Lima Day 20 - 21

After 22 hours of bus ride, half of which are windy and twisty (I swear to God, the bus was turning constantly..... I am normally not a carsick person, but I did get very nauseous), we are finally in Lima!!!!! It was 10 times cheaper to take the bus than the plane, so we decided to go by bus. This is our very last stop before heading back home. (sad T_T) 
This is actually the cleanest and most-developed city we have seen in South America. We have a day and a half to explore Lima. The first place we went to is called the Huaca Pucllana. It is a ruin in the middle of the city dated all the way back to 200 AD, and they are still currently digging around the site to learn more about the Lima culture thousands of years ago. They offered tours in different languages upon request so that you can appreciate the history and significance of the site. Then, we went to the Miraflores district, which is known for the beautiful beaches, shopping malls, parks and gardens. We also went to downtown Lima (Plaza Mayo, Monastery of San Francisco, etc) to see all the beautiful historical architecture. 
Since this is our last day, we decided to enjoy a nice lunch at a cevicherias called La Mar. It is considered to be one of the best places to eat in Lima. The food and services were equally awesome. As soon as you sit down, they brought the table some complimentary munchies (cripsy corn and sweet potatoes chips) and they were SO GOOD. Definitely get the ceviche sampler that has five different kinds of fish and shellfish. The seafood was very fresh and they also made a twist on the traditional ceviche with more intense flavors. Highly recommended. 
After lunch, we went to the Barranco district and Larco Museum. Larco museum was a lot of fun. They have an insane collection of ancient Peru's pottery ....... More interestingly, they have a erotic exhibition of artwork. They incorporated a lot of the different sex positions into their pottery. You would not have thought that they would express sexuality so openly in their art, but they did. 
Last night in Peru, we decided to go to the Parque de la Reserva. It is a waterfront park with at least 7 different waterfront with colorful light effects. Perfect for a hot summer day! This concludes our 3 week south american adventure. The world is too big, and there is too much to see. It is my life mission to see as much of the world as I can, especially before the world becomes more and more globalized. I love the unique cultures of different countries, sometimes even different parts of the same country, as well as the spectacular scenery and nature in different parts of the world. Travelling is definitely addictive, this trip makes me want to travel even more and I am surprised that I actually hopped on that plane back to my sad graduate student life. Anyways, I am not very good at writing and expressing myself (and I have a blog....), but hopefully, all the posts I made for the past couple months on the South America trip have convinced you to make a trip either to one of the places I mentioned, or just anywhere! Try to do research yourself, avoid taking a tour, you will get a lot more out of it!! Bon Voyage! 

Day 19 - Cusco

A lot of people come to Cusco just because they want to go to Machu Picchu, and a lot of them leave right away. What a pity! Cusco is a beautiful and historical city, and is definitely worth a day or two to explore! We are taking an overnight bus to Lima tonight, so we have almost a whole day to explore Cusco. 
We went to the Museo Inka, which has a lot of artifacts all the way from the pre-Inca period. Then we went to the market to have some ceviche (a must-eat in Peru!), and it is soooo cheap and good. There are also other street food, like chicken noodle soup, roast guinea pig, kabob-like grilled meat and potatoes, etc. They are ridiculously cheap and DELICIOSO. After feeding ourselves, we continued to explore the city, we went to Plaza de Armas, San Blas, cathedrals, etc. The most memorable or impressive thing about the city is that, ruins are basically everywhere! Being the "Inca capital", there were signs of Incan structures everywhere and you can see that the Spanish built upon the existing city. On the street, you can see the signature stone walls all over the city. The churches, the stores, and the buildings were built on top of those walls. The whole city is just a ruin! 

Day 18 - Machu Picchu

Oh my God, I can't imagine I actually made it there! "Thee" infamous Machu Picchu, a signature Inca site from the 15th century located up on the mountain (2430 meters above sea level). It is literally "the castle in the air", as you can see from the pictures, how it's hidden in the clouds among the mountains. There are two main railways that go up to Machu Picchu from Cusco, Perurail and Inca rail, the price is similar if you book from the railway companies, which are located in Cusco. In order to secure a seat, I would recommend booking the ticket online as soon as you know the date you are going. We took the Perurail. There are 3 classes of the train, the cheapest is Expedition, then Vistadome, then Hiram Bingham. I honestly don't think the Vistadome is worth the extra money, and I can barely notice the difference. As for Hiram Bingham, this is absolutely the most luxurious ride to Machu Picchu, as they provide onboard meals, with wine and entertainment. We of course went with the cheapest option. We found a travel agency in Cusco, and we purchased tickets from them, which includes taxi from our hostel to Poroy station, and then the train to Machu Picchu Station, then the entrance fee to Machu Picchu, the mini bus ride up to the Machu Picchu (quite a scary ride), and a tour guide to help explain the historical features of the ruins, and of course all the transportation back to the hostel. It was very nice that everything was taken care of. For those who have the time and energy, you can always chose to go up by walking the Inca trail!
The Machu Picchu was thought to be unfinished and abandoned as a result of the Spanish conquest, and because of its location, it wasn't found until about 100 years ago, and thus it is so well-preserved. The whole site can be divided into an agricultural sector (terraces) and an urban sector (houses), as well as an upper town (temples) and a lower town (warehouses). It was built using the classic Inca architectural style of polished dry-stone walls, and this technique is called ashlar. Blocks of stone are cut to fit each other perfectly without mortar, not even a knife can go between the stones. The Incas are masters of this technique, which we still do not understand how they did it! 
We climbed all the way up to the top to get the golden shot of the machu picchu, and the weather wasn't very good that day, so it was too foggy that we could barely see it! (picture below) I was beyond sad..... I mean, it is not a place that you come to every day, and honestly, the train ride costs quite a bit too...... So, we decided that we should wait and see if the fog goes away, and an hour later, it DID!!!! OMG!!!! Once it did, I just kept clicking my camera non-stop!! A lot of friends would say, you can always get a picture online.... I was like WHAT?!!! For me, it feels sooooooo different when you took the picture of the place you visited. That's just priceless. 
It is definitely an experience to be able to see this with your very own eyes and touch this with your bare hands (Everything is original!!). It is amazing how the Incas could have gone all the way up here, and built a whole community right on the cliff of the mountain. This is definitely one of must-go places on earth. 

Day 17 - Sacred Valley

http://eatingatjoes.com/2015/04/02/trader-joes-giant-peruvian-inca-corn/

After an overnight bus from Copacabana, we arrived to the historic capital of the Inca Empire, Cuzco at 5am in the morning!! After we checked into a hostel, not to waste any time, we went to get the ticket to Machu Picchu for the next day. We came across a tour that we can take today to the sacred valley, with an English speaking tour guide. As much as I enjoy exploring by myself, it is nice to not have to worry about the bus schedule as well as having someone explaining the history to you at the ruins. 

Stop #1 - Pisac
Pisac is a Peruvian village in the sacred valley. The most impressive feature is the agricultural terrace on the steep hill side constructed by the Incas, which are still in use today. There are some souvenir and food stands where we stopped. We found these giant corn steamed on the cob, and we were very curious to try it! It wasn't as sweet as the smaller corn, but it was delicious, and I later found this snack in Trader Joe's!! (Picture on the right) The tour guide told us that they have more than 100 different corns and potatoes! I wonder what they all taste like lol.

Stop #2 - Ollantaytambo
Ollantaytambo is a town that was built by the Incas around the mid 15th century, located at ~2800 meters. It is a royal estate of the Emperor Pachacuti, and you can still see a lot of the structures there, like the temples, the storage houses, and the terraces. It definitely took an effort to hike all the way up, but you can see the town from the top. The rainstorm was chasing us that day, and we were trying to hurry to the top before it started raining. 

Stop#3 - Chinchero
We went to an adobe colonial church, which was built in the early 17th century. What is interesting about this place is that the church was built upon the foundations of an Inca temple. Deep into the church, you can still see the signature big stone blocks of Incan architecture. 

It was a very historical day and it was amazing to see all those ruins from hundreds of years ago, and I can't wait to see Machu Picchu tomorrow!

Day 16 - Isla de Sol

There are two main islands, Isla de Sol (Island of the Sun) and Isla de la Luna (Island of the moon). They are both pretty big islands, and we decided to go to Isla de Sol.  There are a bunch of bus companies a few blocks up the lake, and you can purchase a boat ticket to the islands there. It is a rocky, hilly island, and there are no vehicles on the island for transportation. That just means you get to walk around! There are over 180 ruins on the island, and most of them are dated to the Inca period. 
We got there in the evening, and there are a lot of hostels near the dock, but also a lot more up on the top of the island if you are willing to climb. We stayed at the Inca Pacha, which is very close to the top. It was a little rough walking up with all our belongings, but when you get to the top, the view was just awesome. There are a lot of restaurants at the top, that allows you to have dinner with the view of the lake. The locals who live there use donkeys for carrying heavy things, as you can see from the picture below, a lot of donkeys! I am a city girl, so it is exciting to see donkeys, sheep, chickens, etc. 
We planned to wake up super early to see the sunrise from the island, but unfortunately, it was raining super hard all night and it was all cloudy in the morning. Instead, we walked around the island, and you can see ruins are literally EVERYWHERE. You can see agricultural terraces, which adapt the steep and rocky terrain for agriculture. It is a very big island, and we did not have the chance to go too far to the other side of the island to see more ruins (sad :/), but our next stop is Cusco, Peru! The infamous Machu Picchu awaits!

Day 15 - Lake Titicaca (Copacabana)

Look at this!! It looks like an ocean, doesn't it? It is the largest lake in South America by water volume and the highest lake in the world (3,812 m/12,507 ft), Lake Titicaca. The lake was split between Bolivia and Peru, and I think this is just the perfect stop to cross the border. We took a bus to the most west city of Bolivia,  Copacabana, from La Paz.
We walked around this small yet beautiful city for half day before heading to one of the islands. There are some stores that sell souvenirs for tourist, including little reed boat and some dried llama fetus (SCARY!). We also saw this beautiful church "Basilica of Our Lady". The church is white on the outside, and with the blue sky, you almost feel like you are in Greece.
We followed the tourist attraction sign and ended up on Cerro Calvario. It is a hill with 14 different stations marked by crosses, and when you get to the top, it overlooks Lake Titicaca, which is spectacular (See the picture above!). It seems like a spiritual place for the locals, as you can see a lot of street vendors selling candles and incense at the top, and also people praying.    

Day 14 - Tiahuanaco (Tiwanaku)

Everybody heard of the Machu Picchu, but not a lot of people heard of these incredible ruins called Tiahuanaco or Tiwanaku. Today, we joined a tour to Tiwanaku, which is located in west of Bolivia, about 1.5 hour from La Paz. In the bus terminal, there are a lot of bus companies that go to Tiwanaku everyday, and the bus fare includes a round trip from La Paz and a tour guide that speaks English. 
It was believed that the area around Tiwanaku may have been inhabited as early as 1500 BC. Since this ruin is so old, a lot of the stuff we saw were reconstructed, and even with reconstruction, there is not too many structures to see (you will need some imagination). A couple things to see here: the Akapana pyramid, the gate of the sun and a bunch of monoliths. 
There are a lot of people believe that this is the work of some aliens, because if you look at the stones carefully, you can see some really intricate stonework that is hard to imagine how people could have achieved this thousands of years ago. Also, the stones were brought to the site of construction over 60 miles away, and they are huge! (up to 100 tons) How did that happen without modern technology!? When humans do not understand something, it must be the alien's work! This archaeological site remains one of the most mysterious and fascinating ruins in South America for archaeologist, and there are still a lot that has yet to be discovered! 

When we were back in La Paz, look what we saw! Instead of a reindeer, it is a llama with Santa Claus! You will only see this here! This is the most awesome and exotic Christmas I have ever had! Love it. 

Day 13 - La Paz

We took a bus from Oruro to La Paz, and here we are! The highest capital in the world! Almost 12,000 feet or 3650 meters. We originally wanted to go to the Toro Toro National Park before heading to La Paz, but we didn't have enough time. The Toro Toro National Park is known for their dinosaurs tracks, and all the stone formations are just amazing. You can totally imagine the place with dinosaurs! Anyways, La Paz is quite a unique city due to its geological feature, and it is recently named the New7WonderCities. The city is sitting in a bowl, surrounded by mountains, and as you can see from the picture above, the city just expanded outwards, having been built on the mountains. Interestingly, the altitude of the areas reflects the social class of the people who live there. The lower areas of the city are the more affluent areas. 

The city is not too big, therefore you can get to most tourist attractions on foot. We went to Plaza Murillo, Iglesia de San Francisco, some more cathedrals, some museums, and the witches' market (La Hechiceria). The witches' market is mainly for tourist, and it is a great place for getting souvenirs! I love those aguayo! It is a multi-colored cloth that native people use for table cloth, baby sling, bindle, etc., very versatile! I bought a couple for friends and family, thinking that it can be used as table cloth. 

There are 2 other places that we didn't have time to go, Valle de la Luna and Yungas Road (The death road). The death road is legendary for its danger and it is known to be the world's most dangerous road. It has attracted a lot of mountain bikers for downhill biking. For people who want to go to northern Bolivia for the amazon forest, this is one of the few routes that leads there on land. 

Last thing we did in La Paz was the teleferico (Cable cars). The city goes up, when it moves away from the center, so it is a very smart idea to  build the cable car for commuting! As a tourist, we just want to take it so that we can see the night view of the city from up high, and there's definitely no other city like this!

5-Day Tour in Southern Bolivia (Part 2 of 2)

Day 3
We went to the snake canyon, which you can see from the pictures below. There is a green river flowing between the canyons like a snake. It was a short hike up there, and with a little bit of the morning crisp, perfect hiking weather.
Then, we went to Árbol de Piedra (stone tree), our tour guide called it "their world cup". The wind had eroded the bottom part of the stone quicker than the top, hence the shape. We also walked around the area and found stones with interesting shapes, and we climbed the different rocks. IT WAS SOOOO FUN! (except you do get out of breath very easily due to the high altitude)
Next stop, Laguna Negra!! It was once again a short hike to the lake, and on the way there, we happened to see a NEWLY BORN LLAMA!!!!!!! The little llama was trying to stand up the whole time and kept falling. So adorable. I was trying to get closer for a picture, but I couldn't get too close because the parents got a little protective. But it was very cool. When we arrived to the black lake, and it was indeed, black! Even the ducks swimming in the lake are black! 
We stayed at the Salt hotel tonight! And EVERYTHING IS MADE OF SALT!!!! Apparently, compacted salt is very strong, and so the whole structure is mostly made of salt bricks. The tables, the chairs, the beds.... it is just amazing!

Day 4
"THEE" UYUNI!!!! We woke up super early to catch the sunrise in the salt flat, and it was absolutely stunning. After that, we went to this strange cactus island called Isla Incahuasi in the middle of the salt flat. There are giant cacti everywhere. It was a lake a long time ago, and the lake dried up, and left with this world's largest salt flat. And the cacti grow so big because of the minerals deposit in the salt flat. We had breakfast there, with the view of the cactus island and the salt flat. Then, we realized today is the CHRISTMAS DAY! We had a Christmas cake with FELIZ NAVIDA on it! A very special Christmas day. 
We then went into the middle of the salt flat. I was dreaming about this for the past year that I could see the mirror reflection of the sky, but guess what..... it didn't rain (and it did a week after...Orz). As disappointed as I was, the salt flat was still amazing..... You cannot see the end of it! 
Last stop! CIUDADELA DE ALCAYA! They said it is a museum, and I thought "oh, ok." and assumed that it will be a building, full of historical things on display. But, very surprisingly, it is an outdoor experience and quite a hike too (at this altitude especially). It is an archaeological museum of the native community of Alcaya 5000 years ago. Through the different display of certain remaining structures, tools, and even mummies, the museum guide told us about the native's daily lives 5000 years ago. It was an amazing cultural experience. 

The next day, we are supposed to see a couple more things on the way to our final destination Oruro. Unfortunately, it was not very exciting and it certainly felt like a filler to make it sound like a full 5-day tour, and I was very disappointed. Recommendation: Take the 4-day tour that ends in Uyuni instead, and get a bus to your next destination from there. 

5-Day Tour in Southern Bolivia (Part 1 of 2)

We arrived in Tupiza at night and stayed in La Torre hostel, which is also the tour we were planning to take. It took us 2 days just going from Iguazu to Tupiza, so we were really hoping to get on a tour right away the next morning! We woke up super early the next morning and went to talk to the people who are in-charge of the tours. They were able to set us up for the tour right away!!! The usual leaving time is 8am, and we left a little later because they need to get everything ready, like food, gas, etc. Depending on how many people are in the tour, the price is different, the more people, the cheaper it is per person. The maximum number of people is 5 per tour because the Jeep only has so much space. We get a driver and a cook (he prepares breakfast, lunch and dinner with the food we brought along) for the tour, and the driver is also the tour guide if you understand Spanish. If you don't, you can pay a little extra to get a tour guide who speaks English to come along. There are places for us to stay every night, and some with showers and electricity, some don't. Whenever you get a chance, charge your camera and shower!

Day 1
We climbed up to almost 5000 meters!!! I had to walk really slowly to have enough oxygen to breath. The locals have an altitude remedy called cocoa leaves that can help with the headaches if you have mild altitude sickness. You can make tea with the leaves or just chew the leaves directly. We saw some of mother nature's creations and some old forgotten villages. Llama are just EVERYWHERE!! When we first saw them, we all kept clicking our cameras, but after a couple hours of llamas everywhere, we got used to them. lol

Day 2
We first went to Sol de mañana, which is full of boiling muds, sulfur springs field and small little volcanoes. You can walk between the mud spots and experience the sulfur smell and bubbling mud. It was pretty cool. Then we went to Laguna Kollpa (the soap lake), geyser, Laguna Verde. Laguna Verde, the green lake, is located at the Chilean border under the volcano Licancabur (Almost 6000m). The color of the lake is due to the mineral suspension and can vary from turquoise to dark emerald depending on the wind. Apparently, if there is no wind, you won't be able to see the color. (Some nature magic!!) We went to 2 different lakes (Laguna Colorada and Laguna Cañapa) with thousands of flamingos! The lakes are just sooooooooooo pretty that I can't believe they exist!! 

Day 6 - Day 7 From Iguazu to Bolivia

I have heard a lot about visa problems about entering Bolivia, so I was very worried that we might not be able to enter. After reading different forums online, I decided to cross the border on land. (It seems more likely to be able to enter and also if we fail, we can take a bus to Chile instead). First, we flew from Iguazu to Salta, and we stayed there for the night at a hostel called "7 Duendes", the owner (or the manager?) was super nice and helpful, and it was very cheap with breakfast included. Then the next day, we went to the bus terminal and caught the 7a.m. bus to La Quiaca/Villazon. La Quiaca is the town on the Argentinian side of the border and Villazon is the town on the Bolivian side. The bus stopped at different stations on the way, and the road condition was not very good, so the bus was driving kinda slow... it took us around 6+ hours to get there.
When the bus stopped, you will see some locals get on the bus and sell food! The Empanadas were SOOOO GOOD. (And very cheap!) During the bus ride, the scenery was very unique. The surrounding area has mountains with various colors reflecting the minerals present in the soil. (There are a lot of mines in the area). A lot of people stopped in Quebrada de Humahuaca, a narrow mountain valley located in the Province of Jujury, to look at the "mountain of 7 colors". It was made a UNESCO world heritage site in 2003. 
We made it to the border in the afternoon. After getting off the bus, you need to walk to the border, which is about a 15 minute walk. The border station is total chaos. First, we need to line up for getting out of Argentina, then we have to line up on the other side of the station for entry into Bolivia, but you end up talking to people in the same window. The whole setup was confusing. Moreover, it looked as though you could just walk past the border and nobody would say or do anything. I was very nervous about crossing the border, but I made it!!! I am from Hong Kong, and I heard it is not easy to get a visa if you are Chinese. However, I renewed my BNO passport, and it worked!! I don't even need a visa! For people who have an American passport, all you need to do is pay, and they will give you a visa upon arrival, and the visa often lasts from 10 - 20 years. 
Once you cross the border, there are money exchange places for you to get some Bolivianos. Remember they only accepts perfect US dollars! It cannot be torn, have missing corner, or things written on it, etc., it needs to look brand new. Once you get some Bolivianos, it's time to get some snacks for the road! You cannot believe how cheap things are in Bolivia, the exchange rate is around 1 USD to 7 Bolivianos, and a burrito-looking wrap is like 4 Bolivianos. The food WAS SOOOO GOOD too! There are markets, where you can buy fresh fruits, tamales, bread, etc. According to the locals, the crops there are grown with non-GMO seeds, and without any chemicals. And you can totally tell from the taste! It is so flavorful!
Then, we took a bus from Villazon to Tupiza, where we will be taking a tour to Uyuni. 

*Note* From Salta to Villazon, there is an increase of 2200m in altitude. I did not know that Villazon is located at a higher altitude, so I was not prepared for it. I was having a pretty bad headache when I got there, and the bus ride from Villazon to Tupiza was very unpleasant. So, be aware!

*Note* There is a one hour time difference between Argentina and Bolivia. It is very important because you will need to know when to board your bus! We bought a bus ticket as soon as we got to Villazon, and they usually have some space for you to store your belongings before the bus ride if you don't want to carry it around. (Do not leave valuables!) The bus system is very chaotic here, make sure you know where your bus will be for boarding as there aren't clearly defined gates for where the bus will depart. 

Day 4 - Day 5 Iguazu Fall

We flew to Iguazu Fall from Buenos Aires really early in the morning, because it would have taken too long by bus. We arrived at Iguazu at around 10:30am. I figured if we took a really early flight, we would still have the day to explore the Iguazu. The Iguazu fall is divided between Argentina and Brazil, and there are two different parks to see the fall (kind of like Niagara Falls, the US side and the Canadian side). The two sides of the park are not far from each other and is accessible by Taxi/Bus from the Argentinian side. The Argentinian Park is a little closer, so we decided to go to there first! We stayed in the Hostel Inn Iguazu, and it is very cheap and it's like USD$10 per person for a shared room, and USD$30 for private rooms. And they offer laundry services for a pretty cheap price if you didn't bring too much clothes with you. After we checked in to the hostel, it starts POURING outside, like REALLY POURING. We were both staring at the rain, thinking about WHAT THE FXXX and debating whether we should still go to the fall. We are only staying for only two days, if we want to see both sides of the fall, we decided to go! So, we hopped on a bus that took us from the hostel to the Argentinian Park, and we bought a raincoat to combat this unfortunate weather.

It is not a very long walk to the fall. The park is very different than the national park in the US. It is very developed. It is almost like a theme park, with different points to visit. There are a lot of different activities, like safari boat ride, rafting, jungle tour, helicopter, etc, (As long as you have the money lol). These activities are kind of pricy for us, so we did not go to any of those (not the best day for those activities anyways I guess), all we wanted was to see the fall! On the way there, we saw some Coati and Monkeys. I was not able to take too many pictures due to the weather (don't want to get my camera wet), and the pictures I did take weren't very good either because of the weather :( But, it was VERY COOL! We were walking on top of some of the falls! Argentinian side gave us more close-up views of the falls, which are absolutely breathtaking. It is amazing how they built all these trails and bridges on top of the fall with such strong current. 

The next day, IT WAS SUNNY!!!! We were so happy and we woke up early to go to the Brazilian Park. The setup is very similar to the one in Argentina. It is like a theme park, and there are different spots for you to join different activities. We were just interested (or can only afford) in going to the fall. On the trail, we saw so much wildlife, especially butterflies! Apparently, there are 800 different species of butterflies in Iguazu, and we saw at least 10 +, and I was not able to take pictures of all of them. There were patterns on the butterflies' wings that you would never imagine with all possible colors. It is just amazing. The Brazilian side offers a panoramic view of the fall. At the end of the trail, there's an elevator platform for you to see a more elevated view of the falls. We walked around the park for the rest of the day before heading back to the hostel. If our budget allowed, we would have definitely gone on one of those rafts to experience a different view of the falls. There was this annoying Italian guy hitting on me, with my boyfriend right next to me. (He almost didn't acknowledge his presence XD) He wanted me visit him in Italy. His wife was standing five feet behind him. MEN!!!!!! 

Iguazu Fall

Iguazu Fall

Iguazu Fall

Iguazu Fall

Iguazu Fall

Iguazu Fall

Iguazu Fall

Iguazu Fall

Iguazu Fall

Iguazu Fall

Iguazu Fall

Day 3 - Buenos Aires

This is our last day in Buenos Aires. In order to make the most out of it, we got up really early. First stop is Coffee of course! I have to say, the coffee is Buenos Aires is just OMG good. I am guessing it is because of the European influence back in the days. We went to this historic cafe called "El Gran Cafe Tortoni". This cafe was inaugurated in 1858 and it is the oldest cafe in Argentina. In the 1930s, the cafe was at its peak, many poets/politicians/scholars gathered there for intellectual discussion. The marble floor, wooden tables make you feel like you are back in the 19th century. There are also old photographs and art displays at various spots of the cafe. They have tango shows too, but we already went to a tango show last night, so we did not experience the one in here, but the reviews seem to be positive. 

Then, we went to Plaza de Mayo, Plaza Dorrego, Metropolitan Cathedral, National Congress, San Martin Palace, Torre Monumental, Casa Rosada, Corte Suprema de Justicia de la Nación Argentina. The architecture is just amazing. We walked pass a palace looking building, and later found out that it is the Water Company Palace, or " Palacio de Aguas Corrientes" (The Palace of the flowing water), which is very amusing to us. One would think it is just a water pumping facility and there would be no need to build a palace looking building for that purpose. But apparently, they disagreed and thought that it is more aesthetically pleasing to look at. Below are some of the pictures I took when we were wandering around these beautiful architecture. 

 And the highlight of the afternoon is ...... Teatro Colon! This is the main opera house in Buenos Aires, and it is ranked the third best opera house by National Geographic and it is acoustically considered to be one of the best five concert venues in the world. We took a tour of the opera house, because they do not let people go in without a tour guide. The tour guide was great, very knowledgeable, funny and HANDSOME! (I have noticed the men and women are generally pretty good looking in Buenos Aires, so if you are single.... you know where to go) Teatro Colon opened in 1908, and it was built during the golden era of Argentina. In the early 19th century, Argentina was the world's 10th wealthiest nation per capita because of its highly fertile lands for agriculture. This is one of the main reasons for building such a grand opera house, just to show the wealth of the country. 

After the tour, our last stop was the La Recoleta Cemetery. The picture on the right is the image from wikipedia. The reason why I don't have a picture of the cemetery is because it was CLOSED when we got there. If we got there like 10 minutes earlier, we would have made it inside..... I was soooooooo upset about this!! We took a little peek from the entrance, and it looks sooooo pretty inside. According to wikipedia, it contains the graves of notable people, including the presidents of Argentina, some nobel price winners, etc. In 2013, CNN listed it among the 10 most beautiful cemeteries in the world. Today is our last day in Buenos Aires, meaning we won't be able to see it until next time when we come, and God knows when will that be. I wish I am those travel bloggers, whose only jobs are travelling and blogging. Unfortunately, I have limited time and money (poor grad students) to travel, and that's why usually my itinerary is very intense. I need to use the least amount of money and time to see the most of the place! Well, tomorrow we will be off to Iguazu Fall, one of seven natural wonders of the world. (Depending on what list you are looking at, it might or might not be on the list, but either way, it should be breathtaking.)

Day 2 - Buenos Aires

We decided to go to the "countryside" of  the Buenos Aires Province - Tigre. It is a day trip distance from the city Buenos Aires and it's reachable by train from the city. It is a town sitting next to the Rio Lujan, with historic museums and nice scenery. It is not only a tourist attraction, but a relaxing weekend day trip for locals. There are two train routes to get to Tigre. You can take the Linea Mitre Train, starting from Retiro Station to Tigre Station, or you can take the Tren de la Costa (train of the coast). In order to take the Tren de la Costa, you will need to first take the Linea Mitre train to the Maipu Station, then change to the Tren de la Costa and take it all the way to the final stop Delta. It is a little more expensive to take the Tren de la Costa, but the name probably already gives it away that the train ride is along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. There is a little ocean view and it is a pretty nice train ride, so I would recommend taking it one way and taking the simpler route the other way. Seven out of the eleven stations are original, and these stations have history, art displays, and entertainment.

Tigre is Tiger in Spanish, and apparently in the early years, tigers were hunted in the area, hence the name. There are Boat/Bus tours of the area, and it was quite nice. It brought you to different museums and attractions of the city, such as museo de arte, museo naval de la nacion, etc, It is definitely a beautiful place to walk around on a Saturday/Sunday. One thing to keep in mind, Monday is a bad day to go there, because everything is closed! Guess how we found out? We went on a Monday! We couldn't get inside of the museums and there are very limited activities on that day. Bummer..... Still, it was a nice day.

On the way back to the city, we took the Tren de la Costa, which passed by the Chinatown in Buenos Aires (Belgrano). We took a little walk around to see what the Chinatown looks like in Buenos Aires. I was very surprised to see a Chinatown in South America because I didn't know there is a Chinese population here. I guess Chinese are everywhere. (lol) This Chinatown also has the typical Chinatown "gate", and a few blocks of Chinese restaurants and stores.  That night, we planned to go to a Tango show. Well, Tango originated in Buenos Aires, how can we not go! There are a few places people recommended, and we went to this place called "Cafe de las Angelitos". It is around USD 80 - 90 per person and it is a package including transportation, dinner and the show. I was super excited! The food was okay..... a little disappointing (unlimited refill of wine though). But the show afterwards was AWESOME. I was expecting a few dances, but it was 2 hours of singing and dancing, and it was absolutely marvelous. I, personally, do not know Spanish, so it was very difficult for me to know what is actually going on. But, it looked like the show was telling a story, with occasionally solo singing, and tango dancing. It was such an enjoyable night.

Day 1 - Buenos Aires

Speaking of maximizing time, we took a red eye flight on Friday night after work, and our first stop is Buenos Aires, Argentina. We had a layover in Mexico City for a couple hours and we arrived on Saturday night (A direct flight would have been a lot more expensive..... maximizing time with limited budget..... poor student T_T) We decided to stay in a relatively nicer hotel in Buenos Aires called Lennox Hotel. (It's going downhill from there) It is at a very convenient location and very close to a lot of the tourist attractions by foot as well as the subway station.

After we had a good night rest, we woke up early the next day (did not want to waste any time), and we walked around the city. First day of the vacation, first day in a foreign country, everything is so new and exciting and AWESOME. It was a Sunday morning, so the streets were still quiet. I just LOVE the architecture here, everything looks so historical.

Then, we went to San Telmo, which is a oldest "barrio" (neighborhood) in Buenos Aires. This is a very well-preserved area, with cafes, antique stores,  There is a flea market held there every Sunday called Feria De San Pedro Telmo. This is definitely a must-go attraction if you happen to be there on Sunday. Antiques, vintage, handicraft, jewelry, art, street performances, all in one place. I had so much fun picking souvenirs for friends and families. The price is very reasonable with room for bargain. I had a hard time controlling myself not to go too crazy!! I don't want to spend all the money on the first day of the trip!

Anyways. We found a nice historic restaurant for lunch around the area, and the place is called "El Federal". Everything there looks so historical. The tables, the chairs, the tableware, even the people!!! OMG!!! It feels like I went back in time.

Then, we went to La Boca. The early settlers of this neighborhood are thought to be Italian and probably this is the reason this area retains a strong European flavor. If you are a big soccer fan,definitely go to "La Bombonera" ,which is the famous soccer stadium in Argentina. After that. we went to the Caminito, which is a street museums and traditional alleys with colorful houses. This is the place where Juan de Dios Filiberto for its famous tango piece "Caminito". It is a little touristy for my taste, but oh well..... you are in Buenos Aires already, must as well go take a look. There are a lot of street tango performances, and also street vendors that sell tango-related memorabilia. This place is right next to the river Riachuelo, which is very nice to walk around.

This pretty much concludes the first day in Buenos Aires. On the way back to the hotel, we stopped by the Plaza de Mayo, Casa Rosada, a couples cathedrals, buildings, memorial sculptures, everything was so pretty!! We couldn't wait for tomorrow!!!!

My South America Adventure - Christmas 2014

I have been wanting to write about this for a long time (before I forget about the details of the trip). It was an amazing adventure and experience so far in my life (I am hoping to have a lot more of these kinds of experiences). We went to 3 countries (4 technically if you count the one afternoon we spent in Brazil), Argentina, Bolivia and Peru in 3 weeks, and it might sound like a long time, but there is just too much to see. Although we have seen a lot, what we saw was just a tiny tiny tiny portion of the country, and there are sooooo many reasons to go back there.

I was planning this trip since summer, and I was super duper excited about the trip from the day I have decided to go! I am just a tiny Asian girl who does not speak any Spanish, so of course I am going with the boyfriend. Men do not like to plan trips (EVER!), so it is always my job to make sure things happen. Therefore, the whole trip was planned by me and me alone.  In my opinion, it is a pretty damn good itinerary for 3 weeks. It was very intense, but it is not often that we get to go to South America, so maximizing time to do/see things is definitely my priority. I am going to try my best to take you with me through this journey of mine for the next series of posts.