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4 Tips to Visit the Charles Bridge in Prague

17 July 2019 by Raul 4 Comments

The Charles Bridge in Prague deserves every bit of fame it gets for gracing and connecting Prague – a quite unique town itself. The Charles Bridge spans the Vltava River (not the Danube!) and provides ample photo opportunities for selfie-crazed tourists or normal tourists! I got to check it out or walk on it to get places and want to share four tips to visit the Charles Bridge as an excuse to showcase my photos 🙂

A little history of the Charles Bridge in Prague

Construction of the bridge began in the 1300s to replace a prior one and it was finished in 1402. Now THAT is an old bridge! The King that ordered its construction was Charles, hence the name of the bridge, though that name is a relatively recent name actually. For hundreds of years, it was the only way to cross the river other than a boat.

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Old relief carving of the city shows the bridge already crowded!

The bridge is about 600m long and has 16 arches holding it up. It was cool to see the ice breaking structures protecting the pillars though I did not see them “in action” as I went in the spring.

Tips to visit the Charges Bridge – #1 – the statues

My first tip is to not just look at the statues that grace either side of the bridge and snap a photo, but to read about them as you look at them. They are mainly not the original statues but replicas. Now, there are many (perhaps around 32?) so maybe you will not have time or attention span to do that with all of them (I didn’t!) but there is a lot of meaning and stories behind the people. These statues were placed there to convey stories or values, memorialize individuals, and perhaps to add grace to the bridge. Mind them!

One of the many statues on the bridge!

While the statues are the dominant “decoration” of the bridge, there are a few plaques or carvings worth noting (and reading of in advance!).

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Carvingn depicting St. John Nepomuk being thrown off the bridge under orders of King Wenceslas

Tips to visit the Charges Bridge – #2 – the light and time of day

OK, my next tip is that there are many angles for a good photo but which angle is best varies with the time of day as the sun changes position in the sky. I recommend going at different times throughout the day so you can face the sun as you take that priceless group photo or selfie with different sides of the city behind you. And that includes nighttime!

Early in the morning – beautiful angle

Night time looking towards Prague Castle

Tips to visit the Charges Bridge – #3 – the underside

Of course, people spend the time during the visit ON the bridge. But, I ventured a little bit on the Prague Castle side of the bridge in the residential area BELOW the bridge. It was charming (and quiet at that early time of the day). I wonder how the residents cope with the hordes of us tourists all over the area during the day… In any case, you will find the entrance to staircases to take you down right on the bridge, or you can enter the area near the tower on the Prague Castle end of it. Get off the bridge and explore its “underside”!

Right under the bridge

Around the small neighborhood under the bridge

And you never know when you will spot wedding photo sessions!

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Memorial to the 911 NYC firemen who died – unexpected find!

Tips to visit the Charges Bridge – #4 – when to spend time there

My top tip for visiting the Charles Bridge is to go early in the morning, before the city gets crowded with locals and tourists. I am an early riser and while the rest of my group woke up and got ready, since we were staying a block away from the bridge, I went for a walk and almost had the bridge all to myself!

The same shot in the afternoon would look very different as the sun would light the photo differently

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Hope these tips to visit the Charles Bridge in Prague are helpful. Enjoy checking out the Charles Bridge – and Prague!

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Filed Under: Czech Republic, Europe, Travel Journal Tagged With: Charles Bridge, Czech, Czechia, photo spot, Praga, Prague, Praha, tourism, travel

12 Things to Do in Hamburg for Free

3 September 2018 by Raul 15 Comments

Hamburg may not be known as the tourism mecca that Paris, London, Rome or others are. But it is a fascinating city to explore for its history, architecture, and culture. It was amazing when I looked back and realized how many things one can do for free in Hamburg to explore and joy this German city. So I decided to share twelve things to do in Hamburg for free There are more, for sure. Just consider this an unofficial guide to Hamburg and feel free to add via the comments below other suggestions you have (even if they are not free!).

The recommendations start at the Elbphilarmonie (Concert Hall), then move to the heart of the city and then move sort of out and westward so you can plan a route to explore following this sequence. I indicate U- or S-Ban stations near each spot when appropriate to help you plan the things to do in Hamburg.

1. Concert Hall (Elbphilarmonie)

The Elbphilarmonie is the magnificent and very modern concert hall built on top of a warehouse/residential structure dating from the 1960s in the Speicherstadt district of old Hamburg. It cost nearly a billion dollars to construct and many years delay, finally opening in January 2017. One wonders what that money could have done, say, to improve lives of refugees, improve social services or the like, but the building is impressive, like it or not.

The concert hall does not sit on top of the older building: it has its own foundations. Pretty darn good engineering trick! There are two cool ways to explore the concert hall: touring it or going to the viewing level.

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The concert hall is just something to behold!

The tour lasts about an hour and costs 15 euros as of this writing. It requires a lot of physical activity. Going to the “Plaza” or viewing level is actually free and offers great views of the city. However, there is limited capacity at that level so, if you want to guarantee your access, you can get a ticket in advance by paying a nominal fee (2 euros). [U-Bahn station: Baumwall]

2. Speicherstadt

Close to the Chilehaus is the Speicherstadt district. This district was the warehouse district for decades. It was built in the late 1800s and seems to have survived WW II bombings so enough buildings either were OK or could be repaired (others were lost). The warehouses served a unique purpose in this important German port back when it was a customs-free zone. The rows of warehouses run long along canals and have access both from the water and the streets. It is curious to note that they are built on a foundation that uses timber poles to anchor them.

It is also neat to see how the whole district has been re-vitalized, I presume with new construction where the old buildings were destroyed in the war. As usual, modern German architecture is really fun to explore – they are much more creative than architects back home! [U-Bahn station: Baumwall]

3. St. Nicholas Church

I wrote about this church, in the heart of Hamburg, in an earlier post. It is a simple yet powerful reminder of the craziness of dictatorship and war. It is almost park-like but the message is clear. Of the list of things to do in Hamburg, this is for sure the most thought-provoking. In addition, St. Nicholas Church’s bell tower offers a phenomenal vantage point of the city (you do have to pay for that view…). [U-Bahn stations: Rathaus or Rödingsmarkt]

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Tower from the front (L) and from what would have been the inside (R)

4. Chilehaus

If you love interesting architecture, stuff you don’t normally see, the Chilehaus (Chile House) building, with its massive scale, is the right sight for you. The building, in the Kontorhaus district of Hamburg, feels heavy with all those dark bricks but lightened by the small brick “features” that adorn in. I read somewhere that its design lends it lightness but I did not feel that lightness as an amateur.

In any case, the building dates from the 1920s and, like many things around this town, finds a way to evoke the maritime “centeredness” of the city, in this case, the shape of a ship. I had to look up why is it called the “Chile House” and learned that the shipping magnate who funded its construction made a lot of his money from trading in saltpeter from Chile.

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Large wavy outer wall of the Chilehaus

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Details of the exterior wall of the Chilehaus

When you are done checking the building out (and peek inside to the see old style staircases), walk some more around the area to see other old buildings. This link takes you to a live webcam offering almost 360 degree view around the Chilehaus. And I may add that it is across the street from the Chocolate Museum… [U-Bahn station: Meßberg]

5. Rathaus (City Hall)

The German word “Rathaus” is the word for “city hall.” I just love that word for a building where any politician sits. But I digress. Hamburg’s city hall is a beautiful structure close to water and the canal area of Hamburg and it houses both the First Mayor and the Parliament of the state of Hamburg. It is beautiful day or night.

Hamburg’s Rathaus was built in the late 19th century to replace the prior one that burned over 40 years before. It seems the building survived WW II well…

There are guided tours on offer during weekdays. I did not take the tour but I imagine it is a beautiful building inside… [U-Bahn station: Rathaus]

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Rathaus as seen from St. Nicholas Church’s belltower

6. Alsterfontane and Binnenalster

This area by the water, right near the Rathaus and the Neustadt fancy shopping district, offers a unique opportunity to feel you are somewhere like Nice enjoying a stroll, a lunch, or a beverage right by the water. In Hamburg, the water normally means the Elbe River but this lagoon-like body of water (the Binnenalster), which connects by canals to the river, has a totally different feel. You can watch the Alsterfontane, which reminded me of a similar fountain in Lake Geneva, while sitting at one of the cafés or restaurants in the area before you go to the nearby Kunsthalle Museum or the fancy stores in the Neustadt district! [U-Bahn station: Jungfernstieg]

Alsterfontane and Binnenalster

Enjoying a drink and a bite by the water

7. Planten un Blomen

Wandering a little aimlessly away from Binnenalster, we ran into the park named Planten un Blomen which does not sound German but Dutch, perhaps. It is located near the Alster and the Congress Center, forming a green belt surrounding part of the core of the city. We actually happened upon it by accident. It was nice to stroll the trails along the water features of the park and see a good number of locals enjoying the place. If you need a break from walking around and want to just find a park that feels remote from “urbanity,” this would be a great spot! [U-Bahn station: Stephansplatz]

8. Old Elbe Tunnel

Now, the route goes back to the riverside… The entrance to this old tunnel under the Elbe River is just west of the city center and down the hill from the infamous St. Pauli district (another free thing to do is walk around there…).

This neat engineering marvel (at least back when it was built) is not only worth going through but, on the other side, one is rewarded with a good view of the modest Hamburg skyline. It is free and it is quite easy to do. For more about this experience, check out this post in this blog! [S-Bahn station: Landungsbrücken]

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Bikes cannot be ridden if you are going against vehicular traffic

9. Fischmarkt

Continue moving westward along the Elbe River (away from the city center; a long walk with not a lot to look at), you will eventually get to Hamburg’s famous fish market (more or less below the Altona district). The recommended thing to do is be there at the crack of dawn on a Sunday (it opens at 5 AM and closes by 9:30 AM) and see everything for sale (not just fish!).

Unfortunately, I was not in Hamburg on a Sunday so I can’t serve as a witness to the event. However, I did make it over there. I really liked the main building. Its roof had an Eiffel-like feel to it and the structure inside (I could not go it but peeked) and outside reminded be of the Central Market (Mercado Central) in Santiago, Chile. Next time I come to Hamburg, I WILL be there on a Sunday!

10. St. Pauli Street Art

The St. Pauli district is known for one thing: the St. Pauli Girl beer! Well, that may be the case in North America but it is known for being a rather raunchy place. I will let others talk about that part of the district’s “appeal” but I liked how eclectic it fell and no better example of that than the diverse and colorful street art (I will leave the raunchy ones out…). So among the things to do in Hamburg on this list, this may be the funnest! [U-Bahn stations: Feldstraße or St. Pauli]

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My favorite: the octopus wrapped around Hamburg!

11. Ottensen / Altona

Head up from the fish market to explore these two sections of town, Ottensen and Altona, just west of the heart of the city. They are very livable neighborhoods with neat modern and older buildings, pedestrian shopping areas, parks, shops, and some funky spots. Take the S-Bahn over and spent a couple of hours aimlessly walking these neighborhoods! [S-Bahn station: Hamburg-Altona station]

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Altona’s Rathaus

12. Blankenese Treppenviertel – the Stair District

Off-the-beaten path in Hamburg, and further west than Ottensen and Altona, is a district to its west named Blankenese. As I shared in this earlier post I wrote about this district, it was an area where ship owners lived back in the day. The district is beautiful with its many stairs to walk to explore the homes of these shipowners. Some of these stairs lead down to the edge of the river Elbe. It is the last in this list of the things to do in Hamburg, but not least!

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Nice path’s along the stair district – no paths for cars!

Hope this list of things to do in Hamburg helps you plan your visit there – or encourage to go there if you were not considering it!

Do you have other suggestions, be them free or at a cost?? Share via a comment!

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Filed Under: Europe, Germany Tagged With: Alemania, Allemagne, Hamburg, Hamburg travel guide, Hamburgo, things to do Hamburg, tourism

One Spectacular Pool and Great Views in Singapore

15 February 2017 by Raul 6 Comments

As someone who likes to read about travel and far-away places, I come across many places around this planet which I hope to see someday. Sometimes I think I will never get to see places that catch my eye because my imagination fails me: I fail to picture the how and why of me getting to those places. One place caught my eyes for its iconic architecture, the great rooftop views of Singapore it offers during the day and at night, and because of an amazing infinity pool at its “surfboard” rooftop: the Marina Bay Sands. You may have seen this hotel in a magazine or a travel show on TV. You know, the one with three tall towers holding up what looks like a surfboard.

While Singapore seems an interesting place, it is certainly too far from my home to go on a whim just because this hotel caught my eye. But, as things sometimes unfold, what seems a random window of opportunity opened up for me to go to Singapore. If you have been following my recent writings, going with a friend to a wedding in Bali took me to -what to me is- a far corner of the world. The happy couple actually lives in Singapore so the chance to see the Marina Bay Sands Hotel came up.But just seeing it was not enough – I had to stay there: I wanted to enjoy the 57th floor infinity pool! You see, to access the pool you have to be a hotel guest – guest of guests cannot enter the pool area. And so I booked my stay. Sadly, my visit to Singapore was only over two nights and one day (Bangkok and Angkor Wat were also on the itinerary) so I only got to relax poolside one long afternoon. But it was WAY cool and well worth it. The place must have the best nighttime views of Singapore, as well as its daytime views!

We arrived at the hotel at night and we learned the pool was already closed but that certainly was not going to keep me from going up there to see the view! The gentleman had just closed the pool area but was kind enough to let us walk in. Check out the amazing night view!

The next day, when we got to the pool in the early afternoon, the skies were incredibly dark. I expected the storm to come our way and the pool summarily closed. So with no time to waste, I urged my friend Phil to jump in quickly so I could snap his photo and then we would swap places and at least we each would have “the” picture of the city behind the edge of the infinity pool.

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Dark skies! (Me on the right… )

My quick jump in the pool

God smiled upon us. Not only did lightning NOT strike while we were in the pool for the prize-winning photos, but the storms stayed away and we got to enjoy a whole afternoon poolside, even if under a cloud cover. Lunch and drinks were part of the picture as was people watching – and some pretend-jumps off the pool into infinity.

There are a few different seating areas poolside as you may notice in the photos posted here. I enjoyed the pool chairs right at the edge of the pool but you can be further removed from the water action (yea, we got splashed a couple of times by kids playing in the pool but no big deal). These chairs allow you easy in and out or even accessing your stuff without leaving the pool. If you want quiet, there are chairs further removed from the pool.

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Great seating all around

Chill time!

Great place to teach a kid to swim!

One of the many “great” jump-off photos (because no one else thought to take one before)

He was never seen again after this jump-off…

I have to say that those few hours may have been short and the day may not have been picture perfect but I would not trade a minute of enjoying that pool and those views!

Spectacular view of the city

Look at all those ships!

View of old Singapore

View towards the financial district

What to know about the hotel

The hotel is conveniently located across casinos and a luxurious shopping mall, if you are interested in those things. We mainly used that as a walking route to get to the heart of the city when we did not feel like taking a taxi.
A neat pedestrian bridge can be accessed from the shopping center to get to town. It is a little bit of a walk but it offers great views back towards the hotel.
Only hotel guests can enter the pool area; they control access which makes sense as space is limited.
There is a kids’ pool and they will enjoy playing in the water as you enjoy being up there.
There are restaurants and bars up at the top of the hotel and those are accessible to non-guests. It is enjoyable up there. It is a great place to go check out views of Singapore at night!
You can choose city-viewing rooms or sea-viewing rooms (where you can see all the ships going through the straits or going to port). My preferred view was the city but I got to see the other side from the top of the building as you may have noticed in some of the windows posted.

One happy puppy!

I paid for every penny of my stay (no discount or freebie or anything else from the hotel) – I just wanted to share this amazing place!

Save this unique hotel to your travel board!

Filed Under: Asia, Singapore Tagged With: Asia, hotel, infinity pool, luxury, Marina Bay Sands, Samsung Galaxy S7, Singapore, tourism, travel

Around Katarina Church in Stockholm

17 January 2017 by Raul Leave a Comment

While I like seeing the main sights of any city I visit, I also enjoy walking around aimlessly and seeing what I discover. Katarina Church (Katarina Kyrka) in Stockholm (Södermalm) was one of those discoveries. Perhaps if I had done my research ahead of time, the church and its neighborhood would have ended on a ‘must-see’ list. But it was a lot neater to run into this neighborhood by sheer luck and wanderlust!

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Church as seen from Gamla Stan

Katarina Church

The church grounds were pretty in the fall colors and in the gray weather I experienced pretty much the entire weekend I was in Stockholm.

The church was undergoing renovations

Cornelisparken – good views of Stockholm

I then walked off a side sidestreet on the opposite side of the square from where I had entered it, Mäster Mikaels gata, with quaint homes that ended with a park, Cornelisparken, that offered a great viewpoint that overlooked Gamla Stan and other parts of Stockholm. I seemed to be on a roll discovering great spots with great views in Stockholm (another was from City Hall)!

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View towards Gamla Stan

This part of my longer walk was probably my favorite of the whole weekend and I think yielded some of my favorite photos from the trip!

Filed Under: Europe, Sweden, Travel Journal Tagged With: colors, fall, Soderlmalm, Stockholm, Sverige, Sweden, tourism, travel, view, vistas

How I Explored Angkor Wat, Cambodia

13 January 2017 by Raul 10 Comments

It is pretty daunting to write a post about Angkor Wat. Not only how to do the place justice but there are probably a million write-ups out there about this gem in Cambodia. All I can do is share (words and photos) how I saw it and perhaps it will help those who have not been there visualize it, and those who have been there remember their visit…

We were told by a few people to not miss sunrise at Angkor Wat. Considering all the travels away from home at that point (ATL to Chicago, Chicago to Bali (via ATL!), and then Bali to Bangkok to Siem Reap), waking up at an absurd time in the morning did not seem as absurd as it would at any other point in my life. So, arrangements were made for a 4:45 AM pick-up at the hotel to go to see our local star rise behind Angkor Wat…

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Yea, looking a little rough after the 4AM wake-up (thanks, Phil, for capturing this winner!) – but happy to be there!

First stop: Get the darn ticket. One can get a day pass or a multi-day pass. I was sorta scratching my head as to why the people taking us had not gotten the tickets ahead of time. I found out why soon enough: they take your photo and print it on your permit to enter the temple ‘zone.’ Since we were packing it all in into one day, the pass cost us $20US. Not bad really, especially considering the scale of the area ‘littered’ with temple complexes. All that has got to be kept up, etc.

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My pass to enter Angkor Wat; skillfully photo bombed by my friend Phil

After getting our ticket, our guide took us to the main vantage point from which one can ooh-and-aah one’s way through sunrise. There were clouds in the distance so we did not see a beautiful orange-yellow disk rise from the horizon. But seeing the temple with the sky around it changing colors from dark blues, to mid-blues, to purples, to orange-ish, etc. was pretty neat.

Sunrise

I decided to take a fast-pace video over a 15-minute stretch to see what that would look like. No, it did not result in a magical show but it still was worth the effort to hold the smartphone as still as possible in my hands for that long. Since I was half asleep anyway, I barely noticed the 15 minutes had elapsed. (The 15 minutes are compressed into a one minute video below. Let me know if you think it was worth my 15 minutes!)

After snapping a couple of pix of each other, my friend and I moved on from that spot to get to the causeway that would lead us to the main temple we all know as Angkor Wat. It still was not full light so the pictures were either brilliant or so-so, depending on how demanding a viewer of photos you may be – I will let you reach your own conclusions 🙂 We were also advised to not go back to the hotel after sunrise, as many do to nap and have breakfast, but -instead- to have the hotel pack us a breakfast and just eat it on-site so we could then explore the complex before it got crowded later in the morning (it was also a good idea since it only gets hotter as the day goes by so the earlier the visit, the less suffering!).

About to enter the causeway

STILL looking rough but with a great backdrop! (thanks again, Phil!)

On the way to the main temple, I especially liked ‘the library’ ruins on the left-hand side of the causeway – mainly because it gave me a good way to frame the main temple! (Always looking -not always successfully- for a good photo spot!)

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Here the library…

… and what I did with the library! I kinda like this shot!

Getting closer to the main temple – this is a great photo spot

We entered the main temple area from a side entrance by climbing some stairs and our guide explained some of the carvings as we headed to the inner courtyard. From there we walked along the side of the central ‘structure’ (I struggle with what to call the different parts of the complex), and observed a couple of places where the stuff under the exterior stone was exposed.

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Amazing carvings – could spend hours there!

Our entry point into Angkor Wat

A look at what’s under the outer stones… more stones! (though different looking)

After turning the corner, we saw the staircase that would lead us up to the top terrace of the main temple. The staircase to be used was not the original steps; rather, a staircase was built on top so that our visitor feet would not destroy the ancient stonework – and probably to keep us safe too. It was a very steep climb but going up was not as scary as going down. I am not scared of a steep climb or descent, but I also do not want to suffer a bad fall!

After getting up

Once we got upstairs, it was REALLY cool. From up there you see above the tree tops and can easily see how the jungle took over complexes like Angkor War once abandoned.

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View down to the upper terrace and the jungle beyond

There were four inner courtyards atop the temple and it was neat walking the outer hallway looking out in every direction in the compass while then turning inward and seeing the various temples or altars with Buddhas. I do not recall how much time we spent up there but I enjoyed admiring it all.

One of the inner courtyards

Looking upwards from the terrace level

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First, a standing Buddha…

… and then sitting Buddhas…

… and finally, a reclining Buddha!

Father and son (I assume) in prayer – nice to see it is an active faith site

So, Angkor Wat delivered on my expectation on seeing something quite unique in my experience and, clearly, from the experience of many as it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (not one of the token ones, mind you, but a real one!). Seeing the father and son praying made it even better as it is not just an archaeology site, but a site of living faith – very cool to see.

I am dumb as doorknob when it comes to selfies – I could not get out of the way of the tower much as I was being instructed to do!

Angkor Wat had been on my ‘hope-to-see-someday’ list and definitely the top spot for me to see in Southeast Asia. I am grateful for the opportunity to see it in person and explore it – photo bomb on my credential or not 🙂 Now I need to decide what will go in its former spot in my ‘hope-to-see-someday’ list… nice problem to have!

Filed Under: Asia, Cambodia Tagged With: Angkor Wat, Asia, bucket list, Cambodge, Cambodia, Camboya, Khmer, sights, temple, tourism, travel

Angkor Thom’s Main Temple: Bayon

7 January 2017 by Raul Leave a Comment

While Angkor Wat is the better known of all the temple complexes in Cambodia, there are others that are a must. Bayon is one of those. It is imposing and a veritable maze, making it fun to explore. Bayon (built in the 12th-13th century period) sits in the middle of Angkor Thom which was the capital of the Khmer Empire back when (it is said between 80-150K people lived there at its peak back then). Bayon was at the center of that capital city as its most important temple. If you look at a map, the moat around Angkor Thom is much larger than the one around Angkor Wat. (All these sites got “lost” in the early 1600s for a few centuries.) Movies like Lara Croft: Tomb Raider have had scenes shot at Angkor Thom.

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Bayon (Angkor Thom is the larger square around it) in relation to Angkor Wat

We approached Angkor Thom and had a great view of the wall around Angkor Thom and a bridge (or causeway) decorated on either side with sitting statues. One drives through a gate that towers at the end of the bridge with each side of the tower carved with the face of a divinity. I believe we went through the south gate.

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Causeway entering Angkor Thom from the south

View across the causeway of the south gate

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Statues on the causeway

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The south gate

In any case, one approaches the main temple at Angkor Thom, Bayon, among a green field with palm trees. Having first seen Angkor Wat with its dramatic towers and monumentality, Bayon felt a little less imposing yet so different it looked magnificent.

Approaching Bayon – majestic!

From then we walked around different former hallways and around many towers and carvings. It is said Bayon is more baroque while Angkor Wat is more classical Khmer style. I am not an expert but certainly can tell that Bayon was much more loaded with carvings and more elaborate. Bayon is certainly striking due to the many towers carved on four sides with faces of deities or other figures but it lacked the big open spaces within it that Angkor Wat had.

Imposing

The explorers look diminutive as our guide tried to capture it all

Interesting things no matter where you look

As in many places, it is fun to watch other tourists engage with the site – and take their photo while they do so 🙂

Strike a pose!

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One of the many tourists 🙂 (thanks, Phil I. for snapping this winner!)

While Angkor Wat is overall more imposing, Bayon is definitely different enough to warrant the time to explore it – hope you get to do so!

Filed Under: Asia, Cambodia, Travel Journal Tagged With: adventure, Angkor Thom, Bayon, Cambodge, Cambodia, Camboya, carvings, explore, Khmer, photo, Samsung Galaxy, temple, tourism, travel

Top 7 Places to See When Visiting in Chile

5 November 2016 by Raul 2 Comments

Having traveled a bit through Chile (though, admittedly, I missed some places I hear are worth exploring like Valdivia), I thought I’d share what I would recommend as a good itinerary for those with time (but not boundless time either). I will either expand on some of the items below in other entries or they have been covered already in entries I already made (true for the Atacama and Patagonia bits).

The Valle de la Luna is one of the key sights in the Atacama Desert

Chile offers a wide range of landscapes due to the fact that it runs a long way in the latitude dimension, therefore, the climates along the country vary significantly. The presence of the Andes clearly has a major effect in the climate as well as provides a great backdrop to many of the places you should see (heck, sometimes it is not just the backdrop but part of what you will explore).

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View near the Cueva del Milodón near Torres del Paine

A trip to Chile typically starts of in Santiago, its capital, though one can enter the country from any of the neighboring countries in places like the Atacama, Pucon, the lake district, or Patagonia.

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In the Atacama Desert, near the Valle de la Luna (Valley of the Moon)

Here are my top 7 places to have in your itinerary to explore wonderful Chile (most of the items below have a hyperlink to posts I wrote about each place with plenty of photos!):

Patagonia/Tierra del Fuego including Torres del Paine, fjords, glaciers, etc. (8-10 days). Only reasonable way is to fly down from Santiago, about 4 hours. The flight may be direct or may make a stop in Puerto Montt which means you could also spend a few days in the area around Puerto Montt! I went and booked a series of tours at a local agency in Puerto Arenas once I arrived there – great way to do it as they explained what things there were to see and then they connected the dots for me in terms of transport and tickets. As a solo traveler with only 4-5 days, it was a great way to maximize the visit. The second time, 5 years later, I focused on hiking the ‘W’ circuit of the Torres del Paine, a 5-day endeavor with Puerto Natales being the starting point.
San Pedro de Atacama and nearby sites in the Atacama desert (4-6 days). If you go from Santiago, it is about a 2-hr flight to Calama and then catch a bus ride at the airport (about 1 hr or so to reach San Pedro). The Atacama desert is the driest desert in the world which is mind-blowing as it is so close to the Pacific Ocean. From seeing the salt lakes, the altiplano, the Valley of the Moon, and the geysers to watching the multiple types of flamingos fly by to enjoy what feels like (but really is not) a true frontier town, San Pedro and the vicinity is a spectacular place in this planet. I only spent a 3-day holiday weekend there while working in Santiago and, while we saw the key sights, I was left wanting more time to chill and explore more.
Puerto Montt, the Lake District, and Chiloé (4-7 days). About a two hour flight from Santiago. Endless amount of sights to see: the town of Frutillar, crossing the Andes into Argentina by crossing the lakes, the charming island of Chiloé, etc. Notice the German colonists’ influence in the area. Driving around best but there are other ways to see it.
Pucón and the Villarica area (3-6 days). A long drive from Santiago (about 8 hours), it showcases nature at its best. We went white water rafting down the Trancura and stayed at a lakeside hotel that felt like ‘peace’ personified.
Valparaíso (2 days) A little less than an hour and a half’s drive from Santiago, it is charming and colorful. Explore the various funiculars (“ascensores”) available so people do not have to climb MASSIVE staircases to reach the areas atop the hills of the city. But do be careful: some of the areas of town you get to with them are higher crime areas (we were warned by a local as we went up one of the funiculars!). Some of the funiculars are more storied (some dated from the 1880s!) or peculiar than others so worth researching a little. Add on next-door Viña del Mar and its beaches to the visit but they don’t rank up there in my book in terms of beaches.
Santiago (2-4 days) A city is a city is a city – but I find it worth exploring. It is not Paris but I love this city for its relative ‘calmness,’ its livability (I spent most of a year there with work), and its proximity to the amazing Andes. Good food, and lovely and diverse neighborhoods make it worth the visit. In the right season, ski resorts are really close (Valle Nevado being one of them) and the beach just an hour and a half away. Wineries nearby too… Do I need to say more?
Mendoza (2-3 days minimum) OK, this is Argentina but it is almost in Chile (and seems more Chilean than Argentine in temperament…) and easier to get to from Santiago than from anywhere else! It is a very short flight (less than an hour) from Santiago. If you buy the ticket in Chile it is WAY cheaper than if you buy it abroad…

A typical house in Puerto Natales, the closest town to Torres del Paine: A typical house in Puerto Natales, the closest town to Torres del Paine

Readers, please feel free to add or provide other perspectives. I, by no means, saw EVERYTHING Chile has to offer!

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Filed Under: Chile, South America, Travel Journal Tagged With: Atacama, Chile, flight, itinerary, must-see, Patagonia, torres del paine, tourism, travel, trip, Valparaiso

In-and-Out: The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, CO

19 June 2016 by Raul 3 Comments

I headed to Denver to see friends and as luck would have it, an afternoon in Estes Park was in the books for me. I would have about 3 hours to spend in Estes Park so I checked TripAdvisor for some quick ideas on what to see while there. I had driven through Estes Park multiple times a couple of decades ago when I spent two summers in Boulder, Colorado to get to the Rocky Mountain National Park but I had never stopped in Estes Park. I had no memory of it.

So, The Stanley Hotel came up in the search and it offered a 1.5 hour tour. My local friends briefly shared about the hotel so I made up my mind and bought my ticket ($23 since I was not a guest at the hotel) for the 11 AM tour.

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Grand hotel indeed!

I made it with barely a second to spare before the tour began. Scary Mary saw me walk in and asked if I was Mr. Pino. I said yes and immediately asked her if I could run to the restroom – I could not fathom an 1.5 hours waiting to go… (did I share too much?) She allowed the extra minute and I was glad.

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Scary Mary introduces us to the tour

Scary Mary, her self-proclaimed name, was funny and quirky and made for a great tour guide mixing deep knowledge about the place with humor and the dramatic touch when it came time to talk about ghosts and other supernatural stories.

The Shining and The Stanley Hotel

The hotel is more famous not for the quaint story of its birth but because of its ties to the movie “The Shining” with Jack Nicholson.

Art based on The Shining

It seems the hotel was the inspiration Stephen King needed when he stayed at The Stanley back in 1974. The hotel was about to close for the season but King convinced the staff to let him and his wife stay overnight. Maybe they pranked him when they placed him in the haunted room 217… (We also hear Jim Carrey should be asked about his stay in this room…)

Room 217, Estes Park, Colorado, Stanley Park, The Shining

Haunted Room 217

While the hotel was the inspiration for the movie, it was not the actual location where that movie was filmed. Most was filmed in a studio set and exterior shots were done at a lodge near Mt. Hood. Of lesser fame than The Shining, perhaps, is that the hotel was featured in “Dumb and Dumber” – especially a run up its main staircase by the two principal characters of the movie!

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The main staircase

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Looking down the main staircase

A little of the history of the place

The tour begins with the story with how Freelan Oscar “F.O.” Stanley and his wife Flora got to settle there. The Stanleys were an East Coast couple who had taken a trip to Colorado to help F.O. recover his health. He was pretty much almost at the brink of death as he left Denver for a time in the mountains at Estes Park. He made an incredible recovery and proceeded to build the hotel there as a way to have something comparable to the East coast life they were used to when they came out West, a place they had grown to love.

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Registration counter in the lobby with photos of F.O. and Flora (I presume…)

There are a few stories about supernatural events but those are best heard from Scary Mary, not me 🙂 But I will say there is a special force right smack in the middle of this staircase on the 217-side of the building… Some kind of vortex if I understood right.

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The vortex staircase

The Stanley Hotel today

The lobby clearly retains a feel for the past with the heavy woods and furniture arrangements. While the setting of the hotel is spectacular, and the lobby and its spaces feel special, the main guest room floors do feel a bit drab.

Lobby

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Guest room floor

The maze in front of the hotel was an ‘add’ to the grounds after throngs of visitors kept asking about the maze that shows in The Shining. The hotel owners, I suppose, decided to play along and installed one (in its early stages of vegetation growth at the moment…).

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The maze at the front of the hotel

Back to the interior, the hotel has good touches in the decoration using vintage artifacts from an automobile to mirrors, large and small.

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Old fixture for fire hose

The views from the front porch – and I presume, the rooms – are pretty spectacular with the town below and the mountains beyond. A key selling point to the hotel, I am sure!

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Views of the Rockies from the front porch

The bar is pretty cool in its design, decor and feel. There is an outdoor restaurant in the back. I did not get to try neither the food nor the drinks so that may be left to a future visit! I would love to stay there in the dead of winter sometime!

I leave you with some other photos of the main building and the second guest room building.

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Filed Under: Colorado, Travel Journal, US & Canada Tagged With: Colorado, Estes Park, history, lodging, photos, Rockies, Rocky Mountains, Samsung Galaxy S7, Stanley Hotel, tourism, travel

Kathmandu’s Great Boudha Stupa – Still There after the Earthquake

1 December 2015 by Raul 2 Comments

One of the most beautiful sites in Kathmandu, Nepal is its Great Boudha Stupa (or Boudhanath Stupa). First and foremost, it is a beautiful statement of faith, the largest such Buddhist structure in Nepal and the largest outside of any in Tibet. That Kathmandu’s Great Boudha Stupa is pleasing to my eyes is a far second from that but, still, for this first time visitor to areas with a strong Buddhist influence, its physical beauty is indeed powerful.

Sadly, I only got to see if after the earthquake of April 2015 so I missed seeing the stupa tower, the lotus, and the umbrella portions of the stupa which came tumbling down with the quake.

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The stupa: a place for faith

The stupa is very large in diameter. The faithful, and those of us who respect them, walk around in a clockwise direction turning the prayers wheels with their prayers and stopping at different points for prayer. The faithful believe one of the earlier Buddhas is buried under the dome of the structure.

Great Boudha Stupa, stupa, prayer wheel, Buddhist, Buddhism, Kathmandu, Nepal, Samsung Galaxy, travel, tourism, marigold — People stopping for prayers along the way

Great Boudha Stupa, stupa, marigold, Buddhist, Buddhism, Kathmandu, Nepal, Samsung Galaxy, travel, tourism — Marigolds everywhere add color

Great Boudha Stupa, stupa, prayer wheel, Buddhist, Buddhism, Kathmandu, Nepal, Samsung Galaxy, travel, tourism — The prayer wheels

There are some monasteries around it but the buildings around it also house shops and workshops where local artists create their pieces.

Great Boudha Stupa, stupa, Buddhist, Buddhism, Kathmandu, Nepal, Samsung Galaxy, travel, tourism — The district around the stupa

Lhakhang, monastery, Great Boudha Stupa, stupa, Buddhist, Buddhism, Kathmandu, Nepal, Samsung Galaxy, travel, tourism — Lhakhang Monastery

My favorite visit was to a shop with its associated workshop on the second story. We got a nice explanation of the “emblematic” paintings we laymen just associate with Tibet and saw a few of the artists at work, painstakingly working on their creation.

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The stupa: a place of beauty

Halfway around our walk, we got up and a little closer to the dome which still remains unapproachable due to damage for the quake and on-going repairs to the site. From there, one gets to higher ground to look around and get closer to the items near the dome. I leave you with some final photos that are evocative of the beauty of the entire site!

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Filed Under: Asia, Nepal, Travel Journal Tagged With: Bodnath, Boudha, Boudhanath, Buddha, Buddhism, Buddhist, Kathmandu, Nepal, stupa, temple, Tibet, tourism, travel

Images of Another Northern Town – Husavik

28 November 2015 by Raul Leave a Comment

Husavik is certainly not the most visited spot in Iceland as many tourists tend to stick to Reykjavik, the South Shore and the Golden Circle and Husavik lies well in the north. But, when I visited Iceland last year, we had opted to spend three days in Akureyri, much closer to Husavik. That was such a great call! The north was beautiful (Godafoss was awesome) and also a great launching point for some whale watching, which we greatly enjoyed. We picked a whale watching tour out of Husavik which afforded us the opportunity to, even briefly, see this charming northern town. Here are some images from our brief time there.

Click on the photo to see it bigger!

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My delicious and fresh lunch in Husavik!

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Interior of the church by the water

Church by the waterfront in Husavik, Iceland

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Church near Husavik

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Husavik port and whale watching boat

View towards the port of Husavik from town

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Lunch time!

Filed Under: Europe, Iceland, Travel Journal Tagged With: Husavik, Iceland, northern town, sightseeing, tourism, travel, whale watching

The Art Institute of Chicago – A New Favorite

24 August 2015 by Raul 1 Comment

Chicago is many things but dull it isn’t. This city is rich in culture, architecture, outdoors fun (in the summer, at least!), food and many other things. I love coming to this city but have rarely been here on my own to explore. I have greatly enjoyed coming to Chicago with friends, whether to party in the early 1990s, or to get to know the best of the city in the last few years via local friends who know it well. I wrote a couple of years ago about the architecture of the city.

When a business trip to Minnesota arose, I thought it may give me another opportunity to head to the Windy City on my way home and see more of it. One of the things that I have NEVER done in Chicago is go to a museum so I decided my weekend would be anchored around at least on a museum visit.

And so it was. After reading a little bit, and being quite torn on which one to attack, I decided for The Art Institute of Chicago. It is one of people’s favorites (or so I read!) and it was close to my hotel. Also, while I had studied about the Chicago History Museum and was curious to see it in person, I was not feeling historical this weekend. I was more in the mood for art. And, finally, The Art Institute featured in one of my favorite movies: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off!

The museum has an old wing and a newer one with a cleverly built hallway/gallery that was built to bridge over the railroad lines separating the old building (right on Michigan Avenue) from the new building, behind the old building towards the lake. The new building has an entrance on Monroe whereas the old building has its entrance on Michigan Avenue.

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The modern wing from Monroe St.

To the right, the bridge connecting the new gallery (shown here) to the old

And the bridge connecting to the old building over the rail lines

I like the newer building because it just feels “light” both in the sense of illumination but also on the sense of weight or heaviness of the architecture and the interiors. Well done, whoever was/were the architect(s)!

Lightness in space and materials

The museum has art from ancient Greece and China to the most modern sculptures (Charles Ray was a special exhibit). I started at the Charles Ray exhibit mainly because it was right there after I entered. The space was huge and the sculptures were distributed over the entire space creating what felt like vast spaces between the pieces. I don’t know much about art (it’s been a while since I stayed at a Holiday Inn…) but I definitely felt the openness and emptiness of the galleries only added to the sculptures by truly making them stand out. I also feel that it also made the people walking around almost part of the exhibit itself. I took some photos that, now when I look at them, I am almost as interested in the people walking the space as in the sculptures themselves. I wonder if that was the intent of the curators…

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Boy holding a frog seemingly holding a statue in the back…

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A crashed Grand Am sculpture with the Hancock Tower in the background

My favorites were the impressionist artists, as usual: Pisarro, Cézanne, Monet, etc.. But I also was pleased to see several El Greco and more modern favorites like Miró, Picasso, Matisse, Pollock, and Roy Lichtenstein (am I a name-thrower or what?!).

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Van Gogh’s selfie (at least one ear is still there!)

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Roy Lichtenstein’s almost comic book-like imagery

Jackson Pollock

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Monet’s foggy London

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Cézanne’s wife on yellow chair

I also enjoyed seeing American Gothic in person. It truly is a brilliant piece, not because I know about art itself but because I certainly feel the emotion (or lack thereof) in the two characters!

American Gothic

Oh, and here is the charmer that Ferris and his bud and girlfriend admired while on their escapade!

You don’t have to be an art connoisseur or lover even – just have an open mind and go explore this incredible institution on the shores of Lake Michigan!

Filed Under: Illinois, Travel Journal, US & Canada Tagged With: art, Art Institute, Chicago, Millenium Park, museum, sculpture, tourism, travel

Þingvellir: Where History and Nature Meet in Iceland!

31 July 2014 by Raul 5 Comments

One of the key stops along the Golden Circle in Iceland (a nice day trip from Reykjavik) is Þingvellir (or “Thingvellir”, as the first letter is a “th”-ish sound), in the Þingvellir National Park. It is a site of great importance both because of historic and geological reasons. It was here than in the 10th century, Iceland’s parliament was set up less than 100 years after the island was populated by settlers from what is Norway today And it stayed there until the very end of the 18th century! Setting up this parliament was key in creating a unique Icelandic sense of nation.

The park is also the home of the largest lake in Iceland and it contains the crest of the rift valley in the mid-Atlantic. As you walk in down a paved path, a large cliff wall on your left frames the scene. It is an imposing wall!

As you walk down on it, you are shown to the spot where parliament was founded. It is barely noticeable except for the flag pole and the framing put in place on the actual site – oh, and all the tourists!

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See the flagpole in the distance?

Standing on the spot gives one a great view down to the valley. But walk down to the water, perhaps the church and admire the cliff walls from below.

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Looking up to the site of the first parliament!

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Church below the parliament site

But stop and admire the natural beauty of the site!

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Awesome land!

Beautiful!

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The strata of lava point to the incredible geological uniqueness of Iceland

It was one of the first “sights” I visited in Iceland (after the Blue Lagoon) and it definitely help frame the country for me by marrying its history with its incredible landscapes!

——– More on Iceland ——–

My itinerary for my week visit to Iceland

A stroll around Reykjavik

Hallgrímskirkja Church in Reykjavik

Postcards from Iceland: Dalvík

The Blue Lagoon

Goðafoss: The Waterfalls of the Gods

A Northern Town: Akureyri

Whale Watching

Iceland’s South Shore: The Dyrhólaey Peninsula and Vik