn and is then attached at the other end of the train. So on the way back, if you were seated on the mountain side of the carriage, you’ll be seated there again. The journey back up to Alausi takes a little longer at around 1-hour.

Pululahua & Museo Templo del Sol

Jean Maldonado — Wed, 08 Aug 2018 22:38:07 +0000

To the north of the capital city of Quito on the road leading up to Calacali, you can find a beautiful inhabited extinct volcanic crater. The clouds gather around the crater adding a mysterious effect for great pictures. It’s a peaceful enchanting place completely contrasting the hectic capital city which is less than an hour away. Being so close to the city, it is possible to get to Pululahua by bus. Any bus with the sign ‘Mitad del Mundo’ will take you here and its the last stop so you can’t miss it. Uber¹ will get you there quicker and the service is relatively cheap in Quito. There is no entry fee for this national park, you simply present the guards with your ID and sign in. At the entrance, there are several shops where you can buy some souvenirs and snacks. There is a viewpoint at the end of the road where most people gather to take pictures. Most people just take a couple pictures and then leave, however, it is possible to hike down to the small town and there are lodging options to stay a night down there.

After leaving the national park, there is an interesting museum as you make your way back to the main road. The museum Templo del Sol is a private complex built by a famed Ecuadorian artist. Entry is only 3 USD² and worth checking out while your there. The tours start every 20-30 minutes and they guide talks about the effects of lat 0 long 0. They get tourists involved in some experiments and also talk about the indigenous people of the region. Part of the tour also consists of sampling some natural oils and essences which serve different purposes. You’ll also learn about the effects of some stones which continue to be used by the indigenous people. The guide then takes you throughout the museum pointing out some of the artist’s most popular pieces before finishing the tour with a canelazo at the cafe. Overall it was an interesting and enlightening experience.