Suchitoto - El Salvador

Suchitoto – El Salvador

Post published:2 January 2016
Post category:Central America El Salvador

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Kingdom of Birds and Flowers

Our first day trip while in El Salvador after visiting the capital city, San Salvador, the day before, was for doing this rather quiet and relaxing visit to this small town. Located to the north of the capital, at only 50 kilometres, is a really nice and charming place if what you are looking is to have bygone colonial feel. The luck of this town having survived most earthquakes and eruptions from the nearby volcanoes is something that San Salvador did not have; and as such, it is no surprise now you see in travel books Suchitoto is in the colonial route in the country.

The town lies less than 2 kilometres inland from the Suchitlan Lake, which is in fact a man-made lake created by the dam. The nature surrounding the place is really nice, with also many small islands, all of which you can see if taking boat from the pier located at the Malecon. Negotiate the price and try to lower it down since you will be quoted way over the average, especially if you are a non Spanish speaking.

Other than this, and because of the very small size of the town, there is nothing else I can really tell you about in this introduction. Remember not to wake up too early to get here, as you will have plenty of time. As I mentioned before, this is a great excursion to break in between other heavier tours. It is always good to have in between an already crazy non-stop trip through Central America as we were doing some other days with more relaxed and easy tours

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San Salvador - El Salvador

San Salvador – El Salvador

Post published:1 January 2016
Post category:Central America El Salvador

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El Valle de Las Hamacas: The Valley of Hammocks

Continuing southeast on our Central America trip after Guatemala and Honduras, we arrive to San Salvador, the capital city of the next country in our list. Country visited number 75 to this date! That’s a whopping number already, and for the many more to come year after year, fingers crossed. And what a day to arrive here, New Year’s Eve. This is not the first time we are at some random destination and/or trip for this date. I can still remember Mexico City 2 years ago, Hong Kong 3 or Varanasi already 4 years ago. I do not need to have a party at all on this day, I rather prefer travel anywhere, and even if I have to eat for dinner a take away, I would be very happy to do so, as long I am somewhere in the world. We had in any case a really nice dinner and party at the hotel.

El Salvador, likewise any other Central American country, lies in the extremely active Ring of Fire, with many active volcanoes everywhere. You do not need to look any far from the city, and you will clearly see San Salvador Volcano (or Quetzaltepec). Volcano eruptions and earthquakes are responsible for the destruction of majority of the original historical buildings from the Spanish colonial times. The current reincarnation is a modern city with quite poor and decaying infrastructure that will barely coop with a possible strong earthquake. No wonder why the Spanish nicknamed it “El Valle de las Hamacas (The Valley of Hammocks)” in allusion to the need for beds that would sway with the earth’s movements during an earthquake.

Classical, ne-Gothic, art-deco and modernist architecture now fills the streets, with an ongoing frenetic construction round the clock in the new outskirt areas around the wealthier neighbourhoods. Still, if you are having in mind visiting the city, you will be certainly disappointed. Really few buildings are worth, while the rest of the city centre is an eyesore of chaotic and dirty rundown streets among an uncertainty of safety concerns. I can honestly say that walking around San Salvador has given me the feeling of one of the most unsafe place I’ve ever been to, however and very important to mention here, it was also one with such a thriving nightlife and amount of bars and discos full of great people, that somewhat it really confused me when having this points in a balance.

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Copan Ruinas - Honduras

Copan Ruinas – Honduras

Post published:30 December 2015
Post category:Central America Honduras

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One of the four Maya capitals

At one of the highlights on this Central America trip without any doubt! The ancient Maya city of Copan in Honduras, which in fact was one of the four capitals of this ancient civilization, in this case the eastern capital. The others were Tikal to the north (in Guatemala), Palenque and Calakmul to the west (in Mexico). Having been already in Tikal before, now in Copan, the remaining 2 as of today are on the scope to be the next candidates, hopefully soon. The four capitals were also some of the largest Maya cities and as such, the incredible amount of structures to see is large, yet bearing in mind only a small portion is excavated on them. Did I also mentioned Honduras counts as of today as a new country that I have not been before? This means country visited number 74!.

While if Tikal was an easy trip from Flores in Guatemala, the nearest larger city, and the visit itself, even through right in the middle of the jungle, was quite easy to navigate; in the case of Copan this was way much more laid back, and reaching this place from Guatemala City was a lengthily but comfortable bus ride. Go and back in the same day. Exhausting and tiring but well worth it if you ask me.

Both Copan and the northern capital, Tikal, have a lot to share in common. While if architecture, structures and construction across the Maya civilization do not vary much (unless for the the northern region of Yucatan with the clear Puuc style), the location of the cities vary. In this case, both were created in the middle of the jungle hence why they were “lost” for so many centuries, buried deep beneath the overgrown nature. It is up to date that excavations are still ongoing, and you can guess the many small buried pyramids and other structures under the massive roots of the trees and vegetation. Only a small portion of the city has been uncovered. (more…)

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Pacaya Volcano - Guatemala

Pacaya Volcano – Guatemala

Post published:29 December 2015
Post category:Central America Guatemala

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One of the most active volcano in Guatemala

Once again, at the beginning of another tour. 3 weeks holidays through 5 countries in Central America. While we arrived into Guatemala City the day before, the reason for returning to Guatemala was not just by coincidence but on purpose. The last time we were here was 2 years ago and we wanted to visit the Pacaya Volcano. Said to be the most active in the country. But due to time constraints we could not manage to get any spare time to do so. Of course in any case, just a volcano is not major reason to decide by all means having to arrive here. The second reason, and major one, was to be able to get to the Maya city of Copan just across the border from Guatemala to Honduras. Since flying into Honduras was not optional at all, Guatemala City was the best choice for the reasons above and for the great air fare deal with Iberia.

Only a quick note here as I will further expand in the next travelguide, Copan was one of the four Maya capitals, being the others Tikal (in Guatemala), Palenque and Calakmul (in Mexico). Having been already in Tikal, and Copan on this trip, the remaining 2 as of today are highly on the scope to be the next candidates soon.

Somehow in the other hand, putting aside how many sights Guatemala has across its land, it is one of the countries I feel quite confident and good. The people, the food, the beauty. All adds up even though it is not one of the safest place to be. At least Guatemala City is not somewhere you can stroll as you would do anywhere in Europe without worry, nor you would once it gets dark. Yet in any case comparing the latest visit with the one 2 years back, the improvements in every sense are very obvious. Better infrastructure, ongoing construction and overall increase in wealth. (more…)

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Valparaiso - Chile

Valparaiso – Chile

Post published:7 April 2015
Post category:Chile South America

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The Jewel of the Pacific

Getting to our second destination in Chile, although just as a day trip from Santiago, we visited what is many people describes as the most beautiful and picturesque city in the country. The 3rd largest city and most important port in the country and the whole of the South Pacific. It is also home to an incredible collection of beautiful colourful Victorian houses perched on the many hills of the city and overlooking the South Pacific Ocean, linked with the lower parts of the city by its unique network of old funicular lifts. All of this contributed for the city to be listed an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

On the last point, the funiculars, is what gets the city special attention and gives that extra charm. Although originally there were over 26 in operation, today the number is reduced to “just” 8 where unfortunately, there is still much work that should be done in order to ensure their operation for future generations. It’s an unique industrial heritage only found in Valparaiso in such an extent. I can only think of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (U.S.) where a similar yet more reduced network was constructed dating to the same age as Valparaiso’s one.

The city grew and thrived ever since Chile’s independence from Spain right until the opening of the Panama Canal, with its port becoming the largest and most important for all ships en-route from the Pacific to the Atlantic across the Magellan Straights. From 1912 the city experienced a steep decline, coupled with natural disasters as earthquakes, but recovered and continues to grow and thrive in all senses, to the point of being officially named Chile’s Cultural City.

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Panama City - Panama

Panama City – Panama

Post published:18 January 2014
Post category:Central America Panama

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At the Crossroads of Two Oceans and Two Continents

We leave behind Guatemala towards our last stop in this trip, Panama. From an incredible array of historical places, through the jungle and volcanoes, the second largest barrier reef in the world and turquoise waters, we end our trip in this rich country where it’s capital could well be anywhere in the booming new cities of the Middle East with the difference the richness are not coming here from petrol or gas reserves but from an unlimited source instead, the Panama Canal between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

With some sort of similar feeling to when I was in Dubai, the main differences are first of all the weather not so hot and terribly dry, the language and religion. As for infrastructure, new architecture and urbanism both are pretty much similar. Both do also share the frenetic unstoppable construction with towers reaching higher and higher.

But not everything is new. The city is, in fact, three cities in one. Panama Viejo, the original settlement chosen by the Spanish to build the first city in 1519. Thereafter destroyed by pirates in 1671 and ever since then in ruins. The Casco Viejo, the second colonial city built after Panama Viejo was destroyed, where you can still marvel today as one of the best preserved Spanish colonial cities in Latin America; and lastly, the shiny new city mushrooming along the coast with never ending construction. The former 2 are listed by the UNESCO as World Heritage Sites. (more…)

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Cancun - Mexico

Cancun – Mexico

Post published:7 January 2014
Post category:Mexico North America

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The Riviera Maya

Our last 2 days in Mexico we decided to spend them resting in Cancun. After all the previous busy and tiring days, we though the best we should do was to have a well deserved rest in between, before continuing on to Belize for a short stop followed by a busy week in Guatemala and a final resting days in Panama. But from our original thoughts to what the reality unfortunately was, it’s a big difference.

The weather. It really ruined what was meant to be sun, beach and pool for two days. The freezing blizzard happening in North America pushed too much south and while temperatures were not cold in Cancun, we did not get see a ray of sun at all. Thankfully we could enjoy the beach on the first day. Very warm water and nice outside temperature, just big clouds but no rain. Only towards the end of the day it is when the strong wind and heavy rain started. That was the end of our beach time the following day.

In any case, if you plan in coming to Cancun around the same time of the year as we went, be aware that the chances of rain are quite high. Other months of the year are better but then you need to be careful during the hurricane season. It’s kind of a lottery to be honest. We were unfortunate in this occasion. (more…)

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Rio de Janeiro - Brazil

Rio de Janeiro – Brazil

Post published:8 June 2013
Post category:Brazil South America

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Carioca Landscapes

And finally in Rio de Janeiro! One of the long time dreams made a reality. In fact, the whole of the trip planned for Brazil was pivoting around Rio, visiting Sao Paulo some days before and then making it our base for getting into magnificent Iguazu Falls.

Once again, and like everywhere you will see over the internet, or the mouth to mouth; what is described as a dangerous city, it does not mean it is. As long as you take care of your belongings and don’t do or go anywhere you should not. It is incredible to hear from people that Downtown is a dangerous area, yet to our surprise, it’s the most beautiful and totally safe place. Maybe some tourists get scared to see that many local people which are on drugs or drunk. Perhaps; yet still, they are harmless as long as you are cautious.

The city is well divided in different areas, all along the coast and within easy reach one to another, either by the very frequent buses, or by metro which runs parallel to the coast and covers all tourist areas in no time. To the south are the world famous beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana. Corcovado Mountain where Christ the Redeemer is at the top; the Sugar Loaf Mountain and Botafogo Beach, which offers amazing views towards the Sugar Loaf. And right behind, the idyllic Tijuca National Park with its wonderful peaks and pristine forests. All of which the city, its landscapes and the national park are listed a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO.

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