February 17, 2012

The Aeolian Islands, the refuge of the God of the Wind

Posted by Enepi under Europe, Italy | Tags: , , |
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Alicudi, Filicudi, Salina, Lipari, Vulcano, Panarea, Basiluzzo and Stromboli. Eight mediterranean volcanic islands located between Sicily and Naples. They are named after Aeolus, the God of the Wind who, according to the legend, took refuge here after escaping from Icaria. UNESCO included them in its World Heritage sites list in 2000. After my flatmates Marta and Pietro had been here and I saw their amazing pics, I put the Aeolians on top of my list for future trips. At the end it took me two years until I could find the right moment to go, in June 2008.

The initial plan was to fly from London to Palermo and from there to take a ferry to Stromboli, staying there 3 days before going to Salina for another 3 days. But we had to change it when we learnt, just a few days before our departure, that the ferry Palermo – Aeolians had been suspended over a disagreement related to the subsidies that the local government gives to the ferry company (or at least that is what they said). So finally we had to go all the way from Palermo to Milazzo, on the northwest side of the island, and take a ferry from there.

Once we were at Palermo train station we found out that (surprisingly) the fast trains (InterCity) were not working either, this time due to some strike, so we jumpedin a regional train. Since the train was stopping in every small village along the way it took us ages to reach Milazzo. The good side of it was that, as the tracks were by the sea, we could enjoy the beautiful landscape and have a feel of the peaceful villages along the coast. When we arrived at Milazzo yet another hurdle: the harbour was some 3 miles away and there were no taxis or buses in sight. In fact it looked deserted and sleepy. We asked around but we did not get very clarifying responses and we started to worry seriously as it was getting late to catch the last ferry (it departed at 16:30).

Then an old man driving a small Fiat that was roughly his age stopped in front of us and waiving his hand offered us a ride. Two other concerned tourists tagged along and we did our best to squash in the car with our big backpacks. The car struggled but in some 15 minutes we reached the harbour, just in time. Given the outburst of happiness of our freelance taxi driver I guessed we had given him more money than he expected, but all in all he had saved us  and it was well deserved.

The ferry took around 3 hours to reach Stromboli, the island located the furthest from the Sicilian coast. The first impression I got once I set foot on the island was that the volcano and the island are one and the same thing. The massive cone-shaped mountain dominates everything and it is like he allows the two small villages to rest on his side under his shadow and protection.  This mighty volcano has been continuously active for over 20.000  years and in clear days you can perfectly see columns of smoke and rocks emerging from its top. Almost all the islanders live in Stromboli, the bigger of the two villages, while the other one, Ginostra, is only reachable by boat and consists of just a few scattered houses. The island population is around 400, doubling during the summer months.

Admiring the mighty Stromboli after arriving at the island

The guesthouse we stayed at was a perfect example of the stereotypical mediterranean house: whitewashed with sky-blue painted shutters, a grapevine-covered pergola sheltering the central yard and with colourful bougainvilleas everywhere. Just a few meters from the entrance door, rock carved steps led to a small and always empty cove with volcanic brown sand. From the beach you felt you could almost touch Strombolicchio, a tiny needle-shaped islet  crowned by a lighthouse and with something mysterious to it. The water was fresh and transparent and the very first thing we did every morning was going for a wonderful swim to help us wake up.

Izumi swimming with Strombolicchio in the background

One of the evenings, a bit before sunset, we took a boat excursion to the other side of the island to see the “Sciara del Fuoco” (Stream of fire). This  side of the cone is where the lava and incandescent rocks flow from the crater to the sea after big eruptions, forming a horseshoe-shaped depression after collapsing due to years of continuous activity. Once the sun was gone it was easier to appreciate the “fireworks”, although the sound of the explosions reached us very muffled  from the over 900 meters top. It is not surprising that the bad guy in the Disney version of Pinocchio was named after this fierce volcano who seems to be always angry.

Stromboli’s crater (Photo by Pietro Belli)

We spent three wonderful days in Stromboli enjoying its laid back atmosphere and its great food. In fact I had one of the best pasta dishes ever: prawn filled black ravioli. The island taxis are electric golf carts to avoid any disturbing noise breaking the peacefulness.

Distances

Then we went for another 3 days to Salina, what was quite a different experience. Salina is the second largest island of the Aeolians (after Lipari) and has some 4000 inhabitants across different villages (Santa Marina, Lingua, Malfa, Pollara and Rinella), all of them reachable by road. Despite the island having up to 6 volcanoes, being one of them the highest in the archipelago (Monte Fossa delle Felci with 968 metres), its presence is less imposing that the volcano-island Stromboli. After jumping off the ferry some locals gathered around the harbour offered us rooms and we decided to stay in one of them in Santa Marina, the biggest village. After that we rented a scooter to explore around the island.

Volcano Fossa delle Felci in the background

On our second day in Salina we drove to the west side of the island, reaching  Pollara some 12 Kms away. The road goes up and down with the sea always in sight until Capo Faro. From the top of the hill we could see the inviting clear waters and we decided to go all the way down for a swim. Here in Capo Faro you could jump into the water from a concrete platform by the shore that had a ladder. Feeling light and refreshed we continued our way inlands to the quiet village of Malfa, where we stopped for a drink. The locals were killing the hot after lunch hours of the weekend playing cards and chilling in the shadow. The road that twists downhill from Malfa to Pollara offers stunning views of the small bay where Pollara is located.

Pollara Bay (Photo by Pietro Belli)

Pollara is one of those places that many people have seen but they don’t know where it is. It was used as the location for the village where Neruda’s house is in the poetic movie “Il Postino: The Postman” (although the house itself and where the indoor shooting was done is somewhere else in the island). It is a really charming spot and if you have seen the movie I am sure you have not forgotten its beauty. We spent a few hours sunbathing in the rocks and swimming. There is a big stone arch over the sea just a few meters from the houses.

The place where Neruda’s house is in Il Postino

Stone Arch in Pollara

Some helpful tips:

-The main ferry companies servicing the Aeolians are  Siremar (www.siremar.it) and Ustica Lines (www.usticalines.it). The complete list of the different ways of reaching the islands is here

- The guesthouse we stayed at in Stromboli was Casa del Sole

- We had the delicious black ravioli at a well-known restaurant in Stromboli called Da Zurro. It was not cheap (15€ for a plate of pasta, 25€ per person in total) but I would pay them again happily.

- Another good place we tried in Stromboli was Le Terrazze Di Eolo, uphill in the heart of the village, by the main square. The views of the island, the sea and Strombolicchio were great. Cheaper than the previous one (16€ per person).

- In Salina we had a superb dinner in a Neapolitan pizzeria called Mareluna, just outside the village centre. Pizzas were great and the price was also good (15€ for a real feast).

- We rented the scooter here

 

January 1, 2012

About UNESCO World Heritage sites

Posted by Enepi under General, Rankings | Tags: , , |
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After a debate started in a travelling forum, I took a look to the UNESCO World Heritage sites I have been to so far. I have picked for this post the ones I liked the most, the ones that were somehow a disappointment and the places that it is hard to believe that do not held that honour, assuming that a UNESCO WH nomination should be awarded to the best of the best places in the entire world.

How many UNESCO WH places have I been to?

This is how UNESCO defines what a World Heritage site is and here is the complete list of such places, totalling 936 by December 2011. This list is “alive”, with new sites being added each year and others being removed when one or more of the reasons that led to its nomination are gone or they are not being preserved according to UNESCO directives.

In total I have been to 136 sites:

Africa (10): Morocco (2), Egypt (4), Namibia (1), Zimbabwe (1), Tunisia (2).

America (14): USA (2), Guatemala (3), Honduras (1), Belize (1), Panama (1), Ecuador (2),  Brasil (1), Argentina (2), Saint Lucia (1).

Asia (23): India (5), Nepal (1), China (5), Japan (5), Vietnam (4), Sri Lanka (3).

Europe (85): Spain (22), Portugal (3), France (4), Belgium (3), Holland (3), Luxemburg (1), United Kingdom (6), Italy (10), Vatican (1), Slovenia (1), Croatia (3), Greece (2), Austria (3), Germany (5), Poland (4), Russia (2), Estonia (1), Latvia (1), Finland (1), Czech Republic (1), Malta (2), Montenegro (2), Lithuania (4).

Middle East (4): Jordan (2), Turkey (2).

My top 5

This is a really difficult question. A very tough one. Since many of them were outstanding I have decided my favourites based on a mixture of personal connection, how it made me feel at that moment and the footprint it left in my memory. At the end of the day a personal list cannot be objective, right? So, in no particular order:

The Great Wall: maybe if I had gone to some other section of the over 6000 Km long Great Wall I would not have picked it for the list, but the hike from Jinshanling to Simatai has been one of the most amazing experiences of my travelling life.

Tikal: astonishing mayan ruins in the heart of a thick jungle, both enigmatic and beautiful beyond words. There are moments like the one of the image below that are hard to beat.

Rome: it is simply my favourite city anywhere. The Roman Forum possesses an unmatched coat of class and historical weight to it and it is very vivid in my memory how much fun I had the first time I visited it when I was a lot into Roman history. Well, I still am and that might be the reason why I feel at home every time I go to Rome.

Abu Simbel: another unforgettable moment for me was when, after entering the site from behind the artificial mountain where the temple sits, I turned around and I saw the main facade of the Abu Simbel temple. Despite having seen it one thousand times in photos and documentaries I felt overwhelmed probably like never till that moment. Since we were taking a cruise in the Lake Nasser and the boat departed at midnight from the pier in front of the temple, by the evening all the tourists had left and I had the temple to myself for a good couple of wonderful hours. The dim illumination portrayed shadows that highlighted its grandeur and mystery.

Petra: probably as many other people, the image I had in my head about Petra before I went was the famous entry to the place through the Siq and the Treasury façade sculpted in the rock. But I could never have imagined that the ancient city was so big and so had many other gems to be discovered. When resting by the Monastery I could see a local guy climbing all the way up to the top without using any security apparel or a net, just his bare hands. Once he was done he came back down and collected coins from the surprised (and scared) spectators. You can see him in the pic below wearing a flashy yellow t-shirt and standing quietly at the top of the highest pinnacle.

Despite having picked the above sites as my Top 5, I’d give an extra mention to Auschwitz Death Camp. It has possibly been the visit that affected me the most ever, even after having read lots about it and the Holocaust since my childhood. Auschwitz I, where the museum and the infamous gate are, was spine-chilling, but somehow still felt like a museum or other exhibitions and photos I had seen during the years. When I got totally shocked was when I walked around Auschwitz II Birkenau. It makes you feel the Germans and the inmates just left a few days earlier. I think is impossible not to feel moved to the core of oneself when imagining the real Hell it was. I saw people quietly weeping in far corners of the camp, not all of them Jewish, struggling to cope with the weight the place puts in your soul. Some other people went to comfort them spontaneously. Really moving, really hard.

Since I had to stick to 5 places that ended up being 6, I have left out other places that were incredible and that some other day I could easily include, like Galapagos Islands. Or Halong Bay. Or Pompey. Or Nara. Or the Cappadocia. Or Victoria Falls. Or Iguazu Falls. Or…well, picking only 5 is a difficult question as I said earlier.

I’m in the list but maybe I shouldn’t:

When facing the question the other way around, the answer is much easier. These have been the main disappointments:

Struve Geodetic Arc: it is a chain of 34 geodetic poles spread among 10 different countries. It was established and used by astronomer Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve to determine for the first time the exact size and shape of the Earth. I saw it in Lithuania, close to Vilnius. And although the history behind it is quite interesting, all is there to see is just a small-sized piece of granite with the UNESCO logo on it. Nothing else. If you take a trip just to see that you will surely be disappointed.

Kernave : another dissapointing site in Lithuania. Historically is important for being a Palaeolithic settlement that was permanently inhabited till the Middle Ages, but being realistic all is left to see is some 5 small hills in front of a river. It is nice to sit and enjoy the  landscape, but definitely a disappointing visit.

Archaeological Site of Carthage: there is hardly anything left of such an essential civilisation for History in the place where it flourished. The romans first and the passing of the years after them wiped any vestiges of the grandiosity of the empire once ruled by Hannibal, Hamilcar or other members of the Barca family. So they gave such a glorious name to the mediocre ruins of the Antonine Baths, that are roman, not punic. It is a sad joke of destiny and I felt cheated. I have seen many other roman ruins much more interesting, beautiful and well-preserved, like for example Jerash in Jordan.

Other candidates that were close to make the podium were the Medina of Tunis and the Jantar Mantar in Jaipur.

I am not on the list but I should be:

When comparing the sites in the section above and some others that are already in the UNESCO list, it hard to believe that some places have not been included as yet. Some examples:

Sossusvlei (Namibia): a salt and clay pan surrounded by a sea of colourful giant sand dunes in the heart of the Namib Naukluft National Park.

The Panama Canal: arguably the most impressive civil engineering feat ever achieved. Even if you have read many books and seen many documentaries in the Discovery Channel about it, it is hard to realise how much it cost and achieved till you go there and see it.

Lake Atitlan (Guatemala): one of the most charismatic places in Guatemala and in all Central America. An amazingly beautiful lake surrounded by 3 volcanoes and with a few mayan villages in its shores.

Jaisalmer (India): in the heart of the desert and sculpted in sandstone, it was full of charm and it glowed under the sun like any other city I have seen.

Final Note: it would be impossible not to see that UNESCO WH nominations are heavily influenced by politics and hidden interests beyond the true beauty and historical value of the site. It is a shame the low number of nominated sites in stunning countries like Guatemala, Turkey or Namibia compared with some small European nations like Belgium or Slovakia. Hopefully new nominations will balance things out and the list will become more and more credible.

What about you? how many ones have you been to? Which ones did you like more? and the disappointments? You are more than welcome to leave a comment and share it!

 

December 30, 2011

Halong Bay, the gift of the dragons

Posted by Enepi under Asia, Vietnam | Tags: , , |
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Legend has it that the people who lived in what today is Vietnam were fighting against the Chinese, who were trying to invade them coming from the sea. They asked the gods for help and they sent a family of dragons that started spitting out jewels and jade. When the jewels and the jade touched the water they turned into the islands that we can see today dotting Halong Bay, forming a barrier that helped the Vietnamese repelling the enemy. In order to protect their land the defenders formed the country known today as Vietnam. The dragons liked the area and decided to stay living there. The place where the Mother Dragon descended towards the water was called Halong Bay (its literal translation would be “the bay of the descending dragon”).

We booked a 2 day-one night tour in Hanoi with the agency Handspan. We left the capital early in the morning towards Halong, the city where the junks depart from, some 150 Kms to the East. The ride took around 3 hours. Through the windows we could see rice pads on both sides of the road, with people working on them wearing the traditional vietnamese hat (nón lá), definitely one of the most iconic images of Vietnam and South East Asia. The villages on the sides of the road were a random mixture of different types of low-rise buildings and houses, each one painted in a different colour and sometimes so close to one another that they almost overlapped. The tropical vegetation was blurred by the light morning fog. The closer we got to the Tonkin Gulf and the estuary of the Red River, the wider the open spaces and the rice paddies were.

The fact that Halong Bay is the most important touristic spot in Vietnam and one of the main ones in  southeast of Asia can be seen in the city of Halong and its harbour: it gives that impression that it has grown a lot in a short period of time, looking shabby and untidy. The first thing that caught my attention was the vast amount of junks and other type of boats anchored in the bay, some fighting for some space in the different piers by the shore and some others a few hundred meters into the water tied together in groups.  There were so many that they almost blocked the view of the Bay and the islands from the harbour. Most of the boats were empty and we could not see as much activity as expected since it was low season, but it was easy to imagine the kind of craziness that can happen during the hectic high season.

Photo by Francisco Amigo

We jumped on a small boat that took us to our junk. The first impression was that it was worth paying some extra money (the price we paid to Handspan for the tour was fairly expensive) since the junk was very beautiful and quite new compared with others boats around.  The cabins were big enough and neatly clean. The junk could take up to 20 people but we were just 8 of us on board (thanks again low season!). As soon as we boarded and dropped our stuff they served a nice lunch that we ate while the boat was leaving the harbour and entering the waters of the Bay.

As soon as the harbour is out of sight you start feeling the magic and the energy of such a special place. The boat zigzags through the stone needles and you realise they are everywhere you can reach at a glance. There are more than 3000 islands and islets spread in the Bay, although some vietnamese say (not sure if seriously or not) that the exact number is 1969, the year of Ho Chi Minh’s death. Not too long after we had departed we bumped into the first of the floating villages of Halong Bay. There are four in total with some 1600 people living in them. The people from the boat explained that the biggest one has a school so children don’t have to go daily ashore or live separated from their families to have their education. The village was close to a fairly big island that sheltered it from the strength of the open sea and the winds. The villagers live out of the fresh fish they catch and marine aquaculture, although nowadays they also sell souvenirs, drinks and other stuff to the tourists.

The iconic and world-famous stone needles islets are mostly limestone karsts shaped by millions of years of wind, rain and waves and some of them are hollow, hiding massive grottoes inside. We stopped in one of them,  Hang Sung Sot grotto, which had three broad chambers, with lots of stalactites and stalagmites sometimes fused together forming  thick calcareous columns. We visited the cave following a stone path, it was fairly crowded since there were a few boats visiting at the same time as ours. From the exit you have one of the most typical views of Halong Bay (the one you can see in the Wikipedia page about HB).

Views from Hang Sung Sot Grotto

A couple of hours before sunset the junk stopped at Titop Island. It had a small sandy beach and a temple looking sheltered viewpoint at the top. We decided to climb up the steep steps all the way to the top and it really paid, the views were magnificent. We were surrounded by many islets that popped out of the water dramatically, with almost vertical cliffs and a carpet of dense vegetation covering them. From the top we could appreciate better the different birds flying over and around the islands.

Not far from Titop the junk anchored to spend the night. We went for a memorable swim during sunset and despite the other boats that were around us everything felt silent and peaceful. When swimming we realised we were not alone in the water: there were dozens of jellyfish of considerable size, so Izumi and Aiko had to keep an eye on the water from the deck of the boat and if one of them was coming too close to us we rushed back to the boat, waiting for it to pass and then jump back into the calm and warm water again. It was a great moment to see the sun dying behind the steep peak of one of the islets.

The dinner was great. They served fresh seafood (crabs, tiger prawns) and nicely cooked fish. After dinner we went to the upper deck to have a drink while looking at the stars and savouring the place. Even at night the temperature was warm and the wind mild, so we ended up sleeping in the deck chairs. It was well into the night when we finally went back to the cabins.

The second day started with another swim and after that the boat continued sailing in an area dotted with many islets of different shapes and sizes. The junk stopped by a group of them forming a closed circular lagoon. They put us in a small rowing boat and we went inside the lagoon through a big hole in the one of the walls. Once inside the guide explained us a little bit about the formation of limestone karts and the Vietnam government plans to preserve the beauty of Halong Bay while balancing it out with tourism income. After the visit we headed back to the harbour while having our last meal onboard.

If I had to choose just one place to go back to Vietnam I think it would be Halong Bay. I would have liked to stay one more night on board, maybe two days and one night felt a bit too short for such a wonderful place.

All the entries about Vietnam

 

December 12, 2011

From Jinshanling to Simatai: the day I became a true man

Posted by Enepi under Asia, China | Tags: , , |
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“He who does not reach the Great Wall is not a true man” – Mao Zedong

August 11th 2007, the day that according to Chairman Mao I became a true man, has been one of the best and most memorable days of my travelling life. Going to the Great Wall had been a long life dream as a traveller although I was not exactly sure about what to expect. I had seen those pictures of the very crowded Badaling part of the wall and that was not exactly was I was looking for, so I did not know if the way I had always imagined my visit to the Great Wall (remote and empty of people) was possible anywhere close to Beijing.

The hostel I was staying in offered two different trips to visit it: the already mentioned to Badaling and a hiking day starting at Jinsahnling and finishing at  Simatai. Despite the second option being further away I decided to go for it as the hostel owner told me it was more remote and spectacular. But the great day started some hours before that, actually the previous night…

Some chinese friends had booked a karaoke room at a club called Tango, so after dinner we headed there. The place was located by the Temple of Earth Park and when we arrived we saw in a corner of the park lots of small colourful lights suspended in the air. When we went closer we realised that they were small light bulbs clipped to the lines of kites. As neither the kites nor the lines could be seen in the dark but just the blinking lights, it gave the impression of a giant invisible Christmas Tree. The kite owners guided them using something that looked like a big fishing reel that rested on their hips. We asked them how high the kites were flying and they replied that 800 metres (!!). With total disbelief we asked again and they replied the same thing, but I left it there as I did not want to go into aeronautic discussion with them. Maybe they gave us the figures in yuans and not in meters…

I thought that even 80 metres was too much but after that I read that some kites go up to 100-150 metres in festivals (not taking into account military ones, of course). Still, I bought a nice one nice to take back as a present for a friend without discussing any further.

The karaoke VIP room had a big red sofa for some 10 or 12 people and a big TV screen. In a coffee table in front of it rested a pile of fresh fruit and a few trays with shots. Right after we went in a staff member brought a bottle of Jack Daniels and started mixing it with Nestea in a big jag full of ice and lemons. I do not like whisky so I gave it a pass. One of the hosts insisted repeatedly and I finally decided to try it not to be rude towards him…and I ended up drinking around 10 glasses!! it was soooo good! I have not tried it since just in case it was the mystique of the moment what made it so good. At any time, if the amount of fruit or drink went down a little bit the same staff person came in to refill, he kept a constant eye peeking through a small window.

In any case I got quickly tired of cheesy chinese songs and, after destroying a couple of songs from the Beatless when I was pushed to sing, I rushed to the dance floor that had been calling my name from the very beginning. There was a Mexican DJ playing that night called Gabriel Sordo and he delivered an unforgettable session. I also enjoyed the atmosphere, healthier than in Europe (no people with sunglasses dancing like maniacs and no eyes popping out of the sockets). The original idea was to leave fairly early as next day was going to be a tough one but they had to drag me out around 4am and my feet aching of dancing non stop…

So back to the beginning of the story, the big day arrived and I was not in the best of the moods. I woke up at 6:30 after sleeping just over 2 hours and with a considerable hangover thanks to uncle Jack. We were a group of 6 persons and we left around 7 towards Jinshanling that is located some 125 Kms northwest of Beijing. The van ride lasted almost 4 hours, including one stop in a supermarket (the driver barely spoke english but he adviced “very hot, very drink”) and another stop as the driver overtook a car using the right lane and he got a fine.

It took quite some time to leave Beijing, even at that time of the day the traffic was busy. There were construction cranes everywhere, even more when we were in the outskirts of the city. They weren’t very nice: new buildings barely inhabited or under construction mixed with others crumbling down, probably waiting to be wiped. All seemed to be rushing to get ready for the soon to come 2008 Olympics. When we were closer to the destination the terrain became more hilly and also greener, mostly with bushes and low trees.

The entrance to the Great Wall in Jinshanling was so beautiful that all my tiredness and hangover were suddenly gone. The wall and the watchtowers around the ramp used to reach the top of the wall had been heavily rebuilt so they looked as they had originally been back in the 1570s under the Ming Dinasty when they were built. The area was fairly isolated, less touristic than I expected and there were not many food or souvenir stalls. Somehow the quietness being a Saturday morning in August surprised me in a good way.

Jinshanling section of the Great Wall

We started walking East towards Simatai around 11am and by then it was already hot. The Great Wall gave me an adrenaline rush from the very moment I set my foot on it and I stopped often to take a 360 degrees look to admire the landscape. The wall meandered endlessly in both directions like a giant stone snake resting over the hills and valleys. The continuous stretch of wall was dotted with watchtowers and beacon towers of different sizes every few hundred  meters. Despite its size and imposing presence the Great Wall felt light and agile. I had seen lots of pictures of it but being there was a completely different feeling, something really special.

Jinshanling section of the Great Wall

The more we walked further from the entrance the more the wall was deteriorating and showing its real age and face: potholes, loose bricks and stones, some of the protective barriers crumbling, steps missing parts and shaking when stepping on them, cracks here and there…but the magnificence, charm and magic spell were all there giving a real feeling if how ancient, powerful and venerable it was. It felt we were walking not only distance but also back in time.

Some parts of the wall were more deteriorate

We walked in no rush, sometimes stopping at the towers, not only to savour the astonishing views (Jinshanling has some 67 watchtowers and 2 beacon towers), but also to rest and drink constantly. The landscape was rugged, with small mountain peaks scattered sticking out from a green carpet of pine trees and bushes despite being in the middle of the summer. We bumped into just half a dozen other people doing our same route till we reached Simatai area that it was more crowded. For most of the journey  we almost had the wall entirely for us. In the watchtowers there were locals sending drinks, food and, sometimes,  souvenirs. They are peasants families that take turns to make some extra cash. The kids selling drinks followed us running over the side of the walls wearing flip-flops, seemingly floating over it and smiling at us.

Jinshanling. From the top of one of the watchtowers

We had been told in advance that the hike was a hard one and not suited for everyone and they were quite right. Some parts of the wall were so steep that we climbing helping our way up with our hands more than just purely walking. Also we had to be careful not to step on a hole or avoid tripping in the crumbling steps when going down a steep part. And it was really hot. One of my stronger memories from that day is that I drank some 4 litres of liquid and I did not have to “go to the loo” even once, I sweated all of it, including the Jack Daniels from the previous night.

Some parts were very steep

It took us around 3 hours to reach the top of the hill just before the bridge that leads to the valley were Simatai section is. The landscape from this point was simply superb. We paid 5 yuans to cross the suspension bridge and then we faced the famous 17 towers of Simatai with their impossible slopes. Simatai section was originally built between 550 and 557 BC, but heavily rebuilt under the Ming dynasty one thousand years later. For some specialists in the Great Wall Simatai is the most spectacular part of it.

Simatai towers and their impossible slopes

The steepness from the river to the highest tower was something crazy, following the crest of the Yanshan mountain and demanding a good deal of effort on each step we took. We were going up patiently, turning around again and again with our jaw dropping at the views. It is just around 2 kms of linear distance but it took us an hour and a half to reach tower 14, the furthest point you can go. After that tower (called Cat’s Eyes Tower or Mao Yan Lou) it is forbidden to continue, with a signpost indicating it and two guards making sure you do not try. The wall gets very narrow (no more than half a meter or even less at some points) and with a 80-degree gradient in the so called Heavenly Ladder.  Also it is seriously damaged so it is very dangerous to go past that point.

Sweating a little bit and tired...but very happy

The most famous of all the Simatai towers is the one called Watching Beijing Tower, standing 986 meters and from where you can see Beijing’s lights on a clear night despite being 120 Km away. The bricks used to build this tower have stamped on them the date when they were made and the code of the army that made them.

In the amazing video below you can see a professional and very experienced guide crossing the Sky Bridge and descending the Heavenly Ladder. It is easy to realise that it is not for everyone.

Once I reached tower 14 and after sitting to enjoy the feeling of achievement and happiness, I was really tired, so we went down using the open air gondolas, a good chance to enjoy the superb views. The ride back home passed really quickly as I fell asleep the very same moment I sat in the van. Twelve and half unforgettable kilometres that I hope to repeat someday.

Here are some links to wonderful picture galleries and info about the Great Wall:

From Jinshanling

http://www.greatwallforum.com/forum/jinshanling/5-jinshanling-photos.html

From Simatai

http://www.greatwallforum.com/forum/simatai/4-simatai-great-wall-photos.html

 

October 31, 2011

Guide: Panama: Flights, Accommodation, Eating and Drinking

Posted by Enepi under Central America, Guide, Panama | Tags: , |
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Dates: from 26/02/2011 to 09/03/2011

Flight details: London Heathrow – Panama Tocumén International with one stop at Miami International Airport. Flight with American Airlines. Flight time London – Miami was 9h 30min and Miami – London was 8h 15min. Miami – Panama took 2h 20min. Price per person was £631 bought 2 months in advance (AA website). Plane was a Boeing 777

Internal Flights:

Panama Albrook – Bocas del Toro: flight with Aeroperlas in an ATR-42. Flight time was around 50 min. Price was US$225.35

Panamá Albrook – Playón Chico (Kuna Yala): flight with Air Panama in a DH Twin Otter. Flight time was around 35 min. Price was US$144.10

Itinerary: Panama City, Bocas del Toro  (Bocas Town, Boca del Drago, Isla Carenero, Isla Bastimentos), Kuna Yala (Playón Chico).

PANAMA CITY

Accommodation

Dos Palmitos B&B

www.dospalmitos.com                info@dospalmitos.com

Located around Cerro Ancón area, we stayed there one night. It is a beautiful house in a very green and quiet environment. The room was a big enough, nice and clean. The breakfast in the terrace was really good. Price was US$96 per night (2 persons).

Barú Lodge

www.barulodge.com                       reservas@barulodge.com                     Tel. (507) 393-2340

Close to El Cangrejo area, by Via España. We stayed 3 nights. Very nice hotel, with good sized and clean rooms and a lovely garden where a good breakfast is served. The owner, Erwin, is one of the nicest and most helpful hotel owners I have ever come across. Price was US$77 including taxes for a double room (2 persons). Recommended.

Eating and drinking

Parrillada Martin Fierro

http://www.degustapanama.com/restaurante/parrillada-martin-fierro_97.html

Reputed argentinian style restaurant in El Cangrejo area. The meat was excellent, very much in argentinian tradition (thick cut but tender and tasty) and the decoration and service were very good as well. A bit pricey, US$31 per person, but worth it if you are in meatty mood.

Leños & Carbón

http://www.degustapanama.com/restaurante/lenos-y-carbon_140.html

Very popular grill-restaurant with a big terrace in one of the islands of Amador Causeway. The food, mostly the meat, was really good, with big portions. Definitely recommended. We paid US$30 per person drinking and eating in abundance.

Grill 50

http://www.grill50.com/?page_id=4

Sportsbar type grill off Via España. It is a popular chain where people go to watch football games, we tried the ViaPorras venue. Food was not too good and atmosphere was very noisy. Inexpensive (US$13 per person with a few beers). Not specially recommended unless interested in watching a sport event.

Pizzeria La Forchetta

http://cascoviejo.com/la-forchetta/

Great location in the heart of Casco Viejo, facing Cathedral Square and the Cathedral herself. Food was excellent, specially the ravioli. The venue was beautifully decorated. Recommended.

Mercado de Marisco

http://cascoviejo.com/mercado-de-mariscos-restaurante/

The Panama City fish market has a bar/restaurant in the second floor. We decided to go there as everybody recommended it to us. The place itself is very nice and authentic: as the building is wide open you can see the fish stalls and the crowds doing their daily shopping from the restaurant area . But the food was a disappointment. Tried ceviche, octopus, fresh fish and pasta&seafood and in general it was way below our expectations. Worth going to the place, maybe we were just unlucky with our orders.

Heladeria Granclement

www.granclement.com

Some local people recommended us this ice-cream deli that makes artisan products. They were really good. It is located at the heart of the Casco Viejo.

BOCAS DEL TORO

Accommodation

Bocas Town (Isla Colón)

Lula B&B                          www.lulabb.com

It is located in one of the side streets of the village, what makes it quiet but still just a few minutes walking distance from all main restaurants, bars and the docks. It is a nice wooden house with just a few rooms, clean and with a terrace. The owners are from the USA and they could not be any friendlier, helping us as whenever we needed it. Price per night for a double room with a nice breakfast included was US$55.

Isla Carenero

Casa Acuario

http://www.casaacuario.com/

A colourful wooden house literally on top of the water in the much quieter island of Carenero. Casa Acuario is one of the most charming places I have ever stayed in. The room was massive and very clean, with great views overlooking Bocas Town. The owner Joana was nice and helpful. Price for a double room was US$88 per night. Breakfast was not included (US$7, it was excellent by the way)

If you decide to stay in Isla Carenero beware of the tiny mosquitoes called chitres. They are so small that you cannot feel when they are biting you and you get an extremely itchy big red mark. They ate us alive despite using normal insect repellent. Try to buy the strongest repellent available.

Eating and Drinking

Bocas Town (Isla Colón)

El Pecado da Sabor

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/islacolon/D61972.html

We asked the hostel owners for their favourite restaurant in town and they sent us to El Pecado Da Sabor (it translates as The Sin Adds Flavour). It was really good, we had fish and my tuna with coconut sauce was superb. Price was around US$18 per person. Located in the main street by the big square. Recommended.

Buena Vista

www.buenavistabocas.com

Nice place for a quick bite by the sea. Fish tacos were good and in general food was cheap and good value for money (just US$10 for 2 beers and a taco). Nice relaxed atmosphere.

Isla Carenero

Bibi’s on the beach

http://bocasbuccaneerresort.com/surfside-restaurant-and-bar

Charming wooden restaurant over the water. The food, the atmosphere and the views were fantastic. Very good value for money and pleasant staff. We paid US$19 per person for a great fish dish and a cocktail. Recommended

Aqua Lounge

http://www.bocasaqualounge.info/

Lively hostel and terrace pub full of young people, many of them surfers (or pretending to be). If you are over 25 you might feel a bit out of place but I enjoyed it thanks to the music, the views of Bocas Town shoreline and the US$1 beers

KUNA YALA (SAN BLAS)

Accommodation and Eating

Yandup Island Lodge

http://www.yandupisland.com/index.php?language=english

Located in a very small perfect picture postcard island just off Playon Chico community and airport. After landing Yandup staff were waiting for us and they took us in a small boat to the hotel. The island was around 100-125 meters of diameter and there were some 10 huts, 8 were guest rooms and the others were the restaurant and for the staff.  The rest of the island had a small beach of fine sand, grass and a few scattered coconut trees.

The huts were made out of wood from the mangroves (Kunas promote sustainable tourism), the furniture was scarce and rustic, just the basic, but the bed was comfortable, with a mosquito net. There was not hot water or AC.

Price was not cheap: US$184 per night for 2 persons. This included 3 meals a day and water plus 2 excursions per day: one in the morning to a beach in any of the nearby islands and one in the afternoon to visit different parts of the community and to learn about their lifestyle.

Despite the lack of some commodities we truly loved it. It was beautiful, peaceful and authentic. The food was surprisingly good: very fresh and tasty and always different dishes during the 3 days that we were there.  Staff was really friendly as well.  Spending a few days in Yandup with the Kunas was one of the best things of the whole trip. Very recommended.

Three days in Kuna Yala

 

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