Havana is split into 3 major areas – El Vedado, Centro Habana and La Habana Vieja. We started at Vedado, crossed over to Centro Habana (or Central Havana) and ended at La Habana Vieja (or Old Havana).

Vedado

Vedado is the new or modern area of Havana which serves as the Business district and the Urban neighbourhood. El Vedado means “The Forbidden Zone”, as it was once a Military area during the Spanish rule and closed to public. Post liberation from Spanish, this area became a favourite of the US Investors, leading to a posh buildings in different classical styles, which still exist today.

One of the main attraction or landmark here is the Plaza de la Revolución or the Revolution Square. This is the central Square of Havana, where key people like Fidel Castro used to address the Cuban people. Many important buildings surround the square, the most prominent one being the Memorial to José Martí – Cuban National hero who liberated Cuba from Spanish rule.

Facing the same, in the opposite end of the square, are two buildings with images of two other great heroes of Cuba. On the left is Ministry of Interior, with image of Che Guevara and his famous words – “Hasta la victoria siempre” or “Until everlasting victory always”.

On the right is the Ministry of Communications, with image of Camilo Cienfuegos, another Cuban revolutionary hero and Fidel’s friend, with his words “Vas bien, Fidel” or “You’re doing fine, Fidel”

On our way to the next destination,  our guide and driver stopped briefly at a calm and quiet area of the city, full of greenery. This was the Parque Almendares, the only major green area of the city. It has a lot of history and mystery attached to it. Now certain sections are used for recreation by the people in the city, but some bear witness to strange offerings and rituals of the followers of Yoruba Religion, practiced primarily by Afro-Cubans. They are descendants of erstwhile slaves who were brought from West Africa. Their religion is now integrated with Christianity, but still retain many strange rituals, which appear like voodoo or Black magic to most.

Another famous landmark in this neighbourhood is Hotel Nacional de Cuba. This is one of the luxury hotels in Havana with a lot of History. Many world leaders have stayed here on diplomatic visits. This Hotel also played a role in the Cuban Missile Crisis, with Anti-Aircraft guns and Bunkers manned in it’s compound during that time. Fidel himself used to visit this place and observe the American fleet from the bunkers here.

This area of Vedado has many luxury Hotels. Another one is Habana Libre shown below, viewed from entrance of Hotel Nacional.

Centro Habana or Central Havana

The Central part of Havana is not a Tourist friendly place. Sandwiched between Vadado in the west, Old Havana in the East and the famous Malecón Seawall in the North, Central Havana is a crowded, run down residential district. This the place we decided to stay, as there are many economical and well maintained Air B&Bs here.

North of Central Havana lies one of the iconic landmarks of Havana – the Malecón – an 8km long seawall and road along the coast. A walk through here is a must,  especially when the tide is high! Prepare to be drenched by the high waves splashing on to the seawalls. At night this area becomes alive, as it a popular place for local people to spend their evenings. They spend time chatting, playing instruments or munching on some freshly prepared snacks cooked on stalls that open up as night falls.

Habana Viejo or Old Havana

This is the most visited and touristy part of the City – primarily because of the vibrance, the architecture and history. The border between Central Havana and Old Havana is the Paseo del Prado, a promenade that starts from Malecón and runs inward. This avenue is richly decorated on both sides with classic lamp posts, marble benches and lined with trees in some sections.

As we move inward from Malecon through the promenade, we come to the Central Park, surrounded by ornate buildings.

From here the Pedestrian part of Old Havana starts.From here the Pedestrian part of Old Havana starts. You can walk through myriad narrow lanes, lined with bars, souvenir stalls, bakeries, street performers and of course, tourists like us!

Each building and alley had a story behind them and it was great to listen to them from our guide as we walked by them.  The photo opportunities in this part of town are unlimited!

The best place to get a panoramic view of Old Havana is the View point at the base of the statue of Christ of Havana. This statue can be seen from most places in the city and is located on a hill overlooking the Havana bay in the Casablanca neighbourhood.

Vintage Cars of Havana

It would be a crime to move on if I don’t mention a word or two about the vintage cars of Cuba. As you may have seen in the pictures above, there are many 50s-60s era American cars in the street of Havana. After the Cuban Revolution when communists came to power under Fidel Castro, a trade embargo was placed on Cuba. With no local manufacturing facilities and heavy taxes, owning new cars became a dream for most Cubans. But there were many cars already on the streets, from the American period before the revolution. So the Cubans kept on maintaining them till date. Recently, when Cuba opened its doors to tourism, they became a sensation. The moment you step out of airport, you get a feeling of being transported back in time to the 60s, when you see all the classic cars plying the streets!

Important things to keep in mind before visiting Cuba

Bring Money in Cash as Euro or GBP – It is highly unlikely that your Debit or Credit card will work in Cuba due to the ongoing trade embargo. We tried unsuccessfully to withdraw cash using cards issued by Citibank, State Bank of India and ICICI Bank, when we ran out of cash. (We survived couple of days thanks to our guide who trusted us and agreed to accept part of payment later once we leave Cuba!) US Dollars are not favoured and has an extra surcharge for conversion. Currencies that are popular are CAD, GBP or EUR. So best is to bring cash (always budget some extra) and exchange them at the counter in the Airport before leaving – and count the bills.

Mobile Roaming  most likely would not work –  Cubacel is the only Network on the Island and our Vodafone SIMs didn’t latch on to the same. There are coin operated pay phones in the streets at regular intervals. Our host was kind enough to let us use his land-line or desk phone for an emergency.

Internet is slow and expensive, limited to Public places – Internet is regulated by the government and individual connections are not allowed. They are available only in Public WiFi Hot Spots, access to which is provided basis Recharge cards. If your Hostel is offering you internet, it is illegal, routed from Hot Spot areas.

There are 2 currencies – CUC and CUP – operate with care – Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC) and Cuban Peso (CUP) are two currencies in circulation in Cuba. As a foreigner, you are supposed to use only the former – CUC – for your transactions. This is roughly pegged at par to the US Dollar. CUP is used by locals, and is at a rate of 25 CUPs to 1 CUC. The CUC currently notes have Monuments while CUP notes have Portraits – easy way to check that you are not duped.

Where to Stay – Hotels are very expensive,  and cannot be booked online on booking sites like Hotel.com or Booking.com. However, there are many affordable, clean and safe Bed & Breakfasts, which can be booked online via airbnb.com. The ones listed on Trip Advisor, may not be listed here, so you would have to reach out to the host directly to enquire for availability. You must plan in advance or the good ones get booked out!

We swam in a few simple Cenotes in Coba, after climbing the Pyramid (Read here).  But many of them are openings to vast cave systems that go deep underground. Some of them have been well-explored and mapped by experienced divers, so that lesser experienced divers can visit them safely. These flooded caves and caverns present a unique environment – cave formations, crystal clear still water and sunlight effects – presents truly an out of the world experience for those who are brave enough to venture in.

Open Water vs. Cavern vs. Cave Diving

First it is important to differentiate between diving in an Open Water, Cavern and Cave.

Open Water divers always have air to surface in emergency, like in open sea. But in Cavern and Cave diving, there is an overhead, preventing the diver from ascending for air in case of emergency. However in Cavern diving, there is always a fast exit to the Open water environment and surface light is available at all points. The dive path is clearly marked with a guide line and you don’t require specialised dive equipment. This kind of dive can be attempted if you have an Open Water Certification and there is a Cave Diving instructor to guide you. When you dive Caverns, you’ll come across the entrances to caves, and must never venture there. Cave diving is the most dangerous of them all and require specialised training and equipment. Most deaths are when people don’t follow instructions (See this Video)

Diving Dos Ojos Cenote Caverns

I signed up with CenotXperience Team in Playa del Carmen for a day of Cenote diving. They picked me up from the Hotel in the morning and drove to their office in town. After finishing the formalities, we drove to the dive sites. This was the first time I was going to the dive site on land, usually it’s via boat !

The Original plan was to dive in a cenote called Chac-Mool. But when we reached there, the authorities requested submission of additional documents as Government had made rules more strict due to a recent death of diver! Not encouraging moment for first time cavern diver! So our guide took us to Dos Ojos, where all the papers where in order for him.

Dos Ojos means Two Eyes in Spanish. This is because of the shape of the Cenote. There are two eyes or caves that provide access to the system. From here, there are two established routes – Barbie Line and Bat Cave. Barbie line is named so, because at the end of the line where you turn back, there is a barbie doll figure, and Bat Cave, because there is cave full of bats en route!

We first did the Bat Cave Line, followed by Barbie Line. It was a surreal experience. Initially it started a bit scary, with no air above to surface and near dark situation! However, within a few minutes, I got used to it. All I had to do was relax and follow the dive master. Here is the video summarising my experience.

Diving in freshwater, that too underground was a entirely different experience vs diving in the sea! First thing that you realise is that your buoyancy is completely different in freshwater, requiring less weights. Then, the water is extremely clear. At Certain point you feel as if you are floating in air. The hand signals used for underwater communication do not apply here as the team is swimming in a line, in forward direction. So the signalling is done with help of your flashlight. Which is brings me to the next point – you need a light source to navigate and observe the environment. Although you can spot the surface light almost everywhere, it is not enough. The most thrilling (and scary) fact is that there is an overhead. It is like diving inside the wreck of a ship. You can’t immediately surface in case of an emergency! You always follow the Dive Master and in a preassigned order – not deviating from the line at any point of time.

What made this dive memorable was the incredible sights it offered – floating past intricate geological formations that took thousands of years to form, in crystal clear waters, with sunlight seeping through creating emerald beams of light, all with the adrenaline rush of going through a submerged maze! There was risk, but if you ask me it was well worth taking it!

After visiting Coba and swimming in the cenotes, we continued northwards, toward the city of Valladolid. The old Mayan city of Chichén Itzá is located just outside the city limits. We checked in to our Hotel – Hacienda Chichèn – and rested for the night. This property was once an old colonial Spanish estate. This property shared a wall with the archaeological site and had a private backdoor access! We chose this Hotel specially for this reason, so that we could start our visit of the site early in the morning, just before the arrival of the fleet of tour buses from Cancun. You can find more about the hotel towards the end, in the “Where to Stay” section.

Visiting Chichén Itzá

Since this is an important and large historical site, we decided to avail the services of a tour guide to take us through the complex. It was 900 MXN for two of us, for a 2 hours tour, which was sufficient to cover all the major buildings.  By the time we were done with breakfast next day morning, the guide was waiting at the lobby, and the hotel receptionist had arranged entry tickets for us!

We entered the site through the Private entrance reserved only for the guests of the Hotel! As we walked through the small path through the jungle, stone ruins started appearing, just like out of an Indiana Jones’ movie!

As we delved deeper into the complex, we could appreciate why this is more popular than the other ruins. All the buildings are of a different scale altogether, and the carvings are well preserved and intricate!

Our guide gave us a brief introduction to the Mayan mythology and the way of life when this was once a sprawling city! As any urban settlement this city had houses, noble residences, observatories, royal residences, playing fields and much more. When the Spanish found this site, it was in an abandoned state, with no records! They named different buildings they found here after places back home in Spain, basis their resemblances! For example the building below was named ‘The Nunnery’ because the arched windows reminded them of the convents in Europe! But they were government or civic buildings. Another building with meshes was named ‘The Church’ because the mesh represented confession rooms in a Church.

As you can see from the map below, we started from the small backdoor private entrance to the site at the bottom, covering first the ‘Nunnery’ first and working our way towards the north side.

The next building is the Observatory. Every town seemed to have one, circular as usual.

Another area referred to as just Temple of Deer – because they found a painting of deer inside.

Next was a miniature version of the Temple of Kukulkan. This was made more like a scale model, before the construction began on the main pyramid – sort of trial construction. A taste of what was yet to come!

Finally we reached the pièce de résistance – The Temple of Kukulkan or El Castillo (The Castle)! And what a majestic sight that was. When we reached, there were hardly any tourists! Mission accomplished – we got the pyramid for ourselves for a few minutes!

This Pyramid is constructed as a series of square terraces, diminishing in dimension as one moves upwards. It is an architectural marvel because of many reasons. Firstly, during the two Equinoxes of the year, when the Sun shines directly over the equator, the terraces cast a series of triangular shadows on the stairs that join them, giving an illusion of a snake crawling down the stair wall. This was intentional and meant to represent the deity Kukulkan, who was believed have the form of a serpent with feathers!

Secondly, the altar at the top is acoustically engineered to amplify sounds emanating from the base, to produce a chirping sound. This resembles the chirping of the Quetzal bird, sacred to the Mayans. Our guide stood at the base of the Pyramid and clapped his hands twice to give us a demonstration. In a fraction of a second, the sound of a bird echoed back from the altar -something like ‘Pau Pau’! When the temple was functional, instead of claps, drums were used to create this sound, and the drummers synced the beats and echoes with the ‘crawl’ of the snake during the Equinox, to create a mystical atmosphere!

This Pyramid was so beautiful, we maximised our opportunity to click some pics before it got crowded!

The drummers were positioned in three big platforms facing the pyramid. Each platform was richly decorated with stone sculptures.

Next Area was the Ball court. This Ballcourt was so huge, almost 10 times that of Coba!

The guide gave us more background on the Mayan Ball game. This was played on special ceremonial occasions, by the best athletes in the city. The winner got the opportunity to get his head chopped off!!! Yes! The loser got the opportunity to cut the head of the winner! Apparently, it was considered a great honour to sacrifice oneself this way, and a shame to be the loser who decapitates the winner. Strange rituals! This is depicted in carvings on the sides of the court!

The next and last section was the Group of Thousand pillars. As the name sounds, it is a grand construction with many pillars standing upright.

On top of the raised platform, is a ‘Chacmool’ statue. It resembles a man in a reclining position, with a bowl over his stomach. Believed to be representing slain warriers, with bowl for placing offering to Gods!

That was the last section. With that the tour of Chichen Itza was complete and our guide left us so that we can do some exploring on our own. But it was getting hot and after clicking few more pictures, we decided to bid farewell.  On the way out, there were many souvenir shops offering interesting items.

We traced our way back to the hotel, this time from the main entrance. After enjoying a relaxing swim in the pool, we checked out and continued our journey to the final Mayan ruin in our tour – Ek’ Balam.

Visiting Ek’ Balam

Ek’ Balam is a small but interesting Mayan ruin that lies between Chichén Itzá and Playa del Carmen, which was our next destination. We dropped by for a quick visit.

Here the thatched roofs are reconstructed like the olden times and gives you an insight into how the buildings would have looked when they were in use! The main structure in this complex is the Acropolis, believed to contain the tomb of a King that ruled this place once.

Here you can climb the structures (much easier than Coba). Another important feature of this site is the well preserved plaster and carvings that gives an insight into the culture of Mayans!

Upon reaching the top, you get beautiful view of Mayan structures jutting out of the jungle!

With that, we ended our tour of the Mayan ruins and continued our drive to Playa del Carmen on the coast.

Where to Stay

Hacienda Chichen is a wonderful hotel to be based out of, to explore Chichén Itzá! The Hotel as we mentioned earlier is located right next to the complex and has a private entrance. It was an old Spanish Colonial villa or Hacienda, recently refurbished into a hotel. The rooms are spacious and cozy! There is also a large pool in the complex, with tall tropical trees on one side and beautiful lawn on the other! Perfect for a relaxing dip after the visit to the site. The Hotel room rate was ~Rs 13K per night, but we got it almost for free after utilising one of our Free Nights from Hotels.com! The Hotel staff will help arrange a guide for you at standard rate and buy tickets from the counter, just inform on the day before your visit.

About Coba

Coba was once a thriving Mayan city with up to 50,000 inhabitants during it’s peak. Most of the construction here happened between 500 – 900 AD. Now the village surrounding the site have little over 1000 people. It is located just 40~45 minutes North of Tulum.

Visiting the site

The site is vast and structures are spread out. We hired bikes from the hut right after the entrance (50 MXN per bike) to minimise the effort and time required for the visit. The bikes are numbered and there are designated parking spaces near each structure. You can also hire services of a Bike Taxi if you are too tired to cycle. But the road is flat and an easy ride.

The first structures you’ll come across are located right next to the Bicycle rental – Grupo Coba. A massive Pyramid called La Iglesia or The Church is the most prominent structure. You have to wait for the climb, this one is protected.

Cycling on, you reach the next set of ruins – The Ball court. The Mayan Ball game was played here. A ball from rubber was used for this game, and contestants tried to keep it in play using their hips, with the objective of putting them through the hoops on either side of the court.

The next major building was the Observatory. This had a circular base, as opposed to the rectangular base of the Pyramids. This was to keep track of the celestial bodies like Sun, Moon and Stars and synchronise the calendars.

Finally, we arrived at Nohoch Muul Pyramid. This was the last stop. Nohoch Mull apparently means large mound. One look at it and we were like, “Are we REALLY going to climb that ? The mound is REALLY tall!” And it is. At 42m or 130ft, it is the tallest Pyramid in the Yucatan Penninsula.

However, going up was easier than we thought. There is a big rope anchored in the middle, which was used for support. The stones were loose in some places, so we had to watch every step we took, as we climbed higher and higher. Once you reach the top, you are greeted by one of the most beautiful vistas.

Now came the difficult part – Climbing down. It turned out to be far more difficult than climbing up. We had to go down one step at a time – sitting down at each step and crawling downward.

Luckily we made it down without an incident Successfully completed Coba visit! Yaay!

What follows after a tiring climb ? A refreshing dip in a ‘Cenote’

A Cenote is a natural sinkhole found in Yucatan, formed when the limestone ground collapses to expose the groundwater below the surface. There are over 7000 such Cenotes in the Yucatan Penninsula. For the Ancient Mayans, it was a mysterious and sacred place, associated with the underworld. Certain cenotes were used for Human sacrifices, while most of them served as a source of freshwater for the region devoid of any major rivers or lakes!

Just few minutes away from the Coba site, there are 3 beautiful cenotes, perfect for a refreshing swim after a tiring day of sightseeing. They are Choo-Ha, Tamcach-Ha and Multun-Ha. Interesting names! I’ll refer them as Cenotes C, T & M for ease, please bear with me Cenotes C & T are located in same property while M is located slightly further away in a different property. They can be found on Google Maps, near Coba. By the way, visiting a Cenote is not free ! They are preserved and maintained by the owners of the property in which they are located, so they charge a small fee. At the entrance of Cenotes C & T, you can make the payment and get the tickets. Visiting one cenote is 55 MXN per person, but you get a discount of 10 MXN if you purchase all three together. We didn’t know which Cenote was which, so bought the combo ticket.

Cenote Choo-Ha

This was our first Cenote experience. There were shower/change rooms with curtains outside and a place to rent life-vests (@ 35 MXN pp). We  showered, changed to swimwear and entered the cenote. Viewing from the outside, the entrance is just a hole in the ground with winding wooden stairs leading you downward into darkness!

When you exit the stairs you enter this big chamber! There are two pools, one on the right which was large and occupied by a few people, and a small one on the left which was empty when we came.

Got the pool on the left for ourselves for few minutes, before another couple arrived. Because of that we were able to get a pic of ourselves

Cenote Tamcach-Ha & Multun-Ha

After exiting Cenote C, we got back in the car and drove a few hundred meters to the next Cenote in the property. This one seemed more crowded as there were lot of vans and cars parked outside. Once inside, we knew why! This Cenote was in the shape of a giant, deep well, with stairs taking you all the way down to the water level! At 5m & 10m height from the water level, the stairs had diving platforms. Both adults and kids were having the time of their lives running up, diving and repeating. Rahul decided to jump from 5m board. And trust me it is higher than it looks!

The last stop was Cenote M, located in a property a km away from the ticket booth on the same road we came from Coba. This one was also crowded, primarily because it was well lit, deep and clear, enabling people to have a good snorkeling experience there.  However, we were so exhausted after the first two cenotes, so just clicked a few pics and left.

Before you go, don’t Forget to…

Carry lots of water – There is only one shop at the very end that sells food and drinks, that too at a premium. Best is to carry a bottle or two in a day pack.

Wear proper shoes – As you saw, climbing up and down the pyramid is tricky due to the huge stones. To minimise the chances of slipping and hurting yourself, wear proper shoes and avoid sandals or slippers.

Arrive early in morning or just after lunch – As with any monument, best way to visit is in the morning. But incase you can’t make it, try visiting after lunch. The heat keeps most people away.

Bring bath towels, soap and swimwear – If planning to swim in a Cenote, you have to take a shower first and rinse off all the synthetic chemicals on you body – Hair gel/Make Up etc – as the cenotes are delicate. While showers, restrooms and changing rooms are available before going down, there are no other amenities. So bring your own.

Research Cenotes to Swim – Do a bit of research on what kind of Cenotes you prefer to visit. Cenote C is perfect for non-swimmers to take a dip and enjoy the cool waters and avoiding the crowd. Cenote T is perfect for people who like to jump from high platforms into water. Finally Cenote M is perfect for those who want to snorkel in a cave.

Reaching Coba

Best way to reach Coba is to be a part of a Tour group that starts from the major tourist centres. The other options is self drive. The Coba village is just 45 minutes north of Tulum. After visiting Coba if you wish to get to the Cenotes, you have to go outside of the town for a few Kms. The entrances are well marked or you can navigate there via Google Maps.

Staying in Coba

Coba is a small town and best visited while being based out of the nearby towns. We continued onwards to Chichen Itza, our next destination, after swimming at Cenotes, and stayed there. About that in next post. Stay tuned

Answer – Tulum, Mexico.

Tulum is a bohemian beach town located less than 2 hours south of the popular resort city of Cancún in Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico.

This town is famous for is laid back and backpacker atmosphere, giving a feeling of Mexican beach town – a stark contrast to the very commercial resort zone in Cancún! Tulum is a perfect place to just relax on the beach, sip a cocktail or two and enjoy Mexican food.

However, the major attraction that draws tourists from the region are the Mayan Ruins here. This is a unique archaeological site, as it is sandwiched between the Carribean Sea and the Tropical Yucatan Jungle.

Tips for Visiting Tulum Ruins

Tulum Ruins are relatively small and can be covered in just 2 hours. Many people visit Tulum Ruins as part of a day tour from Cancún. But this means you arrive at the site along with hoards of tourists around 10am.  So the best option is to arrive at Tulum just before the opening time of 8am. For this, either you start early from Cancún or stay overnight at Tulum. This allows you skip the tourist hoards and get the ruins almost for yourself, presenting opportunities to snap some great photographs without any people filling the frames! The temperature and humidity would be conducive as well, as it peaks closer to noon.

If you are reaching by means of a rented car, the official parking lot is a reliable place to keep your car, but it is expensive – 70 MXN ! Compare this to the Entry ticket at 65 MXN per person. There is a 5 minute walk from the Parking area to the Ticket Counter. This can be covered in a tractor pulled train for 20 MXN per person if you are in a hurry.

How to Reach Tulum?

The closest well connected major airport is Cancún. From here you can either rent a car and self drive to Tulum. We opted for this option and rented our car from National Car Rental. Otherwise, you can opt for a Private Transfer to Tulum offered by many Travel Agents, bookable online in advance. Or if in already in Cancun city, you can take Tourist bus that runs this route.

Where to Stay?

Being close to the protected environmental zone, most accommodation in Tulum are Eco-friendly and expensive. We stayed in a small Boutique hotel, with just 8 Rooms and a Private Beach called Piedra Escondida. Nightly rate was ~Rs 18K including breakfast. The room was right on the beach and had beautiful unobstructed view of the beach. Another reason for choosing this hotel was the Private Parking lot offered by the hotel. If you see the Google street maps, you’ll realise that the hotels and shops are located on either side of a one lane road. So parking is difficult to find.

In this post rather than giving a definitive guide to the city, I am covering top tourist attractions one could squeeze in a day. London, infamous for its gloomy weather didn’t help me in getting good pictures, especially on a winter day.

Westminster Abbey 

Located to the west of Palace of Westminster, the Abbey is one of the UK’s most religious buildings and the traditional place of coronation and burial sites for British Monarchs.

Palace of Westminster

Palace of Westminster, commonly known as ‘Houses of Parliament’ has the status of UNESCO World heritage site for its gothic architecture and style. The most famous part of the palace is the clock tower which houses the Big Ben. This iconic palace lies on the north bank of river Thames in central London and is open to visitors for tours, debates or committees.

London Eye

London eye is situated right in the tourist heart of London and gracefully rotates over River Thames, opposite the Houses of Parliament and the Big Ben. Also known as the Millennium Wheel, it has become a global icon in a short period of time. Visit to London will be incomplete if you miss this giant symbol.

For one rotation, the eye takes 30 mins and peak hour queues are lengthy. Hence, if you plan to get for the ride, do book your tickets in advance. We had very less time and weather was not great for a visit.

Tower Bridge

It is the most popular landmark for both locals and visitors alike. This beautiful structure is best viewed from a distance, across the river, to appreciate its beauty and observe the unique operation. There are seats in the surroundings To see the inner workings one can take a ticket and enter.

Once you view it from a distance, do take a walk on the bridge. It is a must do! . It’s an easy, walk. One can spend hours at this place, with facilities

Andaman & Nicobar Islands are located off the eastern coast of India in the Bay of Bengal. I had visited the islands in 2012 with my friends already. That’s when I first got exposed to the underwater world and my passion for diving sparked. It was a Discover Scuba program, wherein you are accompanied by a guide and limited to very shallow waters for safety.  Now that I have a Basic certification, I can do the Advanced Open Water diver course followed by some fun diving of the beautiful dive sites there. Advanced Open Water course lets you dive deeper sites – as deep as 30m below the surface! The course also makes you more familiar with the Scuba equipment, dive science, underwater conditions and navigation.

I chose Dive India in Havelock for this trip – the first and most experienced Dive Centre in Havelock – with whom I also had my first Discover Scuba experience back in 2012. They had a 6D Dive package, which included Advanced Certification, 8 Fun Dives, Accommodation and return transfers from Port Blair to Havelock, all for Rs. 45000! Getting to Andamands is also easy now as GoAir operates direct flights between Mumbai and Port Blair.

Finally, the day came to leave for Andamans. It was a mixed feeling as I would be staying away from Swati for a week So for a change, I boarded a vacation flight with a heavy heart!

The journey from Mumbai to Havelock went smoothly. I was picked up by Dive India person at Port Blair airport and transferred to the Makruzz Ferry just in the nick of time. Once the Ferry reached Havelock, there was a person with a car to transfer me to the Dive Centre on the Island.

The Dive Centre is co-located with Island Vinnies Resort (Accomodation) and a restaurant Full Moon cafe. I checked in, met the instructors, filled the forms and just relaxed in the beautiful Island paradise!

First two days were dedicated to getting the Advanced Certification. Vikas was my instructor. I completed the Navigation, Naturalist, Photography, Deep Water and Night dives to complete the course. The Night dive was a shore dive under the Super Moon – an unforgettable experience.

Once the Course was completed, the remaining days consisted of Fun Dives in the sites around Havelock. Sites I dived include – The Slope, Wall, Dixon’s Pinnacle, Pilot Reef, Nemo Reef, Johny’s Gorge, 2 Fathom Rock, I-95, Wreck of S.S Inchkett, White House Rock and Aquarium. It is difficult to individually descibe each dive, so I’ve made a video for you to get a flavour of the experience! Barring 2 or 3 dives, Visibility was great. However, the sea was a little choppy owing to the effect of the super moon!

Exploring Valparaiso

After our experience in Santiago, we decided to stick to Tour 4 Tips in Valparaiso as well to explore the city. They have 2 tours – Valparaiso Offbeat at 10am and Valparaiso Highlights at 3pm. Both start from Plaza Sotomayor, a central square in the city which can be easily reached by taking a local bus from the main bus terminal.  We had time for only one, so opted for the Offbeat tour, which covers Downtown areas and offers you a glimpse of murals.

At 10am you will find the Guides waiting at the Square dressed bright Red-White striped shirts – who refer themselves as Wally’s – Like Where’s Wally. Once its 10am, groups are formed and after short introductions they take you for Walking tour of Valparaiso. They are friendly, informative and will immerse you in history without boring you (Well, except when they start discussing Pinochet & Allende).

Valparaíso is very famous for its Murals and Graffiti. While Mural is considered an Art form done with permission, Graffiti is vandalism. The guides take you through neighbourhoods having both. A few snapshots from the tour below.

You also get to ride two major forms of transport – the old Trolleybus and the City Bus – with the Guides and group. The Tour finishes at their office, located in an old classic Apartment . You get to taste Jote – Wine+Coke drink – as you conclude the tour The tour is offered for free and if you like their services, you can tip them at the end. They neither force you or emotionally appeal to you to get the tip! You also get to ask any questions regarding the city and get free maps and directions.

Exploring the City on our own

Post a quick lunch at an Asian Restaurant – Tokyo House – we went about exploring the city on our own. There were two items on our list. First, to ride the Historic funiculars and then enjoy the famed colourful houses in the Historic Quarter.

First was the Funicular. The Guide told us beautiful one was located near the main square – Concepción. In operation since 1833, this is a small ride for 300CLP one way.

Riding the funicular brings you to Cerro Concepción, a hill overlooking the bay and Historic Quarter of Valparaiso. From here you can get a panoramic view of the city and the colourful houses of Valparaiso.

After that we decided to head back to our Hotel. Took the local bus to the Terminal and an intercity bus back to Pajeritos.

Getting to Valparaíso

Valparaíso is primarily by Bus or Car. Easiest way is to take a Bus from Pajaritos Bus Terminal in Santiago. There is no need to book in advance, you can show up 1 hour before the trip and buy a ticket from the Counter. There are many Private companies running their services on an hourly basis. The Buses are air-conditioned and have reclining seats.

Getting around Valparaíso

Valparaiso is a small city and has a good public transport system. You can use the cheap Tolleybus or Buses which follow circular routes to Navigate the City. To move uptown-downtown you can use the historic ascensores or funiculars.

Our must see destination!

Located on Easter island (Or Rapa Nui) are more than 800 Stone monolithic figures, called Moai. While Archaeologists and Historians have come up with many theories, they not yet know exactly why or how they were made! The most ‘out-of-the-word’ explanation is that they were made under the influence of Extra-Terrestrials – which Rahul likes to believe. He has been wanting to visit the Island ever since watching the old Jonny Quest Episode and then learning more about the same in multiple Documentaries. So when we planned our trip to South America, it became a must see destination.

Story Behind the Moai

So, who are the Moai ? In short, they are believed to be representations of Chieftains of the Native Tribes on the Island. They were erected when a Chief died. Each Tribe had a Ceremonial Platform, called the Ahu on which the Moai where raised. The more Richer and Powerful the Tribe, larger and bigger were the Ahus and Moais they built.

The First Moais resembled stone blocks. As time progressed, Moai building technology also advanced and more intricate and lifelike designs were made. You can see evolution of the Moai in the following picture (From Right to Left)

The latest ‘design’ had eyes, made of Coral Stones. They also had a ‘Top Knot’ meant to represent the hairdo of the Chieftain. The following is a reconstruction of a Moai.

The largest Ahu can be found in Ahu Tongarikki – There are 15 of them, located against a great backdrop of the Pacific Ocean and the Island Coast.

Most of the Ahus are located on the coast, with Moais facing towards the centre of the Island. This is so as the elders can shower blessings on the Islanders living there and their Farms for good produce. However, there is one Ahu, situated inland. Here the Moai face towards the sea. Any guesses why ? The Tribe that built it where Fishing Tribe. They live near the coast and work in the sea – so directions are reversed!

Decline of the Moai

The First European ship arrived in 1722. The Islanders were astonished by the fair, clothed folks with advanced technology. Disillusioned and disappointed with their beliefs, they toppled the Moais. When James Cook arrived in 1774, many Moais were in toppled state – many remain in that state still.

We still didn’t say how they were built or transported right ? That’s the biggest mystery. We know where they were built though – in the quarry at extinct Volcano of Rano Raraku. The Artisans made base models and were customised to suit needs of the Tribe that came shopping You can still see many incomplete Moais lying there – even a huge 22 foot one!

Large Moai – Under Construction when the ‘factory’ shut

Rise of the Birdman cult

Many years after the Moai phase elapsed, the Birdman Competition rose to popularity. An annual contest, where specially trained athletes representing each tribe would compete in a life or death contest to get the egg of the Manu Tara bird from the small Island Motu Nui off the coast, braving the sharp cliffs and rough sea.

Other Points of Interest

Apart from the Moais, Ahus and Birdman related places, Easter Island has beautiful landscape. If you have time, you can visit Anakena Beach for a refreshing swim!

Useful Travel Information

Getting there

In spite of its remoteness, Easter Island is a popular Tourist destination and has an Airport with daily flights to Santiago in Chile. There is also a weekly flight to Tahiti – the only International connection. We flew in from Santiago on the daily LATAM flight. Tickets are on the expensive side and flights are full, so do book in advance.

Getting around

You don’t need more than 3 days on the island. It will take 2 days to cover all the main attractions and is best to join an organised group tour. On the third day, you can rent a car and explore the island on your own. We were crunched on time, so stuck to the 2 day itinerary and explored the Island with Tours A  & B from Easter Island Travel. You can read our review here.

Accommodation & Food

Being so remote, cost of living is on the higher side on the Island. We stayed in a B&B 10 minutes away from the town centre (Read review here). There are restaurants in town where you can order a meal or Super-markets from where you can buy stuff and cook at your place.

1. Ride the Funicular to San Cristóbal Hill

San Cristóbal Hill or Cerro San Cristóbal is the highest point in the city located within the Santiago Metropolitan Park. To get to the top we suggest you ride the Funicular uphill. The queue gets longer as the day progresses, so it is suggested to tick this off first. The ride is a short one and has only one stop en-route – Santiago Zoo. As you rise up, you get to see the view of Santiago city revealing in front of you. Once you reach the top, you can buy some thing to much from the many vendors and check out the 360º view of the city. At the summit of the hill is the statue of Virgin Mary.

2. Take a Walking Tour

Tour 4 Tips is a great agency offering guided walking tour of the city. The tour is Pay-what-you-like, as in if you like their services, you can tip them at the end. We took the Santiago Highlights Tour which covers the Historic Centre of Santiago. The Tour starts outside Bellas Artes Museum at 3pm. You can spot the Guides wearing White & Red striped shirts (like Wally in Find Wally) waiting at the spot – just walk up and introduce yourself. Once it’s time, they’ll organise into English and Spanish speaking groups and start the Tour.

The Tour lasts approximate 3 hours and you get to see different areas of Santiago – The Hip Lastarria neighbourhood, La Moneda Palace and the Heart of the City – Plaza de Armas.

That’s about it  We really wish we could have spent more time here, taking in the culture, cuisine and interacting with local people, but may be next time. We just got a glimpse of it and barely scratched the surface. Being the capital of the most prosperous country in Latin America, Santiago is well connected by Air, Land and Sea. Accommodation is easy to find, however we stayed in the Airport Transit Hotel to save multiple transfers, as we had 4 flights in/out combined.

Journey to San Pedro de Atacama : Crossing the Bolivia-Chile land border

So, on the third and final day of our Salar de Uyuni Tour (Read here), our Driver/Guide dropped us at the Bolivia-Chile border high up in the Altiplano. After stamping our passports at the Bolivian Border post, we boarded the mini-van which was supposed to take us to San Pedro de Atacama (SPdA for short), the nearest Chilean town and main gateway to the Atacama Region. The drive is a slow descent, from 4500m+ to 2600m! Not only does the landscape change, but also the infrastructure! Chile is one of the most developed countries in South America, while Bolivia is one of the poorest.

The mini-van took us to the Chilean Border post, at the entrance to the town of SPdA. The officials were happy to see the pre-issued visa and filled forms and stamped the passport without any delay. The baggage had to be unloaded from the van and screened. It is advised not to carry any Food or Organic material from Bolivia to Chile. Post that the driver dropped each tourist to their respective Hostels in the town

San Pedro de Atacama – Desert Tourist town in the foothills of Andes

The small tourist town has a desert theme, most buildings and establishments have a shade of brown or yellow! Tourism is the major livelihood and there are many restaurants, hostels, tour operators and souvenir shops, all catering to the passing tourists – meaning higher prices everywhere!

We stayed in Hostal Desert, a small cozy Bed & Breakfast, 10~15mins walk from Centro or the town centre.

Major Attractions

There are Four major attractions – Geyser field, Moon Valley, Altiplanic Lakes and Green lake, each of which can be visited as part of half day guided tour – requiring 2 Full days to complete. There are other places of interest, but not worth exploring unless you intend to stay longer. We visited only the first two (described in detail below), as the last two were similar to the sights we saw during our Salt Flat tour.

Tatio Geysers field and Town of Machuca

This is the most spectacular attraction and must see if you are here. World’s third largest active geyser field with more than 80 geysers! They become super active when the sunrises, venting out steam and bubbling gases. To see this sight, you have to start very early – at 5am – braving sub-zero temperatures. But it’s totally worth it!We opted for the Tour Agency  Turismo Grado 10. They are slightly expensive, for a valid reason. They have a unique Mercedes Truck-Bus for transportation, which also doubles as a mobile kitchen. So when other Agencies give you cold breakfast boxes, here you get a freshly cooked hot breakfast! Also, they give blankets to keep yourself warm!

Once the sun is up and shining, the steam vents die down and people head over for a dip in the hot springs on site. The water is not ‘hot’ as we know it. It is just warmer than the surrounding temperature. We didn’t brave to go anywhere near as it was still freezing for us.

On the way back, we stopped at a Machuca village. It is a small settlement of Atacama people, who have inhabited this region from historic times.

Here I finally got a chance to taste Alpaca meat! Swati couldn’t bear the thought of eating cute Alpacas so she decided to stay inside the bus!

On our way back we made couple of more photo stops.

This is another must do tour in SPdA. The arid nature of the region has provided it the features of an Alien landscape, most comparable to surface of the Moon. Located 30 minutes outside the town, both this region is located in the Los Flamencos National Reserve. The trip is again best taken as part of an organised group tour in an evening.

First part of the tour consists of crawling through caves. These are covered in salt deposites. Looks like mud, but it is solid rock. Our group consisted of 20 odd people. Best is to either be in the front, or better be at the back. This helps in capturing some good photographs. Otherwise there would be people in front and back. Also try to arrive before the tourist groups come in truckloads, then it gets really cramped!

After emerging from the cave, we board the van for a short drive to see sand dunes. After a short walk and climb on a sand hill, you get to a vantage point from which you can appreciate the desert landscape!

Penultimate stop on the tour were some rock formations that formed as a result of wind erosion. These were termed the Three Marys, but one tourist broke a figure while posing. Since then people are not allowed near them.

Last stop was the most scenic – the panoramic view of the Moon Valley, with Andes in the background. Here you wait and see the sun set. The most interesting phenomenon is when the sun goes below the horizon. You’ll see that the Andes mountain range change colour from brown to pink!

With that, our time at San Pedro de Atacama came to an end. We opted for a transfer to the nearest airport – Calama – and took the evening flight to Santiago de Chile.

The Altiplano region is a high plateau in the Andes mountain range, semi-arid to arid, stretching across Peru, Bolivia and Chile. Our first stop for the day was unplanned as the other 4×4 suffered a puncture.

We moved on without much delay and stopped at a beautiful valley where Llamas were grazing.

After close encounter with the Llamas, we moved on. Around lunch time, we arrived at this vast plain with thousands of boulders surrounded by mountains. All the mountains were ancient extinct volcanoes, and the boulders cooled down mega-eruption. After solidification, they were sculpted to strange shapes by wind and sand.

After the tasty picnic lunch in the middle of the boulder field, we started our ascent. The vegetation disappeared, air became colder, drier and thinner! Soon we came across the first Altiplano lake – a mineral rich salt lake inhabited by flock of flamingoes. We couldn’t believe the birds could survive in this harsh climate!

There major species of Flamingos found here are Andean Flamingos and James’s Flamingos. They get their distinct pink colour from eating the algae in the lake.

We made our next stop at Árbol de Piedra or stone tree. An isolated stone formation in the Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve. Again, this rock formation is a result of constant erosion over the centuries by strong winds that also carries sand particles.

The last stop was the most dramatic for the day – Laguna Colorada or the Red Lagoon! As the name suggests, the lake here is Red in colour, with white borax islands. The red colour is due to red pigments and algae that feed on them.

The last stop for the day was an active geothermal field at 4900m! The temperature by this time had dropped to 5ºC. The area had distinct sulphur smell with fumes rising steadily into the air.

After this we continued our journey to the small lodge in the middle of nowhere! While the last night’s place had steady electricity and running water throughout the night, this one had it only till 10.30pm. We had read online that it is best to freshen up at night when water is running, as the toilets would be unbearable next morning – and it was true! There was a ‘hot spring’ near by, to which our fellow travellers eagerly rushed to for a dip. By hot they meant 15ºC! Our priority was to just survive the night! Fortunately, the thick blankets provided helped us scrape through the night as the mercury hit sub-zero!

The last day of the tour consisted of just two stops. First was Desierto de Dalí or Salvador Dalí Desert. It is a barren landscape with rock formations that resemble Dalí’s art.

The final stop was yet another beautiful lagoon – Laguna Verde or Green Lagoon. A stunning green salt lake, at the foot of the extinct Volcano Licancabur.

On the other side of Licancabur Volcano above lay Chile. As we had opted for drop at San Pedro de Atacama, we said bye to our fellow travellers and alighted at the Bolivian border post. The last 3 days gave us an adventure of a lifetime, and we highly recommend you to take this tour if ever in Bolivia/Chile! But this trips requires some preparation – read this article for our tips.

The Salt Flats begin on the outskirts of the small town of Uyuni in Bolivia. The major highlights can be covered in a one day tour. But there are combo packages which take you deeper and higher into the Altiplano region. We opted for the 3 Day/2 Night Tour and went ahead with Red Planet Expedition – one of the most highly recommended tour operators. In this post I’ll try to share the first day’s experience – which is more about exploring the Salt Flats.

Getting to Uyuni

To explore the Salt Flats, first you have to reach Uyuni. To get there, you need to either take a morning flight from La Paz or an overnight bus. We took the bus (Todo Turismo).  Either way, you reach the town in the morning, just in time to freshen up and start the tour on the same day – around 10.30am. The town is very small, but has establishment that cater to basic needs – Supermarket, Restaurants, Hostels, Money Exchange etc. We arrived at 7am, took a cab for few Bolivars to the office of our Tour Operator – Red Planet Expedition. We freshened up, made the payment for the tour, had breakfast and bought essential supplies from the town (Like Drinking Water, Snacks etc). By that time, the 4×4 was prepped and ready to go!

First stop – Train Cemetery

This region is very rich in minerals and is an important source of revenue for Bolivia. Railway lines were laid in the past to transport these minerals across the border to Chile to ship it out. Train Locomotives were brought from Britain. But the routes didn’t operate long and were abandoned eventually. All the locomotives were dumped in what is now popularly termed as Train Cemetery or Graveyard. This is the starting point for all Salt Flat tours.

Onwards to the Salt Factory

Last stop before venturing out into the Salt flats was a local market for lunch, refreshments and some souvenir shopping. Here they showed us how Salt is mined locally- yes, for consumption – in small scale. Salt is made into bricks in the field, transported to the factory, powdered and purified.

Finally…We reach the Salt Flats!

Yes! It begins here. As our 4×4 crossed the market, the landscape began to change. From brown the colour kept fading till it became pure white! We have entered Salar de Uyuni!

Perspective Photographs

If you Google Salar de Uyuni, there are high chances that you will come across many strange photographs that appear unreal. Since the land is absolutely flat & white, and horizon is empty due to vastness, here you can take amazing trick photographs!

Rahul researched in advance, learned the science behind it, even had some props ready. But it is not that easy. It is difficult to take these photos with a DSLR, Mobile Camera works best. And to get the shot right, you need some coaching (from the very able driver/guide) and some practice! Trust him with your Mobile phone and he will create magic!!!

Fish Island or Isla Incahuasi

After having had fun with Perspective photography, we continued the drive through the salt flats to reach Isla Incahuasi, otherwise popularly known as Fish Island! When the prehistoric lake existed this was an Island, now a hill. In an hours time you can climb to the summit for stunning panoramic views! The Island has Giant cacti that can reach up to a height of 10m! Their wood can be used to make furniture!

If you look closely at the rocks/soil on the island, you’ll observe they are of coral origins. Yes, this was a coral island long long time ago, now they are fossilised!

Sunset

Sunset on the salt flats is a surreal experience. From bright white the landscape fades away as the sun disappears below the horizon.

If you have opted for the Day Tours, usually you head back to Uyuni. But we had 2 more days of exploring the Altiplano region beyond, so we continued to our night camp.

Staying in a Salt Hotel

I have heard of ice hotels in Scandinavia, but a salt hotel ? Yes, we spent the night in a hotel made of salt bricks! The ground was rock salt, while bed and walls were made of salt bricks. Since we were a couple, we got a whole room with attached bathroom for ourselves. Everything was gas powered here. I wanted to take a bath and there was not hot water (although they mentioned it would be available). Then Rahul went and said something in Spanish and finally after some time got Hot water. But it was a bad decision to take a bath! As soon as I got out I started freezing. However, it didn’t last long and we had a good night sleep!

Tiwanaku is 2 hours outside of La Paz and best visited as a day trip from there with a knowledgable guide. The visit starts in the Museum (where no photos are allowed) and continues on to the Archaeological site.

Next is the Kalasasaya Mound, surrounded by huge stone wall on all sides.

On top of the mound are two notable structures. First, and the most famous – The Sun Gate. It is made from single stone, with intricate carvings. In an attempt to move it last century, it broke in half. But still, a very impressive structure. It is said that this gateway was once adorned with gold. The holes had golden statues inlaid.

The most interesting section is the top.  A closer look reveals that there are three rows, one for each world in Tiwanaku Mythology – Condor for Heavens or Sky, Puma for Earth and Snake for underworld. At the centre is the Creator diety – Viracocha, isolated from all three worlds by a barrier. Those who believe in Ancient Aliens believe that Viracocha was one of them.

Near the Sun gate is the second interesting structure – a 7 foot tall idol. Notice the fingers – something unusual about them right ?

Outside the mound you find a strange subterranean or sunk temple. Symbolic of the underworld, this sunken pit is surrounded by stone walls with hundreds of faces jutting out.

Each face is unique. The design evolved over the centuries. Some of them doesn’t look human!

Around this area there are more ancient sites, but spark the interest of Archaeologists rather than tourists as they are either not excavated or unrestored.

Post our visit we enjoyed lunch at a nearby restaurant and returned to La Paz.

Enjoy the City View from Mirador Killi Killi

This is a small Park outside the city, on top of a hill with Free Entrance and a vantage point to observe the city skyline.

La Paz – Capital of Bolivia, View from Mirador Killi Killi

Visit the Witches’ Market

This is an eerie place. A dilapidated street, with stores selling all sorts of voodoo stuff with witch doctors on streets. People visit them seeking solutions to common problems in life – birth of a baby, getting a good alliance, securing a job, procuring wealth etc. The witch doctors listen to their requests, ask them to buy a list of offerings, which are readily available in the stores. Then they do a ritual and burn the offerings on the road. The offerings could be as simple as fruits, books, wood and as scary as dried baby llamas! More expensive and exquisite the offering, more effective the ritual! Also, the service list also includes bringing harm and ill to your enemies!

Colonial buildings at Calle Jean

Calle Jean is a small street in La Paz which has few well preserved colonial buildings. Most of them are now either Art shops or Museums.

Take the Cable Car ‘Teleferico”

La Paz is on a slightly lower altitude than the immediate neighbouring city of El Alto. Unlike western countries, where a higher area is prime property, here the property in lower areas are more valued. This is because the higher grounds doesn’t still get running water or electricity all year round. So most of the working population stay in El Alto and come down to La Paz to work. The biggest problem was time needed for commute. Going up and down through winding roads in a bus was not practical. So the government constructed the first cable car public transit. Usually you see cable cars at tourist spots. Here it is part of daily life. A ride from El Alto to La Paz is a great experience !

Umpteen varieties of Potato in Robert Rodriguez Food Market

The Food market in La Paz has striking resemblance to the ones you find in India. Vendors with produce in the open, mostly stacked in sacks. But the surprise here is the number of different types of Potatoes you can find. They come in all sorts of sizes and shapes!

Unfortunately, we couldn’t visit areas in historic central square as there was a protest going on. Police had blocked all traffic and pedestrian access to the area. It was not safe as well.

Crossing Peru-Bolivia International border by land

Our first stop was border town of Yunguyo. Here we alighted from the bus and carried our belongings to the Peruvian Immigration office (See Control de Migratario office below). Unfortunately there was no power and we had to wait for a while before we could finish our exit formalities. So we exchanged our Peruvian Soles and US Dollars for few Bolivars at the Exchange nearby. Once we got the seal on our Passport, we grabbed our luggage and walked towards the border (the Arch you can see in the distance). Pushing and Pulling heavy luggage at this altitude is no easy task mind you! Both of us were panting vigorously by the time we reached the gate.

Once we crossed the arch, we were received by the Bolivia Hop guide and escorted to the Bolivian Immigration counter. It is possible to get a Visa on Arrival for Indian citizens here. However we had managed to get a free Tourist visa from the consulate back home, so the process was same as in any other airport – Fill the Entry form, submit the same with Passport and get the stamp.

Once everyone in the group got their Passports stamped, we boarded the bus on Bolivian side. Now this bus was a different one than the one in Peru side, as vehicles cannot cross here. Slightly lesser in terms of comfort. In an hour or so we reached Copacabana, a small town on the shores of Lake Titicaca on the Bolivian side. We had arranged a Tour to Isla del Sol, one of the Islands on Lake Titicaca. First we had our lunch at a restaurant overlooking the lake and then set off to Isla del Sol.

Visit to Isla del Sol

We boarded the boat at 2pm for Isla del Sol. We cruised through at a steady pace and reached the island in 30-40 minutes.

We got down at this small jetty on the southern side of the island.

The water was very clear near the shore, and dark blue from a distance. Although it looks tempting for a swim, water here was cold <10°C!

The boatman gave us 1 hr on the Island. We had to walk across the whole island, through the pathway to Yumani village on the northern side where he planned to pick us up at 4pm, for the journey back. At slowest pace he said we wont require more than 45 mins, including time for photo stops. But what we didn’t factor is that the lake is at an altitude of 3800m and the island is at a higher level than the same which meant some climbing.

But it was worth it. The first stop on the way was the Incan Ruins of Pilka Kaina, a two level stone complex which you can enter.

Afterwards the path cut across the island in a more or less same level. So we utilised the time for some photo-sessions! The view of the lake from here was stunning!

We were able to make time and soon the village came in sight.

When we saw the jetty, our boatman was already waiting there, waving vigorously at us asking to come down fast! Looked like he wanted to go back home fast – in factwe reached back in lesser time than before We observed the sunset on lake Titicaca from the jetty and soon the bus arrived to pick us up for our onward journey to La Paz, capital of Bolivia.

After 3~4 hours, we reached La Paz. The bus dropped us in front of the hotel where we were staying for the night.

The Floating Islands of Uros are actually man-made islands, constructed by Uru people who inhabit them. The local lady who lived on the Island demonstrated to us how these Islands are ‘made’ using Totora reeds which grow in Lake Titicaca.

The reeds have a very thick root which also happens to float when cut out. They are harvested and then anchored to the bottom of the lake with ropes.

Walking on the Island feels like walking on a mat, with a slight sinking feeling. When we visited in the morning there was ice crystals in the straw from overnight. We could feel the coldness through our shoes!

They also cultivate reeds and use them to make houses, boats, souvenirs, mats etc.

Reed boats. For an extra fee you can take a ride on them.

Most of the descendants of the original Uros people have moved to shore. Now only a handful families remain, primarily to preserve the culture and make a living out of tourists that come here.

With that we bid good bye to the Uru people and Puno and continued towards the border of Peru and Bolivia.

]]> http://unboundexplorers.com/2016/05/15/puno-uros-islands/feed/ 0 http://unboundexplorers.com/2016/05/14/the-andean-explorer/ http://unboundexplorers.com/2016/05/14/the-andean-explorer/#respond Sat, 14 May 2016 19:37:48 +0000 http://unboundexplorers.com/?p=115 After Machu Picchu, this was one of the major highlights of our trip – The Andean Explorer – First Class train that operates between Cuzco and Puno. Rated amongst the Top 25 Train Journeys in the world, the Andean Explorer takes you from Ancient capital of Cuzco at 11500ft to Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca at 12500ft. During the 10 hour journey you are pampered with gourmet meals, live performances and stunning views of the beautiful Andes mountains!

The reservations have to be made well in advance via the Peru Rail website – same company that operates trains to Machu Picchu. You can take the train either from Cusco to Puno or vice versa. It is not cheap! The ride from Cusco to Puno will set you off by $300+ per person, but trust me it is worth it!

The Experience

Upon reaching the Cusco station (Wanchaq), our bags were collected by porters and we were escorted to a VIP lounge where we were ‘checked-in’. While the train was being prepared for departure, we were offered refreshments in this area.

After few minutes, a service staff approached us and personally escorted to our seats in the coach. We were blown away by the luxurious wood interiors and spacious seats. It was the first time we were traveling in a First class tourist rain. The train had 3 Passenger compartments, a Bar car, an Observatory car, a pantry car and a storage car.

Passenger Car

Once all the passengers boarded, the guard gave the signal and the train slowly pulled out of the station. In a short time we exited the city limits of Cusco and started our winding journey through the Andes.

The observation deck was the most busy space. This is the most unique part of the train. It is like the Guard cabin of freight trains in India. You get unobstructed view of both sides of the track. The most interesting time is when the train goes through a curve. We tried to capture the same in different landscapes!

Another interesting photo opportunity is the view from the back of the train, again as it passes through different landscapes.

Soon we were asked for our preference for lunch. Looking at the menu, the names looked straight out of a Master Chef show. Thankfully, it was a set menu and we just had to choose between two options for each course except dessert. I ordered meat dishes (Fish & Beef), while Swati opted for vegetarian dishes. They were served soon with excellent presentation, making us wonder how they manage to do on a moving train! They were as tasty as they looked!

Soon after lunch, the train pulled into La Raya station – the highest point on the route – and the only stop where we can get out. The station is nothing much but a platform, with a souvenir market and Church right next to it. When all the passengers got busy shopping, we got the whole train for ourselves! Being a fan of trains since childhood, I couldn’t resist going around taking a few shots of the train. Since it was stationary, it was a great opportunity to get some HDR images!

The train moved on, continuing through barren valleys after this. Around 4pm, the next activity was ready. Announcement was made that soon live performance will begin in the Bar/Observatory car! Since our coach was right next to it, we went and got ourselves a seat right away. But as the passengers came in, we realised most of them were Senior Citizens and we gladly gave our seats to few elderly. Soon the artists came, quickly set up the instruments and started their performance, playing traditional music.

After a while, a young lady came dressed in traditional clothes and started a dance performance in between the crowd.

After watching a round of performance we returned to our seats and relaxed for a while. The slowly came out of the rural areas and entered the outskirts of town Juliaca. Now, the route between Cusco and Puno does not have any other passenger trains operating. It is just the two Andean Explorers that pass through here, and an occasional freight trains. So as far as the local population is concerned, the tracks are too a valuable real-estate. If you ask me why, see below –

As soon as the train passed, pedestrians, shoppers and vendors returned to carry on with life as usual! After passing through multiple such markets and streets, we entered Juliaca station.

Here the train made a technical stop and moved on. Light faded quickly afterwards as the sun set. This meant all the lights on the train has to be turned on! It was a challenge to take photos in low light on a moving train, but some how managed to get a basic shots to give you a feel how the train looks at night!

We arrived in Puno on time. By the time we were led out of the train, our luggage was arranged outside according to carriages, making it easy for identification.  We had 3 big bags with us and were struggling to find a cab, when the Service Manger approached us and offered us a city cab at the local standard rates.

The whole end-to-end service was top notch and this trip exceeded all our expectations. It was the most memorable train journey so far!

After returning to Ollantaytambo after our Machu Picchu trip, we transferred back to Cusco the same day. Next day we decided to join a City Tour to see Cusco that covered the major attractions.

Cusco Cathedral : The most distinguishable building in the Plaza de Armas or centre of the city, Cusco Cathedral was built in 1654 over an existing Inca temple – Kiswarkancha. It also had the objective of eradicating the Inca pagan religion and establishing Christianity amongst the natives. This building has many beautiful and important relics inside. Unfortunately, no photographs are permitted inside, so once the tour was over we took some pictures from the outside at night.

Church & Convent of Santo Domingo and Korikancha: Korikancha was the main temple of Incas dedicated to the Sun God Inti. The temple was constructed of perfectly carved huge stone blocks interlocked with each other. It is said that once it was completely covered with gold sheets with gold statues filling the spaces. All the gold was taken and molten down by Incas themselves to fund the ransom demanded by Pizarro to release the last Inca King Atahualpa. Pizarro abducted the King and demanded a room be filled with gold to secure his release. Poor Incas did do, but ultimately the King was killed, ending the Inca Empire as the world knew it.

Sacsayhuamán – Located in the hills above Cusco is the ruins of a fortified complex known as Sacsayhuaman. Predating the Incas by a couple of hundred years, this monument is famous for its construction. Huge boulders are used with no mortar. The construction was so robust that when earthquakes shattered colonial buildings in Cusco, this remained intact! This was also used by Inca rebels to fight the Spanish invasion without success. The mighty boulders of this construction later found its way to the Cathedrals, Convents and other colonial buildings in Cusco.

Puka Pukara – Meaning Red Fort, this is a minor fort located near Sacsayhuaman.

Qenko : Qenko was the last site we visited. It was a holy place for the Incas. This was primarily used for sacrifices.

Once the tour was over we continued our walk around the Historic quarter, taking few photos and doing some souvenir shopping.

Twelve Angle Stone : If you see unusual crowd in a street near the central square, most likely this is the reason. There is a stone in the Inca wall which has 12 angles, puzzling people how it was fitted so perfectly!

Pachacuti Statue and Fountain – Pachakuti is considered one of the most important Inca rulers. He is also the person who is believed to have constructed Machu Picchu. His statue and fountain can be found in central square.

Souvenir Shops – The narrow streets have many souvenir shops. We picked up these cute alpaca dolls from one. No need to mention that you need to bargain

We stayed in a cozy B&B called Amaru Hostal II very close to the historic centre of the city.