feliciawong's TravelStream™ — Recent TravelPod.com entries TravelStream™ news feed for member feliciawong on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/feliciawong en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:46:00 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com Macchu Pikachu!!!!!! — Aguas Calientes, Sacred Valley, Peru http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/feliciawong/4/1210582860/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/feliciawong/4/1210582860/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/feliciawong/4/1210582860/tpod.html Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:46:00 -0400 The Americas 2008: Rob & Felicia on a llama-eating sojourn.
Aguas Calientes, Sacred Valley, Peru

Having bought our admission tickets and bus ticket the day before, we woke up at 0445hrs and chomped down our breakfast of bread rolls and yoghurt and hurried to get in line for the bus. The first bus would start at 0530hrs, and when we got there at 0525hrs, there were probably 120 people in front of us. Still, the buses were loaded quickly and efficiently and we were soon on our way. We arrived at Macchu Pichu's entrance gates and made our way up, while everything was still shrouded in clouds. As the sun rose, the clouds parted and we had our first glimpse of the "lost" Incan structures. Finally, the magnitude of its glory hit me, and I felt that all the costs and hassle involved were worth it. Of course, I had made a pun before this trip and kept saying "Macchu Pikachu", so Rob convinced me to hunt down a Pikachu plush, and so yes... I carried this little yellow lump of fluff all the way here!After we sufficiently explored these ancient ruins, we went to register ourselves to climb Wayna Picchu, the famous mountain flanking Macchu Pichu. The trail only permitted 400 climbers a day. Ed signed in at No. 33, I made No. 34 while Rob was No. 35. The climb was a scenic albeit tiring one, but what really winded us was the descent. It started to rain as we sat on the rocky summit, but by the time we started to clamber down, the rain fell steadily. The ancient Incan steps were Hobbit-sized at best, and treacherously slippery with mosses, lichen and rain. Slowly did it, and we made it down without incident, although not before being thoroughly soaked, wet, cold and extremely tired. Nonetheless, the rain could not dampen our spirits and we were thrilled that we managed to catch a clear view of Macchu Pichu, unlike for those unfortunate ones who arrived later and found that all that they could see were clouds clouds and more clouds. (To be continued / rewritten)
]]> California, yeah baby yeah! — Los Angeles, California, United States http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/feliciawong/4/1211649180/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/feliciawong/4/1211649180/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/feliciawong/4/1211649180/tpod.html Sat, 24 May 2008 13:15:11 -0400 The Americas 2008: Rob & Felicia on a llama-eating sojourn.
Los Angeles, California, United States

We touched down past midnite, tired and I was worried about immigration again. Thankfully, all went without a hitch and the customs guy, Santos, was exceptionally helpful and friendly. YAAY!! I don't hate America anymore :P Thus concludes our 3 mth South American adventure! :)
]]> Back in Lima — Lima, Peru http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/feliciawong/4/1211303040/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/feliciawong/4/1211303040/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/feliciawong/4/1211303040/tpod.html Sat, 24 May 2008 13:11:44 -0400 The Americas 2008: Rob & Felicia on a llama-eating sojourn.
Lima, Peru

We arrived back in Lima after a longer than expected bus ride. We stood in line for over an hour and jostled with the locals.We checked into the Inka Lounge, which as promised, was clean, and service was friendly. As we hung around here waiting for our flight back to California, we enjoyed the comforts of the big city, including a lovely HotCakes breakfast at McDonald's. Mmmmmmm!
]]> Happy Bird-day — Paracas, Paracas, Peru http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/feliciawong/4/1211026380/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/feliciawong/4/1211026380/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/feliciawong/4/1211026380/tpod.html Wed, 21 May 2008 09:54:16 -0400 The Americas 2008: Rob & Felicia on a llama-eating sojourn.
Paracas, Paracas, Peru

Since today Felicia gets older, we decided to pack our day with activities! First up, we wake up very early and headed out to Paracas where we visited Las Islas Ballestas - aka poor man's Galapagos. Despite the insanely vast numbers of birdses, I a) did not get eaten by a pelican [huge ones were wandering along the pier]; b) I did not get attacked by the flocks; and c) I did not get shit on -- this is quite common, considering the sheer number of airborne bombers. What we managed was to see LOTS of birds, and the adorable sea lions!!! I saw a particularly adorable one and named it "Plip Plop" (after flip-flops!). Cuteness! After that, we went dune-buggying and sandboarding. SUPER DUPER FUN, like a roller-coaster on wheels, and then we were having a crazy good time rushing down the dunes on our boards. The craziest time was when we sandboarded down a MASSIVE dune on our bellies and went ultra fast.Definitely one of the most memorable bird-days EVER! YAAY!*If you would like to send Felicia a birthday present, click the link at the top of this entry to find my PayPal page, thank you!
]]> Wine, Wine, Whine! — Ica, Ica, Peru http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/feliciawong/4/1210939980/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/feliciawong/4/1210939980/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/feliciawong/4/1210939980/tpod.html Tue, 20 May 2008 18:58:17 -0400 The Americas 2008: Rob & Felicia on a llama-eating sojourn.
Ica, Ica, Peru

The dry foggy climate of the Ica region of Peru means that <i>bodegas (vineyards) abound here. We decided to visit 2 wineries, one industrial (Bodega Vista Alegre) and another was a smaller family-run one (El Catador).At Vista Alegre, we also sampled Pisco, the famous Peruvian liquor that goes into Pisco Sour (pisco + lime + egg whites). It smelt like ethanol and burnt like fire! After downing a shot of that, I was already queasy. Unfortunately, our driver Pablo enjoyed speeding and jamming on the brakes, ensuring that if I felt mildly unwell, I was thoroughly sick by the time we got to the smaller vineyard. So... unfortunately I didn't take many pictures of the 2nd place.
]]> Battling the Birds — Huacachina, Huacachina, Peru http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/feliciawong/4/1210888560/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/feliciawong/4/1210888560/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/feliciawong/4/1210888560/tpod.html Sat, 17 May 2008 13:54:49 -0400 The Americas 2008: Rob & Felicia on a llama-eating sojourn.
Huacachina, Huacachina, Peru

We arrived at Huacachina with no reservations, as Robbie had insisted that "we'll be fine!". Unfortunately, El Huacachinero, with swimming pool and pretty rooms, was booked out until the end of the week. Our cab driver was nice enough to drive us around seeking other hostels, but alas. All were full. Our second choice, Hostal Salvatierra, also with a pool, was full for the week. We finally ended up at Hostal Rocha, a family-run property. It was dank & dark, and the kitchen was visibly scruffy. Still, we stored our bags as we awaited check-in, and proceeded for breakfast.In the backyard was a pool which, upon inspection, turned out to have cloudy water. Several big green PARROTS roamed the gardens, and there was a monkey tethered to a branch with a leash. Ermmmm...... I was upset inside and it was hard to contain my frustration. I was someone who preferred planning ahead, and I didn't think making a reservation was out of line. Now, I had to spend my birthday in this dump?!It got worse as the biggest parrot walked towards us, and proceeded to jump onto the table beside us and tried to eat the woman's breakfast.Needless to say, I was quite freaked out, but essentially helpless as, in this town of 200 people, accomodation options within our budget range were limited. There were 2 other fancy looking places, but they cost US$30 per person per night, rather than our US$6 in this bird-infested place.We went for a stroll so as to escape the birds, and soon came across a very spiffy looking restaurant. It had a sign that indicated a hostel as well, so we ventured in and were met by the friendly young Jose who enthusiastically showed us around. It was spanking new, with potpourri in the bathrooms and designer taps, but so new that it wasn't listed in guidebooks yet!Sure, the rooms haven't been retrofitted yet, so, while clean, the decor was dated. Still, it was a BIRD-FREE ZONE!We decided to move, since Hospedaje del Barco ("hostel of the ship"?) was the same price for a much better environment. This hostel had a cool restaurant/bar area, faced the boardwalk and had views of the oasis. So we returned to the first place and told them we were moving. Immediately, a young guy at Hostal Rocha (presumeably the son) started yelling rudely at us, saying that they had to turn people away because of us, and claimed that they threw out the previous guests so we could check in early. H-a-h-a. Untrue because his Dad had said earlier that they were cleaning the baño (bathroom), when we arrived (i.e.: the room was already vacant).Whatever it was, Ed suggested we could stay 1 night as restitution for their trouble, but I said to that guy that we're gonna leave because his attitude sucks.The Dad at the place merely said Ok, it's alright, and took the news. We paid him for bag storage (AND he already made 18 soles off of us for breakfast) and were on our way.For a place listed in the LonelyPlanet, i'm pretty damn sure they would be filled without any problems, since every other LP-listed place was full.
]]> *El placer de viajar en bus! — Abancay, Abancay, Peru http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/feliciawong/4/1210862820/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/feliciawong/4/1210862820/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/feliciawong/4/1210862820/tpod.html Fri, 16 May 2008 11:17:11 -0400 The Americas 2008: Rob & Felicia on a llama-eating sojourn.
Abancay, Abancay, Peru

Being close to my bday, we decided to splurge for 1st class seats on our 18hour Cruz del Sur bus ride to Ica, where we would then head out to Huacachina, an oasis amidst massive sand dunes. The ride, unfortunately, wasn't as comfy as I had hoped, and poor Ed was overwhelmed with motion sickness on the crazy S-shaped mountain roads. I had, thankfully, popped Dramamine the moment the bus started.*"The pleasure of travelling by bus" -- tagline of Cruz del Sur, undisputedly the most luxurious bus in Peru!
]]> Transit in Cusco — Cusco, Cusco, Peru http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/feliciawong/4/1210776000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/feliciawong/4/1210776000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/feliciawong/4/1210776000/tpod.html Fri, 16 May 2008 11:14:35 -0400 The Americas 2008: Rob & Felicia on a llama-eating sojourn.
Cusco, Cusco, Peru

We returned to Cusco on the fancier VistaDome where we were served some paltry pastries and some beverages.Stumbling in at about 8pm, we checked into the much-hyped Loki Backpackers and it was, true to itself, a raging party hostel. I stayed in the room while Rob and Ed hit up the bar, and encountered all manner of drunken revelers. Including one spewing vomit everywhere, another that was thoroughly confused and sought help finding his dorm, and others that were raving & ranting.Earplugs were definitely in order!
]]> En route to Macchu Pichu — Cusco, Peru http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/feliciawong/4/1210520400/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/feliciawong/4/1210520400/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/feliciawong/4/1210520400/tpod.html Tue, 13 May 2008 23:49:25 -0400 The Americas 2008: Rob & Felicia on a llama-eating sojourn.
Cusco, Peru

Many travelers visit Peru or even the entire South American continent solely for the purpose of setting foot on Macchu Pichu, the famed showpiece of the Incan empire, one of the New 7 Wonders of the world. Finally, after more than 2 months of travel through Peru's other neighbours, we arrive here, with Ed, eager to find out what all this hype was about. We caught the not-so-cheap basic backpacker train and arrived in Aguas Calientes, also known as "Macchu Pichu pueblo" (village) at about 11. Sure enough, the train station was ridden with hostel touts and we followed a reasonably nice lady to the barebones Hostal El Mirador. What we were supposed to "mirar" (see) eluded me, because the only view from the window of our very smelly triple room was... Pachacutec street and a rather large avocado tree (which was out of reach). Still, at 40 soles per room per night, it was an unbelievable steal. Hot water didn't appear to be promising despite our proprietress' insistence that it was available all the time. We settled in quickly, with surprisingly hot showers after harrassing her a bit. The big day would be tomorrow!
]]> Cuzcuenian Wanderings — Cusco, Peru http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/feliciawong/4/1210476000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/feliciawong/4/1210476000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/feliciawong/4/1210476000/tpod.html Tue, 13 May 2008 23:23:12 -0400 The Americas 2008: Rob & Felicia on a llama-eating sojourn.
Cusco, Peru

Now that Ed's here, we explored Cuzco, by far the most touristy place we've been in South America so far. It is, after all, the launching pad to Macchu Pichu!Details in the pictures!
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