Pura Vista on the road

When work doesn’t give you enough time, Trinidad and Tobago is your spot

travelaffair — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:13:00 GMT

When work doesn’t give you enough time, Trinidad and Tobago is your spot

While in Trinidad & Tobago for work, I found myself knowing nothing about these fairly new independence achieving islands. For starters, I had NO IDEA where T&T was even located and as a former expat child that made me feel dumb. So upon arrival to Trinidad, I gathered all of this historical info from my knowledgeable taxi driver:

1) In 2012, T&T hit its 50 years of independence from the British Empire. For such a short span of freedom it does pretty well for itself. Crime (which isnt that high) is secluded to specific areas. Its got oil to the wazoo and you’ll end up paying Washington DC prices. Don’t forget your cash and leave your credit card(s) at home.

2) T&T also been colonized by many; the Spanish, the French, the Dutch and the English. Today, the two largest populations are of African and Indian (from India) descent. You’ll find Chinese, Europeans Creole mixes but its not as common. If you get my taxi driver, he’ll tell that ”We were brought here as workers in the early 1900s. NOT as slaves, as WORKERS, we could leave when ever we pleased.” Your encounters and the food will tell you that most of them stayed. For curry lovers, that’s a very good thing.

3) They drive on the same side as the Brits. Unlike the streets in London and Dublin, they dont tell you which way you should look. Nor do their streets seem to be correctly marked. So for anyone who drives on the other side of the street, be careful.

I started to wonder why my taxi driver knew so much and after many drives with different taxi drivers, i realized why. Everyone in Trinidad seems to have a car and I think I saw one bus zoom by. EVERY TAXI DRIVER drives ordinary cars which will be distinguished by the letter H on their car plates. If you travel by taxi a lot be warned theyll want to take you on a tour and be your escort back to the airport. They won’t have a cost meter either so you won’t know if you’re overpaying. Keep his business card though, because you can’t just hail down a cab at 9pm, nor much later.

TRINI FOOD!!!

I live for food, so I was astonished by what these places had to offer:

1) Trinisushi @ Morevino. Sushi when the main delicacy is curry based? I was skeptical. I became even more curious upon glazing at the sushi menu. Teriyaki chicken and cabbage inside my roll? Most of the rolls were filled with items that you would not find at a sushi bar in Washington DC. Island-based sushi everyday, YES PLEASE. The place has plenty of seating outside (not that it has a view) which should be enjoyed at nights.

2) Fish and side salads @ Skippers. Inside the city’s only Yacht club, its a great place for eating a mass amount of food. If you order any type of fish, you’ll get 5 difference courses of salads, all which might change your tastebuds (I dislike eggplant based and scarfed it down yes i did. At lunch time they have a buffet with over 15 different courses. The service is superb and if you’re lucky, the owner, who will enthrall you in details about his sailing ship and crew, the candyman, might even give you a ride home FOR FREE.

TOBAGO’S NATURE HOTSPOT:

There’s two ways to get to Tobago. Either take a 20 minute ride on Caribbean Airlines for US$200 (roundtrip) or take a 2 .5 hour ferry ride for US$50 (roundtrip). I’m a lover of the sea and boat motions have yet to make me feel sick so I highly recommend the ferry.

1) Turtle Watching. This is a two hour process of a mama turtle coming upon shore to lay eggs. Nature at its finest. They come out at night, between 8-10pm. DO NOT SHINE YOUR FLASHLIGHTS IN THEIR EYES for they just trying to be good mothers .

2) Hike it out (picture displayed). By the end of a 3 hour hike, Harris Mcdonald, my tour guide, will most definitely make you a bird and tree naming expert. He follows the off paths and guides you straight into solitary haven. Though he carries a machete and may jokingly tell you that no one would ever find you in the 10 foot deep moist grass, I’m proof that I made it out alive. If you’re lucky, he’ll bring along his owl man buddy.

3) Englishman’s Bay (picture displayed). I distaste crowded beaches. My feet avoid stabbing rocky sands. Sometimes I don’t want 383528 resorts distracting me from picturesque view. Englishman’s Bay provides just the opposite, offering just one small restaurant and one vendor selling shawls. On a sunday afternoon, with just one couple walking at the far end of the beach, I breathed in Tobago’s secret paradise.

The connection between a Rubik cube and Christmas markets in Europe

travelaffair — Wed, 2 Jan 2013 08:53:00 GMT

I came to Brussels, Belgium for the holidays and I’ve hit up 4 Christmas markets in 4 different European cities. What’s so great about Christmas markets? Besides the fact that many have been up and running since the Middle Ages, they convenient for stocking up on interesting gifts while sipping from mugs filled with hot wine. If you’re overly fascinated by the architecture of medieval churches, make sure to take your camera because most stands are set up right in front of cathedrals.

Cologne, Germany – 160 vendors come to set up shop all around the city, whether it be by the frightening Gothic cathedral or on the banks of the Rhine river, all offer elegant gifts. Most importantly, don’t forget to eat Currywurst!

Aachen, Germany – If you head there during the day, you’ll best see that its set within the walls of Charlemagne’s former palace. If you happen to hit this place while its pouring down rain, head over to the shop at the corner for some cheap hot wine offered in a cute boot-shaped mug. It’ll warm your complaints away.

Bruges, Belgium – I just stumbled upon this Christmas market on new years day. Food on one side (including churros!) and artifacts on the other, divided by an ice rink with happy skating strangers only added to the town’s antique-like beauty. I hear that an American film ”In Bruges” was filmed in Bruges and it stars Colin Farrell. If you never get the chance to hit this town, please admire its beauty as depicted in the film.

Strasbourg, France – Now this tradition goes back to the 1500s and the official animal of this town is a STORK. Yes, that long-legged and long-necked bird with long, stout bills. And the handicrafts won’t let you forget about this towns triangle shaped liked houses and its regional bird.

BY FAR, the souvenirs found at the Christmas market in Strasbourg i believe were the most unique. Where else can one find a snake like Rubik as such:

And VOILA! Finally completed by yours truly:

Thanks youtube for making me a freaking genius :).

A walk to remember – Incan Style

travelaffair — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 09:03:00 GMT

Its been 40 something days since I set foot on the Incan trail and what lingers are many of the valuable lessons we picked up along the way.

For those of you who never heard of the incan trail, it’s basically a trekking route in Southern Peru which for the natives (the Incans) was considered a spiritual and yet rigorous 26 mile walk to the sacred city of Machu Picchu. Considered gruesome for its high altitude and hills, yet bursts of bewilderment and tranquility do present themselves on a path full of various ecosystems and picturesque beauty. Judge it yourself from the picture below:

The Incans in their time of territorial abundance probably completed their journey in a day, tops, while lugging the Incan King on their shoulders. We were told that a tour guide completed it in 3 1/2 hours. We, who didn’t even bother to train for it, were forced to finish it in 4 days.

When hiking a mountain with no cell phones or ipads, a person can really evaluate the purpose of what ever he wishes to define. He can reach a state of mantra without even realizing it. He can also start to hate the cautious-influenced triggers that thought carrying a ton of nutrigrain bars, a bottle of shampoo, and lanterns was such a great idea.

What I got from the trail was that it offers you an opportunity to learn. Not just about yourself, your friends, or about the Peruvian culture. But it can teach you a good amount about efficiency and adaptation. You can feel out of your comfort zone but at the same time, with 6 porters, a cook and a knowledgeable guide, the trail is basically luxurious camping.

If life is begging you for a challenge, the incan trail is a good start and considering the following can really make the trip a success:

Be the initiator - I sent out an email back in December asking everyone I knew who would like to embark on this once in a lifetime experience. I got 6 yes’s. And now we all have amazing stories to share and inside jokes that will never be forgotten.

Yet, let someone else figure out the logistics if you’re no good at planning on a reasonable budget.Oh its horrible. I judge books by their cover and sometimes forget to look at the price of an item at the grocery store. Luckily, Erika took over. Her amazing researching and organizing skills found us PERU’s Best Tours (http://www.perubesttours.com/). You book through them and you’ll get to pet a condor and even have one jump on your back. They definitely worth checking out.

Book months in advance. The hike itself costs between 400-500 dollars and the entrance ticket into Machu Picchu will need to be reserved and purchased at least 4 months in advance.

Spend two days in Cuzco. You need to adjust to the high altitude and check out the Sacred Valley.

Drink just a cup of coca tea. Not 4 cups thinking that you’re preparing yourself for the extreme. You may not like the side effects.

TAKE a walking stick but don’t completely rely on it for support. Or else you’ll fall face first down the steep hill. If you’re lucky they’ll offer them at your hotel or hostel for you to take. Check ahead of time.

Listen to your guide when he tells you to pack lightly. Unless you think $40 is enough to pay a local community person to carry your bag on the second and third day of the hike. The 4 day Inca trail hike does not require you to stuff everything you think you’re going to need into a 45 liter REI bag and then have your face be the true indication of your pain and struggle. Before you know it, you’re guide will start to resemble your mother when he starts to say “I told you so”.

From time to time you may have to share the path with toolbags. These would be individuals who may criticize the culture or the people of the country that they supposedly cam to experience. Ignore them.

ALWAYS spray yourself with mosquito repellent. Or your hands may very well swell up to the size of mickey mouse or the hamburger helper figure. And its painful. Ask Jessica.

NOT everyone needs to carry sunscreen. One bottle is enough.

Be prepared for a lot of squatting….. in the dark. Its better this way. You don’t want to know what the awful smell in the bathroom is really associated with. Nor do you really want to know what you’re stepping in. Its ok to carry on with your business out in the middle of the mountain. According to your guide, the mountain spirits won’t care.

Therefore, carry wet/baby wipes. It’s more reliable than toilet paper. Which you won’t find anywhere on the trail.

Carry a flashlight and medicine TAPE! If torturous mosquitoes eat away at your ankles, youre shoes are not going to feel sorry for you.

You may run into an alpaca herd along the way. Have your camera ready. Don’t poke them with your stick.

Its ok to wear yoga pants. I was told not to do so. By several people. I ignored them. Best decision ever. Comfort at its best. But spray your ankles with mosquito repellent.

The guide may lie to you. And he may do it for good reasons. If he tells you that you got 20 more minutes until your next checkpoint, rest assure that youll get there in 2 hours. And if they tell you that you only got 3 more hills to hike, he really means 5.

It might rain so take a poncho. Or poke a hole in a trash bag. Whatever works for you. They also sell them on the trail.

Remember that it’s all in the mind. You control your thoughts. If you think you can’t make it. You probably won’t. And then you’ll be that person who’s walking the opposite way from everyone and getting funny looks. Don’t let your mind or your body become your enemy on the second day when you’re only a short distance from the mountain’s highest peak at 4215 feet above sea level. Forget the snow and the rain. You’ll get to do a little victory dance (if you still got energy) once you reach the top.

Don’t hike the trail like you’re running a marathon. Or else you’ll miss all the beauty that you may not wish to pay 500 dollars for again.

Do take short videos! You’ll be able to relive memories and concretely remember each sensation you felt along the path.

Do stack up on digital memory cards and maybe an extra battery. You’ll want to remember great moments as such:

You’ll get the sense that the strenuous walk, with its hills, high altitude and monstrous stairs, will be worth it once you reach the sun temple and cast your eyes upon the city of Machu Picchu off in the distance. Its truly a marvelous feeling. And you’ll always have a great story to tell.

Photos: Santa Rosa

travelaffair — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 15:51:00 GMT

To the curious viewer, I offer you a "Welcome to Santa Rosa (Bienvenidos a Santa Rosa)" greeting (reference pic. 1). Welcome to a small town where during the month of August the sun will not deny you its warmth and daylight. It is a town where midafternoon you can find the farmer and his wife tossing their harvested grain (reference pic. 2), as the city-foreign passer-byer can only stand and admire such a picturesque display of tranquility. While 360 days out of the year in Santa Rosa seem relatively undisturbed, the opposite stands true during the last week of August. It is a time when the patriotic festivities in honor of the Saint Santa Rosa unleash a week of religious devotion, traditional northern Peruvian dances (reference pic. 3), and exquisite food. These pictures that I have captured are moments that my grandfather and great-grandmother lived through (reference pic. 4), and I with my camera can re-tell the story. Evidently, my time in Santa Rosa with friends and family are memories that I have kept confided to my camera. Yet there is this desire to share with those willing to learn and admire. My interest in this scholarship comes from my strong desire to document through a set of great lenses the stories of many other spectacular towns. A picture honestly paints a thousand words.