Merida - Mexico

Merida – Mexico

Post published:3 January 2014
Post category:Mexico North America

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The Capital of Yucatan Region

Leaving behind the Mexico City of the country and all the beautiful places we’ve been around, we move to our next base: Merida, the capital city of Yucatan region. Our main aim for a base here? Get to visit two of the major and most important Maya cities: Chichen Itza and Uxmal. Sadly for us, we could not count with more days to keep exploring the many other Maya cities in this region, therefore we had to choose and decided for the most important ones.

Merida has retained one of the finest collection of colonial buildings in the country and hosts the very first cathedral to be built in the New World. Of course no need to mention here that the distribution of the city follows the same pattern as any other in Mexico, where the Zocalo is the main square with the cathedral and City Hall along the sides and the streets follow a strict grid pattern. Wherever you walk is another sight, no wonder it is one of the finest colonial old towns in Mexico to be listed by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Now the main question is how many days you do need here. Let me tell you, for the city itself you don’t need more than one. It is small enough to make a one day visit perfect. But since coming to Merida is mostly because of visiting the Maya cities around, then it is really when you need to calculate your time, which cities you want to visit, and how many. We spared 2 days to visit 2 sites. Gladly I would have stayed longer and keep visiting as many others as possible but my plan for this trip included 3 other countries, therefore I was limited in time. (more…)

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Puebla and Cholula - Mexico

Puebla and Cholula – Mexico

Post published:2 January 2014
Post category:Mexico North America

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Angelopolis, the City of Angels

Moving on to some other stunning cities while we traveling across Mexico we reach the jewels of Puebla and Cholula, some of the most wonderful places the country has to offer. Two cities right next to each other, the smallest volcano in the world, and the largest pyramid by volume in the world. Plenty to see and do, ideally on a two day visit although if time is your limitation, a well planned one day visit will be good enough as it was in our case.

Both cities, but specially Puebla, the 4th largest city in Mexico and a wonderful UNESCO World Heritage Site listed old town, do follow the usual Spanish colonial orthogonal street planning with a central square, usually named the Zocalo, home to the cathedral and City Hall buildings along the sides. From all the cities we visited, plus the many villages we passed by travelling on buses, this was repeated on and on. Having such city planning, it is almost impossible to get at any point lost.

The best way to fully discover and enjoy the countless historical buildings and sights all around is by doing spirals or zig zags. Both ways are quite self explained. After all the sizes of this places are small and straightforward.

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Teotihuacan - Mexico

Teotihuacan – Mexico

Post published:1 January 2014
Post category:Mexico North America

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Place Where Gods Were Born

Greetings from the stunning ancient city of Teotihuacan. Being the most visited place in Mexico there is no doubt to wonder why. Every visitor to Mexico City should include this place in their list, not only if you are just visiting DF or if on a wider tour around other cities across the country. It is one of the highlights of the American continent and for civilization lovers, it is one of the greatest places in the world. Included on any list of to-dos in a lifetime, of course listed by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

As opposed to what most people think, this is not a city from the ancient Maya, but from the Aztecs, although still unknown who precisely founded it. All that is known is that at the time, over 2000 years ago, it was already one of the largest cities on earth.

Today you can still admire such an impressive pyramidal structures, and the crown jewel of all, both the Sun and Moon pyramids; everything symmetrically organised along the Avenue of the Dead (Calzada de los Muertos). Incredible to think of such engineering and impressive techniques to build such enormous monuments. And consider that all you see there today are the stone constructions; now imagine how it would be looking in the ancient times with the countless homes made of wood surrounding the complex. Big! Yes, very big and overwhelming.

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Xochimilco - Mexico

Xochimilco – Mexico

Post published:31 December 2013
Post category:Mexico North America

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The Colorful Trajineras

The incredible UNESCO World Heritage Site listed Xochimilco is a place like no other. No visit to Mexico City can be completed until you come here. Those are the original canals and lakes built by the Aztecs that connected most of the settlements on the Valley of Mexico. Nowadays it is world famous for the colourful wooden boats taking locals and tourists alike up and down. The boats are called trajineras, and they are for rent on several options depending on size and time.

Having seen it in the movies, adverts and travel catalogs everywhere, it is somewhat one of the main images we have in mind when talking about Mexico. Colours, flowers, canals and boats, an unique experience not to be missed.

There are over 170km of canals and artificial islands all over Xochimilco. Of course the boats won’t take you any farther than the main canal and others on the side, but this is more than enough to appreciate the place and get to see how people also live on the shores. Watch out for the beautiful birds too but mostly, enjoy the quietness and music from the many mariachi boats passing by.

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Mexico City - Mexico

Mexico City – Mexico

Post published:31 December 2013
Post category:Mexico North America

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Ancient Tenochtitlan, capital of New Spain in colonial times

The long awaited winter trip finally came to a reality. Not only the excitement of going again on a long holiday, but for going to places in the world never been before and wishing so much for long to go. A tour from Mexico to Panama via Belize and Guatemala. It was the very first time travelling to the once called “New World” and now that I take the chance to make some further updates to this guide 6 years later, aiming for Central and South America is somewhat a priority with another 4 times and more to come.

So coming to stunning Mexico City, or simply DF. The massive place that rivals Tokyo, Seoul and Mumbai as the largest metropolitan areas by population in the world. Only with the approach when landing at the airport is a sight on its own. A continuous and massive net of streets, perfectly defined orthogonal streets and avenues without an end. We got to see the night when landing, but the day when taking off. It is even difficult to believe the infinite expansion of this city.

Now, forget those erroneous stereotypes, negative nicknames and bad reputation you have heard and read about. Mexico City is not as dangerous as such as any other city can be, like for example London, Paris or Barcelona. Yes you read this right. I am in fact more cautious when carrying my camera in other cities in Europe than I have been in Mexico City. Yes, of course the city is enormous, but the areas any tourist is ever going to be are totally safe, day and night. If anyone decides to go where they’re not supposed to be and something happen to them, then acts like this should not really be included on any rating deprecating the city’s reputation as unsafe. Or do you go to any dangerous area in the city you are living in? I take that for a no.

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San Francisco - USA

San Francisco – USA

Post published:24 September 2012
Post category:North America USA

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The City by the Bay, Paris of the West

Here we are, at our last city on this tour across the USA coast to coast, San Francisco. And also at the time of writing this guide, September 2012, the farthest to the west I have ever been in the world and the very first time by the Pacific Ocean. One of the must visit places in the USA, beautifully elegant city with plenty of things to do and see. Don’t underestimate the time you will need here as it happened to us. Even with a rental car as we had, the time played against us the three days and a bit of the 4th we spent here. It was just too short. Basically, calculate that distances although not too big as some other cities, it takes really ages to reach from one place to another, specially if you count with public transportation. The whole of the city is up and down the hills. And if you plan to walk around you should better rethink about it and plan again something involving transportation. You can get exhausted of going up and down the hills, especially during the summer months. Quite a radical chance from Las Vegas where we came from our previous destination.

The city is well divided in clear areas, each of them having it’s own sights, therefore pretty simple to follow a route and know what to do. Although physically everywhere you go is nice. Unless of course, the fog. Chances to be foggy in the mornings and again towards afternoons are pretty high, this is a climate fact which cannot be avoided. What you can do in the other hand, is plan around to avoid going for example to the Golden Gate Bridge area when the chances of fog are high. Come in the afternoon instead of the morning or evening. The same applies to the famous hills over the city.

Also, even during summer, it’s pretty cold here coming the evening. You will need for sure long sleeve and jacket, not to mention when you go up Twin Peaks, where the temperature difference from the top respect the below one is steep. But it is from here and the Coit Tower where the views of the entire city will awe anyone. Lombard Hill is another great spot but in truth, any higher point will offer incredible views.

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Muir Woods National Park - USA

Sausalito and Muir Woods – USA

Post published:20 September 2012
Post category:North America USA

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In Search of the Tallest Trees on Earth

Right after landing in San Francisco coming from Las Vegas, and after checking in to our apartment, we drove towards Sausalito and then Muir Woods, in order to free the remaining last three days of our coast to coast tour around the USA for the jewel city on the Pacific coast. If you have the choice and can, definitely get a rental car. It will save you lots of time and will allow you the possibility to stop wherever you like to make incredible pictures, and also have a great circle drive as I will explain here later on.

Sausalito is just on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge if leaving San Francisco. Obviously, this is your perfect chance to get off at the viewing points and visitor centre and enjoy some of the best views of the bridge. Afterwards, simply follow the signs to Sausalito and you would have arrived in matter of no time. It is a small yet beautiful village on the shores of the Golden Gate Bay and the mountains, and from the small promenade and little pier there are splendid views of San Francisco skyline and the whole bay.

There is not much more in here, apart from the beautiful wooden houses, nice nature and the famous floating houses. Therefore it should not take too much of your time. Continue driving farther north, and you will get to see the signs for Muir Woods. Follow these until the end and you will have arrived at the entrance gates of this National Monument Park, here official website.

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Las Vegas - USA

Las Vegas – USA

Post published:19 September 2012
Post category:North America USA

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Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas

Finally another dream accomplished, Las Vegas. And although when we landed at the airport we drove directly to the Grand Canyon, we only started to enjoy this city in the evening when we returned and saw all the lights from far away and near, until we reached the spectacular Strip, Las Vegas Boulevard. From here, we started to live a movie. Beginning with the world famous neon sign of “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” and up to The Stratosphere, the hotel we stayed along the immense Boulevard, all the casinos, hotels and resorts passing one after another.

Lights, music, sounds, effects, the people, the cars, the wedding chapels, just everything is like a Deja-Vu. You already know these places, you’ve seen them so many times that you recognise them straight away, either by name, silhouette or look. The main difference is that this time the movie is real, and you are the actor.

This is the city that never sleeps, 24 hours crowded, whole year round. Very hot during the day, perfect temperature in the evenings and nights. Tastes, likes, flavours, desires for everyone. Anything you want, anything you wish, you have it there. You can do it. Unfortunately yes, money matters. In Vegas money can get you whatever you desire, and while to some it might bring riches and fortunes, to others it means bankruptcy, ruin and abuse of alcohol and drugs.

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