TravelStream™ news feed for member svdputte on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/svdputte en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Mon, 11 May 2009 23:33:12 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/svdputte/3/1241839020/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/svdputte/3/1241839020/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/svdputte/3/1241839020/tpod.html Mon, 11 May 2009 23:33:12 -0400 CENTRAL AMERICA

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Chichén Itzá, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

We stayed in a beautiful hostel in a colonial building with beautiful high ceilings and a huge kitchen and a killer-diet breakfast. We took the Chitzen Itza bus that dropped us at the entrance of the ruins where you can stock your luggage for free if you are in transit.
We had all day to explore Chitzen Itza and took the time because the heat was almost inbareble.
Everywhere vendors trying to seel their handicrafts. I thought Chitzen Itza was a little too commercial.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/svdputte/3/1241752560/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/svdputte/3/1241752560/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/svdputte/3/1241752560/tpod.html Mon, 11 May 2009 23:30:16 -0400 CENTRAL AMERICA

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Merida, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Merida is a beautiful city with a lot of colonial buildings, they say it is the most "Mexican" city.
We took a bus and went to the ruins in Uxmal. It was extremely hot. You could see iguanas everywhere.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/svdputte/3/1242013320/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/svdputte/3/1242013320/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/svdputte/3/1242013320/tpod.html Sun, 10 May 2009 23:45:56 -0400 CENTRAL AMERICA

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Tulum, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Playa del Carmen is the perfect spot to explore nearby Cancun, Tulum and Cozumel. They are all one hour away.
A collectivo dropped us at the ruins but you still have to walk almost a kilometer before you get to the site.
I have seen a lot of ruins on this trip and I have truely saved the best one for last...
The scenery is absolutely magnificent. The blue sea, the white sand, BEAUTIFUL.
As a bonus you can watch iguanas.
It was very hot but you can cool down on the beautiful beach next to the ruins
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/svdputte/3/1241925480/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/svdputte/3/1241925480/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/svdputte/3/1241925480/tpod.html Sun, 10 May 2009 23:35:34 -0400 CENTRAL AMERICA

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Cancun, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

I took a bus to Cancun that runs every 10 minutes from Playa del Carmen.
It is a huge city. A local bus took me to a playa wich is accesible for the public as most beaches are "taken" by the big hotels. I have never seen such white sand and blue sea before in my life. It was absolutely beautiful.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/svdputte/2/1239416040/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/svdputte/2/1239416040/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/svdputte/2/1239416040/tpod.html Tue, 28 Apr 2009 22:22:07 -0400 SOUTH AMERICA

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

quito, Ecuador

There I took the first bus that went to Quito. It took 36 h to get there from Lima. Yeah, almost 60h in the bus... Ok, I hear you thinking what so long no shower but I didnt smell, the guy next to me in the bus even said to me that I smelled nice!
The bus had no luxery at all, no airco nothing but a lot of ambiance!
I sat next to a nice Ecuadorian with whom I had a lot of fun.
The bus arrived very early, allowing me to do some sightseeing before my 4pm flight to Panama that day. I stayed an hour at the airport looking and begging for a place to store my luggage. Finally there was someone who knew a left luggage service near the airport.
Little time left I arranged a taxi to take me to Mitat del Mundo (center of the world), wait for me there and drop me afterwards in the old center. The old center is beautifully surrounded by mountains. I took the bus back to the airport and had no problems checking in, although I had to show my flight home documents.
Sitting peacefully in my airplanechair, an agent came to get me out again to check my bags. He treated me like I was some kind of criminal and that was not nice.
I arrived in Panama in the evening.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/svdputte/2/1240971000/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/svdputte/2/1240971000/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/svdputte/2/1240971000/tpod.html Tue, 28 Apr 2009 22:13:53 -0400 SOUTH AMERICA

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

lima, Peru

That day I took the bus to Lima which took 22h to arrive. The city looked dirty and filty and it was easterholiday so too much people, so I didnt really regret not being able to stay there longer.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/svdputte/2/1239052980/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/svdputte/2/1239052980/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/svdputte/2/1239052980/tpod.html Tue, 28 Apr 2009 22:05:50 -0400 SOUTH AMERICA

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Cuzco, Peru

The busride from Copacobana to Cuzco was one off the worst in my life. The bus stopped constantly to pick people up, at one time there were people standing straight next to me. It stopped a while in Puno. It just took for ages.
I arrived at night and wanted to search for a hotel near the busterminal when a nice man,Nicolai approched me and he brought me to a nice hotel in the center.
The next morning he proposed to me a few toursto do and as I did not have a lot of time I deceided to do the tours he suggested, starting that day with a city tour and a tour to ruins near Cuzco.
The next day I had a 2day trip starting by a fabulous trip down the Sacred Valley, walking up to see... yeah right ruins but the scenery was just amazing,mountains, valleys really beautiful.
They dropped me in Ollantaytambo where I took the train to Aguas Calientes. The train follows the most beautiful trail ever. After checking in in the hotel and a quick tour around Aguas Calientes I went to bed early because I had to get up early to get on the first bus to Macchu Picchu.
Me, the one who is never ever sick woke up this night feeling extremily naucious. I took some tablets and tried to sleep again. Getting up at 4.45 did not really help and I was still feeling very sick. But as I have no time to be sick I got up and hoped that it will be over soon.
Arriving at Macchu Picchu I didnt really have a WAUUUW effect, the surroundings were magnificient.
As I arrived I went straight to the Waina Picchu mountain, as there are only 400 (I think) people allowed on the mountain daily and you need a ticket to get up there.
I hoped to see a beautiful sunrise but some clouds thought differently.
At 8 am I had a guided tour arround MP. During the tour, a couple from Holland joined us, although they didnt pay for the tour (so typical) and they left quickly at the end of the tour so they didnt have to give any tip. It was funny as they didnt know I understood every single word they said.
After the tour I deceided to climb the 2750m high mountain although I still felt sick I was planning to do it very slowly. So it took for ages to get up there, the view was just stunning. You can climb another higher mountain, Machhu Picchu mountain but they said that only at Waina Picchu you have the total overview.
I can really recommend climbing it but bring some insect repellent.
I had one night left in Aguas Calientes and had to get up early again for the 5.30h backpackertrain back to Ollantaytambo. There was Nicolai waiting to take me back to Cuzco. Which is a very nice city with a lot going on, beautiful buildings and churches.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/svdputte/2/1238030520/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/svdputte/2/1238030520/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/svdputte/2/1238030520/tpod.html Tue, 28 Apr 2009 22:04:01 -0400 SOUTH AMERICA

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

street of Magellan, Patagonia, Chile

Cruising the Street of Magellan means relaxation and seeing beautiful fjords move by.
It was impossible to cruise the whole way through the fjords to Puerto Montt so every time the boat went back to the ocean the boat moved really badly.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/svdputte/3/1240711080/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/svdputte/3/1240711080/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/svdputte/3/1240711080/tpod.html Tue, 28 Apr 2009 22:01:45 -0400 CENTRAL AMERICA

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

san pedro sula, Honduras

I stayed in a nice hotel in the center. I can handle the fact that the receptionist tried to seduce me, all the men in the street whisseling or calling me baby but I have really difficulty with the fact that every shop here and hotel is secured by an armed guard. I dont think they are there if there is no reason. I took a taxi the next day and a bus to Copan.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/svdputte/3/1240710720/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/svdputte/3/1240710720/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/svdputte/3/1240710720/tpod.html Tue, 28 Apr 2009 21:57:50 -0400 CENTRAL AMERICA

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Tegucigalpa, Honduras

Another early bus. Pffff
For one reason or another it feels that these countrys are more dangerous than those I visited in the South of America. I do not know why, is it because my trip is coming to an end and nothing has happened I dont know but it is not a nice feeling.
I did not want to stay in the capital so I tried to get a direct bus to Copan but I had no luck. I ended up tooking a Hedman Alas bus to San Pedro Sula and had to take a taxi into the center to find a hotel as the busterminal is out of town.
]]>