SUCRE Bolivia's most beautiful city. It was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1991. Architecturally speaking, it's a city that Bolivia should be proud of. The whitewashed colonial buildings and naturally landscaped patios really surprised us. The charming courtyard restaurants and sleepy bistros during daytime reveal traces of how lively this city could get after hours.
LA PAZ
The "Dizzying" sky high capital of Bolivia with an altitude of 3660m .The first glimpse of the sprawling city from El Alto was breath taking.
We had a long walking tour of the city on our own. It started at Plaza San Francisco all the way to Plaza Murillo.
We also had a glimpse of Mercado Negro (Black Market) and Mercado de Hicheria (Witches' Market).
The traditional dances and colorful costumes were a show stopper. Tourists lined up to catch a glimpse of the festivity happening at the Plaza.
We ended the trip at Parque Nacional. We arrived during the early evening and had kebabs at a Turkish joint in the alleys of the city. We explored the city on foot the next day and left to catch a bus at the station to get to Uyuni that evening at 8:30PM.
There are 2 ways to reach Machu Picchu: (1) One is by taking the Inca Trail, 4 days of trekking, hiking. crossing mountains and camping in the wilderness with a group of tourist and expert guides. Book in advance. When we checked 3 months before, it was already fully booked. or second option, (2)Take the Peru Rail from Ollantaytambo, the last town at the border of the remote Andes Mountains. It takes 1 and a half hour train ride through the rich and majestic mountain range without spotting any house or any civilization there. I was amazed at how completely lost it really is. By the way, we took the train. :-)
We arrived in Aguas Calientes the day before. It is the sole town at the foot of Machu Picchu that was specially created to cater to tourists. We bought the entrance tickets at the Tourist Office and bus ticket at the station that will take us up the mountain. We took the first bus trip of the day. This place has never lost its mystery. Up until today, it still causes oohs and ahhhs from any tourist as soon as they step foot at the entrance.Tips for travellers planning a trip here :
1. Don't forget to put calamine lotion. The mosquito bites here (even with the lotion) leave weird red patches that seem to evolve and grow each week leaving them itchy for a whole month. (My husband even took the day off from office because it was unbearable, he couldn't stop scratching).
2. Bring your passport with you. They have 'Machu Picchu' stamps at the gate which you could place in your passport.
3. Stay in Aguas Calientes the night before and take the first bus. Be there at the bus station 1 hour before the departure because there is a very long queue. The first bus leaves if I'm not mistaken at 5:30 AM so by 6:00 AM you'd be up there watching Machu Picchu's sunrise. This would be perfect for picture taking as there aren't many visitors yet and you have the place mostly to yourselves along with the first batch so you could enjoy the serenity of the place.
4. Note that the tourists from different tours seem to arrive and leave at the same time like flies. They all come rushing in around 10AM and the whole place is packed and would immediately disappear by 2PM. So spend the entire day.
5. For those with strong knees, queue for the Wayna Picchu climb. The gate is at the back. They only allow a limited number of climbers per day so if you're lucky and up for it, go and take the steps.6. Food is not allowed inside. Don't forget to eat something, preferably a good breakfast before going to the bus station. It would be great if you could sneak in some small biscuits and water in your backpack. Hehehe.
7. Take a lot of memory space for your camera and bring extra just in case. Make sure your camera is fully charged. It would be awful otherwise because the entrance ticket is incredibly expensive! 8. There's no toilet inside Machu Picchu. You'd have to walk all the way back to the entrance and bring 1.00 soles with you for the toilet fee. I suffered because of this. I forgot to get some money and I had to wait for Yohann to go down from Wayna Picchu so I could go to the toilet. I ended up waiting for 3 hours before I could go. Believe me, those were the longest hours.
Nevertheless, it was the cherry on top of our whole expedition that I will never ever forget.
XOXO,
Arni
After a 10 hour bus ride from Nazca to Arequipa via CIAL Bus Line, we arrived in Arequipa Bus Station around 10AM. We immediately booked tickets at the bus terminal heading for Puno.I am blessed with the ability to sleep peacefully anywhere after 1 minute of closing my eyes, so yes, I was able to have a nice slumber in the bus. This kind of gift comes in handy on trips like these. Arequipa is the second biggest city of Peru located in the southern region with streets filled with bankers, vendors, artists, students, nuns and tourists.
We found it more charming than Lima, with its irresistable cafes, stylish restaurants and buzzing nightlife. It's the perfect place to satisfy ones palate of spicy food and huge variety of cuisine. We had tasty salteňas and empanada for lunch and a Doner Kebab in the evening.
Petra, one of the 7 wonders of the world, was the highlight of our trip in Jordan. I was astonished and impressed by the influence of Mesopotamian, Greek, Roman and Byzantinian Architecture evidently carved on the rocks. It seemed like a crash course that catapulted me back to History of Architecture class in college. (Darn, I should have paid more attention in class :-) Sir Banister Fletcher would have been handy at that time) It was a 3-hour hike under the scorching heat as we found temporary relief under the shade of huge mounds of ancient sculpted rocks. Memorable!
"When we truly care for ourselves it becomes possible to care more profoundly about other people." --Edith Le Shen
Guess what: This is an image I took during a trip in Salzburg, Austria in 2008.
At the end of a long day, I’d like to reward myself to an invigorating “me” time. I’m grateful that my hubby respects my habit of taking a fraction of the evening after work to engage in a feel good activity alone. It could be 30 minutes of yoga with a relaxing music, a long bubble bath while reading my favorite book, or a half hour massage at a spa a couple of blocks away from home. Sometimes it would mean lazily lounging around for an hour listening to soft music or pouring my emotions out with my brushes on canvass. There are days when it would mean cooking something straight out of a recipe book that we fancy or cuddling with our fat cat on the sofa.
During my hubby’s alone time, I’d find him reading the newspaper or watching TV. Other days he’s totally immersed in Play station bliss or opts going out for a long walk or a jog around the area.
Feeling energized, my hubby and I would catch up later in the evening. We would watch an episode of a TV series we fancy or share what happened throughout the day together before bed time. I strongly believe that in keeping this space of recharging and filling up our cups, we are able to give more. In taking care of ourselves, we are able to take care of the people we love, even better.
I am pleased by what I did. I found my passion in making lifeless spaces beautiful. Furniture makes me happy. Table lamps and cushions excite me. I escape from work related stress by surfing new designs of floor lamps and ottomans. I enjoy organizing things together and seeing my work transform in front of me. I'm still doubtful though, whether I should make a living out of this.
There are far too many out there. I am afraid to be a needle in a haystack screaming to be found. This job had been very elusive and the rejections for not having sufficient works in my portfolio after several attempts seemingly convinced me to stop my pursuit. I then turned my attention on making money in a career that I despise. Needless to say, I'm lost, hoping for a chance of being happy and fulfilled one day.