photo - ilivetotravel's travel log

The Walls of the Wadi Mujib

16 December 2013 by Raul 5 Comments

The Wadi Mujib in Jordan is a fun place because you get to explore a gully (“wadi”) in which water is flowing. The first part of the Wadi is maybe ankle deep or a little higher in some places so pretty easy and fun (though I kept worrying I would drop my camera in the water!). It is also a refreshing way to spend part of the day as you are generally out of the sun and the water feels good!

Wadi Mujib, Jordan, outdoors, adventure, fun, Middle East, colors, travel, photo, Olympus

The entrance to the wadi

My favorite part of exploring the Wadi Mujib is to see those colorful walls up close. I walked with no rush and soaked in the view all around me. For the more intrepid, go deeper into the canyon where a true adventure awaits (don’t bring your camera unless it is waterproof!).

And if you are tired of walking, just ride your way out!

If you go to Jordan, don’t miss this neat outdoor experience!

Filed Under: Asia, Jordan, Travel Journal Tagged With: adventure, gorge, gulley, Jordan, Olympus, outdoors, photo, travel, Wadi Mujib, water

Stockholm: A City One with the Water

9 December 2013 by Raul 19 Comments

It is a cold day at home and, somehow, instead of going for warm, I look at pictures of my cruise in the Baltic. But, in my defense, it was June there. Still not tropical weather but my eyes and mind wandered to my pictures of my stop in Stockholm, Sweden. And what I take away is what a great city it is to enjoy in summer time. I am sure it’s a great town any time of the year (I said having spent 3 weeks in Helsinki, Finland in the dead of winter many moons ago…). But in the summer the city is bright and alive.

I guess what I really liked about Stockholm compared to other cities by the water is that the transition from water to land felt more smooth. It did not feel abrupt with large man-made banks holding in a river (think London) nor city walls holding the sea back (think San Juan or Dubrovnik) nor being in the water proper (think Venice) nor with development keeping the city from the water (think Miami). I liked that the sea and city were seamlessly one.

The islands around Stockholm

I also liked the many islands right by the city. I felt I could just skip and hop around endlessly.

Cruise, Stockholm, Sweden, islands, sea, photo, travel, Canon EOS Rebel

Cruise ship approaching Stockholm passing through many islands

house, Stockholm, Sweden, islands, sea, photo, travel, Canon EOS Rebel

House on an island around Stockholm – nice spot!

History of that sea – the Vasa Museum

This close relationship with the sea around it is not limited to the landscape or topography. Stockholm and Sweden’s history is tightly related to the sea around it. No better place to see this come alive than the amazing Vasa Museum, itself on an island (see what I mean?). Shaped itself like a modern steel vessel, this well-designed set of exhibits walk you through maritime history and 17th century Sweden, with a great collection of items, all well-labeled. The Vasa was a ship found in 1960 in the waters around Stockholm which had sunk on its maiden voyage back in 1628 (what is it with ships sinking on the maiden voyage? think Titanic… I think I will avoid any ship’s maiden voyage just in case…) The entire ship is not the original (clearly after over 3 centuries over water, this was not to be). However, they have done a great job so that it is obvious which pieces of the ship you see are part of the reconstruction/reparations and which are original. The museum also includes actual ships moored next to it.

Filed Under: Europe, Sweden Tagged With: Canon EOS Rebel, museum, photo, ship, shipwreck, Stockholm, Suecia, Sweden, travel, Vasa

Photo of the Week – Mainz, Germany

6 December 2013 by Raul 3 Comments

After taking a boat cruise down the Rhine to return to Frankfurt from Dusseldorf, we got off the boat at Mainz from where we would take a train into Frankfurt. We had no idea that Mainz was going to be so charming and beautiful. So we took a little longer strolling around (with our luggage!) until we finally made it to the Bahnhof. Here is a snapshot of the beautiful square we hit along the way with colorful architecture. This is a town I plan to return to and explore more in depth! Auf wiedersehen, Mainz!

Mainz, Germany, square, plaza, architecture, platz, Canon EOS Rebel, photo, travel

Square in Mainz

Filed Under: Europe, Germany, Special Photos Tagged With: Canon EOS Rebel, Europe, germany, Mainz, photo, plaza, square, travel

Crawling around Heidelberg

22 November 2013 by Raul 16 Comments

I have visited Heidelberg a couple of times and I have to say: it is a fun town. The second time I went, an expat living nearby took us into town to see the sights but also to sample all the beer styles on offer. A pub crawl for sure! I was invited by my friends Troy and Cybil to join them on this trip and I could not say “no” to go a second time (by the way, check out Cybil’s awesome photography at www.acybiloriginal.com).

Heidelberg sits on the Neckar River (which later connects to the Rhine) and its most famous sight is the Heidelberg Castle that overlooks the town and the river. Day or night, it is an impressive sight. But I like it the most at sunset. It is really in ruins since the 17th and 18th centuries (wars, fires and, yes, even lighting!) but it still is impressive in size and presence.

Heidelberg Castle, ruins, architecture, Heidelberg, Germany, architecture, travel, photo, Canon EOS Rebel

Heidelberg Castle close-up, notice the tower on the right in ruins

sunset, Heidelberg Castle, ruins, architecture, Heidelberg, Germany, architecture, travel, photo, Canon EOS Rebel

Heidelberg Castle in great sunset light

The town can be traced back a long way but it can mostly closely be tied to a 12th century monastery built in the area. Heidelberg University is quite old and its early 15-th century library is the oldest public library in Germany.

Catholic Church, Jesuit, Heidelberg, Germany, architecture, travel, photo, Canon EOS Rebel

Details of the Catholic Jesuit Church

The old town is mainly baroque and is quite lively due to the town being quite appealing to tourists. We first walked around town and made our way to the river proper passing the Old Bridge Gate. At the start of the bridge, we saw the famous mandrill (like a baboon) guarding it and took the obligatory picture… (tou-ristssssssssss!).

Old Bridge Gate, Heidelberg, Germany, architecture, travel, photo, Canon EOS Rebel

The Old Bridge’s Gate as seen from the bridge

Old Brige, mandrill, monkey, Heidelberg, Germany, architecture, travel, photo, Canon EOS Rebel

Me with the mandrill guarding the Old Bridge

But all that was just interesting… the real fun began when our host started the pub crawl. He was a friend of one of my friends’ parents but he wanted to show us German beer. He did not call it a pub crawl but we visited pubs and restaurants and we almost had to crawl… After a large lunch of wurst and sauerkraut (the REAL stuff!) and a beer, he started taking us to places that offered different types of beers. By the early evening, I was so stuffed with beer that when we went to a Thai restaurant for dinner (!), I did not eat a bite.

photo, beer, Heidelberg, tourists, travelers

Cybil, Troy and I. And some of the damage along the way. The day was still young here.

But the night was not over. As the final spot, he took us to some bar that fencing groups hung out at – except they were nowhere to be seen that night. The other group there that night was a group of local ladies in their 50s and 60s clearly on a night out on the town, drinking and doing shots of I-don’t-know-what. They would look at us four and raise their glass in “cheers” mode, and drink away. It was a fun experience. To cap it all off, our friend ordered an Italian after-dinner potion called Averna which he claimed would help settle our stomach after all the eating and drinking. He was right, that stuff really helped soothe our busy stomachs, so much so, that when we returned to the U.S. months later, we hunted the stuff down!

A final note is that when it came time to leave, our host could not figure what the way out of town was. One of my friends and I had had a bit more to drink so we could not really tell anything. It was my other friend, the one that was pregnant and 100% sober, who first noticed we were going past the same spots over and over… We made it out of Heidelberg safely to our host’s house and I, for one, slept fitfully!

So don’t miss out on Heidelberg if you go to Germany just make sure you have a designated we-are-lost spotter in the group!

Filed Under: Europe, Germany Tagged With: Canon EOS Rebel, castle, German beer, germany, Heidelberg, Jesuit church, mandrill, Neckar, Old Bridge, photo, travel

Photo of the Week – Mayan Ruins of Altun Ha, Belize

15 November 2013 by Raul 2 Comments

This is the view down from the high pyramid at Altun Ha in Belize. This is easy to visit whether you are visiting the country lounging on its great beaches or are in the country for a day stop in a cruise!

Filed Under: Belize, Caribbean/C America Tagged With: Altun Ha, archeology, Belize, Central America, cruise, Mayan ruins, photo, pyramid, travel

More Than Just Where a Treaty Was Signed: Charming Maastricht

13 November 2013 by Raul 3 Comments

The charming town of Maastricht sits in the “tear drop” southeastern corner of The Netherlands by the Meuse River (“Maas” in Dutch, hence the town name). a stone’s throw from Belgium and a hard ball kick from Germany, as it were. The town is known these days more because of the European union project since Maastricht is were the sane-named treaty launching the European Union was signed here in 1992.

I went to visit a college friend who was residing there as an ex-pat because I happened to be working in Frankfurt at the time. The town is an old town, settled by the Romans who built a bridge across the Meuse River in the 1st century AD. Maastricht also sat an an important point in Charlemagne’s empire around the 9th century AD which later evolved to the Holy Roman Empire. The city has been ruled by French, Spanish, German, dukes, princes, bishops, and, of course the Dutch. The city almost ended up in Belgium when Belgium separated from the United Kingdom of The Netherlands in the 1830s. Finally, it was the first Dutch city to be liberated by the Allies in WWII. All this to say that, though you may not know much about Maastricht as me before I went, it is an old and quite historical place.

I found the locals to be quite friendly. I recall how the old owner of a pub my friend frequented told me when we went there to hang out and have a beer that he loved Americans because they liberated his town from the Nazis. This was over 50 yrs after the fact and he must have been a kid when it happened but the feeling was fresh and strong.

The town is quaint and beautiful, what other adjectives can I use? Walk its streets as does everyone there and shop or just look around )like in the high-end Stokstraat street). Admire the architecture and details (like what they used to joist furniture and other stuff up to higher stories of the buildings).

Going up the 70m tall red bell tower of the Protestant Church of St. John’s (St. Jan) is a must. St. John (as in St. John the Baptist) was built in Gothic style around the 12th and 13th century and it provides great views of the town below and the neighboring Roman Catholic Basilica of St. Servatius (St. Servaas) with its twin towers, built on the site where the saint was buried in Romanesque style also around the 11th and 12th century. Walk around their grounds and then end up in Vrijthof Square, visiting a museum or hanging out a café.

I hope that more people venture beyond ever-popular Amsterdam to discover towns like Maastricht to get a more complete view of The Netherlands. Take a look at the gallery of photos and tell me what you think! Click on a photo to enlarge it

Maastricht, The Netherlands, Meuse River, Maas, architecture, history, city walls, travel, photo, Canon EOS Rebel

Charming architecture everywhere

Maastricht, The Netherlands, Meuse River, Maas, architecture, history, city walls, travel, photo, Canon EOS Rebel, Vrijthof

View from the red bell tower down to Vrijthof Square

Typical side street in Maastricht

Maastricht, The Netherlands, Meuse River, Maas, architecture, history, city walls, travel, photo, Canon EOS Rebel, St. John, Sint Jans, red bell tower

Red bell tower of St. John’s (St. Jan) church in Maastricht

Maastricht, The Netherlands, Meuse River, Maas, architecture, history, city walls, travel, photo, Canon EOS Rebel, Sint Jans, St John, garden, red bell tower

Behind St. Servatius (Sint Servaas) and the red bell tower of St. John (St. Jan)

Looking down at the garden behind the red bell tower of St. John (St. Jan)

Maastricht, The Netherlands, Meuse River, Maas, architecture, history, city walls, travel, photo, Canon EOS Rebel, Helpoort, Hell's Gate,

Helpoort or Hell’s Gate, oldest gate in the country and part of the First City Walls

Onze-Lieve-Vrouweval, Maastricht, The Netherlands, Meuse River, Maas, architecture, history, city walls, travel, photo, Canon EOS Rebel, city walls,

The city walls at Onze-Lieve-Vrouweval

Maastricht, The Netherlands, Meuse River, Maas, architecture, history, city walls, travel, photo, Canon EOS Rebel, St. Servaas, St. Servatius

Side entrance to St. Servatius

Basilicia of St. Servatius (Sint Servaas) from the red bell tower of St. John (St. Jan)

View of Maastricht’s rooftops from the red bell tower of St. John’s. Not quite Dubrovnik…

Part of the old city walls of Maastricht – Onze-Lieve-Vrouweval

Yes, the lawn in front of the First City Walls is a great spot for wedding photos!

Maastricht, The Netherlands, Meuse River, Maas, architecture, history, city walls, travel, photo, Canon EOS Rebel, pub

A pub and a nice building

Filed Under: Europe, Netherlands, Travel Journal Tagged With: Canon EOS Rebel, European Union, Maas, Maastricht, Meuse River, Onze-Lieve-Vrouwewal, photo, Sint Servaas, St. Servatius, the netherlands, travel, treaty

Top 8 Climbs for a Great City View in Europe

11 November 2013 by Raul 7 Comments

There are so many ways to see and experience a city. But one of my top ways to get to “know” a city is by getting up high and looking down at it. Of course, this is not hard to do as there are usually man-made or natural high points. While I like getting a view more than anything else, the view is even more appreciated when I have had to climb my way to get it. I will only list here places that I have actually climbed as opposed to places where I rode up when there was a way to climb it – the ones I rode up will be the subject of another post… So, here are eight (in no particular order) of my favorite climbs to get a city view in Europe!

Paris’ Eiffel Tower

Yes, I may be stating the obvious but most people ride the elevator on this one. I have been up the Eiffel Tower two times and both times I climbed it up to the point at which there is no other way open to the public to get to the very top (and then you are required to take an elevator). I love the freedom of walking up the tower, seeing its beams and bolts up close, and pausing a lot along the way (yea, for the view, that’s the ticket!). It may not be for everyone but if you are able to do experience the tower this way, do it! Regardless of how you go up, the altitude and the view of Paris combine to give one a great experience!

Paris, France, Eiffel Tower, climb, stairs, vista, view, Canon EOS Rebel, photo, travel

Up close and personal

Sacré-Coeur in Montmartre

You can walk up or ride up to Montmartre (I have done both) but the best view is from climbing the Basilica of Sacré-Coeur itself. Of course, this is a better view in some ways than the Eiffel Tower since this view includes the Eiffel Tower. But not only are you rewarded by looking at Paris from this angle, but you get to see the many gargoyles and other details of the church up close and personal – which makes for good photo opps!

Sacré-Coeur, Paris, France, architecture, gargoyle, photo Canon EOS Rebel, view, vista

One of the gargoyles keeping watch over a park

St. Paul’s Cathedral in London

When I went up St. Paul’s Cathedral, it was the first time I had gone to the top of any church. St. Paul’s, built in the 17th century, is 111 m high (365 ft) so you really are high up when you climb it. I enjoyed not only the view but seeing the “innards” of the structure as I made my way up to get a glimpse of London (pre-London Eye!).

St. Paul's, Cathedral, London, England, United Kingdom, dome, view, vista, Canon EOS Rebel, photo

Looking down towards the front of the Cathedral

Bologna’s Medieval Towers

Bologna is a city of arcades (or porticoes): it is great to be able to walk around the city whether it is raining or not thanks to this feature of this unique Italian city (home of the world’s oldest university!). But perhaps a lesser known secret of this town, former possessor of many medieval towers (estimated at 180 towers!), is that you can go up one of the remaining towers (one of the pair called the Due Torri). It will not be the one with the serious tilt but the other one (which is taller). I recommend putting out the effort and going up!

Bologna, medieval tower, Due Torri, Italy, architecture, travel, photo, Canon EOS Rebel

The lower of the Due Torri (the tilted one)

St. Peter’s Basilica in The Vatican

OK, to get to the first viewing point, you do take an elevator but to get to the top of the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica, you walk it up. Not only do you get to look down across the Tiber to Rome but you get to look down onto St. Peter’s Square (where I have participated in a papal audience (as a VIP!) and an Easter Mass) from a great vantage point. What I enjoyed (besides getting to the top) was walking inside the dome’s inner and outer walls in the passageways – the higher you got, the more you noticed the curvature of the walls and sometimes had to tilt the head a little bit to adjust to it! When you come down, you are deposited right inside the basilica.

St. Peter's Basilica, St. Peter's Square, Rome, Roma, Italy, Italia, view, vista, Canon EOS Rebel, photo

St. Peter’s Square from the top of the dome

La Giralda in Sevilla (Seville), Spain

La Giralda, Seville’s famous tower is part of which is a former minaret built in 1198 during the Moors’ occupation of Spain. It sits in the center of the city right next to the amazing Cathedral of Seville (3^rd largest church in the world). To go up this 100m+ tower, you do not walk up stairs. So how do you go up if it is a “climb” and there are no stairs? Well, it actually has ramps! Why? So horses could go up! So, do like the horses and go up the ramps to enjoy views of the city center of Sevilla.

Sevilla, Spain, Sevilla, La Giralda, Cathedral of Seville, view, vista, photo, Canon EOS Rebel

Composite picture looking down onto the Cathedral of Seville

Galata Tower in Istanbul

Where else, other than Istanbul, can you look at a city laid across two continents with a great bird’s eye view? Besides learning about its history, it was a great climb. Once at the top, I looked at Asia across the busy Bosphorus with all its maritime traffic and then with a slight turn of the head, I was looking at Europe. Across the Golden Horn, I could see the “skyline” of Seraglio Point where the eye quickly focused on Topkapi Palace, the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.

Istanbul, Estambul, Turkey, Turquia, Turkey, Galata Tower, Golden Horn, Karakoy, photos, travel, Canon EOS Rebel

Looking towards the Asian side of Istanbul

The city walls of Dubrovnik

Though there are higher vantage points from which to admire the tiled roofs and setting of Dubrovnik, the city walls allowed me to look down but yet be close enough to feel the city. It was more of a walk than a climb but, since I had to use stairs to get to them, I will call them a “climb” – but don’t be scared, it is pretty easy to walk along these walls!

Bell Tower and Church of St Vlaho

Filed Under: Europe, Travel Journal Tagged With: basilica, Bologna, church, city, city walls, Dubrovnik, Istanbul, La Giralda, London, paris, photo, photo opp, Rome, St Paul's, St. Peter's, tower, travel, Vatican, view, vista

Love Shopping? I Have a Grand Bazaar for You

1 November 2013 by Raul 6 Comments

This is one of the neatest places to go in Istanbul if you like to shop and haggle, and even if not, it is still quite impressive by its sheer scale in size and offerings. You can almost picture business going on here for centuries! The bazaar is huge – it is a veritable maze of over 60 covered streets and 3,000 shops. How is that versus hanging out at a mall in the U.S.? Yes, not the same thing.

The Grand Bazaar came to be into its current form over a couple of centuries – it evolved and was added to over time and now it is close to 550 years old. Fortunately for us visitors, it sits in a perfect spot with key sites all around it – almost a ground zero for the visitor checking out the places to see in Istanbul: Topkapi Palace, the Hagia Sophia and some of the mosques including the Blue Mosque.

Grand Bazaar, shopping, Istanbul, Estambu, Turkey, Turkiye, Turquia, photo, travel, Canon EOS Rebel

Arcade in the Grand Bazaar

I, not a fan of shopping, actually enjoyed walking around and seeing all the goods on offer, getting lost in the maze along the way. I even ran into some sort of informal “pit” of trading in something: guys on cell phones, maybe 8-10 of them, exchanging money around. Pretty cool!

Finally, some advice: haggle is the name of the game; it is expected in fact – so don’t be shy. Pay no more than half of what they originally asked but go for less if you can!

Please note that it is closed on Sundays.

Filed Under: Asia, Europe, Travel Journal Tagged With: Canon EOS Rebel, Grand Bazaar, Istanbul, photo, travel, Turkey, Turkiye, Turquia

Going Under in Istanbul

30 October 2013 by Raul 6 Comments

I have shared in other posts about the incredible Hagia Sophia, Topkapı Palace, and the beautiful mosques of Istanbul – definite must-sees in that great city. But be aware, right under your feet could be some of the remnants of good ole Roman engineering: the cisterns of Istanbul.

Old cities tend to have lots of hidden secrets. Many of them are hidden simply because they are underground. Istanbul is no different except most cities’ hidden structures are not even close to being around 1,500 years old. Istanbul’s cisterns are. The best known and largest of the underground cisterns in Istanbul is called the Basilica Cistern because a basilica had stood at that location. The cisterns in Istanbul are part of a system that brings water from outside the city via aqueducts – all evidence of the well-known Roman engineering.

Istanbul, Turkey, Turkiye, Turquia, cistern, Basilica Cistern, columns, architecture, travel, photo, Canon EOS Rebel

The Basilica Cistern

The Basilica Cistern is not far from the Hagia Sophia and is well worth a visit. I felt like I had walked into a flooded underground church. The cisterns used to be visited by boat but at some point, platforms were built for the visitors to explore them. Most of the materials used in the cistern, including the 300-odd columns holding up the ceiling, were re-used from structures elsewhere. That includes the bases of two columns carved with the image of Medusa. Of course, everyone knows not to look at Medusa in the eyes so the builders placed the bases sideways or upside down to protect innocent visitors who may dare gaze into her eyes…

Istanbul, Turkey, Turkiye, Turquia, cistern, Basilica Cistern, Medusa, architecture, travel, photo, Canon EOS Rebel

I rotated this photo so you wouldn’t have to rotate your device 🙂

Filed Under: Asia, Europe, Turkey Tagged With: basilica, Canon EOS Rebel, cistern, Istanbul, Medusa, photo, travel, Turkey, Turkiye, Turquia

The Ottoman Ruler’s Residence: Topkapı Palace

28 October 2013 by Raul 21 Comments

Topkapı Palace sits at the entrance to the Golden Horn, an inlet of water that splits the European side of Istanbul. It is located quite close to the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. It was the Ottoman ruler’s humble abode for part of the time they ruled the empire (the rulers eventually moved to a different type of palace of a more European style further up the Bosphorus). This palace is where the Empire was managed from – an empire that at peak included, more or less, Southeast Europe, Western Asia, part of North Africa, and the Horn of Africa. A Muslim empire that was quite tolerant of other religions. And an empire feared in Christian Europe. Eventually the empire disintegrated over a period of a few decades finally ending its life after World War I.

The palace is strategically situated high on a promontory on the tip of Istanbul (Seraglio Point) west of the Golden Horn which affords great views of the Karakoy/Galata area, the Bosphorus and the Asian side of the city. It consists of many buildings and gardens so it was not a massive building as were more European-style palaces like Versailles or El Escorial. The most important buildings sit up high with the rest of the complex working its way down to the shores of the Bosphorus where the complex is walled with some parts of the walls going all the way back to what was then the acropolis of Byzantium.

An interesting part of the palace is its imperial harem where the sultan kept his many wives, concubines but also where the women of the royal family lived – and schemed. It must have been an interesting place with all the intrigues, jealousies and power fights. The mother of the sultan ruled the roost so it surely must have been a fun place! You may picture the harem as a big room with women just laying around (I did, anyway) but it really is a series of buildings consisting of over 400 rooms! Of course, space was allocated according to rank. Oh, and this also included the eunuchs (slaves especially trained –and castrated- to serve in the harem) who guarded and took care of the harem.

Today, the palace is a museum, letting the visitor get a glimpse of some of the spaces, enjoy the vistas, and see some of the collection of important artifacts in the gallery. I enjoyed learning more about the sultans and Ottoman Empire, especially in such an incredible location in such an incredible and unique city.

Below is a gallery of photos of the buildings, rooms, grounds, and vistas of the Topkapi Palace, a must-see in Istanbul!

Click on the pictures to enlarge and view.

Topkapi, palace, Istanbul, Turkey, Canon EOS Rebel, Ottoman, sultan

The sultan’s sofa

Doorway detail with ceramic tile above

Topkapi, palace, Istanbul, Turkey, Canon EOS Rebel, Ottoman, sultan, gate

Gate of Salutation – entrance to the second courtyard

Doorway detail

Topkapi, palace, Istanbul, Turkey, Canon EOS Rebel, Ottoman, sultan, Imperial Hall, fountain

Royal fountain at the Imperial Hall

Detail of the Imperial Hall throne

Topkapi, palace, Istanbul, Turkey, Canon EOS Rebel, Ottoman, sultan, throne

Throne at the Imperial Hall

Window of the Imperial Hall

Topkapi, palace, Istanbul, Turkey, Canon EOS Rebel, Ottoman, sultan, Imperial Hall, door

Imperial Harem door

View of the palace’s garden and some of the views towards the rest of the city

Building in the palace grounds

Topkapi, palace, Istanbul, Turkey, Canon EOS Rebel, Ottoman, sultan, Bosphorus

View of the Bosphorus from the palace. Note the palace walls below

Topkapi, palace, Istanbul, Turkey, Canon EOS Rebel, Ottoman, sultan, Imperial Council, divan

Detail of the porch around the Imperial Council

Entrance to the Imperial Council or Divan

View of the Galata Tower across the Golden Horn

Around the grounds of the palace

Filed Under: Asia, Europe, Turkey Tagged With: Bosphorus, Canon EOS Rebel, divan, harem, history, Istanbul, Ottoman, palace, photo, Seraglio Point, sultan, Topkapı, travel, Turkey

Out, Up, and Down in Chile’s Valparaíso

25 October 2013 by Raul 17 Comments

Chile is truly an amazing country. Nature, in and of itself, offers a myriad different possibilities from the Atacama Desert and the salt lakes in the north to the fjords and glaciers down in Patagonia. But Chile’s urban areas offer some incredible sights and experiences. And Valparaíso may take the cake as its character is quite unique. No wonder it is a UNESCO World Heritage site!

Valparaíso sits by the sea but it does not have the almost unmanageable scale of Rio. It is old (founded in 1536) but does not have the colonial feel of cities like Old San Juan or central Lima. And though it is large (the greater Valparaiso metro area is Chile’s second largest) and a center of portuary activity, it is not an economic center like Santiago is. It faces the ocean but it is not where tourists go for their summer beach vacation – that would be neighboring Viña del Mar. However, what makes Valpo, as it is referred to in Chile, so great is the charm it has which is a combination of its setting and that it has not been spoilt by becoming a megalopolis.

Out to sea

Valparaíso is surrounded by hills and exploring the city is not just exploring sea-level Valpo but exploring its hills. But before going up those hills, the best thing to do is to admire Valpo’s lay of the land by taking a boat tour in the harbor.

Valparaiso, Valpo, boat, Chile, travel, tourism, charm, Canon EOS Rebel, photo

The boat taking us to cruise the harbor

Valparaiso, Valpo, sea lion, marine life, Chile, travel, tourism, charm, Canon EOS Rebel, photo

Sea lion enjoying the summer day

Valparaiso, Valpo, hills, Chile, travel, tourism, charm, Canon EOS Rebel, photo

Looking back at the town and hills of Valpo (notice a funicular in the center of the photo)

Valparaiso, Valpo, Chile, travel, tourism, charm, Canon EOS Rebel, photo, National Congress

National Congress (on the left) sits in Valparaiso, not Santiago, the actual capital of Chile

Valparaiso, Valpo, port, ship, Chile, travel, tourism, charm, Canon EOS Rebel, photo

View across the harbor back towards the center of the city

Up the hills

Valpo is quite famous for the funiculars (or ascensores) that help move people up and down its famous hills. The oldest funicular was built in 1883 and it is still in service. Many of these funiculars are an experience onto themselves with very unique stories and some are considered national monuments.

Valparaiso, Valpo, funicular,rail, Chile, travel, tourism, charm, Canon EOS Rebel, photo

One of Valparaiso’s famous funiculars (Ascensor Cordillera) – we didn’t take this one

When we went, we were advised by some locals to keep an eye out as we went up to the hills as not all areas above are equally safe for people who look like tourists. We took the advice and went up making sure we were aware of our surroundings.

Valparaiso, stairs, funicular, Valpo, Chile, travel, tourism, charm, Canon EOS Rebel, photo

For the sake of the experience, we climbed the stairs…

Valparaiso, Valpo,funicular, cat, rail, Chile, travel, tourism, charm, Canon EOS Rebel, photo

… and this cat had a similar, if different, approach to going up.

Valparaiso, Valpo, Chile, travel, tourism, charm, Canon EOS Rebel, photo

A house perched on one of the hills looks mighty precarious to me… one lil tremor and…

We were rewarded not only with views of the city and sea below, but also by some neat architecture in the hill we visited.

View from one of Valpo’s hills towards some of the other hills (spot the funicular on this pic!)

View from one of Valpo’s hills towards the harbor

Valparaiso, Valpo, architecture, Chile, travel, tourism, charm, Canon EOS Rebel, photo

House up in one of the hills

Another great sample of the neat architecture around

And then back at sea level

All this being said and done, I just enjoyed walking aimlessly through the city. Here are some of the images from our exploring “sea-level” Valpo.

Valparaiso, Valpo, old payphone, Chile, travel, tourism, charm, Canon EOS Rebel, photo

Charming “booth” for a pay phone

Valparaiso, Valpo, power cables, street scene, Chile, travel, tourism, charm, Canon EOS Rebel, photo

A mess of utility cables… who knows how many legally set up!

Valparaiso, Valpo, street scene, architecture, Chile, travel, tourism, charm, Canon EOS Rebel, photo

A side street (Cochrane) that was not as interesting (they deserve to show up on a website too!)

Street scene

Street scene at Plaza Echaurren

Valparaiso, Valpo, Navy, Chile, travel, tourism, charm, Canon EOS Rebel, photo, architecture

Navy Building in Plaza Sotomayor

Valparaiso, Valpo, Chile, travel, tourism, charm, Canon EOS Rebel, photo, monument, war, history

Monument to the Heroes of Iquique (war memorial) in Plaza Sotomayor

Valparaiso, Valpo,Chile, travel, tourism, charm, Canon EOS Rebel, photo, architecture, dog

Dog laying in the middle of the street (right below where the bus shows)

My favorite souvenir from my year in Chile is a wood carving depicting one of the stairs and funiculars of this charming city. A great reminder in my every day of this unique town!

Filed Under: Chile, South America, Travel Journal Tagged With: architecture, Canon EOS Rebel, charm, Chile, funicular, harbor, hill, photo, railway, stairs, tourism, travel, Valparaiso, Valpo

Jewels of Istanbul: Its Mosques

23 October 2013 by Raul 19 Comments

During my 5-day visit to Istanbul, I had ample time to walk around, often aimlessly, to get to know the city. While some sights were on the must-see list (like the Hagia Sophia and the Topkapi Palace), I also “discovered” places not on my list. I quickly developed an interest in entering the many mosques I encountered (and there are plenty!). For a non-Muslim like me, they are worth exploring for their architecture / construction for sure but also for their interiors. The interior of mosques in Istanbul were different than the ones I had seen in Egypt (which were the only mosques I had ever entered at that point). What made the interiors different was their use of ceramic tile typical of Turkey (more on this further down…).

Istanbul, Turkey, Blue Mosque, Sultan Ahmed, minaret, photo, Canon EOS Rebel, travel, history, architecture

The skyline of “old” Istanbul is accentuated by many mosques

While I don’t remember all the names and locations of the mosques I visited (though I was writing about travel at the time, it was only in emails to friends and family), I will at least share some of what I saw so you get an idea of what I mean. But there is one that is a must-see for sure: the “Blue” Mosque.

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque, aka the Blue Mosque

Almost across from the Hagia Sophia resides the most imposing mosque I saw in Istanbul: the Sultan Ahmed Mosque.

Looking up to the domes with an ablution fountain in the courtyard

The Blue Mosque was built in the early 17^th century so it is a “baby”, really, by Istanbul standards but, nevertheless, monumental inside and out. It boasts 6 minarets, one main dome, and many secondary domes. It has a courtyard as large as the mosque itself surrounded by arcades (apologies to architects if I am not using the proper term) with the fountains for the ablutions located in that space.

The arcade around the courtyard

As is the case with mosques, its interior is a vast open space (unlike Christian places of worship with benches and chairs throughout) since the prayers are done by sitting and prostrating on the floor which, of course, is covered in rugs/carpets.

Istanbul, Turkey, Blue Mosque, Sultan Ahmed, interior, photo, Canon EOS Rebel, travel, history, architecture

Not the best photo of the interior but you can see the faithful praying (I wanted to not be close to them while taking the pic) and some details of the interior (chandelier, carpets, etc.)

Can you believe that at the time Roman Catholic Pope Benedict XVI visited the mosque in 2006, it was only the second time a Pope had visited a Muslim place of worship? Not only shocked for ecumenical reasons but also thinking the beauty they missed seeing!

Ceramic tile

As I mentioned, what appeals to me about mosques in Istanbul is the use of ceramic tiles in many different styles and geometrical patterns and using a lot of blue (could it be the influence of the close-by Aegean Sea blue??). The writing in Arabic script that you see is actually verses from the Koran. I don’t read Arabic so all I can do is say that they add to the beauty of the place.

mosque, Istanbul, ceramic tule, interior, Turkey, art, architecture, photo, Canon EOS Rebel, blue

Side walls of a mosque in the city; notice how blue plays a prominent role in the tiles’ color

Dome of the same mosque

Parting tips…

If you have never been to a mosque, it is good to know that you need to be properly dressed (no shorts, etc.) and that you will have to remove your shoes before you enter – please do not miss observing these rules!! Some mosques I have been to require you leave the shoes outside (not placing them inside your bag). A fellow traveler decided not to leave his shoes in the area that some attendant watches it because he didn’t want to pay (at the mosque close to the Golden Horn and the Grand Bazzar). When we came out, his shoes were gone. BIG LESSON LEARNED: don’t skimp. Attendants are just earning a living though, certainly, this one was a thief.

Istanbul, Turkey, New Mosque, Grand Bazaar, history, architecture, Canon EOS Rebel

Mosque by the Grand Bazaar where the “shoe incident” happened: the New Mosque

Istanbul, Turkey, New Mosque, Golden Horn, Grand Bazaar, history, architecture, Canon EOS Rebel

Looking down onto the New Mosque, built in the 17th century right by the Golden Horn (Asian side of Istanbul in the background)

So discover Istanbul and its mosques if you visit! I leave you with a parting shot of one of these beauties: the Blue Mosque at sunset sporting a different color!