Travel – 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.

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 USD³ 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 Uber⁴ 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 THB⁵ 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.

Siem Reap – Tourist Town

Jean Maldonado — Thu, 30 May 2019 23:39:00 +0000

Coming from London, we took a flight with Thai Airways to Bangkok which took 11 hours 45 minutes. Our flight was delayed 1 hour so we only had 45 mins to get to our connecting flight to Siem Reap. We ran the length of the Aeropuerto Suvarnabhumi and made it since there was no need to go through customs. The flight to Cambodia was quick and took about an hour. We landed in Cambodia at 8.30 AM and the airport is very small. At customs, there are 4 queues; one for a visa application, one for residents, one for ASEA members, and a general passport control queue. If you applied for the e-visa then you can join the last queue otherwise you join the visa queue. There are no ATMs at the airport but there is a Currency Exchange office.

For transportation, there’s a taxi office but they only take cash, so we had to exchange some GBP⁶ for KHR⁷. The cost of a taxi was 10 USD⁸ or 40,000 KHR. They give you a receipt and you have to exit the airport, handing in your customs form to the officials. You then meet the driver at the exit who takes your receipt and walks you to the taxi. The driver was very friendly and keen to sell us taxi transportation within Angkor Wat . He offered the service for 40 USD but this was solely transportation and no guide. He also had a price list of transportation to different places. We took his phone details but didn’t book anything. The ride to our hotel which was near the Angkor Night Market took about 30 minutes. After checking in, we headed out to look for tours and an ATM. We enquired with the tour agency at our hotel first but we then found another tour agency who had a very friendly sales rep. He sold us two Angkor Wat tours, a tour to the Floating Village, and a full-day car rental with a driver to Kulen Mountain. He also drove me in his scooter to a Maybank ATM which I read online had free withdrawals. However, this did not work for my card. So I ended up withdrawing money from ABA Bank which charged a 5 USD fee. The tour agency rep said that we could pay everywhere in USD or KHR, so we took out USD from the ATM since we’re more familiar with that currency.

After buying the tours we went for a walk and passed Pub Street in the Angkor Night Market area. We then walked towards the river where the Old Market is located. Both these areas are a nice walk and great for souvenir shopping. They sell clothes here as well and we ended up buying a couple of t-shirts from here for very cheap. We stayed in Siem Reap for 4 days and found the night market area to be great for walks during the day and night. The streets are filled with people since there are lots of restaurants, bars, and street food stalls so it feels safe. The people are also very friendly and there were more locals than I expected who could speak some English. The cuisine is also an interesting experience which can be similar to Thai food but with their unique flavors. Overall, it’s a very tourist-friendly place and the locals are keen to share their culture with visitors.

Valparaiso, Chile to Mendoza, Argentina

Jean Maldonado — Tue, 02 Oct 2018 20:58:18 +0000

Initially, we planned to make this journey overnight since we read up that it was around a 9-hour trip. However, whilst on the Uyuni Salt Flats tour, we met an Argentinian traveler who recommended we do the trip in day time instead since the landscapes were beautiful and we were not disappointed. When we arrived at Valparaiso, we bought bus tickets for Mendoza leaving the following day at 8.30 AM costing 15,000 CLP⁸ each. The bus departs from the main terminal and it takes about 2 hours 30 minutes to reach the Chilean customs control point at the border. On the way here, the bus goes up meandering roads to climb up the Andes mountain. It starts with rocky mountains but then we start to see some snow and by the time we get to the top, the landscape is completely white covered in snow. There was a queue of vehicles at the customs stop so it took some time to get the Chilean exit stamp. From here it was then another 20 minutes to reach the Argentinian customs control point.

Again there was a queue here so we had some time to leave the bus and take some pictures. Once it was our turn to go through customs, the group from the bus is put in a queue. The officials unload bags from the bus and inspect some at random. If you see your bag on a table, then you have to approach the customs official as they go through your bag. Otherwise, you just pick up your bag from the pile it’s left in and proceed to get your entry stamp. Once the group is back on the bus, we continue to Mendoza. Again the landscape of the Andes here is beautiful as we descend the meandering roads. It takes about 2 hours 30 minutes to get to Mendoza and we arrived at around 5 PM.

Quito, Ecuador to Chachapoyas, Peru

Jean Maldonado — Sat, 25 Aug 2018 12:30:17 +0000

When people say they’re going to Peru they normally mean Cusco and Machu Picchu. However, Peru is a large country with many more destinations. The north of Peru has the nicest beaches the country has to offer, however, I’m more of an adventure seeker so I looked around and came across Chachapoyas. Located to the east of the Andes and approaching the Amazon, this developing town has many hikes and activities in its vicinity. The problem is that the town is quite remote, making it a little tricky to reach within Peru and even more challenging from Quito. It is possible though and it takes 2 nights, 3 days, and 3 coaches. After looking up some routes, I found that the most convenient was via the Tumbes border due to its opening hours. With this in mind, I formulated the following route:

Quito
Cuenca
Chiclayo
Chachapoyas

Quito to Cuenca

The Quito to Cuenca coach ticket cost 12 USD⁹ and we purchased this a couple of days before departure at the Terminal Terrestre Quitumbe; the southern bus terminal of Quito. The terminal is modern and well organized, but as anywhere in South America, be alert at all times of your belongings as scammers and thieves roam the terminal. The ticket stalls are organized by regions so you can easily find the row of stalls to purchase a ticket for your destination. There are several bus companies which go to the same destinations so you can take a look and choose. Since we were going during the day, we got a ticket for a coach with standard seats that recline 120 degrees. Also, note that there is an additional fee for using the terminal. If memory serves me correctly, it costs 0.40 USD and it is paid in cash only after presenting your ticket to the terminal employee when entering the boarding area. There are many platforms and coaches so you will have to ask which one goes to your destination. The journey is a long one; we left at 8 am and arrived in Cuenca at around 5 pm. The coach made one stop for a toilet break at a petrol station near Alausi. The views are amazing as the route goes through ‘Volcano Avenue’ and the skies cleared up for us to see two of Ecuador’s biggest volcanos; Cotopaxi and Chimborazo.

Cuenca to Chiclayo

Once at Cuenca, we went looking for coach tickets to Chiclayo. The Cuenca terminal is older and not as organized so it was difficult to find the bus companies that went to Chiclayo. We were able to find two but one was sold out and we were lucky enough to get the last two seats from the other company. Tickets cost 23 USD with Super Simera for standard 120-degree seats and came with a packed meal (sandwich, biscuits, and a drink) that they distributed when on the journey. The bus company lets you leave your luggage in a locked storage room which we took advantage of since our bus was scheduled to leave at 10.30 pm. There are several restaurants in the terminal, but most of them were closed so we decided to venture outside in search of food. The area, however, felt rather unsafe so we went into the first place we saw. Once we were done, we headed to the waiting area in the terminal which has benches and tables. This terminal also has a usage fee which I believe was also 0.40 USD. For this one, you pay it at a machine which prints out a receipt that you present to the terminal employee. The journey to the border takes about 3h30. Crossing the border to Peru is a two-step process. First, the coach stops at the Ecuadorian side where everyone gets off, queues up for the Ecuadorian exit stamp, then boards the bus again. Once everyone is back on, the coach drives to the Peruvian side where everyone gets off again, queues up for the Peruvian entry stamp, and then boards the bus once again. The customs officials ask a couple of questions mainly about the duration of your stay and travel plans. Since it was the middle of the night, there aren’t many officials on duty making it a lengthy process as there are several coaches at the border. It took around 3 hours for us to get through and back enroute for Chiclayo. The remainder of the journey took about 8 hours and we were in Chiclayo around 1 pm.

A day in Chiclayo and onwards to Chachapoyas

Chiclayo has several ‘bus terminals’ and we arrived at the main one called Terrapuerto Plaza Norte. This terminal is small and quite run down. When we got there, several of the ticket stalls were closed and we were swarmed with drivers offering their services. We thought the locals would know best so asked a moto-taxi driver where we could buy tickets for Chachapoyas. He mentioned another terminal around the corner and we made the mistake of trusting him. We asked him to take us to an ATM first since we had no Peruvian currency. He took us to BBVA and this ATM charged us 6 USD to take money out. Just to make our first Peruvian experience worse, the moto-taxi’s brakes broke and the driver was going slow because of it. On the way back he even stopped at a mechanic to get them fixed so it took us 1 hour to get to our destination instead of the 30 minutes it would have taken. When he dropped us off at the terminal, he wanted to charge us 25 soles! We settled for 15 which is still outrageous in Peru. Now at the terminal, he recommended a coach company called Fropesa and we asked if they went to Chachapoyas. They said yes so we bought tickets for 35 PEN (15 USD) leaving at 9 pm. However, when I looked at the ticket it said Pedro Ruiz as the destination. I asked again to confirm if it goes to Chachapoyas and again he said yes. Note that I am fluent in Spanish so there is no language barrier here. It was only minutes before boarding the bus that I was informed that Pedro Ruiz is an hour away from Chachapoyas and that I would need to pay for a Combi to take me the rest of the way. Now it was too late to buy another ticket so I had no choice but to take this coach and then the Combi.

We finished buying the tickets at around 2 pm so we decided to go looking for a SIM card in the town. We tried some shops but they only sold top-ups and said we could find them at the plaza/parks. The shopkeeper gave us directions to Parque Las Fuentes and indeed there were people walking around selling SIM cards. We bought a Movistar SIM for 5 PEN with 5 PEN top-up included. Then we bought a Claro SIM for 5 PEN but no top-up. Each operator has its own pre-pay deal like 7 days which includes some megabytes and unlimited social media. You need to have credit on your SIM and then choose the plan by dialing a code on the SIM package and go through the on-screen options. SIM cards need to be activated and you need to be a resident to do this but the street vendors sold us pre-activated ones since we didn’t live there. Now that we had internet on our phones, we walked around the town and headed to a shopping center for some food. With a couple more hours until our coach left, we decided to catch a movie at the shopping center Real Plaza. The journey from Chiclayo to Pedro Ruiz was long and we got there around 5 am. There were several Combis waiting when we got off and it cost 5 PEN for the 1-hour ride to Chachapoyas. The Combis are 12+ seater minivans and they tie your luggage on the roof of the vehicle. The Combi drops you off at the town entrance on the highway so it’s a 30-minute uphill walk to the town center. Next time I would pay extra for a more comfortable coach. Movil Tours is well known and reasonably priced coach company which services the Chiclayo-Chachapoyas route.