So it begins

Guardalavaca

Published Date : November 19, 2013

Alas, this trip has been far too short.  Today was my last day in Cuba.  With a late flight out, I had the whole day free.  I decided to walk over to the neighbouring resort to rent a scooter.  20CUC got me motorized transport for half a day.

Countryside near Guardalavaca, Cuba

I decided to head into Guardalavaca proper.  Most of the resorts are clustered in one main area, while Paradisus is more secluded a couple of kilometres away.  The town basically exists just to house the staff at all the resorts.  There’s also a large craft market that takes place every day for the tourists.  With no real attractions to see, it was more about getting out and experiencing the countryside than anything else.

The afternoon was spent soaking in the last of the tropical sunshine before packing and heading up to the restaurant for dinner.  I joined Ellie and Jan again, gorging myself on another fantastic meal.  I exchanged emails with Ellie as we said our goodbyes.  With similar tastes and interests, we talked about meeting up to travel together in the future.  Even though we’re both quite happy to travel solo, every now and then it’s nice to have some like-minded company on the road.

My final bit of luxury for this whirlwind trip, was to purchase a VIP package for the airport.  Frank Pais International Airport is small with limited facilities.  Long queues and limited seating in stuffy outdated lounges are the norm.  For $20CUC, I was able to skip all the queues, sit in air-conditioned comfort in the VIP lounge with food and unlimited drinks.  The lounge also had TVs and we had priority boarding for the plane.  It was well worth the money!

Three short hours later, I was back in Toronto.  I wish it had been a longer trip, but I’m glad I went.  All-inclusive trips are never going to be my first choice, but they certainly have their perks.  I really enjoyed my time in Cuba.  The people were very friendly and welcoming, and took great pride in their country.  Next time I hope to see some more of it!

Next!

Published Date : March 3, 2014

Alright, so after a rather hectic couple of months, I’m back…I think ��

A lot has been going on, the details of which, I will not bore you with.  Bottom line: travel funds and time are a lot more limited this year.  I’ll be headed back to Vancouver again in May for a couple of weeks.  That one will be a mix of work and vacation.

The rest of the year was empty until, courtesy of a reminder email regarding some expiring points, I was struck by inspiration.

I had been planning on trekking in Nepal this spring, but it just didn’t work out.  Instead, I’ve decided to cash in on that free flight I’ve been sitting on for the last couple of years.  I figured I would put it to good use by choosing the most expensive flight I could find.  Soooo *cue drum roll* I’ll be heading to Easter Island in September.

Rapa Nui, as its known by the locals, has long been on my “some day” list.  Being a tiny island in the middle of nowhere, it has always been a destination that I figured I would tack on to a longer trip.  Perhaps I would add it as a side trip from South America, or make my way there while island hopping in the South Pacific.  Visiting the island as a destination in itself really didn’t make much sense with flights in the range of $2500.

Even with the free flight, this trip is a bit nuts – I’ll be looking at about 18 hours of flight time for only a few days on the island.  To break things up and maximize the reward for effort, I’ll be spending a couple of days in Santiago, Chile as well.  It’s going to be a long 6 months waiting for this one!

Ola Santiago

Published Date : September 2, 2014

I still can’t quite believe that I’m in South America. I grew up during the height of the War on Drugs. South America was often in the news, but it was never good. Drug lords, kidnappings, bloody dictatorships. I’ve always wanted to explore this vast continent, but in my mind it was always too dangerous. To me, South America was for the skilled and experienced traveller, not for the young novice. Times have changed though and South America is no longer a place to be feared (if it ever really was).

I landed in Santiago early this morning to heavy clouds and cool temperatures. I didn’t even make it out of the airport before being hit with my first challenge. The ATM system in Chile is the Cirrus/Maestro network. My bank card is not. Unable to withdraw cash from my bank account, I quickly weighed my options. I had a little bit of US currency left, but I had used most of it to pay the $130 Chilean entry fee. I didn’t particularly want to take a cash advance on my credit card, but it was the best option available to me, so I sucked it up.

Cash in hand, I easily found the bright blue Centropuerto bus into town. Bypassing all the taxi drivers and touts, I quickly climbed on board and bought a return ticket for $2,800. Having been awake for about 24 hours at this point and only sleeping about 4 hours before then, I was exhausted. I could barely keep my eyes open on the 40 minute bus ride into town.

Arriving at Los Heroes station, it took me several minutes of blind wandering to get my bearings. The map I was using didn’t have all of the street names on it and I couldn’t yet tell North from South. Heavy clouds and fog obscured the surrounding mountains, making it that much worse. At last I figured out where I was going and made the short walk to my hostel.

I quickly checked in and settled in to my room. Once again, it seems I have a hostel almost entirely to myself. I knew I was travelling in the off-season, but being the only guest in a large hostel is just creepy. It’s also a bit depressing. I stay in hostels so that I can socialize and meet other travellers while I’m on the road, so when there’s no one there, it really makes me question why I don’t just pay the extra for a hotel.

Fort Hidalgo, Santa Lucia Hill, Santiago Chile

With no plans for my stay in Santiago, I took some time to weigh my options. The hostel had no real information for me, so I decided to wander. Meandering through town, I made my way towards Plaza de Armas, the historical centre of the city. Most of the square was closed down for construction, so I didn’t stay long. My next stop was Santa Lucia Hill and Fort Hidalgo. A small garden oasis in the middle of the city, it was a great place to sit and contemplate.

Crossing the Mapocho River, I made my way to Barrio Bellavista. Home to the University of Santiago, Bellavista is a young and vibrant neighbourhood in the shadow of San Cristobal hill. With plenty of pubs, nightclubs and cafes, it’s the place to be in Santiago.

I found a tourism office and tried to figure out what to do with my time in Santiago. I really wanted to get up into the Andes if I could. Unfortunately, a late winter storm meant that the mountains were out of the question this trip. I booked a day tour to Valparaiso instead.

Back to Barrio Brasil and a very quiet night in the hostel. I was happy to crawl into bed early.

Vina and Valparaiso

Published Date : September 3, 2014

Today confirmed what I already knew. To really get the most out of a visit to South America, one really needs to speak Spanish. I know enough to get by, but not enough to have a conversation. There were five of us on the bus and I was the only English speaker. The others were from Brazil, but Portuguese and Spanish are close enough that they can easily understand it. I had originally planned to make my own way to Valparaiso by public transportation. With limited time in Santiago, I opted for the lazy route.   My punishment was being unable to speak with anyone except our guide.

The day was cool and rainy. The mountains were obscured by low clouds as we drove through the Casablanca valley towards the coast. Not long after leaving Santiago, we stopped at a small tourist shop. We were offered a free taste of chicha de la zona, a sort of cider made from fermented green apples. I bought a couple of small souvenirs then it was back on the bus.

Valparaiso is UNESCO World Heritage Site and is considered Chile’s cultural capital. During the Spanish conquest of South America, Valparaiso was the gateway to Chile. In modern times, it was an important port until the creation of the Panama Canal. Today it is known as a quirky artist’s community and is also home to several large universities.

Rainy day in Valparaiso

With its steep hills and many funiculars, or ascensores, Valparaiso is a place best explored on foot. Our tour of the town was supposed to include plenty of free time to explore independently. Thanks to the unrelenting and heavy rain, most of the day was spent in the bus, seeing the city through the window. Once again, I regretted my choice to join a tour instead of travelling on my own. It would have been a long, cold, and wet day, but I would have been able to see much more.

We made our way to nearby Vina del Mar in the afternoon. About twenty minutes south of Valparaiso, Vina del Mar is a popular seaside resort town. With modern condos and all the major hotel chains represented, it felt like any developed town in the Caribbean. The highlight of our visit there was Museo Fonck and its authentic Easter Island moai. Transported from the island in the 1950s to its current location, the moai was an unexpected surprise. It made me even more excited to see its bigger brothers with my own eyes!

Leaving the Pacific coast behind, we made our way back towards Santiago. On the way we stopped at Vina Indominita for a late lunch and wine tasting. A mid-size vineyard perched on a hillside, Indominita offers spectacular views of the valley. While we waited for our tasting session, we enjoyed an excellent lunch. I had a nice eel pasta dish. Towards the end of the wine tasting, one of the girls on my tour felt brave enough to try out her English with me. Her English was as limited as my Spanish/Portuguese though, so we didn’t get much past hellos and names.

We arrived back in Santiago in time to catch the tail end of the evening rush hour. I spent another quiet night in the nearly empty hostel. Up early tomorrow for my flight to Easter Island!

Living the Dream

Published Date : September 4, 2014

It was still dark when I left the hostel this morning. The bus was full and cramped, but the drive to the airport was uneventful. Check-in for my flight was a bit confusing. Since Easter Island is part of Chile, it’s considered a domestic flight. However, check-in is at the international terminal. I had read a lot of reports online that LAN Airlines is notorious for overbooking the flights to Hanga Roa, so I had confirmed my seats before leaving Vancouver. In the end, the flight wasn’t full. I had worried for nothing.

The 5.5 hour flight was easy and enjoyable. The food was delicious, the flight crew were attentive and friendly, and they even provided real cutlery for the meal. With all the ridiculous security “theatre” of the last decade, I can’t remember the last time I saw a real knife on a plane.

The best part of the flight though, was the woman sitting next to me. Rosalita was an 87-year old Swiss woman. She had always wanted to travel, but had been constrained by the societal expectations of her era, marriage and child-rearing. When her husband died she decided to finally live out her dream and see the world. Overcoming the objections of her family, in a decade, she managed to visit all 7 continents. Her visit to Easter Island marked the end of a several month solo journey around South America. She had nothing but praise for my own travels and encouraged me to continue doing it while I was young. She said that if she had been given the choices that young women today have, she never would have married and had children.

I always find it so inspiring to meet people who are living their dreams – especially when that dream is travel.

Open air museum, Hanga Roa, Easter Island

Our arrival at Easter Island was spectacular. With nothing but the vast empty blue of the South Pacific all around us, the island appeared as a tiny spec in the distance. It slowly grew larger as we flew lower. Just before touching down we seemed to be low enough to almost skim the tops of the waves.

We de-planed onto the tarmac where we were met with bright sunshine and a wave of heat and humidity. Ahhhhhh! After the cold days in Santiago, it was pure bliss! Rosalita and I said our good-byes at the baggage claim. The airport is only about 1-2km from central Hanga Roa, so I was prepared to walk to my hostel. I was pleasantly surprised to find a shuttle there to meet the plane.

Isadora, a solo Brazilian woman just a couple of years younger than me, was the only other person on the bus. Our driver and host took us on a quick tour of the town, pointing out shops and restaurants for our stay. He also advised us to make our way to Ahu Tahai tonight for the sunset. With questionable weather moving in over the next couple of days, it may be our only chance!

We arrived at Kona Tau Hostel mid-afternoon. As we checked in we were offered fresh fruit juice and bananas from their own trees. Nothing beats fresh tropical fruit on a hot day! Isadora and I were to be roommates for our stay and quickly dropped our bags in the four-bed dorm. The accommodation was rustic, but comfortable. For $30 per night on one of the most expensive islands in the world, I wasn’t about to complain!

Isadora and I went our separate ways for the afternoon, but made plans to meet up again later for sunset at Tahai. There are only 2 places on the island to buy passes to Rapa Nui National Park: the airport and the CONAF office at the base of Rano Kau. I had missed out on buying the pass at the airport, so I made my way to the CONAF office.

First though, I stopped at a rental shop to see about hiring a scooter for my stay on the island. Unfortunately, they required a valid motorcycle license, so I was out of luck. I briefly considered an ATV or a bicycle, but decided to stick to foot transport instead.

At a comfortable pace, it’s about an hour and a half walk/hike from Hanga Roa up to Rano Kau crater and Orongo village. Not sure what time sunset was going to be, I was on a deadline and moving fast. I made it to the CONAF office, the halfway point, in about twenty minutes. There I learned that they only accepted cash, of which I didn’t have enough. Sigh.

I quickly weighed my options and decided to continue up to Rano Kau crater since I didn’t need a park pass to see it. There are only two sites on the island where a park pass is necessary: Orongo village and Rano Raraku (aka the Quarry). From the CONAF office, there is a wooded hiking path that goes straight up to the crater.

The path was steep, but the footing was easy. The hardest part was the temperature. In the trees, the humidity was oppressive. Above the treeline, the views opened up. To the north, I could see Hanga Roa below me. Maunga Terevaka, the highest point on the island, rose up behind the town. To the south, there was nothing but open water.

Sunset at Ahu Tahai near Hanga Roa, Easter Island

When I reached the lip of Rona Kau crater, the wind hit me like a freight train. Something I had always looked forward to doing on Easter Island was walking around the crater to the point where it drops off into the sea. Surrounded by nothing but sky and ocean, it is the type of dramatic and isolated location that has always called to me. The wind was gusting so strongly that walking around the crater was out of the question. It was threatening to blow me off my feet on level ground. I didn’t want to take any chances on the rocky trail with a 1000-ft drop beside me.

Retreating back down the hill, I made it back to the hostel in about half an hour. The temperature was already starting to drop, so I grabbed some warmer clothes and made my way to Ahu Tahai on the other side of town.

Isadora and I found each other easily and quickly picked out a good spot to watch the sunset. Being the off-season there weren’t a lot of tourists on the island, but all of them were converging on Tahai. The open field was quickly filled with people and cameras.

Around December 21st, the summer solstice, the sun will set directly behind the moai. Even without the celestial alignment, it was spectacular. The wind had already started to rise, preceding the coming storm, and the clouds were racing across the rainbow coloured sky towards us.

I don’t know if any words exist to describe the experience. Easter Island is a place that I never thought I would ever have a chance to visit. To be here now, witnessing one of the most iconic sunsets on Earth with my own two eyes… It was without a doubt, one of the most fulfilling and rewarding moments of my life.

The best part though, is that I still have 4 more days here ��

But why is the rum gone?

Published Date : January 13, 2017

Apart from last year, which was almost an entirely no-travel year (boooooo!), I’ve been trying to get away on one longer overseas trip each year.  This year, I decided to switch things up and aim for 2 or 3 smaller trips instead.  For starters, it’s easier to take time off from work in 1-week blocks than in stretches of 2-3 weeks.  Also, I just wanted to try something different! :p

My first attempt at a shorter trip is already locked and loaded.  Thankfully, the rum will be anything but gone when I head to the Bahamas in February.  Festival RumBahamas is where it’s at, my friends.  I found a cheap WestJet flight into Nassau (CAD$400 return from Toronto) and I’ll be crashing at HumesHouse, the only backpacker hostel on New Providence (B$45/night).   6 days and 5 nights for only CAD$750 is just too good a deal to pass up!  Add in some of the best rum the Caribbean has to offer and it’s the makings of a great getaway.

This will be my second visit to the Bahamas.  I first stepped ashore back in 2015 when I went on a Holland America cruise with my parents.  I’m very much looking forward to experiencing it without the cruise ship horde this time.