Public Transport – Maldo Travels

Beijing – Experiencing A Different World

Jean Maldonado — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 21:09:00 +0000

It’s a long 10-hour flight from London to Beijing. The airport is huge but getting through customs at Beijing Airport is quick and easy. Once I exited the airport, I tried connecting to the WiFi but it didn’t work for me. I found an information desk to get directions to my hostel which was close to Qianmen. One of the staff spoke English and directed me to the train station where I could buy tickets at the machines. He also handed me a map of the subway and marked the route I had to take. The train station was a short walk away crossing a footbridge. The ticket machines can be set to English but they only took cash so I headed back into the airport to look for an ATM. To get back in there is a security checkpoint everyone has to go through. I found 2 ATMs but they didn’t work for my card so I went to a Currency Exchange office to buy RMB¹. Once I had cash, I headed back to the train station and bought an Airport Express ticket for 25 RMB. My train was about to leave and there’s another security checkpoint to enter the train station. It didn’t take long to get through and I managed to get on the train before the doors closed. The journey to Dongzhimen station where I had to change to the metro took about 30 minutes. It’s quite easy to follow the signs for the subway lines as they’re in English and also color-coded. There are ticket machines at the barriers but I went to the ticket office since I wasn’t too sure what to buy. A single fare cost 4 RMB and I made my way to the platform. I had to take the Number 2 line which is a circular route and the direction with the next stations is clearly illustrated on the platform. It was about a 20-minute journey on the subway and everything is well organized with the trains arriving on time.

After leaving the station, I tried to follow the screenshot of the map I had to get to my hostel from the train station. However, I quickly got lost so I approached some police officers to try and ask for directions. Most of them didn’t speak English and some were quite rude waving me away. I ended up walking aimlessly for about an hour in 30-degree heat asking police officers. I found a McDonalds and tried to connect to the WiFi but my phone just wouldn’t connect to the internet. I managed to find an offline email that had the hotel address written in Chinese characters which I showed police officers. That’s when I figured they couldn’t read Latin characters² and I was gradually pointed in the right direction. Also, the younger police officers seemed to speak more English than the older generations. After another hour, I managed to find my hostel and got some rest. At the hostel, I managed to connect to the WiFi and found that some of my apps didn’t work as usual. So make sure you download any important info beforehand. In the evening I went for a walk around the area. I was staying on Dashilan street which is a popular commercial street. There were lots of restaurants, bars, and shops on this street and it was quite busy in the evening and night. It’s very well lit up but I wouldn’t wander off into the dark side roads.

I stayed in Beijing for 4 days and had booked tours online beforehand. In the time after the tours, we went about exploring the city. There are many parks and shopping districts in this huge city. In the area we stayed in, we saw that it can get very cramped. Many narrow passageways which only fit one person walking through them lead to houses. We also saw that several communal bathrooms were shared by several residents. On one of the days after a tour, we went to a Kung Fu Show at the Red Theater which I’d highly recommend. The tour dropped us off at the Hongqiao market which was a 20-minute walk from the Red Theater. There was a show at 5.15 PM and we enquired about tickets at the ticket office. However, they were more expensive than the prices we saw online. A tour guide overheard us and offered to help us buy discount tickets for 150 RMB for good seats near the front. We agreed and he made a call for someone to buy online and then picked up the tickets from the ticket office. We were very close to the stage and the show was well worth it. Overall, Beijing was a great experience and it was like stepping into another world where everything is new and different from the world of the West.

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 Uber³. 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 ARS⁴. 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.

Mendoza – Termas de Cacheuta

Jean Maldonado — Thu, 04 Oct 2018 21:49:58 +0000

Buses depart from the bus terminal in Mendoza. The thermal baths open at 10 AM and we took a taxi to the terminal from Plaza Independencia which cost 43 ARS¹. The next bus leaving towards Cacheuta was at 10.30 AM and a return ticket cost 84 ARS. We grabbed some breakfast at the station while waiting for the bus. Once the bus arrived, it left promptly and took about an hour to reach Cacheuta. From the bus stop, you walk down a road for about 5-10 minutes to get to the entrance. The entrance ticket costs 240 ARS for access to 3 levels of pools and they accept credit cards without additional fees. There’s a changing room with showers at the site and locker rentals cost 50 ARS which you can get from the shop. The first level has a couple of indoor pools with temperatures ranging between 28 and 43 degrees Celsius. One of the pools has hydro massaging bubbles which are nice to relax in. The second level is outdoors going down some steps. The water temperature here is also between 28 and 43 degrees Celsius and there was also a polar pool with cold water.

The great thing about this level was of the landscape views from the balcony like pools. There was also an indoor room with streams of hot water falling like a shower. The third level is going down some more steps. On this level, there are some more pools, a lazy river, 2 water slides, and a 10-meter water fountain. The water is much colder here and the level is aimed mainly for children. Overall, the water park is a great place to relax for a couple of hours enjoying the peaceful mountain view. Once we were done bathing in the pools, we got changed and left our swimwear to dry in the sun for a while. We then went for a walk around the area whilst we waited for the bus back to Mendoza. The bus stop was opposite where we were dropped off and the bus arrived around 3.45 PM.

Valparaiso – Colorful Coastal City

Jean Maldonado — Mon, 01 Oct 2018 22:17:33 +0000

We began our journey to Valparaíso in Santiago and first went to Estacion Central (Central Station) to look for bus tickets to Valparaíso. We got there at 11 AM and there was a bus leaving in 15 minutes, so we quickly bought tickets (3,000 CLP⁵ each) and rushed to the platform to board the bus. Once we got on, we realized it was possible to buy a ticket directly from the bus driver. It’s a fairly short bus ride and we arrived in Valparaíso bus terminal at around 1.30 PM. Our hostel was around Cerro Alegre which was a 30-minute walk. Rather than hike up the hill, we opted for an Uber⁶ which cost 1,996 CLP and took 10 minutes.

The City and Viña del Mar

After quickly checking in and dropping off our bags, we set out to explore, starting at the lift Reina Victoria which is a funicular that takes you up to a viewpoint. The ticket costs 100 CLP each and it’s a short 1-minute ride up. From the top, you get a good panoramic view of Valparaíso. Next, we walked towards Plaza Sotomayor passing through Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepcion. We came across some great viewpoints on the way and also several painted murals. There were also lots of cafes and restaurants in these areas. When we got to Plaza Sotomayor, there was a pop-up arts and crafts market so we bought some souvenirs there. It was around 4 PM now so we had to choose between checking out a local beach or trying to get to Viña del Mar. We opted for the latter and asked the locals how to get to Viña del Mar from there. A kind lady walked us to the bus stop and waited for the bus we needed which simplified everything for us. The bus stop was at the corner of the main street Cochrane and the ticket cost 500 CLP each.

It was a quick 20-minute ride on the bus and we got off at the Flower Clock of Viña del Mar. There were a couple of tourists here queuing up to take pictures with the famous flower clock. From the flower clock, we then walked up a small hill and the view from up there had a great panoramic view of the seaside. We then continued walking to get to the shore and passed by Castle Wulff and the casino. Continuing further we arrived at the beach to relax for a while. We tried dipping our feet in the water and found it to be freezing. So we decided to continue walking along the beach stopping every so often. We then checked out Mall Marina just before sunset. At around 8 PM we took a bus back to Valparaíso which also cost 500 CLP. Having only snacked throughout the day, we were pretty hungry by the end of the day and found an open restaurant. We ordered a Chilean dish called La Chorillana which is a mountain of chips and meats, perfect to share between two people. Once we finished eating, we headed back to the hostel to get some rest before heading to Mendoza in Argentina the following day.

Santiago – A Modern Latin American Capital

Jean Maldonado — Sun, 30 Sep 2018 21:09:49 +0000

Coming from San Pedro de Atacama, it’s possible to do the trip by bus. However, after looking into it, the journey time was around 24 to 30 hours which is a bit too much for me. So we opted to take a flight from the nearby city of Calama. We booked the flight in advance, but we still had to get a bus transfer from San Pedro de Atacama to Calama. We tried getting a ticket on the day we arrived, but all buses were full in the agency we asked. They said another agency would open its offices the next day, so we came back then, and luckily they had seats available to leave in the morning which cost 3,000 CLP¹ each. The bus journey only takes 1-hour 30-minutes and dropped us off at the Turbus terminal. We still had a couple of hours before our 6.30 PM flight, so we headed to the Mall Plaza Calama which was a 15-minute walk away. We spent some time here before taking a taxi to the Airport. It was a 15-minute drive and cost 5,000 CLP. It’s then a 2-hour flight from Calama to Santiago. Our hotel was near Estacion Central (Central Station) and since it was quite late, we took an Uber². It took about 20 minutes and cost 12,689 CLP.

The City

Since we got there on a Saturday night, we decided to check out the city’s nightlife. The Uber driver who took us to our hotel told us the party zone was in Pio Nono street, in Barrio Bellavista. There’s a couple of bars and clubs in the area, but what’s interesting here is what I can only think to describe as outdoor canteens. It’s a large open space, some under a large tent, and there are rows of tables and chairs. You come in, sit down, and a waiter will come around to take your order of drinks. It’s also quite cheap compared to the clubs. It looks like most people come here for drinks before heading to clubs. Overall, it was a great night out and the clubs stay open until around 6 AM.

The following morning, we decided to check out the city via public transport since our hotel was close to a metro station. To use the metro, you need to purchase a Bip card which costs 1550 CLP. You then need to top up the card. An off-peak journey costs 640 CLP and since you can use 1 card between 2 people, we topped up 5400 CLP to get us through the day. On this Sunday, there happened to be a parade in the city center, so the subway wasn’t stopping there. Therefore, we had to take a bus which was stopping near there. The same Bip card works on the bus as well. We first made our way to the Plaza de Armas which is the city’s main central square that has a Cathedral and the Museo Histórico Nacional (National History Museum) as well as some colonial buildings in the area. We walked around for a bit and then headed to a viewpoint at Cerro Santa Lucia.

There’s an arts and crafts market opposite this viewpoint where you can get cheap souvenirs as well. Other than the main viewpoint in Cerro Santa Lucia, which is a hilltop castle called Castillo Hidalgo, it’s a nice place to go for a walk and also visit a couple of gardens. Once we’d finish walking around, we headed to the Mercado Central. This is a market known for bringing in fresh seafood. There are several restaurants there and it’s popular among the locals. After the market, we went to another viewpoint at Cerro San Cristobal. To get to the top, we decided to take the funicular which started from the end of Pio Nono street in Barrio Bellavista. There are several different ticket options and we went for the Funicular plus Cable Car which cost 4220 CLP each.

This viewpoint is a lot higher than the one at Cerro Santa Lucia, so you get a much better view of the city. Once at the top, you can walk up a little further to the statue of the Virgin Mary. From here, you can see the snow-topped Andes Mountain Range in the distance, or maybe I didn’t notice it earlier. It’s a great site unlike any other I had seen before. From the top, we then took the cable cars which takes you around the park. The park is huge and looks like it would have been fun to explore, but since we didn’t have much time, the cable car was a good way to get a good view of the park. The park was closing at around 7 PM, so we had to get off at a different park exit. From here we made our way to a metro station and headed back to the hotel. Overall, Santiago is a beautiful city and I wish I had another day to spend there, but we were scheduled to go to Valparaiso the next day.