Sunset – Maldo Travels

Gili Islands – A Remote Paradise

Jean Maldonado — Sat, 21 Sep 2019 22:01:37 +0000

Coming from Kuala Lumpur, we arrived at Bali International Airport at around 10 PM. Getting through customs was fairly straightforward and when exiting, there were several tour sales reps around. We found an ATM at the airport to get cash out and then we got a Grab¹ to our hotel in Kuta. We didn’t have boat tickets yet for the Gili Islands so we asked our driver who gave us a Whatsapp number for a sales rep. There was no more space on the boats departing from the nearby port at Serangan, but the rep said there was a boat leaving from Padang Bai to Gili Trawangan at 10 AM. This harbor was about an hour’s drive away and the sales rep said he could offer us return tickets plus transportation for 1,600,000 IDR² for both of us. It was quite pricy but it was similar to what we found online for just boat tickets. The car picked us up at around 8.30 AM the following day to take us to Padang Bai. There was a lot of traffic getting out of Kuta but we made it to the harbor in time for the boat. The pier at the harbor was very busy with lots of people waiting to get on their boats. We’re all given stickers to help the staff determine who goes on which boat. As you board the boat, they take your luggage to secure onto the boat. You then head down to sit in the lower deck. The boat travels quite quickly and about 20 minutes in, the captain announces that people can head to the upper deck. Beer is also available to buy on the boat. It’s quite a long journey and we arrived at Gili Trawangan at 12.30 PM.

The Island

We stayed on the largest of the Gili islands, Gili Trawangan, which is also known as Gili T. The main strip on the east side of the island is filled with tour agencies, restaurants, hotels, and bars. There are also lots of certified scuba diving agencies, many of which also offer accommodation. This part of the island is very lively and great to relax in during the day. It has beautiful sandy beaches with crystal clear blue waters. In the evening, you can catch the sunset whilst having a drink or some dinner with a view of the sea. At night, the bars have live music and there are 2 or 3 clubs on the strip. The atmosphere is great with people dancing on the beach outside the club. There is also a night food market that does some great barbecues and fresh seafood. The west side of the island is less busy and has some resort hotels. It’s a great spot to catch the sunset and it’s a short 25-minute walk from the east side. You can also rent bikes if you’d like to explore more of the island.

Snorkeling

We booked this tour for 100,000 IDR each and the boat left the pier at 1.30 PM. The first snorkeling stop is at the shore of Gili Meno. There are some corals here and lots of colorful fishes. The main attraction is some statues on the seabed where lots of fish swim around. The water is clear, calm, and quite shallow which makes it great for snorkeling. We spend about 30 minutes here before heading to Turtle Point. The waters here are much deeper and fewer fishes are swimming around. The highlight here is that you are pretty much guaranteed to spot turtles swimming or resting on the seabed. We made 2 stops at different parts of the Turtle Point and got to see lots of turtles. We stayed in the area for about an hour and 15 minutes before heading to Gili Air for some food. We’re taken to a restaurant inland and then have some time to walk around the island. This is the smallest island and much quieter than Gili T, but it also has similar sandy beaches with crystal clear blue waters. After a short walk, we then headed to the boat and back to Gili T.

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 RMB³. 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 characters⁴ 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.

Kuala Lumpur – A Modern City Break

Jean Maldonado — Sun, 09 Jun 2019 21:42:00 +0000

From Ao Nang, it’s a short 1-hour 30-minute flight to Kuala Lumpur. The airport is huge and it took us about 30 minutes to get through the customs control point. Our bags then took another 20 minutes to come out. When we exited the baggage claim area, it was like walking into a shopping center. There are lots of retail shops everywhere and we went to the lower floor to look for transportation into the city. There are several taxi offices there and they quoted about 80-90 MYR⁵. We had researched the night before and it was a little more expensive than usual. So we went back upstairs to connect to the WiFi and downloaded an app called Grab⁶. We got a Grab to our hotel in Bukit Bintang which took about an hour and cost 71.50 MYR. Once at our hotel, I found out the room had been paid but I still needed to pay the tax, and this could only be paid in cash. So I went looking for an ATM and found one in a nearby mall.

Once we had settled in, we went for a walk around the area. First, we went to get some food in the Bukit Bintang area. We were staying next to the famous Jalan Alor night market but during the day most of the places were closed. There are several malls and other restaurants in the area though. After getting food, we headed to the KLCC Park which was a short 15-minute walk away. The weather was very hot though at around 30 degrees Celcius and also very humid. So despite being a short walk, we stuck to the shade where possible. When we got close to the park we went into the KLCC building to cool down. There is an aquarium in this building as well as a food court. We then walked to the Petronas Twin Towers to see if we could get tickets to go to the top. Upon entering, there is another large multi-level mall. The ticket office is on the lower level but it was closed since it was a public holiday. Therefore, we decided to head to the Sky Deck KL Tower.

It was a 25-minute walk away, but at this point, we found out about the air-conditioned passageways. Part of the walk was still out in the open though. When we got to the entrance, the security guard said there’s a free bus service to the top every 15-30 minutes. There was some seating space in the shade and some fans at the bus stop, so we waited here for about 10 minutes before deciding to walk up. The ticket office is inside the tower and we bought tickets for the Sky Deck which cost 99 MYR each. It was around 5.30 PM by the time we took the lift to the Sky Deck. We took some pictures and then waited for the sunset at around 7.20 PM. There is a glass box for a photo opportunity with a professional photographer. You have to grab a ticket at the entrance which we found out later. Every group is given 60 seconds for pictures with a buzzer going off when time is up. The photographer takes a couple of pictures and you can also take pics with your camera. It was a great view of the sunset as you see the buildings turning on their lights as it gets dark. Next, we walked back to our hotel which took about 20 minutes. Even though the sun was down, it was still quite hot and humid outside. On the way back, we stopped by the Alor Night Market to check out the food stalls. Compared to the day, it was very busy at night with all the restaurants and food stalls open. The main road Changkat Bukit Bintang also has several restaurants, bars, and clubs. We headed back to the hotel for a bit before heading out at night to check out the nightlife. We were surprised to have found a Salsa night with some very good dancers. There were also several bars with shisha and happy hours.

The following day, we went on a trip to the Battu Caves which are to the north of the city. First, we went to the metro station and asked how to get there. They told us to first go to KL Sentral and then take a train from there. We decided to get a one-day travel pass which cost 25 MYR. At KL Sentral, we then got a return train ticket to the Battu Caves which cost 5.20 MYR each. The whole journey took us about an hour. Once at the Battu Caves, it’s a short 5-minute walk to the foot of the steps up to the cave, where a massive Hindu statue stands. Entrance to the temple caves is free and you simply have to walk up the 272 steps. Several monkeys are roaming free on the way up and inside the temples. There are several shrines inside the caves and they’re all very colorful. Once we got back down, we went to look for food in the area. We found an Indian restaurant/buffet who served meals on leaves. We decided to try it out and it was very good. We then headed back to KL Sentral which took about 40 minutes. In the afternoon, we went souvenir shopping in the Central Market. It’s a nice area with several arts and crafts stalls. We also checked out the nearby Petaling Street Market before heading back to the hotel.

In the morning before our flight, we went for a quick walk around the malls in the Bukit Bintang area. There are many huge multi-level malls and some are connected with underground passageways. It’s quite easy to get lost in but they’re a good way to get around whilst avoiding the heat. At around 3 PM, we called a Grab to take us to the airport before rush hour. It took about an hour to get to the airport from Bukit Bintang and cost 91.80 MYR. Once we checked in, we walked around the shopping mall-like airport while waiting for our flight.

Ko Phi Phi – Island Boat Tour

Jean Maldonado — Tue, 04 Jun 2019 22:55:54 +0000

On the main island Phi Phi Don, there are private and group boat options to explore the smaller Phi Phi islands. We got an afternoon snorkeling tour with a group boat for 1200 THB⁶ each. The meeting point was at Loh Dalum beach on the north bay at 1.30 PM. There were about 10 of us in the group and once everyone arrived, we were given life jackets and set out to Monkey Beach on Phi Phi Don. We visited this beach earlier when we went kayaking in the morning. Visiting on the boat tour in the afternoon was quite different since the beach was very busy now with several tour boats anchored at the beach. It was a quick stop here for pictures and some snorkeling. There are a couple of fishes here but not that many. The next stop was then Long Beach on the south side of Phi Phi Don. The ship anchored in by the cliffside in an area called Shark Point. One of the guides said there was a chance to see some sharks hence the name of the site. We didn’t manage to see any but there were many fishes and some corals, so it was still a good snorkeling location.

We then left Phi Phi Don and headed further south to Phi Phi Leh arriving at the north side of the island at around 3 PM. The boat sailed around the perimeter of the island passing by Monkey Bay and a quick stop at Viking Cave where the guide tells us of the paintings found in the walls of what appear to be Viking ships. The guide also gives some info on how locals get edible swiftlet bird nests from here to sell. It is believed the bird nests have some health benefits and is considered a delicacy. We then continue sailing via Pi Leh Lagoon and then anchoring in at Loh Samah Bay for some more snorkeling. This was also a good snorkeling spot with corals and several different fish species.

Next, we continue to Maya Bay, the famous beach featured in the movie ‘The Beach’ starring Leonardo Di Caprio. The beach was closed off due to damage caused by tourism so we could only sail past it from a distance. This was the last location on Phi Phi Leh and we set off to Bamboo Island for the sunset. On the way, we made a brief stop at Nui Beach to take pictures. We arrived at Bamboo Island at around 4.20 PM and were told we could wander around the island and pointed to good snorkeling locations.

It’s a very small island and a great place to relax at the beach and swim in its refreshing waters. We stayed here until 6.30 PM when the sun started to set. We then got to see the rest of the sunset from the middle of the sea. The colors of the sky and silhouettes of the islands were beautiful. Once the sun had fully set, we headed to the south bay on Phi Phi Don for a swim with fluorescent plankton. When you jump in the water and splash around, the plankton light up. The plankton is tiny and I couldn’t capture it on a GoPro, but it was good fun. We were then dropped off at the pier and we headed to the hotel to change into some dry clothes before heading out for some dinner.

Ko Phi Phi – A Paradise Island

Jean Maldonado — Mon, 03 Jun 2019 21:57:00 +0000

In Patong, we bought tickets for a ferry to Ko Phi Phi departing at 11 AM with transportation to the Rassada Pier for 400 THB¹ each. We were picked up at 10 AM and it took about 40 minutes to get to the pier. We presented our ticket at the entrance and were given a colored sticker and directed to a seating area to wait for our boat. There are several stalls inside the pier to buy food and drinks. Our ferry arrived and upon boarding, we handed our backpacks to the staff to secure onto the deck. We then head into the lower deck to grab a seat. It took about 2 hours to reach Ko Phi Phi and the captain lets you go to the upper deck to take pictures throughout the journey. Once at the pier, we got off the ferry and picked up our backpacks which had been unloaded. We then headed to the pier exit and it was quite hectic there as the staff is collecting the 20 THB island entrance fee from all visitors. We then went looking for our hotel which proved a little tricky since it wasn’t on Google Maps. Once we located it, we checked in and then went to explore the island.

The island is very small with most of the restaurants, hotels, and tour agencies near the pier. After wandering around the streets for a bit, we headed to Loh Dalum Beach on the north bay of the island. We walked along the shore to the right side and found a trail that goes inland to the viewpoints. The uphill trail isn’t that easy to follow and goes through the jungle with many mosquitos flying around. After about 40 minutes, we arrived at the first viewpoint looking out to Phak Nam Bay from a boulder high up in the mountain. We then walked for another 10 minutes and arrived at Viewpoint 3 which cost 20 THB for access to the deck. There’s a restaurant here where you can get some food and drink whilst enjoying the view.

We then continued walking down another 20 minutes to Viewpoint 2 which cost 30 THB for access to the viewing area. It’s a beautiful view of the island from here and there were already quite a lot of people by 5.15 PM when we got there. Since we managed to get a good spot, we decided to stay here for the sunset. We played some cards while we waited and the viewpoint started to get very busy at around 5.30 PM. The sunset started at around 6.30 PM and we stayed until around 7 PM. The colors of the sky were beautiful, one of my favorite sunset spots of all my travels. On the way back, we used our phone’s flashlight to head back, but the trail did have some lights along the path and was easy to follow. It took about 15 minutes to get back to the town and we went to a restaurant to get some food before heading back to the hotel.

Patong – Phuket’s Party Beach Town

Jean Maldonado — Sun, 02 Jun 2019 22:28:00 +0000

With our flight departing at noon from , we left the hostel at 8.45 AM for the Airport. A Tuk Tuk from the hotel cost us 8 USD⁷ and took 30 minutes. We had a connecting flight in Bangkok with a transit time of only 1-hour 45-minutes. The lady at the counter said we had to pick up our bags and re-check the bags in Bangkok but we should have enough time. With another 2 hours to wait, I logged into the WiFi to check emails and saw our Patong hotel had been canceled so I spent 30 mins booking another one. We landed at the smaller Don Mueang International Airport so getting to customs was quick. We let the staff know about our flight leaving soon and were put in the priority queue. We managed to clear customs, re-check our bags, and go through customs again within the 1 hour 45 minute connection time. It’s a 2-hour flight to Phuket and the airport there is also fairly small.

At the exit, there were stalls offering shuttle services and sim cards. We tried to use the airport wifi to see if they had Uber⁸ or an alternative app but that didn’t work. We had to take cash out at the ATM to buy a Sim card since they didn’t take credit cards. After connecting to the internet, we looked up taxi apps but didn’t find anything reliable and it had been over an hour now so we got the shuttle service which was 180 THB⁹ per person. We were directed to the shuttle pick up location and waited there for about 15 mins until the next shuttle came. We were first taken to the office a 5-minute drive away where everyone got off to give their hotel details. After everyone was done, we hopped back in and the driver instructed everyone to put their seat belt pointing at a sign saying 1000 THB fine for no seat belt. The driver didn’t speak much English and wasn’t very friendly. It was about an hour’s drive and the traffic was a little crazy with winding roads closer to Patong. Our driver also drove quite quickly whilst lane hopping. We got dropped off on the main road a short walk from the hotel. We checked in and were in our room by 6.30 PM.

The Town

After settling into our room, we went for a walk on Bangla Road. There was lots of light and music along this road. The first part was mostly bars and restaurants. The stretch closer to the beach was then filled with clubs and bars. The side roads also had bars and some street food areas. It’s a very lively and nice atmosphere filled with people. We walked up to the beach and then across. There were still tour agency stalls open as well as restaurants and souvenir shops. We walked along a street parallel to Bangala and found a nice food market called Otop. We decided to eat here and were not disappointed. Prices were reasonable between 100 and 200 THB for food. We then walked across until we reached Bangala and headed back up to the hotel. We were in Patong for another 3 days and had tours planned during the day. In the evenings we went out to Bangala and found the bars with live music to be great.

On one of our free afternoons, we headed to the and rented some Beach chairs from 4 PM until close which was 6 PM for 100 TBH each. We also bought some ice-cold 750 ML Chang beers for 180 TBH each and played cards. There are several water sports at the beach as well including jet-skiing, parasailing, and the banana boat. We then went for a walk along the beach until the sunset before heading back to the hotel to get changed before checking out a bar. We went to a live music bar called Lion Livemusic and the band was amazing. They could play practically any song and the singers were great. We then checked out the two big clubs; Tiger and Illuzion. There are loads of reps selling drink deals and we thought this was needed for entry. Turns out entry is free once you dodge them. Both venues are huge and the music played is mainly charts/electro.

Phuket – Sea Canoe Tour

Jean Maldonado — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 20:41:28 +0000

An exciting activity which we looked up beforehand was of a kayak/canoe tour in Bahía de Phang Nga Bay. We did some research and decided on John Gray Sea Canoe who had been operating for some time. They have several tours available and decided to go with the Hong By Starlight tour which costs 2950 THB¹ each. Our pick up was 35 minutes late arriving at our hotel at around 11.15 AM. We were the first ones and the driver picked up 2 more groups before heading to the pier. We got there at around 12.15 PM and were given tickets to get on another bus which took us a couple of minutes down the pier to the boat. We then boarded and were handed life jackets to put on. The whole thing was somewhat unorganized and we weren’t always sure who to follow. Once the boat pulled off the pier, the guide gave his welcome talk and went over the schedule.

It took about an hour to reach the first cave (Bat Cave) and this travel time was used for lunch. It was one of the best buffet-style lunches I’ve had included in a tour. Before arriving at the cave, we had to pick a name out of a hat to see who would be our guide. We got ‘Term’ and as our designated guide, he would do all the rowing throughout. Once at Bat Cave, the guides unloaded the canoes and we had to look for Term who helped us onto the canoe. It was 2 people max or 2 adults and a child (plus the guide) per sea canoe. We made it out of the boat first and Term took us into the cave. The cave was a little smelly and Term said it was from the smell of the mud. We soon had no more sunlight and it was pitch black. Term turned on his flashlight and pointed it at the ceiling for us to spot the bats. There were hundreds of them. He handed me the flashlight so that I could have a look around. We soon made it out of the cave and emerged into the lagoon. It was beautiful and looked a lot like the scenery from the movie Skull Island. There were tall peaks all around filled with vegetation.

We continued to another lagoon and the tide here was quite low and we could see some ‘mud islands’. Term pointed out some fish that were jumping through the mud which looked like tadpoles. They had the appearance of an early evolutionary species. Being the first ones at this lagoon, we took several pictures before everyone else came. We couldn’t stay long since the tide was getting lower which would mean there would soon be no water to canoe out of the cave. When we got out of the cave, Term took as along the shore and there were many stalactites. We then reached another cave that took us to a lagoon which looked similar to the previous one but here we managed to see monkeys. They were digging into the mud looking for worms to eat. We stayed for a bit and then had to head out as the tide was getting lower.

Once back on the boat, they served tea/coffee with some banana cupcakes and watermelon. It was about 30 minutes to the next stop and during this time, we were taught how to make a Kratong. This was similar to the lanterns that are lit and released into the sky. But the Kratongs are made from a section of a banana trunk, lit, and sent to float in the water. It was a fun activity and nice to learn about some of the Thai traditions. Once we were done, they stored the Kratongs to show us how to release them later that evening. When we got to the next stop, we were given 40 minutes of free time to go for a swim or take the canoes out. We chose to take the canoes to a nearby shore and walked around for a bit. The guides went to another shore and when we got there, they were digging up clams. We rowed back to the boat and saw they had lined 4-5 canoes for people to attempt to run across them. Many failed but some were successful.

At around 3 PM we made our way to Hong Island since the tide was now high enough. We hopped on the canoe with Term and he took us around the island. We then made it to the cave and this one was much narrower. We only made it to the first lagoon as the tide was too low to go to the next lagoon. When we headed back out, Term took us into another lagoon and told us to look up and at the outline of the trees. It formed the shape of an elephant’s head. After this, we headed back to the boat.

Next, we headed back to Bat Cave to watch the sunset. Once the sun had set but wasn’t completely dark, we set out on the canoes again with the Kratong we made earlier. We went into the cave until it was pitch black. Term then lit the candles on the Kratong and told us to make a wish. He then told us to release the Kratong into the water for our wish to come true. We let it float for a bit and then turned it off. Then when it was pitch black again, he taught us how to reveal the plankton. When you splash the water, the plankton emits light. As you splash you see hundreds of little dots of light. It’s a wonderful experience and unfortunately, it cannot be captured on a GoPro (I tried). We then headed out of the cave and back on the boat. It was now home time and took about 1 hour 30 minutes to get back to the pier. From the pier, we were put back on the buses and it took about an hour to reach our hotel.

Salar de Uyuni Tour – Day 3

Jean Maldonado — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 21:21:00 +0000

It’s another early 6.30 AM start for breakfast at our lodge in Laguna Colorada. We then load our bags onto the Jeep and leave around 7.30 AM. It’s a short drive to our first stop – Árbol de Piedra (Rock Tree) – arriving at around 8.15 AM. Located in the Siloli Desert, the iconic rock in the form of a tree sits among a field of large rocks. Our guide said these were volcanic rocks that had been shaped by winds reaching 200 Km/h over hundreds of years. We were given around 25 minutes to walk around and managed to get some great pictures. We then get back on the Jeep and drive through the Siloli Desert towards a stretch of lakes.

We arrive at the first stop at Lake Honda at around 9.15 AM. We first stopped at a viewpoint for a panoramic view of the lake and then headed down to the lake. From the bottom, you can see the lake has a mirror effect reflecting the mountain landscape. Next, we continue for another 30 minutes to Lake Hedionda. We saw a couple of birds at this lake and walked about for about 10 minutes before getting back on the Jeep to head to the next lake. While driving we passed Lake Charcota and then reached Lake Cañapa. There were some more birds at this lake so we spent around 10 minutes walking around.

Then it was back to the Jeep and off to the viewpoint of the active Volcano Ollagüe. We reached the viewpoint at around 11.45 AM. There was a rock that you can climb up to take some pictures. We spent about 15 minutes here before continuing to another lake. I believe this lake was Laguna Negra (Black Lake) due to its dark color. Opposite the lake, there some more rocks dispersed in the desert. This was a quick 10 minute stop before heading to the last destination before lunch – Valle de Rocas (Rock Valley). It was only a 10-15 minute drive to get to this valley. Many rocks are laying all over the place in this valley, but the most iconic one was named the headless condor. This rock formation looked like a condor taking flight with only its head missing. We’re only here for 5 minutes to step out and take a picture since everyone was getting hungry by 1.30 PM. So it was onwards to the small village of Villa Alota where we had lunch in what seemed to normally be a restaurant. There are restroom facilities here which cost 2 BOB⁹ per person.

Once we finished lunch, we continued towards the Uyuni Salt Flats. On our way, we passed through a scenic valley where we stopped to take pictures at the bottom of the valley and then when we reached the top. Shortly after, we also came across some plains where we saw llamas grazing in the field so we stopped there for some pictures. What was particularly interesting was how it looked like the wall of the mountains had been cut to make way for the road. Next, we arrived at the small town of Julaca which has railway tracks running through the middle of the town. There is a bar/restaurant in the town we visited where you can buy drinks and snacks. There was also an abandoned decaying train by the railway tracks which we climbed to take a picture. From here, we were now in the final leg of our journey to the Uyuni Salt Flats.

We were a little ahead of schedule so the guide suggested visiting some caverns before the sunset at the salt flats. The group agreed so it was a quick visit to Hell’s Cavern. The entrance tickets were 15 BOB each. As you step in, the cavern is dark until the site’s guide turns on the lights. He then hands out helmets before going deeper into the cavern. Some crouching and squeezing through gaps are involved but it’s a small cavern and takes about 15 minutes to complete. We then drove into the salt flats for about 30 minutes arriving at our sunset spot at around 5.45 PM. We stayed here to watch the sun fall behind some mountains. Following the sunset, it’s back on the Jeep to head to the hotel around 6.25 PM. Our hotel was made of salt and here we were allocated rooms between 2 people. There were shower facilities here as well which cost 10 BOB each. The dining area is on the first floor and dinner is served around 8 PM. There are sockets in the dining area if you need to charge any electronic devices. The rooms are basic but comfortable for a good night’s sleep.

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.

Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve – Days 3 & 4

Jean Maldonado — Sun, 12 Aug 2018 22:34:59 +0000

On the third day, breakfast is served at 8 AM and we were scheduled to leave around 9.30 AM to go to the Indigenous settlement. We made stops when we spotted wildlife and reached the settlement around 11 AM. The people lived in wooden huts living off the land and hunting. A local lady showed us the process of making yuca bread. Yuca grows in the root like a tubercle. The women of the village are in charge of agriculture in the village whilst the men go hunting. Pulling out the root requires a lot of strength but the lady pulled it out with ease. She uses a machete to cut off the yuca from the root and makes an incision before handing it out to us to peel them. The root is replanted and it takes 48 hours for the leaves to grow again. It then takes 6-8 months depending on the climate for Yuca to grow again before it can be harvested.

The group then heads into the hut to wash our hands and then take turns in grinding the yuca. The lady then puts the ground yuca in a flat wood-like woven utensil. This utensil is called an anaconda by the locals as it uses a constriction method to squeeze out the water from the ground yuca. The lady wraps the utensil over the yuca and hangs it on a pole. She uses a stick to rotate and squeeze out the water into a container. This liquid can be used to make a chili sauce, soup, or even a face mask. The dried yuca now has a solid coconut-like like texture. It is placed on a sieve and everyone crumbles it and rubs it against the sieve to thin it out and make yuca flour. The lady then pours some of the flour onto a hot wood-fired plate. She spreads it evenly and presses it down with a wooden bowl to flatten it out. No oil, salt, or any other condiments are used, it is pure yuca. After a couple of minutes, the lady flips it over to cook the other side. The end product is a delicious tortilla shaped flatbread with a little crunch. Total prep time – approximately 45 mins. The locals have it with some hot sauce and make burrito like meals. We had it with the meal we’d been given at the lodge to take to the settlement.

We finished lunch around 1 PM and some of the local kids came to lay out handicrafts their families had made. There were necklaces, rings, and wristbands for sale. Following lunch, there was some time to play football with the locals. It got really hot in the afternoon and at around 2.30 PM everyone was exhausted so we took a dip in the river to cool off. The canoe came to pick us up around 3 PM and we head to the shaman’s village. We made a quick stop at a small village to buy some snacks and water. We got to the shaman’s village around 4 PM. The talk and demonstration with the shaman cost 5 USD¹⁰ and lasted 1 hour. He mainly talks about his experience of becoming a shaman. There is also a demonstration of how to use a blow gun and an opportunity to fire one. He also asked for a volunteer who wanted their face painted with achiote. The last demonstration was of a ritual cleaning on a volunteer. After the talk, we headed back to Laguna Grande for the last sunset of the tour around 5.30 PM.

Day 4 - Homebound

The final day begins early in the morning to go out on the canoes for some bird watching at 6 AM. It had rained overnight so we didn’t see much and were back by 7.30 AM for breakfast at 8 AM. We left the lodge at 9 AM to go back to Lago Agrio. On the way back we came across a number of canoes by the shore. Turns out they had spotted an anaconda chilling on a tree and we got a chance to stop there for pictures. Due to heavy rainfall the night before, trees had fallen into the river so the driver had to accelerate over them. The canoe got stuck on one and we had to help out with getting the canoe back in the river. We had to be quick since another canoe could turn the corner and crash into us. We made it back to the main port by 12 PM to catch the bus back to the hotel meeting point where we’d parked the car.