tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76766177353945214422024-03-04T23:02:56.109-08:00Mohit's portalA blog about my travels.Mohit Samanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11921125793502265689noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676617735394521442.post-54993716204318222782023-02-22T06:28:00.002-08:002023-02-22T06:28:32.608-08:00Portugal 2023<p> Some drone video from our first post-pandemic international trip, to Portugal.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/h__9WQauPgM" width="320" youtube-src-id="h__9WQauPgM"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pc1PDsXheO4" width="320" youtube-src-id="pc1PDsXheO4"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ivtJs0CzV58" width="320" youtube-src-id="ivtJs0CzV58"></iframe></div><br /><p></p>Mohit Samanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11921125793502265689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676617735394521442.post-90403713461167490772020-04-21T15:31:00.006-07:002022-04-14T09:52:28.596-07:002 weeks in the Balkans + Santorini, Greece!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdR4VZ6x4y6dtfOyPltlKkCBc9j5tU2FYNTqfM359j3_-rF_JA28oPw3N6mONVAUBb9cLIbuTCmQN5-OqyHU4fVpELJOyUly8DOp2Z4UV27_s9y2KwUeXRn-XXoh25Czs8hPpwiRO4YFCd/s1600/IMG_6867.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdR4VZ6x4y6dtfOyPltlKkCBc9j5tU2FYNTqfM359j3_-rF_JA28oPw3N6mONVAUBb9cLIbuTCmQN5-OqyHU4fVpELJOyUly8DOp2Z4UV27_s9y2KwUeXRn-XXoh25Czs8hPpwiRO4YFCd/s200/IMG_6867.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the top of<br />
Campanile of Split Cathedral</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv5l2o-mBI2PIJZg-ptZVRge-7iAQHsIk7Dc00h8hlFMWwpgpmWU6gEhiOIzs8jDQVDRveXusO-zvhVyy5R7ToTGXy1QXXFTUzQjoN4DDQXVn0CHcqsAZ627yC593pbzJHgeE_sSPxmq0q/s1600/20191125_091043.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv5l2o-mBI2PIJZg-ptZVRge-7iAQHsIk7Dc00h8hlFMWwpgpmWU6gEhiOIzs8jDQVDRveXusO-zvhVyy5R7ToTGXy1QXXFTUzQjoN4DDQXVn0CHcqsAZ627yC593pbzJHgeE_sSPxmq0q/s200/20191125_091043.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Central square of Diocletian's Palace</td></tr>
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My wife and I recently did a 2 week long trip to the Balkan Peninsula, with the last 3 days reserved for the enchanting Greek island of Santorini in the Mediterranean sea. Our trip started with getting the Schengen visa at the Greek embassy, and the process is pretty straightforward as long as you have all the documents ready. Also, this time we were lucky enough to get the visa for a whole year, so another Europe trip is on the cards pretty soon!<br />
Fortunately all of the Balkan countries accept the Schengen visa so it was pretty easy getting in and out of these countries by just showing the Schengen visa stamp in the passport.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cuttlefish (black) <br />
and seafood risotto </td></tr>
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<b>Split, Croatia</b>: We started our trip with our flight into Split, Croatia. We landed in the afternoon around 1:30 pm after our hour long flight from Frankfurt, the overnight flight from Toronto the night before, so were very tired and got some much needed rest at our Airbnb.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Jj9ZE3ZoX6Q-wjdH3DfCMTLfH1eM-fWfmXkPLcqVTYkv0sK_5vfQ2I79Ll2KaCLhY2PxjOeNZIL9btVe-gXM8iM3xRdDClooGp1QWVZrjzehgfjhZXlN-NHgCtQlpYLynR2kQNZ0G75A/s1600/20191125_110900.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Jj9ZE3ZoX6Q-wjdH3DfCMTLfH1eM-fWfmXkPLcqVTYkv0sK_5vfQ2I79Ll2KaCLhY2PxjOeNZIL9btVe-gXM8iM3xRdDClooGp1QWVZrjzehgfjhZXlN-NHgCtQlpYLynR2kQNZ0G75A/s200/20191125_110900.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The promenade in Split</td></tr>
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The next day, we went about exploring the town of Split.<br />
Split is the second largest city in Croatia and is a mix of modern buildings and ancient history. Ruins dating back to the Roman Empire and a bustling waterfront promenade.<br />
We started the next, and our only full day in Split with a trip to the old town and Diocletian’s palace.<br />
Emperor Diocletian, who voluntarily gave up the throne of the Roman Empire, in the turn of the 4th century CE built the palace and after his retirement settled here.<br />
The ancient fortress has become the old town of Split, with numerous shops, cafes, restaurants and also apartments, located in the old buildings on narrow streets of the palace/fortress.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEAR7HSvnhcQdIb_4hM5kY9f59JzA1ouDmKgixp1qquJlYsrMHoin_vgPs440XzZrXwLSdQALdc_-gqIaQnAcYhDhM9cJ8SGjMxHrYelvspIQAGvK-a0VXMMRUvN4GfUpc_72MY7WJ8cr7/s1600/20191128_110342.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEAR7HSvnhcQdIb_4hM5kY9f59JzA1ouDmKgixp1qquJlYsrMHoin_vgPs440XzZrXwLSdQALdc_-gqIaQnAcYhDhM9cJ8SGjMxHrYelvspIQAGvK-a0VXMMRUvN4GfUpc_72MY7WJ8cr7/s200/20191128_110342.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our ride through the Balkans</td></tr>
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After exploring Split downtown during the day, evening we picked up our rental car, for our road trip around the Balkans.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje21WQbk_7GfqdZvCn-MkjJfIm-HTbmREqcqfqh02W_X3OW_hZFngQhJzkr_W5BOnNvlvMyI_KBCu4Ezgatn-CdH3r0fy422l9d0j_Xyg5InULTHsEAwZuIYzHGOlSQtuiFaOYC1q-wj7z/s1600/IMG_6938.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje21WQbk_7GfqdZvCn-MkjJfIm-HTbmREqcqfqh02W_X3OW_hZFngQhJzkr_W5BOnNvlvMyI_KBCu4Ezgatn-CdH3r0fy422l9d0j_Xyg5InULTHsEAwZuIYzHGOlSQtuiFaOYC1q-wj7z/s200/IMG_6938.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kravica waterfalls</td></tr>
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<b>Bosnia & Herzegovina</b>: We started our road trip from Split at around 9:30 am in the morning. We had pre-planned our trip for the <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/dir/21000,+Split,+Croatia/Bija%C4%8Da+Border+Crossing,+Bosnia+%26+Herzegovina/Kravice+Waterfall,+Studenci+Ljubu%C5%A1ki,+Bosnia+and+Herzegovina/@43.2480126,17.1230465,11.04z/data=!4m20!4m19!1m5!1m1!1s0x13355dfc6bbcf517:0xa1798ff631b49f98!2m2!1d16.4401935!2d43.5081323!1m5!1m1!1s0x134b0c1fbb520b67:0x8694b587610cdd4e!2m2!1d17.5748205!2d43.1232969!1m5!1m1!1s0x134b0dbd11aad181:0xf6bd890e2045e895!2m2!1d17.608895!2d43.1564739!3e0" target="_blank">Bijača Border Crossing</a>. The crossing at the border was seamless and the only check, was for our Schengen visa, and with this being low tourist season, there was virtually no one ahead of us; or even waiting behind us. After getting the Bosnian stamps on our passports, we headed for our first stop - the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kravica_(waterfall)">Kravica waterfalls</a>. Located on the Trebižat river, Kravica is one of the largest waterfalls in Herzegovina, and the most impressive. They have a natural pool dug out at the base of the falls by the constant rush of water. The entrance fee was 10KM(~$5.50 USD) per person and the parking was free. After about an hour trekking along the river, we were on our way to our next stop, the historic town of Počitelj.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakCb1rKU8J_glUn5VtV1JN97lnmKLkqkvwyETBrEIzdFVdx53oRceuHGkbFfH3JW-it9hVIG_6eIoEJ1eFXLV4EdX71DvtlmFSp_P2EABdJFhSuTbmLkChNhz_4ME_iAMVS3WdBGsji_f/s1600/IMG_6953.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakCb1rKU8J_glUn5VtV1JN97lnmKLkqkvwyETBrEIzdFVdx53oRceuHGkbFfH3JW-it9hVIG_6eIoEJ1eFXLV4EdX71DvtlmFSp_P2EABdJFhSuTbmLkChNhz_4ME_iAMVS3WdBGsji_f/s200/IMG_6953.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Počitelj</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-K52p5MCMi_JJZSpuLuiJFcA-mDNzDsJaGQ4qq18FWaOezj9W-pUiENMCtbK6t0r2W4HctglMwqbJX0NbYUDhH72Ii_OkOb1JdSN4YXRbOQP-VN7BIUMAoEW4y6GJtsRyraSv2xvlYCi/s1600/IMG_6942.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ-K52p5MCMi_JJZSpuLuiJFcA-mDNzDsJaGQ4qq18FWaOezj9W-pUiENMCtbK6t0r2W4HctglMwqbJX0NbYUDhH72Ii_OkOb1JdSN4YXRbOQP-VN7BIUMAoEW4y6GJtsRyraSv2xvlYCi/s200/IMG_6942.JPG" width="200" /></a> In 1471, Počitelj was conquered by the Ottomans, like the rest of Herzegovina. It remained a part of the Ottoman Empire until 1878 and after which, it became a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. However, the architecture is unmistakably Ottoman. The cobbled streets invite you on an exciting climb to one of two fortresses dominating the landscape. As you pass by the stone houses typically surrounded by high walls and grape wine pergolas providing shade for the few locals who still live there, street vendors will charmingly invite you to buy some of their fruits – figs, cherries or almonds. Along the way, very special trees will add to this atmosphere of the Middle East in the heart of Europe – wild pomegranates.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeABdoL8Fv7YJnHNPOd123JPFUQgho8AsMHGO24HQCzIjo4LZqcuBlUpdD6DxmuIs0JS_iSZEnfzhVh8YS3iQvG83OXJJ__RKP1OcHbOAvtXT9t5m-KkariYbTgreSWiw0rjH9o04zz1VU/s1600/IMG_6964.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeABdoL8Fv7YJnHNPOd123JPFUQgho8AsMHGO24HQCzIjo4LZqcuBlUpdD6DxmuIs0JS_iSZEnfzhVh8YS3iQvG83OXJJ__RKP1OcHbOAvtXT9t5m-KkariYbTgreSWiw0rjH9o04zz1VU/s200/IMG_6964.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blagaj Tekija</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhemB_ZqWUVptQFb1BXcsrf6TA1dqlHVyYYNhJfdBM-5ExW7qFpIImYtfyTk2F6kZyRniUt09xi4ArI9os5JA7RclVdi220gibAt-NyW3W0mxaLLSrdduR65pLHGB3fEEjPZa27zaVw-D7p/s1600/20191126_141418.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhemB_ZqWUVptQFb1BXcsrf6TA1dqlHVyYYNhJfdBM-5ExW7qFpIImYtfyTk2F6kZyRniUt09xi4ArI9os5JA7RclVdi220gibAt-NyW3W0mxaLLSrdduR65pLHGB3fEEjPZa27zaVw-D7p/s200/20191126_141418.jpg" width="112" /></a>Our next stop was the village town of Blagaj.<br />
<a href="https://tekijablagaj.ba/en/" target="_blank">Blagaj Tekija</a> is a Dervish monastery outside Mostar, Bosnia, nearly 600 years old. Situated at the base of a cliff, next to the source of the river Buna, it’s a unique and picturesque series of buildings that looks even better in person than it does in pictures.<br />
The Tekija (or Tekke) was first founded during the height of the Ottoman empire. Time and rock slides have led to extensive repairs and reconstruction to the buildings. Today, thanks largely to a Turkish travel agency, the Tekke looks mostly as it did in the past.<br />
<br />
We had a quick lunch at one of the local restaurants which had the spectacular view of the cave and the river. Our last stop before heading to our destination for the day Sarajevo was the town of Mostar.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3S0VnGilANpzVyyTeOz5GB74py4eExGH6Gm-6RKjOzuj-yrmFShG4-FA5TFsanAzCnJmMciI9kMfGNlhyk7dQP5u_nA3dJlX4ieFXDwyoKFb7RDnNd4xNx9_6Bxo9IrLAaMN4lon2WPl3/s1600/IMG_6973.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3S0VnGilANpzVyyTeOz5GB74py4eExGH6Gm-6RKjOzuj-yrmFShG4-FA5TFsanAzCnJmMciI9kMfGNlhyk7dQP5u_nA3dJlX4ieFXDwyoKFb7RDnNd4xNx9_6Bxo9IrLAaMN4lon2WPl3/s200/IMG_6973.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mostar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiczk7Jt87Nmi9Ucdu47xIEM_rjOjmauWUCXOvcaEDc3vcIs4DcyXGokDQNojGiqLjsp0DMF1QD-W_iP33LfFpL6AW4gTT2jc-irue03FdWEgBjBcO0OZZPZGIf2EMWoZJnmE69EbBHcSEE/s1600/20191126_160436.jpg" style="clear: right; font-size: 12.8px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiczk7Jt87Nmi9Ucdu47xIEM_rjOjmauWUCXOvcaEDc3vcIs4DcyXGokDQNojGiqLjsp0DMF1QD-W_iP33LfFpL6AW4gTT2jc-irue03FdWEgBjBcO0OZZPZGIf2EMWoZJnmE69EbBHcSEE/s200/20191126_160436.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stari Most</td></tr>
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For anyone travelling in Bosnia and Herzegovina or road tripping through the Balkans, a stop in the enchanting, historic city of Mostar is a must. The old town is absolutely captivating: think cobblestone streets that wind through a bazaar that seems untouched by the hands of time, the curved minarets of impressive mosques jutting into the sky on the banks of the Neretva River. The city’s crown jewel is Stari Most, a grand stone bridge which sweeps across the water, making it the most photographed landmark in the entire country for good reason.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3hcMSBB-UB-eMawHqfmAfWA7kWgzILPuF7Te7xTsUqXVDMNZfzFiRUh1Sg9aeEbPqdzcDXZtAGcmAK_LOnsFAVqr0hPvHMdj4fswimY2STdCQJ8a70gJR-1nzPenCZQHdUrHqwpXQfh4h/s1600/WhatsApp+Image+2019-11-26+at+8.07.24+AM.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3hcMSBB-UB-eMawHqfmAfWA7kWgzILPuF7Te7xTsUqXVDMNZfzFiRUh1Sg9aeEbPqdzcDXZtAGcmAK_LOnsFAVqr0hPvHMdj4fswimY2STdCQJ8a70gJR-1nzPenCZQHdUrHqwpXQfh4h/s200/WhatsApp+Image+2019-11-26+at+8.07.24+AM.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bosnian Coffee</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKOMOtWEKlRdmVGVOPGsfBBd5D7DWIoZK576uaSq6kdCJAbVrWmr6MTZnng3O6XnyUuAGuHQd1n88a0f7VgYbfz8Z__8GrWbYFp4Os7Rl31pMWiKA6dmv9Df_rBSHMwhwe6cVj2XqDCagy/s1600/20191126_154909.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKOMOtWEKlRdmVGVOPGsfBBd5D7DWIoZK576uaSq6kdCJAbVrWmr6MTZnng3O6XnyUuAGuHQd1n88a0f7VgYbfz8Z__8GrWbYFp4Os7Rl31pMWiKA6dmv9Df_rBSHMwhwe6cVj2XqDCagy/s200/20191126_154909.jpg" width="200" /></a>Architecturally speaking, the most noticeable impact of the war was on Stari Most: originally built in 1566, the beautiful bridge was tragically destroyed by shelling in November 1993, collapsing into the Neretva. It took more than a decade of painstaking work to rebuild, eventually reopening in 2004 and earning a designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today, the Mostar bridge is considered a symbol of the city.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjdzf9ZbRL6doz4pwkFKsUbmGmWUETkLmFtOUTJtGglHCJm9dYnwxhY0ecVXbXDCuXLla2Z2ZWLXv-jcIfClDUcg_mI63mKmfXYx_yLBMQxkr_IfF9HOrtrOiV-MZksgtQskm2-ql26tMT/s1600/20191127_105215.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjdzf9ZbRL6doz4pwkFKsUbmGmWUETkLmFtOUTJtGglHCJm9dYnwxhY0ecVXbXDCuXLla2Z2ZWLXv-jcIfClDUcg_mI63mKmfXYx_yLBMQxkr_IfF9HOrtrOiV-MZksgtQskm2-ql26tMT/s200/20191127_105215.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bride marking the<br />
assassination of the Hungarian crown price,<br />
which started WWI</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After another couple of hours of driving, we reached our destination for the day, the Bosnian capital city of Sarajevo.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAtJmVml2g48XYZAKFStdXDdbLKwA3LUxnh981T1MosMwIQRh0httoDJWg_uAfEKRITvAXbA774mZEjkTI1ef-vJDC-N4C71NSyBg4y1zCrQX4EO7HFr7ludQq1lxibitr484PLyk4Dcob/s1600/IMG_6852.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAtJmVml2g48XYZAKFStdXDdbLKwA3LUxnh981T1MosMwIQRh0httoDJWg_uAfEKRITvAXbA774mZEjkTI1ef-vJDC-N4C71NSyBg4y1zCrQX4EO7HFr7ludQq1lxibitr484PLyk4Dcob/s200/IMG_6852.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from our apartment <br />
in Sarajevo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The city is tucked inside a long, thin valley and surrounded on all sides by forested mountains, and almost every crossroads and street corner provides at least a glimpse of an idyllic picture-postcard backdrop. During the worst moments in the city’s history, when its inhabitants were targeted by snipers, this dramatic geography proved to be a terrifying drawback but, thankfully, the spectacular natural beauty of Sarajevo can again be admired and enjoyed.<br />
We did a walking tour with <a href="https://sarajevofunkytours.com/tour/sarajevo-free-walking-tour/" target="_blank">Sarajevo funky tours</a>. The tour takes you through various stops in the old town and the guides explain the history associated with every corner of the old city.</div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjogoP4u5av2q1CY7F0y7RDdry8vOmSjoeIRPr3Rf0M_8h5u47Z39ZJ7NmQUBQvo1u60AjBRw_6IYJbWJdAeafbWFInMVL5CMFeU8GNglofuWZ683Fmp6bq_s0LySHhj3lQZMVCpfj1BaA4/s1600/20191128_110421.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="67" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjogoP4u5av2q1CY7F0y7RDdry8vOmSjoeIRPr3Rf0M_8h5u47Z39ZJ7NmQUBQvo1u60AjBRw_6IYJbWJdAeafbWFInMVL5CMFeU8GNglofuWZ683Fmp6bq_s0LySHhj3lQZMVCpfj1BaA4/s200/20191128_110421.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The drive from Sarajevo to Kotor</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2cpYH3z_XQ6Q06g7eIrprAsijW5hL4SVu5-b6cE58ccynqS4DU1n4NzFXfeobmA-F9DurN0ZPPn4slN67fWYuIebqa7dIWw4FIq7BzbcvhWPU0E-V1lxdt7Mq_PrWtjVzGWA-fJzGm1MK/s1600/IMG_7073.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2cpYH3z_XQ6Q06g7eIrprAsijW5hL4SVu5-b6cE58ccynqS4DU1n4NzFXfeobmA-F9DurN0ZPPn4slN67fWYuIebqa7dIWw4FIq7BzbcvhWPU0E-V1lxdt7Mq_PrWtjVzGWA-fJzGm1MK/s200/IMG_7073.JPG" width="200" /></a><b>Kotor, Montenegro</b>: The next day morning, <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Sarajevo,+Bosnia+and+Herzegovina/Kotor+%D0%9A%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%80/@43.1137458,18.1574566,8.78z/data=!4m19!4m18!1m10!1m1!1s0x4758cbb1ed719bd1:0x562ecda6de87b33e!2m2!1d18.4130763!2d43.8562586!3m4!1m2!1d18.8560509!2d43.330369!3s0x134d299d884fc97d:0x99c43c07bc8aa47c!1m5!1m1!1s0x134c33063d70c91b:0x7a73f15e212e9306!2m2!1d18.771234!2d42.424662!3e0" target="_blank">we left BiH for Montenegro</a>. We took the M18 highway which later, in Montenegro, becomes the E762. The entire drive was breathtakingly scenic and probably <i>the </i>highlight of the entire 2 week trip in the Balkans. We reached our Airbnb around 5 pm in the evening, as we took some photo break during the, roughly, 5 hour point-to-point drive.<br />
<br />
Next morning, we discovered Kotor, which is often dubbed as the "mini-Dubrovnik" due to its architecture and position in the Balkans, but Kotor is in a league of it's own and the comparison neither fair nor accurate.<br />
Located on a beautiful bay on the coast of Montenegro, Kotor is a city steeped in tradition and history, with remarkable scenic views. A UNESCO World Heritage site, the old city was built between the 12th and 14th centuries and is filled with medieval architecture and historic monuments. Extending over four kilometres, the city walls that have protected Kotor for centuries lead up to the fortress of Saint Ivan.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqmEng0Ur0i5sRc_YvS50g77SqxwaLC7RVYzrAwHDfhhZEEU3sBJYOpDGUxT1RIGnMPzuT8i1LbgmnmiA4BpXHj88YmxTzVXxFrItkhgq0ZFz5f2w3Svq2rvSW4m56M1HBQAkZ0CQLcVhv/s1600/20191129_121228.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqmEng0Ur0i5sRc_YvS50g77SqxwaLC7RVYzrAwHDfhhZEEU3sBJYOpDGUxT1RIGnMPzuT8i1LbgmnmiA4BpXHj88YmxTzVXxFrItkhgq0ZFz5f2w3Svq2rvSW4m56M1HBQAkZ0CQLcVhv/s200/20191129_121228.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Budva old town</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgzSIx1rMdf28Mm4yt8Fdo5gl6B6ES9DleZ-MDQ3iJwdm-RwwNwnZumqH1suqrjpGXc3NHoYoJVthmJDmHSsMUQkxoNPwJBOTBXv5RlH9d6v6brf5KO8GNajqZi1taN3Z0Q8hBb24t86zT/s1600/IMG_7083.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgzSIx1rMdf28Mm4yt8Fdo5gl6B6ES9DleZ-MDQ3iJwdm-RwwNwnZumqH1suqrjpGXc3NHoYoJVthmJDmHSsMUQkxoNPwJBOTBXv5RlH9d6v6brf5KO8GNajqZi1taN3Z0Q8hBb24t86zT/s200/IMG_7083.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kotor bay view point</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga3A2HJ6f18tl6UcPwJpkGqT7zH4IPzU5FPLEKKG1smTs3FBeTBPk3WG3nD5xA8wV_PwqWbRQYmVFy5ZCbFfar-l3n-AVcdsdDtDNWCUwSe9QGT9VhnE7OR4ONW8zQF3JP7hHdqBvqdwm7/s1600/20191129_120212.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga3A2HJ6f18tl6UcPwJpkGqT7zH4IPzU5FPLEKKG1smTs3FBeTBPk3WG3nD5xA8wV_PwqWbRQYmVFy5ZCbFfar-l3n-AVcdsdDtDNWCUwSe9QGT9VhnE7OR4ONW8zQF3JP7hHdqBvqdwm7/s200/20191129_120212.jpg" width="200" /></a>The next day morning, we were supposed to have a <a href="https://www.montenegrosubmarine.me/" target="_blank">speed boat tour</a> of the bay, however, it was cancelled due to bad weather. Fortunately, though, since we had the rental car we could make a day out of it. We started off we exploring a little bit of the old town, but we quickly improvised a decided to go for a drive to the charming town of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budva" target="_blank">Budva</a>. Budva's old town is one of the oldest settlements on the Adriatic Sea. At around 2,500 years old it’s a beautiful and historical site. A wander through the town reveals ancient churches and palaces, all crafted from local grey stone.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim4WFFXIZ_jI3BxVkrAFuAD2Mq8bZUTS8Kwa3rTkMawXscfnY-riAeg1dZoDBSZS0c2U2qnbn4XFlu7lAZ3KKq65AcFEksGAQt2dYeV-XTdb-VIu9aS32KNIqHdWJoOEDMWJA55Az0w6y7/s1600/IMG_7112.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim4WFFXIZ_jI3BxVkrAFuAD2Mq8bZUTS8Kwa3rTkMawXscfnY-riAeg1dZoDBSZS0c2U2qnbn4XFlu7lAZ3KKq65AcFEksGAQt2dYeV-XTdb-VIu9aS32KNIqHdWJoOEDMWJA55Az0w6y7/s200/IMG_7112.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old town Perast</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After exploring part of the old town, we had lunch at one of the local restaurants, and then went on our to next stop, a viewpoint titled the "<a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Best+View+of+Kotor/@42.4033519,18.7916628,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x134c32c5a6ae43e9:0xdb995ff66356fa80!8m2!3d42.4033519!4d18.7938515" target="_blank">Best view Kotor</a>". The drive is about an hour and half from Budva but can also be reached from Kotor in the same time.<br />
We ended our day in Dobrota, a suburb of Kotor where we were staying.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs-O-h-qoqwoOgSYxg5hnPUivBeyv3nsiRTAdF2c4iKjFluWFUG-66J8XfiatlhoDvppCSctipamv4_zhORUWHHfbV443CKP2j5WzE4HuFhC03lICYoYE9ab5rc6X2ZqNWCGR9UQQdRDLJ/s1600/IMG_7119.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs-O-h-qoqwoOgSYxg5hnPUivBeyv3nsiRTAdF2c4iKjFluWFUG-66J8XfiatlhoDvppCSctipamv4_zhORUWHHfbV443CKP2j5WzE4HuFhC03lICYoYE9ab5rc6X2ZqNWCGR9UQQdRDLJ/s200/IMG_7119.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Lady of the Rocks, near Perast</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The next day was our last day of the driving around the Balkans, we were going to <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Kotor,+Montenegro/Dubrovnik,+Croatia/@42.5785573,18.2922821,11z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x134c33063d70c91b:0x7a73f15e212e9306!2m2!1d18.771234!2d42.424662!1m5!1m1!1s0x134b8ba20835e87d:0x400ad50862bd500!2m2!1d18.0944238!2d42.6506606!3e0" target="_blank">re-enter Croatia from Kotor, to explore Dubrovnik</a>.<br />
We start off around 10 am, but since the drive was a short one, about an hour and half, we decided to stop in between at Perast. Perast is one of the most beautiful places in Kotor bay.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggeCPHq5-eQ4UbBSrdjCdnK7ewAtkt0w1b4COHdBe535cTF3PaVmv2TddUdsLT2JoBhaUsXhIPD9_gkdp9vCJVM0Q9fv5PFeJq-1_LqSwZTLy7FGGZ_SU0IDPnwlwMJv7025D59-_xSch1/s1600/20191130_110910.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; font-size: 12.8px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggeCPHq5-eQ4UbBSrdjCdnK7ewAtkt0w1b4COHdBe535cTF3PaVmv2TddUdsLT2JoBhaUsXhIPD9_gkdp9vCJVM0Q9fv5PFeJq-1_LqSwZTLy7FGGZ_SU0IDPnwlwMJv7025D59-_xSch1/s200/20191130_110910.jpg" width="200" /></a>Today it is often called the quietest town in Boka. Its narrow streets and numerous, mostly abandoned renaissance, and baroque palaces, testify about the former richness of the Kotor bay, and about the days when there used to be led a luxurious life of its inhabitants.<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
Perast used to be a town of sailors, and it was know by that even outside the space of Montenegro. We can see even today that famous stone housed and captain’s palaces standing out. There are 16 preserved palaces in Perast, among them is the baroque palace Bujovic at the very entrance in Perast.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTq1ULh6_zQmeuix_DwO_56cnFhY6q4jid1jWcP6oY73WUv5PorqQi3SdwXwTlixuFE8US8s4Foyy1kZQIk_1U-lFTLZotbA6V1gAmx0ThD9kFPHkcSUOI0R6j17_U7iHw72uaWdNS5N9o/s1600/20191201_093351.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTq1ULh6_zQmeuix_DwO_56cnFhY6q4jid1jWcP6oY73WUv5PorqQi3SdwXwTlixuFE8US8s4Foyy1kZQIk_1U-lFTLZotbA6V1gAmx0ThD9kFPHkcSUOI0R6j17_U7iHw72uaWdNS5N9o/s200/20191201_093351.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from our apartment in Dubrovnik</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Dubrovnik, Croatia</b>: We reached Dubrovnik around 2 pm, after stopping for lunch.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0wGsIRRcndm7U7mqcdlZDmM921esGORoqGbgObsXitZnJlgzwixCQQus37hfFTcTb8fgDIWKuSiKWyU1KsDa4esGXuNzSvaZ2UIFHOjwlxIqNF2ifIw0Rtojy279IqpV6hESUIQ6fdcW/s1600/20191202_110357.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="105" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0wGsIRRcndm7U7mqcdlZDmM921esGORoqGbgObsXitZnJlgzwixCQQus37hfFTcTb8fgDIWKuSiKWyU1KsDa4esGXuNzSvaZ2UIFHOjwlxIqNF2ifIw0Rtojy279IqpV6hESUIQ6fdcW/s200/20191202_110357.jpg" width="200" /></a>Dubrovnik is one of the world’s most magnificent walled cities, overlooking the calm blue Adriatic. Once the capital of the mighty sea-faring Republic of Ragusa (1358-1808), it's now Croatia’s most upmarket destination. Historically, this diminutive republic was sophisticated, refined and cultured. Today, the pedestrian-only Old Town – packed with aristocratic palazzi and elegant Baroque churches, contained within sturdy medieval fortifications – draws hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZXMvaSKssBic1eYi_f06lIAWQM4gb0Ef87J02xABNZInJMsNaR-ptXM-PiUsX_lfzgWPLMOvyFT5lLQjKWvtkFWQp4qLxg_G9pJ-smCzLMfxHLtBilJL1yU7OSjrYiOAXU74AuQitMtTH/s1600/20191202_094144.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZXMvaSKssBic1eYi_f06lIAWQM4gb0Ef87J02xABNZInJMsNaR-ptXM-PiUsX_lfzgWPLMOvyFT5lLQjKWvtkFWQp4qLxg_G9pJ-smCzLMfxHLtBilJL1yU7OSjrYiOAXU74AuQitMtTH/s200/20191202_094144.jpg" width="200" /></a>Touted as the Pearl of the adriatic, crystal clear waters glisten under the sun; boats, one of the primary forms of transportation in the area, dot the sea in every direction; and the medieval limestone walls of the Stari Grad that safeguard the roofed buildings are impressive.<br />
After returning our rental car, we checked-in to our apartment. We were going to spend the next three (and ended up being 4, due to our cancelled flight to Athens) days here, so we were not in a hurry to explore this magnificent city.<br />
The next day morning, we had booked an <a href="https://www.airbnb.com.mt/experiences/766240" target="_blank">Airbnb tour guide to walk us through the old town</a>. We met at the entry of historical old city near Miletićeva. After which we walked around old city and saw it's main buildings, streets and squares. The tour mainly consisted of a history lesson of Dubrovnik.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzbv8rNdNSe5iBwZ7ICwTxPmA88Z4_ZIKPo6uFGjmkeSB6LDvhjAHtLO0gUmL7-rofBKoHtTiyvKPjfY_Puruu041RYkuWP_o937r2yhyphenhyphenLeLlSVWEq7tb1sk2eZWB3ztnTiGep7ZV6VbTf/s1600/20191202_095300.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzbv8rNdNSe5iBwZ7ICwTxPmA88Z4_ZIKPo6uFGjmkeSB6LDvhjAHtLO0gUmL7-rofBKoHtTiyvKPjfY_Puruu041RYkuWP_o937r2yhyphenhyphenLeLlSVWEq7tb1sk2eZWB3ztnTiGep7ZV6VbTf/s200/20191202_095300.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The walls of Dubrovnik</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaNF8l26i927UUw-OOz3vDyY2sB698klSM3rhQmcrgmVzbHEzHaOW0gK3-o1Up9ZnLVVZGd6Emwe78NirxODQc95WQDTzZ-ljo4g3DWGLiEF1eUTKlSfn8kBI5xhIaCNCNvej2LnjZF-5S/s1600/IMG_7131.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaNF8l26i927UUw-OOz3vDyY2sB698klSM3rhQmcrgmVzbHEzHaOW0gK3-o1Up9ZnLVVZGd6Emwe78NirxODQc95WQDTzZ-ljo4g3DWGLiEF1eUTKlSfn8kBI5xhIaCNCNvej2LnjZF-5S/s200/IMG_7131.JPG" width="200" /></a>Dubrovnik’s history has witnessed the changing fortune from borderland Mediterranean city-state to a bustling city. Originally called Ragusa, the city was founded in the 7th century as a refuge for coastal residents fleeing the advancing barbarians. From the outset, the city was protected by defensive walls. Part of the Mediterranean cultural constellation, but intimately connected to the Balkans, Catholic yet surrounded by Islamic and Orthodox neighbours.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQKZJetJWkP_kCCDVaEUnDTu4o19_dT84hZY9orGZgKW9AZq17wsBY_hiEIUikEJWdI9HQ1RLewkwiQl_DYyGVBgfr55627GmyJ66QWEDcHTLbEgmAtWA-keZII8iu53IgQv-IHpXDh0ls/s1600/IMG_7207.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQKZJetJWkP_kCCDVaEUnDTu4o19_dT84hZY9orGZgKW9AZq17wsBY_hiEIUikEJWdI9HQ1RLewkwiQl_DYyGVBgfr55627GmyJ66QWEDcHTLbEgmAtWA-keZII8iu53IgQv-IHpXDh0ls/s200/IMG_7207.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Croatian flags flutters</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWz_P8-BSbJSGY7zYsc5MiGmRsAiydbSkJemahbcBXkamkPGeQwWEV0s_HklDdroFMxL7e7ChKGsqBAuNczLK2GDQPJVRZ5SnRTU3xO7XVbXUSf_22JdV3x_SB_XJs-iWiBxKFX1pY83Eo/s1600/IMG_7175.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWz_P8-BSbJSGY7zYsc5MiGmRsAiydbSkJemahbcBXkamkPGeQwWEV0s_HklDdroFMxL7e7ChKGsqBAuNczLK2GDQPJVRZ5SnRTU3xO7XVbXUSf_22JdV3x_SB_XJs-iWiBxKFX1pY83Eo/s200/IMG_7175.JPG" width="200" /></a>The new city-state was a crossroads between cultures and civilisations. The city thrived through extensive trade with other maritime ports such as Genoa, Pisa and Venice, and even Goa in India. Its continental trade networks also extended into the Ottoman Empire. At the beginning of the 13th century, Dubrovnik fell under the control of the most Serene Republic, staying under its control until 1358.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinppdHOHU-3Y-unxN1nPRFZZOZa0V28RIuahW84Gnq5Pb7MQnLEQu5XSiCDgTSQcxT-NHdZg-aPJ1ItfQ9ZRYoq1tCaZ5js-65uNYSQsSyFoyXiFF1qTIvy4b1osoVgyG9SmQdcpUod8qg/s1600/IMG_7246.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinppdHOHU-3Y-unxN1nPRFZZOZa0V28RIuahW84Gnq5Pb7MQnLEQu5XSiCDgTSQcxT-NHdZg-aPJ1ItfQ9ZRYoq1tCaZ5js-65uNYSQsSyFoyXiFF1qTIvy4b1osoVgyG9SmQdcpUod8qg/s200/IMG_7246.JPG" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijDM_o5ZaVY0nBAFxs6V6YN3AGYz8sct0NRo2iAs9QUkX9choz8yA9dZEkwRv01F6yt78_MFF0q2VfaH5hPe-1iw9aMqUbxIwFLWstcFA0zLcHKdlqJ8WSf-KP_y8Z-4DxahfvbIHIZbAw/s1600/IMG_7281.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijDM_o5ZaVY0nBAFxs6V6YN3AGYz8sct0NRo2iAs9QUkX9choz8yA9dZEkwRv01F6yt78_MFF0q2VfaH5hPe-1iw9aMqUbxIwFLWstcFA0zLcHKdlqJ8WSf-KP_y8Z-4DxahfvbIHIZbAw/s200/IMG_7281.JPG" width="200" /></a>Dubrovnik’s ascent received a major blow in 1667 as a catastrophic earthquake destroyed a large amount of Renaissance art and architecture in the city. The Sponza and the Rector’s palace were the only buildings that survived the natural disaster. The city was reconstructed in the baroque style that has survived intact until today. Despite the reconstruction, the decline of the Mediterranean as a hub for trade meant that Dubrovnik, like other Mediterranean ports, began a steady decline. By the time Napoleon arrived at the gates in 1806, the Republic of St Blaise was a shadow of itself.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjFPJyocS6iOdM0UPVtOlBYq6fImtHesDNbGvWlYdF1fGDJdE6IEPSZTcX0g-yJDfBACUHKnoXoq1CX3_EQ4vzlqFpgQlB8XHj2sUX_IX8qo7urZGiyojj_SOZec-gNLHSgowzNk7vqqV-/s1600/IMG_7242.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjFPJyocS6iOdM0UPVtOlBYq6fImtHesDNbGvWlYdF1fGDJdE6IEPSZTcX0g-yJDfBACUHKnoXoq1CX3_EQ4vzlqFpgQlB8XHj2sUX_IX8qo7urZGiyojj_SOZec-gNLHSgowzNk7vqqV-/s200/IMG_7242.JPG" width="200" /></a>Due to its historic borderland status, Dubrovnik was significantly affected by the break-up of Yugoslavia. In the early 90s, Greater Serb aggression resulted in Dubrovnik suffering its most serious existential threat. Over two-thirds of the historic town’s buildings were hit by artillery. The town’s cobbled streets were struck by hundreds of direct hits. For the first time in history, the medieval city walls themselves received over a hundred direct hits. Many historic palaces were badly damaged by the resulting fires. The renowned Sponza and Rector’s Palace, St Blaise’s church, the Franciscan monastery and the Amerling and Onofrio fountain all suffered severely.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Y4jw1g4qhdUoRiZxraEV1MetmRmO69PPHoh7vinJmNMw2ZZCwhwYnWsRmyEUMF4PGjSeArLoAoCngi4SJr2DEWpth25fHB-9TbCmauHv73gmxm-7kOz5Sdr7IqysRrkX5fSYt8PPEqFj/s1600/IMG_7283.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Y4jw1g4qhdUoRiZxraEV1MetmRmO69PPHoh7vinJmNMw2ZZCwhwYnWsRmyEUMF4PGjSeArLoAoCngi4SJr2DEWpth25fHB-9TbCmauHv73gmxm-7kOz5Sdr7IqysRrkX5fSYt8PPEqFj/s200/IMG_7283.JPG" width="200" /></a><br /><br />The demilitarised status of Dubrovnik shows that the sole purpose of the siege that was to last until June 1992 was to damage the morale of the Croats during its war of independence. The shocking pictures of the siege on the world television screens and valiant resistance of the Croatian army resulted in the eventual withdrawal of the Serb Army. An international organisation led by UNESCO helped organise a successful reconstruction effort meaning that today Dubrovnik is again back to its former splendour.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiymOPqu_AcaLCnbgcR50q02PDIHAUZMmqwHK-cZpnvV7jMGtqmgtDtheqrL40nGBaH_CBIzCbHYkL1pzLK07Ht03PLolv0bDRzYVqi4ELQ_hBc0RzZE1xT7DGOAT4uyEwGxeWQSu71FHQP/s1600/IMG_7292.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiymOPqu_AcaLCnbgcR50q02PDIHAUZMmqwHK-cZpnvV7jMGtqmgtDtheqrL40nGBaH_CBIzCbHYkL1pzLK07Ht03PLolv0bDRzYVqi4ELQ_hBc0RzZE1xT7DGOAT4uyEwGxeWQSu71FHQP/s200/IMG_7292.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0eX9Mr4DOBzWYIkKFcyVczU-lw4gZ6nQ-JAzKa5cSeB8k0vkc5qlLk5mhjiZJq7We9-FJIJDp4SW58sxgK4P26wyRaco0ZcCtboO9veJSGoevW0SiTzTo19hp7NZXK-OOzOpQq_JBXrUC/s1600/IMG_7325.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0eX9Mr4DOBzWYIkKFcyVczU-lw4gZ6nQ-JAzKa5cSeB8k0vkc5qlLk5mhjiZJq7We9-FJIJDp4SW58sxgK4P26wyRaco0ZcCtboO9veJSGoevW0SiTzTo19hp7NZXK-OOzOpQq_JBXrUC/s200/IMG_7325.JPG" width="200" /></a><b>Santorini, Greece</b>: Our next stop after Dubrovnik was supposed to be Athens, however, our flight ended up being cancelled and so we ended up spending an extra night in Dubrovnik, and taking a one stop flight to Santorini, via Athens.<br />
Santorini is the southernmost island in the Cyclades. Its official name is Thera.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwf1ZHOJMSGdrJbCQQTfhre_R0hjJgIaqLBnPsl0UbNlTyaU8xOS_nNxTWHFuPuGhN3Ul5jBi9f93nel2EgkBdWP1ZIB1cwZ1qyPlDIRP19pTxqxflSzHEaw1Vr1sl-kWiq0gm1ScsL6ns/s1600/20191205_143903.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwf1ZHOJMSGdrJbCQQTfhre_R0hjJgIaqLBnPsl0UbNlTyaU8xOS_nNxTWHFuPuGhN3Ul5jBi9f93nel2EgkBdWP1ZIB1cwZ1qyPlDIRP19pTxqxflSzHEaw1Vr1sl-kWiq0gm1ScsL6ns/s200/20191205_143903.jpg" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Honey and Oil<br />
tasting</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN50_JeQqmu8iFXIzDUu7-lPj97YfyY3A_YswOppL9e1HOZuahlFvnMeilIJxl4BuXp4dTfUj_cQteTXZa842YGCLsV54B8VcKMawtIhcDPpDcpuGqw-k1hgcURcDnAXgvdG_wgATfU_5y/s1600/20191205_092647.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="92" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN50_JeQqmu8iFXIzDUu7-lPj97YfyY3A_YswOppL9e1HOZuahlFvnMeilIJxl4BuXp4dTfUj_cQteTXZa842YGCLsV54B8VcKMawtIhcDPpDcpuGqw-k1hgcURcDnAXgvdG_wgATfU_5y/s200/20191205_092647.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from our apartment in Oía</td></tr>
</tbody></table><b>Day 1</b>: This island is the site of one of the largest volcano eruptions in recorded history. About 3,600 years ago the volcano erupted, causing an enormous tsunami which hit the island of Crete, leading to the eventual downfall of the Minoan civilization. Now, Santorini is a water filled crescent of the remains of this ancient volcano. The towns of Oía, Fira, and Imerovigli are all perched along the rim of the caldera.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjDfap4n9ffo9WRoCRlspiZsys7bdbQtkvRLYy0NHx5ier-_rGfJo31ksvKEud61c1xZNiAgejKQMuEdQxydKZZOAzHdiy0SjQDrMdIN697iw1EjUkAdCuhlP2C3rBL2WS318EM_UUdX2P/s1600/IMG_7316.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjDfap4n9ffo9WRoCRlspiZsys7bdbQtkvRLYy0NHx5ier-_rGfJo31ksvKEud61c1xZNiAgejKQMuEdQxydKZZOAzHdiy0SjQDrMdIN697iw1EjUkAdCuhlP2C3rBL2WS318EM_UUdX2P/s200/IMG_7316.JPG" width="200" /></a>We stayed in the town of Oía which is the most picturesque of them all. Our first full day we did a<a href="https://www.airbnb.ca/experiences/446384" target="_blank"> Oil and honey tasting experience</a>. We were served organic, extra virgin oils for tasting, as well as four different honeys, flower, pine, heather and cotton honey. The oils were accompanies with crackers, breadsticks, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese and "raki", the local traditional drink.<br />
<br />
We ended the day with a sunset walk around Oía.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8bJfw0qyGkgOrU_RfbUvrNtgbwX4eq_C8iHyS5IFfT-5KutpB_7BT8oO-XcgA_mSEokFD2WW2ul0lfStSJIyqqzyZIxVDi639TGHrbJ3hGF_JxOxjSt3rskCAiN5SVFLZ1JZXHAU1oMDm/s1600/20191206_124240.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8bJfw0qyGkgOrU_RfbUvrNtgbwX4eq_C8iHyS5IFfT-5KutpB_7BT8oO-XcgA_mSEokFD2WW2ul0lfStSJIyqqzyZIxVDi639TGHrbJ3hGF_JxOxjSt3rskCAiN5SVFLZ1JZXHAU1oMDm/s200/20191206_124240.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNuoMaQ15ouuUB7cnwLN28VKFmQ1szadDDapISXQJyI_7wSPhMN1XabvM_5vFe78kBx1v7Y3gsq9UNb3BMHcQoEdl-2_XFJV3XguY6oVUIxkbjLhnxCyUP58WP8z8ZFcJFzDX2BAgMHOTj/s1600/20191206_114026.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="83" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNuoMaQ15ouuUB7cnwLN28VKFmQ1szadDDapISXQJyI_7wSPhMN1XabvM_5vFe78kBx1v7Y3gsq9UNb3BMHcQoEdl-2_XFJV3XguY6oVUIxkbjLhnxCyUP58WP8z8ZFcJFzDX2BAgMHOTj/s200/20191206_114026.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>Day 2</b>: Walking from Fira to Oía is one of Santorini’s top experiences. The next day we hiked along the rim of the caldera from Fira to Oía, with Imerovigli and Firostefani along the way, and enjoyed some of the most beautiful views of the islands. Adjacent are some of the photos from the hike.<br />
Our last day in Santorini was the flight back to Athens and then next day from Athens back to Toronto, Canada.<br />
This brought to an end a wonder 2 weeks in the Balkan peninsula of Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Montenegro, and the Greek island of Santorini. All destinations mentioned here should be on a must-do bucket list for any avid traveler.<br />
<b>What businesses did we use?</b><br />
<b>Flights</b>: United.com (Lufthansa & Croatian), and (AA.com) British Airways (Booked for $210 USD/person with miles)<br /><br />
<b>Car Rental: </b><a href="https://www.novarentacar.hr/" target="_blank">Nova Rent-a-car</a> (Croatia, BiH and Montenegro 5 days for ~€300 with full insurance)<br />
<b>Tours: </b><a href="https://sarajevofunkytours.com/">https://sarajevofunkytours.com/</a>, <a href="https://www.airbnb.ca/experiences/766240" target="_blank">Dubrovnik city tour</a> and <a href="https://www.airbnb.ca/experiences/446384" target="_blank">Santorini oil & honey tasting</a><br />
<b>Airbnbs</b>: <a href="https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/plus/34381631" target="_blank">Split</a>, <a href="https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/9914853" target="_blank">Sarajevo</a>, <a href="https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/1847889" target="_blank">Kotor</a>, <a href="https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/35841378" target="_blank">Dubrovnik</a>, <a href="https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/81874" target="_blank">Santorini</a>, <a href="https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/25258947" target="_blank">Athens</a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>
Mohit Samanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11921125793502265689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676617735394521442.post-45467546040769567232019-07-08T14:45:00.003-07:002021-07-01T06:38:26.856-07:00Egypt - Exploring a lost empire<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj686f8xLgQp0pYF-W0PVHQEPn_4un7V-kp1aJrNvrnFU8AxqFlXlAyyd0kc3cT6uqS52tamBFGk_ISIfOPrsIKRyK0S5StqFyBZC-0vF5xLVaGugeZCCRbyRqQQOpHBlHZNvPm5zd3Sy8e/s1600/20190525_182913.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj686f8xLgQp0pYF-W0PVHQEPn_4un7V-kp1aJrNvrnFU8AxqFlXlAyyd0kc3cT6uqS52tamBFGk_ISIfOPrsIKRyK0S5StqFyBZC-0vF5xLVaGugeZCCRbyRqQQOpHBlHZNvPm5zd3Sy8e/s200/20190525_182913.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from our hotel room in<br />
Giza</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7l5O5du3YdekShxIU6xh1XQkzZHDZwUhD_2V4OlRaAdRjzbU8bIk0K_fLRymMcTUM4rH8qR-bFOvEAjhbyw-ufTO97Ry0_NSF9SV-15arZDsbFXJFWWZ5Lr67195_RX7OLNkB8eHUA_yM/s1600/IMG_6679.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7l5O5du3YdekShxIU6xh1XQkzZHDZwUhD_2V4OlRaAdRjzbU8bIk0K_fLRymMcTUM4rH8qR-bFOvEAjhbyw-ufTO97Ry0_NSF9SV-15arZDsbFXJFWWZ5Lr67195_RX7OLNkB8eHUA_yM/s200/IMG_6679.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pyramid of Khafre</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmuUTzTSg0TuVwm8GBpQ26npXYpOM0w3KmensoywZSP1kXNo44sFhpCQhBE8QE08ix75Xh9tqu4wLoHJNvkpY4hxpg9CRUK-dHtnQZZGl7Oy6oQyj3x1OvmjyQBKzSPF3s441rZvGUXXfN/s1600/IMG_6687.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmuUTzTSg0TuVwm8GBpQ26npXYpOM0w3KmensoywZSP1kXNo44sFhpCQhBE8QE08ix75Xh9tqu4wLoHJNvkpY4hxpg9CRUK-dHtnQZZGl7Oy6oQyj3x1OvmjyQBKzSPF3s441rZvGUXXfN/s200/IMG_6687.JPG" width="200" /></a>Egypt had been on our bucket list for a long time. With one of the oldest known and and well documented cultures of the world, and history that dates back at least 5000 years, it's a must for any traveler even remotely interested in learning about ancient cultures or architectures.<br />
It must be noted that Indian citizens need a <a href="http://blog.mohitsamant.com/2019/04/applying-for-egyptian-visa-from-canada.html" target="_blank">visa in advance for Egypt</a>, except if they're residents of GCC countries with visas valid for at least 6 months, or if they're travelling as a part of a tourist group of more than 10 people with a guide, they can get visa on arrival. Though, with the administrative mess and the language barrier than exists in Egypt, I'm not really sure if the latter really works.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdKA0kexY2CiGfNzE04sd61GfRKmpvgkT6NyNectBzse_W8bOAKJTb3k-htoAzrNVWlF4QPbdPO3w5xPVQAmiIN1w9W-7LnwXs8FmQusvMWjx6dG-WBSR-C4TzQzyolSr51F8cnTv4mfik/s1600/IMG_6678.JPG"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdKA0kexY2CiGfNzE04sd61GfRKmpvgkT6NyNectBzse_W8bOAKJTb3k-htoAzrNVWlF4QPbdPO3w5xPVQAmiIN1w9W-7LnwXs8FmQusvMWjx6dG-WBSR-C4TzQzyolSr51F8cnTv4mfik/s200/IMG_6678.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panoramic view of the pyramids</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We landed in Egypt after about a week exploring Jordan. Our flight from Amman to Cairo arrived at around 8:30 pm local time, and after passing through immigration at the airport we were on our to the hotel via Uber. The taxi took about 40 minutes to reach our hotel, as fortunately there was none of the infamous Cairo traffic along the way.<br />
Our hotel had panoramic views, and in our opinion the best views, of the pyramids. We hit the hay soon after, as it had been a long day of travel.<br />
<b>Day 1 (Giza)</b>: For our first and only full day in Cairo, we had booked a 2 day package via a local tour operator, Emo Tours. Around 7:30 am local time, we were picked up by our guide Mohammed, and his driver Arafa.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_7jE0LhzTkg8ZTTHyyYo6rGfHVw1ybBxd1fu2dKdtEqJUAl4I4JA4FkVbZMCdCZBkomhbD3jtOzifK4i-9S709wEWYhyphenhyphen0Vq5rEWtbFzFS-CBur2M6v50QN1_MVGrDWg7Qbmei4ut7Spx-/s1600/IMG_6695.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_7jE0LhzTkg8ZTTHyyYo6rGfHVw1ybBxd1fu2dKdtEqJUAl4I4JA4FkVbZMCdCZBkomhbD3jtOzifK4i-9S709wEWYhyphenhyphen0Vq5rEWtbFzFS-CBur2M6v50QN1_MVGrDWg7Qbmei4ut7Spx-/s200/IMG_6695.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramid_of_Djoser" target="_blank">Step pyramid</a> at Saqqara</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhloI_WEipmvxOc-yvysjh_E6umIDmC-UN97PXTebllmIahgA1UKJoKAZFFuaGBoyx1kjsJiPcdr6nqNcGKde5iGTenOLVcAEk9u_8_0om3ZKHzuknJQkt61FIpP9w5HbNfUHqDcgvyPzFP/s1600/20190525_102016.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhloI_WEipmvxOc-yvysjh_E6umIDmC-UN97PXTebllmIahgA1UKJoKAZFFuaGBoyx1kjsJiPcdr6nqNcGKde5iGTenOLVcAEk9u_8_0om3ZKHzuknJQkt61FIpP9w5HbNfUHqDcgvyPzFP/s200/20190525_102016.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Funerary temple of Djoser at Saqqara</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We were then driven to the entrance, where we had to pay the entry fees (160 EGP ~ $9.50 USD) and get through security. Our first stop was the pyramid of Khufu, which is the largest of all the pyramids. We were really amazed to see the size of the pyramid up close, and it does really live up to the hype. This was followed by a visit to the pyramid of Khafre, and Menkaure, the two smaller pyramids on the side of Khufu, the largest one. The pyramid complex is fairly huge and walking along all sites and viewpoint would be a time consuming and tiring task. Fortunately, there're roads that lead almost right up to all the pyramid entrances, so there really isn't much walking required, if you visit with a guide/driver or a group tour.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ3GQsz0NvxQ-oC2d-D3Q6A3_I084R25ARrsCTn-hgaCVqXYNs2nUneGJHLAfPG2f7xYm-novjk_rbsx71yYW3o5fnJF9gY3gtTARAFsQkAdRjtu8idsTRl_fQDNn4uIeNYzdAwYf8zYBq/s1600/20190525_103006.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ3GQsz0NvxQ-oC2d-D3Q6A3_I084R25ARrsCTn-hgaCVqXYNs2nUneGJHLAfPG2f7xYm-novjk_rbsx71yYW3o5fnJF9gY3gtTARAFsQkAdRjtu8idsTRl_fQDNn4uIeNYzdAwYf8zYBq/s200/20190525_103006.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roofed colonnade corridor<br />
leading into the complex</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-p4-aKRJi_DKTNDE8mSmfcBkZVNH1O86oA1iVGmIWDc3SJeGNqlbLO8nOfi-IzsJrQHFpgC5dT_M5gowyRSPE0sAZr2wQihUfvStSBxsTPY5fTHtlVfrOFH98tSiScoYcGVzXeX2Nhjrs/s1600/20190525_113709.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-p4-aKRJi_DKTNDE8mSmfcBkZVNH1O86oA1iVGmIWDc3SJeGNqlbLO8nOfi-IzsJrQHFpgC5dT_M5gowyRSPE0sAZr2wQihUfvStSBxsTPY5fTHtlVfrOFH98tSiScoYcGVzXeX2Nhjrs/s200/20190525_113709.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bent Pyramid of Dashur</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Another advantage of having a guide is that you're not pestered by the vendors and the camel carriage riders, who can be really annoying and persistent.<br />
After that we were taken to a panoramic viewpoint of the pyramids, where you can see all of the 3 majors pyramids in a one close view.<br />
<br />
Our next stop was Saqqara and Dahshur , a vast, ancient burial ground in Egypt, serving as the necropolis for the Ancient Egyptian capital, Memphis.<br />
What is unique about visiting Dahshur is that you won't find the crowds of Giza.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjA1M7zyoTRr2P85og1PE5mkEGhoSqQadrTF0PLqY9NlaTb0so2iHed3c7PQeBzCaAjbvROvl4tBSNMkag1dBMxhbLasP5d-1mWQ2heLeYtdioC3ZNB9KcBvmDqT_mqwQ0VysPIggfq4SV/s1600/20190525_115651.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjA1M7zyoTRr2P85og1PE5mkEGhoSqQadrTF0PLqY9NlaTb0so2iHed3c7PQeBzCaAjbvROvl4tBSNMkag1dBMxhbLasP5d-1mWQ2heLeYtdioC3ZNB9KcBvmDqT_mqwQ0VysPIggfq4SV/s200/20190525_115651.jpg" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Passageway inside<br />
the red pyramid</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTKKWPVJfPBkC8mUYcPM80PKlZ7m4xVwDhPnuPC1LaARvlHDm1_2_B5XTg1y6oE3QV5oJQySV_O4c63rTbbxuukFWzfHpcBKNw4jlKKtc1QVp43NvgUacGFIlVbnORoEoQwZSVwCMjVM04/s1600/20190525_115150.jpg" style="clear: right; font-size: 12.8px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTKKWPVJfPBkC8mUYcPM80PKlZ7m4xVwDhPnuPC1LaARvlHDm1_2_B5XTg1y6oE3QV5oJQySV_O4c63rTbbxuukFWzfHpcBKNw4jlKKtc1QVp43NvgUacGFIlVbnORoEoQwZSVwCMjVM04/s200/20190525_115150.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red pyramid</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS5S1hP7mDwbftFwWg7Bq8zIMbogubdT2eVU2DI4OixuCJwyYkrCIKyEBtcm7xeWWTE8ht0qgLgG8Qartf9cQ3zGxNjLUSZV_AeKPvJWYSwBO1_bsjO3aO2X5ZYCwfD0T8wriUT-mhb6TV/s1600/20190525_105906.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS5S1hP7mDwbftFwWg7Bq8zIMbogubdT2eVU2DI4OixuCJwyYkrCIKyEBtcm7xeWWTE8ht0qgLgG8Qartf9cQ3zGxNjLUSZV_AeKPvJWYSwBO1_bsjO3aO2X5ZYCwfD0T8wriUT-mhb6TV/s200/20190525_105906.jpg" width="200" /></a>This site also one of the oldest complete pyramids built - the step pyramid. The Step Pyramid stands 60 meters high and is built of locally quarried clay sandstone of poor quality. You can no longer enter the pyramid due to safety issues. The chambers and passages in the interior of the pyramid served partly for the burial of close relatives of the King (in particular those of his sons who died in childhood) and partly for storing grave-goods for the use of the dead.<br />
Djoser's funerary complex, built by the royal architect Imhotep, further comprises a large number of dummy buildings and a secondary mastaba (the so-called 'Southern Tomb').<br />
<br />
Our next stop was the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Pyramid" target="_blank">the Red Pyramid</a>, also called the North Pyramid, is the largest of the three major pyramids located at the Dahshur necropolis in Cairo, Egypt. Named for the rusty reddish hue of its red limestone stones, it is also the third largest Egyptian pyramid, after those of Khufu and Khafra at Giza.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkfXpNU_bShKRuJ105HmdyZZEywWeGpKq4mEHbov80N4Y7H6CqC7rAoAng_VhsTxWCcEeKJC5hSeB8kst-yk5LOy_vApfMSY8J2F8HqMMRA8cSR7deslZrQBqJ7PjhK9IpfyHlAAlhWLsd/s1600/collage.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkfXpNU_bShKRuJ105HmdyZZEywWeGpKq4mEHbov80N4Y7H6CqC7rAoAng_VhsTxWCcEeKJC5hSeB8kst-yk5LOy_vApfMSY8J2F8HqMMRA8cSR7deslZrQBqJ7PjhK9IpfyHlAAlhWLsd/s200/collage.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Statues of Ramasis II in Memphis</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhED5qE3Te-jCsTtJ822oL1O0OfgG1RbHTTNOVHc4UBdc12jch4vsrtb_nUfCmHOjkoagfZ6avFEUkIGBJHWJlaoUMxgUL-0esjP6prfzcDmTl-jWpjhEAt2m_bV6Y3Stl2I7uAcZMgi49F/s1600/IMG_6711.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhED5qE3Te-jCsTtJ822oL1O0OfgG1RbHTTNOVHc4UBdc12jch4vsrtb_nUfCmHOjkoagfZ6avFEUkIGBJHWJlaoUMxgUL-0esjP6prfzcDmTl-jWpjhEAt2m_bV6Y3Stl2I7uAcZMgi49F/s200/IMG_6711.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pyramid light show </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
You can go inside this one for free and it's as interesting as going inside the main ones in Giza. There is a long passageway that goes about 150 steps deep into the pyramid. Once you get to the bottom of it, there're what appears to chambers for storage, followed by more rooms and chambers. I don't think anybody has firmly established the purpose of these chambers, but they appear to be for some kind of storage or a vault of some kind.<br />
Our final stop of the day was the ancient Egyptian capital of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memphis,_Egypt" target="_blank">Memphis</a>. Within the museum in Memphis is a giant statue of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memphis,_Egypt#Statues_of_Rameses_II" target="_blank">Ramasis II</a> carved of monumental limestone, about 10 meters in length, which was discovered in 1820.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglcaRcMRST32YvHx4edzpVml0czz1MI5jUNBeetJ0I_JTCcG_1VgJyeD8GpO8aA0c7Ihqv6BRtK2my7AnRboUlE1kUu_qq0k1QtNbx6WSKrIqKbyK_9k_7bTZ876JvBpT0BBQeMNxEhKSk/s1600/20190526_093411.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglcaRcMRST32YvHx4edzpVml0czz1MI5jUNBeetJ0I_JTCcG_1VgJyeD8GpO8aA0c7Ihqv6BRtK2my7AnRboUlE1kUu_qq0k1QtNbx6WSKrIqKbyK_9k_7bTZ876JvBpT0BBQeMNxEhKSk/s200/20190526_093411.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saladin's citadel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This ended our first full day in Egypt. After picking up dinner from a near by hotel, evening, we watched the Pyramid light show, from our hotel terrace.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHZNl8IvlJGJKBqqmnqVSMhWJ3LV0AsGlR-dIqUAZPhszYrO2OgzM5U9Co1n1yjANMYpF1ZAscvMXjA-mVY6IjMUvKEhGZrXsyBBFe7IypvRLUpuCNN25UNiiphn7QA6IuHHqedq6bXSLb/s1600/20190526_091531.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="95" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHZNl8IvlJGJKBqqmnqVSMhWJ3LV0AsGlR-dIqUAZPhszYrO2OgzM5U9Co1n1yjANMYpF1ZAscvMXjA-mVY6IjMUvKEhGZrXsyBBFe7IypvRLUpuCNN25UNiiphn7QA6IuHHqedq6bXSLb/s200/20190526_091531.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside Mosque of Muhammad Ali</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Day 2 (Cairo): </b>Our second and last full day in Cairo started at 8 am local time. After getting some breakfast at our hotel we were on our way to explore a couple of the city's main attractions.<br />
Our first stop was the Cairo citadel.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirG5Z8cT8n03s_ujG4UuACwMt6D_3qE3Lqw8k0kud705K1coA6avmYyjZvHByNU7INdS8y9ZU4IwT5Voi3TZEwrjR6yGLwIoU2XbmSRanYbtULjx3-nvejc3W5SAoHeK7jzGbRo0vGxwsj/s1600/20190526_103711.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirG5Z8cT8n03s_ujG4UuACwMt6D_3qE3Lqw8k0kud705K1coA6avmYyjZvHByNU7INdS8y9ZU4IwT5Voi3TZEwrjR6yGLwIoU2XbmSRanYbtULjx3-nvejc3W5SAoHeK7jzGbRo0vGxwsj/s200/20190526_103711.jpg" width="112" /></a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairo_Citadel" target="_blank">The Citadel</a> was fortified by the Kurdish ruler Salah al-Din (Saladin) between 1176 and 1183 AD, to protect it from the Crusaders. However, most people visit the citadel to see the the Mosque of Muhammad Ali. Commissioned by Muhammad Ali Pasha between 1830 and 1848, this spectacular mosque was built to rival the <a href="http://blog.mohitsamant.com/2015/01/merhaba-istanbul.html" target="_blank">Hagia Sofia in Istanbul</a>. It is also known as the Alabastr Mosque as the lower storey and the forecourt are tiled with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alabaster" target="_blank">alabaster</a>.<br />
<b></b>You can also get a view of the Mosque Madrassa, from the citadel and also a panoramic view of the Cairo city.<br />
Our final stop of the day was to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_Museum" target="_blank">Egyptian museum</a>, which is home to an extensive collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities. Built in 1901 it is one of the largest museums in the region.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQwde4xWbGGq85J8qvC01Enh6pQwdCvAsm06HOyvxCz5Y4zlgYUDDPofLbozp8iNj0fn0NMSMBuCjAa3sbdyui0torcQ4xJyhQA8lM3oeSnOXTX6CRcqZypiTOSXoJU30iA-IlIKphqyA_/s1600/collage+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQwde4xWbGGq85J8qvC01Enh6pQwdCvAsm06HOyvxCz5Y4zlgYUDDPofLbozp8iNj0fn0NMSMBuCjAa3sbdyui0torcQ4xJyhQA8lM3oeSnOXTX6CRcqZypiTOSXoJU30iA-IlIKphqyA_/s200/collage+%25281%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karnak" style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;" target="_blank">Karnak</a> temple</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There're several pieces of interesting artifacts and also a mummy's room where they've kept all the dug up mummies from the Valley of Kings and Queen in Luxor, though that requires a separate entry fee.<br />
Afternoon, we took the flight from Cairo to Luxor, from where were about start our cruise further south of Egypt to Aswan.<br />
<b></b>
<b>Day 3 (Luxor)</b><br />
Our first day in Luxor started with breakfast at our hotel. The owner had specially asked the cook eggs and other stuff for breakfast, as we were the only guests staying there, at that point.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDnZW0ovy_tl_BdEWNXT_5FJORZ4Iq3XEmFFZc4wsTGDYXJDAkEBgcEiT2XWyJ34vnOknDsN2ftt4OZYJhphW5-fVw3lo8rtFyAr5Wbzi4zC8y-C3vb-GI6nauo5Fkd8L7_Y_X1iVBaWWj/s1600/collage+%25282%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDnZW0ovy_tl_BdEWNXT_5FJORZ4Iq3XEmFFZc4wsTGDYXJDAkEBgcEiT2XWyJ34vnOknDsN2ftt4OZYJhphW5-fVw3lo8rtFyAr5Wbzi4zC8y-C3vb-GI6nauo5Fkd8L7_Y_X1iVBaWWj/s200/collage+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxor_Temple" target="_blank">Luxor </a>temple</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After a sumptuous breakfast, we were picked up by our guide from Imperial Egypt and taken to the Luxor temples - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karnak" target="_blank">Karnak</a> followed by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxor_Temple" target="_blank">Luxor </a>temple.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiplg5AppnRBMs75rElt8Qp8eL4AvwXAUz6SNYaov3QUCahoE3slrZHqSEYQEd_bYRn3thpoO4tbySWu90-u87IFe7HXuCDZfI-XUv2UyjsJYLUiWFVAeHeSf6n-Ve7yBFB1CDDMIoyMGDH/s1600/20190528_042617.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiplg5AppnRBMs75rElt8Qp8eL4AvwXAUz6SNYaov3QUCahoE3slrZHqSEYQEd_bYRn3thpoO4tbySWu90-u87IFe7HXuCDZfI-XUv2UyjsJYLUiWFVAeHeSf6n-Ve7yBFB1CDDMIoyMGDH/s200/20190528_042617.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hot air balloon being prepped<br />
for flight</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The massive temple complex of Karnak was the principal religious center of the god Amun-Re in Thebes during the New Kingdom (which lasted from 1550 until 1070 B.C.E.). The complex remains one of the largest religious complexes in the world. However, Karnak was not just one temple dedicated to one god—it held not only the main precinct to the god Amun-Re—but also the precincts of the gods Mut and Montu. Compared to other temple compounds that survive from ancient Egypt, Karnak is in a poor state of preservation but it still gives scholars a wealth of information about Egyptian religion and art.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63Se9IO2usUlSDSXXmIsNLQHeyBE2zBa-5Hp100kqb-d3EMtQRiQSkbKk8eH0kaCeBEfaCXXvq2hZXKS2UptpHuNLvM226QYMsw1S6M50XJB7q2SKc660IhnkUmv3FUOLtTju7JLpY0uC/s1600/IMG_6774.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63Se9IO2usUlSDSXXmIsNLQHeyBE2zBa-5Hp100kqb-d3EMtQRiQSkbKk8eH0kaCeBEfaCXXvq2hZXKS2UptpHuNLvM226QYMsw1S6M50XJB7q2SKc660IhnkUmv3FUOLtTju7JLpY0uC/s200/IMG_6774.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Karnak temple view from the hot air<br />
balloon </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Luxor temple was built by Amenhotep III (1390-52 BC) but completed by Tutankhamun (1336-27 BC) and Horemheb (1323-1295 BC) and then added to by Rameses II (1279-13 BC). Toward the rear is a granite shrine dedicated to Alexander the Great (332-305 BC).<br />
The temple has been in almost continuous use as a place of worship right up to the present day.<br />
<br />
After our tours of the temple complex, we were guided to our Nile cruise and our room for the next 4 nights. The cruise ship functions as a floating hotel for the first couple of days and then sails from Luxor to Aswan via Edfu for the next 2 days.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpDvKbCaHbNokK1CeYbTSAjcWnpbPqD3lT4OjC-lqbufJaTZDmoOuXR6W0ldP5b2tdR-ei1CzAkGIGs1yITB-GDA1Y5UL5lbuPgdt1b6Uqvp6SQhW9aY5g6b_GG6IVXRkjwEoi6RKyYpMb/s1600/20190528_044949.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpDvKbCaHbNokK1CeYbTSAjcWnpbPqD3lT4OjC-lqbufJaTZDmoOuXR6W0ldP5b2tdR-ei1CzAkGIGs1yITB-GDA1Y5UL5lbuPgdt1b6Uqvp6SQhW9aY5g6b_GG6IVXRkjwEoi6RKyYpMb/s200/20190528_044949.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio4gmnyi8x5hiXqiT-BaOjVhcWeRmqkjXI5A2MnNn0kq5N19bBl6vEK1MVVLvFxA5SHGoyYH2jjcHeONicFyNhVehJZI89Bx-7bmHD5S32Q3JZYY96mUBXgwtQUu0lofnvDuc4cHL77T15/s1600/20190528_063827.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio4gmnyi8x5hiXqiT-BaOjVhcWeRmqkjXI5A2MnNn0kq5N19bBl6vEK1MVVLvFxA5SHGoyYH2jjcHeONicFyNhVehJZI89Bx-7bmHD5S32Q3JZYY96mUBXgwtQUu0lofnvDuc4cHL77T15/s200/20190528_063827.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossi_of_Memnon" target="_blank">Colossi of Memnon</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Day 4 (Luxor): </b>We had booked an early morning (4:30 am) hot air balloon ride with our tour operator the day before, so got up early and were on our way from our cruise after being picked up at 3:30 am. We were then drive to a couple of hotels were they picked up some more passenger for the balloon ride and then drove us to a dock from where we crossed the Nile by a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felucca" target="_blank">Felucca motorboat</a> to go to the West Bank, where lies the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley_of_the_Kings" target="_blank">Valley of the Kings</a>. On the short boat ride, we were offered some tea/coffee and biscuits.<br />
The hot air balloon process was very interesting, and I had frankly never thought about the effort, and the science that goes into the flight.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQsgSuiN1F5-_5XqTX2pmWRV65_AeNG0yxwRpzlbY744J7iv_TW_1aeMKz2fbUYJ5AQVLO-f-11C5gxdgYv5oT0Vt7a6wpGNrX4waCdhfqhslXZ35uRBWfbzsiC2dGojHzQLXwa7cVXJ2l/s1600/20190528_083656.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQsgSuiN1F5-_5XqTX2pmWRV65_AeNG0yxwRpzlbY744J7iv_TW_1aeMKz2fbUYJ5AQVLO-f-11C5gxdgYv5oT0Vt7a6wpGNrX4waCdhfqhslXZ35uRBWfbzsiC2dGojHzQLXwa7cVXJ2l/s200/20190528_083656.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortuary_Temple_of_Hatshepsut" target="_blank">Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDA72LLS2K8xSUaaSAoYrB5lXSrcJ_R9A-PaFIlbrzzXz0S3lWYI8P68XMpDussDdmGxOQdt1IXOovLNdoGFgspIySKn3DnffVbXwzWpQgvE3GF22-Sb5X8O2Uav0fFdJ0h6Aro7hz1dA/s1600/20190528_164542.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVDA72LLS2K8xSUaaSAoYrB5lXSrcJ_R9A-PaFIlbrzzXz0S3lWYI8P68XMpDussDdmGxOQdt1IXOovLNdoGFgspIySKn3DnffVbXwzWpQgvE3GF22-Sb5X8O2Uav0fFdJ0h6Aro7hz1dA/s200/20190528_164542.jpg" width="112" /></a>The basic principle behind hot air balloon physics is the use of hot air to create buoyancy, which generates lift. A hot air balloon consists of a large bag, called an envelope, with a gondola or wicker basket suspended underneath. A burner sits in the basket and is used to heat the air inside the envelope through an opening. This heated air generates lift by way of a buoyant force, which can create an incredible amount of heat when inside the balloon. It was really uncomfortable at times, and as it felt like my back was on fire.<br />
The views of the Nile and the Valley more than made up for it.<br />
<div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Valley_of_the_Kings_panorama.jpg/1920px-Valley_of_the_Kings_panorama.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="48" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/Valley_of_the_Kings_panorama.jpg/1920px-Valley_of_the_Kings_panorama.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Valley of the kings</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After about an hour of flight, we landed on the east bank, as the weather did not permit us to land on the west bank as originally planned. After driving from east to west bank, we visited the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossi_of_Memnon" target="_blank">Colossi of Memnon</a>. The statue faces are mostly destroyed because of the earthquakes, however, they're the tallest statues in Egypt.</div>
<div>
This was followed by a visit to the valley of the kings and the temple of Hatshepsut.</div>
<div>
The valley of the kings is famous for it's tombs made over a period of nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th century BC, rock cut for the pharaohs and powerful nobles of the New Kingdom.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2eQfyLiS8PUqUhxpxF_BY9JEYv_H6-isbyoCot9BK8LzsS9bswC43BPJtdsfrOqLMKNCmcgFs1Ma1P6ytlmAcAmN5r4bx8xz1fc-L9nJaFlPuaJUWzD3U42t9DQ3mMTvgUqYKnjIgHI1E/s1600/20190529_072525.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2eQfyLiS8PUqUhxpxF_BY9JEYv_H6-isbyoCot9BK8LzsS9bswC43BPJtdsfrOqLMKNCmcgFs1Ma1P6ytlmAcAmN5r4bx8xz1fc-L9nJaFlPuaJUWzD3U42t9DQ3mMTvgUqYKnjIgHI1E/s200/20190529_072525.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edfu Temple</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The temple of Hatshepsut, with Stepped platforms, pillared porticoes, and vibrant reliefs set against the desert backdrop make it an architectural masterpiece.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIV40PoaYL6JCwEcqvRic4FyQysQwQ_HvpU6DioCWdG2nCBj399CY0H_24jewcMpKwJx8A95Lz9c0I_wmIJk7zbut0eK0posJaNGkDukKsG1FcMEttpOBpxxs4_7h_3eGAv3tk_xp354WS/s1600/IMG_6799.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIV40PoaYL6JCwEcqvRic4FyQysQwQ_HvpU6DioCWdG2nCBj399CY0H_24jewcMpKwJx8A95Lz9c0I_wmIJk7zbut0eK0posJaNGkDukKsG1FcMEttpOBpxxs4_7h_3eGAv3tk_xp354WS/s200/IMG_6799.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The walkway around the Edfu temple<br />
at Edfu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After our last stop, we were driven back to our boat. Afternoon temperatures in southern Egypt can reach in the highs 40s 'C, so it's not recommended to step out after, afternoon until the sun sets.</div>
</div>
<b></b>
<b>Day 5 (Edfu and Kom Ombo)</b><br />
The boat set sail on the previous day after our trip from the valley of the kings in Luxor and crossed made it's way to to Edfu, which is about half way between Luxor and Aswan, sometime around midnight.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRmxG7XtkhnkjfQomXGzq4awBvvr1qp2ow72O_mrV-m7VH5oU2LgIs-FEfFErZ3wn57h8CvcdU3tanqwdnOTBpVSJPJ11q1EcvmzidIhUyKV-Yke9dhCzZuRE7q8sjesHrdoqzgN7SuF7/s1600/20190529_171113.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRmxG7XtkhnkjfQomXGzq4awBvvr1qp2ow72O_mrV-m7VH5oU2LgIs-FEfFErZ3wn57h8CvcdU3tanqwdnOTBpVSJPJ11q1EcvmzidIhUyKV-Yke9dhCzZuRE7q8sjesHrdoqzgN7SuF7/s200/20190529_171113.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_calendar" target="_blank">The 365 day calendar</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
About 8 am in the morning our guide picked us up from the boat and took us to the Edfu temple on a horse carriage.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqaRx0WwcSWJgyQFopmSE6zfFOfDYyABI112JH_NJ7oQHDi1OYGjbFZMWNo5ahTJ2STnA7Nw8REs2nG15jq6uGGP7ifyiBcxYY8MFNDL1WcjOCqw2exPMcMUn25zfMUksjeutqS77jHOMG/s1600/IMG_6820.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqaRx0WwcSWJgyQFopmSE6zfFOfDYyABI112JH_NJ7oQHDi1OYGjbFZMWNo5ahTJ2STnA7Nw8REs2nG15jq6uGGP7ifyiBcxYY8MFNDL1WcjOCqw2exPMcMUn25zfMUksjeutqS77jHOMG/s200/IMG_6820.JPG" width="200" /></a>Edfu was one of several temples built during the Ptolemaic Kingdom, completed around 57 BC. The Temple is still very much intact and definitely one of the best-preserved archaeological sites in all of Egypt.<br />
After about an hour at the temple we set sail to our next destination the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Kom_Ombo" target="_blank">Kom Ombo temple</a>. Kom Ombo's Pylon originally had two gateways, but the left-hand half has completely disappeared, and only the lower parts of the central pillar and the right wing survive.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTobIPfPykPq7SRBWi5tTEGD6ofTTIMOGQFv4fS-q_Vd0QyG_a3C-3plEKqUWuJpVDtwuhISikZ8RKKzc1Q0qX1UaWADsFZkNd4DK0Q86XhqnbK4ZBKqugaXgfTRhOqua_bDSEJN4te9-m/s1600/collage+%25283%2529.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTobIPfPykPq7SRBWi5tTEGD6ofTTIMOGQFv4fS-q_Vd0QyG_a3C-3plEKqUWuJpVDtwuhISikZ8RKKzc1Q0qX1UaWADsFZkNd4DK0Q86XhqnbK4ZBKqugaXgfTRhOqua_bDSEJN4te9-m/s200/collage+%25283%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Random shots from the cruise<br />
along the Nile</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk0qqtCIAwWGprn5GSj9_DHHNmZJ6E5igzZoleUxWQt21ki-Pi9ymqg_NnxYyIRSL2DxUP1pC9khUkht1olHOfopf4fSxfkXxtH-S2zDDuu6Q8wviy42i9e6KBHyVFY8HeyuOBBJuEGa7F/s1600/IMG_6818.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk0qqtCIAwWGprn5GSj9_DHHNmZJ6E5igzZoleUxWQt21ki-Pi9ymqg_NnxYyIRSL2DxUP1pC9khUkht1olHOfopf4fSxfkXxtH-S2zDDuu6Q8wviy42i9e6KBHyVFY8HeyuOBBJuEGa7F/s200/IMG_6818.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kom Obmo Temple</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Just as at Edfu's Temple of Horus, the forecourt here was originally surrounded on three sides by colonnades, but only the lower halves of the 16 columns remain today. The temple also depicts one of the first 365 calendars.<br />
As the afternoon heat got unbearable, we headed to our boat for the day.<br />
<b>Day 6 (Aswan)</b><br />
Our last day of the cruise was a rough one for me as I had an upset stomach from the food on the cruise. So I rested most of the day in the room. My wife however did go an early morning tour of the high dam in Aswan and the Phile temple dedicated to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isis" target="_blank">Goddess Isis</a>. Below are some of her shots from that day.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3L_agCfsibZoGlLDeOEQ1nTuB6UW79-a53QEwLVkEbPl8v4nC8kGJDlMVFYqiN8ZbYRWavEIJvPKMUu4x32ScbW6OvTLGo_m0fyV4pyptFxle7JwXwWRmwFrHA6XLYt11uR1yIVLKwH0o/s1600/20190530_101557.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3L_agCfsibZoGlLDeOEQ1nTuB6UW79-a53QEwLVkEbPl8v4nC8kGJDlMVFYqiN8ZbYRWavEIJvPKMUu4x32ScbW6OvTLGo_m0fyV4pyptFxle7JwXwWRmwFrHA6XLYt11uR1yIVLKwH0o/s200/20190530_101557.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The temple of Isis</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2SRnDG_BMu7QeNeJfqMgfXOM0nIBf3v5WCkp3nYAcHQzCjHikOVZHSG_erow-hW1fsJYs8o1fM6WevK3nWAgGc3Z5niGZBO6fMJL4zHVAKPmOjtqMc5L3lzzIF389IWyn4k_pmcrLo92u/s1600/20190530_093209.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2SRnDG_BMu7QeNeJfqMgfXOM0nIBf3v5WCkp3nYAcHQzCjHikOVZHSG_erow-hW1fsJYs8o1fM6WevK3nWAgGc3Z5niGZBO6fMJL4zHVAKPmOjtqMc5L3lzzIF389IWyn4k_pmcrLo92u/s200/20190530_093209.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aswan Dam</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0eg70vWRq68aH3TJjw5rKhgb6oIH4AlD7xf8cDDSw3KuEFosDtTcZH3xbuMKa-u0SF68VsXEcRnTTrGc-7kRToECTUaD04cSrhsN93fXgz7JnBflzXVfuw50-CQpWBYDi5R7iwA_g2h_/s1600/20190530_093706.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0eg70vWRq68aH3TJjw5rKhgb6oIH4AlD7xf8cDDSw3KuEFosDtTcZH3xbuMKa-u0SF68VsXEcRnTTrGc-7kRToECTUaD04cSrhsN93fXgz7JnBflzXVfuw50-CQpWBYDi5R7iwA_g2h_/s200/20190530_093706.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Egypt-Russia<br />
Symbol of friendship</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>Day 7 (Aswan to Cairo)</b><br />
Our last day was our flight back to Cairo and then to our home base of Toronto. We took the afternoon flight from Aswan as we did not want to chance our luck with a connecting international flight booked separately. We booked an Airbnb for our 10 hour layover in Cairo as we wanted to rest some before our long flight back. Our host was super cool and even made us sandwiches on arrival as it was Ramadan and most restaurants were closed. Evening, she even invited us to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iftar" target="_blank">Iftar</a> dinner with her sons and their families.<br />
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This brought to end our 2 weeks in Jordan and Egypt. With history that dates back at least 5000 years, if not more, it should be a must on every person's travel bucket list, at some point in their life.<br />
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<b>What businesses did we use?</b><br />
<b>Tours: </b><a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g294201-d13009423-2_Day_private_guided_Cairo_travel_package-Cairo_Cairo_Governorate.html" target="_blank">2 day Cairo</a> by Emo tours<br />
<b>Hotels: </b><a href="http://www.pyramidsviewinn.com/">http://www.pyramidsviewinn.com/</a> and <a href="https://www.booking.com/hotel/eg/rezeiky-campsite-and-luxor.de.html" target="_blank">Rezeiky Camp</a><br />
<b>Cruise: </b><a href="https://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowUserReviews-g294201-d3622626-r576257783-Imperial_Egypt-Cairo_Cairo_Governorate.html" target="_blank">Imperial Egypt</a><br />
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Mohit Samanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11921125793502265689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676617735394521442.post-36573778798132596072019-06-06T11:35:00.003-07:002021-02-01T08:36:31.518-08:00Jordan - An odyssey through time<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Downtown Amman and the <br />
Jordanian flag</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgen92RvMLHGNJSav9rwTBDSHyh1xbGae8qQTb666VVQKLoyuML_ElAS9IVr3iU6jWkwcanf65vp7Nasrvw2JamTenDZgVUm20olf1_52xFJ2s5pbNR-diNCTWKfoU0XR4vT2DGU4b6QNJ-/s1600/20190520_152642.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgen92RvMLHGNJSav9rwTBDSHyh1xbGae8qQTb666VVQKLoyuML_ElAS9IVr3iU6jWkwcanf65vp7Nasrvw2JamTenDZgVUm20olf1_52xFJ2s5pbNR-diNCTWKfoU0XR4vT2DGU4b6QNJ-/s200/20190520_152642.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wadi Rum in Jordan</td></tr>
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Despite visiting almost 30 countries across 4 continents till now, we had never been to either the middle east or the continent of Africa. This was about to change after we booked our flights to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Arab republic of Egypt, via EgyptAir, and planned our itinerary there.<br />
Jordan has always had a visa on arrival <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_Jordan" target="_blank">policy</a> for most countries, including India. Also, it is worth mentioning, the <a href="https://www.jordanpass.jo/" target="_blank">Jordan Pass</a>, which gets you access to Petra and several other sites in Jordan, also waives off the 40 JOD visa fee on arrival, so it is definitely worth buying in advance (I think, it's required to be purchased at least 48 hours before arrival to be recognized by their systems), if you're planning to visit Jordan.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roman Theater from the citadel</td></tr>
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<b>Day 1 (Amman, Jordan): </b>We landed in Amman around 9 am local time and took a taxi for 27 JOD (~ 38 USD), which was about 10 JOD higher than usual, but we were too tired to negotiate and there were only a few taxis at the airport, to our hotel from the airport. The airport is located about 30 km outside the capital, so it takes 30-45 min, depending on traffic, to get to downtown Amman from the airport. The Amman Pasha hotel reception was kind enough to permit an early check-in for us at 11 am.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjegfsL-S9cgRuGgbakizeFwlCj7b-C4PF2Wi0W9qgnKOF7VL_GAzBRt2j3GBTOBTBA2CIhQTWRuPvSqALA1rg4clVjHuii5E-cQDcqeNwQJspnj89oE6-xesUmHuV4PDfaLIy3km6vsELf/s1600/20190519_154923.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjegfsL-S9cgRuGgbakizeFwlCj7b-C4PF2Wi0W9qgnKOF7VL_GAzBRt2j3GBTOBTBA2CIhQTWRuPvSqALA1rg4clVjHuii5E-cQDcqeNwQJspnj89oE6-xesUmHuV4PDfaLIy3km6vsELf/s200/20190519_154923.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roman Hercules Temple</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjegfsL-S9cgRuGgbakizeFwlCj7b-C4PF2Wi0W9qgnKOF7VL_GAzBRt2j3GBTOBTBA2CIhQTWRuPvSqALA1rg4clVjHuii5E-cQDcqeNwQJspnj89oE6-xesUmHuV4PDfaLIy3km6vsELf/s1600/20190519_154923.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; font-size: 12.8px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a>After checking into our room, we rested for a few hours while catching up on lost sleep.<br />
Afternoon, we made our way to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amman_Citadel" target="_blank">Amman Citadel</a>, which is about 1.5 km on curvy uphill road from downtown Amman. The citadel boasts a diverse range of previous occupants: from the Assyrians to the Babylonians and from Persians to Greeks and Romans. Visitors can trace the great ancient civilizations through the remnants of a Roman Hercules Temple, a Byzantine church, a spectacular Umayyad palace.<br />
The citadel also offers a panoramic 360 degree view of the Amman city. From the citadel’s vantage point, situated atop the highest hill in Amman, you can see far out in every direction across the beautiful city. As you look west, the tallest freestanding flag in the world flies proudly in the wind. At the foot of the hill the amphitheater and downtown Amman buzz with life.<br />
The citadel is also a nice place to relax and just admire, away from the Amman traffic.<br />
Afterward we made the stroll downhill to our hotel, getting some water for our trip along the way. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramadan" target="_blank">Ramadan</a> is a very different time in Amman, all restaurants are closed during day time but open all night along till sunrise, and people remain awake for most of night time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh94ezjVEZ_DK18wu2rpk1b7cZ3qcFB9r2DHQi6Qe5ezAq3y_j4UDc8-7kXh3mCxLK_XzdQ0-3QiFYC8-u9yARIXnc0M83ALqP_qyhS1lsaXeZtR155iMQBDRZvbymZct1CFdtAMhgnvWOt/s1600/20190520_152705.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh94ezjVEZ_DK18wu2rpk1b7cZ3qcFB9r2DHQi6Qe5ezAq3y_j4UDc8-7kXh3mCxLK_XzdQ0-3QiFYC8-u9yARIXnc0M83ALqP_qyhS1lsaXeZtR155iMQBDRZvbymZct1CFdtAMhgnvWOt/s200/20190520_152705.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Earth or Mars?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsILZNp2Vbyy6JCMd1tUMIvSI7GCzohP7oKkg408qBQOinUkYfrpF8dh9_sT6Q5wmBVnErm03SiHiFRdX5ZfMV3tx9BPq1EZYxYHBcROKfbh5VO7qYPQa83gQZtOVZdZDxRSHRB_obn_yv/s1600/20190520_154634.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsILZNp2Vbyy6JCMd1tUMIvSI7GCzohP7oKkg408qBQOinUkYfrpF8dh9_sT6Q5wmBVnErm03SiHiFRdX5ZfMV3tx9BPq1EZYxYHBcROKfbh5VO7qYPQa83gQZtOVZdZDxRSHRB_obn_yv/s200/20190520_154634.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jebel Burdah Bridge in Wadi Rum</td></tr>
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<b>Day 2 (Wadi Rum): </b>The next day morning, after breakfast at the hotel, we were picked up around 8:30 am by our rental car company owner, Mohammed, and taken to his Amman office a little outside the city, for the car pickup. Once we signed all the papers and made the payments we were on our way to Wadi Rum, which is about a 4.5 hour drive south of Amman, near <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aqaba" target="_blank">Aqaba</a>. The drive is pretty much a straight road, once you get past Amman and the airport. Along the way, there are diversions to go to Petra and the dead sea, and of course, Jordan also shares a big border with Iraq and Saudi Arabia, so there's roads leading there as well.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2B6bvfjBMeQEvfHrTdU6Z7z4GUIxoVTkjlRPu0HA5zgqJ3w_ZgA2g2Ux2humLJIEeaRNBGnI1RIbD6FbOyRYuQpsvTXslbeihzMg0Wtx0Jh-bmXtRpILUEFTmhgxE_zaFEPTCDloceIFd/s1600/collage.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2B6bvfjBMeQEvfHrTdU6Z7z4GUIxoVTkjlRPu0HA5zgqJ3w_ZgA2g2Ux2humLJIEeaRNBGnI1RIbD6FbOyRYuQpsvTXslbeihzMg0Wtx0Jh-bmXtRpILUEFTmhgxE_zaFEPTCDloceIFd/s200/collage.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our camp in Wadi Rum</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-GBe7uOF2i1uVyE8e-rx-u0-lEZLwIlUvVkc1LG3J0GgaKkK_-Q-TaPlZ2l-aiL78Fe2dCpCj6F-_CE-2EU34poZDQaZJ2ANSjGuWq1W8iQvbTHS0_4LKvJE8ymjTYR2J8y2Gojo-46J/s1600/20190520_162343.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-GBe7uOF2i1uVyE8e-rx-u0-lEZLwIlUvVkc1LG3J0GgaKkK_-Q-TaPlZ2l-aiL78Fe2dCpCj6F-_CE-2EU34poZDQaZJ2ANSjGuWq1W8iQvbTHS0_4LKvJE8ymjTYR2J8y2Gojo-46J/s200/20190520_162343.jpg" width="200" /></a>Around 1:30 pm, we reached the Wadi Rum Rest area, where we were supposed to meet with Mahmood, a guy who, with his family, runs a <a href="http://www.wadirumbedouincamp.com/">Bedouin camp ground</a>, and join a jeep tour of the reservation area.<br />
The 4x4 Jeep made stops at all of the famous sites of Wadi Rum including Lawrence’s Spring and Khazali Canyon where you can visit ancient Nabatean inscriptions which are about 2000 years old.<br />
After the jeep tour we were taken back to the campground for some traditional Bedouin tea and relaxation.<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3xWEPXHZ3SQ/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3xWEPXHZ3SQ?feature=player_embedded" style="clear: right; float: right;" width="320"></iframe>After sunset, the men showed us the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xWEPXHZ3SQ" target="_blank">traditional preparation for dinner</a>, for the meat, which is cooked underground.<br />
We enjoyed dinner in a grand tent, where everything was served buffet style for all members who were staying in the tents at the campground. The beauty of wadi rum is very different during night time, were you can see the stars, across the desert landscape. It's a scene that resembles a different planet because of the landscape.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Al Khazneh</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Siq, entryway for Petra</td></tr>
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<b>Day 3 (Petra)</b>: The next day morning, we were presented with some delicious Bedouin breakfast, after which we were driven back to the village rest area, where our car was parked. Around 10 am were on our way to see one of seven wonders of the world - Petra.<br />
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The drive which was mostly on cliffs, actually resembled the internal landscape of Los Angeles, windy cliff side road through barren lands. There were odd towns here and there along the way, though. After about a couple of hours, we reached our hotel in Petra.<br />
In the afternoon, after a bit a of much needed rest we drove to the Petra parking lot, which was about a 10 min winding down-ride from our hotel. As we had taken the 2 day Petra access option with the Jordan pass, we were able to visit the site comprehensively across two days.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The royal tombs</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyR_Y2oVMI3GlTo41FlmbhUR9iEtW6M1-fXGZI9rYJX1kyLDBE1kwrWmt3I9Z6Ue-FRlIlIwe_zVWUobJwDP2NT8MhrmpIWZsZka35YlTHzslRU7J569kd6guuSYtz9ZZJTLbHjiq4r_0w/s1600/20190521_145012.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyR_Y2oVMI3GlTo41FlmbhUR9iEtW6M1-fXGZI9rYJX1kyLDBE1kwrWmt3I9Z6Ue-FRlIlIwe_zVWUobJwDP2NT8MhrmpIWZsZka35YlTHzslRU7J569kd6guuSYtz9ZZJTLbHjiq4r_0w/s200/20190521_145012.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amphitheater</td></tr>
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The pass has to be checked and stamped for the visit at the ticket counter before you head to the entry gate, where the stamp is then verified. After that, it's about 1 km walk to the Siq (narrow canyon), and about another 1 km walk to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Khazneh" target="_blank">Treasury</a>(Al-Khazneh), in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siq" target="_blank">Siq</a>. There are no overhead covers when walking inside, so this should be taken into account, especially during summer months (May to August).<br />
The treasury is definitely a sight to behold and appears almost as surprise, out of nowhere, at the end of the Siq.<br />
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The actual ground of the treasury is littered with vendors and shouting "guides" all around, so it's not the experience you would expect, and it's best you go very early at 6 am if you'd want to beat the crowds.<br />
After taking a photo from a vantage view point near the treasury, we made our way about 1/3 way through the city, crossing the street of the facades, <a href="http://nabataea.net/royal.html" target="_blank">royal tombs</a> and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petra_Theater" target="_blank">Roman theater</a> along the way, before making our way back due to the excruciating heat.<br />
We ended our day with a traditional Jordanian dinner at the hotel, prepared by the owner's wife.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGiyBFp8QK-hJzoj6-Feu_-2yIZNkBB1P1HWT1e3t8BwOeAnEEy8CRZaKi7KqR6O44gII-XZvBK1sx3lsHRTnlOI3OwUNx7E769h7xvtxEvG7v469D7jmPfAu0DgyZwAbipulz2BruNlZf/s1600/IMG_6600.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGiyBFp8QK-hJzoj6-Feu_-2yIZNkBB1P1HWT1e3t8BwOeAnEEy8CRZaKi7KqR6O44gII-XZvBK1sx3lsHRTnlOI3OwUNx7E769h7xvtxEvG7v469D7jmPfAu0DgyZwAbipulz2BruNlZf/s200/IMG_6600.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Al Deir, Monastery</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjle1kVEgSWR-B2bs0RAinjpuQilG2_LuUC1t3KUxZ-EckAiZaR1tfap7aVxRcaqoluGNC2dHb12jUCbR6WhTHRue-smDfOHA2pze2G_LZoFyyxOQfDYsuWZctSZHXeBdVOjoLITfMvnlyG/s1600/IMG_6613.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjle1kVEgSWR-B2bs0RAinjpuQilG2_LuUC1t3KUxZ-EckAiZaR1tfap7aVxRcaqoluGNC2dHb12jUCbR6WhTHRue-smDfOHA2pze2G_LZoFyyxOQfDYsuWZctSZHXeBdVOjoLITfMvnlyG/s200/IMG_6613.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Qasr al bint, main temple</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Day 4 (Petra)</b>: For our second day in the ancient Nabatean city, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petra" target="_blank">Petra</a>, we wanted to try visiting it from it's back entrance. However, the tricky part is, this entrance is not really something the management advertises as it's not maintained at all and there is about a 4 km dirt road followed by an up hill-down hill hike for about a couple of kilometers through some curvy mountainous terrain. The reward however is that, you get to see the Monastery first, and then hike down instead of up, the 800 steps leading to it from the museum.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUwRUltPXNf_VDWaNWcMUvwpFCH95sa6kz2TFdbkSQXQkB8SP7Xr69-3uVj_BYzwfuBcXGBP9Mh9ASbp8We5K_b40QJXGASfxGrP3lBDzDd1SXB5Ty-qqhpp5nQlrgwBeD963-e_Y6hjm4/s1600/IMG_6621.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUwRUltPXNf_VDWaNWcMUvwpFCH95sa6kz2TFdbkSQXQkB8SP7Xr69-3uVj_BYzwfuBcXGBP9Mh9ASbp8We5K_b40QJXGASfxGrP3lBDzDd1SXB5Ty-qqhpp5nQlrgwBeD963-e_Y6hjm4/s200/IMG_6621.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">City Center</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwgL98DbX-SHUmA1rWjLLqrW3GUXVo1m-7UJ0RfMUiwCgw2uSUtd55Jg7mX6JP9c-o2BPDXBdz4EWVWRJxnCiKJndP003PWPTvFnYJ3ZPTUcMJKBglHG8MzbNoICi9zSzicSNOzvapjCR_/s1600/IMG_6619.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwgL98DbX-SHUmA1rWjLLqrW3GUXVo1m-7UJ0RfMUiwCgw2uSUtd55Jg7mX6JP9c-o2BPDXBdz4EWVWRJxnCiKJndP003PWPTvFnYJ3ZPTUcMJKBglHG8MzbNoICi9zSzicSNOzvapjCR_/s200/IMG_6619.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colonnaded Street</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFpFML30em3C7F2PNXs7FJHEyTXHS3ph5LbuRNWaWYq1L3biQESsaIXpH8GYG7su-RwBbuAnrVy60t6ZM5KW2hRXRuLb9aFNgGh_S14mcQuSVlzspfGByS51wZgZZhh8TpMbsSzkTQEwSS/s1600/20190522_083720.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFpFML30em3C7F2PNXs7FJHEyTXHS3ph5LbuRNWaWYq1L3biQESsaIXpH8GYG7su-RwBbuAnrVy60t6ZM5KW2hRXRuLb9aFNgGh_S14mcQuSVlzspfGByS51wZgZZhh8TpMbsSzkTQEwSS/s200/20190522_083720.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">The scenery along the hike</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We had arraigned for a private 4x4 vehicle from a local <a href="https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Bedouin" target="_blank">Bedouin</a> through our hotel owner. The price agreed on was a little steep (70 JOD ~ $99 USD). The driver picked us up at the Petra parking lot and then drove us to the back entrance, driving us through little Petra along the way. Once we reached the back entrance, we had to show the Jordan pass to a person operating out of little makeshift hut, who barely looked at the pass, asked if it was our second day and let us go. After that it was about 2-3 km on a dirt road, which is why you need the 4x4. Following the drop off, we hiked along the path that was supposed to lead to the monastery. The hike goes through some breath taking scenery and although not as challenging as the 800 steps, is sufficiently exhausting. You would need to be at a certain fitness level to complete this hike, without many breaks. There a couple of stalls of Bedouin people along the way, which offer tea and light snacks, if you need them.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbubAsEpHnBpQumu6DhKMZjSU2unTbt3HGoL0LHtii6Vd_lCN7qO7B6sJCeFZ3WtmMGhaDulNdJu_x4xRuiRlS9dDbf-Xex4iVdpJrhw9w5pvq0sEiva9NkZu1YSETboafBicW-6kvrQHQ/s1600/20190521_153428.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbubAsEpHnBpQumu6DhKMZjSU2unTbt3HGoL0LHtii6Vd_lCN7qO7B6sJCeFZ3WtmMGhaDulNdJu_x4xRuiRlS9dDbf-Xex4iVdpJrhw9w5pvq0sEiva9NkZu1YSETboafBicW-6kvrQHQ/s200/20190521_153428.jpg" width="200" /></a>The reward at the end of the journey is that you can see the <a href="http://www.sacred-destinations.com/jordan/petra-monastery" target="_blank">Al Deir, Monastery,</a> which has only a few people compared to the myriad of people at the Treasury.<br />
There is also a restaurant opposite, where we sat down for some tea, while admiring the Monestary and taking some rest, before restarting our hike to the Treasury. After sufficiently admiring and taking some photos at the monastery, we were along our way.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIfuoYnhkHRkGhi3olLmH4ADkobaYUmV0nH0b28wNNrO0SG4ar5VXa2NyOTR-pC847dc6A_a7eM9xLcTBZM95lQI2mVQKCIp_n3qEP1n78eXbOC0ZQl3rHqof74Q2kyh9pk9FBefPJxaq/s1600/20190522_194827.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsIfuoYnhkHRkGhi3olLmH4ADkobaYUmV0nH0b28wNNrO0SG4ar5VXa2NyOTR-pC847dc6A_a7eM9xLcTBZM95lQI2mVQKCIp_n3qEP1n78eXbOC0ZQl3rHqof74Q2kyh9pk9FBefPJxaq/s200/20190522_194827.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner at <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Aswar+Al+Balad+Restaurant/@30.322027,35.4766553,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x1501692d500e7c9b:0x69c6111bb5f0adf0!8m2!3d30.322027!4d35.478844" target="_blank">Aswar Al Balad</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Before making our way to the treasury, we went by sites such as the Qasr al bint (main temple of the city), the city center, the colonnaded street, the royal tombs and most of what we had already seen on the first day, before making ending our hike at Treasury and then back through Siq and to the entrance.<br />
While it is perfectly possibly to visit the Monastery from the main entrance, visiting it from the back side gives one a unique perspective and a different experience than the latter.<br />
We ended our day with dinner at a local restaurant.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3R0azZdhAW7veo8vx2YSrv-hVjRjbu_OiIK2sCJJZAyaTzDa2yNXGU1L3bMfV9l3FamSvKnSotCZp5cR52-WQUU6y4vAYWmRwpKNFsX97f1b0JL6kE1bbhHExbK8kU626DuBVjCaA7nw5/s1600/IMG_6632.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3R0azZdhAW7veo8vx2YSrv-hVjRjbu_OiIK2sCJJZAyaTzDa2yNXGU1L3bMfV9l3FamSvKnSotCZp5cR52-WQUU6y4vAYWmRwpKNFsX97f1b0JL6kE1bbhHExbK8kU626DuBVjCaA7nw5/s200/IMG_6632.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajloun_Castle" target="_blank">Ajloun Castle</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ4NDjd_GtfOT2VvUhgIv81swsZdJ1c1mC5M00-j1QUrtFgcB3zKY_v5WBC1k8gmTznasB5-P1YJlDtxw2MzKe3vcgByGBQFTOc66ainD_Tsg1o5H1Wr6yIeQhyphenhyphenIMSnwxS8JxDbP_XfRIB/s1600/20190523_144728.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="71" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ4NDjd_GtfOT2VvUhgIv81swsZdJ1c1mC5M00-j1QUrtFgcB3zKY_v5WBC1k8gmTznasB5-P1YJlDtxw2MzKe3vcgByGBQFTOc66ainD_Tsg1o5H1Wr6yIeQhyphenhyphenIMSnwxS8JxDbP_XfRIB/s200/20190523_144728.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Dead Sea</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Day 5 (Dead Sea and Ajloun): </b>The next day, we left Petra in the morning around 10 am and start our way to Jerash, via the Dead Sea and the Ajloun Castle. The roads from Petra to dead sea are not well marked, but we trusted Google maps to take us to the right destination in reasonable time and we were not disappointed. The terrain along the way is hilly, as most of the this region in Jordan is. However, once you hit highway 65, it's pretty much a straight road ahead.<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
The <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Dead-Sea" target="_blank">Dead Sea</a>, is actually a salt lake. It has a single source, the Jordan River, and is not connected to the ocean. Its landlocked nature causes the water to evaporate and leave behind massive amounts of salt, making it so dense that people can float on top of it. The salt content of the water is far too high for any plants or animals to survive, at about 1,400 feet below sea level, this is the lowest point on Earth that people can travel to and still be in the open air. The sea is also believed to have healing properties.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZnmywUZMiPdZ9I5g6GCrgmwDkuUF3jKOBTbGD-LvTcnU9KECMCfk5Fytw_AQotmzy1Q1c-4QJRBqrYy2nN4FYey1ZSMVu-yjzDYEXbG45NDvd7RaqQv34F6OTG2PRe7eJEdnyR53VxpnP/s1600/20190523_135121.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZnmywUZMiPdZ9I5g6GCrgmwDkuUF3jKOBTbGD-LvTcnU9KECMCfk5Fytw_AQotmzy1Q1c-4QJRBqrYy2nN4FYey1ZSMVu-yjzDYEXbG45NDvd7RaqQv34F6OTG2PRe7eJEdnyR53VxpnP/s200/20190523_135121.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drive along the dead sea, <br />
with Palestine/Israel across the coast</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The highway 65 goes in parallel to the dead sea and you can see the salty waters, with the Israel/Palestine shores across the sea, and along the way. We made a brief stop to test out the waters, but did not have the time nor the proper apparel and fresh water showers handy, to take a dip, so we just went knee deep into the waters. You can feel the salinity of the waters even after you come out, and the water almost seems to have an acidic property.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpLgP9IS6Ixa8DBi2fc7JTG-4JT9iLfxXexrMGklmYslr4qBdRxERBUMEpBJ5WcAn8J2xcs3mBAAHzwpx5NNMWI8B83UbntUqp0kwwn6cD5XT2vZSqRVSPndo0EYx_vnDByZLKDat_ctBi/s1600/20190523_170839.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpLgP9IS6Ixa8DBi2fc7JTG-4JT9iLfxXexrMGklmYslr4qBdRxERBUMEpBJ5WcAn8J2xcs3mBAAHzwpx5NNMWI8B83UbntUqp0kwwn6cD5XT2vZSqRVSPndo0EYx_vnDByZLKDat_ctBi/s200/20190523_170839.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From top of Ajloun Castle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After the stop, we headed over to Jerash via Ajloun. Along the way, there are stops like The Baptismal Site of Jesus Christ and the King Hussein bridge to Palestine.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqCr9MEqwvb-AS2nyEfV66-isnaV5OODaVDKOsue7v0yfpqNM0xaezmwBTiiQ8AHary5E3ZwdK5qmx3CdPxbSApuKScKHk_wPVcoZQFBLzgB2jT37JkvKn9hDpudFfO6eHx44kk8kjVFEl/s1600/20190522_201649.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqCr9MEqwvb-AS2nyEfV66-isnaV5OODaVDKOsue7v0yfpqNM0xaezmwBTiiQ8AHary5E3ZwdK5qmx3CdPxbSApuKScKHk_wPVcoZQFBLzgB2jT37JkvKn9hDpudFfO6eHx44kk8kjVFEl/s200/20190522_201649.jpg" width="200" /></a>Our next stop was the Ajloun castle, situated right on top of Mount Jabal Auf. The castle towers above the historic town of Ajloun. The castle was constructed between 1184 and 1188 AD by the nephew of the Muslim military leader Saladin. Saladin fought against the Christian military during the Crusades in the 12th Century. The strategic location of the castle enabled Saladin’s army to look out across the Jordan Valley for invaders.<br />
Although the castle does not contain many original features, it does boast magnificent views of the city below.<br />
We ended the day at the Hadrian's gate hotel in Jerash, where the owner, Ismail, welcomed us with some <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_coffee" target="_blank">Turkish coffee</a> and watermelon.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK8plqjvViddzkd21ImTXakaINauk-7QmvzMsp84N_Q6aj-PHT2y89bWHDGVVgTzLpPkL2E-rDkIaX8aInr2U6-6C0wNCB4Z1Y9JEAmjeJiQNK17taGQO9-6Nmg3AW1TjSXjvfUKj9ZBXl/s1600/20190524_104133.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="90" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK8plqjvViddzkd21ImTXakaINauk-7QmvzMsp84N_Q6aj-PHT2y89bWHDGVVgTzLpPkL2E-rDkIaX8aInr2U6-6C0wNCB4Z1Y9JEAmjeJiQNK17taGQO9-6Nmg3AW1TjSXjvfUKj9ZBXl/s200/20190524_104133.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roman theater</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinQr_z-YZh9ub46VkmvkRID8khVyXVkz9_u7TPmpRJXGjXr8AZzeqAJ4mWaUPpXOYIWTvlcIBYyxP2Xq88LY0AiJ7VgdlqT96JLk65xuQrRjvwUH2VHxZ-7wUsJAvG4Lqmde4kl2X1D5Zi/s1600/20190524_102937.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinQr_z-YZh9ub46VkmvkRID8khVyXVkz9_u7TPmpRJXGjXr8AZzeqAJ4mWaUPpXOYIWTvlcIBYyxP2Xq88LY0AiJ7VgdlqT96JLk65xuQrRjvwUH2VHxZ-7wUsJAvG4Lqmde4kl2X1D5Zi/s200/20190524_102937.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oval Plaza from the top of the<br />
amphitheater</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Day 6 (Jerash, Mt Nebo and Madaba) </b>Our last day in Jordan, before our 8 pm flight to Cairo, Egypt, was reserved to see the Jerash Roman ruins.<br />
The Roman ruins in <a href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/jordan/jerash/attractions/roman-ruins-of-jerash/a/poi-sig/1456891/361072" target="_blank">Jerash </a>the most well preserved Roman ruins outside of Rome. It was actually founded as a Greek city by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC. But it was under the Romans about 300 years later that it truly began to flourish.<br />
Jerash and Petra both existed at the exact same and were just 300 kilometers apart. And they were both in this economically-glorious position of being in the middle of overland trade routes connecting the India and China to Europe.<br />
At the entrance is a large arch and then the site stretches out in front of you. You can't see the end of it from the entrance, it's that big.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQxL1Vwrcg2OTwk88gRs6h_iLx6KYZzG-cWKWKa6hlIN9qTpcZuo7oDCenpjj6n6zYkimcR-3QvWA78fZhMbdlKrYZ5T5AaGLblEFWK1lDEg8gcBjIAjiWd6iXyE4ekty0Hf-L7RBMptIw/s1600/IMG_6666.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQxL1Vwrcg2OTwk88gRs6h_iLx6KYZzG-cWKWKa6hlIN9qTpcZuo7oDCenpjj6n6zYkimcR-3QvWA78fZhMbdlKrYZ5T5AaGLblEFWK1lDEg8gcBjIAjiWd6iXyE4ekty0Hf-L7RBMptIw/s200/IMG_6666.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Temple of Artemis</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga9Zp0q9FDVveV6RnoKBNIVbVN1YYk8cYciakD-uFjlXOwnwu5VLWaUBJbRoBLmMbrPsK1lMeIBLQDvpGEC1I1_LoH9clHIbFEc7yrvdUviQ__63GDHv3Aabji6zfMxMmbQxnsL70NjVkY/s1600/IMG_6670.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga9Zp0q9FDVveV6RnoKBNIVbVN1YYk8cYciakD-uFjlXOwnwu5VLWaUBJbRoBLmMbrPsK1lMeIBLQDvpGEC1I1_LoH9clHIbFEc7yrvdUviQ__63GDHv3Aabji6zfMxMmbQxnsL70NjVkY/s200/IMG_6670.JPG" width="200" /></a>There is huge Roman theater at the entrance. From the top of the theater you can get a good view of the entire city from the vantage point.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghnw1SsQ36O5TSdCdyGucoQrBQWFljyyFoJniByJJtWKGfQ3QWj9C3UPOviIlqbA0uFObwD5QCSoTzbeHeDa_KgK37wsgAy3mzIQCPGgn0yyGu8LKR7S2WgNCCV01uHEnf6raUs9y8jnOj/s1600/IMG_6639.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghnw1SsQ36O5TSdCdyGucoQrBQWFljyyFoJniByJJtWKGfQ3QWj9C3UPOviIlqbA0uFObwD5QCSoTzbeHeDa_KgK37wsgAy3mzIQCPGgn0yyGu8LKR7S2WgNCCV01uHEnf6raUs9y8jnOj/s200/IMG_6639.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hadrian's Gate</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
You can overlook an impressive Oval Plaza with the colonnades, that’s 90 meters by 80 meters and dominates one side of the city.<br />
Stretching out from there is the Cardo, the main axis street that is 800 meters long and has columns all along its length. There are few things in the world straighter's than a Roman street and this is a perfect example.<br />
At the extreme south of the site is the striking <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch_of_Hadrian_(Jerash)" target="_blank">Hadrian’s Arch</a>, also known as the Triumphal Arch, which was built in AD 129 in honor of the visit of Emperor Hadrian. Behind the arch is the hippodrome, which hosted chariot races in front of up to 15,000 spectators.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhznaUM6n2DVjhMbUouUFzr_XX2QuIO2dcw-6lUD4SqXc3JwByxy0luYzox655Yf-Xq371jsTuBCgQ1DR6D2qz7BV1BBohn7l57JPGh6W6XMb_VmxB1vrJCjJ8JxL8NKmCeB-SFUt81JjuL/s1600/20190524_142216.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="98" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhznaUM6n2DVjhMbUouUFzr_XX2QuIO2dcw-6lUD4SqXc3JwByxy0luYzox655Yf-Xq371jsTuBCgQ1DR6D2qz7BV1BBohn7l57JPGh6W6XMb_VmxB1vrJCjJ8JxL8NKmCeB-SFUt81JjuL/s200/20190524_142216.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the promiseland <br />
from Mt Nebo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We spent about 2.5 hours here, which is about the right time to explore the city. You can also get a guide to walk you through the city, at the entrance of the site.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgT_jJZ6Fv7ISW4gxB271KrbmYxDwVApnoiVohJHY7Xtuk5-zHKdLgIEq7WEU9zCNqJNDb4Vzbw84gaMD4SeAMHGe_mM6OvO_Qdn-o4QIhltjbkHJeLAXC0nnSbeqpoByA1dBqvoDP6Idz/s1600/20190524_141639.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgT_jJZ6Fv7ISW4gxB271KrbmYxDwVApnoiVohJHY7Xtuk5-zHKdLgIEq7WEU9zCNqJNDb4Vzbw84gaMD4SeAMHGe_mM6OvO_Qdn-o4QIhltjbkHJeLAXC0nnSbeqpoByA1dBqvoDP6Idz/s200/20190524_141639.jpg" width="200" /></a>After leaving the site, steeped in Roman history, we went back to the hotel where we'd parked the car. The owner had offered us some Turkish coffee, even though we had technically checked out, which was too tempting of an offer. After the coffee, we were on our way to Mount Nebo.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Nebo" target="_blank">Mount Nebo</a> is significant to Christianity as The Bible says that was where Moses lived out his final days and saw the Promised Land, which he would never enter. It is said that Moses’ body may be buried here, although that has yet to be proven. After Mt Nebo, we made a brief stop in the small town of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madaba_Map" target="_blank">Madaba</a>, before making our way back to the rental car office near the airport to return the car.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9YJGX4dQDPlZVdaK9LieLSG1omXao0c9ew-EJkLq7fobvlyeddL9Oe0Yof_lkA8LUYRzG_VhnaoU8uYZkEt78SDoZPlima0fG5xDzpqGBmxkNuvbWsgsxTuYmNoz9l3pOX9StyuT4GDiO/s1600/20190524_145549.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9YJGX4dQDPlZVdaK9LieLSG1omXao0c9ew-EJkLq7fobvlyeddL9Oe0Yof_lkA8LUYRzG_VhnaoU8uYZkEt78SDoZPlima0fG5xDzpqGBmxkNuvbWsgsxTuYmNoz9l3pOX9StyuT4GDiO/s200/20190524_145549.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
This brought to an end an amazing 6 days in one of the most interesting country we've been to. I was amazed and the amount of diverse and interesting things Jordan has to see from a traveler's perspective, and should be on everyone's bucket list.<br />
<br />
<b>What businesses did we use?</b><br />
<b>Rental Car: </b><a href="http://www.rentareliablecar.com/" target="_blank">Reliable rental car</a><br />
<b>Hotels: </b><a href="https://www.ammanpashahotel.com/" target="_blank">Amman Pasha</a>, <a href="http://petraprinceshotel.com/" target="_blank">Petra Princess Hotel</a>, <a href="https://www.hadriangatehoteljerash.com/" target="_blank">Hadrian's gate</a><br />
<b>Excursions</b>: <a href="http://www.wadirumbedouincamp.com/" target="_blank">Wadi Rum Bedouin Camp</a><br />
<b>Flights</b>: Egypt Air<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Mohit Samanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11921125793502265689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676617735394521442.post-53226993072500688322019-04-25T07:42:00.000-07:002019-04-25T07:42:01.657-07:00Applying for an Egyptian Visa from Canada<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15.4px;">Me and my wife recently applied and got a multiple-entry 6 month tourist visa to Egypt, while applying as permanent residents from Canada, with an India passport. Below is my experience through the entire process. Their jurisdiction is on the right, and they will only entertain applicants from these provinces in Canada.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15.4px;">The documents needed to be submitted, at the time of this writing are:</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfQrNt2HTaEfibob9HzGhzAqi5XWUrI1c_4NYcKXQGVzIjXu7snxvLJ99BCbxWuRDxZRnx8QDH2XPyTyyrusVFkHbnGOk-SaBu55osGI14Qldd0I3HjXEBuraKQEuL6h4aTU35tmzunQgD/s1600/Egypt_Jurisdiction.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="294" data-original-width="290" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfQrNt2HTaEfibob9HzGhzAqi5XWUrI1c_4NYcKXQGVzIjXu7snxvLJ99BCbxWuRDxZRnx8QDH2XPyTyyrusVFkHbnGOk-SaBu55osGI14Qldd0I3HjXEBuraKQEuL6h4aTU35tmzunQgD/s200/Egypt_Jurisdiction.PNG" width="197" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jurisdiction of the <br />Egyptian consulate in Montreal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15.4px;">The list of documents I submitted via UPS are as follows:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15.4px;">1) Original Passport</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15.4px;">2) <a href="https://egyptianconsulate.ca/forms/VISA-FORM.pdf">Application form</a> for Visitor Visa</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15.4px;">3) Canadian PR card and CoPR copies</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15.4px;">4) Latest Bank statement</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15.4px;">5) Employment verification letter</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15.4px;">6) One Canadian Passport size photo</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15.4px;">7) Return UPS Label</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15.4px;">8) C$85 bank draft drawn out to "</span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 15.4px;">Egyptian Consulate in Montreal</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15.4px;">"</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15.4px;"></span></span><br /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15.4px;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15.4px;">The entire process was quick and the consulate sent the passport back with the visa stamp in 1 business day, via the UPS return envelope. </span></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://thegrammarfuhrerin.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/egyptian-visa.jpg?w=720" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Image result for Egyptian visa" border="0" height="146" src="https://thegrammarfuhrerin.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/egyptian-visa.jpg?w=720" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sample Egyptian Visa</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15.4px;"></span></span><br /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15.4px;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15.4px;">Their current details are:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15.4px;">Egyptian Consulate in Montreal </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 15.4px;">McGill College suite 900 </span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Montreal, Quebec, Canada </span></div>
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H3A 3J6</div>
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<span style="font-size: 15.4px;">Tel : +1 514 866 8455/6 </span></div>
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info@egyptianconsulate.ca</div>
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The best way to contact them is via email, as they don't normally answer phones.</div>
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Mohit Samanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11921125793502265689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676617735394521442.post-12778756950054518692019-02-21T12:58:00.005-08:002019-03-02T17:47:36.016-08:00H1-B or not to be? That is the question<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Bills have come and gone; congressmen/women and presidents have come and gone, but nothing has changed for the <a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/150-year-wait-indian-immigrants-advanced-degrees">current decade(s) long wait time</a> for the US green card faced by those born in India. <br />
The problem stems from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_and_Nationality_Act_of_1965">1965 Immigration and nationality act</a> passed by the US congress which set a 7% per country cap on Green cards awarded in employment based category. The cap, which was done in the name of maintaining diversity in the US, was added irrespective of a country's population size, or even the diversity within the country, like for example India. Essentially, the 7% limit caps the green cards allocated in the employment based category whether the country is India, or Vatican City.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://d1u4oo4rb13yy8.cloudfront.net/article/50607-nveavvxgyz-1485976161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Image result for H1b" border="0" height="105" src="https://d1u4oo4rb13yy8.cloudfront.net/article/50607-nveavvxgyz-1485976161.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The US H1-B Visa</td></tr>
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The H1-B program which was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-1B_visa">introduced in the early 1990s</a>, allows an immigrant worker in a highly specialized field (mostly STEM, but included others like performing arts, nurses, as well) to enter the US and work for a US based employer in the specified field.<br />
However, what makes this Visa special is the fact that although H1-B is non-immigrant Visa, it falls in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual_intent">dual intent</a> category of the visa paradigm. What this means is that, an H1-B Visa holder in the US can legitimately apply for a immigrant Visa aka the US Green card (mostly through the employer sponsoring the H1-B visa).<br />
While this route was taken by most immigrants on H1-B, most of whom hailed from India, in the late 90's and the early 2000's, the number of H1-B applicants and thus in-turn Green card applicants have <a href="https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/files/nativedocuments/Count_of_Approved_I-140_I-360_and_I-526_Petitions_as_of_April_20_2018_with_a_Priority_Date_On_or_After_May_2018.PDF">multiplied rapidly in the past decade</a>.<br />
The consequence of this multiplication has created a demand which far exceeds the supply of Green cards, mainly because of the 7% per-country caps, and has thus induced an <a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/150-year-wait-indian-immigrants-advanced-degrees">indefinite</a> wait-time for Green card applicants born in India, in recent years.<br />
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There have been numerous "attempts" to "fix" this issue, like in 2011 when <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/house-bill/3012">HR 3012</a>, a bill to remove the per country caps passed house but failed in the senate. Or in 2015 and 2017, when identical bills <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/213">HR 213</a> and <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/392">HR 392</a>, respectively, failed to even come to the floor for a vote in spite of getting a large number (3/4 of the house, in case of the former) of co-sponsors on the bill. And currently, an almost identical bill, <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/1044">HR 1044</a>, has been <a href="https://lofgren.house.gov/media/press-releases/lawmakers-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-eliminate-arbitrary-country-limits">introduced</a> in the US Congress. However, if history is indicator, this bill will probably never see the light at the end of the day.<br />
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<a href="https://emojipedia-us.s3.dualstack.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/thumbs/160/google/110/flag-for-canada_1f1e8-1f1e6.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Flag: Canada on Google Android 8.0" border="0" height="188" src="https://emojipedia-us.s3.dualstack.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/thumbs/160/google/110/flag-for-canada_1f1e8-1f1e6.png" width="200" /></a></div>
So that begs the question, is there an "Out" for the H1B Visa holders in the US, or are they doomed to be on perennial 1 or 3 year H1-B visa extensions? The answer is not a positive one, for the H1-B visa holders. However, while the US continues to ignore the plight of it's high skilled immigrants, countries such as Canada and Australia have opened the doors, without any country based caps. In fact, in 2015 Canada started the <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/works.html">"express entry"</a> program which allows any applicant, even if they're outside Canada and do not have a Canadian job offer, or even Canadian education or experience, to apply for permanent residency. The applications are processed in a matter of months about 2 to 6 depending on complexities. Compare this to the US green card process, where even if one is from a non-backlogged country (i.e any, except India or China), there're several stages to the actual green card, which may take up to a couple of years.<br />
Unlike the temporary non-immigrant status of the US H-1B visa, immigration to Canada through Express Entry gains you and your family permanent resident status, meaning you and your spouse can live and work anywhere in the country for as long as you desire. While Canadian work experience is most valuable when looking for a job, US work experience works as well, and it currently being recognized in more and more sectors of the job market in Canada.<br />
However, make no mistake about it. Canada and the US are two separate countries with different economies, work cultures, living expenses, and salaries. Hence, one should not make the move thinking life is going to be the same as it was in the US. But having a PR does give one much more flexibility in terms what type of work they can do, or even start their own company if they want to.<br />
Without any actual pressure on congress or senate to clear the backlog, and an abundance of talent from backlogged countries still wanting to come and work in the US on a temporary H1-B or L1 visa, there is no need for a fix from government side. Also, many countries, such as <a href="https://www.niacouncil.org/update-green-card-legislation/">Iran mission in the US</a>, have raised the issue with US Congress about the consequences of clearing the per country cap, which would potentially make them wait up to 5 years for the green card instead of the usual 1-2 years current wait time.<br />
It remains to be seen, though, as the political landscape in Washington changes in the coming months and years, if there may be some relief to the backlogged community, or if they are doomed to die waiting for the all elusive Green card.</div>
Mohit Samanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11921125793502265689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676617735394521442.post-83660711496108121852019-01-02T12:22:00.003-08:002019-04-08T08:28:41.053-07:003 days in Singapore<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZquK_ogbNbA4-Pp3Lf-DJyberKym-J49wFiLC7Qy-AywNGGbRosuLtFeZR5QvIWJC3Az-9O8_RpUx2AAT0em-lRBIcQFfIJmOwPynw-Hvl8CtEahyObemNnowG88zscM4VHzWKRyDBJlx/s1600/20181202_190829-EFFECTS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZquK_ogbNbA4-Pp3Lf-DJyberKym-J49wFiLC7Qy-AywNGGbRosuLtFeZR5QvIWJC3Az-9O8_RpUx2AAT0em-lRBIcQFfIJmOwPynw-Hvl8CtEahyObemNnowG88zscM4VHzWKRyDBJlx/s200/20181202_190829-EFFECTS.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaz1OkJ16K6kL5VR_Hvb_rUyKJ29I1-yMVpIFvUKHBuKqd2AKJK0d12OofQXNJpeulQ2QUXjqDujLlKvGiHwFNWxvhVE5OqXLalFeBZAJcMNBty9Hr5I8f770GCZk-UZpwH9RjpZneKGFr/s1600/20181201_190143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaz1OkJ16K6kL5VR_Hvb_rUyKJ29I1-yMVpIFvUKHBuKqd2AKJK0d12OofQXNJpeulQ2QUXjqDujLlKvGiHwFNWxvhVE5OqXLalFeBZAJcMNBty9Hr5I8f770GCZk-UZpwH9RjpZneKGFr/s200/20181201_190143.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gardens by the bay</td></tr>
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My wife and I recently did a 3 day layover trip to Singapore on our way back to the US from Mumbai, India. Singapore started a <a href="https://www.ica.gov.sg/enteranddeparting/before/enteranddeparting_before_vftf" target="_blank">Visa free transit facility</a> for India passport holders a couple of years back, so as long as you hold a valid visa for countries such as US, Canada, Japan etc. you can visit Singapore, for up to 96 hours, while in transit, once only i.e while in transit either to your destination, or back to your origin; but not both ways.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfoja85iO1EyjzU9dCHh_KMN4GYa2pf3FJNmQb0qWRUMhMkEM6PSXKS4l-xhb3WknBnhFjQTdl_mELG4VTaiwtblrHYKo2LdcRF0HFdTzxaVI5xYH7vJUoENyGXNNJxES2kZEKkJitUMD-/s1600/20181201_195640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfoja85iO1EyjzU9dCHh_KMN4GYa2pf3FJNmQb0qWRUMhMkEM6PSXKS4l-xhb3WknBnhFjQTdl_mELG4VTaiwtblrHYKo2LdcRF0HFdTzxaVI5xYH7vJUoENyGXNNJxES2kZEKkJitUMD-/s200/20181201_195640.jpg" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Malaysian Cuisine at<br />
Ipoh Lou Yau Bean <br />
Sprouts Chicken</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaPGNU-D-AU8o9yeH76vfxWQIstPUGCIByxZMU-W1QKI0zFuynDuEx3Zn8pR0P_icGB9tNqrJQZugQbSSuGRdGgP_FBiAY-qbuttS8OfrkwFubpNpoZaXysYAkspgtteHOM5xOeu7Tn5QB/s1600/20181202_101225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaPGNU-D-AU8o9yeH76vfxWQIstPUGCIByxZMU-W1QKI0zFuynDuEx3Zn8pR0P_icGB9tNqrJQZugQbSSuGRdGgP_FBiAY-qbuttS8OfrkwFubpNpoZaXysYAkspgtteHOM5xOeu7Tn5QB/s200/20181202_101225.jpg" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">World's tallest indoor waterfall </td></tr>
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We landed in Singapore, after a overnight flight from Mumbai, at around 8:30 am. The immigration was relatively quick, as I presented my US visa and my flight confirmation from Singapore to Kansas City. After immigration, we got our <a href="http://thesingaporetouristpass.com.sg/" target="_blank">3 day MRT tourist pass</a>, and were on our way to our hotel, in the Chinatown area of Singapore.<br />
<b>Day 1</b>: We reached our hotel, after a couple of connections on the train and a bus, at about 10 am. However, we were told the check-in was at 3 pm, so we ended up staying, and freshening up & catching up on some sleep, at <a href="https://www.fragrancehotel.com/" target="_blank">another hotel</a> which offered rooms at $50 SGD for 3 hours.<br />
After checkout at around 2:30 pm we headed back to our original hotel for check-in.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj65iNLdQ6kTgbZomSjkDRmOBufL4Rg-hpwpTxoyK9gPUSdibA5BZC08FwIZohqiGCEW1sG-J725oDwFHZYVv59tzL-4KGgK9B2a4UBKOHH_Vw2BkKwDPEjRZI-gUBKgr9Kq0IWsEHPs5_e/s1600/20181202_135109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj65iNLdQ6kTgbZomSjkDRmOBufL4Rg-hpwpTxoyK9gPUSdibA5BZC08FwIZohqiGCEW1sG-J725oDwFHZYVv59tzL-4KGgK9B2a4UBKOHH_Vw2BkKwDPEjRZI-gUBKgr9Kq0IWsEHPs5_e/s200/20181202_135109.jpg" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Masjid Sultan</td></tr>
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After getting settled into our hotel, we headed out to the <a href="http://www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/en.html">Gardens by the bay,</a> a huge, colorful, futuristic park in the bay area of Singapore. The famous <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gardens_by_the_Bay#Supertree_Grove">Supertree </a>structures offer an impressive skywalk over the gardens, over-sized seashell-shaped greenhouses recreate chilly mountain climates and there are hundreds of trees and plants to discover, making this destination great fun for both kids and adults.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsyvuVHMa5uS59tuiIL_mM0G3y7CuFmLm9w0zJs6cjmbFzCn8W7ytyKghh0ttRZeqaKKb6ZNrVqoRo0DIoOf-AAput3yLrMUJfTfflVyx2BQbudxnuXbJYBzC2sS4Qas0gixBnjNzAuaDc/s1600/20181202_113158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsyvuVHMa5uS59tuiIL_mM0G3y7CuFmLm9w0zJs6cjmbFzCn8W7ytyKghh0ttRZeqaKKb6ZNrVqoRo0DIoOf-AAput3yLrMUJfTfflVyx2BQbudxnuXbJYBzC2sS4Qas0gixBnjNzAuaDc/s200/20181202_113158.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Supertree walkway</td></tr>
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<b>Day 2: </b>The next day, we started with a trip back to the Gardens. This time to see the 2 attractions - Cloud Forest and the Flower Dome. They are both indoor glasshouse like environment with various plants and other tropical habitat. The cloud forest also has the world's tallest indoor waterfall at 35 meters.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDIrAjC-rwZTBW-Icpe-Hfnqmxh7BMPNPjZnzHfEpEvvtVKbUrd_RjTnU4Zjdn7Cqmf6_RSbXEX34LouBaixILtX97KYHm5mPOLMJ9ijTbzKi8GgnjUnkTzeDS2b9Kuvpeu7XAQmNqRqMH/s1600/20181202_194913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDIrAjC-rwZTBW-Icpe-Hfnqmxh7BMPNPjZnzHfEpEvvtVKbUrd_RjTnU4Zjdn7Cqmf6_RSbXEX34LouBaixILtX97KYHm5mPOLMJ9ijTbzKi8GgnjUnkTzeDS2b9Kuvpeu7XAQmNqRqMH/s200/20181202_194913.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Merlion</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi82gFQifpaL_Gl4h3HjemFOyxKtp8uBMHnh0UIm8p2m3okM_sAEhOIP_nKsSXnCWfjEC3ADWHzABm4MF8fcp4gBE9aYJ4QjztCEbfjqEE8MoweXG4hv_8mkGLtANZ9JJ8n00SFQbL82y6c/s1600/20181202_171157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi82gFQifpaL_Gl4h3HjemFOyxKtp8uBMHnh0UIm8p2m3okM_sAEhOIP_nKsSXnCWfjEC3ADWHzABm4MF8fcp4gBE9aYJ4QjztCEbfjqEE8MoweXG4hv_8mkGLtANZ9JJ8n00SFQbL82y6c/s200/20181202_171157.jpg" width="112" /></a>We ended the visit to the gardens with a trip up the Super tree grove walkway.<br />
We continued our itinerary by moving on to Arab street and little India, and rounded off the evening with a visit to the <a href="https://www.visitsingapore.com/see-do-singapore/recreation-leisure/viewpoints/merlion-park/">Merlion park</a> in downtown, a ‘must-see’ for tourists visiting Singapore. The fish body represents Singapore's origin as a fishing village when it was called Temasek, which means "sea town" in Javanese. The lion head represents Singapore's original name—Singapura—meaning "lion city".<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibJzdbMiJIXoC1Ppww6sr6h7vJyMgzH2qb_-KdFjSyOrbpyYWwMEmWSGMAPXjwdwNSYnOKPRjniIqjUsb5Lh41-dc9Abe1hFnEMLTrikSagxIG1InnSVQduhGW2E99ZVdbkxry_Q57QDVj/s1600/20181203_144705+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibJzdbMiJIXoC1Ppww6sr6h7vJyMgzH2qb_-KdFjSyOrbpyYWwMEmWSGMAPXjwdwNSYnOKPRjniIqjUsb5Lh41-dc9Abe1hFnEMLTrikSagxIG1InnSVQduhGW2E99ZVdbkxry_Q57QDVj/s200/20181203_144705+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0xVYqBwLSk3GdM76Z63edaU0PM8hF-W4LKzDzpGF92mzORgpXElFWcwUTOJ07uC-YwDG6ylNpLMOMT4S3Q7CrK7uYIwJ0-_Aw1W02Ji7ABLQM3qz7xtGtReWfOtMmpvZOUpgVACYkdrG/s1600/20181203_122732.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0xVYqBwLSk3GdM76Z63edaU0PM8hF-W4LKzDzpGF92mzORgpXElFWcwUTOJ07uC-YwDG6ylNpLMOMT4S3Q7CrK7uYIwJ0-_Aw1W02Ji7ABLQM3qz7xtGtReWfOtMmpvZOUpgVACYkdrG/s200/20181203_122732.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch at Arbora</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDIBTKDp5YtMcP1qNnaDxalNybMAjNyeyKyVinHfo0HWle4XN6M5gJ3uamBT1sOuDZaRNoIvl1hTITw1SU_oZjl3PGXwKzBqPTh5xbN00NU2HXXwFhfoHR4132Wm7MFW-HpsU_UThe7-_0/s1600/20181203_095719.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDIBTKDp5YtMcP1qNnaDxalNybMAjNyeyKyVinHfo0HWle4XN6M5gJ3uamBT1sOuDZaRNoIvl1hTITw1SU_oZjl3PGXwKzBqPTh5xbN00NU2HXXwFhfoHR4132Wm7MFW-HpsU_UThe7-_0/s200/20181203_095719.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>Day 3</b>: Our last day of Singapore was focused on the <a href="https://www.sentosa.com.sg/">Sentosa </a>Island. We had booked an unlimited cable car rides + 2 attractions pass for about $56 SGD/person. There are 2 lanes Mount Faber Line and the Sentosa lane for the cable car. We took both lines to reach the end point of the island which was the Siloso Point Station, which used to be a fort during WWII for the British. There is a wonderful <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g294264-d10876665-r515022939-Fort_Siloso_Skywalk-Sentosa_Island.html">s ky walk</a> (free) to get to the fort.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6gbCaBKpTXOCkAwzmO94u2FJMyjCkEojH_I1wvFt3VOWwytlVli7ZGhYG-CHlFZ8etzVOcfS_QNJmQl1RYK55PHBxGEpaebhmuutrB4WKcUa1bOs4sEWeoHRXlGKbymMDr22oPXG9q1p0/s1600/20181203_125748.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6gbCaBKpTXOCkAwzmO94u2FJMyjCkEojH_I1wvFt3VOWwytlVli7ZGhYG-CHlFZ8etzVOcfS_QNJmQl1RYK55PHBxGEpaebhmuutrB4WKcUa1bOs4sEWeoHRXlGKbymMDr22oPXG9q1p0/s200/20181203_125748.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View at Mt Faber view point</td></tr>
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After taking lunch at <a href="https://www.onefabergroup.com/arbora/">Arbora </a>near Mt Faber, we went to the view point where you can get a glimpse of the Singapore vastness as a concrete jungle.<br />
As evident from the pic on the right, it started raining almost immediately as we left the viewpoint, so we had to wait and admire the beautiful Singapore rains the next hour or so. We wrapped off our day with visits to the beach, and the southernmost point in contiguous Asia. On the way back we visited the Buddha tooth relic temple in Chinatown, before calling it a day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgem08KGrrrPQwP7lfPWw1v3G65iwCCWghCTMk0Wpi45xYL30t6x_HxgKGukRQlrbpYKF5b9qt7cAtgG2Daj2ZZeMiX80ZXki3EFVAIw4j_fwmX3pT7M2GSA49OMk5qxcW_Dr8Pdcb8DYmK/s1600/20181203_170431.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgem08KGrrrPQwP7lfPWw1v3G65iwCCWghCTMk0Wpi45xYL30t6x_HxgKGukRQlrbpYKF5b9qt7cAtgG2Daj2ZZeMiX80ZXki3EFVAIw4j_fwmX3pT7M2GSA49OMk5qxcW_Dr8Pdcb8DYmK/s200/20181203_170431.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buddha Tooth relic temple</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Singapore is much more than the summation of its numerous attractions. It's truly a city that is at least 10 years ahead of it's time, and it advancing at a rapid pace. It's a great place to explore even on a limited time and budget, and I hope this inspires you to visit this magnificent city.<br />
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Mohit Samanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11921125793502265689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676617735394521442.post-10420878747311373572018-12-03T03:31:00.000-08:002020-06-09T10:33:32.422-07:00H1-B Extension dropbox experience at US Consulate in Mumbai, India<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cc/USA-wiza-anonymous.jpg/1200px-USA-wiza-anonymous.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white;"><img alt="Image result for US visa" border="0" height="133" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cc/USA-wiza-anonymous.jpg/1200px-USA-wiza-anonymous.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 15.4px;">I recently used the dropbox facility for my H1-B Visa extension stamping, at the US Consulate in </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 15.4px;">Mumbai. The experience was not as smooth as <a href="http://blog.mohitsamant.com/2015/12/h1b-dropbox-experience-at-us-embassy-in.html" target="_blank">last time around</a>, but it is definitely hassle free compared to the in-person finger printing and interview process. The requirements for using the dropbox can be found here, and the list of dropbox locations across India can be found </span><a href="http://www.ustraveldocs.com/in/in-niv-visarenew.asp#qualifications" style="font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 15.4px;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 15.4px;">.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.4px;">The documents I submitted are as below:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.4px;">1) I797 Copy</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.4px;">2) DS-160 confirmation printout</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.4px;">3) Dropbox confirmation letter</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.4px;">4) All previous and current passports.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.4px;">5) One 2 X 2 inch recent <a href="http://www.ustraveldocs.com/in/in-niv-photoinfo.asp#picsreqs" target="_blank">photo </a>(Please note, this photo has to be different from the one in passport even if it was clicked recently)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.4px;">The whole process took about 2 weeks for me (9 business days), and here is the entire timeline.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.4px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.4px;">Nov 19th - Dropped off the document</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 15.4px;">Nov 20th - CASE CREATED - </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 15.4px;">Visa Status: </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 15.4px;">Application Received</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 15.4px;">Nov 23rd - </span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 15.4px;">Case updated - Visa Status:</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif; font-size: 15.4px;">Application Received</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.4px;">Nov 26th - Case updated - Visa Status: Application Received</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.4px;">Nov 29th - Case updated - Visa Status: Administrative Processing</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "utopia" , "palatino linotype" , "palatino" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15.4px;">Nov 30th - Case updated - Visa Status: Issued at 10 am, Passport ready for pick up at 3:30 pm.</span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
Mohit Samanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11921125793502265689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676617735394521442.post-78949284143346435032018-06-17T07:50:00.001-07:002018-06-24T12:07:20.349-07:002 weeks in the Nordics and Baltics<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWmkPYc9MHNEQvlyJEUe7ztTTCctZjxe5VpuDo7LGRsO4DCi87Gvra4LoutgRoKtPxFZXoAa8kwtm9HfNKt69I_GTVUaLoMYNLndAaKvp1QuAr8mO-h0StfHA6Knxfz6CfBitU743Suz2_/s1600/20180526_153237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWmkPYc9MHNEQvlyJEUe7ztTTCctZjxe5VpuDo7LGRsO4DCi87Gvra4LoutgRoKtPxFZXoAa8kwtm9HfNKt69I_GTVUaLoMYNLndAaKvp1QuAr8mO-h0StfHA6Knxfz6CfBitU743Suz2_/s200/20180526_153237.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geir_Haarde" target="_blank">Geir Haarde</a>, current Iceland<br />
ambassador to the US and former Prime<br />
Minister of Iceland</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We'd been wanting to plan a trip to Europe ever since we went there last time, back in <a href="http://blog.mohitsamant.com/2016/10/epic-europe-21-days-6-countries.html" target="_blank">2016</a>. And when Icelandair <a href="http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article193716934.html" target="_blank">announced</a> they were starting the first ever direct transatlantic flights from Kansas City, the wheels started rolling in our minds. We'd never thought about including Iceland in our plans, but Icelandair's <a href="https://www.icelandair.com/flights/stopover/" target="_blank">no fee stopover</a> offer made it a no brainier to putting it on our itinerary, and we ended up spending the last couple of days on our back to KC in Iceland.<br />
We applied and got our Schengen visa through the Finnish embassy in New York. The process is relatively straight forward and it took about a week to get our passports back, stamped with the visas.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjz2U4s5ydhhG0LPhtFheRjxky1yGG0pbHXKuwgD2QHQMizGRbP7lyALo5PdBiyx-WBIoZ6KCutTT9qTFZ7gVUXWfQcGu34K7H6o2Y1e6PDcYXKucMdtMQLexdlyVt6cAy00Nu_EYlv1CN/s1600/20180527_192159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjz2U4s5ydhhG0LPhtFheRjxky1yGG0pbHXKuwgD2QHQMizGRbP7lyALo5PdBiyx-WBIoZ6KCutTT9qTFZ7gVUXWfQcGu34K7H6o2Y1e6PDcYXKucMdtMQLexdlyVt6cAy00Nu_EYlv1CN/s200/20180527_192159.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bergen from Mt Fløyen</td></tr>
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We started our trip with the inaugural flight from Kansas City to Iceland. There was a big party going on at the airport departure gate, and all dignitaries including the Iceland ambassador to the US, the CEO of Icelandair and Kansas City mayor Sly James were present, and gave speeches before the departure, for the occasion.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj42_z1eRnebyB0oxqh9RI4szifq207G3uOOEM_Ut8x3nXf14vvBZq1yRjotI1ThLZ35skMe88kfcYYz0Bfe6Rl9HRHXwjmnPIsU4C9x-qJq0LxuNVSOEtw42rFkEHN6Up_r8qJUO29p-k5/s1600/20180527_204137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj42_z1eRnebyB0oxqh9RI4szifq207G3uOOEM_Ut8x3nXf14vvBZq1yRjotI1ThLZ35skMe88kfcYYz0Bfe6Rl9HRHXwjmnPIsU4C9x-qJq0LxuNVSOEtw42rFkEHN6Up_r8qJUO29p-k5/s200/20180527_204137.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first proper meal of the trip,<br />
in Bergen</td></tr>
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We arrived in Reykjavik in just under 7 hours from KC at 5:15 am local time and after stamping our passports, we waited for the connecting flight to Bergen, Norway which was about 3 and half hours later.<br />
<b>Day 1 (Bergen, Norway)</b> : We landed at around noon local time in Bergen, and our Airbnb host was kind enough to meet us at the apartment door and also allow us an early check-in. We settled into our Airbnb apartment, got some breakfast essentials at the near by grocery store, ate lunch and caught up on our sleep. Evening we went to the near by <a href="http://floyen.no/en/floibanen/" target="_blank">funicular</a>, which takes you to the top of a local hill, get some bird's eye view of Bergen.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibpCtKdAQRRdEViALcq_JSfHNQ9ohMXG6McjGEB0pT_bZ3-tM0sLKW-8Ku63vPq1iVL94xBebH76iNq3p1vFa0pwoZAuwgG7hQBxb3UjS0CKxSBQjghE8dhw-Ph3796SVvjTheb-wV6828/s1600/20180528_113039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibpCtKdAQRRdEViALcq_JSfHNQ9ohMXG6McjGEB0pT_bZ3-tM0sLKW-8Ku63vPq1iVL94xBebH76iNq3p1vFa0pwoZAuwgG7hQBxb3UjS0CKxSBQjghE8dhw-Ph3796SVvjTheb-wV6828/s200/20180528_113039.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3l0dlLtPBZjU7sLaupiRadWuuY7tIRoIFUQXNHaOiyBn7lPyJn0yXEhIe8DqxknangreOHAPAMt0hCvkurIAQMPEflilNpA-K5kfMyyVFeorzmkmlruXtffUnquemjdcRf3ypnLi9V9ft/s1600/20180528_111028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3l0dlLtPBZjU7sLaupiRadWuuY7tIRoIFUQXNHaOiyBn7lPyJn0yXEhIe8DqxknangreOHAPAMt0hCvkurIAQMPEflilNpA-K5kfMyyVFeorzmkmlruXtffUnquemjdcRf3ypnLi9V9ft/s200/20180528_111028.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Kjosfossen waterfall</td></tr>
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<b>Day 2 (Norway in a nutshell): </b>We started day 2 of our trip with a planned route, through <a href="https://www.norwaynutshell.com/original-norway-in-a-nutshell/bergen/" target="_blank">Norway in a nutshell</a>. It is very easy to follow the exact same route as mentioned on their website, and do all the bookings yourself. Which is exactly what we did. That way you end up saving a few NOK (Norwegian Krona) and also have some flexibility with the schedule.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3vQqsvTYS1vZKQc0QNIGUx_7dfVgJdIf7hPGDL8S4WGoRtM1SX9-UAdz1pfDqV0uzXH3Fat_0A9LK9NheVB0AK4d7j384pvtWmHGYFANgwxnCgzuZzboGYygLSNTAGL4AFQ_AdRXXuCb/s1600/20180528_113028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3vQqsvTYS1vZKQc0QNIGUx_7dfVgJdIf7hPGDL8S4WGoRtM1SX9-UAdz1pfDqV0uzXH3Fat_0A9LK9NheVB0AK4d7j384pvtWmHGYFANgwxnCgzuZzboGYygLSNTAGL4AFQ_AdRXXuCb/s200/20180528_113028.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Flåm railway</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5m1q80_wyLYVVFtVzIOObkGEyZMD1zZMhYDDqDm0_HCMEWepamtiSz6JMcW92Ujo5dhMenJi45jPd-ABpVHbXyfBlATJK-i31YsrJyn_dVWrhNr3WbS5iK7490LoOPqp4FXvGInkdb-R/s1600/20180528_124852.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5m1q80_wyLYVVFtVzIOObkGEyZMD1zZMhYDDqDm0_HCMEWepamtiSz6JMcW92Ujo5dhMenJi45jPd-ABpVHbXyfBlATJK-i31YsrJyn_dVWrhNr3WbS5iK7490LoOPqp4FXvGInkdb-R/s200/20180528_124852.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the edge of Flåm</td></tr>
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We started from Bergen first on a scenic train journey to Voss, and then to Myrdal on the Bergen Railway. From Myrdal we took the Flåm <a href="https://www.fjordtours.com/things-to-do-in-norway/scenic-railways/flam-railwa" target="_blank">railway to Flam</a>, a spectacular train journey that offers a panoramic view of some of the wildest and most magnificent nature in the Norwegian fjord landscape. The tunnels that spiral in and out of the mountain and which is a tribute to some of the most skilled engineering in railway history. The last stop is the small picturesque village of Flåm, situated innermost in the Aurlandsfjord, a tributery of Sognefjord, the biggest in this region of Norway. The train even makes a 10 minute stop at one of the waterfall, where you can go up close to the falls.<br />
This railway is one considered to be one of Norway's major and most spectacular tourist attractions and the train journey provides some of the country's wildest and most magnificent scenery.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3C_UT4SWqqkXIPPVC0yQUjrMxdSPOPuCLou7eIseurd8T-qr2Zn25c1c4zbgcKmLPaXSPIVEucW_j4HhhYGfGfvfvk5NfnlGWQlNlxL90WjjhmmHH66BY6eXNFcuya1NO2jxUTVLkU3_Y/s1600/IMG_5757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3C_UT4SWqqkXIPPVC0yQUjrMxdSPOPuCLou7eIseurd8T-qr2Zn25c1c4zbgcKmLPaXSPIVEucW_j4HhhYGfGfvfvk5NfnlGWQlNlxL90WjjhmmHH66BY6eXNFcuya1NO2jxUTVLkU3_Y/s200/IMG_5757.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our cruise ship on the fjords</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRX4LWz-7QsLjeT4cwkCctp3smh6uF2nJECsrhnYk8FRDtO4AT0zM9iKnGG0KoMvYcayFZYC3xuyK4b66RbCRNsPNdBDz9ZWSVlwvqnnc0-7zQd7s51UYizURp9F8KBhT0LXx9SA_scC0N/s1600/IMG_5799.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRX4LWz-7QsLjeT4cwkCctp3smh6uF2nJECsrhnYk8FRDtO4AT0zM9iKnGG0KoMvYcayFZYC3xuyK4b66RbCRNsPNdBDz9ZWSVlwvqnnc0-7zQd7s51UYizURp9F8KBhT0LXx9SA_scC0N/s200/IMG_5799.JPG" width="200" /></a>We stopped in Flam about 2 hours before taking a <a href="https://www.visitflam.com/en/se-og-gjore1/aktiviteter/fjordcruise-pa-naroyfjorden-2016/" target="_blank">cruise along the Nærøyfjord fjord</a>, from Flam to Gudvangen. The narrow and spectacular Nærøyfjord is surrounded by steep valley sides and snow-covered peaks that rise 1,800 meters above, with thundering waterfalls and picturesque villages along the fjord. This area has been judged one of the most beautiful fjord landscapes in the world and is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. When the vessel arrives in the most scenic areas, it switches to battery power and keeps to less than 10 knots, which makes it practically totally silent. All you can hear, at this point, are the waterfalls.<br />
<br />
After the cruise, we waited in Gudvangen for the bus to Voss, which was about 2 hours later. It's a local bus, so it’s not possible to buy tickets in advance, but the schedule is available on the Skyss website. We had been a little worried about whether there would be enough seats and how the transfer would work. The reality is that this route—whether or not you purchase the Norway in a Nutshell package through the company—is built for tourists. It’s unlikely you’ll run into a problem getting stuck on any of the legs of the trip.<br />
After dinner in Voss, we took the bus back to Bergen, which was actually much more scenic than the train, as there're lesser tunnels along the way and most of the drive is along the fjords.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJvoPEMc9FpY6T-OvaUi7IO4Zt80ta8iCQ9tp4TKPzcwZ1zqy31oqMJBzSph_tsyjMv9FbdZEezz40ioLR8-syy327pk2Jq1daZT2WGIVUqJoh4AcDRUQkl8H0KwC9HfjJ5QzkkXEL-ZyT/s1600/20180529_113025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJvoPEMc9FpY6T-OvaUi7IO4Zt80ta8iCQ9tp4TKPzcwZ1zqy31oqMJBzSph_tsyjMv9FbdZEezz40ioLR8-syy327pk2Jq1daZT2WGIVUqJoh4AcDRUQkl8H0KwC9HfjJ5QzkkXEL-ZyT/s200/20180529_113025.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bryggen</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglAeOajcFJdWOnp22Gg-pB1BDe4Znx8zfH97wbiY-lPhXgG0nDbm-j1nJZ3iDvyrAR1k9gTUl_tb0t2FrbttpmjqvUOurTo6-swwFK-DUS-MlfUKT0QIDTCC0DA_VJDDilG8vD5TA-LjML/s1600/IMG_5806.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglAeOajcFJdWOnp22Gg-pB1BDe4Znx8zfH97wbiY-lPhXgG0nDbm-j1nJZ3iDvyrAR1k9gTUl_tb0t2FrbttpmjqvUOurTo6-swwFK-DUS-MlfUKT0QIDTCC0DA_VJDDilG8vD5TA-LjML/s200/IMG_5806.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a><b>Day 3 (Bergen, Norway) </b>The next day we woke up late and explored Bergen. We started off with a walk to the Bergen harbor. Bryggen, the old wharf of Bergen, is a reminder of the town’s importance as part of the Hanseatic League’s trading empire from the 14th to the mid-16th century. Many fires, the last in 1955, have ravaged the characteristic wooden houses of Bryggen. Its rebuilding has traditionally followed old patterns and methods, thus leaving its main structure preserved, which is a relic of an ancient wooden urban structure once common in Northern Europe. We continued our exploration with a visit to the <a href="https://en.visitbergen.com/things-to-do/the-hanseatic-museum-and-schotstuene-museum-vest-p824913" target="_blank">Hanseatic museum</a>. The museum is one of the oldest wooden buildings in Bergen, furnished in 18th century style and shows the life of the Hanseatic merchants. From 1350 to 1750 these merchants traded stockfish and grains from their office in Bergen. It shows how the German merchants from The Hanseatic League lived and worked.<br />
<br />
Evening we caught the 8 pm Norwegian airlines flight from Bergen to Copenhagen.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6KvOGVoSUvA6t2kzLIosQznVA7fZOvsGySMVhc2T-8LY1353KPNJyMhCDvgtGOnVNvhGBiWpIRInCBA0eXjgKKNPrJuxk2MEwnQ31uxppFw7G7Af-vBrFwnazmN1tcfSec8FKEwh8KVZD/s1600/IMG_5820.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6KvOGVoSUvA6t2kzLIosQznVA7fZOvsGySMVhc2T-8LY1353KPNJyMhCDvgtGOnVNvhGBiWpIRInCBA0eXjgKKNPrJuxk2MEwnQ31uxppFw7G7Af-vBrFwnazmN1tcfSec8FKEwh8KVZD/s200/IMG_5820.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Olafur Eliasson's circle bridge</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPDCUCWpZVSAmiwpB1Wgq4c0EFvCUmJisCOcuSMQgxeU6KdQdsgNkFjYOzAfHMNWidptwe32VvIiBSFLJ9nNXg6NEwjy0s8HCEAFUXjTBEa5UEz864ROpeOjLT9EoOS9S-CQWaXrGBk6JZ/s1600/IMG_5816.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPDCUCWpZVSAmiwpB1Wgq4c0EFvCUmJisCOcuSMQgxeU6KdQdsgNkFjYOzAfHMNWidptwe32VvIiBSFLJ9nNXg6NEwjy0s8HCEAFUXjTBEa5UEz864ROpeOjLT9EoOS9S-CQWaXrGBk6JZ/s200/IMG_5816.JPG" width="200" /></a><b></b><br />
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<b>Day 4 (Copenhagen, Denmark) </b>We had got a 24 hour zone 1-4 pass at the Copenhagen airport the day before, so we took the excellent and efficient Danish metro system to our first destination, which was the Copenhagen harbor, since we'd booked a 1 hours canal ride through <a href="http://heycaptiain.dk/" target="_blank">Hey Captain</a>.<br />
København, as is the Danish name for Copenhagen, translates into the Merchant Harbor. So most of the historical sites are located by the waterfront and along the beautiful canals.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0HDQtsMhmOItlhSO2T1jFUnbjxK65EeX4_U2zDTF112A_Ajg4_T2-HY7HAwCb-QY2aNwyyzq5FNu5yOGvrZ-S6sAQFGrZeJ9TpPPQ41diQwPHgCsJ1kYT4oP9tK93LGxpvp9zOQTBd4dH/s1600/IMG_5853.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0HDQtsMhmOItlhSO2T1jFUnbjxK65EeX4_U2zDTF112A_Ajg4_T2-HY7HAwCb-QY2aNwyyzq5FNu5yOGvrZ-S6sAQFGrZeJ9TpPPQ41diQwPHgCsJ1kYT4oP9tK93LGxpvp9zOQTBd4dH/s200/IMG_5853.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8kU1HZuDevzBhwM35wzU1EGvV_Afl2yhnkfHYJjnywK0B-WPUXcshXPwPffb40sWDMCE79uuTqiuOBgd_rgLVP8KvFZiAAwCh-gp4CKqwjru-U-_WbLBBNNJ0DXtkve7Tiz3m_uYGgF4m/s1600/IMG_5844.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8kU1HZuDevzBhwM35wzU1EGvV_Afl2yhnkfHYJjnywK0B-WPUXcshXPwPffb40sWDMCE79uuTqiuOBgd_rgLVP8KvFZiAAwCh-gp4CKqwjru-U-_WbLBBNNJ0DXtkve7Tiz3m_uYGgF4m/s200/IMG_5844.JPG" width="200" /></a>We started off by the Royal Palace. We passed through the historic canals of the old city center where we caught a glimpse of how it is to live on a house boat. We also saw some historical buildings, many of which were constructed by King Christian the 4th in the early 17th century. At the end of Christianshavns canal we will passed by Olafur Eliasson's beautiful Circle Bridge, designed to make the rushing bicyclist slow down and enjoy the beautiful view of the Black Diamond - the Royal Library.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlSKYwojGmqZ_KnMd7RS4aE2j8wfLeTqekG6gNKbOaNY099XrpwM-NUjSeHceUVGcwniGu5pnBD7eXw91g51eQyEr4BpuwsPIsGrKoyH_Vt8BiOhJbGDEwYpVQmUSB3Ni25VclWwH4R_At/s1600/20180530_130400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlSKYwojGmqZ_KnMd7RS4aE2j8wfLeTqekG6gNKbOaNY099XrpwM-NUjSeHceUVGcwniGu5pnBD7eXw91g51eQyEr4BpuwsPIsGrKoyH_Vt8BiOhJbGDEwYpVQmUSB3Ni25VclWwH4R_At/s200/20180530_130400.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rosenborg Castle.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Cruising around Holmen, the old military area, we will pass by the much debated free town Christiania, where you see people swimming naked in the canal, with office employees working hard on their computers right opposite, welcome to Denmark!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqhbCWfzTpJ7TnD8X96FWtRWbxAYh4je_cd6669l5ZRqb0y33wy68VzTTDVm9V6KukmpB1t78GJ1NXyNVNs7-vaLdnS5vdO5EmwEo9cXp3u7qPWf6K-blpSH_lS1tmBgn4orHGZYEiKyxY/s1600/IMG_5848.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqhbCWfzTpJ7TnD8X96FWtRWbxAYh4je_cd6669l5ZRqb0y33wy68VzTTDVm9V6KukmpB1t78GJ1NXyNVNs7-vaLdnS5vdO5EmwEo9cXp3u7qPWf6K-blpSH_lS1tmBgn4orHGZYEiKyxY/s200/IMG_5848.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marble church on Frederiksgade</td></tr>
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We then went to exploring Copenhagen on foot, starting off with the Rosenborg Castle. The castle was built by one of the most famous Scandinavian kings, Christian IV, in the early 17th century. A royal hermitage set in the King’s Garden in the heart of Copenhagen, Rosenborg Castle features 400 years of splendor, royal art treasures and the Crown Jewels and Royal Regalia.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPisjHLM8xe3gtgmFGAk1gGkNPkCsQUiqWW-kJI5gQckhGUrnh65ZeaO0tJSRFDTD9l8nFpPgkvlOAUQ01V2EJYVU55aKh9x-64Rq4lKZ2qwHzRSqMtL5GBfQdAks4no-qSHM9tnQlCywX/s1600/20180530_155609.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPisjHLM8xe3gtgmFGAk1gGkNPkCsQUiqWW-kJI5gQckhGUrnh65ZeaO0tJSRFDTD9l8nFpPgkvlOAUQ01V2EJYVU55aKh9x-64Rq4lKZ2qwHzRSqMtL5GBfQdAks4no-qSHM9tnQlCywX/s200/20180530_155609.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Copenhagen Harbor</td></tr>
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Our next stop was the Frederiksgade, a street in the Frederiksstaden neighbourhood of central Copenhagen. It runs east from Store Kongensgade to Toldbodgade on the waterfront, passing the Marble Church, Bredgade and Amaliegade on the way.<b></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitoG0TSmJcz7UHOwuEANU1DVPoIeQfMdQssmUeWJNl9vunFPZOiVizg3eMw_HMw0XgTlL5Q16a5590PA0dcTY7yTwSoQptruei3In-Maoebkm0Dt5K5pET1krcdOse0sSFK1pUBxXNm8j5/s1600/IMG_5863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitoG0TSmJcz7UHOwuEANU1DVPoIeQfMdQssmUeWJNl9vunFPZOiVizg3eMw_HMw0XgTlL5Q16a5590PA0dcTY7yTwSoQptruei3In-Maoebkm0Dt5K5pET1krcdOse0sSFK1pUBxXNm8j5/s200/IMG_5863.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Church of the savior</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We then went on our way through <a href="https://www.visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/stroget-0" target="_blank">Stroget</a>. Strøget isone of Europe's longest pedestrian streets with a wealth of shops, from budget-friendly chains to some of the world's most expensive brands.<br />
The Round Tower is just at the start of the street.<br />
<b></b>Our last stop was Saviour's church which is one of Denmark's most famous churches. Ever since the serpentine spire was inaugurated in 1752, is has been a popular passtime to climb the 400 steps to the top. The views of the city from the top are unparalleled.<br />
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<b>Day 5 (Northern Denmark Castles)</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9KrzrKjF7yhRz3xC8tif4k-q-6R6o7aZg2-GG2zBSqUqFhZK_NqLcB6sigvwwbb2CDw7B_wxCke6FS4pNE71-FjFD2Swfpt0JUaqnoYHudiZViNNpLQ4H-apXmW0qMcIoEYYEAGWlVxWo/s1600/IMG_5871.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9KrzrKjF7yhRz3xC8tif4k-q-6R6o7aZg2-GG2zBSqUqFhZK_NqLcB6sigvwwbb2CDw7B_wxCke6FS4pNE71-FjFD2Swfpt0JUaqnoYHudiZViNNpLQ4H-apXmW0qMcIoEYYEAGWlVxWo/s200/IMG_5871.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frederiksborg facade</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrO5QDpDRc5PTMik65FYGnFb0olxLOSYIaGlD5ERrjL43U0q3KCtOEci-A_4Wiy2hPjda3VWwLfbJ7zQOe4RxINWrJp9iCeB3h-pA1ozJG-SL3hiS2fMlafiRt-DnoodI9KrKtZM7ouR3H/s1600/20180531_122627.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrO5QDpDRc5PTMik65FYGnFb0olxLOSYIaGlD5ERrjL43U0q3KCtOEci-A_4Wiy2hPjda3VWwLfbJ7zQOe4RxINWrJp9iCeB3h-pA1ozJG-SL3hiS2fMlafiRt-DnoodI9KrKtZM7ouR3H/s200/20180531_122627.jpg" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Castle Chapel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Searching for Copenhagen castles, we found many Copenhagen castle tours that would take us to Frederiksborg and Kronberg (of Hamlet fame) in a <a href="https://www.expedia.com/things-to-do/frederiksborg-kronborg-castles-tour.a192564.activity-details" target="_blank">group tour</a>. However, there is a cheaper and a more flexible way to this tour yourself. Our adventure started in the Copenhagen Central Station. The main station is just across from Tivoli Gardens in the center of the city. We purchased a Tourist Ticket to All Zones. It would cover us anywhere that we wanted to go for 24 hours at a price of 150 DKK ~ $23. Unfortunately, US or most foreign credit cards do not work on the automated machines, hence we had to wait in a queue at the customer service, where the clerk verified my card with an ID before accepting it. Next we took the S train to Hillerød. They have excellent frequency. We got some lunch at <a href="https://sunrisebagel.dk/" target="_blank">Sunrise Bagel</a>, and then headed straight to the Frederiksborg castle, which is a nice 20 minute walk from the station.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitO1CCb-flIhGjTQfAUt4oseU40-L9M89xPzayvp-xieZ_xRUTuhOLrCSxNE32Q0I7J1RlGgQEJU0-uXLgGXeexLqO-IL125GQHZchlfbAkwofG_vi1p3jlLNkr0h84FonwnYLFjYdqjmq/s1600/IMG_5878.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitO1CCb-flIhGjTQfAUt4oseU40-L9M89xPzayvp-xieZ_xRUTuhOLrCSxNE32Q0I7J1RlGgQEJU0-uXLgGXeexLqO-IL125GQHZchlfbAkwofG_vi1p3jlLNkr0h84FonwnYLFjYdqjmq/s200/IMG_5878.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frederiksborg castle and the lake</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQfb_udjY0D2-qrset_InnaKnfKuc8tRIiQrilwaFm6zQaD5VDohxtpYMYV2Sm_8vFJ5mpjh9HhZ6rV5WHBVr75xhgSuxF51aHr1emotxu7B9MThT8Mxfj4601WAT8TO5Tim60jm3I8pyQ/s1600/IMG_5885.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQfb_udjY0D2-qrset_InnaKnfKuc8tRIiQrilwaFm6zQaD5VDohxtpYMYV2Sm_8vFJ5mpjh9HhZ6rV5WHBVr75xhgSuxF51aHr1emotxu7B9MThT8Mxfj4601WAT8TO5Tim60jm3I8pyQ/s200/IMG_5885.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kronborg Castle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Frederiksborg Castle (Admission 75 DKK ~ $12) dates from the 13th century, but its first incarnation was unacceptably plain and functional. This impressive Renaissance castle was built in the first decades of the 17th century by the Danish King Christian IV. There is a detailed and interesting audio guide available at ticketing, which enables you to learn about the history and the purpose of the most important rooms of the palace.<br />
Our second Copenhagen castle to visit was Kronborg Castle in Helsingør. We headed back to Hillerød station (and through the best ever 7-11 one last time) to catch the 930R train to Helsingør.<br />
We skipped exploring this one from the inside, as the reviews said there isn't much to see here, except for a hamlet style play enacted by the performer inside the castle.<br />
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<b>Day 6 (Malmö and Lund, Sweden)</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidsO78hisLMX8yaSsdus0S-6x5OU2cuWITwNAQc1N82A9ih_7YVzLJNiYiQznU44GgzS-orK7NWQ4QygBJjRMMphkFMjxvYehkQ9ORttX2J5D99NSobvLZ00TzGm17NcdvGFlWrNN-CTwH/s1600/IMG_5888.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidsO78hisLMX8yaSsdus0S-6x5OU2cuWITwNAQc1N82A9ih_7YVzLJNiYiQznU44GgzS-orK7NWQ4QygBJjRMMphkFMjxvYehkQ9ORttX2J5D99NSobvLZ00TzGm17NcdvGFlWrNN-CTwH/s200/IMG_5888.JPG" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lund Cathedral, Sweden</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiffT4Ilc4EHfWm8I0PjRnS-rVdeUSBsQ2Es9oWUv5BH1BKmhiYwwRObZbu8fI_2ZnmCHFBrwBT98as3cF3tImNs35tTk0tjz5RcI40KCjJkm8-2hXyQBjMkFvA6E91r3XSmmctSnrYgOjv/s1600/IMG_5890.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiffT4Ilc4EHfWm8I0PjRnS-rVdeUSBsQ2Es9oWUv5BH1BKmhiYwwRObZbu8fI_2ZnmCHFBrwBT98as3cF3tImNs35tTk0tjz5RcI40KCjJkm8-2hXyQBjMkFvA6E91r3XSmmctSnrYgOjv/s200/IMG_5890.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A street in Lund</td></tr>
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For our last day in Copenhagen, we had planned on a day trip across the border from Copenhagen to Sweden. The Øresund Bridge connects Denmark with Sweden. The bridge is the longest combined road and rail bridge in Europe and connects two major metropolitan areas: Copenhagen, the Danish capital city, and the Swedish city of Malmö. Due to the fact we were crossing over to another country we had to take our passports with us. The tickets to this train are sold separately, as a 24 pass, so you can go back and forth as many times in a day. Crossing the Oresund bridge was pretty cool though, the train ducks down underground for a bit then pops up whilst flying over the water, it’s a great view so a window seat is a must if you are ever traveling across it. However, the view from the bus or a car which runs above the train is more awesome, we were told, though a little more expensive.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ7y5mnT04jJ_Z_DzAO7J29aBygWgzm0UsFtCQ70BL9Jk11tzXgTssGjcxR2c1Vb2nIfhp5_uk-yHWpeRHY0CxxM0pwUUQYcABryFppxLGZToiDO_GY0oEKFJhzx7QGCoZBBz9jHAaCOU-/s1600/IMG_5894.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ7y5mnT04jJ_Z_DzAO7J29aBygWgzm0UsFtCQ70BL9Jk11tzXgTssGjcxR2c1Vb2nIfhp5_uk-yHWpeRHY0CxxM0pwUUQYcABryFppxLGZToiDO_GY0oEKFJhzx7QGCoZBBz9jHAaCOU-/s200/IMG_5894.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the Malmö town sqaure</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsxje7qMIz19aW3hnzcbsDeX13H4Y-wW4ml6frXqemUeQIWC6444PBkVv8Emy_aLy3NB9lWnaNdShdY4j5YlYt7yCTtfjVZfxRe4uksN6G9G1R4AfnDOxtOIRQ1Ah6ol8MGqCTVlMcS0mZ/s1600/IMG_5905.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsxje7qMIz19aW3hnzcbsDeX13H4Y-wW4ml6frXqemUeQIWC6444PBkVv8Emy_aLy3NB9lWnaNdShdY4j5YlYt7yCTtfjVZfxRe4uksN6G9G1R4AfnDOxtOIRQ1Ah6ol8MGqCTVlMcS0mZ/s200/IMG_5905.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A street in Malmö </td></tr>
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We arrived in Lund in about an hour after having left Copenhagen central station at around 11 am. Lund is a small university town, however it is sometimes mentioned as the oldest town or city in present-day Sweden, though it has only been a formal Swedish city for 300 years of its at least thousand year long history.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZr9mwVeiak3sa8h9emPpwb3N7oN0mqOmltgj8TkvtjEzWvllRbkIrbeE56AYA0SETt30wOv215L4oqzAC7fbvfZXJh03-UD5x5YTdlAPFEDSBEsvrWOurTBaHyj5bv7zNMDYjb9dePV0k/s1600/IMG_5903.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZr9mwVeiak3sa8h9emPpwb3N7oN0mqOmltgj8TkvtjEzWvllRbkIrbeE56AYA0SETt30wOv215L4oqzAC7fbvfZXJh03-UD5x5YTdlAPFEDSBEsvrWOurTBaHyj5bv7zNMDYjb9dePV0k/s200/IMG_5903.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our guide, Adam, showing us the span<br />
of the Swedish empire during it's heyday</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We visited the cathedral in the center of the town, before heading for some delicious lunch at <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g189838-d740115-Reviews-Govindas-Lund_Skane_County.html" target="_blank">Govindas</a>.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3-UdV9AvdyVbLV8QTN9C1toyFgrhzg1-e1OBEZkeigQHCqxe85J3XDQVI5DVGfvRUO9pa3YFHOH-HxUsAdbCU3TDDk1hlzGoWHMttCwL1wqAeNOkTNX7ArLwDTOsVWhLzM5OLDwcRfL6/s1600/20180601_114459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw3-UdV9AvdyVbLV8QTN9C1toyFgrhzg1-e1OBEZkeigQHCqxe85J3XDQVI5DVGfvRUO9pa3YFHOH-HxUsAdbCU3TDDk1hlzGoWHMttCwL1wqAeNOkTNX7ArLwDTOsVWhLzM5OLDwcRfL6/s200/20180601_114459.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch at Govindas</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After a heavy lunch, we boarded the train to Malmö. Malmö is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_city" target="_blank">gamma world city</a>, the third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the sixth-largest city in Scandinavia. Since the construction of the Øresund Bridge, Malmö has undergone a major transformation with architectural developments, and it has attracted new biotech and IT companies.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieUveJ1f5C1Pq7orIppCBEMxRoMO3bmun5uCnavhOQUC-0wqz6hAopipevY4Eywju_aIGuN4XkHiZUha2u1wi10wFIaXilCpsIoGbJ3qmloKFxWe9g7iruY-iv7hqI5kf-wM4n65HJgNIB/s1600/IMG_5899.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieUveJ1f5C1Pq7orIppCBEMxRoMO3bmun5uCnavhOQUC-0wqz6hAopipevY4Eywju_aIGuN4XkHiZUha2u1wi10wFIaXilCpsIoGbJ3qmloKFxWe9g7iruY-iv7hqI5kf-wM4n65HJgNIB/s200/IMG_5899.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gamla kyrkogården</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV6g6mAweEQ_dBy1C6kAUBn97MDdje6s3oq1XlmcLI3SmSYV-W1dA6dqq-eIAB1CM8dv4d_tXGGstHZKLarJ-8UsvaQSWCe2nV9Qkp3sb9_mrKBpx6q6GkohVWCdAz2g3WlSFOzzWt7EFG/s1600/IMG_5898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV6g6mAweEQ_dBy1C6kAUBn97MDdje6s3oq1XlmcLI3SmSYV-W1dA6dqq-eIAB1CM8dv4d_tXGGstHZKLarJ-8UsvaQSWCe2nV9Qkp3sb9_mrKBpx6q6GkohVWCdAz2g3WlSFOzzWt7EFG/s200/IMG_5898.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Griffin Sculpture, Malmö</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We had booked a <a href="http://www.malmowalkingtours.com/" target="_blank">free walking tour</a>, which started promptly at 1 pm, lead by our guide Adam. We learned about the historic town square, and the Swedish empire through it's 1000+ years time, and the many battles between the Swedes and Danes. We also saw the beautiful Gamla kyrkogården, and sites such as Slottsmöllan, Malmöhus, and more.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Day 7 (Riga, Latvia)</b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSDO1S16ZgdaktSh4L1rYtqH5nfnTj8WvQNGDdR1mjHphhAkCwhP6z_ec2pMescXadbYpwQdFFMjf4HmLDactz8FeczUg7mtHBshqZ5y2qEQYyWu7eYTiZXUhd7G_ZRzjnkhytjxCuJE5J/s1600/IMG_5945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSDO1S16ZgdaktSh4L1rYtqH5nfnTj8WvQNGDdR1mjHphhAkCwhP6z_ec2pMescXadbYpwQdFFMjf4HmLDactz8FeczUg7mtHBshqZ5y2qEQYyWu7eYTiZXUhd7G_ZRzjnkhytjxCuJE5J/s200/IMG_5945.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riga from St Peter's church</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif6qHzTlrF0VauSTS68FgiQXKwEayuiY1CCtcQ6_hkL-cYwahszPvwvKG5Mb-ZzxsoQaA0xoBUNr7v-5Pbp4_DeL5UmqyuvfVbljUqvZiTU1bjER_VyZGDOVjnI2u5FHGroKMPDqekIr5_/s1600/IMG_5908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif6qHzTlrF0VauSTS68FgiQXKwEayuiY1CCtcQ6_hkL-cYwahszPvwvKG5Mb-ZzxsoQaA0xoBUNr7v-5Pbp4_DeL5UmqyuvfVbljUqvZiTU1bjER_VyZGDOVjnI2u5FHGroKMPDqekIr5_/s200/IMG_5908.JPG" width="133" /></a></div>
Next morning we took the 9 am Air Baltic flight from Copenhagen to Riga, Latvia’s capital, set on the Baltic Sea at the mouth of the River Daugava. We had pre-ordered breakfast for 9 Euros on the flight, it consisted of an omelette, juice, bread, croissant and yogurt; which was very decent for the price. We landed at around 11:40 am and had coffee at the airport to kill time, since our check-in wasn't scheduled until 1:30 pm and the city is only 9 km from the airport. After coffee, we took a "<a href="https://taxify.eu/" target="_blank">taxify</a>" (6 euros) to our Airbnb in Riga. After settling into the apartment, we headed out.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOxYGeR9b_MmD1qgX_V2N1E6jvn_Ct1fD3ti9rKy1zaWfreGwGIaI6pn2XJsOtvGtuBas8wcDUb1i6BTJ4BYjB5GlXTYGTUJJLQBDlKyU9Jlc5Tb4sWHEvGs5QgLfvsBlwFu-TV9td1knO/s1600/20180602_192614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOxYGeR9b_MmD1qgX_V2N1E6jvn_Ct1fD3ti9rKy1zaWfreGwGIaI6pn2XJsOtvGtuBas8wcDUb1i6BTJ4BYjB5GlXTYGTUJJLQBDlKyU9Jlc5Tb4sWHEvGs5QgLfvsBlwFu-TV9td1knO/s200/20180602_192614.jpg" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The famous <br />
Riga Balsam</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcnuKm_VFh6pOxMBZEYz1j6lIzNC0uWS5_u9c9MfFOX8mAozljUQV_xAJF8KxzV_MSoPcKVc-qK_yhErqRvGnhk19SezPNdRSTQGWeViHFlBNcbsbRHOexXTKdQ0RI_FcVajAiFwnuqFHj/s1600/IMG_5914.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcnuKm_VFh6pOxMBZEYz1j6lIzNC0uWS5_u9c9MfFOX8mAozljUQV_xAJF8KxzV_MSoPcKVc-qK_yhErqRvGnhk19SezPNdRSTQGWeViHFlBNcbsbRHOexXTKdQ0RI_FcVajAiFwnuqFHj/s200/IMG_5914.JPG" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">World's first <br />
decorated Christmas tree</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We started off our exploration in Riga with a <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g274967-d10435102-Reviews-Old_Riga_Walking_Tour-Riga_Riga_Region.html" target="_blank">walking tour of the old town</a> with our guide Andis Artmanis. Andis was born and brought up in Riga, and has lived through most of his life when Latvia was still a part of the former USSR. And this is a very important part of Lativa's more modern history. Most people, here, speak Latvian and Russian as their first and second languages respectively. However, the younger generation (who were born after the fall of the Soviet union in 1990) speaks relatively fluent English, and a little less Russian than the older generation, which was brought up in under the Soviet rule, for whom the latter is the reverse.<br />
Andis started off the tour with he called the birthplace of Riga. It was just an old, almost destroyed ruin, on the bank of an then existing river<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2mdFxdu4crUgqnHwziIJazNKwZQwN1zA5RfLT3LEN1-3S8o_5vU_2UNZ8jjsCc7kKpdJsJF3LULVvgFvCzh3gEeq3-JzdHpo_FgMscagh-CjL5HzctzyuSd8tfethDcpCiAx0Gq3DQ88U/s1600/IMG_5913.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2mdFxdu4crUgqnHwziIJazNKwZQwN1zA5RfLT3LEN1-3S8o_5vU_2UNZ8jjsCc7kKpdJsJF3LULVvgFvCzh3gEeq3-JzdHpo_FgMscagh-CjL5HzctzyuSd8tfethDcpCiAx0Gq3DQ88U/s200/IMG_5913.JPG" width="133" /></a><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqibNUPItNoyNMgeLDgKHasybXqJ2zyySaZpgFj0TNmuu8a8P-uPkV469VKVPkMsB4b4NsjpqSzEO2lO2Znvong4e1Ta59EbAVpTZvJ5T_TUQzWGBFwveOKcmRzrorwwi-Sg4Z-OMlU4Nb/s1600/20180602_165918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqibNUPItNoyNMgeLDgKHasybXqJ2zyySaZpgFj0TNmuu8a8P-uPkV469VKVPkMsB4b4NsjpqSzEO2lO2Znvong4e1Ta59EbAVpTZvJ5T_TUQzWGBFwveOKcmRzrorwwi-Sg4Z-OMlU4Nb/s200/20180602_165918.jpg" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ghost alley, Riga</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
He then took us on trip across the old town, encountering the St Peter's church, Riga Cathedral, Riga's Monument to Christmas Tree, where the first decorated Christmas tree was erected, <a href="https://www.inyourpocket.com/riga/cat-house_11172v" target="_blank">the famous Riga Cat house</a>, the art noveou district, and many other symbolic monuments like the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish_Gate,_Riga" target="_blank">Swedish Gate</a>, the last remaining wall of Riga, <a href="https://www.dreamstime.com/editorial-stock-image-ghost-sculpture-riga-latvia-june-st-riga-st-june-was-created-image75599274" target="_blank">the ghost alley</a> among other things.<br />
The tour also included a stop to taste the famous Riga black balsam, and we ended up buying a small bottle at the local grocery store.<br />
<b>Day 8 (Riga, Latvia)</b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7bqOGCUTnXRdmHCl4RNBzEfnKyJ4yNOJw2yGOdpXKNDBaPBcEsL1uy2YKEqy07AhtJUhmGGAk449-aMhTknJaqO-Hj5-B_rZiBXKM9La24A5wFa9aPwgsMrPNehxSpRQzIrqXm5hH8jRu/s1600/IMG_5929.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7bqOGCUTnXRdmHCl4RNBzEfnKyJ4yNOJw2yGOdpXKNDBaPBcEsL1uy2YKEqy07AhtJUhmGGAk449-aMhTknJaqO-Hj5-B_rZiBXKM9La24A5wFa9aPwgsMrPNehxSpRQzIrqXm5hH8jRu/s200/IMG_5929.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The flower market inside the central<br />
market in Riga</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZFqGoECm3Gy9b_NTnNDOx1SLBdv1VislrSnl44E6Q9pKE4rhr9xIJohFMRovd3Nvms1IhELH4als-nx04SeIpBvBTHAJnK_jNfFWaV7Cy4oDGctPbY-NiZ70GPXDERLg5ptnpaXP3eA1/s1600/IMG_5930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZFqGoECm3Gy9b_NTnNDOx1SLBdv1VislrSnl44E6Q9pKE4rhr9xIJohFMRovd3Nvms1IhELH4als-nx04SeIpBvBTHAJnK_jNfFWaV7Cy4oDGctPbY-NiZ70GPXDERLg5ptnpaXP3eA1/s200/IMG_5930.JPG" width="200" /></a>We started off our last full day in Riga, with a trip to the local Riga market as the KGB building wasn't open until 10 am.<br />
Riga Central Market (Latvian: Rīgas Centrāltirgus) is Europe's largest market and bazaar. In operation since 1570, the market flourished during the mid-1600s when the city outgrew Stockholm to become the largest stronghold of the Swedish Empire. Laden with goods, boats travelling down the Daugava river would meet those traversing the Baltic Sea for a mutually beneficial exchange.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF-Uxp4b-LZO0sz0Uwju57QDwrODPz5iIAMeqpa_YstxflK6c1SiZdllgs8Zv9HFG6Bzm7ldNABqcL4zztuWDfipVXCPsTg5dbh1GENLAWo3-UOvFVzriINAhpeSxZ9NfvCbj7b7bMhkqz/s1600/20180603_101651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF-Uxp4b-LZO0sz0Uwju57QDwrODPz5iIAMeqpa_YstxflK6c1SiZdllgs8Zv9HFG6Bzm7ldNABqcL4zztuWDfipVXCPsTg5dbh1GENLAWo3-UOvFVzriINAhpeSxZ9NfvCbj7b7bMhkqz/s200/20180603_101651.jpg" width="200" /></a>Here you can find anything from fresh fruit and vegetables, to flowers, to fish and meat.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDi7r8euFdh0AHyHoHydD-YpyoEP17bZVzF6lVkKYOT6yTh1zA1bHYvpdQv7QlbAtuAGHmC16uEzas895DIy-tDmeX5uyFWnBI1SjC-86KveleMw6hKSUYU4T2AiMFsBpefzEY1VlVBtcN/s1600/20180603_104307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDi7r8euFdh0AHyHoHydD-YpyoEP17bZVzF6lVkKYOT6yTh1zA1bHYvpdQv7QlbAtuAGHmC16uEzas895DIy-tDmeX5uyFWnBI1SjC-86KveleMw6hKSUYU4T2AiMFsBpefzEY1VlVBtcN/s200/20180603_104307.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An interrogation table in the building</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRdsAzaGRn2ILByk3x2suctFxHPeW5gySMmzCazU7s-VQEL4ECbWlctPWoE6sDN0KlUCNzjsxuckz5PXv5rbBNW0wSTZaitd1P5Hu7evvP7kO_q_T3CnZCWHrYPVkst4iibJIuTlNxofUq/s1600/20180603_110506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRdsAzaGRn2ILByk3x2suctFxHPeW5gySMmzCazU7s-VQEL4ECbWlctPWoE6sDN0KlUCNzjsxuckz5PXv5rbBNW0wSTZaitd1P5Hu7evvP7kO_q_T3CnZCWHrYPVkst4iibJIuTlNxofUq/s200/20180603_110506.jpg" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The prison cells in<br />
the buidling</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja1H4LjHqgeNIqbPWMliETySYuFteL6X6l98VWNT5YtpqeADXhMxMlO7re5Vc2gWJqdZXAbLbN4JGRL7zm71_imU8MIAAEHrJE7yvUmG7gFfMIpuZYZN1yi7jwSK8ti0PZgcmvFzMVuFI5/s1600/IMG_5933.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja1H4LjHqgeNIqbPWMliETySYuFteL6X6l98VWNT5YtpqeADXhMxMlO7re5Vc2gWJqdZXAbLbN4JGRL7zm71_imU8MIAAEHrJE7yvUmG7gFfMIpuZYZN1yi7jwSK8ti0PZgcmvFzMVuFI5/s200/IMG_5933.JPG" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Nativity Cathedral</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhADZFhIsMLlDDZY3BXM4HBUS5pGlhOFoERdtGLFIuGwwaYE-7GdUE0ZrkPVA-Pqgoow_AE8P5DDaIxAuV1rYm2a8d-sx0ysk3zGIKHwQseyG8yMAJVA-6466gSRPujqivMTx29rdtu3pCF/s1600/IMG_5931.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhADZFhIsMLlDDZY3BXM4HBUS5pGlhOFoERdtGLFIuGwwaYE-7GdUE0ZrkPVA-Pqgoow_AE8P5DDaIxAuV1rYm2a8d-sx0ysk3zGIKHwQseyG8yMAJVA-6466gSRPujqivMTx29rdtu3pCF/s200/IMG_5931.JPG" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Saviour's Anglican Church</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We then took a Taxify cab to our next stop, the <a href="https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=I4kiW9q8BonSjwTljqSQBQ&q=KGB%20museum%20riga&oq=+KGB+museum+riga&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0l3j0i22i30k1l6.44.1448.0.1687.7.4.0.2.2.0.190.510.0j4.4.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..1.6.531.0...0.CZ16GSI6D9g&npsic=0&rflfq=1&rlha=0&rllag=56958131,24124129,1&tbm=lcl&rldimm=6951548638722046669&ved=0ahUKEwiB8LzJu9PbAhXKx4MKHXR6DgsQvS4ISDAA&rldoc=1&tbs=lrf:!2m1!1e2!2m1!1e3!3sIAE,lf:1,lf_ui:1#rlfi=hd:;si:6951548638722046669;mv:!1m3!1d22.660993231661784!2d24.124129349999997!3d56.9581311!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1!2i2!4f13.1;tbs:lrf:!2m1!1e2!2m1!1e3!3sIAE,lf:1,lf_ui:1" target="_blank">KGB museum</a>. The museum which was actually a former KGB building and jail cell. The Soviet regime was supported by the Soviet political secret police, called Cheka. It was founded in December 1917 as “The All-Russian Special Commission” for combating counterrevolution and sabotage. It quickly established a large and oppressive apparatus that searched for and physically eliminated any opponents of the Soviet philosophy. The Museum offers guided tours of the basement prison cells and an exhibition about the history of KGB activities in Latvia during the Soviet occupation.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-cCXjE_2oHy3Yn6UPRZ9hiGOFmqNDjTGRfM0Glg_FjaqY3J75CUhYrhTGTT8ctyFBXkr_YRoRcCVFxmYpJ4xsJs7cB3m19BWbtLfzla-X0-oWhid8iJJXe0IgLNuaNNYjko5YXI7wF2A_/s1600/IMG_5932.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-cCXjE_2oHy3Yn6UPRZ9hiGOFmqNDjTGRfM0Glg_FjaqY3J75CUhYrhTGTT8ctyFBXkr_YRoRcCVFxmYpJ4xsJs7cB3m19BWbtLfzla-X0-oWhid8iJJXe0IgLNuaNNYjko5YXI7wF2A_/s200/IMG_5932.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Alexander Nevsky Church</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We then started the tour of the building with a guide, who described the atrocities committed by the KGB on the Latvian people during the Soviet occupation.<br />
<br />
On the way back, we stopped to admire some of Riga's beautiful cathedrals and churches, pictured above.<br />
<b></b><br />
<b></b>
<b>Day 9 (Riga to Tallinn)</b><br />
<b></b>For trip from Riga to Tallinn, instead taking a direct flight (50 min) or a bus (5 hours), we had booked a <a href="https://www.rigatraveller.com/tour/riga-tallinn-sightseeing-shuttle-bus" target="_blank">sightseeing tour van through Riga Traveler</a>. Their knowledgeable local guides take a small group, of max 8 people, a 12 hour road trip from Riga to Tallinn, crossing about 4 to 5 different sites in northern Latvia and southern and central Estonia along the way.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ_TmBZFM_GjbTLoldV_bfp8NW7sjCwdatdDmxQnF4NC94o3DT9S9d1p9QI4pd5NyqhZhEVEujKcqhnOyM6g1sFxus8k2M4RUn-VND7XxHj9kbfNW250e1fYL4uhWqsI4coLWTxiTrmxwS/s1600/IMG_5958.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ_TmBZFM_GjbTLoldV_bfp8NW7sjCwdatdDmxQnF4NC94o3DT9S9d1p9QI4pd5NyqhZhEVEujKcqhnOyM6g1sFxus8k2M4RUn-VND7XxHj9kbfNW250e1fYL4uhWqsI4coLWTxiTrmxwS/s200/IMG_5958.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cēsis fortress in Latvia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqcfEbAufAD4hwvlE5W1VB8mAUaXB_vpME_D8-_yovMUdwFwpvT4nZypdhGacH9LSQ3cbU7JnunYN_U8-0fceBloja2fCxBNZb2Zai_nJkqL8OFlHDlFcsIC0_tg2up6V7DcDr1jaSqVds/s1600/20180604_100912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqcfEbAufAD4hwvlE5W1VB8mAUaXB_vpME_D8-_yovMUdwFwpvT4nZypdhGacH9LSQ3cbU7JnunYN_U8-0fceBloja2fCxBNZb2Zai_nJkqL8OFlHDlFcsIC0_tg2up6V7DcDr1jaSqVds/s200/20180604_100912.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.latvia.travel/en/sight/luge-and-bobsleigh-track-sigulda" style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;" target="_blank">Sigulda Bobsleigh Track</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br />
We started off at 9 am from Riga, making our way to the first stop at the <a href="http://www.latvia.travel/en/sight/luge-and-bobsleigh-track-sigulda" target="_blank">Sigulda Bobsleigh Track</a>. Although the view was good from the top, the attraction itself was a bit of a letdown. The total length of the bobsleigh and luge Track is 1200 m and allows for a maximum speed of 125 km/h. There are separate starting points for men and women along the track though.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXr9hCJ3JckfIAZtMTVVcWyCdmmibFkZLJRcUuju8CXluEGulPBKQyC-TLKG5vYdvlLEVfgigzkYNmyEPTQNaEiD6W-85xNVV6f5BcDnjhkJKR-FFEdOP8FqXK3tSlvL1jZVLzS3lFhz-t/s1600/IMG_5961.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXr9hCJ3JckfIAZtMTVVcWyCdmmibFkZLJRcUuju8CXluEGulPBKQyC-TLKG5vYdvlLEVfgigzkYNmyEPTQNaEiD6W-85xNVV6f5BcDnjhkJKR-FFEdOP8FqXK3tSlvL1jZVLzS3lFhz-t/s200/IMG_5961.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stairs leading to the castle from<br />
the castle grounds</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Our next stop was fortress town of Cēsis in central Latvia. With over 800 years of history, Cesis is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in the Baltics. The medieval castle ruins are the symbol of Cēsis. The Cēsis castle suffered greatly in 1577 during the siege set by the army of Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible. With the rapid development of military equipment, the ancient fortress lost its military importance, but it was still inhabited until the end of the 17th century. The 19th century aroused broader public interest to turn the castle into a historic monument. Today, Cēsis Castle is one of the most special destinations of cultural tourism in Latvia; its uniqueness attracts travelers from all over the world.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggTPRyVoMUyRrHfJcS1CXZf1Mv-au2KOX8qf71s0GoCcsJLxIA-_7LjHkLqUU-4bwnwWZCbJHIQLzn7OyeASvR7W-zrTnV3NdPP63gFeui5V_EsZ1bt65jksEUQmGANwiMABl14AYoqUj9/s1600/IMG_5980.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggTPRyVoMUyRrHfJcS1CXZf1Mv-au2KOX8qf71s0GoCcsJLxIA-_7LjHkLqUU-4bwnwWZCbJHIQLzn7OyeASvR7W-zrTnV3NdPP63gFeui5V_EsZ1bt65jksEUQmGANwiMABl14AYoqUj9/s200/IMG_5980.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gauja National Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2LCfE4ZoUiBbDh_iy3k-rtfhpKSxzajmmkcoV9vKzjjgO4VmSchr2HO8cs0S87or9iYYbve3HonuoaffQPIOECoZsGJ4caCs8Lf7KtfcYthz0o9YSlS-aiz1qEeiXkHtW7Ws-5ePxkpvj/s1600/Metsis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2LCfE4ZoUiBbDh_iy3k-rtfhpKSxzajmmkcoV9vKzjjgO4VmSchr2HO8cs0S87or9iYYbve3HonuoaffQPIOECoZsGJ4caCs8Lf7KtfcYthz0o9YSlS-aiz1qEeiXkHtW7Ws-5ePxkpvj/s200/Metsis.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch in Valga at Hotel Metsis</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We left Cesis at around noon for our next stop at the Gauja National Park. This park is the largest and oldest of the national parks in Latvia, characterized by great biological diversity. Magnificent sandstone outcrops, rocks, cliffs and caves are among the park’s major attractions. The grayish sandstones were formed 350-370 million years ago.<br />
We did a small hike around the sandstone, which was made very easy by the wooden steps on the routes along the Gauja valley.<br />
Our next stop was for lunch at the Estonian border town of Valga, at <a href="https://www.hotellmetsis.com/" target="_blank">Hotel Metsis</a>.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj80PpStJ5it7a7JbQ6bxX8VAK4OUzLFTdCUhKbV38dovuM5MvGDQzjRbCmCKGNQRu2Y6cTYXWtEku_xaxFUc6PvnFcEgSl8EKbm2ENv8OxvqcKkf0HI_pTdoM5HAUOtd_x7eNQhxDCn7mw/s1600/20180604_181454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj80PpStJ5it7a7JbQ6bxX8VAK4OUzLFTdCUhKbV38dovuM5MvGDQzjRbCmCKGNQRu2Y6cTYXWtEku_xaxFUc6PvnFcEgSl8EKbm2ENv8OxvqcKkf0HI_pTdoM5HAUOtd_x7eNQhxDCn7mw/s200/20180604_181454.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the Viljandi castle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3eFar9T92SwkIMIDueg5Mq9ibOilzMZ3I8i9ifkg9YQ7SY0Q88WWuagu9xx7QvMXtMDrZceQN_7OouIzN86zPbLYhtXjJQ1UxNnT2EZGzOSaZ4QPnPEMc0ryA95mO2qqm9HMxZ5bwRHJj/s1600/20180604_181116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3eFar9T92SwkIMIDueg5Mq9ibOilzMZ3I8i9ifkg9YQ7SY0Q88WWuagu9xx7QvMXtMDrZceQN_7OouIzN86zPbLYhtXjJQ1UxNnT2EZGzOSaZ4QPnPEMc0ryA95mO2qqm9HMxZ5bwRHJj/s200/20180604_181116.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The crumbling Vijandi Castle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After lunch, we were driven about 2 minutes to our next stop, a history and military museum in Valga. The museum was basically a tribute to the Estonian military which has stood up the Germans and the later the Soviets, the last century. The descriptions, were all unfortunately in Russian and Estonian, so we could not really learn much by reading about the artifacts. However, most of them consisted of uniforms of the Estonian military, and various types of guns from the wars the army has fought in the past.</div>
We then moved forward to our last stop, the romantic Estonian town of Viljandi and its <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viljandi_Castle" target="_blank">crumbling crusader castle</a>.<br />
About 2 hours after leaving Viljandi, we arrived in Tallinn at around 9 pm, and checked into our Airbnb.<br />
<b></b>
<b>Day 10 (Tallinn, Estonia)</b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNLQrICCljj-7BiyTroHMPvo8lsNLyNIYhuJuaInShBW6dYzENVb5hyHPBbQD32PeW76p8ULP3zDqDqsIQcQMXK7OoEvh6ec1-Oa0VRckV2ACGG-PciUDrDWTgovwLPfFVmlIWZQKvdqU/s1600/IMG_6000.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigNLQrICCljj-7BiyTroHMPvo8lsNLyNIYhuJuaInShBW6dYzENVb5hyHPBbQD32PeW76p8ULP3zDqDqsIQcQMXK7OoEvh6ec1-Oa0VRckV2ACGG-PciUDrDWTgovwLPfFVmlIWZQKvdqU/s200/IMG_6000.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Freedom square in Tallinn</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoNR9583xWMwAdFAxDl6wKtZTi2XlemciRLurnhYbPFszzBa7vjElYDbAGHooqRMpoatS2or31FjtAMMlvSi1qUKNvc09mfJyVSCa2hccNc99DKZzP3v-ScW9ohyphenhyphen6KqQzen3QZzUGKDxXH/s1600/IMG_6004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoNR9583xWMwAdFAxDl6wKtZTi2XlemciRLurnhYbPFszzBa7vjElYDbAGHooqRMpoatS2or31FjtAMMlvSi1qUKNvc09mfJyVSCa2hccNc99DKZzP3v-ScW9ohyphenhyphen6KqQzen3QZzUGKDxXH/s200/IMG_6004.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alexander Nevsky Cathedral</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Our only full day in Tallinn started with a <a href="https://www.traveller.ee/tour/tallinn-free-tour" target="_blank">free walking tour</a> at 10 am, organized by the same company that took us from Riga to Tallinn the previous day. During the 2-hour we covered the most important sights of the Old Town, and learnt the history of Estonia and the people who live here.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicnp70JFvHeLj0oqubhau5zPvKEsCCzKTx1PVwgG9XhrfHyIygQQZUU0jyA2MVovKHPEnRJuZQxK8cIZLf4JQgcIatozRj9CEeuTbpUtzcCSwA78RnLqv01GHEMiKhcHNB9r_Pr24jM8Dl/s1600/IMG_6005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicnp70JFvHeLj0oqubhau5zPvKEsCCzKTx1PVwgG9XhrfHyIygQQZUU0jyA2MVovKHPEnRJuZQxK8cIZLf4JQgcIatozRj9CEeuTbpUtzcCSwA78RnLqv01GHEMiKhcHNB9r_Pr24jM8Dl/s200/IMG_6005.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toompea Castle tower</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlCcup29focWS6uGn6SQ1K0HvlP_hPsuTaqsv7wCkiwj_Ywql3jRHyYmIaNYIfSeRRWYiqv1GKSaTzrnkUiL-c1E9sVliGkmmdnBS5HP6dcPH6MHXiiouM16AvXhVZZ3qzWkVFuxXWIaT7/s1600/IMG_6028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlCcup29focWS6uGn6SQ1K0HvlP_hPsuTaqsv7wCkiwj_Ywql3jRHyYmIaNYIfSeRRWYiqv1GKSaTzrnkUiL-c1E9sVliGkmmdnBS5HP6dcPH6MHXiiouM16AvXhVZZ3qzWkVFuxXWIaT7/s200/IMG_6028.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tallinn from <a href="http://oleviste.ee/" target="_blank">St Olaf's church</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We started off about 2 blocks from our Airbnb and then made our way to the freedom square. The War of Independence Victory Column, pictured on the right, was opened in 2009 as a memorial for those who fell during the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estonian_War_of_Independence" target="_blank">Estonian War of Independence</a>. The pillar is made out of glass plates. Next we made our way to the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. A Russian orthodox cathedral built to a design by Mikhail Preobrazhensky in a typical Russian Revival style, between 1894 and 1900. The cathedral was strategically placed opposite the Estonian parliament by the Soviet Union, as a reminder as to who was in charge.<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghCWt8LESuenYXp2UBq1ETiGIu44ehgjBikKSUUJvBv1OnxAOYknYu98-tYJVzRbVjnMvfr7h9jAlEhlwFjybvEc4R1pH83zA2OSUZIK4jtTTpqZ_SkVCo-hZbAxr2ntW4rxbmwvTeGUVd/s1600/20180605_195520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghCWt8LESuenYXp2UBq1ETiGIu44ehgjBikKSUUJvBv1OnxAOYknYu98-tYJVzRbVjnMvfr7h9jAlEhlwFjybvEc4R1pH83zA2OSUZIK4jtTTpqZ_SkVCo-hZbAxr2ntW4rxbmwvTeGUVd/s200/20180605_195520.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tallinn from Patkuli<br />
viewing platform</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhDPuoiSrsNoVJg7qLJZRooS1lgBYqyIdH4QF7a_mhnNv-BH2oasTu82MwU7gXkAAtbCY9fbr1CH9vWdcLwTKr-x-1kYM_9RaUu3pCHtNzuiZ8NV5qf7TjvDgwxq2kSQPaurcfA7rTKHBm/s1600/IMG_6016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhDPuoiSrsNoVJg7qLJZRooS1lgBYqyIdH4QF7a_mhnNv-BH2oasTu82MwU7gXkAAtbCY9fbr1CH9vWdcLwTKr-x-1kYM_9RaUu3pCHtNzuiZ8NV5qf7TjvDgwxq2kSQPaurcfA7rTKHBm/s200/IMG_6016.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A street in Tallinn old town</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We then made our way to the parliament building, which is officially the Toompea Castle, where our guide showed us some Estonian dance people do when the weather is too cold for their liking. The flag of Estonia is hoisted at the top of the tower every day at sunrise, to the sound of the national anthem, and lowered at sunset, and is representative of whose rule Estonia is currently under. It hoisted the Soviet flag until 1991.<br />
We then made our way to the Patkuli viewing platform where you can get a view of the old town, before ending the tour in the main square of Tallinn.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN8aC5r9KGn_VK2Y-sYwvGwtSm3Rojps1bH8AR2-vk08YAF71O7OUG5B81sGwQixJXCCDSwzHOMiA_9Z5TuGBrlaHKrVMk09pIrgQ4cs5es8IBxxf25hyphenhyphen_KLH2JEVQksMslnD9JM2xBNFl/s1600/IMG_6039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN8aC5r9KGn_VK2Y-sYwvGwtSm3Rojps1bH8AR2-vk08YAF71O7OUG5B81sGwQixJXCCDSwzHOMiA_9Z5TuGBrlaHKrVMk09pIrgQ4cs5es8IBxxf25hyphenhyphen_KLH2JEVQksMslnD9JM2xBNFl/s200/IMG_6039.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kadriorg palace interior</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnD-vZV6ziRwCt-2hwczPL0WB7Z9_2rOEpQLapFaRJf6KUrnaS6ILNDfdCgk-zGaaUxlREfRI_fSKPIqG21GikWpS2x5J6h0qMuSMJCcwPvaw2-LnY0nuilOEsnNbxefuiikQTjBYl_lTG/s1600/20180605_171136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnD-vZV6ziRwCt-2hwczPL0WB7Z9_2rOEpQLapFaRJf6KUrnaS6ILNDfdCgk-zGaaUxlREfRI_fSKPIqG21GikWpS2x5J6h0qMuSMJCcwPvaw2-LnY0nuilOEsnNbxefuiikQTjBYl_lTG/s200/20180605_171136.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kadriorg palace</td></tr>
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After taking a quick afternoon nap, we heading for St. Olaf's church in northern old town to get the best view of Tallinn from above. The view is from the church tower which is about 400 steps and cost 3 euros for entry, but the view makes it worth the time, money and effort. We ended the day with a trip to the Kadriorg Art Museum. The museum is actually a baroque palace with grandiose interior, beautiful park and fountains was a gift from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_the_Great" target="_blank">Tsar Peter the I</a> to his wife <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_I_of_Russia" target="_blank">Catherine</a>. Ensemble is the extravagant example of tsar's goodness. In the palace there is an exposition of Estonian Art Museum collection of foreign art.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Day 11 (Tallinn to Helsinki, Finland)</b><br />
<a href="https://www.eckeroline.ee/media/gene-cms/l/a/laev_hommikul_1000px_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for ecero cruise" border="0" height="200" src="https://www.eckeroline.ee/media/gene-cms/l/a/laev_hommikul_1000px_1.jpg" width="200" /></a>Next day morning, we woke up to bright sunshine in Tallinn, and after a quick last stroll through the old down, took a Uber to the port of Tallinn, which is only 5 minutes away from the old town.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaaTGD1ja06yXixjALMIX4Vyk6j6mh9jV94gE82IuS42md0FGavn-N2Bltk5Q8-TNXlzVt6P5Tc0M8PR6L_DWdKyjVO6ZFLcloVC8sG6pRHJc9uwhwEWxHmhZc50NgccISZdapbyNPd6wG/s1600/IMG_6065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaaTGD1ja06yXixjALMIX4Vyk6j6mh9jV94gE82IuS42md0FGavn-N2Bltk5Q8-TNXlzVt6P5Tc0M8PR6L_DWdKyjVO6ZFLcloVC8sG6pRHJc9uwhwEWxHmhZc50NgccISZdapbyNPd6wG/s200/IMG_6065.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Tallinn from the cruise</td></tr>
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We had book the <a href="https://www.eckeroline.com/" target="_blank">Eckerö Line ferry</a> from Tallinn to Helsinki starting at noon. The entire journey takes about 2 and half hours. Our check-in process was very simple, and there were no airport-like security checks, so we entered the boarding area pretty quick.<br />
The cruise ship was much bigger than we had expected it to be. When the cruise docked we saw about 20 odd trucks and more than a 100 cars coming out from the ship, in addition to all the passengers that off boarded. The process happened in reverse as we boarded the cruise at 11:30 and the ship left at noon, sharp.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjazo7FbVkBht6ZgkzJVlMWRMe4CUeO4bQTLEuvEIjMoxjML2P2g9a0BSwL9_Lf-f3uTV4hccNT2aGl2vZC69BhXfqfy4sRRVqUgSWu7rvjNKVpX7-LnUroata8zeg-3Ljr7QNBkHMO-3s/s1600/20180606_113846.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjazo7FbVkBht6ZgkzJVlMWRMe4CUeO4bQTLEuvEIjMoxjML2P2g9a0BSwL9_Lf-f3uTV4hccNT2aGl2vZC69BhXfqfy4sRRVqUgSWu7rvjNKVpX7-LnUroata8zeg-3Ljr7QNBkHMO-3s/s200/20180606_113846.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our cabin on the cruise</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3iwOf1B3rci7zufFEBqSz7ivFut0tqi7XCb_CRPUVWll6N7Ev0vHuxqyKyEsfVyVWck7FU3N1ATvRkwlY-tlaLI_vBTdLGSBwzGwj46D3fuaRHjmgCZEYbaBsRdPvm1IApSwYtKP3TN_p/s1600/20180606_153709.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3iwOf1B3rci7zufFEBqSz7ivFut0tqi7XCb_CRPUVWll6N7Ev0vHuxqyKyEsfVyVWck7FU3N1ATvRkwlY-tlaLI_vBTdLGSBwzGwj46D3fuaRHjmgCZEYbaBsRdPvm1IApSwYtKP3TN_p/s200/20180606_153709.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My first meal in Helsinki -V<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">eggie kebab</span><br />
It was pure veg and delicious!</td></tr>
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While on the cruise, we saw that level 1 through 5 were reserved for vehicles and goods, level 6 were our rooms, 7 and 8 were mostly dining and shopping options and level 9 was the open air deck.<br />
After checking our bags into the room, we headed for the desk to get view of Tallinn from the port. We then checked out the cruise restaurants and shopping, and then relaxed in our cabin, the 2 hours just flew by!<br />
After landing in Helsinki at the port, we took the 48 hours public transit pass on the <a href="https://www.hsl.fi/en" target="_blank">HSL</a>, and headed straight to our Airbnb apartment.<br />
Evening, we explored Helsinki central square and the harbor.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Day 12 (Helsinki, Finland)</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmciiaFb69F7x0mP_Ql8Kc1oCavWjQ4XAPk0hkj6_jE6meDeYVknLDkvV5Uzsn-JEcoCfZw1jc7mj6GmPro2qKgEZNRyfSuDFdwgYxQ1GMwxsikzlWcw8zQWxBBrgdEs-9eHxCCMzMQv6u/s1600/collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmciiaFb69F7x0mP_Ql8Kc1oCavWjQ4XAPk0hkj6_jE6meDeYVknLDkvV5Uzsn-JEcoCfZw1jc7mj6GmPro2qKgEZNRyfSuDFdwgYxQ1GMwxsikzlWcw8zQWxBBrgdEs-9eHxCCMzMQv6u/s200/collage.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From left top clockwise: <br />
Helsinki Cathedral, <br />
Upenski Cathedral, <br />
t<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">he harbor,<br />Helsinki Central railway station <br />and </span>Ravintola Salutorget</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For our only full day in Helsinki, we had booked a <a href="https://greencaptours.com/" target="_blank">free walking tour with Green cap tours</a>. A Quick, informal and fun way to learn all the basic stuff about the Capital of Finland.<br />
Our walking tour started at the steps of the Helsinki cathedral, where we learned about the history of the cathedral before stepping inside for a quick glimpse. The church is a distinctive landmark in the Helsinki city landscape, with its tall, green dome surrounded by four smaller domes. The architecture of the building is in the neoclassical style. Overlooking Senate Square and the harbor, the church’s towers never go unnoticed. Though from the inside the cathedral is plain and simplistic.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBSyGdFWCWdXOnq1x5YAyQf6Ycl-L1YsOxr7mFAqaaRSAsWW3LPQVcQ77zlUxXbUd6Q4i-hslVjJ2N-xOAU2ie0tPBI4Kj6-dIojk7b-Db5sW9a57wzXweNkKYxtc0ySJX4CC5QmGpwh6U/s1600/20180607_143446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBSyGdFWCWdXOnq1x5YAyQf6Ycl-L1YsOxr7mFAqaaRSAsWW3LPQVcQ77zlUxXbUd6Q4i-hslVjJ2N-xOAU2ie0tPBI4Kj6-dIojk7b-Db5sW9a57wzXweNkKYxtc0ySJX4CC5QmGpwh6U/s200/20180607_143446.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Suomenlinna near Helsinki</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs6xB35LRyyD2Fqqk4mI28LnY3uMvuyJSyUZnbzV32oRVmj3YmHVfIZHX26_NPA7zATz4yGgk9M0it6ZOxqJ-rWEfbZaicNamMEXASYCv_490MTZBCQ0RnU2kaXA8yZbqHIZUBo-arETXD/s1600/IMG_6113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs6xB35LRyyD2Fqqk4mI28LnY3uMvuyJSyUZnbzV32oRVmj3YmHVfIZHX26_NPA7zATz4yGgk9M0it6ZOxqJ-rWEfbZaicNamMEXASYCv_490MTZBCQ0RnU2kaXA8yZbqHIZUBo-arETXD/s200/IMG_6113.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A fort inside Suomenlinna</td></tr>
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We then made our way to the next cathedral, the Upenski cathedral. This is the largest Russian orthodox church, west of Russia. With its golden cupolas and redbrick facade, the church is one of the clearest symbols of the Russian impact on Finnish history.<br />
Our next stop was the harbor and with it's many food and souvenir stalls. Here you can get fresh seafood plates, though a tad bit expensive for "street food". We ended the tour at a near by park, which although a few steps from the main square, feels far away from the hustle and bustle.<br />
We had lunch at one of the market street food vendors, and then took the ferry to Suomenlinna, an 18th-century sea fortress and nature area with centuries-old artillery and defensive walls, spread across 6 linked islands. It was built by the Russian to protect their then capital Saint Petersburg from an invasion.<br />
The island is now home to about 8 residents and it full of touristy attractions and cafe. However, it is probably the most important landmark in Helsinki, and one that you have to visit if you want to say you've *been* to Helsinki.<br />
<br />
<b>Day 13 (Golden Circle, Iceland)</b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZIe0GMY-WlShjIdSvbR6LX_GxL_QKeWoKnbH1s5V7gl54Cz4XOWhg2pu3-1ma8ZkNu7sR0BLLmztsWuLtvV_hch4BjnzZdzr4MvoxZU-Qot4gOtlMVhupBN8Szb4BtovudNQRzuuFMDgQ/s1600/IMG_6130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZIe0GMY-WlShjIdSvbR6LX_GxL_QKeWoKnbH1s5V7gl54Cz4XOWhg2pu3-1ma8ZkNu7sR0BLLmztsWuLtvV_hch4BjnzZdzr4MvoxZU-Qot4gOtlMVhupBN8Szb4BtovudNQRzuuFMDgQ/s200/IMG_6130.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Öxaráfoss</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5PJscVteHGj8T7OhsdRG7jYprhIMKIf4peT37_Cj-F8JXk5uL5YqF3vOXQlz3sdu_2YC9zINJ-f5ujfQXgN99LSmQeLgoaVL6Y_v4eNF3ZTPuE9l4q6gtBQCzDz5klLwYVN4iFd2ReSL/s1600/20180608_190003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5PJscVteHGj8T7OhsdRG7jYprhIMKIf4peT37_Cj-F8JXk5uL5YqF3vOXQlz3sdu_2YC9zINJ-f5ujfQXgN99LSmQeLgoaVL6Y_v4eNF3ZTPuE9l4q6gtBQCzDz5klLwYVN4iFd2ReSL/s200/20180608_190003.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mid-Atlantic Rift</td></tr>
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The next day afternoon, we took the 615 bus from near our Helsinki Airbnb to the airport, which took about an hour, for the 9 mile journey, because of the number of stops. However, we had all the time in the world as our flight at 2:40 in the afternoon. We took the Icelandair flight from Helsinki to Reykjavik, which landed at 3:30 pm, because of the time difference.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibX6DQHHmDhT6i3_yg4b-jjo7lOViYNrVMF9KdJtsr0T5gASNGxYmxPx9oc-cek8slIcAbEDB8nkPIWYUwhFOmN0axjoSb1UCnbHnrOzpSieMPFy4z13oCH24Zczh3mTYk-F5WcH6g2dKU/s1600/IMG_6159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibX6DQHHmDhT6i3_yg4b-jjo7lOViYNrVMF9KdJtsr0T5gASNGxYmxPx9oc-cek8slIcAbEDB8nkPIWYUwhFOmN0axjoSb1UCnbHnrOzpSieMPFy4z13oCH24Zczh3mTYk-F5WcH6g2dKU/s200/IMG_6159.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gulfoss</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Because of our limited time in Iceland, we wanted to see as much as possible of this raw nature and scenic country. So, after landing we headed straight to the rental car office to pick up our car, dropped off our bags at the Airbnb apartment, and headed out to explore the <a href="https://guidetoiceland.is/you-guide/how-to-drive-the-golden-circle" target="_blank">golden circle</a>. On the way to Reykjavik, which is about 40 minutes from the airport, we marveled at the barren landscape, the snow covered mountains, the moss covered lava fields.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/VRosBOGoLr8/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VRosBOGoLr8?feature=player_embedded" style="clear: right; float: right;" width="320"></iframe>The golden circle is usually a common route between 3 beautiful natural attractions in Iceland; , Geysir geothermal area and Gullfoss waterfall.<br />
Our first stop was the Öxaráfoss waterfall and the tectonic plates rift in the Þingvellir national park. Iceland is divided by the Mid-Atlantic Rift; and is the only place in the world where this rift is above sea-level, and nowhere can you see the edges of both plates as clearly as in Þingvellir.<br />
<br />
Next, we drove to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geysir" target="_blank">Geysir</a>. Eruptions at Geysir can hurl boiling water up to 70 metres in the air. However, eruptions may be infrequent, and have in the past stopped altogether for years at a time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfPdmIjqUHrjOCGjPaL-IlHDiQAbDFqHAV-xcOYCdGiKa1hemSGsEmHnZfNFSaW1w6VVk7Hy5CIsj-RRO-vZf3l5M4ngEV_cQaCCXE2ljEizvebAKPaGy2gme_acga4hwpobAmmTzXWtxp/s1600/20180608_213942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfPdmIjqUHrjOCGjPaL-IlHDiQAbDFqHAV-xcOYCdGiKa1hemSGsEmHnZfNFSaW1w6VVk7Hy5CIsj-RRO-vZf3l5M4ngEV_cQaCCXE2ljEizvebAKPaGy2gme_acga4hwpobAmmTzXWtxp/s200/20180608_213942.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gulfoss falls from the top</td></tr>
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Although, we were lucky enough to experience multiple eruptions while we were there the half an hour or so. One of them is in the video to the right.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0XiQI8PXM6SH0NbfcPlnfkzbki_2VNUeUkXE-TGN227FAMQtfbCvTPo_fRXYlm0G-rms3B0_mlJTPOgt7nfgcyTJWxlUZn2QKmoq3VrUzLGTimhbkJxISZSWFI26-3Bur59V1J0IgcmNd/s1600/20180608_224956.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0XiQI8PXM6SH0NbfcPlnfkzbki_2VNUeUkXE-TGN227FAMQtfbCvTPo_fRXYlm0G-rms3B0_mlJTPOgt7nfgcyTJWxlUZn2QKmoq3VrUzLGTimhbkJxISZSWFI26-3Bur59V1J0IgcmNd/s200/20180608_224956.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kerið crater</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidJS9tkVq2cI_O6rsG13JTELV4OKwN0uLM4wAJXeA79uKKA3pmpyXA4y7OTajKoNgBkDCa_EYqAod0dXlDI4d__Pjyy9TTTEtzbckzROVZUiX8r3ap68gX6oLKSwAJJqkpZQzIrJQ8w74T/s1600/IMG_6129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidJS9tkVq2cI_O6rsG13JTELV4OKwN0uLM4wAJXeA79uKKA3pmpyXA4y7OTajKoNgBkDCa_EYqAod0dXlDI4d__Pjyy9TTTEtzbckzROVZUiX8r3ap68gX6oLKSwAJJqkpZQzIrJQ8w74T/s200/IMG_6129.JPG" width="200" /></a>Our third stop, was the Gulfoss waterfalls, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Iceland and the best part of the "Golden circle". What makes this fall unique is that it features two distinct drops in succession at right angles to each other while spanning the entire width of the Hvítá River.<br />
Our last and final stop, and what makes this route a circle, was the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keri%C3%B0" target="_blank">Kerið crater</a>. While most of the crater is with little vegetation, it can be descended fairly easily. The lake itself is fairly shallow (7–14 meters, depending on rainfall and other factors), but due to minerals from the soil, is an opaque and strikingly vivid aquamarine.<br />
There is a 400 ISK (~$3.75 USD) fee to get in, but since we visited pretty late in the night (can you tell it's 11 pm in the <span style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Kerið </span>pic above?), there was no one to collect the fee and we entered for free.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQ5-36dSosb4QPFQSRjlwRmUfTPxI_QILtoxGdfPUlcpVkek5IUlemUhozF30tDiMNaxxiFU1saH1d43RSaangeR-BwKSPmqQiakeUXJ9atCIebD9aq-H0aGbWsYR7D_PjGU3qRlhwEx6/s1600/IMG_6190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQ5-36dSosb4QPFQSRjlwRmUfTPxI_QILtoxGdfPUlcpVkek5IUlemUhozF30tDiMNaxxiFU1saH1d43RSaangeR-BwKSPmqQiakeUXJ9atCIebD9aq-H0aGbWsYR7D_PjGU3qRlhwEx6/s200/IMG_6190.JPG" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seljalandsfoss </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b></b>We then drove back about an hour back to our Airbnb in Reykjavik, reaching around midnight, to call it a night and end a hectic day of travel and sightseeing. It was totally worth it though, and I would it again in a heartbeat.<br />
<br />
<b></b>
<b>Day 14 (Southern Iceland Coast)</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglTvAptRVaoLqqZnP3UmVZwMRRR7DU3x25Gvk7jWT5LDyyO0VrFuz0dehgEIax7AN4N8XThWYMr-rM4ZZbvHvm0I3ODiWoAS0W0Jjz9B5CK_8MMGZTabL6oIGXNMvxvaOLBYLzij3oliLl/s1600/IMG_6204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglTvAptRVaoLqqZnP3UmVZwMRRR7DU3x25Gvk7jWT5LDyyO0VrFuz0dehgEIax7AN4N8XThWYMr-rM4ZZbvHvm0I3ODiWoAS0W0Jjz9B5CK_8MMGZTabL6oIGXNMvxvaOLBYLzij3oliLl/s200/IMG_6204.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Path leading up at Skógafoss</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Since we did the Golden circle the day before, we had one full day of sightseeing, and we had planned to spend it exploring the southern coast of Iceland.<br />
We started off at around 10 am by picking up some pre-packaged sandwiches/wraps from Bonus, a cheap by Icelandic standards, grocery store. We then drove to our first stop, which was about 2 hours away, to Seljalandsfoss (foss stands for "falls" in Icelandic), so writing waterfalls after the word would be redundant; you get the idea.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcd3ix-ZgxKl3Vac853W6ylLXon6SzD7N99EdHB4spOEpPtyDP8tWDyBJUsI7-Up48a8cZu8ZS1D_tCblgDeYMsrrB-aqr18C_V7JjeebqsSmLYE6jDO2z8qDj9WClX26HCjk29ycVoURD/s1600/IMG_6199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcd3ix-ZgxKl3Vac853W6ylLXon6SzD7N99EdHB4spOEpPtyDP8tWDyBJUsI7-Up48a8cZu8ZS1D_tCblgDeYMsrrB-aqr18C_V7JjeebqsSmLYE6jDO2z8qDj9WClX26HCjk29ycVoURD/s200/IMG_6199.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skógafoss</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Seljalandsfoss is one of the best-known waterfalls in Iceland. A path leads you behind the waterfall, but do bring a raincoat as you will get soaking wet from the falls. There is a parking fee of 700 ISK (~$6.80) at the falls.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWSUY0pluigxFkET12nue4kcyJR3nuyLSE6NdoIaaIlF_iqvxRgiGNqvDAPX-ZPx9FjSqzvSYBPaZKs6XbJe-MEqhyphenhyphen57u_3VIzjMVDaXIVinMrazHaOF4ss6h35IrBKx5t_x1GQDooBsL_/s1600/20180609_161456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="94" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWSUY0pluigxFkET12nue4kcyJR3nuyLSE6NdoIaaIlF_iqvxRgiGNqvDAPX-ZPx9FjSqzvSYBPaZKs6XbJe-MEqhyphenhyphen57u_3VIzjMVDaXIVinMrazHaOF4ss6h35IrBKx5t_x1GQDooBsL_/s200/20180609_161456.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the top of Skógafoss</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrn1PxwL72yHRhgZQc0aKE4MqlI6vtstUyxvlq0PmrlN086bZTYxJfy5ycIFvhH2sBrrR-s6g41kQNXVW8XABSzYKis8kIYn-A70_H47dWE1y7C7Ych5tBT3xpQJv6IdjWu8wIUkhyphenhyphenT6F5/s1600/collage+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrn1PxwL72yHRhgZQc0aKE4MqlI6vtstUyxvlq0PmrlN086bZTYxJfy5ycIFvhH2sBrrR-s6g41kQNXVW8XABSzYKis8kIYn-A70_H47dWE1y7C7Ych5tBT3xpQJv6IdjWu8wIUkhyphenhyphenT6F5/s200/collage+%25281%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reynisfjara Beach</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We then drove off to our next stop, Skógafoss. Skógafoss is one of the biggest waterfalls in Iceland, with a drop of 60 meters and a width of 25 meters. You can climb the stairs next to the fall and get a good view of the drop and the force of the falls. There is all a path that takes you past the river that pours into the falls, and it's all just beautifully scenic and surreal to put in words.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy92S_YxAMSuJJJGJoKMsWXQoCjUjRs6ToS6bcZZU_8_vSrOPhaLCxLpDQNTnMMu1rrL8VZOD8iWnLchaDQDZ0iAuo7YkL57p_USWjAqFD0JydwZrAcD38vysWfWj8bQMLMT56V4soDmHo/s1600/IMG_6245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy92S_YxAMSuJJJGJoKMsWXQoCjUjRs6ToS6bcZZU_8_vSrOPhaLCxLpDQNTnMMu1rrL8VZOD8iWnLchaDQDZ0iAuo7YkL57p_USWjAqFD0JydwZrAcD38vysWfWj8bQMLMT56V4soDmHo/s200/IMG_6245.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kirkjufjara</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF6IPn7AkNQKRB_CS2wOlAt0dnVT54Kn8TCe_G4dEvF1G6D3_y6c1ggFWakjomldSvDeu__X_7DARD7uZkax_sBV7Ws26LieuPnn3-_bfY1YAuaU3hasRr3fwUtQVHd19ne-fBBK1Te-Y5/s1600/IMG_6248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF6IPn7AkNQKRB_CS2wOlAt0dnVT54Kn8TCe_G4dEvF1G6D3_y6c1ggFWakjomldSvDeu__X_7DARD7uZkax_sBV7Ws26LieuPnn3-_bfY1YAuaU3hasRr3fwUtQVHd19ne-fBBK1Te-Y5/s200/IMG_6248.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kirkjufjara</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Our next stop was the Reynisfjara Beach, a famous black-sand beach found on the South Coast of Iceland, just beside the small fishing village of Vík. With its enormous basalt stacks, roaring Atlantic waves and stunning panoramas, Reynisfjara is widely considered to be the most beautiful example of Iceland’s black sand beaches.<br />
Our last and final stop of the day was Kirkjufjara beach. The beach is closed off at 7 pm, so be sure to reach before that time. The beach itself is closed off, due to dangerous waves and previous <a href="http://icelandmag.is/tags/kirkjufjara-beach" target="_blank">incidents </a>of tourists drowning in the tides.<br />
After this last stop, we drove about 2 hours, back to Reykjavik.<br />
<br />
<b>Day 15 (Reykjavik, Iceland)</b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjjioyjuP6Bx6IuVSYI5jt0avoPeUHnVuqXi6wjRhUVihN7lOIUgsApH9San0N2c5hABpOygDQm6InTpr1oSHJI0-FSi4u7qkwjw9b1QskxCdwg95Ag4C40_yN5F-Yq4snr9rCkyh6uKx1/s1600/IMG_6254.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjjioyjuP6Bx6IuVSYI5jt0avoPeUHnVuqXi6wjRhUVihN7lOIUgsApH9San0N2c5hABpOygDQm6InTpr1oSHJI0-FSi4u7qkwjw9b1QskxCdwg95Ag4C40_yN5F-Yq4snr9rCkyh6uKx1/s200/IMG_6254.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hallgrimskirkja in downtown<br />
Reykjavik</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsmt4U-qVjdga7hEzBdJWODEnW2-Z-AZXyN83BGQ2hlhMrz7UcXCzMCGdK0odz52UKwyWjCfe5n2IDHTZwZGM7T2PZayiaOtFSCSgk5DfLsAEysOgMHyxmuqKqQWGJL3D-LL_cpk7aaz9a/s1600/IMG_6256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsmt4U-qVjdga7hEzBdJWODEnW2-Z-AZXyN83BGQ2hlhMrz7UcXCzMCGdK0odz52UKwyWjCfe5n2IDHTZwZGM7T2PZayiaOtFSCSgk5DfLsAEysOgMHyxmuqKqQWGJL3D-LL_cpk7aaz9a/s200/IMG_6256.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Downtown Reykjavik</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Our last day of the trip, we decided to just explore the Iceland capital city for a few hours in the morning, before returning our rental car and catching the flight back to Kansas City at 6 pm in the evening.<br />
We drove about 15 minutes after checking out from our Airbnb to downtown Reykjavik and parked at <a href="https://en.hallgrimskirkja.is/" target="_blank">Hallgrimskirkja</a>, their main church. Its stepped concrete facade is an ode to modernism and a reminder of the Icelandic landscape. We then had lunch at the <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g189970-d12714471-Reviews-Icelandic_Street_Food-Reykjavik_Capital_Region.html" target="_blank">Icelandic street food</a> restaurant. Their shell fish soup (1500 ISK ~ $14.50) is a must try, and you can get bread and butter to go along with it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7iMCq6wB2XAKgv7VQQh_Mw_70ruVNPUVJaqT8qeTSZhW-5HuWA1Z6RTcfP7wcTmLS864J-M782o8pIRufEauYoDE2OuoEtHuw5LrhIkgEMj9rQLRvHuRXUDEl8kxFJcNnTF0mlxJVs5sl/s1600/20180610_191419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7iMCq6wB2XAKgv7VQQh_Mw_70ruVNPUVJaqT8qeTSZhW-5HuWA1Z6RTcfP7wcTmLS864J-M782o8pIRufEauYoDE2OuoEtHuw5LrhIkgEMj9rQLRvHuRXUDEl8kxFJcNnTF0mlxJVs5sl/s200/20180610_191419.jpg" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On our flight back <br />
to KC</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Evening we left Reykjavik to return our rental car office near the airport, and take the 1 minute shuttle to the airport. Our flight back was on time and 7 hours in we had landed in Kansas City.<br />
This brought to end an amazing 2 weeks in Scandinavia and the Baltic countries. There is a lot to explore; cities, architecture, history, nature, culture, art. Whatever your interest, there is a lot to experience.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Mohit Samanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11921125793502265689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676617735394521442.post-17658132344650277872017-12-15T15:33:00.001-08:002018-03-05T13:04:26.098-08:00¡Hola Panamá!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2cH7mpO51BZMq0HzXH55y991ikDBOu23NYSPCa-2bxVOBhwbbK6DGwvvydjGhWiVnBruEqBwlI1HXANclCd4F-Ft1M9hFsBsicAxL07KLAW3MqxMueB67PlvF0RUaQ5mmmdpudOSuOVXC/s1600/IMG_5676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img height="16" id="cyff8gtq53w3" src="data:image/gif;base64,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" width="16" /></a><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2cH7mpO51BZMq0HzXH55y991ikDBOu23NYSPCa-2bxVOBhwbbK6DGwvvydjGhWiVnBruEqBwlI1HXANclCd4F-Ft1M9hFsBsicAxL07KLAW3MqxMueB67PlvF0RUaQ5mmmdpudOSuOVXC/s200/IMG_5676.JPG" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Metropolitan Cathedral in <br />
Casco Viejo, Panamá</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWwspDY_6vfVZGsBEOolB5WvSLpJkmz7Bd6iqfeYt3QeawiW9vmlNLipmMq_g62Tfk2CZ6Iss52CquDdo0MQ2Z3NrNLUqVUfZ-RYgVsZ2zgK5SXeJamDZwxe-yFA5eiuFhoD5qLAZ1NBd/s1600/20171123_141328-EFFECTS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWwspDY_6vfVZGsBEOolB5WvSLpJkmz7Bd6iqfeYt3QeawiW9vmlNLipmMq_g62Tfk2CZ6Iss52CquDdo0MQ2Z3NrNLUqVUfZ-RYgVsZ2zgK5SXeJamDZwxe-yFA5eiuFhoD5qLAZ1NBd/s200/20171123_141328-EFFECTS.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A hammock in our B&B at Bocas</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My wife and I recently did a week long trip over the Thanksgiving break, to the isthmus nation of Panama. Fortunately US/Canada Visa works for entry into Panama, which made the decision to travel there easier. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama" target="_blank">Panama</a> is bordered by Costa Rica to the east, Colombia (in South America) to the south, the Atlantic Ocean to north and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The capital and largest city is Panama City, which is home to nearly half of the country's 4 million people.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVqIAV0qDWvqsExUuSV5PUmNY1M7tiX5zUiYY1tfTamia5loPrpa2T6b9Y8bRl3Z7SdeMf23duKW8T13sEiRDDAA85ZE9Hz32ODRB6R2KH4IKLuR6gX-gxszoCSdq73-Iw1eQKoMH_L96Q/s1600/20171127_125139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVqIAV0qDWvqsExUuSV5PUmNY1M7tiX5zUiYY1tfTamia5loPrpa2T6b9Y8bRl3Z7SdeMf23duKW8T13sEiRDDAA85ZE9Hz32ODRB6R2KH4IKLuR6gX-gxszoCSdq73-Iw1eQKoMH_L96Q/s200/20171127_125139.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Society of Jesus</td></tr>
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<b>Day 1</b>: We landed into <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_City" target="_blank">Panama City</a> on Nov 22nd afternoon 2:30<br />
pm, after catching the 9:35 am United flight from Houston. We had stayed overnight in Houston the night before, after travelling there from KC the evening of Nov 21st.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSkklEUPqTdyMI4foHNknx9FOiQpiSTX2vYJZV2j4vBbpMxcaOeDENDle0WtPKIYjO22M1FNbkok30qsNBWkZHcG-eChz8AMbJ1kHsGqiqk8t4dXB6YYkohbfu1K-fZwLF7KDrtiu_Oo_f/s1600/20171127_132910.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSkklEUPqTdyMI4foHNknx9FOiQpiSTX2vYJZV2j4vBbpMxcaOeDENDle0WtPKIYjO22M1FNbkok30qsNBWkZHcG-eChz8AMbJ1kHsGqiqk8t4dXB6YYkohbfu1K-fZwLF7KDrtiu_Oo_f/s200/20171127_132910.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Metropolitan Cathedral</td></tr>
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After checking into our hotel in the El cangrejo district of Panamá, and resting a little, we took an Uber to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casco_Viejo,_Panama" target="_blank">casco viejo</a> (Old town) of the city. The traffic, unfortunately, is horrible in the evenings in here, and it took us a little longer than expected to make the drive to Old town. We strolled through the old town for about an hour on foot, before having dinner and heading back to the hotel.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw8GZPd1-xa9-HeLVxl-7a5KIpvjDg3AtEFjD7tgEDPVsntkqaHVx62BaOMeXcNeoyuRn9FsV_OHL10zEVC8sqPKwWFEMKNZfL3J8dkngpY32_56B87f_g8fCPD1ojiGrPScZYk1X8oq9K/s1600/20171123_120506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw8GZPd1-xa9-HeLVxl-7a5KIpvjDg3AtEFjD7tgEDPVsntkqaHVx62BaOMeXcNeoyuRn9FsV_OHL10zEVC8sqPKwWFEMKNZfL3J8dkngpY32_56B87f_g8fCPD1ojiGrPScZYk1X8oq9K/s200/20171123_120506.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panamá to Bocas flight</td></tr>
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<br />
Next morning, we took the <a href="https://www.airpanama.com/home.php" target="_blank">Air Panama</a> flights to the Island archipelago town of Bocas del toro on the northeastern coast of the country. The domestic flights within Panamá, go out of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albrook_%22Marcos_A._Gelabert%22_International_Airport" target="_blank">Albrook International airport</a> which on the other side of the town, but closer to the main city compared to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tocumen_International_Airport" target="_blank">Tocumen</a>, which is technically outside the city. The flight time is only 1 hour, but the flights are often delayed, because of the quality of the aircrafts and air traffic control systems used by Air Panama.<span id="goog_40983568"></span><span id="goog_40983569"></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPuTxaLwHC1XqK_NtHV_hu_zfuc9BdNlRKH5OLnBxN7CEFCF5Os9Sz6_PVJd4zhop27Ardqfd7WYnJktvTROPeOkzgl1PqZolufwwaFwB8rq9UY9eBNJ3rWN3SFbmt7SiPhDGLVYfvLiKW/s1600/20171125_171319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPuTxaLwHC1XqK_NtHV_hu_zfuc9BdNlRKH5OLnBxN7CEFCF5Os9Sz6_PVJd4zhop27Ardqfd7WYnJktvTROPeOkzgl1PqZolufwwaFwB8rq9UY9eBNJ3rWN3SFbmt7SiPhDGLVYfvLiKW/s200/20171125_171319.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bluff beach, Bocas del Toro</td></tr>
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<b>Day 2</b>: After landing in <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g298425-Bocas_del_Toro_Province-Vacations.html" target="_blank">Bocas del Toro</a>, we took a taxi our hotel at Bluff beach, which was about 6 kms on a dirt road away from the main town. The seclusion meant relatively lesser people, and since the waves in this region, there're almost no people on the beach, which is perfect for a romantic getaway.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgclAkel7ocBDiq3aRQMOln9T3BWR0G9TXwrmhBawlZ5JtZZqzkChuL0Z5BrVLen_U5sOCd67PTFdO_6xAKu4U0OXMr4y0l6lkFFMFtHRY99Jik3Zn-KzCQCWn4tgIAxmY7-eG90SHvNRRT/s1600/20171124_202840.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="65" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgclAkel7ocBDiq3aRQMOln9T3BWR0G9TXwrmhBawlZ5JtZZqzkChuL0Z5BrVLen_U5sOCd67PTFdO_6xAKu4U0OXMr4y0l6lkFFMFtHRY99Jik3Zn-KzCQCWn4tgIAxmY7-eG90SHvNRRT/s200/20171124_202840.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cayo Zapitilla Island #2</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ebbQzvEUDgT0HZ_3UKcZCziXWQcMPQP_8uTrI8boqRVdaO8MRYXCzh1O7wJuVmzA6cWhtEzS24des_703wKiAQRozQ5fT6zeDh_03x7y7ckHdXY8X2nHASvHhIFfNg6blFGR5PLZIpZU/s1600/20171124_111049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ebbQzvEUDgT0HZ_3UKcZCziXWQcMPQP_8uTrI8boqRVdaO8MRYXCzh1O7wJuVmzA6cWhtEzS24des_703wKiAQRozQ5fT6zeDh_03x7y7ckHdXY8X2nHASvHhIFfNg6blFGR5PLZIpZU/s200/20171124_111049.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At one of the island</td></tr>
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<b>Day 3: </b>The next day, we took a 10 am to 4 am speed boat group tour of the Bocas archipelago, with the primary stop being the <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g298425-d10246219-Reviews-Cayo_Zapatilla-Bocas_del_Toro_Province.html" target="_blank">Cayo Zapatilla</a> # 2 island, one of the two uninhabited islands located east of Isla Bastimentos in the Archipelago, and is home to the Isla Bastimentos National Marine Park. The park protects forests, mangroves, monkeys, sloths, caiman, crocodile, and 28 species of amphibians and reptiles, and is an important nesting site for sea turtles.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyGzBp9wt2cOnMXSQv1emoSKluv-A0cYzF5Oex_axPii_lOPuJXineQBkYphVQmIJ5pdE36gsnHQbhfNHVB8yul7Fq53Y_GxI7DPEfTr68CthZGFDAivoVbNI-V6jmIpH2BWBgVTkyERaT/s1600/IMG_5688.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyGzBp9wt2cOnMXSQv1emoSKluv-A0cYzF5Oex_axPii_lOPuJXineQBkYphVQmIJ5pdE36gsnHQbhfNHVB8yul7Fq53Y_GxI7DPEfTr68CthZGFDAivoVbNI-V6jmIpH2BWBgVTkyERaT/s200/IMG_5688.jpg" width="200" /></a>On our way back we stopped for seeing some sloths and starfish along the way.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLkYrvXmlE_lLEGX_YBKMrJFvtGIJHGluuBELuDBYo2CLmX0Ndrt3mbMrD71QbmE28zhnLRRWS_jfa5tqjbgNVScbSJCPxCf7_nKJbKh9lJRfcZvEzu_9DXX3ksIPshkA-Gf07Y_MZ876v/s1600/20171125_112623.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLkYrvXmlE_lLEGX_YBKMrJFvtGIJHGluuBELuDBYo2CLmX0Ndrt3mbMrD71QbmE28zhnLRRWS_jfa5tqjbgNVScbSJCPxCf7_nKJbKh9lJRfcZvEzu_9DXX3ksIPshkA-Gf07Y_MZ876v/s200/20171125_112623.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sign along the trek</td></tr>
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<b>Day 4</b>: Our last full day at Bocas we decided to do a trek along the beach to the northern part of the island. The trek was one of the most interesting ones. As it scraped through thick rain forest with the sea alongside, though you couldn't see it, at times, the roar was loud enough to be heard meters inside.<br />
The trail felt very private as we could not see a single other person throughout the trail.<br />
We walked about 7 kms to the La Picina (the pool), which was a small lagoon in the sea, and headed back since it had started raining by that time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfCsZuYA25AelcwrBshwZiYOzLI4V6FDgMj29GNoTm7ely816PDy11iVvEiEL7VuRctbViz9YApvLXj7gm6HFLI7eFM4IDUro9NkkGoMconr4Phw-EmziAtDCYmsR4a1wGOn-WsXIh0Avj/s1600/IMG_5718.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfCsZuYA25AelcwrBshwZiYOzLI4V6FDgMj29GNoTm7ely816PDy11iVvEiEL7VuRctbViz9YApvLXj7gm6HFLI7eFM4IDUro9NkkGoMconr4Phw-EmziAtDCYmsR4a1wGOn-WsXIh0Avj/s200/IMG_5718.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the skyline from Amador<br />
Causeway, Panamá</td></tr>
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<b>Day 5 (Panama City)</b>: The next day we relaxed at our sea facing hotel in the morning, and afternoon took the Air Panama flight back to the city.<br />
Late afternoon, we took an Uber to the Ancon hill to get some city views from over the hill, however, it being later in the afternoon we were turned away by the guards as they said it won't safe while coming back. We took this opportunity to head over to the <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g294480-d300879-Reviews-Amador_Causeway_Calzada_de_Amador-Panama_City_Panama_Province.html" target="_blank">Amador causeway</a>, recently built by the US, who have a significant naval presence in the area. We strolled the length of the causeway before heading back to the hotel area, to catch some dinner at <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g294480-d12948908-Reviews-Istanbul_Doner_Kabab-Panama_City_Panama_Province.html" target="_blank">Istanbul donner kabab</a>.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7sAfOaFPfKI/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7sAfOaFPfKI?feature=player_embedded" style="clear: right; float: right;" width="320"></iframe><b>Day 6 (Panama City): </b>Our last and only full day in Panama City, we decided to start off the day with a visit to the canal, as we'd heard the ships usually go thorough before 10 am or after 4 pm. The visitors center at <a href="https://visitcanaldepanama.com/en/centro-de-visitantes-de-miraflores/" target="_blank">Miraflores locks</a> is a space where you can live a unique <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Canal" target="_blank">Panama Canal </a>experience. In one place you will find different activities to learn and fully enjoy the Panama Canal. The visitor center offers a theater with a 10 min guide of the history of the canal from its beginnings to the present. The film is available in English and Spanish, with about 50 minute intervals between each language. There are also four levels of exhibition halls that portray the Canal's history, biodiversity, and its functioning y suitespecially attractive manner.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC7Y3kjFMF4TooobBpjLs6uosmMEsTKjSuFT2JPGNeUfaWwj5ztIu1E8SJPiPwNoqFcpFGWyfsErjlKBiZxNAEl7G531pBby_kyDRXFpVgjWBru6wdV__FCx2OiEa_DmpjEnpFt3Oys-l3/s1600/20171127_085406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC7Y3kjFMF4TooobBpjLs6uosmMEsTKjSuFT2JPGNeUfaWwj5ztIu1E8SJPiPwNoqFcpFGWyfsErjlKBiZxNAEl7G531pBby_kyDRXFpVgjWBru6wdV__FCx2OiEa_DmpjEnpFt3Oys-l3/s320/20171127_085406.jpg" width="320" /></a>The building also has three levels for observing the Canal's operation, the passage of ships through the locks and how they move. It is the ideal place to experience this engineering marvel.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdpuNQCi4s4ipDh1GRO8rrVOv3_2e7u_TMvYh7GvtNbFfk4GWFN3IhTvnzA0vAZpV9-3-I2OJe8lHV8TgJ3lzI5AKV95I3Mu_Ddcz0ugszG5vsccfSdAmHgcpXiB3qi8TgLI6k0wdXsjyy/s1600/20171127_120015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdpuNQCi4s4ipDh1GRO8rrVOv3_2e7u_TMvYh7GvtNbFfk4GWFN3IhTvnzA0vAZpV9-3-I2OJe8lHV8TgJ3lzI5AKV95I3Mu_Ddcz0ugszG5vsccfSdAmHgcpXiB3qi8TgLI6k0wdXsjyy/s200/20171127_120015.jpg" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the fish market<br />
restaurant</td></tr>
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<br />
Following our visit to the locks, we headed over across the city to see the Panama Vieja (not to be confused with the old town casco viejo). Founded in 1519 by the conquistador Pedrarías Dávila, Panamá Viejo is the oldest European settlement on the Pacific coast of the Americas.<br />
<br />
For lunch we went to the <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g294480-d1235054-Reviews-Mercado_de_Mariscos-Panama_City_Panama_Province.html" target="_blank">Mercado de Mariscos</a> (Fish Market). This is the city fish market, open for business to local restaurants. It's the best place to buy fresh fish in Panama City. There is a restaurant upstairs above the market, where you can eat the cooked, fresh seafood, they sell below.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoVmHbCT-iL1y7YY0aWRpB_JXMkogd7etJyPM79a0USv97q1L1rU-prrk58goU6JwS7vc8nRpShWEzwiirVUFvCEp2_uZ4IQWTft1uYX11OIcXLKyLUJbstsLcmCr6vPtHwfIhDXv_GPvQ/s1600/20171127_112721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoVmHbCT-iL1y7YY0aWRpB_JXMkogd7etJyPM79a0USv97q1L1rU-prrk58goU6JwS7vc8nRpShWEzwiirVUFvCEp2_uZ4IQWTft1uYX11OIcXLKyLUJbstsLcmCr6vPtHwfIhDXv_GPvQ/s200/20171127_112721.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Fish Market</td></tr>
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This brought to an end an amazing week in Panamá. A country that has much to offer, in terms of nature, adventure and even city life for the urban folks. We hope to return back someday, especially to Bocas del toro, and our beautiful seaside b&b, and it's wonderful hosts.<br />
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<b>What businesses did we use?</b><br />
<b>Hotels: </b><a href="http://www.az-hotelespanama.com/" target="_blank">A& Z hotel y suites, Panamá</a> and <a href="http://oasisbluffbeach.com/about-us/" target="_blank">Oasis bluff beach</a><br />
<b>Tours</b>: <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g304170-d12072353-Reviews-Total_Adventures-Isla_Colon_Bocas_del_Toro_Province.html" target="_blank">Total Adventure</a> in Bocas and Uber in Panamá<br />
<b>Airlines</b>: Air Panama and United</div>
Mohit Samanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11921125793502265689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676617735394521442.post-90465979468467974342017-09-18T15:08:00.000-07:002018-08-29T09:19:53.507-07:00A trip through Peru's Sacred Valley<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir0CW_lqIMm4uXHJnDF4b-RKonTIfw6RWiTGKsUxw2hzvCP__ZbmnRrPh4_fsRGGBwK00OL0LpjGM7tCI-wcj6IVOjFTSdISmFn8sM6JyL3MtIw0oYjYx1zxaUPmGnhJ8wzc6skPynFo76/s1600/20170902_084313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir0CW_lqIMm4uXHJnDF4b-RKonTIfw6RWiTGKsUxw2hzvCP__ZbmnRrPh4_fsRGGBwK00OL0LpjGM7tCI-wcj6IVOjFTSdISmFn8sM6JyL3MtIw0oYjYx1zxaUPmGnhJ8wzc6skPynFo76/s200/20170902_084313.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Landing into Cuzco from Lima</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieAcWrAw2id9qix11VJLFgtIjH07M992Vco5QAbzayZKkyVwI0x2ZKDGsNhsZ7Su500aZjwHvq5w3emml6HCFK7aEI1eO3Byd7BtkkN76eLyxjbqipuPEG6ghrc-09FnM_sbfw9_VoL7IO/s1600/20170902_095524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieAcWrAw2id9qix11VJLFgtIjH07M992Vco5QAbzayZKkyVwI0x2ZKDGsNhsZ7Su500aZjwHvq5w3emml6HCFK7aEI1eO3Byd7BtkkN76eLyxjbqipuPEG6ghrc-09FnM_sbfw9_VoL7IO/s200/20170902_095524.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cuzco main square from our Hotel room</td></tr>
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My wife and I recently did a 10 day trip through Perú's sacred valley in the Cuzco Region, with a 2 day stopover in Bogotá, Colombia, before our return journey back home. Peru recently <a href="http://www.indembassy.org.pe/english/media/2017-14-exemp.html" target="_blank">lifted it's visa requirement for Indian Passport holders</a> with a valid US, Canada, Australia, UK or Schengen Visa, so this combined with the fact that we wanted to see Machu Picchu was the main driving factor behind the trip. We started off with a 7 hour overnight flight from Dallas to Lima and then a 1 hour LATAM airlines flight to Cuzco from there. The immigration in Lima was a breeze and hardly took 5 minutes to get in and stamped. Fortunately, the international and domestic sections of the airports in Lima are connected, and we arrived well before our departure time to Cuzco.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTG0w3pQKLnACTeowCDTYaYZm0fdIlXrO5vBecgbIXISQRfPoLxz9SeI72W75PhvklFVAQAqmPkCpD9oM1yyKdBq-psMF3jFcaZoYQCxXwRedV505azIYcILHT60C6ezjWtsSGdvcdLFV7/s1600/20170903_164610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="596" data-original-width="1600" height="74" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTG0w3pQKLnACTeowCDTYaYZm0fdIlXrO5vBecgbIXISQRfPoLxz9SeI72W75PhvklFVAQAqmPkCpD9oM1yyKdBq-psMF3jFcaZoYQCxXwRedV505azIYcILHT60C6ezjWtsSGdvcdLFV7/s200/20170903_164610.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saksaywaman">Saksaywaman</a> temple</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt-ATUK6Frz2Rw-34kH17mYacRDG2G-fRh1JclPRfSKZ9eppp28vHioiqMINDzcOpdbeFe7H3CdsT3GQfSxzs0N2F9vHKVzJJ5ghqp_uNrdIU1TWfE6_4aDGnN0Nd_ALr_FEdBkUPZl0_9/s1600/20170902_130713.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt-ATUK6Frz2Rw-34kH17mYacRDG2G-fRh1JclPRfSKZ9eppp28vHioiqMINDzcOpdbeFe7H3CdsT3GQfSxzs0N2F9vHKVzJJ5ghqp_uNrdIU1TWfE6_4aDGnN0Nd_ALr_FEdBkUPZl0_9/s200/20170902_130713.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first meal in Perú -Veg Sandwiches<br />
and Orange and Papaya juices at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Organika-1603660123250980/" target="_blank">Organika</a></td></tr>
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<b>Day 1 (Cuzco)</b>: After arriving at about 9:30 am in Cuzco, and taking a 25 soles (~7.5 USD) taxi ride from the airport to the hotel, we settled into our hotel room in Cuzco. Cuzco is located at an altitude of 3,400 metres (11,200ft) above the sea level, and it is common for many visitors to experience some mild symptoms of altitude sickness in Cusco, or ‘soroche’ as it is known locally. So we had decided to take it easy on the first day, and rest. We spent most of our day exploring the main plaza and the surrounding area of our hotel. The hotel owner suggested a cute little café cum restaurant near by, called <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Organika-1603660123250980/" target="_blank">Organika</a>. The food was fresh and tasty, as the ingredients are locally grown at their farms and organic.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEUhDwMXdUP5-dACHbJ4iA158Uo8upknQzFe-If_M2CP_SFjKqN9T0ehu2X3bN-fjQjB6mjGyBRW2Op0OGp30AzIRNDDEEw0wPa07ykFPlQsc1zButJ_tQ5SS6x2cP8uFGuxK6KpTzaA7y/s1600/20170909_121423.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="524" data-original-width="1600" height="65" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEUhDwMXdUP5-dACHbJ4iA158Uo8upknQzFe-If_M2CP_SFjKqN9T0ehu2X3bN-fjQjB6mjGyBRW2Op0OGp30AzIRNDDEEw0wPa07ykFPlQsc1zButJ_tQ5SS6x2cP8uFGuxK6KpTzaA7y/s200/20170909_121423.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Main Cathedral (left) and Basilica<br />
at the Plaza de Armas in Cuzco </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4-T819q09zLjdlYYeflRMmBGbY1tmYM10_TseH4UciRvKaVsq-9Kb7UQl2EJ2oFHneA8R2cAEMyr99lpFw0XZTyGzg3f5J74Vk1pSU-l4mt4CTIm3xLgnWqgwmH2DUYESY6RLLpqdbc78/s1600/20170903_152509.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4-T819q09zLjdlYYeflRMmBGbY1tmYM10_TseH4UciRvKaVsq-9Kb7UQl2EJ2oFHneA8R2cAEMyr99lpFw0XZTyGzg3f5J74Vk1pSU-l4mt4CTIm3xLgnWqgwmH2DUYESY6RLLpqdbc78/s200/20170903_152509.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the Koricancha temple</td></tr>
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<b>Day 2 </b><b>(Cuzco)</b><b>: </b>For our second day in Cuzco, we had booked a half day tour of the city and the near by ruins via a <a href="http://www.valenciatravelcusco.com/cusco-city-tour.php" target="_blank">local company</a>. After buying the <a href="https://www.bestofperutravel.com/how-to-buy-the-boleto-turistico-or-cusco-tourist-ticket/">boleto turistico</a>, which is a 10 day pass (130 Soles = ~$48) to see all the important sites in the Inca Valley (barring Machu Picchu) in the morning; and exchanging some USD for Peruvian Soles, we were on our way at about 12:30 pm with the tour.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt7ByjsZAn9IWSFgRlUt5HVJgMr6ln7PAU6RdiX7RwvoZywqxaho3p7eUluJnL3dMmcwSiE9-Wb-3WGd7-AqtCVLH-5iRwdSal4a5_YqI81K3KLHoKDAmYbl_ixodI3MpNDl4Brfx4Rd10/s1600/20170903_154244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt7ByjsZAn9IWSFgRlUt5HVJgMr6ln7PAU6RdiX7RwvoZywqxaho3p7eUluJnL3dMmcwSiE9-Wb-3WGd7-AqtCVLH-5iRwdSal4a5_YqI81K3KLHoKDAmYbl_ixodI3MpNDl4Brfx4Rd10/s200/20170903_154244.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Koricancha with<br />
Convent of Santo Domingo above</td></tr>
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Our first visit was the Main <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_Basilica_of_Our_Lady_of_the_Assumption,_Cusco">Cuzco Cathedral</a>. The first stone was placed here to begin construction of the cathedral in 1560. It is a marvel of religious art, home to approximately 300 paintings from the Cusqueña School.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCxt079Smz_0iWbh6fpo87mnvnL46b-Up8YZ1x1lBHLiqTxYgBuTBE0rB1tEH6bFOI4UFIpybgbMdA_8QeuS5GPWQe5C2tUld7Dqch3a1WLULCfNsjiSW4knuE2-hlfbh1M9r_UOI_54eW/s1600/20170903_164610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="596" data-original-width="1600" height="74" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCxt079Smz_0iWbh6fpo87mnvnL46b-Up8YZ1x1lBHLiqTxYgBuTBE0rB1tEH6bFOI4UFIpybgbMdA_8QeuS5GPWQe5C2tUld7Dqch3a1WLULCfNsjiSW4knuE2-hlfbh1M9r_UOI_54eW/s200/20170903_164610.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saksaywaman complex</td></tr>
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Our next stop was, the ancient <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coricancha">"Koricancha" Temple</a>. Originally named Intikancha or Intiwasi, it was dedicated to Inti (Sun in Quechua language). Mostly destroyed after the 16th century war with the Spanish conquistadors much of its stonework forms the foundation of the Santo Domingo church and convent. The Spanish colonists built the Church of Santo Domingo on the site, demolishing the temple and using its foundations for the cathedral. Construction took most of a century. This is one of numerous sites where the <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwW6QFpWmdTWHFV1znAXiXLJEQBkkYOFj90BmxcgcM3F-WkKy_G9fz4xdesVxiQW5Sv1ieaHVJeIpnEsZaQgYznJaK_CAFFpxIkDWxrZL7Tl_Kh1Q-mBUmJqj54hGhWzcW6GIJjIOBt4Ps/s1600/IMG_5617.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwW6QFpWmdTWHFV1znAXiXLJEQBkkYOFj90BmxcgcM3F-WkKy_G9fz4xdesVxiQW5Sv1ieaHVJeIpnEsZaQgYznJaK_CAFFpxIkDWxrZL7Tl_Kh1Q-mBUmJqj54hGhWzcW6GIJjIOBt4Ps/s200/IMG_5617.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saksaywaman from distance</td></tr>
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Spanish incorporated Inca stonework into the structure of a colonial building. Major earthquakes severely damaged the church, but the Inca stone walls, built out of huge, tightly-interlocking blocks of stone, still stand due to their sophisticated stone masonry.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1N_yUwsnT_NN0ZpliACqP4DU153CUTU7LZM92YrxY8R5mHhrv7D40EIQumCVmG3z7QRikvKiub4_Od6Vg_xnhR2Esx7p13ccXngGd1QPc9lUG0jk1RnTYRFmqecwoFqnF00q8PL5b8Zt2/s1600/20170903_172340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1N_yUwsnT_NN0ZpliACqP4DU153CUTU7LZM92YrxY8R5mHhrv7D40EIQumCVmG3z7QRikvKiub4_Od6Vg_xnhR2Esx7p13ccXngGd1QPc9lUG0jk1RnTYRFmqecwoFqnF00q8PL5b8Zt2/s200/20170903_172340.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Puca Pucara</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCELotKX886JUlDpMNez43kyfzjsUm8x2Y9k4LS50Ad-xOlQdhFss6c-un0FdOOBCFtA6JWd5lYQhMOs8ptBHHk6FIRDQZ989UkkBp5MoRDi5TztT3oHnlgW3a98vC98MoGT_Vt3S6zWc4/s1600/20170903_160725.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCELotKX886JUlDpMNez43kyfzjsUm8x2Y9k4LS50Ad-xOlQdhFss6c-un0FdOOBCFtA6JWd5lYQhMOs8ptBHHk6FIRDQZ989UkkBp5MoRDi5TztT3oHnlgW3a98vC98MoGT_Vt3S6zWc4/s200/20170903_160725.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With an Alpaca at <span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Saksaywaman</span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> </span></td></tr>
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Our next stop was the archaeological complex of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saksaywaman" target="_blank">Saksaywaman</a>. Located on a steep hill that overlooks the city, the fortified complex has a wide view of the valley to the southeast. Archeological studies of surface collections of pottery at Saksaywaman indicate that the earliest occupation of the hilltop dates to about 900 AD. Because of its location high above Cusco and its immense terrace walls, this area of Saksaywaman is frequently referred to as a fortress. It is said that Inca laid Cuzco the same shape as the puma and Saksaywaman is the <a href="http://old.world-mysteries.com/mpl_9.htm" target="_blank">head of the Puma</a>.<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/u99TXksLTXM/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/u99TXksLTXM?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe>Our next 3 stops were smaller Inca ruins in the same area: Q'enqo, a religious center dedicated to the adoration of the Earth and Puca Pucara - A military control center.<br />
<b>Day 3 (Ollantaytambo via the sacred valley): </b>For this day, we had booked a <a href="https://officialcuscotaxi.com/">taxi</a> to take us to a small town about 70 km from Cuzco, names Ollantaytambo, which is the start of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inca_Trail_to_Machu_Picchu">traditional inca trail</a> to machu picchu and also, the station for the train to Aguas Calientes near the base of Machu picchu.<br />
We had deceided to take the route via Chincheros, Moray and Maras salts plains. Our first stop was the Chincheros textile market, where we were explained the weaving process a little bit, while sipping on hot cocoa leaves' tea. Chincheros is the center of weaving in Peru. It is home to the Interpretation Center of Andean Textiles. Local women entertain tourists with weaving demonstrations. The women will show how they produce different colors for the wool they spin and weave (video above).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrP5EM0v1IrS1iOkJPRJXFce1XpbtI_qg3dSEyyqaRhhM2iafwmJS73h8E-TbXNa8iURvPEOppLGwnDCS9kG94wY9GMMFZurAHoZJWaAqAT6CXV-_O2PXMR40DkTrzyAml_MH_ywkhP2t_/s1600/20170904_102042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrP5EM0v1IrS1iOkJPRJXFce1XpbtI_qg3dSEyyqaRhhM2iafwmJS73h8E-TbXNa8iURvPEOppLGwnDCS9kG94wY9GMMFZurAHoZJWaAqAT6CXV-_O2PXMR40DkTrzyAml_MH_ywkhP2t_/s200/20170904_102042.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chinchero ruins with terraces</td></tr>
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<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyjsiu_R5SSwhpWawbctQiin7bkpEg4aFoO6J1_3ijDTozYm5LTTg6oKcoll074e64GMpNX1K2cO7djCMPRTpwvDphCHMiZk1b_HRU6vzoP7HtVRI1-cPKPkGCaS2Hc3vvHdOCxMakuW_k/s1600/20170904_111046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyjsiu_R5SSwhpWawbctQiin7bkpEg4aFoO6J1_3ijDTozYm5LTTg6oKcoll074e64GMpNX1K2cO7djCMPRTpwvDphCHMiZk1b_HRU6vzoP7HtVRI1-cPKPkGCaS2Hc3vvHdOCxMakuW_k/s200/20170904_111046.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drive through the sacred valley</td></tr>
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This was followed by a stop at the Chincheros Inca ruins. It is thought that Inca Tupac Yupanqui, son of Pachacutec, used Chinchero as a sort of country resort. He ordered the con<br />
struction of many aqueducts and terraces, many of them still in use today. The terraces were built for farming and agricultural purposes. The soil of Chinchero is some of the most rich and fertile in the Sacred Valley. The land is used to produce excellent potatoes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb1QDLqSA9E8x8c98x-te5_MdT5z2sch5sbUhcAT30S6w9AdI4-EGSuJ9ammrgMzdrTh3_aMVFWuAuUxx3r97Bch5h_AZNEo883b2iz1u3IS_cGwhC3Rqq4obSQ2LpNMhu5YQz5n3a1Hwd/s1600/IMG_5458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb1QDLqSA9E8x8c98x-te5_MdT5z2sch5sbUhcAT30S6w9AdI4-EGSuJ9ammrgMzdrTh3_aMVFWuAuUxx3r97Bch5h_AZNEo883b2iz1u3IS_cGwhC3Rqq4obSQ2LpNMhu5YQz5n3a1Hwd/s200/IMG_5458.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moray archaeological site</td></tr>
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<br />
Our next stop was the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moray_(Inca_ruin)" target="_blank">Moray archaeological site</a>. The purpose of these circles is uncertain, but their depth, design, and orientation with respect to wind and sun creates a temperature difference of as much as 15 °C (27 °F) between the top and the bottom. Speculation about the site has led to discussion about Moray as an Inca agricultural experiment station.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirepoAXdAIZklQXeKJglsI1uiMx-eGgRoY76DEw5ABwEqZFF0hMVr6TGl3ZS9jN0gmIKax-vooUSJWdQ2SDV1LDjmm00S4sGgwdC2E4PGjS1t-afBNoeXCQzyqzTrmakO7Ugyj00MSjo4v/s1600/20170904_123548.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirepoAXdAIZklQXeKJglsI1uiMx-eGgRoY76DEw5ABwEqZFF0hMVr6TGl3ZS9jN0gmIKax-vooUSJWdQ2SDV1LDjmm00S4sGgwdC2E4PGjS1t-afBNoeXCQzyqzTrmakO7Ugyj00MSjo4v/s200/20170904_123548.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maras - Inca salt mines</td></tr>
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This was followed by a last stop at the <a href="https://www.peruforless.com/blog/salineras-de-maras-tour-inca-salt-mines/" target="_blank">Salineras de Maras</a> (entrance fee 10 soles/person), the Inca salt mines. Strategically dug into the mountainside, thousands of shallow pools filled with salt water eventually evaporate and leave behind the crystallized salt, a process that has been practiced for more than 500 years. The local community has exclusive mining rights to the salt pans near Maras, and every family own it's own "Poso", which is one of the many salt blocks.<br />
We were then dropped off at our hotel in Ollantaytambo.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaqyE1hdtn05q15TH9HBdZM31CZHbgd-vNbiVE87DaTjQGPFxuzdZWggGJXMEoXM9P-S8BH2HUwsGJKxRl0CLxvM_Kc8W8-SDNuOm81SrPM1d71blKpoy2ThuiWl3JVphSqs7WfppMpB4q/s1600/20170905_105849.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaqyE1hdtn05q15TH9HBdZM31CZHbgd-vNbiVE87DaTjQGPFxuzdZWggGJXMEoXM9P-S8BH2HUwsGJKxRl0CLxvM_Kc8W8-SDNuOm81SrPM1d71blKpoy2ThuiWl3JVphSqs7WfppMpB4q/s200/20170905_105849.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Train ride to Machu Picchu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_bPJbJdyphm4MgZmrUgq4B9RWs2_A-Dd_uXKGOJ2smPfk5dJLwMg-NPyk5KfWap8rGt3Tqf9Q9sGiEB_PYCRuOYdBh4HRmaANp_YDXPYf3YcvlaTLW3LgTRcfXkS1PW00IKJixnMsLVS_/s1600/20170905_132715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_bPJbJdyphm4MgZmrUgq4B9RWs2_A-Dd_uXKGOJ2smPfk5dJLwMg-NPyk5KfWap8rGt3Tqf9Q9sGiEB_PYCRuOYdBh4HRmaANp_YDXPYf3YcvlaTLW3LgTRcfXkS1PW00IKJixnMsLVS_/s200/20170905_132715.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The town of Aguas Calientes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeYFJ1cJQX_JClu690M-i9kfsvz1Vquzchf-BwGEEFnFsK3VHycQwg_qtrDIFy0G53kKSaIYN5y3FpAFk-_HswNOVt_wuZ7Zk08idNavOTSk0KzHrixX3oYNc2FnM5cWOms3ztfN-KVvSS/s1600/20170905_094108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeYFJ1cJQX_JClu690M-i9kfsvz1Vquzchf-BwGEEFnFsK3VHycQwg_qtrDIFy0G53kKSaIYN5y3FpAFk-_HswNOVt_wuZ7Zk08idNavOTSk0KzHrixX3oYNc2FnM5cWOms3ztfN-KVvSS/s200/20170905_094108.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peru Rail</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Day 4 (Train to Aguas Calientes from Ollantaytambo): </b>For our next day from Ollantaytambo, we had booked Peru rails tickets to Aguas Calientes, which is the town at the bottom of the Machu picchu mountain. The station was a short 1 km walk from our hotel. It should be noted that Peru rails only allows 1 carry on, weighing no more than 8 KG. So we dropped our bigger baggage at the hotels, since we were going to return back to the same hotel in 2 days. The ride to Aguas Calientes is a very beautiful one it is definitely recommended to have done the ride at least one way during day time. Also, you need to be at the station at least 1 hour prior to get the actual "tickets". They server a small snack like sandwich, a drink and a dessert.<br />
We were picked up at the station by a person from hotel, <a href="http://tierravivahoteles.com/tierra-viva-cusco-machu-picchu/">Tierra viva</a>, where we were to spend two nights. That evening we met up with our private guide at 7 pm at the hotel, and he explained us the plan for the next day.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZ007WjAy-VoRE-_mmCC9ivndTWDxRvXyxBG6zGBHf1AIkOuGEV509443PO2TSi-fxiImF7QkBO5ptQUVkvWAcNcmpOvpB2_2d84ZMrCobwckBPJIpV3cQRg2mniIJwnTBY1QfXBBeXdv/s1600/20170906_091850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZ007WjAy-VoRE-_mmCC9ivndTWDxRvXyxBG6zGBHf1AIkOuGEV509443PO2TSi-fxiImF7QkBO5ptQUVkvWAcNcmpOvpB2_2d84ZMrCobwckBPJIpV3cQRg2mniIJwnTBY1QfXBBeXdv/s200/20170906_091850.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Machu Picchu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdIT2sgrTxLVC-uXnefQ5txm-n7ELKb-8nnQzb6ZGggpPTbIXe9QDMawWSNqyUMSJuzff2zBXIpziSKyCJquYG8ACB-Gch-CnfqJpm9AzYc1jK09qzVVAexhf0Pn_lLN-bNYp70V-gRCkD/s1600/IMG_5518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdIT2sgrTxLVC-uXnefQ5txm-n7ELKb-8nnQzb6ZGggpPTbIXe9QDMawWSNqyUMSJuzff2zBXIpziSKyCJquYG8ACB-Gch-CnfqJpm9AzYc1jK09qzVVAexhf0Pn_lLN-bNYp70V-gRCkD/s200/IMG_5518.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Huanya Picchu in the background</td></tr>
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<b>Day 5 (Machu Picchu): </b>We had already bought round trip bus tickets to Machu Picchu ($24/person, USD cash only). Fortunately for us the it was sunny that day, as we'd heard from some of the previous travelers to the site that if it rains or is foggy you may not see most of the site from a distance. After about a 30 minutes bus ride, we were at the entrance.<br />
<br />
A 15th-century Inca citadel situated on a mountain ridge 2,430 metres (7,970 ft) above sea level. Built as an estate for the Inca emperor <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pachacuti">Pachacuti</a> (1438–1472), it is the most familiar icon of Inca civilization. It was declared a Peruvian Historic Sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. In 2007, it was voted one of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New7Wonders_of_the_World#Winners">New Seven Wonders of the World</a> in a worldwide Internet poll.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-W1k8HNfPf9SkqdZTW40YHk1TlEEaKW798PX1CEe_KNShHxrlw3Dq-m3UHHOk9_YdKIb9S4qjLeB-WxZ4vezSB62Yd74tykinp7P9kPr2xhRoEGcELeZtl4jFd7hgONRj1-NewpHTzYA/s1600/IMG_5553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-W1k8HNfPf9SkqdZTW40YHk1TlEEaKW798PX1CEe_KNShHxrlw3Dq-m3UHHOk9_YdKIb9S4qjLeB-WxZ4vezSB62Yd74tykinp7P9kPr2xhRoEGcELeZtl4jFd7hgONRj1-NewpHTzYA/s200/IMG_5553.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Machu picchu from the top of<br />
Huayna picchu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiPHRohLjLFrOMmFPp3rZ62819-mMfvAFObyvz8bQ4bT1N1hzZdBFGzhROAUOx4VbIRoRZi_nuQ04oA96ciqdFjhCPi6LBvjpArVAcWKpkaqWSBXqrbew7nxuaoOu6P_JnNwkx86fVJdtM/s1600/IMG_5560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiPHRohLjLFrOMmFPp3rZ62819-mMfvAFObyvz8bQ4bT1N1hzZdBFGzhROAUOx4VbIRoRZi_nuQ04oA96ciqdFjhCPi6LBvjpArVAcWKpkaqWSBXqrbew7nxuaoOu6P_JnNwkx86fVJdtM/s200/IMG_5560.JPG" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stairs up Huanya picchu</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYe989hOAqCns8xD5EytGU8KlXhnTnZjUkWUfnqThsuVhXvEklRTOP8ZfBlP8IaTsikjjQ0qskr5srQKJHmWW4JOpCdCg-4TD14vkuXm-vwZhiUPgRvxfFHHjFlKqQEdrUi8BmbEwu5gv/s1600/IMG_5519.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYe989hOAqCns8xD5EytGU8KlXhnTnZjUkWUfnqThsuVhXvEklRTOP8ZfBlP8IaTsikjjQ0qskr5srQKJHmWW4JOpCdCg-4TD14vkuXm-vwZhiUPgRvxfFHHjFlKqQEdrUi8BmbEwu5gv/s200/IMG_5519.JPG" width="200" /></a>We entered the site around 8:30 am as after taking a guided tour and many, many photos through the ruins, we did the hike up to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huayna_Picchu">Huayna Picchu</a>, which is the tall mountain you see behind the site. Huayna Picchu may be visited throughout the year, but the number of daily visitors allowed on Huayna Picchu is restricted to 400. A steep and, at times, exposed pathway leads to the summit. Some portions are slippery and steel cables (a via ferrata) provide some support during the one-hour climb. The ascent is more challenging, as it's an almost vertical climb up, but once at the top, it is completely worth the view.<br />
The climb down was relatively easier, and after another guided tour through the lower part of the site, we went out the same entrance we came in, after spending about 5 hours at the sites. The bus ride down had a 1 hour queue, but we had not booked the train back the same day, as most of the folks, so we were not in a rush.<br />
<br />
<b>Please note: </b>Machu Picchu tickets get sold out months in advance, and the new rules, which took effect on July 1st, allow you to visit the site once in either 7 to 12 or 12 to 5 window. There is only 1 restroom at the site, which is at the entrance, so it's best to use it before entering. <b>A valid passport is necessary for the visit. </b>You can also get a machu picchu stamp there, on the passport, if you want.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDi4OIn-ds0S00lqFXztk-AjXfhEA9TaIEs74ea7Eg-d2D2pYgYrouG3Bn14nr-qica1GZ6So68Vz7SQ6AJ4O5vx_3Y5zTQkpbXpuMRrOCG6AaszK3z0qiuY1B1Bg68BBrLxKAXI1urQ4F/s1600/20170907_141923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1037" data-original-width="1600" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDi4OIn-ds0S00lqFXztk-AjXfhEA9TaIEs74ea7Eg-d2D2pYgYrouG3Bn14nr-qica1GZ6So68Vz7SQ6AJ4O5vx_3Y5zTQkpbXpuMRrOCG6AaszK3z0qiuY1B1Bg68BBrLxKAXI1urQ4F/s200/20170907_141923.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A side view of the Ollantaytambo ruins</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b></b><br />
<b></b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjE8nMBxdOtumKnJUg8G3UQhwC4zFql5WUa5RJmybpudIgiX__VR7iV16cnRDacOi61nf-FA6Vlf9OuwRw2jCHqmwAG119HAo3hRLfeuhFcqJA2Sr0RM-npbkuidZG9N1BoV3LDY0MxvxL/s1600/IMG_5485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjE8nMBxdOtumKnJUg8G3UQhwC4zFql5WUa5RJmybpudIgiX__VR7iV16cnRDacOi61nf-FA6Vlf9OuwRw2jCHqmwAG119HAo3hRLfeuhFcqJA2Sr0RM-npbkuidZG9N1BoV3LDY0MxvxL/s200/IMG_5485.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Ollantaytambo ruins</td></tr>
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<b>Day 6 (</b><b>Ollantaytambo</b><b>): </b>The next day, after spending the night in Aguas calientes, we did the morning 2 hour train ride back to Ollantaytambo. After arriving at the hotel, afternoon we decided to hike up the Ollantaytambo ruins.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ELC6q6dgZjQF5ILKdrdhReh_VqSCK-EIV3SL9r4C4iRV3FuZjz9fh46WXm8eGhDpSlSOAt0s0IQ4YhCTes5LVLh4JmyLnwDE5LiKDrjR1FlBtfemUNaRujmRTz_VZ_jA01_xD3KlytaA/s1600/20170907_135417.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ELC6q6dgZjQF5ILKdrdhReh_VqSCK-EIV3SL9r4C4iRV3FuZjz9fh46WXm8eGhDpSlSOAt0s0IQ4YhCTes5LVLh4JmyLnwDE5LiKDrjR1FlBtfemUNaRujmRTz_VZ_jA01_xD3KlytaA/s200/20170907_135417.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Unfinished Wall of <br />
Six Monoliths at the Sun Temple</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil80NQPED3reBxoBZWFPv6rhvbyvNstQlKIhYch96x4qAr7tTyVd0jEp-YEy9-xJEb5OtxiHM1zDJkn9NtXLHIbqA17ynn9Gk7v0CHkNxoSm880O2beBzeWPHXzp8Vt4XDE6J8MDZrV_BK/s1600/20170907_141415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="784" data-original-width="1600" height="97" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil80NQPED3reBxoBZWFPv6rhvbyvNstQlKIhYch96x4qAr7tTyVd0jEp-YEy9-xJEb5OtxiHM1zDJkn9NtXLHIbqA17ynn9Gk7v0CHkNxoSm880O2beBzeWPHXzp8Vt4XDE6J8MDZrV_BK/s200/20170907_141415.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top view from the Ollantaytambo ruins</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
A former Inca administrative center and gateway to the Antisuyo (the Amazon corner of the Inca Empire), sits at the northern end of the Sacred Valley. At the time of the Spanish invasion and conquest of Peru Ollantaytambo served as the last stronghold for Inca Manco Yupanqui, leader of the Inca resistance at the time. As you climb the Inca stairs to the top of the fortress of the Ollantaytambo ruins you begin to realize just how large this structure is. At the top of the fortress is the military area. From here is where Inca Manco and his soldiers watched for the Spanish invaders. This was a great vantage point, and only when you get up there do you realize how high you are up and how much you can see out to the Sacred Valley.<br />
<br />
Next day morning, we took the collectivo (Shared taxi) directly to Cuzco for 10 soles/person.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNG25dY-7lafBDxwxKcN8BgUMlMQMjUYiKb7vPjYjjr0aJn_koONOLdx6UsFvJ6OAyZU6KH-xRDl1F-FacoLcG1MPQYVz_8A1CG1aGMFQY86K5uYkbzMgSEM_cRPZ6hr7rRnJqqUuNlHg1/s1600/20170908_132630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNG25dY-7lafBDxwxKcN8BgUMlMQMjUYiKb7vPjYjjr0aJn_koONOLdx6UsFvJ6OAyZU6KH-xRDl1F-FacoLcG1MPQYVz_8A1CG1aGMFQY86K5uYkbzMgSEM_cRPZ6hr7rRnJqqUuNlHg1/s200/20170908_132630.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Terraces of Pisac</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzb3-v4rbo6jvjswnJHzaDX7jMU_027FMbFOqARyBoidf8dwIBOXxczl-cWcIpkyFixa19yVpN_0Gi5Y-wRz3iMqkgloRfz73cHcbSoUuwtK32unyGLtrrTSqLKTdmGugVEOCJb4Ba8PZu/s1600/IMG_5612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzb3-v4rbo6jvjswnJHzaDX7jMU_027FMbFOqARyBoidf8dwIBOXxczl-cWcIpkyFixa19yVpN_0Gi5Y-wRz3iMqkgloRfz73cHcbSoUuwtK32unyGLtrrTSqLKTdmGugVEOCJb4Ba8PZu/s200/IMG_5612.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruins of Pisac</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Day 7 (Pisac): </b>After arriving in Cuzco, in the morning and then taking lunch, we decided to head to the Inca town of Pisac. The Ruins are situated at the eastern end of the Sacred Valley, 1 hour from Cusco. Located high above the valley floor and the modern colonial town of Pisac, the ruins are considered to be one of the finest remaining Inca archaeological sites in the country.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieeniYQucd_CwVag1SUKGFE4trNQ_bmyYSSsyVie8jprV-Eo58jwzOV_vAWLclHHSpZYX7_zz8FLkT3gybpOHxypy1Z0PkyIU06efWj-ExKb5MpV8LEVYaVNv2UnXxmTE_KtG7wkYMTWAy/s1600/20170908_140304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieeniYQucd_CwVag1SUKGFE4trNQ_bmyYSSsyVie8jprV-Eo58jwzOV_vAWLclHHSpZYX7_zz8FLkT3gybpOHxypy1Z0PkyIU06efWj-ExKb5MpV8LEVYaVNv2UnXxmTE_KtG7wkYMTWAy/s200/20170908_140304.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inca valley at Pisac</td></tr>
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From Wikipedia: "According to the scholar Kim MacQuarrie, Pachacuti erected a number of royal estates to memorialize victories over other ethnic groups. Among these royal estates are Písac (victory over the Cuyos), Ollantaytambo (victory over the Tambos), and Machu Picchu (conquest of the Vilcabamba Valley). Other historians suggest that Písac was established to protect Cusco from possible attacks of the Antis nations. It is unknown when Inca Písac was built. Since it does not appear to have been inhabited by any pre-Inca civilization, it was most likely built no earlier than 1440."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2028175QFyHeupwHHX4OUa3Lsl8_BH7jpKbe5lKLKiqwwIDofBHLDqZyAt4fo3YMH2TxZNGajuLEokj9anhlwzkK5lvA57u9ywmlb2wlnbJazPZEaz5bw2g6zL1beKzSw7xak5CPDX9uu/s1600/20170909_100056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2028175QFyHeupwHHX4OUa3Lsl8_BH7jpKbe5lKLKiqwwIDofBHLDqZyAt4fo3YMH2TxZNGajuLEokj9anhlwzkK5lvA57u9ywmlb2wlnbJazPZEaz5bw2g6zL1beKzSw7xak5CPDX9uu/s200/20170909_100056.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Pachacuteq Monument</td></tr>
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PS: Round trip taxi from Cuzco to Pisac was about 90 soles.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO6PD8-FS2T4qJEShtM1m0KoVexroWfDLfFkgOH3TPj9GSaZCpPveX0LH-lu7FzeGI89fQNwAgawJxcvxfM1MG5Rv9Y1FLQKSpsQ4TVefQ6gOF0ySP98TiC-hS3Wxdgjlk8zdacGL_9xzh/s1600/20170909_095102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO6PD8-FS2T4qJEShtM1m0KoVexroWfDLfFkgOH3TPj9GSaZCpPveX0LH-lu7FzeGI89fQNwAgawJxcvxfM1MG5Rv9Y1FLQKSpsQ4TVefQ6gOF0ySP98TiC-hS3Wxdgjlk8zdacGL_9xzh/s200/20170909_095102.jpg" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pachacuteq Monument</td></tr>
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<b>Day 8 (Cusco to Bogotá): </b>Last day in Cuzco, we decided to visit the remaining sites on the boleto tursitico. The site we visited were:<br />
1) <b><a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g294314-d5951674-Reviews-Monumento_Pachacuteq-Cusco_Cusco_Region.html">The Pachacuteq Monument</a></b> (Monumento Pachacuteq) sits on a roundabout on Avenida del Sol, Cusco. The monument is actually a tower museum dedicated to this great Inca Pachacuteq Yupanki. A huge figure stands on top of this six story tower that looks over the Cusco region. The sculpture was created by Cusqueñan sculptor Fausto Espinoza Farfán.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeoN9W1BReUF4BevxWmSovnel37vWdpL4yIVMJ3DOgXSkQpjjkTCxNVcqD2jrKKrhwTHW1wqUBynlITCx3IfGER1_8G4HPWFZwFrDROVXbvltaczLzXGc08qIwSQl8Jb6VxW6aJonpgKND/s1600/20170909_114622.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeoN9W1BReUF4BevxWmSovnel37vWdpL4yIVMJ3DOgXSkQpjjkTCxNVcqD2jrKKrhwTHW1wqUBynlITCx3IfGER1_8G4HPWFZwFrDROVXbvltaczLzXGc08qIwSQl8Jb6VxW6aJonpgKND/s200/20170909_114622.jpg" width="200" /></a>2) <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g294314-d553483-Reviews-Museu_Historico_Regional-Cusco_Cusco_Region.html">Museo Historico Regional</a>: It offers to the visitors a beautiful collection of archaeological objects from cultures pre-Inca and Inca, as well as a select collection of colonial paintings that shows the success of the artists from Cuzco.<br />
3) <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g294314-d2019081-Reviews-Museo_de_sitio_del_Qoricancha-Cusco_Cusco_Region.html">Museo de sitio del Qoricancha</a>: This was a bit of a disappointment . A bare bones place that is in poor shape with minimum information regarding the Incas.<br />
4) <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g294314-d3569296-Reviews-Museum_of_Contemporary_Art-Cusco_Cusco_Region.html">Museum of Contemporary Art</a><br />
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Evening, we took the 3 hour, Avianca flight to Bogotá, Colombia. After landing, doing immigration, and taking a 30 minutes uber to our Airbnb apartment, in the La candelaria area, we slept off for the day.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plaza de Bolivar</td></tr>
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<b>PS</b>: <a href="https://bkpk.me/colombia-visa-for-indians/">As of 2016</a>, a valid US Visa, with 6 months validity, works to enter Colombia on an India Passport.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Museo del Oro</td></tr>
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<b>Day 9 (Bogotá): </b>This we had planned to attended the <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g294074-d6899636-Reviews-Beyond_Colombia_Free_Walking_Tour_Bogota-Bogota.html">free Bogotá walking tour</a> that starts at the Museo del Oro in the center of Bogotá. The informative walk about history, gastronomy, architecture took us around the best sights that La Candelaria has to offer.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Cerro Monserrate</td></tr>
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After the tour we visited the <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g294074-d532210-Reviews-Gold_Museum_Museo_del_Oro-Bogota.html">Museo del oro</a> (Gold Museum), since it was a Sunday and most museums are closed on Mondays in Bogotá. Enter fee is usually 4000 COP or ~1.24 USD but is free on Sunday, so expect huge crowds.<br />
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<b>Day 10 (Bogotá): </b>The last day, we took it light, as we had an early morning flight back home the next day. We did a morning ride to Cerro Monserate, which gives you a 360 degree view of the city. The ride in a cable car is about 3.5 USD/Person one-way and takes 2 minutes. If you go on a clear day, it makes you realize just how big the expanse of this city is.<br />
We felt two days was sufficient time to feel the ambiance of one of the most antique city centers in Latin America.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbhKgdUYvqQj45pkwTUMUpw3MYkPpdlW5DAJYG8qU5UTrcfUGoY5IJX0mKEo45IccJd29GrVMfa7J4QFssOErzwCFv8Wc1zwDBcc_GqqP1BAXqM4ZsK2yevVGWQEjZYtD2z5GY3z8AUwUN/s1600/20170906_130618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="641" data-original-width="1600" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbhKgdUYvqQj45pkwTUMUpw3MYkPpdlW5DAJYG8qU5UTrcfUGoY5IJX0mKEo45IccJd29GrVMfa7J4QFssOErzwCFv8Wc1zwDBcc_GqqP1BAXqM4ZsK2yevVGWQEjZYtD2z5GY3z8AUwUN/s320/20170906_130618.jpg" width="320" /></a>This brought to an end an amazing week and half in the Andean region of South America. Machu Picchu and the Inca Valley, of course being the highlight of the whole trip, which we can now cross off our bucket list.<br />
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<b>What businesses did we use?</b><br />
<b>Hotels: <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g294314-d3266819-Reviews-Hostal_Wara_Wara-Cusco_Cusco_Region.html">Wara Wara</a>, <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g294319-d8460017-Reviews-Kamma_Guest_House-Ollantaytambo_Sacred_Valley_Cusco_Region.html">Kamma Guest house</a>, <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g304036-d1148615-Reviews-Tierra_Viva_Machu_Picchu-Aguas_Calientes_Sacred_Valley_Cusco_Region.html">Tierra Viva</a></b><br />
<b>Transport</b>: https://officialcuscotaxi.com/ and <a href="http://www.perurail.com/">Peru Rail</a><br />
<b>Tours: <a href="http://www.valenciatravelcusco.com/">Valencia</a>, <a href="http://www.beyondcolombia.com/">Free Bogotá tour</a></b><br />
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Mohit Samanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11921125793502265689noreply@blogger.com0Cusco, Peru-13.53195 -71.967462599999976-13.655454 -72.128824099999974 -13.408446 -71.806101099999978tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676617735394521442.post-57176384563137582232017-07-11T11:48:00.004-07:002017-08-08T11:05:45.168-07:00Bonjour Canada - Exploring Ontario<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Air Canada café - Bonjour Canada!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi4DUGrTGM4lNRQm6g-OhXYIGmrgfufvosjypKbA85Sep2OOGZbJ8eTnJ4E8efW4E5gsTRjtEyMs6smXSjjvLy0tll8a5zmMDEAD2Gbt22oNcGg0ksfhRfr9DNXg9tUNuaGHC2hNQphBJZ/s1600/19943030_10156029685136393_2478612704998516826_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi4DUGrTGM4lNRQm6g-OhXYIGmrgfufvosjypKbA85Sep2OOGZbJ8eTnJ4E8efW4E5gsTRjtEyMs6smXSjjvLy0tll8a5zmMDEAD2Gbt22oNcGg0ksfhRfr9DNXg9tUNuaGHC2hNQphBJZ/s200/19943030_10156029685136393_2478612704998516826_o.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Toronto Skyline with CN tower</td></tr>
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Almost 18 months after getting our <a href="http://blog.mohitsamant.com/2016/02/canada-tourist-visa-for-indian-citizens.html" target="_blank">Canadian visas</a>, we finally made that first trip to Canada, landing in Toronto last week!<br />
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We had booked round trip tickets using our United miles, to experience the only daily scheduled international flight from Kansas City; via Air Canada, which is part of the same alliance.<br />
The flights is a small 50 seat Regional Jet, but the journey was relatively smooth. After landing at the Toronto airport, we picked up our rental car, and made our way to the airport Best western hotel where we were to spent the night before our southbound journey to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niagara_Falls" target="_blank">Niagara falls</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Konzelmann Estate Winery</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqkE4oU9W_Bg_tcRibqU-v7HCr5WSA1XD8iZ3InRh2lP8S12Fba7Bz96-GLhCJVRV88JdpG7lkNCbI0j4XjydgIXCXU8OX10VsvVl_ggBaFvr-it2CscwRn5YtGXF47LpBA8IYFBaDYnDC/s1600/IMG_5336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqkE4oU9W_Bg_tcRibqU-v7HCr5WSA1XD8iZ3InRh2lP8S12Fba7Bz96-GLhCJVRV88JdpG7lkNCbI0j4XjydgIXCXU8OX10VsvVl_ggBaFvr-it2CscwRn5YtGXF47LpBA8IYFBaDYnDC/s200/IMG_5336.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Konzelmann Estate Winery</td></tr>
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We started off relatively early in the day, as we wanted to stop by a quaint little town called <a href="https://www.niagarafallstourism.com/about/niagara-on-the-lake/" target="_blank">Niagara-on-the-lake</a>, which is famous for it's many wineries, and on the way from Toronto to Niagara Falls, ON. The drive takes about an hour and half, plus add time for traffic depending on the time and season. The Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) is the major route from Toronto. There is also a faster route (407 ETR) however there is no way to manually pay the toll, and the rental companies may charge a <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g155019-c126752/Toronto:Ontario:Toll.Highway.407.Etr.html" target="_blank">much larger administrative fee</a>, than the actual toll.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">The falls lit up</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpxZ1dnWebENLjxW_wnD7Q6Gv766Gm06ySWZVkU6MnPeG0JEBoESttiiC412pRT7D3bG9i_N3qho0TnJS9Z5Sm_BTy_i07DiF8MRQldvSQEIoI6vcZiKZgPAcPh6gJPEnHn1Zgqtl_K7YC/s1600/19667600_10156024918661393_611541682444278161_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpxZ1dnWebENLjxW_wnD7Q6Gv766Gm06ySWZVkU6MnPeG0JEBoESttiiC412pRT7D3bG9i_N3qho0TnJS9Z5Sm_BTy_i07DiF8MRQldvSQEIoI6vcZiKZgPAcPh6gJPEnHn1Zgqtl_K7YC/s200/19667600_10156024918661393_611541682444278161_o.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Skylon tower, the dam can<br />
seen behind the falls</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After reaching Niagara-on-the-lake we made our stop at the <a href="http://www.konzelmann.ca/" target="_blank">Konzelmann Estate Winery</a>, where we did a guided tour of the estate and winery while learning about the history of the family, taking in the beautiful view of the vineyard. We finished the tour off with a structured tasting of four of their famous wines, including an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_wine" target="_blank">ice wine</a>, which is unique to this part of the word.<br />
We reached Niagara falls late afternoon that day and checked in to our bed & breakfast. Evening, we went for a stroll to the falls, to get our first glimpse.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1wiPrsSYPBbITrs6LzLMSSD3DOrNf3JhN3zDnq0K1egM7GnASFA6_juVP3tvtXD03RcCvu2dB4KCnzWzhdl4_gpCRY-K4VPF3XEbP5V_YcsyvUQhkegqI7BkvZ2D7RK0KoNwTPRHmn5uK/s1600/20170703_100732.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1wiPrsSYPBbITrs6LzLMSSD3DOrNf3JhN3zDnq0K1egM7GnASFA6_juVP3tvtXD03RcCvu2dB4KCnzWzhdl4_gpCRY-K4VPF3XEbP5V_YcsyvUQhkegqI7BkvZ2D7RK0KoNwTPRHmn5uK/s200/20170703_100732.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from lower deck of<br />
Journey behind the falls</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
For the next day, we had booked a tour with <a href="http://seesight-tours.com/" target="_blank">See sight tours</a>, a local tour operator. Our excursion started early, with our driver and tour guide for the day, John, picking us up at our B&B at 8:30 am sharp. We then went on to pickup another family of 4, before starting off the day with a ride up the <a href="http://www.skylon.com/" target="_blank">Skylon tower</a>. The Skylon Tower is one of the top attractions in Niagara Falls and a must for those who want to see a bird’s eye view of the City and the surrounding area. The glass elevator ride up takes you to an 360 degree observatory where you can get some of the best views of the falls, and on a clear day, as it was when we visited, we could see far as the Toronto & Buffalo skylines on either side of the falls.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDHLvm-BrHw3EEGMwQ7fkmnahyphenhyphenYOBn97qlbfPLPexcABbXmm84026ATmQzBGzSSRm7dxU15Jn16CDeDco3KBwCrdVf7s8h9TlFotF14J9139rZLZBrchr1Xq8aoJJS4faDW5L6jTa22ZXB/s1600/20170703_115026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDHLvm-BrHw3EEGMwQ7fkmnahyphenhyphenYOBn97qlbfPLPexcABbXmm84026ATmQzBGzSSRm7dxU15Jn16CDeDco3KBwCrdVf7s8h9TlFotF14J9139rZLZBrchr1Xq8aoJJS4faDW5L6jTa22ZXB/s200/20170703_115026.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">American Falls from Hornblower</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ByER4qzZfKFJ-RsnlYutZvq9jnI4qJosY9o0DhinqBtbSpISgvgqMfpvGOfeGGMk3Cu_3HCCh8_sykQdohoIwEsrsGBRhgpk6Wg03v-fbqV6hziL24tU2knPJgNJfNAntkqEIiF_Ilmy/s1600/20170703_101148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ByER4qzZfKFJ-RsnlYutZvq9jnI4qJosY9o0DhinqBtbSpISgvgqMfpvGOfeGGMk3Cu_3HCCh8_sykQdohoIwEsrsGBRhgpk6Wg03v-fbqV6hziL24tU2knPJgNJfNAntkqEIiF_Ilmy/s200/20170703_101148.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Literally behind the falls</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Our next stop was the <a href="https://www.niagarafallstourism.com/blog/what-is-that-dam-or-bridge-above-the-falls/" target="_blank">bride/dam above the falls</a>. It was built both by Canadians and Americans in 1954 for two reasons. It was built to hold back some of the water going over the Canadian Falls and force more water from the upper river to the American Rapids and over the American Falls and also to divert water from the upper river into intakes for Canadian and American power plants.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7pVS93UGj7shBgOM_L5YuGsTVHmSiJzgJ7QiqnMOvYQoknVTEJwa3gbGDKD9KCzq9q9VxIMONL3uuutWYBfiu7jlwgrkSMN6KbIZ07AfbkOECGetmkQvouZtY6JOez3DeRxp7o3D2n7vo/s1600/20170703_113308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7pVS93UGj7shBgOM_L5YuGsTVHmSiJzgJ7QiqnMOvYQoknVTEJwa3gbGDKD9KCzq9q9VxIMONL3uuutWYBfiu7jlwgrkSMN6KbIZ07AfbkOECGetmkQvouZtY6JOez3DeRxp7o3D2n7vo/s200/20170703_113308.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Horseshoe fall from Hornblower</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqBUtxIs3N9txxkvKQg481vBnH-tqhL1dL2hRVwMUmlOrZsG5GDnp6P0gKrmNRztYW47j5PjD45PbadQuZsXEujt7NagMuo0sFJw1JWZFIlcJDgSRs3WpmP63AIqAClMt4gMANMI29ZIq7/s1600/19238191_10156024930611393_5534675975404295391_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqBUtxIs3N9txxkvKQg481vBnH-tqhL1dL2hRVwMUmlOrZsG5GDnp6P0gKrmNRztYW47j5PjD45PbadQuZsXEujt7NagMuo0sFJw1JWZFIlcJDgSRs3WpmP63AIqAClMt4gMANMI29ZIq7/s200/19238191_10156024930611393_5534675975404295391_o.jpg" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Behind the falls</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After this we were driven to the visitors area which underneath which is the entrance to the <a href="https://www.niagaraparks.com/visit/attractions/journey-behind-the-falls/" target="_blank">Journey behind the falls</a>. This offers an unique view of the Falls from below and behind. Visitors descend 150 ft. by elevator, where a short tunnel (150 ft.) gives access to two outdoor observation decks and two portals located directly behind the Falls. Elevators descend 150 feet through bedrock to tunnels that lead and to the Cataract Portal and the Great Falls Portal which is one third of the way behind the massive sheet of water. Then you walk on to the Upper and Lower Observation Decks at the very foot of the Falls.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl3x0AzPa4ooyEsH8hNQc3FvV6nYF5SYwMr_VQx38inAx34HUq2SE1OKgspJ98KpaS6t-Rxs9yA3cCfoJyDdTPjODIWmDUESs_8l8p8rZEEHtNGTG8TWOtPzED7QKJwtKXsQqbgWqgJrzC/s1600/20170703_124417.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl3x0AzPa4ooyEsH8hNQc3FvV6nYF5SYwMr_VQx38inAx34HUq2SE1OKgspJ98KpaS6t-Rxs9yA3cCfoJyDdTPjODIWmDUESs_8l8p8rZEEHtNGTG8TWOtPzED7QKJwtKXsQqbgWqgJrzC/s200/20170703_124417.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Floral clock in Niagara Parks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Our next attraction was the <a href="https://www.hornblower.com/" target="_blank">Hornblower cruise</a>. This cruise takes you as close as possible to the thundering roar, awesome power and amazing mist of the mighty Falls!<br />
We rounded off the trip with a visit to the Floral clock and buttery conservatory in the Niagara falls park area.<br />
Next day, we drove back to Toronto to spend the rest of our week, but not before driving past the amazing Niagara falls for one last time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoNZt67mKGymT3k_WoI001dPFw3ZhZqn-jm3nOMqKdXSlRVyr1pEtoWVJKX6qjs3hH5fQHnZ0T5k7RRK0ad4PFpPy7dngLFvtYTVRI14fTrwADasaT20DJtWwzyBtaFoTJklKJKERnh6YP/s1600/IMG_5387.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoNZt67mKGymT3k_WoI001dPFw3ZhZqn-jm3nOMqKdXSlRVyr1pEtoWVJKX6qjs3hH5fQHnZ0T5k7RRK0ad4PFpPy7dngLFvtYTVRI14fTrwADasaT20DJtWwzyBtaFoTJklKJKERnh6YP/s200/IMG_5387.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the CN Tower</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
While in Toronto, we did an <a href="https://harbourtourstoronto.ca/" target="_blank">evening cruise</a> of the harbor and a trip up the <a href="http://www.cntower.ca/" target="_blank">CN tower</a>, where you can see some awesome 360 degree views of the city from a bird's eye perspective.<br />
<br />
This brought to an end an excellent week in the Ontario region of Canada, and I hope we get to explore some of the other parts of this amazing and vast country in the coming years.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<b>What businesses did we use?</b><br />
Flight: Air Canada<br />
Car Rental: <a href="https://www.thrifty.com/local_sites_index/AirportPages/Toronto-Airport-Rental.aspx?PickupLocationCode=YYZ&campid=localseo-GMB-YYZ" target="_blank">Thrifty at YYZ airport</a> ($230 CAD for 3 days)<br />
Niagara Falls Tours: <a href="http://seesight-tours.com/" target="_blank">See Sight tours</a><br />
Niagara B&B: <a href="http://www.springmanor.ca/" target="_blank">Spring Manor</a><br />
Toronto: <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/15589849" target="_blank">Airbnb</a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2ZrWEGuwGZY/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2ZrWEGuwGZY?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
</div>
Mohit Samanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11921125793502265689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676617735394521442.post-5825591576750401532017-01-25T13:43:00.002-08:002017-02-15T12:43:01.862-08:00Exploring Cuba – First impressions of Havana<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ixCNJIazdDrjCh4KGByBonvmoiGcKt6IWgjgH0UoegROhWa5kKW1-iD32zT2zjuPC_21z78iOsEbE6PP0lh8id6wATAH3PnydAhSaIHjrO3hLg53d1V8jtLqt96YUkmNm4xM-wRNSw9X/s1600/WP_20170120_07_29_48_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ixCNJIazdDrjCh4KGByBonvmoiGcKt6IWgjgH0UoegROhWa5kKW1-iD32zT2zjuPC_21z78iOsEbE6PP0lh8id6wATAH3PnydAhSaIHjrO3hLg53d1V8jtLqt96YUkmNm4xM-wRNSw9X/s200/WP_20170120_07_29_48_Pro.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cuba Ready!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGeB2DothwYI_nMzZNgA1Y_YAxQ8cQVhfSlZNPBRdyK_s2jjuEYalV4F3912Pp1A2UjH-r67nB-88gIPMBSOS_Hoc25X84duxyxv71PMOExqQo1MkcBwg_4lDgMDWFG2R_Gx0Nzl4d8PD-/s1600/WP_20170121_09_42_58_Rich+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGeB2DothwYI_nMzZNgA1Y_YAxQ8cQVhfSlZNPBRdyK_s2jjuEYalV4F3912Pp1A2UjH-r67nB-88gIPMBSOS_Hoc25X84duxyxv71PMOExqQo1MkcBwg_4lDgMDWFG2R_Gx0Nzl4d8PD-/s200/WP_20170121_09_42_58_Rich+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">El Capitolio - La Habana</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My wife and I did a quick 3 day trip to the largest island nation in the Caribbean, Cuba. Flights to the country from the US just started recently after former US President Barack Obama <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/cuba-us-passenger-flights-resume-227587" target="_blank">partly lifted sanctions on the country</a>.<br />
<br />
We flew to Charlotte, NC the night before and took a 8:50 am flight to Havana from Charlotte. The c<br />
heck-in process for American Airlines was a little different, as once you get the boarding passes, you need to get a "Cuba Ready" stamp on the boarding pass before boarding the flight, which is done at a separate counter near the check-in area. The agent basically verifies that you have a valid "Tourist Card", and stamps a red "Cuba-Ready stamp" on the boarding pass, as shown in the pic above.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXH-6p4cxkWoM0ZnE-GkcspoUqrZrHwlZcVOUrnGCTsgs3sHs1MK0xXL6lfpnzDWZ1bRJKJhmq0NW06EM4pFPmeaZF_B9aCkwCHBFAJVrt6HDaWxN2Kl5zMxmqPZm5WhAOHOCXQhZLkMzM/s1600/IMG_4974.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXH-6p4cxkWoM0ZnE-GkcspoUqrZrHwlZcVOUrnGCTsgs3sHs1MK0xXL6lfpnzDWZ1bRJKJhmq0NW06EM4pFPmeaZF_B9aCkwCHBFAJVrt6HDaWxN2Kl5zMxmqPZm5WhAOHOCXQhZLkMzM/s200/IMG_4974.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Malecón</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHRQY9ptdKh-xOYsg1Bu4vMgOC7IB_WWYnvtl3WoyYSex56VPjOQorx3M-faqEliWvBNPN_eZBTgd_PHMO0f8l9pvVMwiiBGXhDDOG2ROvul5vB6ZOgOKCMpn6qIoUepO0vOrQAJ11cL45/s1600/IMG_4992.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHRQY9ptdKh-xOYsg1Bu4vMgOC7IB_WWYnvtl3WoyYSex56VPjOQorx3M-faqEliWvBNPN_eZBTgd_PHMO0f8l9pvVMwiiBGXhDDOG2ROvul5vB6ZOgOKCMpn6qIoUepO0vOrQAJ11cL45/s200/IMG_4992.JPG" width="200" /></a>We landed into Havana at around 11:30 and reached our "casa particular", which we had booked thorough Airbnb, around noon. It should be noted that Cuba has a <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g147270-c109329/Cuba:Caribbean:Money.Exchange.html" target="_blank">dual currency system</a>, one for tourist called CUC (pronounced Kook) and pegged to the USD, and another one for local called "Moneda nacíonal" which is approximately 25 to 1 CUC. Tourist are technically allowed to use either currency but most restaurants will accept CUC and it will be easier to carry transactions in that currency.<br />
<br />
We had brought Mexican pesos, Canadian dollars and some Euros to exchange, as USDs incur a 10% penalty in addition to the 3% conversion fee for exchange.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvzqXjHnUVrigCi4zwpE-ANgQdDMWsQKQfbsqKGu70N5iYAkzD88UKEuXTf3Mn6Vm0nJa0AOUMYzDaooCcqNyaTVh1pRqEYznJoblhyphenhyphenEVs9LGcwYJy21yEifpZ-yGJtgGCEIC1y1i06KPn/s1600/IMG_5069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvzqXjHnUVrigCi4zwpE-ANgQdDMWsQKQfbsqKGu70N5iYAkzD88UKEuXTf3Mn6Vm0nJa0AOUMYzDaooCcqNyaTVh1pRqEYznJoblhyphenhyphenEVs9LGcwYJy21yEifpZ-yGJtgGCEIC1y1i06KPn/s200/IMG_5069.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from our Airbnb</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEintFyikWMGoZBpQ6SCmndTVXzURdo0NiuKzv2qbOon8DMth0aJE1CFKB8y6VgXwnrbtQ2D3DCAeNOOQMCQqMw955Rk-r9NsJLQut3OdOEQ2EVs4AJB0qzGIl_UcWFSvGejXt4IqexrjQXv/s1600/IMG_5027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEintFyikWMGoZBpQ6SCmndTVXzURdo0NiuKzv2qbOon8DMth0aJE1CFKB8y6VgXwnrbtQ2D3DCAeNOOQMCQqMw955Rk-r9NsJLQut3OdOEQ2EVs4AJB0qzGIl_UcWFSvGejXt4IqexrjQXv/s200/IMG_5027.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
View from Cámara Oscura building</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK5VQHpcEhVrcwBY8eNc4WeGqSUaoj4gAP5cWOL1h9iIzGSRr2fDw-Sdb_B85ORG3WonA9lwCcFpm_4OOTqfrvJU2RbcMBBe7KF2BpD7LsQAWZDIU-oFc9G0AeU7y3SCZQWbDaLHQDPZvn/s1600/IMG_5045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK5VQHpcEhVrcwBY8eNc4WeGqSUaoj4gAP5cWOL1h9iIzGSRr2fDw-Sdb_B85ORG3WonA9lwCcFpm_4OOTqfrvJU2RbcMBBe7KF2BpD7LsQAWZDIU-oFc9G0AeU7y3SCZQWbDaLHQDPZvn/s200/IMG_5045.JPG" width="200" /></a>Havana, or La Habana in Español, is the capital city, a major port, and the leading commercial center of Cuba. The city is divided into three parts Old Havana, Modern Havana and East Havana.<br />
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We explored the Old Havana on day one and Modern Havana on day two, with excursions booked via a local company called "<a href="http://nosotroscubaneamos.com/" target="_blank">Nosotros Cubaneamos</a>".<br />
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On <b>day 1</b>, we walked and discovered historic places through Old Havana. Starting with the El Capitolio (modeled after the US Capitol in D.C.), moving on to Plaza Vieja passing by historic <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlflLMyQO_JmbG8YHRcc4W_zozxCgRsoX7Gptx97OTxc3ZDFut1pAj85ansy3_do2sbPL3r-m0MQCU3K1SzKCNU_nwdhSbW5gXJRCfScbgs0SomavMEyWlLYj3WobFbxIHlkorEIHDRpv4/s1600/IMG_5048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlflLMyQO_JmbG8YHRcc4W_zozxCgRsoX7Gptx97OTxc3ZDFut1pAj85ansy3_do2sbPL3r-m0MQCU3K1SzKCNU_nwdhSbW5gXJRCfScbgs0SomavMEyWlLYj3WobFbxIHlkorEIHDRpv4/s200/IMG_5048.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Castillo de la Real Fuerza</td></tr>
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hotels such as Hotel Ingleterra on the way. Plaza Vieja is home to the Cámara Oscura. The Cámara Oscura provides a 360-degree panoramic view of much of Old Havana in real time. Its operation is based on the principles of light reflection through the use of two lenses and a mirror located on a periscope.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbF87wNtD_OGl1ehkBZIxYgQPajllp9shWE5-3-K4hIM1-U97S8ajv_ShHXAHsQpx69NOB4JKvcX_u_ArZIdCuGBWS4SNoH5g6GsClQABzLYgPfOir17gUtbTXFcE8CztkYshp9EtoLqE3/s1600/IMG_5080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbF87wNtD_OGl1ehkBZIxYgQPajllp9shWE5-3-K4hIM1-U97S8ajv_ShHXAHsQpx69NOB4JKvcX_u_ArZIdCuGBWS4SNoH5g6GsClQABzLYgPfOir17gUtbTXFcE8CztkYshp9EtoLqE3/s200/IMG_5080.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the bosque del Habana</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSGSzC8BZfYK_XxLFfkw6l0u5-t9Kco7x11ywHFGL-asSSp57yRk2bwSsZZoLw3Ax7JlKK3tQkgJiG41UmorNTZ-UcgVumsGz80_3gnEMZ3lajd4X3bIyPuYxWRO1NrWgKK9XeQqSoxKJt/s1600/IMG_5087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSGSzC8BZfYK_XxLFfkw6l0u5-t9Kco7x11ywHFGL-asSSp57yRk2bwSsZZoLw3Ax7JlKK3tQkgJiG41UmorNTZ-UcgVumsGz80_3gnEMZ3lajd4X3bIyPuYxWRO1NrWgKK9XeQqSoxKJt/s200/IMG_5087.JPG" width="133" /></a>Our next stop was the Plaza de Armas, where we made a stop inside the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castillo_de_la_Real_Fuerza" target="_blank">Castillo de la Real Fuerza</a>. Originally built to defend against attack by pirates, it suffered from a poor strategic position, being too far inside the bay. This was followed lunch and then, a walk along the famous malecón where we talked to our guide about her experiences of living in a communist country.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqHUQgbxYPzseicd_vMF_wM2YvGjc_vAp_fs3-eDcKm42K7QkAZYqekoGd6E-z4VMsxAelaexpZjTU0U68-0OvxpCxgu8ix4rnWyk7vBIsrD7i0kjPPZ2oVvEDk1Bx8Pg2ECYkWyHF6hnx/s1600/IMG_5095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqHUQgbxYPzseicd_vMF_wM2YvGjc_vAp_fs3-eDcKm42K7QkAZYqekoGd6E-z4VMsxAelaexpZjTU0U68-0OvxpCxgu8ix4rnWyk7vBIsrD7i0kjPPZ2oVvEDk1Bx8Pg2ECYkWyHF6hnx/s200/IMG_5095.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Colon Cemetery, Havana </span></td></tr>
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<b>Day 2, </b>we explored the modern part of Havana. Our drive picked us up in a classic blue American car and drove us first to Miramar and then the famous 5th avenue which hosts almost all of the foreign embassies in Havana. Our first stop was a visit to Casa Fuster, Cuba's answer to Gaudí. Renowned Cuban artist José Fuster uses his entire barrio of Jaimanitas on the outskirts of Havana as a canvas, decorating the walls, squares in ornate ceramics, mosaics and bold splashes of color.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw_fxC14hcRgDCq41NFyOpum5nD_YumA0av0WFtEgGg-nSubK1pgcDloUpq1a5B-NLe4QXPR3EC4RsARyOGH8X2V6gcnqhh3v4PO0zachWIQSZYtYTq8Pm0EM10ZG0BsSGLzQ9Psa2JeXg/s1600/IMG_5077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw_fxC14hcRgDCq41NFyOpum5nD_YumA0av0WFtEgGg-nSubK1pgcDloUpq1a5B-NLe4QXPR3EC4RsARyOGH8X2V6gcnqhh3v4PO0zachWIQSZYtYTq8Pm0EM10ZG0BsSGLzQ9Psa2JeXg/s200/IMG_5077.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g147271-d2461860-Reviews-Fusterlandia-Havana_Ciudad_de_la_Habana_Province_Cuba.html" target="_blank">Casa de Fuster</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDfWEiRZhC3QO1weGtWVr1TSq0K41oHp3X-WHvpwrZMwF6HeE0moS0WJ86YNs1-misd1lqZO3iTbOQ556yap45POKbxeMW_41dLVxj0l3NR2MsxrZQFY6H3m6pvXSNEGGCoQhuNkDORE2M/s1600/WP_20170122_10_29_28_Pro__highres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDfWEiRZhC3QO1weGtWVr1TSq0K41oHp3X-WHvpwrZMwF6HeE0moS0WJ86YNs1-misd1lqZO3iTbOQ556yap45POKbxeMW_41dLVxj0l3NR2MsxrZQFY6H3m6pvXSNEGGCoQhuNkDORE2M/s200/WP_20170122_10_29_28_Pro__highres.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Mass at Iglesia del Miramar</td></tr>
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This was followed by a quick stop at the Iglesia de Jesús de Miramar, which was hosting it's Sunday mass, and then onto Bosque de la Habana, a forest on the outskirts of the city. The river in this forest is unfortunately polluted by the chemical companies that release their waste in this river.<br />
Our next stop was the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colon_Cemetery,_Havana" target="_blank">Necropolis de Colón</a> (Colon cemetery). Founded in 1876 in the Vedado neighbourhood of Havana on top of Espada Cemetery, it known for its many elaborately sculpted memorials.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqi0_4NvFeltewkF-DpF62qG9T8IK0q8vUXK1mvhX4gtX7C-D-TFLvO_NdliZ4rseNDKj6XibAh43mKIMiS2WaYbqx8nbv6RfGHGZ2ZPaBBzgpilUMsWddVX5FOTMP7DJXmou6XdUQZpkH/s1600/IMG_5098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqi0_4NvFeltewkF-DpF62qG9T8IK0q8vUXK1mvhX4gtX7C-D-TFLvO_NdliZ4rseNDKj6XibAh43mKIMiS2WaYbqx8nbv6RfGHGZ2ZPaBBzgpilUMsWddVX5FOTMP7DJXmou6XdUQZpkH/s200/IMG_5098.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Revolution Square</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivsTqtpYm6oYwsgXTm9reGdSPze5OX7T_tXmre4dl16pE7-vD5FRttSgEarqqjtMteaQo2MeGYX6zMgjPwk2k2H1tp6RGmwdHEKIs8ccvMG8tSJSZKKuahYrtre-YrXhM1zdqdlX4cmDAg/s1600/IMG_5089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivsTqtpYm6oYwsgXTm9reGdSPze5OX7T_tXmre4dl16pE7-vD5FRttSgEarqqjtMteaQo2MeGYX6zMgjPwk2k2H1tp6RGmwdHEKIs8ccvMG8tSJSZKKuahYrtre-YrXhM1zdqdlX4cmDAg/s200/IMG_5089.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Colon Cemetery, Havana</td></tr>
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Next stop, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaza_de_la_Revoluci%C3%B3n" target="_blank">Plaza de la Revolución</a> (Revolution Square). The square is notable as being where many political rallies take place and Fidel Castro and other political figures address Cubans. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fidel_Castro" target="_blank">Fidel Castro</a> addressed more than a million Cubans on many important occasions, such as 1 May and 26 July each year. This has also been visited by a couple of Popes over the years. Opposite the memorial are the offices of the Ministries of the Interior and Communications, whose facades feature matching steel memorials of the two most important deceased heroes of the Cuban Revolution: Che Guevara, with the quotation "Hasta la Victoria Siempre" (Until the Everlasting Victory, Always) and Camilo Cienfuegos with the quote "Vas bien, Fidel" (You're doing fine, Fidel, which is what he always said to Fidel when he was his right-hand man). It is also the site of national library.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7AXX7B9Hguq0G1c472OrehJPbPobq4hBWUSOzv638mPTYgvRrAiP6SH21euILOM6uDwlS6_6shmSdjQc5uiuvZ7TePMlasVt1LwiHMEROaRwx1GA6JIlg-HiQkMKD9-8zNxIQE4t6R7Il/s1600/IMG_5108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7AXX7B9Hguq0G1c472OrehJPbPobq4hBWUSOzv638mPTYgvRrAiP6SH21euILOM6uDwlS6_6shmSdjQc5uiuvZ7TePMlasVt1LwiHMEROaRwx1GA6JIlg-HiQkMKD9-8zNxIQE4t6R7Il/s200/IMG_5108.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">Malecón as seen from Hotel Nacíonal</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsJmxb0Vnh-QNTCbnlhuq03QpKhpZn4gF2nafiRn_VLXD5SEz9IIspgSskc36bBsOe6qEb5VSc8NcVblN8t2YYkoAPmcx9o14uTy4tSSwWOluL7ARf0v817LLxzr5vV12NE7w5clZy0j3/s1600/WP_20170122_13_47_07_Pro__highres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsJmxb0Vnh-QNTCbnlhuq03QpKhpZn4gF2nafiRn_VLXD5SEz9IIspgSskc36bBsOe6qEb5VSc8NcVblN8t2YYkoAPmcx9o14uTy4tSSwWOluL7ARf0v817LLxzr5vV12NE7w5clZy0j3/s200/WP_20170122_13_47_07_Pro__highres.jpg" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cristo de la Habana</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC0WAveJb7hdphmMxLQVqzqAaNlFis64cZiSAeW-s201r7fnZLPbHrgrXZvrQing646BvDbA0t17DHuaMFo3qKWWZGzCph-j-R0cuSIF1cgrRUOEv56k8LhTKyW2vTp7HOEaZVFQa3m0SX/s1600/IMG_5121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC0WAveJb7hdphmMxLQVqzqAaNlFis64cZiSAeW-s201r7fnZLPbHrgrXZvrQing646BvDbA0t17DHuaMFo3qKWWZGzCph-j-R0cuSIF1cgrRUOEv56k8LhTKyW2vTp7HOEaZVFQa3m0SX/s200/IMG_5121.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Cristo de la Habana</td></tr>
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Our next stop was the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_Nacional_de_Cuba" target="_blank">Hotel Nacíonal</a>, a historic luxury hotel located on the Malecón in the middle of Vedado, Havana, Cuba. It stands on Taganana hill a few metres from the sea, and offers a view of Havana Harbour, the seawall and the city.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpnB6-LT4bT2wXuxXnGYQau6C9lV8NSLLANEV1P7DjrLQybRgjhQcuzn-ka37K4tPrNetP0aUQND7WFUw8pRoZ9kQpPdKYSBn0G6S-8hFnZimyfJ73TcGpiTlbhbLhT7A358bs9izT24b-/s1600/WP_20170122_15_02_50_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpnB6-LT4bT2wXuxXnGYQau6C9lV8NSLLANEV1P7DjrLQybRgjhQcuzn-ka37K4tPrNetP0aUQND7WFUw8pRoZ9kQpPdKYSBn0G6S-8hFnZimyfJ73TcGpiTlbhbLhT7A358bs9izT24b-/s200/WP_20170122_15_02_50_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Castillo De Los Tres Reyes Del Morro</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7fo4cSPf5i0H5aycb5q9TPvjXb4Crv_tGFWTBvGnfe5saKintrDEvR2f2fi67cmODDbZKaMGeCseTev0kQb-W2P8UkcWUeMe7BlUNRo_cayxxqnsCt4YPpGw2NtI87XtRSTcYyQprPRCi/s1600/WP_20170122_15_15_31_Pro__highres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7fo4cSPf5i0H5aycb5q9TPvjXb4Crv_tGFWTBvGnfe5saKintrDEvR2f2fi67cmODDbZKaMGeCseTev0kQb-W2P8UkcWUeMe7BlUNRo_cayxxqnsCt4YPpGw2NtI87XtRSTcYyQprPRCi/s200/WP_20170122_15_15_31_Pro__highres.jpg" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watchtower at the fort</td></tr>
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After that we made quick stop at <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g147271-d318995-Reviews-Callejon_de_Hammel-Havana_Ciudad_de_la_Habana_Province_Cuba.html" target="_blank">Callejon de Hamel</a>, where there is loud music and dance, before heading across town via the under-sea Havana tunnel for lunch and then to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_of_Havana" target="_blank">Cristo de la Habana</a>. The statue, similar to the one in Río de Janeiro in Brazil, was carved out of white Carrara marble, the same material used for many of the monuments of the Colon Cemetery.<br />
Our last but one stop was at the<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morro_Castle_(fortress)" target="_blank"> Castillo de los Tres Reyes del Moro</a>, and was the highlight of the day. Castillo de los Tres Reyes del Moro is a fortress guarding the entran<br />
ce to Havana bay in Havana, Cuba. The design was drawn up by the Italian engineer Juan Bautista Antonelli; originally under the control of Spain, the fortress was captured by the British in 1762, and was returned to the Spanish under treaty terms a year later.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggxEULOMHxYZY5mdUVEOLvAr6dPkcPeYIcwdMysEmdCaStytvUcXefOb68eWJtiJ_A9kobFGmgQpBToeMquy4noC3TamBuzZmYZprYPXb05oCgWFQMg72oNA7UqvWpM7W6bKrLmQuY5tjh/s1600/WP_20170122_16_08_31_Pro__highres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggxEULOMHxYZY5mdUVEOLvAr6dPkcPeYIcwdMysEmdCaStytvUcXefOb68eWJtiJ_A9kobFGmgQpBToeMquy4noC3TamBuzZmYZprYPXb05oCgWFQMg72oNA7UqvWpM7W6bKrLmQuY5tjh/s200/WP_20170122_16_08_31_Pro__highres.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Museo de la revolucíon</td></tr>
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Our final stop of the day was the Revolution museum, and it was a bit of a disappointment for the price of 8 CUC ($8). The museum is housed in what was the Presidential Palace of all Cuban presidents from Mario García Menocal to Fulgencio Batista. It became the Museum of the Revolution during the years following the Cuban revolution by Fidel Castro. The museum's Cuban history exhibits are largely devoted to the period of the revolutionary war of the 1950s and to the country's post-1959 history, and are based on Fidel's perspective.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLKq8lNb0p2m9wGEduHgO36t48WdmerJ2ndpt2sx5xlktH6vXFmXSNjwsZF-Z2ZqQblXXl4pqSH1k3T28p-2o8InZNd9IoPN3AI4ndY6s4s7CYSvlX2d9F6DpDx3y1BQRll3BRcsEOM8WJ/s1600/IMG_5072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLKq8lNb0p2m9wGEduHgO36t48WdmerJ2ndpt2sx5xlktH6vXFmXSNjwsZF-Z2ZqQblXXl4pqSH1k3T28p-2o8InZNd9IoPN3AI4ndY6s4s7CYSvlX2d9F6DpDx3y1BQRll3BRcsEOM8WJ/s200/IMG_5072.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our AirBnb accomodation</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNlSBO8m6uPM1cFmRY0wWZuvW50dLBP1YX0sELS6xUUEGQXuHpj3pstKDXm2d21guvWF2uTBMMjdf2vbHAtpfUavY5iASHpC74yfuPrBIgS1nh8lLXSsX49DmrWzZBl_ZeX_wScD2AXEBN/s1600/WP_20170120_17_55_03_Rich__highres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNlSBO8m6uPM1cFmRY0wWZuvW50dLBP1YX0sELS6xUUEGQXuHpj3pstKDXm2d21guvWF2uTBMMjdf2vbHAtpfUavY5iASHpC74yfuPrBIgS1nh8lLXSsX49DmrWzZBl_ZeX_wScD2AXEBN/s200/WP_20170120_17_55_03_Rich__highres.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">University of Havana</td></tr>
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This brought to end an amazing weekend in Havana. Below are some <b>tips </b>on visiting Cuba,<br />
1) Buy the tourist card before boarding if departing from the US to avoid lines/hassle at the airport.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkxMMs1oMcgZdnNwb8n6Qqi_ulW25wHELwWeuQExcTqoteyv3qecP8DYy5VPwgcrDNXYcbaT29wRski2f3xExd2225MrZTL0mI0ew9tfcvQ68vPuH5FOH-2RPJ0hMGPZeZuXP8aqP7hMV6/s1600/IMG_4981.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkxMMs1oMcgZdnNwb8n6Qqi_ulW25wHELwWeuQExcTqoteyv3qecP8DYy5VPwgcrDNXYcbaT29wRski2f3xExd2225MrZTL0mI0ew9tfcvQ68vPuH5FOH-2RPJ0hMGPZeZuXP8aqP7hMV6/s200/IMG_4981.JPG" width="200" /></a>2) Avoid USDs, or exchange USDs for some other hard currency like Euros at the US departure port, as it still be cheaper than the 10% penalty imposed. FYI, Cuba has a <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Travel-g147270-c109329/Cuba:Caribbean:Money.Exchange.html" target="_blank">dual currency system</a>.<br />
3) Cuban food is bland, so don't expect excellent or flavorful food.<br />
4) The US does not care, any longer, if you visit Cuba, but you need one of 12 <a href="https://www.cheapair.com/blog/travel-news/can-i-travel-to-cuba-additional-information-for-u-s-citizens/" target="_blank">reasons</a> to visit and stick to the reason throughout the journey. This applies to US residents only, so if you're flying from Canada, they will not ask for this.<br />
5) Internet is a <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g147270-c202146/Cuba:Caribbean:Places.With.Wifi.In.Cuba.html" target="_blank">little tricky</a> in Cuba.<br />
6) Hotels in Havana are booked up to 6 months in advance and are operated by the government. Hence, Casa Particular or Airbnb is probably the best way to experience the local life, save money and support the Cuban people.<br />
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Mohit Samanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11921125793502265689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676617735394521442.post-4054241160803205092016-12-28T11:07:00.002-08:002016-12-29T12:59:52.684-08:003 days in Puerto Vallarta<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcpBLMsJy5FlgFWm8X26EvVx8AtXOSZFg-XWaYWLD1E0hpPnzzQwBRU6hueKXs4VkB_P3hWAJF1__kAw4k44QqfW8GPySN73k0gFPIWKL2WVldS-00zE_SR19UQeobqpX0QE9LSFlopskz/s1600/IMG_4849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcpBLMsJy5FlgFWm8X26EvVx8AtXOSZFg-XWaYWLD1E0hpPnzzQwBRU6hueKXs4VkB_P3hWAJF1__kAw4k44QqfW8GPySN73k0gFPIWKL2WVldS-00zE_SR19UQeobqpX0QE9LSFlopskz/s200/IMG_4849.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Church of Guadalupe in downtown PV</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9OzeSz01LcHhyphenhyphen0J8a79FPG7VnLB2NjS9eGKKuhcHOHpygzoWoDnt72-YPMyliff77CWnEsWu2vN0UiLiqzZomHSI8gdQ4F8UQ_t_-w3ddfljS3y-aIAvMzXcHF2gJqhCZJxRcAXTRJCCT/s1600/WP_20161225_14_02_16_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9OzeSz01LcHhyphenhyphen0J8a79FPG7VnLB2NjS9eGKKuhcHOHpygzoWoDnt72-YPMyliff77CWnEsWu2vN0UiLiqzZomHSI8gdQ4F8UQ_t_-w3ddfljS3y-aIAvMzXcHF2gJqhCZJxRcAXTRJCCT/s200/WP_20161225_14_02_16_Pro.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Malecon in PV</td></tr>
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My wife and I just came back from a 3 day trip to Puerto Vallarta. The tiny coastal town located in the Jalisco (pronounced Halisco) state, is located on the west coast of Mexico. We had planned for about 3 and half days in the city, which coincided with the Christmas holidays, as we were out of vacation days to use, due to the epic <a href="http://blog.mohitsamant.com/2016/10/epic-europe-21-days-6-countries.html" target="_blank">Europe trip</a> we had done earlier this year.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDMlpsAvOTygu2B2qc0h-KNkjIrOO1RbwYbAjyM8xrIjPMUkEgCKDIeT45glLwmlSc8tncuG7jwBCuY8IYOvXWH1o6r4vcDBy_3AfPp_kMRm02eSW7ioT0_arDy8hEsoHqdUv0noWsfJVW/s1600/IMG_4898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDMlpsAvOTygu2B2qc0h-KNkjIrOO1RbwYbAjyM8xrIjPMUkEgCKDIeT45glLwmlSc8tncuG7jwBCuY8IYOvXWH1o6r4vcDBy_3AfPp_kMRm02eSW7ioT0_arDy8hEsoHqdUv0noWsfJVW/s200/IMG_4898.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Los Arcos Marine Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsMfIpH3nCwJ9ZOBQDjOIIZkBoG_087FZMLXsYG2k-1NA4Ddcet4Q7fSriTIE-b_bCQc1OF9EfduK00iJOzlIQCxktY_evVkIzZNGeSEauu3Ej-2iY710XQk2lkekcyrX0aCIyNGNkaY5l/s1600/IMG_4852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsMfIpH3nCwJ9ZOBQDjOIIZkBoG_087FZMLXsYG2k-1NA4Ddcet4Q7fSriTIE-b_bCQc1OF9EfduK00iJOzlIQCxktY_evVkIzZNGeSEauu3Ej-2iY710XQk2lkekcyrX0aCIyNGNkaY5l/s200/IMG_4852.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The city view from Bahía de Banderas</td></tr>
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After landing into Puerto Vallarta aiport at around 1 pm, we took the airport taxi (225 peso, at the time of this writing) to the BnB we were staying at in the Versalles region of the town. After some rest we explored the Malecon (sea front) in the evening.<br />
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<b>Day 1 (Majahuitas and Yelapa)</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOo5SX7FVNyl0Y9wbI5guqFXYlfBov7x3MKdJMk0PJF4lt_iun7VWgz71xpLIpgjmFVjKPPcmLEWwE08u9MrxxXo_14eCBUHv-KJRVZrYdd5GW3MJR6I29H2k7-Fvb1ow1S8vAWBqBlTZW/s1600/IMG_4913.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOo5SX7FVNyl0Y9wbI5guqFXYlfBov7x3MKdJMk0PJF4lt_iun7VWgz71xpLIpgjmFVjKPPcmLEWwE08u9MrxxXo_14eCBUHv-KJRVZrYdd5GW3MJR6I29H2k7-Fvb1ow1S8vAWBqBlTZW/s200/IMG_4913.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Near the Cola de Caballo waterfalls</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFj-Ch80ycsMvTnRHO1OQQnemG8KQyvdRyP2Db2-2GVYJh5Ost_vgFxHC96I3Tf6SAAp73f1FIV6QIDA9kI_jPMV4lW7b0TK4PnQfJGnNQdw5kRFXsx55wCq5Vf7tdDbfPTKQSvXT-1DMG/s1600/WP_20161224_10_50_42_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFj-Ch80ycsMvTnRHO1OQQnemG8KQyvdRyP2Db2-2GVYJh5Ost_vgFxHC96I3Tf6SAAp73f1FIV6QIDA9kI_jPMV4lW7b0TK4PnQfJGnNQdw5kRFXsx55wCq5Vf7tdDbfPTKQSvXT-1DMG/s200/WP_20161224_10_50_42_Pro.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arriving into Yelapa town</td></tr>
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We had booked a <a href="http://www.vallarta-adventures.com/tours/yelapa" target="_blank">tour</a> with Vallarta Adventures to the to the village and waterfall of Yelapa and waters of Majahuitas. After checking into the Marina, we left for Majauitas at around 8:30 am. After riding through the Bahía de banderas, we spent the rest of the morning in the waters of the peaceful and isolated cove of Majahuitas.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2A3Usuf9PbVnbtN7I-VxJhF3mfQcmGocMEgEa3xcHL0HhkWXQ1qad4vx8n5Sv9k3E9fmDGeeHnpeInvmiRJPlp85iAmx3mtMtE629U8S67bZcatk_SB6HvcBPeDTxWH0ksdnqqWYj8QQY/s1600/WP_20161224_11_58_19_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2A3Usuf9PbVnbtN7I-VxJhF3mfQcmGocMEgEa3xcHL0HhkWXQ1qad4vx8n5Sv9k3E9fmDGeeHnpeInvmiRJPlp85iAmx3mtMtE629U8S67bZcatk_SB6HvcBPeDTxWH0ksdnqqWYj8QQY/s200/WP_20161224_11_58_19_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yelapa Beach</td></tr>
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Only accessible by boat this is one of the more desirable spots in the bay for kayaking and snorkeling. Although, to be completely honest we saw more fish and corals at the Santa Maria beach near Cab san Lucas last year, when we went there.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfXQYclKVfIt-cyvT_2cc2sahUlcs6gAKNaFam4Pl0vTHG2Vuy8Gj0NGwHB1pAtt_WKq08DPNq-6BHgeLOI4RroXAU0m3wu_S8J91fzbB8dF5z-lHlGEu1xupCC8mfwTzpB5CvgQ2kOaD9/s1600/WP_20161225_10_15_29_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfXQYclKVfIt-cyvT_2cc2sahUlcs6gAKNaFam4Pl0vTHG2Vuy8Gj0NGwHB1pAtt_WKq08DPNq-6BHgeLOI4RroXAU0m3wu_S8J91fzbB8dF5z-lHlGEu1xupCC8mfwTzpB5CvgQ2kOaD9/s200/WP_20161225_10_15_29_Pro.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View at breakfast at Mismaloya</td></tr>
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After lunch aboard, we head towards the charming, traditional fishing village of Yelapa. Nestled in a stunning natural cove, this tiny community is free of any roads and surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty. We hiked through town to the Cola de Caballo waterfalls. We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing with some coconut water on the beach at Yelapa.<br />
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<b></b>
<b>Day 2 (Mismaloya & Boca de Tamatlan)</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT23GtDzBkt-IuPjoqrSfyKPXH5Kwi4_tdEXeKSVNMKkFSKPLw9kx4V3FhNiV8xm8dt5zfp1MpeP8qGlWgESv-k6qfxqnh6GB34rDLE7kftBmPjn5BRw8_UOh6PiLiiq4Ukg6hZvyPJZJ-/s1600/WP_20161225_12_12_20_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT23GtDzBkt-IuPjoqrSfyKPXH5Kwi4_tdEXeKSVNMKkFSKPLw9kx4V3FhNiV8xm8dt5zfp1MpeP8qGlWgESv-k6qfxqnh6GB34rDLE7kftBmPjn5BRw8_UOh6PiLiiq4Ukg6hZvyPJZJ-/s200/WP_20161225_12_12_20_Pro.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch at Boca del Tamatlan</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYVz3gGElw9X6teQgSN6LRfUWwpUPL7sRtGUCIuXEg9lmGjuSKB60WW0hyHSvFh8lglniY83qyTY-6O3LSpoNLVzLwFPOaP-jYAi51Pr0WO42roP6LBplvkehTlU4oTyX2TeJi5mEYgyqW/s1600/WP_20161225_11_40_10_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYVz3gGElw9X6teQgSN6LRfUWwpUPL7sRtGUCIuXEg9lmGjuSKB60WW0hyHSvFh8lglniY83qyTY-6O3LSpoNLVzLwFPOaP-jYAi51Pr0WO42roP6LBplvkehTlU4oTyX2TeJi5mEYgyqW/s200/WP_20161225_11_40_10_Pro.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fishing village of Boca de Tamatlan</td></tr>
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In the early 60's Mismaloya was a small village which was only accessible by sea, which made the place completely natural and wild. Today, though the town is accessible by bus (8 pesos one way) from PV, and more touristic, it is still worth a visit if you're in PV. We spent the morning at Mismaloya and the afternoon at Boca del tamatlan before heading back to PV in the late afternoon.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtIyMhS1ya3U-HPCe5zJ_ssvWi3E7bsS6Pj5JxhGBCC-1FcvkbB4fJGMIkrhwQSF_4aGm9lxbrnEP2TGJnZ6mmv_JZisVL5DXBR3nNcQinr2qO2YqtjkVQ74mU8qwyA0S-fYlF-oLR7ONW/s1600/IMG_4953.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtIyMhS1ya3U-HPCe5zJ_ssvWi3E7bsS6Pj5JxhGBCC-1FcvkbB4fJGMIkrhwQSF_4aGm9lxbrnEP2TGJnZ6mmv_JZisVL5DXBR3nNcQinr2qO2YqtjkVQ74mU8qwyA0S-fYlF-oLR7ONW/s200/IMG_4953.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main plaza at San Sabastian</td></tr>
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<b>Day 3 (San Sabastian del Oeste)</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNOCiYLW-vzloivg6Q92Gp-2r3J8k1kPPqeaJ4lRoDy6fzMCjyxZuzdzw890kpExVendRNWhihOps8HWjZ_GkSjYDLIAGXKjkA5ZAPCf5uB-sbTTcK2wZDbIJZcs_KrUdVPqnpHrvRxDhy/s1600/IMG_4954.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNOCiYLW-vzloivg6Q92Gp-2r3J8k1kPPqeaJ4lRoDy6fzMCjyxZuzdzw890kpExVendRNWhihOps8HWjZ_GkSjYDLIAGXKjkA5ZAPCf5uB-sbTTcK2wZDbIJZcs_KrUdVPqnpHrvRxDhy/s200/IMG_4954.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A typical street in the town</td></tr>
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Buried deep in the heart of the Sierra Madre Mountains (a extension of the Rockys in US and Canada to the south) is the tiny Mexican town of San Sebastian. While this tiny mountain enclave (elevation 4500 ft) isn't far from Puerto Vallarta, it's still a world away from the usual tourist haunts.<br />
We did a couple of stops at a local Tequilia factory and a coffee plantation site, before having lunch and the exploring San Sabastian.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTc1uVnYyvUOxKPRJ3PtOGcfFWaSHTtGzgQIUUTYZLZJOqAcWrDfQV8PMpzpkIkGIyRcLobDjvojezJe9q0uBe6ff047YxBTrtpZwnaEgI9ivlSw7pD9XTc8cF4zDIQ5oh2pv41Lo6hO62/s1600/WP_20161226_10_27_40_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTc1uVnYyvUOxKPRJ3PtOGcfFWaSHTtGzgQIUUTYZLZJOqAcWrDfQV8PMpzpkIkGIyRcLobDjvojezJe9q0uBe6ff047YxBTrtpZwnaEgI9ivlSw7pD9XTc8cF4zDIQ5oh2pv41Lo6hO62/s200/WP_20161226_10_27_40_Pro.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The owner at San Sebastián tequila distillery <br />
giving us tips on Tequila tasting</td></tr>
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Originally settled in 1605 by the Spaniards, this secluded 17th century mining town reached its peak of prosperity in the 1700s, when over 30,000 people inhabited the area. Today there are only 600 permanent residents left in the tiny town.<br />
With its charming cobblestone plaza, elegant snow-white buildings, and an 18th century church dedicated to San Sebastián, it's vintage Mexico, untouched by time.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVD2_y7C6xYUOHoyJI3D2Uv5yUcA48oGvhNkZWS6KxksqXsz9kGEi7ltRFDhPVB_4VoWtSP9SNOLLxrGauqhyphenhyphenWOfAv-x-lMhCGI-YfVXSLMHBFlcWD6LyA3XkVSRuWWNEtnpCRAMl1_G5D/s1600/IMG_4936.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVD2_y7C6xYUOHoyJI3D2Uv5yUcA48oGvhNkZWS6KxksqXsz9kGEi7ltRFDhPVB_4VoWtSP9SNOLLxrGauqhyphenhyphenWOfAv-x-lMhCGI-YfVXSLMHBFlcWD6LyA3XkVSRuWWNEtnpCRAMl1_G5D/s200/IMG_4936.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">El Progreso bridge over the San Sebastian river gorge</td></tr>
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This was my fourth trip to the country and Mexico never ceases to amaze me with it's geographical diversity. From Mountains to deserts to breathtaking coastlines to tiny colonial towns, and add in the <a href="http://blog.mohitsamant.com/2015/03/mexico-city-reloaded.html" target="_blank">largest city in North America</a>, this country has it all!<br />
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As they say in México, hasta próximo!<br />
-Mohit<br />
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Mohit Samanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11921125793502265689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676617735394521442.post-28963228540339712312016-10-02T15:24:00.002-07:002023-06-22T10:46:09.843-07:00Epic Europe: 21 days, 6 countries, infinite memories!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYugByh9GJAvrNR5Yb8jZlEnL0HATVpCPuk_xxA-r5Zh-SwKgFMbSho1LlsKKcSIcTODDYebppLvTobYIx3x3k4Ow8JCHxCjgu1fGJxJl49kYIRE1kx4SA7bbWUwK6_fIZEjSYeQYF68kC/s1600/14138177_10155076823201393_768926350724040342_o.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYugByh9GJAvrNR5Yb8jZlEnL0HATVpCPuk_xxA-r5Zh-SwKgFMbSho1LlsKKcSIcTODDYebppLvTobYIx3x3k4Ow8JCHxCjgu1fGJxJl49kYIRE1kx4SA7bbWUwK6_fIZEjSYeQYF68kC/s200/14138177_10155076823201393_768926350724040342_o.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Piazza del Popolo </td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgozEugOQKhRrMcuw4sqVsTFIiKsX1pXoUstsMI64xN6S9FRXAHyL9k3k8cFo1cH9rD1Ja85ibgB3OsNzGJ-slHsxgM5qATIyq5WxUHoKww-0jtQjtSQ_b_5XDFRzvh4JSnyI6DM2ZhYzHr/s1600/14206120_10155076815386393_4034502889805336362_o.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgozEugOQKhRrMcuw4sqVsTFIiKsX1pXoUstsMI64xN6S9FRXAHyL9k3k8cFo1cH9rD1Ja85ibgB3OsNzGJ-slHsxgM5qATIyq5WxUHoKww-0jtQjtSQ_b_5XDFRzvh4JSnyI6DM2ZhYzHr/s200/14206120_10155076815386393_4034502889805336362_o.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">The Colosseum</span></td></tr>
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My wife and I had been interested in doing a European trip for a long time now. The art, history and culture over there is just too tempting to miss. After we found some cheap fares on United.com, the first thing we needed was the <a href="http://www.schengenvisainfo.com/tourist-schengen-visa/" target="_blank">Schengen VISA</a>. The process at the Italian consulate in Chicago, IL was relatively smooth and hassle free. <a href="https://conschicago.esteri.it/consolato_chicago/en/" target="_blank">Here</a> you can find the detailed checklist for the Italian consulate in the US.<br />
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<b>Rome, Italy</b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidGyvOezDC6FeFqW9lGVdBmFvx_DJ9lfGMfAjNhJ5l-UrLad9kx6-QZuKUiHtb3wZBOnJHsPBa2a6uZwDy2s4pLKD0x4t4HGOcnognH0cRRb0h-a2H0BYHUr2PnN7R5QqbbHnb6Xks2_ga/s1600/14188697_10155076815406393_7327375824507726070_o.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidGyvOezDC6FeFqW9lGVdBmFvx_DJ9lfGMfAjNhJ5l-UrLad9kx6-QZuKUiHtb3wZBOnJHsPBa2a6uZwDy2s4pLKD0x4t4HGOcnognH0cRRb0h-a2H0BYHUr2PnN7R5QqbbHnb6Xks2_ga/s200/14188697_10155076815406393_7327375824507726070_o.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roman Forum</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnbmtPjkZ7IXCXYHm1GkeL0yyrszDZqyEoreMINVKXLrHcuhJNp8Oo5zHCSClt78bgY2IRawwzveBri7UDgJ8Dg3vV3bTo0LkfgexwMNYjEa_b0J-lnR_n6vSIJ78L3Hxaqpzrp60c9T7C/s1600/IMG_3632.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnbmtPjkZ7IXCXYHm1GkeL0yyrszDZqyEoreMINVKXLrHcuhJNp8Oo5zHCSClt78bgY2IRawwzveBri7UDgJ8Dg3vV3bTo0LkfgexwMNYjEa_b0J-lnR_n6vSIJ78L3Hxaqpzrp60c9T7C/s200/IMG_3632.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Colosseum from the inside</td></tr>
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Rome, or Roma in Italian, has history that dates back more than 2500 years. Once the capital of the western world, every inch of the old city breathes history. As I jokingly said to my wife, you could hurl a rock anywhere in the old city and hit something that's at least a few hundred years old.<br />
We had booked a hotel near the Termini station in central Rome and took the direct Leonardo Express train, from the Rome Fiumicino airport to Termini for 14 Euros. The ride was about 30 min.<br />
We started off exploring Rome by a visit to the viewpoint above the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piazza_del_Popolo" target="_blank">Piazza del Popolo</a>. This Piazza is about 2 km walk from the town center, but the viewpoint at the top is worth the walk and the climb to get there. Especially, if you go in the evening you see Rome and the Vatican against the backdrop of the setting sun.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2H6sReGukSYpkXRjkkK2djs_J0Qj4YuEIsjeQjDa6fHQzu671IXIftFK3n1kk05SCWzuP0Xc_72IYidtAZtnMnp9I6M3m1S3cPEzLwwxd3NurV_DZNBF43IaYww-F9BJmJXpLL2Gpr0qr/s1600/14124352_10155076815591393_5403976812554713025_o.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2H6sReGukSYpkXRjkkK2djs_J0Qj4YuEIsjeQjDa6fHQzu671IXIftFK3n1kk05SCWzuP0Xc_72IYidtAZtnMnp9I6M3m1S3cPEzLwwxd3NurV_DZNBF43IaYww-F9BJmJXpLL2Gpr0qr/s200/14124352_10155076815591393_5403976812554713025_o.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trevi fountain</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_A2jIILI7R092MRu2BeJQ4a4nEGKZutcUC-z7CifXPVa3W9unbWy4a8onQhigGYFjwOxjvVf1Df1rAlyyDCEH-VPQqg6exa-YjNbVIVaKOGyk3gSOVZs0TsKgpGf71zE0IB05qsxbmbd/s1600/WP_20160829_19_12_53_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_A2jIILI7R092MRu2BeJQ4a4nEGKZutcUC-z7CifXPVa3W9unbWy4a8onQhigGYFjwOxjvVf1Df1rAlyyDCEH-VPQqg6exa-YjNbVIVaKOGyk3gSOVZs0TsKgpGf71zE0IB05qsxbmbd/s200/WP_20160829_19_12_53_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spanish Steps</td></tr>
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Next morning, we had pre-booked a tour of the Colosseum, Palatine hill and Roman Forum with <a href="https://www.walksofitaly.com/" target="_blank">Walks of Italy</a>. The Colosseum is one of the few surviving ancient wonders of the world. Since we had the "skip the line" entrance, we whizzed through the entrance lines and security to get the first glimpse of this magnificent amphitheater. My first impressions were, that it actually looks smaller than what I had imagined or seen in the photos before. At it's peak, the Colosseum could hold between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators. However, what's left of it today is a mere shadow of the past. Having said that, it really is a spectacle when viewing the inside for the very first time and an amazing feat that it has survived through earthquakes and other natural disasters.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBgdDdj52CPTwZeriJzCDRKv0nEGw13WqxU9jpcDZ4uNn9VB2ROsBpMdn7Sh7ozfYOaOwnUJmFeT_aKIModAYXSbm02YGoOh6YuzpEokSE2B41MPbsUY0LOXX-pT2xZ_r-xqWclreGmXfI/s1600/WP_20160829_17_31_52_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBgdDdj52CPTwZeriJzCDRKv0nEGw13WqxU9jpcDZ4uNn9VB2ROsBpMdn7Sh7ozfYOaOwnUJmFeT_aKIModAYXSbm02YGoOh6YuzpEokSE2B41MPbsUY0LOXX-pT2xZ_r-xqWclreGmXfI/s200/WP_20160829_17_31_52_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pantheon</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Ot0Zt_RwS-rNVX_FvvZgmhXYPI6FzX22XrCdZEBlNc18IoYNPITQ7GeeC2ioPdkwkMfCC_spHXolHqU3fqWTu6v4Vpt1g3KIIS3HyJYPzc4_7oObSAUpjEJGJZGAqNkNzn42U_FvW-xQ/s1600/IMG_3635.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Ot0Zt_RwS-rNVX_FvvZgmhXYPI6FzX22XrCdZEBlNc18IoYNPITQ7GeeC2ioPdkwkMfCC_spHXolHqU3fqWTu6v4Vpt1g3KIIS3HyJYPzc4_7oObSAUpjEJGJZGAqNkNzn42U_FvW-xQ/s200/IMG_3635.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch_of_Constantine" target="_blank">Arch of Constantine</a></td></tr>
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Evening, we did a <a href="https://www.walksofitaly.com/rome-tours/welcome-rome-walking-tours" target="_blank">twilight historic and Gelato tasting tour</a> of Rome. We visited the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona and even see some Ancient Roman ruins along the way. There was of course a brief pause from all the art and architecture to enjoy a traditional Roman gelato - Italy's answer to ice cream.<br />
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<b>Vatican City</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlpBavvxtBkSZhqOu92aOyCw6TmBqSzPN1eLDeYJNrUQoEdZiC6Tb-lOIfrA5Gjaer3wwKmBBAlfvfdZgU3O_7LU-F8x_8YYvdFSzWub5JGqJp7pZlnBh5vBxa-sXqtDL1pTa-btWGiGLA/s1600/WP_20160830_13_33_42_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlpBavvxtBkSZhqOu92aOyCw6TmBqSzPN1eLDeYJNrUQoEdZiC6Tb-lOIfrA5Gjaer3wwKmBBAlfvfdZgU3O_7LU-F8x_8YYvdFSzWub5JGqJp7pZlnBh5vBxa-sXqtDL1pTa-btWGiGLA/s200/WP_20160830_13_33_42_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the dome</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMnqij9EUED7EXyXz8zfRb_Lt7Q988mOL6bbInaGFNeROk1yJ8DYBJOlf9BTiGDawmniSQroTCJU0r69vZ-mWsIp-5JPoWSfsDliC_2EjdG226IaJ9KguMQ0NHqEb0JzDnQtebHUxQ_yie/s1600/WP_20160830_14_10_07_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMnqij9EUED7EXyXz8zfRb_Lt7Q988mOL6bbInaGFNeROk1yJ8DYBJOlf9BTiGDawmniSQroTCJU0r69vZ-mWsIp-5JPoWSfsDliC_2EjdG226IaJ9KguMQ0NHqEb0JzDnQtebHUxQ_yie/s200/WP_20160830_14_10_07_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The St. Peter's Basilica</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlpBavvxtBkSZhqOu92aOyCw6TmBqSzPN1eLDeYJNrUQoEdZiC6Tb-lOIfrA5Gjaer3wwKmBBAlfvfdZgU3O_7LU-F8x_8YYvdFSzWub5JGqJp7pZlnBh5vBxa-sXqtDL1pTa-btWGiGLA/s1600/WP_20160830_13_33_42_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>The smallest country in the world, which hosts the word's biggest church. The official residence of the Pope, this independent city/state came into existence in 1929 by the Lateran Treaty between the then Pope and Mussolini.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK58jEtm5tHBAHVWppRm8zEEEbdNUbGRIDBQOMe_hgUHwZ7SpLimKUeqDmsVPxg36hAeuOrLsR6Vv1SXV-X_Uxi6q_tLlT6JQsv0QQ09UYD7XK2OzZZtPrr3OwFhdac_gLqiwfei8YBRzi/s1600/WP_20160830_12_05_38_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK58jEtm5tHBAHVWppRm8zEEEbdNUbGRIDBQOMe_hgUHwZ7SpLimKUeqDmsVPxg36hAeuOrLsR6Vv1SXV-X_Uxi6q_tLlT6JQsv0QQ09UYD7XK2OzZZtPrr3OwFhdac_gLqiwfei8YBRzi/s200/WP_20160830_12_05_38_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside St Peter's Basilica</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfx79XAsZVly4Dvl3n11ur_Xv2ruKjulFjZZQbtNC9kxM3O9DWrO_fYl7OPbN_EQBBV0-KGnZfRUX4rsx5Gh3zPXC_yqWLSz3-21YQXN1Haj4WcNci-c4g-nqD5t6lNNSXiQkwqlO0MHBt/s1600/WP_20160830_13_21_07_Pro.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfx79XAsZVly4Dvl3n11ur_Xv2ruKjulFjZZQbtNC9kxM3O9DWrO_fYl7OPbN_EQBBV0-KGnZfRUX4rsx5Gh3zPXC_yqWLSz3-21YQXN1Haj4WcNci-c4g-nqD5t6lNNSXiQkwqlO0MHBt/s200/WP_20160830_13_21_07_Pro.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the way to the dome</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDvofCHXpQYjqFdpViEhp80PHKoBU2aYeQx2GEqJ3vuinsvEuCATqrqjpaOD7uiJrnFBS7OoLRWFjt0lW1z4S9GekVWaVRk-F6DNROlZAJkqUZdR7qm3L-EDWLEX4N-Uf6GhgqPw9Dwh4Z/s1600/WP_20160830_10_39_11_Pro.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDvofCHXpQYjqFdpViEhp80PHKoBU2aYeQx2GEqJ3vuinsvEuCATqrqjpaOD7uiJrnFBS7OoLRWFjt0lW1z4S9GekVWaVRk-F6DNROlZAJkqUZdR7qm3L-EDWLEX4N-Uf6GhgqPw9Dwh4Z/s200/WP_20160830_10_39_11_Pro.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the Vatican museums</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoxpaG7bgfNZOQfKE9_gznz11WgpJyNgxLaXhqatgNxWwydOHjQNdTebmlQz_PgRdfcU4VHYKPPTBquhCx4bDUQu7_vI0W8s9nlE801s13JiszJ1MQ0YZRZiZBYxn-DH2YZdhQYUDauQAf/s1600/IMG_3734.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoxpaG7bgfNZOQfKE9_gznz11WgpJyNgxLaXhqatgNxWwydOHjQNdTebmlQz_PgRdfcU4VHYKPPTBquhCx4bDUQu7_vI0W8s9nlE801s13JiszJ1MQ0YZRZiZBYxn-DH2YZdhQYUDauQAf/s200/IMG_3734.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Basilica </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">from the main complex</span></td></tr>
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We had booked a 10 a.m <a href="https://citywonders.com/vatican-tours/vatican-museum-tours" target="_blank">tour with City wonders</a> a local company based in Rome. As an official Vatican partner, they can skip, I mean really <i>skip, </i>all lines for getting into the Vatican, thereby saving you anything between 2 to 4 hours of waiting in the lines. At nine miles long and with 6 million worth of crowds every year, the Vatican Museums can be a little overwhelming. However, our guide carefully planned the routes through the Museums, visiting the most famous rooms such as the the Raphael Rooms, a wide variety of galleries full of ancient sculptures, tapestries, medieval maps, paintings and precious relics as well as the famous Sistine chapel. The guide talked not just about the pieces we saw but also the stories behind them and the Vatican itself. We learnt about the characters that walked those corridors before, and the dramas that unfolded there. The tour ended in the most magnificent St. Peter's Basilica which is also the burial site of Saint Peter's remains. We ended our tour of the Vatican with a climb to the Dome of St. Peter's Basilica. You can take the elevator to the roof level (saving 320 steps), but if you want to be on the top of the cupola you must take the stairs for the last portion (551 steps in total). The entrance cost is 7 Euros for elevator, and 5 Euros for stairs. But the view from the top is worth the time, money and effort.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilTZxzOygtpqqQ06yzh0U7WXVMxYttWNockruqmAkFW0qoxi3gIqOu_oYTx-tlqe4gOVqgTmtWoQXH-gf-zRKVR54iYvPAnb_4XA8dmskQZZH-YwRD6CZeG4rjBOHqJG8zM0MEOYNDHu0d/s1600/WP_20160831_08_20_00_Pro.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilTZxzOygtpqqQ06yzh0U7WXVMxYttWNockruqmAkFW0qoxi3gIqOu_oYTx-tlqe4gOVqgTmtWoQXH-gf-zRKVR54iYvPAnb_4XA8dmskQZZH-YwRD6CZeG4rjBOHqJG8zM0MEOYNDHu0d/s200/WP_20160831_08_20_00_Pro.jpg" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David by <span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Michelangelo </span></td></tr>
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<b></b>
<b>Florence, Tuscany, Italy</b><br />
<span id="goog_1905082010"></span><br />
<span id="goog_1905082011"></span>After our visit to the Vatican, we boarded an Italo train from Rome to Florence, in the evening.The journey by the super fast train takes about 1 hour 15 minutes, with speeds of up to 250 km/hr at times. Our hotel, <a href="http://www.hotel-nuovaitalia.com/" target="_blank">Nuovo Italia</a>, was fortunately just a 5 min walk from the Train station.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsCP4DU9ulec62BDNr1UPJEFNOes9k2GL0FJKNcRCCU7BSC4k57-CBijz504AMIfgJcnaKbp_2oRK8Z4GdWIwomxIDQkMine96eowFx8D5svR7EWzDCaA0sKUPEKhYDhOrUsUUP5REgwz0/s1600/WP_20160831_10_15_07_Pro.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsCP4DU9ulec62BDNr1UPJEFNOes9k2GL0FJKNcRCCU7BSC4k57-CBijz504AMIfgJcnaKbp_2oRK8Z4GdWIwomxIDQkMine96eowFx8D5svR7EWzDCaA0sKUPEKhYDhOrUsUUP5REgwz0/s200/WP_20160831_10_15_07_Pro.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Florence Cathedral</td></tr>
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For next morning we had pre-booked tickets to the <a href="http://www.accademia.org/" target="_blank">Galleria dell'Accademia</a> (Academic Gallery) in Florence. <a href="http://www.accademia.org/buy-tickets/" target="_blank">Pre-booking</a> is highly recommended if you don't want to waste your time standing in lines. Here you’ll meet the city’s most famous resident – Michelangelo’s ‘David’, whose beauty and size must be seen to be believed. With eyes looking towards Rome, it is believed David is sizing up Goliath, before the fight. With our 8:15 a.m tickets, we were among the first ones to enter the museum and admire David before the crowds arrived.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJ1PXHlQPeE30ZuSTQSGsO5e0Sw4eNKFIrWr8G0shxMmTwgbLUcOsE_48lKonq3Zqqp_BcZ5BO5d8HKkblqzELPo__9cjBzshuXogErCx9dHRJ5VOD2bslnL5Vady12MNhxUD7gD0NfHz/s1600/WP_20160831_09_31_48_Pro+%25283%2529+%2528%2529.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfJ1PXHlQPeE30ZuSTQSGsO5e0Sw4eNKFIrWr8G0shxMmTwgbLUcOsE_48lKonq3Zqqp_BcZ5BO5d8HKkblqzELPo__9cjBzshuXogErCx9dHRJ5VOD2bslnL5Vady12MNhxUD7gD0NfHz/s200/WP_20160831_09_31_48_Pro+%25283%2529+%2528%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the Bell tower</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqQdrirnIEBqMMnxWkqJHdq6mv2B-Xa7zeOnuazpc0Jjwsjvzj2tL0_MAvp7HZUVSfr2ilNOi_y3cTkuPK-CNf-Xq58w0CGZipe8hYWTLtaHxi7nX4h3t2AuvPHrjEfWGPfoEfOWamaZ7G/s1600/WP_20160831_09_26_26_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqQdrirnIEBqMMnxWkqJHdq6mv2B-Xa7zeOnuazpc0Jjwsjvzj2tL0_MAvp7HZUVSfr2ilNOi_y3cTkuPK-CNf-Xq58w0CGZipe8hYWTLtaHxi7nX4h3t2AuvPHrjEfWGPfoEfOWamaZ7G/s200/WP_20160831_09_26_26_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dome as seen from the bell tower</td></tr>
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We headed to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Cathedral" target="_blank">Florence Cathedral</a> next where had pre-booked the tickets for the Duomo, bell tower and the Baptistry. We started our visiting with a climb up the bell tower, to get some wonderful 360 degree views of the city. We then headed over to the inside of the cathedral, which was actually a bit of a let down compared to the beauty outside. We then enjoyed lunch at Piazza della Signoria, a square dominated by the 14th-century tower of the Palazzo Vecchio, before walking to the famous Ponte Vecchio and then completed our morning excursion with last stop at the Bapistry.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCtKSE3nctRGK-5ZXwy0HKJumU-c26FPzfVeSGA7JQ2qhtwdvC0dqa3JP_bmqFmXn45jm2jtDLiGFhq30Tg588u_nPNert86fCxFi6DDebxLmKuTfF60yrUoSfGhu00rP3KqrfPMCqYaAR/s1600/WP_20160831_17_35_05_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCtKSE3nctRGK-5ZXwy0HKJumU-c26FPzfVeSGA7JQ2qhtwdvC0dqa3JP_bmqFmXn45jm2jtDLiGFhq30Tg588u_nPNert86fCxFi6DDebxLmKuTfF60yrUoSfGhu00rP3KqrfPMCqYaAR/s200/WP_20160831_17_35_05_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Piazza Michelangelo </td></tr>
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That evening, we took the number 12 bus from the train station to the bus's last stop, <a href="https://www.visitflorence.com/florence-monuments/piazzale-michelangelo.html" target="_blank">Piazza Michelangelo</a>. Here you can find some breathtaking panoramic views of the whole city, against the setting sun.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJxwbb9LlpA4zXQJm4zxXnRdozmGn4Qqp1rs7G8PU7LINOM2hsFD0oESNDCO2v6FKt2j2QcRcKT3qKIyEl1YL8xYJbZJlauwxgKAz3dU8-epcqxg3INHoi6sMhXrdqPNUEdH9u7jpqItTI/s1600/14196037_10155088084496393_6319094555559049491_o.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJxwbb9LlpA4zXQJm4zxXnRdozmGn4Qqp1rs7G8PU7LINOM2hsFD0oESNDCO2v6FKt2j2QcRcKT3qKIyEl1YL8xYJbZJlauwxgKAz3dU8-epcqxg3INHoi6sMhXrdqPNUEdH9u7jpqItTI/s200/14196037_10155088084496393_6319094555559049491_o.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At <a href="http://fattoriapoggioalloro.com/?lang=en" target="_blank">Fattoria Poggio Alloro</a></td></tr>
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Next day, we had booked a <a href="http://www.walkaboutflorence.com/tours/best-tuscany-tour" target="_blank">"Best of Tuscany"</a> tour with a local Florentine company. Our day started by a bus ride to the Italian town of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siena" target="_blank">Siena</a>. We joined a guided walking tour through the medieval city made up of yellow-ochre buildings, terracotta rooftops and green shutters. We learned about the world’s oldest bank, saw Piazza del Campo, the site of the 600 year old <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palio_di_Siena" target="_blank">Palio horserace</a>, and admired the interior of the Duomo (Cathedral) there.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5-jOUyVFkBWQNwmBvUSMB9ZkbW02g3GXPP4gKRLBf4gRCyKwMVki86NvPP6MPKQ_S2MSycNCgJbKBUK-2wrAcIZcWuf6ik4yPE5dQ76jWrsRgg2McFct4j-9WonlaZAz9_bGRfmM-unq/s1600/14205926_10155088083526393_1963208829553751802_o.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5-jOUyVFkBWQNwmBvUSMB9ZkbW02g3GXPP4gKRLBf4gRCyKwMVki86NvPP6MPKQ_S2MSycNCgJbKBUK-2wrAcIZcWuf6ik4yPE5dQ76jWrsRgg2McFct4j-9WonlaZAz9_bGRfmM-unq/s200/14205926_10155088083526393_1963208829553751802_o.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Setting for our lunch, with the town of<br />
San Gimignano in the background</td></tr>
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Our next stop was to an organic family run wine estate – the highlight of the day! We visited the farm, enjoyed an informal wine tasting lesson and a traditional Tuscan lunch with wine, in the most gorgeous location overlooking stunning views of the surrounding countryside.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzrYk6_2C4vsnJ-jDrj6Nb4HZrg0ia8TK5AR7hjrdxDkBBD-pDcv6JU_W7PILYQ_EFByYLUq4kW4MtvzTq64N2iXriN7Jdw_56MH1n-b6ypJrngDYaB9xqy8fOrrXmakmkl9NYA4pI-xvJ/s1600/14231772_10155088083371393_6503907145120299705_o.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzrYk6_2C4vsnJ-jDrj6Nb4HZrg0ia8TK5AR7hjrdxDkBBD-pDcv6JU_W7PILYQ_EFByYLUq4kW4MtvzTq64N2iXriN7Jdw_56MH1n-b6ypJrngDYaB9xqy8fOrrXmakmkl9NYA4pI-xvJ/s200/14231772_10155088083371393_6503907145120299705_o.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaning tower of Pisa</td></tr>
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After lunch we visited the enchanting hilltop town of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Gimignano" target="_blank">San Gimignano</a> and roamed the picturesque streets and squares, browsed the local shops, tried the gelato and walked among the town’s famous medieval towers.<br />
Our final stop was to Pisa. Here, we got a close view of the iconic Leaning Tower.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXwoOxy64JO2UM5511ZgVPopamgDOdFrKGYXJP7BR7QQjpb8EjHJCNy3N_6cURXOzLdMlh2UXqRG9u10Nk6_l0KKVWkqDIrB9qJxdfvLH-iG-5-w_pZCNBVtlsmtQDTSgX9cU-JyFwGVod/s1600/WP_20160903_12_19_20_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXwoOxy64JO2UM5511ZgVPopamgDOdFrKGYXJP7BR7QQjpb8EjHJCNy3N_6cURXOzLdMlh2UXqRG9u10Nk6_l0KKVWkqDIrB9qJxdfvLH-iG-5-w_pZCNBVtlsmtQDTSgX9cU-JyFwGVod/s200/WP_20160903_12_19_20_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grand Canal in Venice</td></tr>
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<b>Venice, Italy</b><br />
<b></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtI3iTjljfaMTxPB72a64maR-rbyJb8Z5MpAvVIpZ8lMVtkFQAZbKlpbKI1a9QCQrj_o_EkWbDvcAyBS14aG5ClogoX37Ea5si3Za43pGoeCTOIlkmANC4MlciNU-bwkBgAeStR7V2l-cn/s1600/WP_20160902_14_08_37_Pro.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtI3iTjljfaMTxPB72a64maR-rbyJb8Z5MpAvVIpZ8lMVtkFQAZbKlpbKI1a9QCQrj_o_EkWbDvcAyBS14aG5ClogoX37Ea5si3Za43pGoeCTOIlkmANC4MlciNU-bwkBgAeStR7V2l-cn/s200/WP_20160902_14_08_37_Pro.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch - Octopus, squid and potatoes</td></tr>
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Next morning we took the Italo train to Venice from Florence. The city consists of more than 100 small islands, that are separated by canals and linked by bridges. It is renowned for the beauty of its settings, architecture, and artwork. We started off our visit to this beautiful city with a stroll through the many, many streets and bridges this city has; ending up, at St. Mark's square or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piazza_San_Marco" target="_blank">Piazza San Marco,</a> which is home to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mark%27s_Basilica" target="_blank">St Mark's Basilica</a> and <a href="http://palazzoducale.visitmuve.it/en/home/" target="_blank">Doge's palace</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvpXqg0iciaGsjkdlD1S8ZlDvWABA9x4hSwpPGXlocNz5Z0cOtFVBa5M-YntoK7pm96fVkPJ0IoLxD65PGxt_eTOiZxg6wRGYzBaudTaqoh63I9o_zLoRaT2jSXYTWYVzy4Jgs5u3aBlN2/s1600/IMG_4134.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvpXqg0iciaGsjkdlD1S8ZlDvWABA9x4hSwpPGXlocNz5Z0cOtFVBa5M-YntoK7pm96fVkPJ0IoLxD65PGxt_eTOiZxg6wRGYzBaudTaqoh63I9o_zLoRaT2jSXYTWYVzy4Jgs5u3aBlN2/s200/IMG_4134.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Mark's Basilica</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWMyU8vD-5zpJWsd0NBeS0dRUzUeZw_tZ5ina_T9UiiPBgPdANxZtj4t2kuFfKEsi46-QXqH32JVR4BT_s-Rm31c6FYloXcX-tKG4pclMEfCZ_oQBeiua4pCpH8c5_BpU5FaIxfdTaGqPA/s1600/IMG_4145.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWMyU8vD-5zpJWsd0NBeS0dRUzUeZw_tZ5ina_T9UiiPBgPdANxZtj4t2kuFfKEsi46-QXqH32JVR4BT_s-Rm31c6FYloXcX-tKG4pclMEfCZ_oQBeiua4pCpH8c5_BpU5FaIxfdTaGqPA/s200/IMG_4145.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"> Rialto Bridge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYnyoaxu6Y1Hira3_6K3BnTtreiUUOKruedEJZxDZwJfEFypEXIehJ9NCq5HaNUq2Lhp5D9uPyHB9xIjdSVNQuyiSVEluWrNnwVbsX7Fy833y_rrEFxSYj_4YEBqiJ4oPBWItDopgq5xI6/s1600/IMG_4097.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYnyoaxu6Y1Hira3_6K3BnTtreiUUOKruedEJZxDZwJfEFypEXIehJ9NCq5HaNUq2Lhp5D9uPyHB9xIjdSVNQuyiSVEluWrNnwVbsX7Fy833y_rrEFxSYj_4YEBqiJ4oPBWItDopgq5xI6/s200/IMG_4097.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rialto Fish Market</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Next morning we had pre-booked a <a href="https://www.walksofitaly.com/venice-tours/venice-gondola-and-walking-tour" target="_blank">Walks of Italy tour</a>, led by a local Venetian. We started at the Rialto square and continued to the Rialto Fish market to hear about the city's fishermen before heading Rialto Bridge, a structure that was considered so audacious in its engineering that critics at the time predicted it would fall, but 400+ years later it's still here. We walked through Venice’s back lanes to the Cannaregio district; one of the most authentic areas of Venice and ended up at St. Mark’s Basilica for a ‘skip the line’ tour. We learnt about how the <a href="https://timelessitaly.me/2013/04/06/who-stole-st-marks-body/" target="_blank">relics of St. Mark arrived here by dubious means</a>, and admired its incredible gold mosaics. The church’s east-meets-west architecture is a perfect representation of the city of Venice, and it reminded me of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbxY2N6XTcw4C2k4G-SKXGwWhrQcwkiX6Vvd_nBKqFjeKL6rtaoOGyaKcibt7E45Aojb-9LxPeDOvj4F-ix5_ff2vD2MuqIs9T0vNTdb_R8b8uxClt3zcWh59H5VO5TXH392Lbc2sXmWCZ/s1600/IMG_4138.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbxY2N6XTcw4C2k4G-SKXGwWhrQcwkiX6Vvd_nBKqFjeKL6rtaoOGyaKcibt7E45Aojb-9LxPeDOvj4F-ix5_ff2vD2MuqIs9T0vNTdb_R8b8uxClt3zcWh59H5VO5TXH392Lbc2sXmWCZ/s200/IMG_4138.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gondola Ride</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJUvCRXM3b6V9awQzdX8HR1L-z2qo8POZVmx8Aj2kPhkiFqFbo4feaIpoabol-6sAZEQG9GE51Gc7CN8p0PF_RYaf6PjI2ogLuGgqkxS4I3m-4MeyDPlYt6PTPqGEqSSHqIG6SgEXikQk/s1600/IMG_4054.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJUvCRXM3b6V9awQzdX8HR1L-z2qo8POZVmx8Aj2kPhkiFqFbo4feaIpoabol-6sAZEQG9GE51Gc7CN8p0PF_RYaf6PjI2ogLuGgqkxS4I3m-4MeyDPlYt6PTPqGEqSSHqIG6SgEXikQk/s200/IMG_4054.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Maria_della_Salute" target="_blank">Basilica Salute</a> at night</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
At the end of our tour, we climbed aboard a traditional Venice gondola, for a half-hour excursion through the city’s canals. We sat back and explored the city as it was meant to be seen – from the water!<br />
Evening we boarded the flight to Paris, bidding adieu to Italia, for the time being.<br />
<br />
PS: Venice gondola rides normally <a href="http://goitaly.about.com/od/transportation/qt/gondola.htm" target="_blank">cost €80, but can cost more</a>. However, if you share it or do it as part of tour, it's more reasonable, price wise.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQcMI_ASxtvg9RXcqJKCmBkwr9xAMhdxEu3x1OAiLAMfqzlPt0seEDY3Mrgu7F1RhsnKk72iYMF9qdEYJPDN2RXgABAWcpfwT9LJTNR7sRXcOY9aiJ0zHgV2_gT6-MJkxIMTsTjk_oxQD7/s1600/WP_20160904_14_00_06_Panorama+%25282%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="66" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQcMI_ASxtvg9RXcqJKCmBkwr9xAMhdxEu3x1OAiLAMfqzlPt0seEDY3Mrgu7F1RhsnKk72iYMF9qdEYJPDN2RXgABAWcpfwT9LJTNR7sRXcOY9aiJ0zHgV2_gT6-MJkxIMTsTjk_oxQD7/s200/WP_20160904_14_00_06_Panorama+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Palace of Versailles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxzi_UZ9sZo5ZdSlFoQ34zhICvTnmvCUzQl0yg8BEH8AFysYoW11Z-7qtnloWCYrv9BxU8AHsgNI8Q64fjFzCZZJS1uzHYK1D0O2_LmTGy3Ri4hNgh2r6waUEbahiEXK1f53PDurv90odM/s1600/WP_20160904_11_13_38_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxzi_UZ9sZo5ZdSlFoQ34zhICvTnmvCUzQl0yg8BEH8AFysYoW11Z-7qtnloWCYrv9BxU8AHsgNI8Q64fjFzCZZJS1uzHYK1D0O2_LmTGy3Ri4hNgh2r6waUEbahiEXK1f53PDurv90odM/s200/WP_20160904_11_13_38_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main fountain at Palace of Versailles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Paris, France</b><br />
We landed late night the previous day at Paris's Orly Airport and after, a "suspicious item left in baggage area" causing a delay of about an hour; we took a taxi (€35) to our AirBnB host's place in Paris's 15th district.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi_QJMMf9561TFp3XrayFrrnyxhilJ1oBP_VzDYLTD3SGH8CMjD3ipYjuQQO7F3FzR902woQAm6y_JnISh4Lsl_RZpAN0Vv4qHlTuvd2wGjoTN_gPNWA4cEHp8GrxpFV9hoIcYk445joke/s1600/WP_20160904_10_21_36_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi_QJMMf9561TFp3XrayFrrnyxhilJ1oBP_VzDYLTD3SGH8CMjD3ipYjuQQO7F3FzR902woQAm6y_JnISh4Lsl_RZpAN0Vv4qHlTuvd2wGjoTN_gPNWA4cEHp8GrxpFV9hoIcYk445joke/s200/WP_20160904_10_21_36_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hall of Mirrors, location of the<br />
World Word I treaty</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Next morning, we had pre-booked tickets (€25) to the Palace of<br />
<br />
Versailles using their <a href="http://billetterie.chateauversailles.fr/passport-visite-chateau-css5-chateauversailles-lgen-pg51-ei110657.html" target="_blank">official website</a>.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjpNEiJ-_JWxS_9BmNw741nuLNJ4BdoR2QYva1Jg5DgGdbnQaz1mML13wwR4frszEazjN0pw5jzWtOnd6goZ6pyrF8W3nLrbi0HOmCM3GF2-oBnuJctw8ukee0zS-TAif_q-4vDXF-cQh/s1600/WP_20160904_10_53_26_Pro.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAjpNEiJ-_JWxS_9BmNw741nuLNJ4BdoR2QYva1Jg5DgGdbnQaz1mML13wwR4frszEazjN0pw5jzWtOnd6goZ6pyrF8W3nLrbi0HOmCM3GF2-oBnuJctw8ukee0zS-TAif_q-4vDXF-cQh/s200/WP_20160904_10_53_26_Pro.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gardens at Versailles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The palace is one of the most beautiful achievements of 18th-century French art. The site began as Louis XIII’s hunting lodge before his son Louis XIV transformed and expanded it, moving the court and government of France to Versailles in 1682.<br />
<br />
Versailles was the seat of political power in the Kingdom of France from 1682, when Louis XIV moved the royal court from<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEX5ZViq-G_e5w0otEUDunHgRyLBBMob1NP7F81qx4tylQITl7_Nbp5j1iBPH8TZ35kO34vx3OYk0fRwKa7Y435WW8W-5VM6JMh-J18TcynugTsp64typ0CHiayMj1RNLcTl5MNVUXjRGh/s1600/IMG-20160905-WA0001.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEX5ZViq-G_e5w0otEUDunHgRyLBBMob1NP7F81qx4tylQITl7_Nbp5j1iBPH8TZ35kO34vx3OYk0fRwKa7Y435WW8W-5VM6JMh-J18TcynugTsp64typ0CHiayMj1RNLcTl5MNVUXjRGh/s200/IMG-20160905-WA0001.jpg" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Classic 2CV car</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-FQTgtajQbvNJ5cfl-Z8kjp8vcCLPqRGR9u20ITQMuQWBqG9YqN0NFzp8Hx0XL9MMTSZs0M_DwdqawQ-FQG-Y0W8DYXddUB5l3ItPOPiyhEuyBiIJhAM-h9ivcF75cH-fk0CNDddyVqVQ/s1600/WP_20160904_10_04_37_Pro.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-FQTgtajQbvNJ5cfl-Z8kjp8vcCLPqRGR9u20ITQMuQWBqG9YqN0NFzp8Hx0XL9MMTSZs0M_DwdqawQ-FQG-Y0W8DYXddUB5l3ItPOPiyhEuyBiIJhAM-h9ivcF75cH-fk0CNDddyVqVQ/s200/WP_20160904_10_04_37_Pro.jpg" width="200" /></a>Paris, until the royal family was forced to return to the capital in October 1789, within three months after the beginning of the French Revolution ag<br />
ainst the Monarchy and Church. Versailles is therefore famous not only as a building, but as a symbol of the system of absolute monarchy.<br />
This is also the site for the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Versailles" target="_blank">Treaty of Versailles</a>, that was signed to bring World War I to an end.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJHNdk7DgTTHQM9Frh6akHKBZQ_4s58IntxLNS2TDbYrIJtFLi-yzGU4yy14JyhNLp1n7NTRfgQlLbfRHckboRkMb0z_fOszKNvgv-DeVRChpf1krSHTMsOSKYQFLGDbjRaPxesP5vjo_r/s1600/IMG_4167.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJHNdk7DgTTHQM9Frh6akHKBZQ_4s58IntxLNS2TDbYrIJtFLi-yzGU4yy14JyhNLp1n7NTRfgQlLbfRHckboRkMb0z_fOszKNvgv-DeVRChpf1krSHTMsOSKYQFLGDbjRaPxesP5vjo_r/s200/IMG_4167.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mona Lisa at Louvre</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After resting in the afternoon for sometime, we headed out, in the evening, to explore Paris in a class 2 CV car we had booked through a <a href="http://2cvparistour.com/" target="_blank">local company</a>. The ride took us through various Paris landmarks like The Eiffel Tower, The Invalides, The Louvre Museum, The Alexandre III Bridge, Concorde among others.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj_zEVmZ40jo5SIMVngIJbk8YMzF96cB6JJtF4NDFkhxBr0cQuFMBxossKD9eUTlRBP3Sp2ssCfem-PwS020-9HgUB_65pR9B9zLCUAmD3WvSgYsJ6qU6qfAm14-JQ4WuiJmCmkeixVNR5/s1600/WP_20160905_10_51_49_Pro.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj_zEVmZ40jo5SIMVngIJbk8YMzF96cB6JJtF4NDFkhxBr0cQuFMBxossKD9eUTlRBP3Sp2ssCfem-PwS020-9HgUB_65pR9B9zLCUAmD3WvSgYsJ6qU6qfAm14-JQ4WuiJmCmkeixVNR5/s200/WP_20160905_10_51_49_Pro.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David v/s Goliath at The Louvre</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="text-align: right;"></span><br />
<span style="text-align: right;"></span>
<span style="text-align: right;">For our second day in France's capital city, we had pre-booked Louvre ticket from their </span><a href="http://www.louvre.fr/en" style="text-align: right;" target="_blank">official site</a><span style="text-align: right;"> </span><span style="text-align: right;">(€15 + </span>€5 for audio guide<span style="text-align: right;">). This does expedite the entry process a little bit. </span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitLWgEFmVy9hUQtCHbA4A46q7gIIKg9em3GMnp3QX0yltdrRpZIWH-ldclZ1qUBQb3Fn47-5b_o7KeYWf6D9Woti6FIf9GUznWEJ5miyO7JbeD3gESGfqTns6vEBE8AwPKdh57kUEDOvoH/s1600/IMG_4171.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitLWgEFmVy9hUQtCHbA4A46q7gIIKg9em3GMnp3QX0yltdrRpZIWH-ldclZ1qUBQb3Fn47-5b_o7KeYWf6D9Woti6FIf9GUznWEJ5miyO7JbeD3gESGfqTns6vEBE8AwPKdh57kUEDOvoH/s200/IMG_4171.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wedding_at_Cana">The Wedding Feast at Cana</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="text-align: right;">The museum is housed in the Louvre Palace, originally built as a fortress in the late 12th century under Philip II. Although, much less grand, compared to Versailles, this palace turned museum has beautiful architecture, and is known for it's most famous masterpiece, Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci, which was, by far the smallest painting we saw at the Louvre. The Mona Lisa is surrounded by masterpieces by Italian artist from the Renaissance period. My favorite among on one's we saw was "The Wedding Feast at Cana", by Paolo Veronese in 1563, a representational painting that depicts the Biblical story of a marriage banquet at which Jesus converts water to wine. It also happens to be the largest paining in the Louvre and is housed right opposite the MonaLisa.</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidEtnojS3oUbRPc2b4T48uqf3yHFZXo5V5TuS53NcZMRymYt7Z2JKz_wVRe0xk2WuUxEgDk_90AMV-ouLXkizSi2qm_PIFxYTCUuyecV8EgAYpV7k4vgVFrdO4M03KJHPuKoReMjts6qck/s1600/IMG_4179.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidEtnojS3oUbRPc2b4T48uqf3yHFZXo5V5TuS53NcZMRymYt7Z2JKz_wVRe0xk2WuUxEgDk_90AMV-ouLXkizSi2qm_PIFxYTCUuyecV8EgAYpV7k4vgVFrdO4M03KJHPuKoReMjts6qck/s200/IMG_4179.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arc De Triomphe</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix2UYxlEFK_7iXe9Sn5hkWUytsbIwNQCIO125aYXnrmdHZmdvqWr23-FIJPf9fGSHGp5Wn_DzaYhrHIPgdIPiXJ_gdKhdNbxnOxOLXoVtJ7AK71QNoDlwSAjyOTBfvyxRmKPClcPOMmLRn/s1600/WP_20160905_12_31_57_Panorama+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><img border="0" height="45" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix2UYxlEFK_7iXe9Sn5hkWUytsbIwNQCIO125aYXnrmdHZmdvqWr23-FIJPf9fGSHGp5Wn_DzaYhrHIPgdIPiXJ_gdKhdNbxnOxOLXoVtJ7AK71QNoDlwSAjyOTBfvyxRmKPClcPOMmLRn/s200/WP_20160905_12_31_57_Panorama+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Louvre Panorama</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="text-align: right;"></span><br />
<span style="text-align: right;"></span>
<span style="text-align: right;">For the afternoon, we had pre-booked <a href="http://www.toureiffel.paris/en/preparing-your-visit/buying-your-tickets.html" target="_blank">tickets</a> (</span><span style="text-align: right;">€17</span><span style="text-align: right;">)</span><span style="text-align: right;"> to the Eiffel tower. However, we made a quick metro stop at the </span>Arc De Triomphe, before using the RER C metro train to head there. The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc_de_Triomphe" target="_blank">Arc de Triomphe</a> is one of the most famous monuments in Paris. It stands in the center of the Place Charles de Gaulle, and there is also a smaller replica of it, opposite the Louvre.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSUTrUYyqP7qxOuqtvPuiwf-GPkFG1mzlP1vgu_ZV5DrzNkH64uODY0WWptnTJ2srzzlRcBkTWWEsr6ZrCt-rixnHm6cghCk-Jn0gbIaIA807g6cB0pqKRA2ijeyOJPj6yjIsFUd6FstkX/s1600/WP_20160905_15_39_57_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSUTrUYyqP7qxOuqtvPuiwf-GPkFG1mzlP1vgu_ZV5DrzNkH64uODY0WWptnTJ2srzzlRcBkTWWEsr6ZrCt-rixnHm6cghCk-Jn0gbIaIA807g6cB0pqKRA2ijeyOJPj6yjIsFUd6FstkX/s200/WP_20160905_15_39_57_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the Eiffel tower, second level</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Eiffel tower needs no introduction. The tower built in 1889, at Exposition Universelle, to mark the 100-year anniversary of the French Revolution; was almost torn down in 1909. City officials opted to save it after recognizing its value as a radiotelegraph station. Several years later, during World War I, the Eiffel Tower intercepted enemy radio communications. It escaped destruction a second time during World War II, when Hitler ordered the demolition of the city’s most cherished symbol, but the command was never carried out.<br />
There are two lines to get to the top. One for security to get into the main tower base, and another one for the actual elevator to get to the second level. If you have the printed, pre-booked ticket, you skip both lines thereby saving you anywhere between 1 to 2 hours or even more during peak time.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDT6K_2XT6CZlO4AepDudP0OcpKt896_-Y0Si1OxgiKPH0oIXExfcwe6RLhegDpi-GXnBjF3SWCP4oa7S93daoHQy8dky3_8vvgJIaIpA4K-NjiOzYYoiB7Bh-RCU-jZe39f5BTYFMBYVa/s1600/WP_20160906_10_33_10_Pro.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDT6K_2XT6CZlO4AepDudP0OcpKt896_-Y0Si1OxgiKPH0oIXExfcwe6RLhegDpi-GXnBjF3SWCP4oa7S93daoHQy8dky3_8vvgJIaIpA4K-NjiOzYYoiB7Bh-RCU-jZe39f5BTYFMBYVa/s200/WP_20160906_10_33_10_Pro.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Palace of Justice, from Ile de la Cité</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Another way, albeit expensive, to skip the line, is if you make a lunch or dinner <a href="http://www.restaurants-toureiffel.com/index.cfm/lid/2" target="_blank">reservation </a>at one of the restaurants at the top.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheISVuAL_xRrbqUKa68ksA2RQcffildsp35ysHwh2oj_tWXLIPlEHY8tkXF949psloZ2PvIubRKeCKtb5AiF8LuzZJQT6vn3LlisUoJ2-hgqHvxvrj7adf6BFmKMOffXmHQ6Jq7LNe7-lo/s1600/IMG_4216.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheISVuAL_xRrbqUKa68ksA2RQcffildsp35ysHwh2oj_tWXLIPlEHY8tkXF949psloZ2PvIubRKeCKtb5AiF8LuzZJQT6vn3LlisUoJ2-hgqHvxvrj7adf6BFmKMOffXmHQ6Jq7LNe7-lo/s200/IMG_4216.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eiffel Tower from Notre Dame</td></tr>
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Once you get to the second level, there is another ticket and line, if you want to, to get to the top of the tower. We only went as far as the second level, since it was rather rainy and gloomy weather, and that had impacted the visibility.<br />
<br />
For our last day in Paris, we has a late evening 9 pm flight to Nice, the small quaint town in the French Riviera. Morning, we had booked a <a href="https://citywonders.com/paris-tours/notre-dame-cathedral-tour" target="_blank">City wonders tour of the Notre Dame</a> and Ile de la Cité (City Center Island of Paris). We learnt about the history behind this beautiful little island - the center of Paris where the medieval city was founded by the Romans.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilN4b-xxiY-mH9P7rcolbcN6aK8BDv4fUPWe_1kiJiWMDnTK7xqpwJB_nr61B5neJaYus9-4efWYP6CWU2R1EwBJUGfRKhUVPSYRuAmUmRUmhcliELFXHTUFXG0ZavwRgBLyLu4PGje8Q1/s1600/IMG_4206.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilN4b-xxiY-mH9P7rcolbcN6aK8BDv4fUPWe_1kiJiWMDnTK7xqpwJB_nr61B5neJaYus9-4efWYP6CWU2R1EwBJUGfRKhUVPSYRuAmUmRUmhcliELFXHTUFXG0ZavwRgBLyLu4PGje8Q1/s200/IMG_4206.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The organ of Notre-Dame de Paris</td></tr>
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We saw the Conciergerie (“The Keeper”), the oldest remaining part of the first royal palace (now known as the <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR3KJa3rXPC-wQOAUgVwPR7n0Uw7Eblb8FsNwgr6fbhRnIvNEeBT56Geyi4sZZ418xgAyZJFYz0SpgCxr1mLvIeYLDhLvkSjDc0BCNmshh5v9mwdWCKF4VbSusq8DhXwh7ka6mzUidPdDj/s1600/IMG_4201.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR3KJa3rXPC-wQOAUgVwPR7n0Uw7Eblb8FsNwgr6fbhRnIvNEeBT56Geyi4sZZ418xgAyZJFYz0SpgCxr1mLvIeYLDhLvkSjDc0BCNmshh5v9mwdWCKF4VbSusq8DhXwh7ka6mzUidPdDj/s200/IMG_4201.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gargoyles of Notre Dame</td></tr>
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Palace of Justice), and the infamous prison that housed Marie Antoinette before her execution in 1793 during the French Revolution.<br />
<span style="text-align: center;">After a lesson from French Revolution, we now came to the highlight of the tour, Notre Dame. Begun in 1163 by Louis VII on a site that was originally sacred to the Romans, Notre Dame is one of the most magnificent examples of French Gothic architecture and among the largest and most famous churches in the world. It is the heart of Paris and the point from which all distances in France are measured. </span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2_D0dC1qawmClSKTZwP_kxzr1yTdnWooKbiHbbZRZrelGL10zusykS5ZzNGNxdVbi-VmCXOEPWKSXXgys6g6mUVeWaLoVCF1D9GiGCUzXJRi7hYW8f2fCnm3gP_gQvLAqjUomkz0jVboa/s1600/IMG_4215.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2_D0dC1qawmClSKTZwP_kxzr1yTdnWooKbiHbbZRZrelGL10zusykS5ZzNGNxdVbi-VmCXOEPWKSXXgys6g6mUVeWaLoVCF1D9GiGCUzXJRi7hYW8f2fCnm3gP_gQvLAqjUomkz0jVboa/s200/IMG_4215.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sacre Coeur as seen from Notre Dame</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVv1waor7Sj7vcAig8esmIuZNwNFWyxedalR-Uhb3S2i7xUITaW2cU1FIkaKAiaAAugXTFwXJYSIr6sP8IEqm5SMyeMOgxmcQx0m4QGU643kuiKrLmMH6_Q8WkbuNvyBY82sf66bxAE7Ve/s1600/WP_20160906_13_25_45_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVv1waor7Sj7vcAig8esmIuZNwNFWyxedalR-Uhb3S2i7xUITaW2cU1FIkaKAiaAAugXTFwXJYSIr6sP8IEqm5SMyeMOgxmcQx0m4QGU643kuiKrLmMH6_Q8WkbuNvyBY82sf66bxAE7Ve/s200/WP_20160906_13_25_45_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Western Facade of the Notre Dame</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="text-align: center;">After admiring its imposing exterior, we’ll explored the interior of the cathedral to see its incredible, naturalistic stained glass windows, sculptures and imposing arches.</span><br />
The highlight of our tour was Skip the Line access to enter one of the cathedral towers. Climbing the winding<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6bJ5b_M02YS7_P5LPCt6numomPFREtTMs4tax122J5YnnD-PIVKh_-JRH1s9ZxWUnh4hxI3gHMM_PcmXD1q6HraBABdq0EA9ihrvR6N0uadcyzxcwg-whGVS1G4W8OffLToOPAqhq6Ucb/s1600/WP_20160906_12_06_35_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6bJ5b_M02YS7_P5LPCt6numomPFREtTMs4tax122J5YnnD-PIVKh_-JRH1s9ZxWUnh4hxI3gHMM_PcmXD1q6HraBABdq0EA9ihrvR6N0uadcyzxcwg-whGVS1G4W8OffLToOPAqhq6Ucb/s200/WP_20160906_12_06_35_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notre Dame - View from the top</td></tr>
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staircase, we discovered perhaps the most beautiful views of Paris, with the Sacre Coeur rising on one side, and the Eiffel Tower on the other. Another iconic feature of the cathedral – the gargoyles can also been seen up close from the middle level. These fantastic, fierce sculptures are actually drainpipes, built for water run off, but it’s hard to think of them in practical terms.<br />
<br />
Evening, we took the Air France flight to Nice from Paris's Charles De Gaule airport.<br />
<br />
PS: The Charles De Gaule airport is located well outside the city, and public transit RER C is the cheapest and fastest way to get there directly. Although, make sure you buy tickets for the RER C separately, as it's not the usual Metro train, but a dedicated service to the airport.<br />
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<div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFA_huu1JaUKSf2mdViqMiRhqN0F1epTuxFN2eC2ON_ymm2LlPmrMwpmr4065IQ4tJwkPEDEHZM1yZF_2H5UpGnIWDr7frMWheVQGxig1wgEhCsd8LHeaVe66siNnySzXeUgU2jRvJIbT/s1600/WP_20160907_09_35_41_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFA_huu1JaUKSf2mdViqMiRhqN0F1epTuxFN2eC2ON_ymm2LlPmrMwpmr4065IQ4tJwkPEDEHZM1yZF_2H5UpGnIWDr7frMWheVQGxig1wgEhCsd8LHeaVe66siNnySzXeUgU2jRvJIbT/s200/WP_20160907_09_35_41_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Mt Boron</td></tr>
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<b>Nice, France and Monaco</b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoCHLY_5vrouUbrBs322XQWecsp-m0g8ai_d4_6sgAzrsAgcVVYtLmZR9DeROAZ6rNqA7a_sEmTopjAStdT7SRh6sh3QDjASwqwQfgwVXAbuZlylLd5gM2N967PA8IUxZeuaIBci8fCu85/s1600/WP_20160907_13_26_13_Panorama+%25282%2529.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="48" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoCHLY_5vrouUbrBs322XQWecsp-m0g8ai_d4_6sgAzrsAgcVVYtLmZR9DeROAZ6rNqA7a_sEmTopjAStdT7SRh6sh3QDjASwqwQfgwVXAbuZlylLd5gM2N967PA8IUxZeuaIBci8fCu85/s200/WP_20160907_13_26_13_Panorama+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Principality of Monaco</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We landed late in Nice and took an Uber (<span style="text-align: right;">€18</span>) to get to our host's place in Central Nice.<br />
Next morning, we had book an all day <a href="http://www.tourazur.com/en/?option=com_azur&view=tour&t=1&Itemid=106" target="_blank">tour to Éze and Monaco</a> with a local company.</div>
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<b></b>
<b></b>
<b></b><br />
<b></b><br />
The tour which was basically comfortable transportation to Éze, Monaco and back included a Panoramic view over Nice from Mt. Boron, stop at Éze– a medieval perched village with its crafts shops and breathtaking panorama.<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlqYtsk-avASAxskB08oJmY3X8lNlIdx14j882OuMTpihO75EmCYLyAea3NTHfSXxiLT5ylDnlbhaPkpMLPOaZOksjQq6uAUCFdbMeccjN47OrTdpuz3RAqxOUH2wbUWy1VZs49zwB93Fj/s1600/WP_20160907_10_06_21_Panorama+%25282%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="71" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlqYtsk-avASAxskB08oJmY3X8lNlIdx14j882OuMTpihO75EmCYLyAea3NTHfSXxiLT5ylDnlbhaPkpMLPOaZOksjQq6uAUCFdbMeccjN47OrTdpuz3RAqxOUH2wbUWy1VZs49zwB93Fj/s200/WP_20160907_10_06_21_Panorama+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Éze</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_U2GXGxj_GFwxfOSM2IYA0C8x_9bOJxWIGhYVY-8KNLfvU6k_y62hd_Qjj0rYY-q6rDpn3ObxuoupXeCUBS9dKShLo1VjHj7F7InE8irV3hke42UTI47211cXheD2Y0WMdXwYqwMKGimI/s1600/IMG_4283.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_U2GXGxj_GFwxfOSM2IYA0C8x_9bOJxWIGhYVY-8KNLfvU6k_y62hd_Qjj0rYY-q6rDpn3ObxuoupXeCUBS9dKShLo1VjHj7F7InE8irV3hke42UTI47211cXheD2Y0WMdXwYqwMKGimI/s200/IMG_4283.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Oceanographic Museum of Monaco</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Followed by a Guided tour of a traditional perfumery, which turned out to be a bit of <br />
<br />
a letdown. We then went on to another country, Monaco. Second smallest in the world, after the Vatican. We toured Monte-Carlo and drove along the famous <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yXv9SeahV8">Monaco Grand Prix</a> circuit. All this while the driver cum tour guide told us some interesting tidbits about Monaco as a country, and how difficult it was to get property and citizenship of Monaco; which is technically a "constitutional monarchy" to this day.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdI9oSf28Pb1R1kKOpPA8IfKbuCRVn2_TA6QxXNO2oQSKWdmgS8NnXRIQFS0qBplzaOFjKvEcxkwqh6TsNGb9UXDOerflWzqc9XdunDjdxBDhm1yRw40X-FwDIziby5snv4e5KEEVxJ4RZ/s1600/WP_20160908_09_51_50_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdI9oSf28Pb1R1kKOpPA8IfKbuCRVn2_TA6QxXNO2oQSKWdmgS8NnXRIQFS0qBplzaOFjKvEcxkwqh6TsNGb9UXDOerflWzqc9XdunDjdxBDhm1yRw40X-FwDIziby5snv4e5KEEVxJ4RZ/s200/WP_20160908_09_51_50_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Nice from Chateau overlook</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEEy15pN8NkRPmHCwfMwQO8UbkhiCL0zYlLdDDnNQ3TN11h6E5p2L_oR84HSLP7ZhkFEgtYVu8CMUdq9X2FrOYkgVs21QzIIMJqlAltX01pWpwynJkNZTJT5hgtWP_CcTFn2ZwsPAgEs99/s1600/IMG_4280.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEEy15pN8NkRPmHCwfMwQO8UbkhiCL0zYlLdDDnNQ3TN11h6E5p2L_oR84HSLP7ZhkFEgtYVu8CMUdq9X2FrOYkgVs21QzIIMJqlAltX01pWpwynJkNZTJT5hgtWP_CcTFn2ZwsPAgEs99/s200/IMG_4280.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luxury apartments in Monaco</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Next morning we went for a stroll to the famous Promenade Des Anglais which is Nice's version of the Sea face. We strolled to a hike up the Colline du Chateau overlook to get a panoramic view of Nice. On the way back we stopped by the local market (Marché aux Fleurs) which was at one time the largest flower market in Europe. That privilege now belongs to the one in Amsterdam, Netherlands.<br />
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Evening, we boarded our Vueling flight to Barcelona.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1FzOY_u0k9OL4g3laOHlIm-IPhLVDaHzncLDozaPEqWrrKgjzetUry3fjACisTSuw0HYvEad2Y7nJKpN7MrSCGzWcWrRjQIDt5FUJBZFVx-CmT0dG8V9Pg9RnbOPSOGzfKsv-12cKZds/s1600/WP_20160909_09_43_11_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1FzOY_u0k9OL4g3laOHlIm-IPhLVDaHzncLDozaPEqWrrKgjzetUry3fjACisTSuw0HYvEad2Y7nJKpN7MrSCGzWcWrRjQIDt5FUJBZFVx-CmT0dG8V9Pg9RnbOPSOGzfKsv-12cKZds/s200/WP_20160909_09_43_11_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Sagrada Familia</td></tr>
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<b>Barcelona, Spain</b><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3trUEYfK9iSdSfvClX_9tok2_m2NlFQtsnlDzjiBZGo4uqZYmLTMACwkKgM-EuyxUZDslvbju-YlQFHKXvfFFh9xomtDDpfA51KHXu5tyq66NnmOR5doeO52BD8ZXKQ_vea4AYNxg59JV/s1600/IMG_4312.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3trUEYfK9iSdSfvClX_9tok2_m2NlFQtsnlDzjiBZGo4uqZYmLTMACwkKgM-EuyxUZDslvbju-YlQFHKXvfFFh9xomtDDpfA51KHXu5tyq66NnmOR5doeO52BD8ZXKQ_vea4AYNxg59JV/s200/IMG_4312.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gaudí designed the <br />
columns to mirror trees and branches.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Barcelona, with its architectural beauty and whimsical Gaudí flair, makes for a great start to a Spain trip.<br />
We started off our time in Barcelona by a visit to the Sagrada Familia. This is a large Roman Catholic church designed by Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí. Although incomplete, the church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and consecrated by Pope Benedict XVI. The construction has progressed slowly, as it relied on private donations and was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War. Construction passed the midpoint in 2010 with an anticipated completion date of 2026, the centenary of Gaudí's death. The church only relies on donations (<a href="http://www.sagradafamilia.org/en/tickets/" target="_blank">tickets from visitors</a>) for construction costs.<br />
Six new towers will soon be added, bringing the total in the Basilica to 18 and—finishing the work begun by Gaudí.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKZYoTQBWHXLvwSf9UXZXl5pR0HTRDUw9vqCUy6mXe4Kl_e7CoPiBfiYgOfXi9MhDc_lxj-spFuCjA_DAJlpgbZD6aSexzBOcKxibZmhDoz_402DfHgq96E_4WMj8MQEWlgG-43LLvtuhW/s1600/IMG_4343.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKZYoTQBWHXLvwSf9UXZXl5pR0HTRDUw9vqCUy6mXe4Kl_e7CoPiBfiYgOfXi9MhDc_lxj-spFuCjA_DAJlpgbZD6aSexzBOcKxibZmhDoz_402DfHgq96E_4WMj8MQEWlgG-43LLvtuhW/s200/IMG_4343.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gothic Quarter</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQMpy3yRfAEz5E3cU9cEChwTkJqXCMuALL6FOXdjxNSv90StlDRyo8OEOSvk0tG4a-WiRP-I-5thvcXgr8lSoSU2XsGL3rO8Pijw_klUzm8ThfwZT4twpUOlPKfvKkooAttfYcqBHoQipM/s1600/IMG_4347.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQMpy3yRfAEz5E3cU9cEChwTkJqXCMuALL6FOXdjxNSv90StlDRyo8OEOSvk0tG4a-WiRP-I-5thvcXgr8lSoSU2XsGL3rO8Pijw_klUzm8ThfwZT4twpUOlPKfvKkooAttfYcqBHoQipM/s200/IMG_4347.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plaça Sant Jaume -<br />
Catolonia Flag can seen next to Spain's</td></tr>
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<b></b>In the evening, we joined a free (tips are expected and appreciated) walking tour of the Barrio Gotico (Gothic Quarter) with <a href="http://www.runnerbeantours.com/barcelona-tours/free-walking-tour-old-city/13" target="_blank">Runner Bean tours</a>, as we were lead through the winding corridors of the medieval town to give us a unique view of the enchanting Gothic Quarter. We started at the Plaza Reial, one of the most picturesque squares in Barcelona. Followed by, a visit to the old Jewish quarter, where we learned about the Barcelona horrific past for those like Saint Eulalia who were persecuted by the Romans for following Christianity. <b></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63RTA3qcsd-n0oxbdn2falXw6eACjefEBZPrZB51b3zdjzYdTi32AxgRZdk83eilw3WfQQd6Pf24gfnuW2KH85PZwRfa0w-kfeujsK_U3j8BgASNQzfsNSgTyliZaNDrMK8em5HGU0gBD/s1600/IMG_4359.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63RTA3qcsd-n0oxbdn2falXw6eACjefEBZPrZB51b3zdjzYdTi32AxgRZdk83eilw3WfQQd6Pf24gfnuW2KH85PZwRfa0w-kfeujsK_U3j8BgASNQzfsNSgTyliZaNDrMK8em5HGU0gBD/s200/IMG_4359.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cathedral of Santa Eulalia</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_x_Owo0tBhitTuwOFqLzrHGU4AMwoMM6CeKfzP0ETX2cLm5hAtXVf77l6sZ8TuLxJwbTQhA7djBaLGQuG8YAQGyBFlas6OaokOWWQzHB047PTfNkIWtVmX2LbrCDy7AjKaAKZJUTnTJgC/s1600/IMG_4344.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_x_Owo0tBhitTuwOFqLzrHGU4AMwoMM6CeKfzP0ETX2cLm5hAtXVf77l6sZ8TuLxJwbTQhA7djBaLGQuG8YAQGyBFlas6OaokOWWQzHB047PTfNkIWtVmX2LbrCDy7AjKaAKZJUTnTJgC/s200/IMG_4344.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eulalia of Barcelona</td></tr>
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Our next stop was at Plaça Sant Jaume, the centre of political life in the City for over 2,000 years. Today, the main government buildings dominate the square.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkyngz8l2hhOdPMfKgA8sc77UbKcxDzZ4H9H0uLEWsNuXNh8jnstejXnJxrSnHkQtExn4iVNRZtXSXHgoL8h47TjYqfY4oFUw7wiqUvitu4AgV-CDokEiE2GEBQ6TyFnRrHnjsTrZPWMji/s1600/IMG_4327.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkyngz8l2hhOdPMfKgA8sc77UbKcxDzZ4H9H0uLEWsNuXNh8jnstejXnJxrSnHkQtExn4iVNRZtXSXHgoL8h47TjYqfY4oFUw7wiqUvitu4AgV-CDokEiE2GEBQ6TyFnRrHnjsTrZPWMji/s200/IMG_4327.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from t<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">he Nativity tower of </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Sagrada Familia</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMZt6vJTR_Ld7FzxVSnqqNZd5zJ0HSQ17USptbH9ISg6VnfB_eHZa6dXDRW0Nt_0tVYD1BbDXKd-2aWxJaYtUHVJPTtT3ltZoxHxI-pfqakmapd814_BEVxzVMTTZsVYqXVB4EOxX67rE/s1600/IMG_4394.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMZt6vJTR_Ld7FzxVSnqqNZd5zJ0HSQ17USptbH9ISg6VnfB_eHZa6dXDRW0Nt_0tVYD1BbDXKd-2aWxJaYtUHVJPTtT3ltZoxHxI-pfqakmapd814_BEVxzVMTTZsVYqXVB4EOxX67rE/s200/IMG_4394.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Park Güell</td></tr>
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We went through some other landmark of the Gothic quarter like <a href="http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/wv3/en/page/1247/placa-sant-felip-neri.html" target="_blank">Plaça Sant Felip Neri</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barcelona_Cathedral" target="_blank">Cathedral of Santa Eulalia</a> and <a href="https://varrtravel.wordpress.com/2013/01/03/subterranean-barcelona-the-worlds-most-extensive-underground-roman-ruins/" target="_blank">Roman City</a>, often described as the most extensive and comprehensive underground Roman ruins in the world. We ended our tour at the <a href="http://www.barcelonaturisme.com/wv3/en/page/557/placa-del-rei.html" target="_blank">Plaça del Rei</a> which house the royal palace, Palau Reial Major, and its surrounding buildings.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgABqnFYyksB1FkbyfRa1EDVtxI7ATfkYYFfp9jmAWL6a1BiypDDI_PDp-73gYE-mtWEevCVJhg6_XpkbBHkYa41Ddlnm21ibAur7NOgP7CWGyHCvEesH7xABdbvNLR5ieWMFilpi_x3bUM/s1600/IMG_4409.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgABqnFYyksB1FkbyfRa1EDVtxI7ATfkYYFfp9jmAWL6a1BiypDDI_PDp-73gYE-mtWEevCVJhg6_XpkbBHkYa41Ddlnm21ibAur7NOgP7CWGyHCvEesH7xABdbvNLR5ieWMFilpi_x3bUM/s200/IMG_4409.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Montjuic</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW1mZEKkCVknOb8fg2vbm6ZucfzwLBaUK5kMov_aBpeGqXpKjOgNq06g_hzo4HwX7ujw1euXvH2vEiKGTEerK_1MJ879I5veYC5wYemH3cSiK5GmujfW7MRTQQRAzfWrxpNFZ2Figs_LbG/s1600/IMG_4380.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW1mZEKkCVknOb8fg2vbm6ZucfzwLBaUK5kMov_aBpeGqXpKjOgNq06g_hzo4HwX7ujw1euXvH2vEiKGTEerK_1MJ879I5veYC5wYemH3cSiK5GmujfW7MRTQQRAzfWrxpNFZ2Figs_LbG/s200/IMG_4380.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.lapedrera.com/en/what-is-casa-mila" target="_blank">Casa mila</a> by Gaudí</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_9RtxxFlZIZMKtd5GcV21kSP-BCjhAqX1-kj02f9hbE8RQZmtAMmHDkQoAzQjCO7vBLLSM0jt7FXBjoTBCSe48Bm2x6LK8wBJin97acs85MGlUshXYsw6ZSgNj5T3YzjK8sCVjOn2jxhy/s1600/WP_20160910_11_06_22_Pro.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_9RtxxFlZIZMKtd5GcV21kSP-BCjhAqX1-kj02f9hbE8RQZmtAMmHDkQoAzQjCO7vBLLSM0jt7FXBjoTBCSe48Bm2x6LK8wBJin97acs85MGlUshXYsw6ZSgNj5T3YzjK8sCVjOn2jxhy/s200/WP_20160910_11_06_22_Pro.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colonnaded pathway at <span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Park Güell</span></td></tr>
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For our next day, we had booked a half day Barcelona city tour by <a href="https://barcelonadaytours.com/barcelona-city-tour/" target="_blank">Barcelona day tours</a>. This is a great way to see all the highlights of Barcelona, if you're short on time. The tour was personal, interesting, and stress-free. With real insights on the places we visited and a local perspective on life in Barcelona. The tour covered all the main highlights of the city in a half-day. My favorite spots from the stops were <a href="http://www.parkguell.cat/en/" target="_blank">Park Güell </a>and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montju%C3%AFc" target="_blank">Montjuic</a>, for great city views, history, and a view of the port.<br />
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This brought to end a wonderful introduction to Barcelona, until we return next time. Evening, we took the Vueling flight to Seville in the Andalucia region of Southern Spain.<br />
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<b>Seville, </b><b>Spain</b><br />
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We arrived at around 8 pm local time and took the taxi (€29) from the airport to the hotel.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4nPlFlZ1ZNJ5w7EgiwAUajDQeHvsp4f5wqSfTdszGmLDkYvjlf5hPPfPijOSaqn3vCIWY3o2UwRikcEOSITemWbMDaVSurJk6BrE10XfQ2DJnwnTfFul8-npIM0k-dfwZW7KeKGjQOD6w/s1600/IMG_4430.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4nPlFlZ1ZNJ5w7EgiwAUajDQeHvsp4f5wqSfTdszGmLDkYvjlf5hPPfPijOSaqn3vCIWY3o2UwRikcEOSITemWbMDaVSurJk6BrE10XfQ2DJnwnTfFul8-npIM0k-dfwZW7KeKGjQOD6w/s200/IMG_4430.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the <span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Alcazar Real</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjakwOtIw8cbLP4tHw0R980Bz0fDNU-tai9IlJ3BQ-qYvHi6KlyUzDwON1nvq01f2BPUobbLIFcPq7zFg2pXFHd9hQfhxm_UVBj4Ho2mUbwmxXXS3DJ4yrne3hy8FSuxdDBwuZdiCRE2bZy/s1600/IMG_4441.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjakwOtIw8cbLP4tHw0R980Bz0fDNU-tai9IlJ3BQ-qYvHi6KlyUzDwON1nvq01f2BPUobbLIFcPq7zFg2pXFHd9hQfhxm_UVBj4Ho2mUbwmxXXS3DJ4yrne3hy8FSuxdDBwuZdiCRE2bZy/s200/IMG_4441.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Alcazar Real of Seville</span></td></tr>
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We started off our visited to Seville with a visit to the Alcazar Real (Royal Palace) of Seville. We had booked the tickets on their <a href="https://oberonsaas.com/realalcazarsevilla" target="_blank">official site</a>. This is especially useful if you wish to visit the Upper Royal Quarters of the Alca<br />
zar. Visits to the Upper Chambers of the Royal Alcazars are managed by the Royal Alcazar of Seville Heritage Foundation; and are worth the extra €4.50 they charge. Although, they need to be reserved in advance with a specific time. The rooms represent Moorish architecture from the 15th century Muslim rule.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj11kVOUXI4Yt3oRKKgcFGJrfB0yvX79rtL5rzxKLX3Fuw_KrDmmZ22dyJ7tWnakxqP2O81GVZLwGRiVGVi9pjMTLJLqBuBTe3o5Khr_jwQ3rtvbJ3chn0hMZID-Cjx_R1dC5gAoaOOybwk/s1600/IMG_4447.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj11kVOUXI4Yt3oRKKgcFGJrfB0yvX79rtL5rzxKLX3Fuw_KrDmmZ22dyJ7tWnakxqP2O81GVZLwGRiVGVi9pjMTLJLqBuBTe3o5Khr_jwQ3rtvbJ3chn0hMZID-Cjx_R1dC5gAoaOOybwk/s200/IMG_4447.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tomb of Christopher Columbus</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj2fHvq6uSXwPfzwmrnyARCQrvXELXe9lPHcqSHhUPoGOAvU2OYAJRmvLFPNQ-Ml48ZYTvrxLqagG6DIoERSLpsu6O9pQ1v-k7dGWuKMq4m_DNyUuAHA4yzYD2P8kzIrXxCu3lbOYXJmH3/s1600/IMG_4476.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj2fHvq6uSXwPfzwmrnyARCQrvXELXe9lPHcqSHhUPoGOAvU2OYAJRmvLFPNQ-Ml48ZYTvrxLqagG6DIoERSLpsu6O9pQ1v-k7dGWuKMq4m_DNyUuAHA4yzYD2P8kzIrXxCu3lbOYXJmH3/s200/IMG_4476.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cathedral from the Giralda (Bell tower)</td></tr>
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These are the reception rooms and common areas that are still used today by the Spanish Royal family when they visit Seville, and access to this area is only by a strictly limited, audio guided, security escorted tour, that operates only during the mornings. We had booked the 10 am slot, the first one available when the Alcazar opens.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjORn-bRePMwAfRCErAMCxwpSIQoTTSWx9dLCPcSQKMofuD9lc1WbYDoC-bD2709EN0FID-X0DLEb6suhYqr9ZpWgox-pJv7IXQoumFsYuaeopnIILt_3EAkJW2JLH2O1yLG92Z5ymNffVl/s1600/IMG_4471.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjORn-bRePMwAfRCErAMCxwpSIQoTTSWx9dLCPcSQKMofuD9lc1WbYDoC-bD2709EN0FID-X0DLEb6suhYqr9ZpWgox-pJv7IXQoumFsYuaeopnIILt_3EAkJW2JLH2O1yLG92Z5ymNffVl/s200/IMG_4471.JPG" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seville Cathedral inside</td></tr>
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For the afternoon we had reserved a ticket, from the <a href="https://www.catedraldesevilla.es/cultural-visit2/" target="_blank">official website</a>, for the Seville Cathedral, the largest in the world. There is no payment needed to make this reservation, however, the website is only in Spanish. You need to take the email confirmation, from the website's reservation section, to the ticket office, thereby skipping the lines in 40'C heat.<br />
The €9 ticket grants you access to also the Bell tower, which you can climb to get 360 degree views of Seville and the <a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iglesia_del_Salvador_(Sevilla)" target="_blank">Iglesia del Salvador</a> (Church), which we could not visit due to our limited time in the city.<br />
The Seville Cathedral is the largest cathedral and the third-largest church in the world.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihikSx4l3l8XSYSUaHyORWE9OGGOVa8CbGEui6XeOHmytsreL_z2rRGLISpaWScpMA569fg-fW-6_RfYOsuNFoH0CFwbhWXXuFNViuxjJCNF1mpYVAw2Qs8E1h9_c_Nx7dP1iBsBnKjJzf/s1600/WP_20160911_11_14_47_Pro.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihikSx4l3l8XSYSUaHyORWE9OGGOVa8CbGEui6XeOHmytsreL_z2rRGLISpaWScpMA569fg-fW-6_RfYOsuNFoH0CFwbhWXXuFNViuxjJCNF1mpYVAw2Qs8E1h9_c_Nx7dP1iBsBnKjJzf/s200/WP_20160911_11_14_47_Pro.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giralda (tower) of Seville Cathedral </td></tr>
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The Giralda is the bell tower of the Cathedral of Seville. The former minaret of the mosque that stood on the site under Muslim rule, was built to resemble the minaret of the Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakech, Morocco. It was converted into a bell tower for the cathedral after the Reconquest of Spain from the Muslim back to the Christians.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifbsSPpuRCCJGhf2ehts0DO9gxGEDoa08JmgnP-r0_VA7ptt5AoUxJiXCLeTcHEn7wtycjYwdWykHoc69j0Jis6B4qA3KaRwJB-lKJtu8OIB6kaza2YewuI0aOQ6sMBDA6eTYpHJ42U3jh/s1600/WP_20160911_18_13_08_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifbsSPpuRCCJGhf2ehts0DO9gxGEDoa08JmgnP-r0_VA7ptt5AoUxJiXCLeTcHEn7wtycjYwdWykHoc69j0Jis6B4qA3KaRwJB-lKJtu8OIB6kaza2YewuI0aOQ6sMBDA6eTYpHJ42U3jh/s200/WP_20160911_18_13_08_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plaza de España</td></tr>
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<b></b>We took a tram from the cathedral to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaza_de_Espa%C3%B1a,_Seville" target="_blank">Plaza de España</a> and the bus to go home. Plaza de España is a large plaza built in 1928 for the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. It is a landmark example of the Regionalism Architecture, mixing elements of the Renaissance Revival and Moorish Revival (Neo-Mudéjar) styles of Spanish architecture. You can even take a Gondola ride in the artificial river around this plaza.<br />
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PS: One of things Sevilla is famous for is the local Spanish Saffron (Azafran in Spanish). It's good quality and relatively cheap. There are also Flamengo dresses, scarfs and traditional Spanish <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand_fan" target="_blank">hand fan</a>, for women, to shop for.<br />
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<b></b><b>Córdoba, </b><b>Spain</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJ7CcusYyq-E7JxAglpIUWc7tIeM_8hps9FllZzC8p-SJSuVh6ifQ6GIJmRxggXFCqXjCv9VbiE_zQb60tTfEyYQoGWkhp_Lpp3pKsLjsbs3Uoam6HRqy2a5q2bs0TNrVmLW35CiPKQEC/s1600/IMG_4537.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJ7CcusYyq-E7JxAglpIUWc7tIeM_8hps9FllZzC8p-SJSuVh6ifQ6GIJmRxggXFCqXjCv9VbiE_zQb60tTfEyYQoGWkhp_Lpp3pKsLjsbs3Uoam6HRqy2a5q2bs0TNrVmLW35CiPKQEC/s200/IMG_4537.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsDfDOj5dUBieQH6QmsKlyE42e456wlSuDT5hzEqULfblg2w_n79cnlkrSH410ZbKsbxOU8zIMDI5n8CidHX3UtcVqtU6_k1TftxeX4JIBnqc0Wy8qofV5XX1T1xYyqdat1_bTqe9dV9va/s1600/IMG_4541.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsDfDOj5dUBieQH6QmsKlyE42e456wlSuDT5hzEqULfblg2w_n79cnlkrSH410ZbKsbxOU8zIMDI5n8CidHX3UtcVqtU6_k1TftxeX4JIBnqc0Wy8qofV5XX1T1xYyqdat1_bTqe9dV9va/s200/IMG_4541.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bell tower (Minaret) of the Mosque</td></tr>
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Our next day in Seville began early with the Renfe express (AVE) train to Córdoba. During the Muslim rule of Spain Córdoba became the capital of the Islamic Emirate and then Caliphate of Córdoba, including most of the Iberian Peninsula. It has been estimated that in the 10th century Córdoba was the most populous city in the world, and rivaled the Islamic cities of Istanbul and Baghdad in terms of its influence.<br />
The train takes about 40-45 min, to reach Córdoba and the famous Córdoba mosque is a 15-20 minute walk from the train station, in the early mornings.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyBvW511c8vGTwS6UjWXCEzF5c9Ka4be9Sc0-JIlUOczMyzuNQnf4M5X1syrrcupW_cuHnuGTKEliMCYkXy4veHJaTgyTV9_RpzLEpA2-mgtz17tEJHvnTuiJ81LIYeTlCrVozrqSS8yvA/s1600/IMG_4546.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyBvW511c8vGTwS6UjWXCEzF5c9Ka4be9Sc0-JIlUOczMyzuNQnf4M5X1syrrcupW_cuHnuGTKEliMCYkXy4veHJaTgyTV9_RpzLEpA2-mgtz17tEJHvnTuiJ81LIYeTlCrVozrqSS8yvA/s200/IMG_4546.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roman temple of Córdoba</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUkuW5q_19T8hdK0Aql6E8GmfeAvUAj3VU2tqqGkD4BnIPnk5UiSQ4dgJrtWyp-MI_YuQqpFyZHKvwuz3tqMoIQMZBTHNpAI_4UntHPmWo5c2ORwV_WlahbSYUJTjOdRfEWV-kl3Gn-r7W/s1600/IMG_4551.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUkuW5q_19T8hdK0Aql6E8GmfeAvUAj3VU2tqqGkD4BnIPnk5UiSQ4dgJrtWyp-MI_YuQqpFyZHKvwuz3tqMoIQMZBTHNpAI_4UntHPmWo5c2ORwV_WlahbSYUJTjOdRfEWV-kl3Gn-r7W/s200/IMG_4551.JPG" width="200" /></a>The site was originally a small temple of Christian origin. When Muslims conquered Spain in 711, the church was first divided into Muslim and Christian halves. This sharing arrangement of the site lasted until 784, when the Christian half was purchased by the Emir 'Abd al-Rahman I, who then proceeded to demolish the original structure and build the grand mosque of Córdoba on its ground. Córdoba returned to Christian rule in 1236 during the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconquista" target="_blank">Reconquista</a> (Reconquest of Spain from Muslim rule), and the building was converted to a Roman Catholic church. From that period till date, Muslims have not been allowed to pray in this Mosque-Cathedral, although visiting is permitted.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh475sjuchK7O0BmyMV4gqfRHOsD_bMi7qDWwZEe-Qfu2Xn9FlSppnoDyJJjmFtv2wmlA2bDkPN5dI5iLlYMfe94Z6nFywNoa3oox3Or4JiNHcfTxoqNZ_VzfL03YiJZVTC735EV9-61Anj/s1600/IMG_4554.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh475sjuchK7O0BmyMV4gqfRHOsD_bMi7qDWwZEe-Qfu2Xn9FlSppnoDyJJjmFtv2wmlA2bDkPN5dI5iLlYMfe94Z6nFywNoa3oox3Or4JiNHcfTxoqNZ_VzfL03YiJZVTC735EV9-61Anj/s200/IMG_4554.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bell tower as seen from a narrow alley</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBtnj1bFcyJcMCnpfgVVxwvCv4iUzq2BBhvkO-t15xvCZEkZ0Tl-g_wKBbz6Ggcfiv_Jh7YXe9ZtA-5-HME3NRo8cHCEYnO7IdnjeRgLTOUqgpW9DXl2TzICVd_T-A8CVta7AuB5nPeY_y/s1600/29355130264_3ec70db360_o.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBtnj1bFcyJcMCnpfgVVxwvCv4iUzq2BBhvkO-t15xvCZEkZ0Tl-g_wKBbz6Ggcfiv_Jh7YXe9ZtA-5-HME3NRo8cHCEYnO7IdnjeRgLTOUqgpW9DXl2TzICVd_T-A8CVta7AuB5nPeY_y/s200/29355130264_3ec70db360_o.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our group in Córdoba</td></tr>
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For the afternoon, we had booked a <a href="http://www.freetourcordoba.com/en/free-walking-tour-cordoba/" target="_blank">free guided walking tour</a> of the city through a local company. The tour covered the historical buildings of the Cordovan historical center. Some historical squares such as La Corredera and the hearth of the Jewish quarter, where we learnt about the legend of <a href="http://www.jpost.com/Features/In-Thespotlight/A-guide-to-Maimonidess-Cordoba" target="_blank">Maimonides</a>.<br />
We went back to Seville in the evening by the super-fast Renfe.<br />
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PS: Renfe allows same day changes without any fees.<br />
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<b>Milan, Italy</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT-_LvNYYONgb7_lqD770Q2oednlCwjggfBrFRPHYi1RdTad6EwuyY8rJmEMuY2fa6kQgCfITyyzV-OrTmpdJDY-CcHpeRWgknDyh9srhNsKhvhcBHu_lenhuJhGJ5_HAYiZgXY8jekukp/s1600/WP_20160914_18_00_07_Pro.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT-_LvNYYONgb7_lqD770Q2oednlCwjggfBrFRPHYi1RdTad6EwuyY8rJmEMuY2fa6kQgCfITyyzV-OrTmpdJDY-CcHpeRWgknDyh9srhNsKhvhcBHu_lenhuJhGJ5_HAYiZgXY8jekukp/s200/WP_20160914_18_00_07_Pro.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Duomo di Milan</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0xlNHbox128RNHzIhzHTzqPIvqaojgQs-wcF4ABaS_Eal7FgaNLeMmWGsoBKyQ0OzMtYNHH5LRhjwYnaqrgo5-gODQAFFNj8Ld4nijhRiW-2bkOqdk9dktztVYNtZERl7wXaqxmRVGn-1/s1600/WP_20160916_17_21_22_Pro+%25283%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0xlNHbox128RNHzIhzHTzqPIvqaojgQs-wcF4ABaS_Eal7FgaNLeMmWGsoBKyQ0OzMtYNHH5LRhjwYnaqrgo5-gODQAFFNj8Ld4nijhRiW-2bkOqdk9dktztVYNtZERl7wXaqxmRVGn-1/s200/WP_20160916_17_21_22_Pro+%25283%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Arch of Peace</td></tr>
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<b></b>Our last stop in Europe was Milan in Italy. We took the Ryan Air Flight from Seville next afternoon and landed about 3 hours later. Milan is a leading global city.<br />
<br />
Although Rome is the political capital of Rome, Milan is the Financial one. Its business district hosts Italy's Stock Exchange and the headquarters of the largest national and international banks and companies. The city is a major world fashion and design capital, well known for several international events and fairs, including Milan Fashion Week.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLZAxlRAWvBUoAGSs2oEHA0z9lmdiDzeuSqrlb6jz0jBjT019tzgfDxzKaW1waP8uX6JyfHLH3El9LA6-Y-ud21OQqYrwcgO42et2z3DKLLyM-XFA_Z2-7eES_WXkLSZZD4laqFsg6zXiz/s1600/WP_20160914_17_22_47_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLZAxlRAWvBUoAGSs2oEHA0z9lmdiDzeuSqrlb6jz0jBjT019tzgfDxzKaW1waP8uX6JyfHLH3El9LA6-Y-ud21OQqYrwcgO42et2z3DKLLyM-XFA_Z2-7eES_WXkLSZZD4laqFsg6zXiz/s200/WP_20160914_17_22_47_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roof top - Milan Duomo</td></tr>
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We wanted to take it easy in Milan, as we were also going to spend some quality time with my parents who had been doing their own tour of the Italian cities.<br />
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<b>Lugano, Switzerland and Como, Italy</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZjKvm0QxuifADPdG719XZ755BwfFzUWBItzAEX9sFDSuQOV2_BHoI-ONIDkgVIwzOcvkHZ690uIGKDlcIXblnHkXUaamtXxSCHEUP8gYm8SUGfKzyrA76b-bVVO0A9qIauRGxk-SGw78/s200/IMG_4663.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lugano in Switzerland</td></tr>
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We had booked the <a href="https://citywonders.com/milan-tours/lake-como-day-trips-from-milan" target="_blank">Como and Lugano tour with City wonders</a> day trip from Milan, for the four of us. Planning a visit to Northern Italy can be difficult – there’s a lot to see and never enough time to see it all. Day trips from Milan are a great way to experience other parts of the region but again it’s hard to choose.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOT0iN7FsXzOeIHIgdi8JuoA25y-MbJ8Eh2LBijXKLL9biLoN1JogK6zMz6nrKJYlp3vnSQgFpjraxQN6S1I_8eUhJW54LcfDtMkjFXM5APvR3OZainOJA_AzGGe36TKrRBl-AkaXq-zrN/s1600/WP_20160915_14_50_03_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOT0iN7FsXzOeIHIgdi8JuoA25y-MbJ8Eh2LBijXKLL9biLoN1JogK6zMz6nrKJYlp3vnSQgFpjraxQN6S1I_8eUhJW54LcfDtMkjFXM5APvR3OZainOJA_AzGGe36TKrRBl-AkaXq-zrN/s200/WP_20160915_14_50_03_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bellagio</td></tr>
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Our first stop of the day was in another country. We crossed the Swiss border to get to this striking city - known as the “Monte Carlo of Switzerland”, nestled at the foot of the Alps, the town of Lugano is blessed with a stunning backdrop of its vast lake and imposing (often snow-capped) mountains.<br />
Next we headed to beautiful Bellagio to have lunch.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7G2AcfSpyrcUagk6vijOocwi2h0EVuNH2X_HK6TH1PEyYnf2eS0d-hgGrpeyUKIvoFonmSfjFSIHnbvkVzXAVsRQ6SYyeUaisGW4FyXdDWOwl__Fwt-8ksn3kTcWtHOhMEmuMa4-SPNAX/s1600/WP_20160915_15_04_33_Pro.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7G2AcfSpyrcUagk6vijOocwi2h0EVuNH2X_HK6TH1PEyYnf2eS0d-hgGrpeyUKIvoFonmSfjFSIHnbvkVzXAVsRQ6SYyeUaisGW4FyXdDWOwl__Fwt-8ksn3kTcWtHOhMEmuMa4-SPNAX/s200/WP_20160915_15_04_33_Pro.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Bellagio</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK9lGoDrPIEMfyJXedLu7YLZIvdr95rC2qMivERyJZQuGsLnBt7IaRobOtg4m6WF-EEUI99GAisVR39Hbd_ooc_qGn_BZPLZ1-EgKXBTzbr563_ul3cd3ryv8k6CsBdwSAmcDXc5TQ7Unz/s1600/IMG_4739.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK9lGoDrPIEMfyJXedLu7YLZIvdr95rC2qMivERyJZQuGsLnBt7IaRobOtg4m6WF-EEUI99GAisVR39Hbd_ooc_qGn_BZPLZ1-EgKXBTzbr563_ul3cd3ryv8k6CsBdwSAmcDXc5TQ7Unz/s200/IMG_4739.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Como in Italy</td></tr>
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Our final stop was Lake Como. Surrounded by mountains and beautiful scenery that changes year-round like a moving painting, Lake Como has been Italy’s top holiday destination for centuries. Once upon a time the expensive houses that line the pristine lakeside were owned by opera singers and performers.<br />
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This brought to end a hectic but the most enjoyable and fulfilling three weeks in some of the most amazing countries on the planet. Until next time, ciao, au revoir and adiós!<br />
<br />
Mohit<br />
<b></b><br />
<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZjKvm0QxuifADPdG719XZ755BwfFzUWBItzAEX9sFDSuQOV2_BHoI-ONIDkgVIwzOcvkHZ690uIGKDlcIXblnHkXUaamtXxSCHEUP8gYm8SUGfKzyrA76b-bVVO0A9qIauRGxk-SGw78/s1600/IMG_4663.JPG"></a></b><br />
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Mohit Samanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11921125793502265689noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676617735394521442.post-30963857818314209352016-03-16T11:35:00.002-07:002016-04-21T11:59:04.794-07:00Ecuador: The Middle of the World<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_O8VqyuyBQ5t1-r8mgE4nxaXUTg_Ppc7AFrq_az6qIO-OJnUALS0q-VepGHpxaiQv4AkAw6GVXuQpa3ZQq4LpGinVTkrQKdOCEAoaR60a9rEJhgOK2SwZCeMdxTv8X8Z8HjryntWTv3wR/s1600/WP_20160306_09_00_23_Pro_%25282%2529%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_O8VqyuyBQ5t1-r8mgE4nxaXUTg_Ppc7AFrq_az6qIO-OJnUALS0q-VepGHpxaiQv4AkAw6GVXuQpa3ZQq4LpGinVTkrQKdOCEAoaR60a9rEJhgOK2SwZCeMdxTv8X8Z8HjryntWTv3wR/s200/WP_20160306_09_00_23_Pro_%25282%2529%255B1%255D.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buenos días, Quito!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGzD5eQ0JfKDYdnx53_yPhbX4I3O1Jc_DNP-GVEgy6IsXkva8JM1mhHLzpkIyFMynVcvimeRqH2Zlb_QUz_KJo5gOkUuLapvOBjLRLXmFTKP86CcrfQuOE5-YGtIN7anm9Ihkyr2iP7vZ2/s1600/WP_20160306_11_14_19_Pro_%25282%2529%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGzD5eQ0JfKDYdnx53_yPhbX4I3O1Jc_DNP-GVEgy6IsXkva8JM1mhHLzpkIyFMynVcvimeRqH2Zlb_QUz_KJo5gOkUuLapvOBjLRLXmFTKP86CcrfQuOE5-YGtIN7anm9Ihkyr2iP7vZ2/s200/WP_20160306_11_14_19_Pro_%25282%2529%255B1%255D.jpg" width="200" /></a>My wife and I recently did a week long trip to the South American country of Ecuador. Ecuador had been on my travel list for more than an year now, and I got to planning the trip about a couple of months back. I had read about the capital <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quito" target="_blank">Quito</a> and the small tourist town of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ba%C3%B1os_de_Agua_Santa" target="_blank">Baños</a>, and that's where we ended up spending most of our time, while in Ecuador.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLJ6_b0OemewPX0d_kv9y4DTewpgEaM-hBbKIYP2w8PBasogwhgMx6ZzE1Y5X_29x90fkZINqfZb_87bYM1VKt3dMP6Gzoils-oLATgtixt74GKb0A_8cTgqXph-UNtm3-mnzASK0JM_6Z/s1600/WP_20160306_00_10_01_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLJ6_b0OemewPX0d_kv9y4DTewpgEaM-hBbKIYP2w8PBasogwhgMx6ZzE1Y5X_29x90fkZINqfZb_87bYM1VKt3dMP6Gzoils-oLATgtixt74GKb0A_8cTgqXph-UNtm3-mnzASK0JM_6Z/s200/WP_20160306_00_10_01_Pro.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: left;">UIO Aiport</span></td></tr>
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<b>Arrival in Quito: </b>Quito is home to the newest international airport in Latin America: The Mariscal Sucre Airport (UIO) or "Quiport", about an hour east of the old town. We landed around midnight. The immigration queue was huge, but luckily an officer directed us to step into the queue reserved for the Ecuadorian (and Colombian and Peruvian) citizens so we did the immigration (or Migracíon in Latin America) without much hassle. At immigration, we were asked some basic questions about where we lived and how long we were planning to stay in Ecuador, before stamping our passports.<br />
After stepping out of the immigration, we were picked up by our driver, who was holding up a sign with my name, whom we had pre<b>-</b>booked through the hotel we were staying at in Quito. We reached about an hour later and hit the bed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjsAEtfnjNwxQcjK8CQxCGy9hyphenhyphenqH-iRhdK9FszvL5-4NSVx72nnfmo1uIrLNk-R8NVhfGF8sQpuYNSDdaMXPiIrZ159kUxIh_L69S4APx-cZZyiF0-RlEVYb9QWbtNyhmhMnMfGG4RrZfa/s1600/WP_20160310_18_26_45_Pro_%25282%2529%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjsAEtfnjNwxQcjK8CQxCGy9hyphenhyphenqH-iRhdK9FszvL5-4NSVx72nnfmo1uIrLNk-R8NVhfGF8sQpuYNSDdaMXPiIrZ159kUxIh_L69S4APx-cZZyiF0-RlEVYb9QWbtNyhmhMnMfGG4RrZfa/s200/WP_20160310_18_26_45_Pro_%25282%2529%255B1%255D.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basílica del Voto Nacional, Quito</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7I9EZ9JVIdsgDpVvZmhPHE318fOJaNXoXSIOPdQC_V545zfgItLwYTagY2iW0MgySjxb84D50WN4duXG_5WqjUnKG7YiBx0cLfEykgAxTVvbtSv2HshCjV_NFy5j1czZuvpDlnqWSeU8l/s1600/WP_20160306_10_53_27_Pro_%25282%2529%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7I9EZ9JVIdsgDpVvZmhPHE318fOJaNXoXSIOPdQC_V545zfgItLwYTagY2iW0MgySjxb84D50WN4duXG_5WqjUnKG7YiBx0cLfEykgAxTVvbtSv2HshCjV_NFy5j1czZuvpDlnqWSeU8l/s200/WP_20160306_10_53_27_Pro_%25282%2529%255B1%255D.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Presidential Palace at Plaza grande</td></tr>
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<b>Day 1(Quito): </b>For the next morning, we had booked a private walking tour with the <a href="http://freewalkingtourecuador.com/" target="_blank">Quito free walking tour</a> company, for our very first day in Quito. The highest<br />
capital city in the world, after La Paz in Bolivia, and the first city to be listed on the UNESCO cultural and heritage sites, Quito has a feel of a small Spanish colonial town, but also has some great modern architecture which represents the post<b>-</b>colonial progress.<br />
The old town Quito is a nice mix of great Spanish colonial, and modern Ecuadorian architecture. You can spend 3 hours or 3 days exploring the various monuments and plazas of this wonderful city. Some of the places we visited were the Campaña de Jesús church, the plaza grande where the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carondelet_Palace" target="_blank">presidential palace</a>, Cathedral of Quito and the municipality of Quito are located. Our next stop was the San Francisco church and the corresponding plaza. We ended the tour at the near by plaza and had lunch. The Ecuadorian cuisine is a little on the blander side for my taste, and the banana is an integral ingredient in almost all dishes that they serve.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ysOC_k2lO0oIFq4O0Hhkil9y34Ke7zS3KMrEoPD-JVT7x4fkkq14tk2bXYc4xNip6AJocp4xUOmHUoAjJVysmKl5g4HxjAH2a-WdmCunDAu8JLji0FIINrS7-7KzNqjs6L3P9-LQ39hc/s1600/WP_20160306_16_47_06_Panorama_%25282%2529%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="71" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ysOC_k2lO0oIFq4O0Hhkil9y34Ke7zS3KMrEoPD-JVT7x4fkkq14tk2bXYc4xNip6AJocp4xUOmHUoAjJVysmKl5g4HxjAH2a-WdmCunDAu8JLji0FIINrS7-7KzNqjs6L3P9-LQ39hc/s320/WP_20160306_16_47_06_Panorama_%25282%2529%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Telefériqo in Quito</td></tr>
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After spending the afternoon to rest a little, we headed to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telef%C3%A9riQo" target="_blank">Telefériqo </a>which is a cable car that takes you to the top of Quito, and offers some amazingly great views of the entire city along the way. The taxi ride from the center to the Telefériqos is about $5-7 one way, and the entry fee is another $8. The oxygen levels at this height are low and you easily run out of breath. However, there're coffee shops and even "flavored Oxygen" bars at the tops to keep you breathing, if you're having issues.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM9uDntk1Vgz0osqrMgbj8ET_lotAEWTcxG5CFDMyO2dvFPZ3BTUEmyavHc3RDj-u32SfER6-3lNrHk0kgUwxB0LJPjAW98n2gx20QHJ-bLjNuTMktdcFRu-lN-bPcGp4lfG-inNbIsHSL/s1600/WP_20160307_10_45_24_Panorama_%25282%2529%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="104" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM9uDntk1Vgz0osqrMgbj8ET_lotAEWTcxG5CFDMyO2dvFPZ3BTUEmyavHc3RDj-u32SfER6-3lNrHk0kgUwxB0LJPjAW98n2gx20QHJ-bLjNuTMktdcFRu-lN-bPcGp4lfG-inNbIsHSL/s320/WP_20160307_10_45_24_Panorama_%25282%2529%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the Cotopaxi National Park</td></tr>
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<b>Day 2 (Cotopaxi): </b>We had booked an early morning tour to the Cotopaxi national park, and were picked up at 6:30 a.m by the tour company shuttle. We picked up a couple of other groups on the way and were off on our way. On the way to the park, we had some delicious breakfast at one the tou<span id="goog_16277710"></span><span id="goog_16277711"></span>r company's pre-decided spots. After some eggs, jugo de naranjita (which literally mean juice of little oranges, but tastes like a cross between Sugarcane and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citrus_limetta" target="_blank">Mosambi</a> juice), pancake and bread, we headed off to Cotopaxi.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitl9G9WT0Cw1l-SWiZc-LEOGy6T6llAHIbgiYg4j1169skPxpRFCT3QYHRxqY3k6v0ZEMoZUSi313jy97-hhHMd-dKsVsD9It7sX6ieUF1LSRrJQu9cB-FL_9fpPVHpWNgvaVBJGyuXa3L/s1600/WP_20160307_10_30_46_Pro_%25282%2529%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitl9G9WT0Cw1l-SWiZc-LEOGy6T6llAHIbgiYg4j1169skPxpRFCT3QYHRxqY3k6v0ZEMoZUSi313jy97-hhHMd-dKsVsD9It7sX6ieUF1LSRrJQu9cB-FL_9fpPVHpWNgvaVBJGyuXa3L/s200/WP_20160307_10_30_46_Pro_%25282%2529%255B1%255D.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cotopaxi Volcano</td></tr>
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The volcanic mountain had had some recent activity and hence we had to hike in the opposite direction to the volcano instead of to the refuge which is located at the base, which were people usually hike to in case of no activity. The hike was probably more challenging than any of the previous one's I'd done; including the <a href="http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-1191035" target="_blank">Volcano Pacaya hike</a>, back in December 2013. The hike took us through some steep but beautiful terrain of the volcanic park.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5NmKiBtRthX6jsOUVaw4X695qJD3Tkgxj8HpdMQqLlU-I0H0lhg-pxHb53E25aG8H2GmXUJI-KX19s6Y1Pm0sHneTQY8SAU03elMGE5J0e1dpNljjyXmPmMLwdvcsSjhD07PiQyCMRYhw/s1600/WP_20160307_15_27_57_Pro%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5NmKiBtRthX6jsOUVaw4X695qJD3Tkgxj8HpdMQqLlU-I0H0lhg-pxHb53E25aG8H2GmXUJI-KX19s6Y1Pm0sHneTQY8SAU03elMGE5J0e1dpNljjyXmPmMLwdvcsSjhD07PiQyCMRYhw/s200/WP_20160307_15_27_57_Pro%255B1%255D.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our lunch after the hike</td></tr>
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We hiked for about 3 hours round trip and were exhausted when we came back to the base.<br />
The hike was followed by a little cycling along the dirt road that lead back. Exhausted, we returned on our journey back to Quito but made a stop for lunch at the same place we had had our breakfast. The lunch consisted of potato soup as a starter, followed by grilled chicken with purple cabbage and chips on the side, and ended with a sweet dish make out of bananas. We reached Quito at around 5 pm and rested a little, before going out for dinner.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_yu3XmyaUD25aoXFPwm3lp5smwBJi5AQeMHYBpDUeJvs4Dq6jvMP0poW5f-wK0SDN-BwR_TlKfs_RZx2HG4SYDdxRBQaP9ZMWX4qxd67uEmsDHz01hyphenhyphenhye_UGxqqJHwWRHBk-fxp2hlxD/s1600/WP_20160310_11_27_06_Panorama+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="52" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_yu3XmyaUD25aoXFPwm3lp5smwBJi5AQeMHYBpDUeJvs4Dq6jvMP0poW5f-wK0SDN-BwR_TlKfs_RZx2HG4SYDdxRBQaP9ZMWX4qxd67uEmsDHz01hyphenhyphenhye_UGxqqJHwWRHBk-fxp2hlxD/s200/WP_20160310_11_27_06_Panorama+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baños</td></tr>
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<b></b>
<b>Day 3 (Ruta de Cascadas, Baños): </b>Next day morning, we took the bus to go to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ba%C3%B1os_de_Agua_Santa" target="_blank">Baños</a>, known as the "Gateway to the Amazon", a small, quaint Ecuadorian town located in the Tungurahua province, between the Andes mountains and the Amazon jugle. Surrounded by hills and volcanic mountains on all sides, the town is the center for all adventure travelers<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimnUD53OHGkaoD9mXwaCoC1pHBYBrGVTkatSpy53_yBQDKnbthYfGK0hqbOWcnK30RbUmCngmTpRgze8FaYMcKQnY4gWm2GaBWBPfJR1EQqbj3As38XIo97XvqFUBotKnTLRTWxHEnnLh4/s1600/WP_20160308_14_34_44_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimnUD53OHGkaoD9mXwaCoC1pHBYBrGVTkatSpy53_yBQDKnbthYfGK0hqbOWcnK30RbUmCngmTpRgze8FaYMcKQnY4gWm2GaBWBPfJR1EQqbj3As38XIo97XvqFUBotKnTLRTWxHEnnLh4/s200/WP_20160308_14_34_44_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">El Pailon del Diablo</td></tr>
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and backpackers. We caught the bus from the <a href="http://www.vivatravelguides.com/south-america/ecuador/quito/quito-overview/getting-to-and-away-from-quito/buses-from-the-quitumbe-terminal/" target="_blank">Quitumbe</a> terminal on the outskirts of Quito. There are taxis that can get you here for $8-12 from the old town. Once there, you need to walk over to the domestic ticket counters buy a ticket. A one way trip costs about $5-6 to Baños, but make sure you get the one advertised as a direct route to Baños. The bus ride was about 4 hours <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0_LK5Af7rHhnRcx2xyDExrJyKHbti-S-jRZm6MRua7I4BA5Ys2sz10_wibMaZKtSxy4hB3ShyphenhyphenGKe4hQScRPoy9pQiEbtb_yLRsd__G4I3bqpqe4Dbep-W_81JuTf15xd4ixg4dd4jJPC/s1600/WP_20160308_14_21_55_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0_LK5Af7rHhnRcx2xyDExrJyKHbti-S-jRZm6MRua7I4BA5Ys2sz10_wibMaZKtSxy4hB3ShyphenhyphenGKe4hQScRPoy9pQiEbtb_yLRsd__G4I3bqpqe4Dbep-W_81JuTf15xd4ixg4dd4jJPC/s200/WP_20160308_14_21_55_Pro.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the way to Pailon del Diablo</td></tr>
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as the bus made some small stops to pick people up along the way. From the terminal in Baños, we took a $1.50 taxi to get to our hotel, La Casa Verde, which was about 5 minutes. After our arrival, we were shown around the hotel by the receptionist (who spoke only Spanish), after which we freshened up a little and had him arrange a taxi to the Ruta de las casacadas (Waterfall route).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZdL7yLnZ09wQsLqbaLzuIZhssnE6ot1qi-coxQZvPJfPsYI4qXxzF_BH26FgfyRDwBnw5ep6mK6pDTPy7IVcsBHIhy5Nf3hi1rLfRw35V6DLZ2shw8-MVjYqvZ86H6AA0_keGAQEp3PV/s1600/WP_20160308_14_09_05_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZdL7yLnZ09wQsLqbaLzuIZhssnE6ot1qi-coxQZvPJfPsYI4qXxzF_BH26FgfyRDwBnw5ep6mK6pDTPy7IVcsBHIhy5Nf3hi1rLfRw35V6DLZ2shw8-MVjYqvZ86H6AA0_keGAQEp3PV/s200/WP_20160308_14_09_05_Pro.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Manto de la novia waterfall</td></tr>
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The route goes through two or three waterfalls, viz. Cascada de Agoyán, Manto de la Novia (Bride's Veil), where you can take a gondola ride across the gorge, with beautiful views in all directions.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifkHi9HKMSNKksGwWxXQX9fuYdytV0qQk2QSUMJLB-9u69t3Yop7zmZk-KkdmiUs3VpTIqPemPYnGbxHZ3C8Up0sTDskGhfpm6CvlNWO3fmvphHZhNllFSWkJOFnRD2FDOEbBRu132pb4I/s1600/WP_20160308_17_21_22_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifkHi9HKMSNKksGwWxXQX9fuYdytV0qQk2QSUMJLB-9u69t3Yop7zmZk-KkdmiUs3VpTIqPemPYnGbxHZ3C8Up0sTDskGhfpm6CvlNWO3fmvphHZhNllFSWkJOFnRD2FDOEbBRu132pb4I/s200/WP_20160308_17_21_22_Pro.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tungurahua spitting out ash</td></tr>
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The 'ruta' ends with the most magnificent waterfall of them all, El Pailon del Diablo (The Devil's cauldron). There is a suspension bridge near to the waterfall, from where the view is the most <br />
amazing. Owing to the fact that the whole area is somewhat humid but in a pleasant way, you might get drenched.<br />
There are two routes to get there a longer one that takes you behind the waterfall, and a shorter one that takes you above the waterfall, but you can still walk to the waterfall.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_3qyefo1BPZWFR8w066etvhx_k8dcmr3MEy9RqryqY53KyIlTbtJZIFiA3W2UT_eyNrlhIZeHLOKFBy_pxWTNPI3uEXgm30V3HOuSe2gb47zeSlA2myr5wSfwMtq9JdaYO676u3b25xoV/s1600/WP_20160309_11_18_27_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_3qyefo1BPZWFR8w066etvhx_k8dcmr3MEy9RqryqY53KyIlTbtJZIFiA3W2UT_eyNrlhIZeHLOKFBy_pxWTNPI3uEXgm30V3HOuSe2gb47zeSlA2myr5wSfwMtq9JdaYO676u3b25xoV/s200/WP_20160309_11_18_27_Pro.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dugout canoe ride inside the Amazon! </td></tr>
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<b>Day 4 (Puyo, Amazonas): </b>We had pre-booked a day in the Amazon rainforest, with a local guide, Oswaldo, through our <a href="http://www.lacasaverde.com.ec/" target="_blank">hotel</a> in Baños. We were picked up at 8:30 a.m, were off to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puyo,_Pastaza" target="_blank">Puyo</a>, which is known as the "Gateway to Amazon", and is the last real town before you hit the dense rain forest. On our way, Oswaldo explained how the modern tunnels have eased the travel between for the indigenous people, and have led to a betterment in their quality of life, since having access to Baños town. On the flip side, the tunnel construction has caused a negative impact on the mountains and the environment.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitfBkYVgJw6TaqpqDIHeoqtX3wrGnGRrFbrmrris8iVuu9pNtT_8348mm_pdjCnwcOjAEDh4nKG1s3L2ZSryl6Az7pZbyiEITp5wQ5Qt_wHEOfaoxgLvGjcHQnesf0oHcTab1gnTtgpXDv/s1600/WP_20160309_13_17_44_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitfBkYVgJw6TaqpqDIHeoqtX3wrGnGRrFbrmrris8iVuu9pNtT_8348mm_pdjCnwcOjAEDh4nKG1s3L2ZSryl6Az7pZbyiEITp5wQ5Qt_wHEOfaoxgLvGjcHQnesf0oHcTab1gnTtgpXDv/s200/WP_20160309_13_17_44_Pro.jpg" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hola vida watefall</td></tr>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/OGqiJj6NDvE/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="166" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OGqiJj6NDvE?feature=player_embedded" style="clear: right; float: right;" width="220"></iframe>Oswaldo even took us through one of the earlier scenic, but bumpy and narrow, dirt roads before the tunnels were built to show us how the travel would have been some years back. A few miles later, we stopped in an local small town for some eggs and coffee. Later, we continued our decent towards Puyo, encountering some<br />
tiny towns like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shell_Mera" target="_blank">Shell</a>, named after the oil company, who did some digging here back in the day.<br />
Petroleum is an important export for Ecuador, but a dip in the oil prices have had a negative impact on the country's economy and an increase in local taxes.<br />
After a few minutes we stopped by a place which had some of the biggest fish I've seen. The above video shows our guide feeding them little fish nuggets. Fortunately, these giants don't have teeth, hence they do not pose any threat to humans.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfCvd-RfCQZeWe7PpJUInn4WBhzt1toEo9G-RSP6P1zjuW3wS0fpfZj6scQFJedWhrFrCertm_Z2UWpLa6rD8TYS1U0csdE3Drt_PeWU4Gmf8eDt2PAw-_mXiWRKLTAz8xynEmUZCt1oL-/s1600/WP_20160309_12_51_09_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfCvd-RfCQZeWe7PpJUInn4WBhzt1toEo9G-RSP6P1zjuW3wS0fpfZj6scQFJedWhrFrCertm_Z2UWpLa6rD8TYS1U0csdE3Drt_PeWU4Gmf8eDt2PAw-_mXiWRKLTAz8xynEmUZCt1oL-/s200/WP_20160309_12_51_09_Pro.jpg" width="200" /></a>Next, we stopped for dugout canoe ride in the river Puyo, inside the Amazon! The half an hour ride with the river's current was a wonderful, memorable experience.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhBs5vECiqBZa1s2KjoWFa2zZD7a4ocQDOCEqkjCCr1o6KgbjV7j-dyrgoTCnxawhIqhBO2YoxA05krGuoL94mzoaJwb8vZU5DV-GUBmQR1wg_2DoHa36g319MmKKZG8JFRKXGOEH8yCOA/s1600/WP_20160309_14_28_36_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhBs5vECiqBZa1s2KjoWFa2zZD7a4ocQDOCEqkjCCr1o6KgbjV7j-dyrgoTCnxawhIqhBO2YoxA05krGuoL94mzoaJwb8vZU5DV-GUBmQR1wg_2DoHa36g319MmKKZG8JFRKXGOEH8yCOA/s200/WP_20160309_14_28_36_Pro.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maeto: Lunch in the Amazon!</td></tr>
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We finally headed to the dense forest, where Oswaldo gave us gumboots (botas in Spanish), for our forest hike. We hiked inside the forest for about an hour, through streams, dense forest and mushy lands. It was a never before experienced, thrilling experience! We finally reached our destination the hola vida waterfall. After spending about half an hour at the fall, we returned on our way back to the refuge, and then heading on our way to lunch at a local lady's restaurant. The lunch was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilapia" target="_blank">Tilapia</a>, baked in banana leaf with a little salt added to taste, along with banana cakes and salad on the side. The Tilapia flavors come from the banana leaf and there is aren't any other spices added.<br />
After lunch, we relaxed for a little bit and headed back to Baños, but stopped by at an indigenous village for short time. The village people here lead a simple lifestyle, making some pottery and handicrafts for a living. Their staple food, is plantains and other fruits that are easily obtained near by. After sometime we headed back, picking up dinner on the way, since we were too tired to head back out after the day we had had. By the time we reached the hotel, it was 6 in the evening.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDlNZCoUmQpb5JjBVD-p39q4V5NsRggFSypL0XgN5zB5w1-BdhUJ4aKTVy_eBEo-7E6xbW3hkw8FoAwcfjbjExeGdGNSNXhTDhEFS0XwOAF6esFZ0GM5lNCVjjb02wTEOfJFyQWansTbqV/s1600/WP_20160310_10_39_44_Panorama+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="58" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDlNZCoUmQpb5JjBVD-p39q4V5NsRggFSypL0XgN5zB5w1-BdhUJ4aKTVy_eBEo-7E6xbW3hkw8FoAwcfjbjExeGdGNSNXhTDhEFS0XwOAF6esFZ0GM5lNCVjjb02wTEOfJFyQWansTbqV/s200/WP_20160310_10_39_44_Panorama+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the tree house</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLTVimsoqzusW85gaGffHJufiiZwIZx2-Nx2ihyphenhyphen8XrZPqo4vf_a70ndZkVA2D_t-xysjJzt3cc0omuqHnKhhI5mb77X_IijKM2jPJLkIwzjlHR8MVcWoByYI7Mdbn0l7676g_X-FBSerta/s1600/WP_20160310_11_02_44_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLTVimsoqzusW85gaGffHJufiiZwIZx2-Nx2ihyphenhyphen8XrZPqo4vf_a70ndZkVA2D_t-xysjJzt3cc0omuqHnKhhI5mb77X_IijKM2jPJLkIwzjlHR8MVcWoByYI7Mdbn0l7676g_X-FBSerta/s200/WP_20160310_11_02_44_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The swing at La casa del arbol</td></tr>
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<b>Day 5 (La casa del arbol, Baños): </b>Before heading back to Quito, we had our taxi driver take us to <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g312857-d5221104-Reviews-Casa_Del_Arbol-Banos_Tungurahua_Province.html" target="_blank">La casa del arbol</a> (Tree house), which is famous for it's swing. La Casa del Arbol is simply a small house built in a tree used for observing Mt. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tungurahua" target="_blank">Tungurahua</a>, the active volcano in the near distance. The crude swing hanging from one of the tree's branches has no harness, net, or any other safety feature. Adventurous visitors are welcome to take a ride on the swinging seat, with nothing but a fabric belt to hold you in place. The actual swing is not over a cliff, but over a steep hill. After our little adventure, we took the taxi back to Quito along the scenic mountainous terrain, stopping on the way for some lunch and sugarcane juice (yum!).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVzYkMnRjncTf7ietVq_cBZbOH0u4DPYQf6AQd-RZ45GiaWbl2tYT_2hyphenhyphenPynCnMc4lCZZFJWkkqii8YV_Ek2kYq_BHcYYOgvxJDuHSrtFXCUqqDbade-2rLe_1Z_OjIxEn6bfHUXglIobK/s1600/WP_20160311_10_35_42_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVzYkMnRjncTf7ietVq_cBZbOH0u4DPYQf6AQd-RZ45GiaWbl2tYT_2hyphenhyphenPynCnMc4lCZZFJWkkqii8YV_Ek2kYq_BHcYYOgvxJDuHSrtFXCUqqDbade-2rLe_1Z_OjIxEn6bfHUXglIobK/s200/WP_20160311_10_35_42_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the top of the monument</td></tr>
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<b>Day 6 (La Mitad del mundo, Quito): </b>The name "Ecuador" is actually Spanish for the word Equator, and that's exactly where we headed on our last day in the wonderful country. The city named "Mitad del Mundo" or the "Middle of the world", is about a 30 minute taxi ride away from Old Quito. The equatorial monument has been built here by the government of Ecuador to signify the exact location of the Equator. Although, the GPS claims the location is a few feet away. In reality the Equator is a 5 km line that goes through the middle of the earth. The monument may not be the actual equatorial line, but the it's an important tourist attraction, generating a large yearly revenue for the government. The entry fee is $7.50 and it gets you access inside the park, the museum (which is inside the monument) and the planetarium.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUeXeLcNy4JXYwqMuN0CZywE4mDgdeyxgoqZ8ctwhBW0rZtbf3-9YgFJuX_YvKLyPiWmlSoRdhSRmTN-4sM05e3LoE9qNlzk_LCmDmL5jeeaagFb4LvWcu2lGsy7I3EUB03X7zNeZXMtkF/s1600/WP_20160311_12_27_28_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUeXeLcNy4JXYwqMuN0CZywE4mDgdeyxgoqZ8ctwhBW0rZtbf3-9YgFJuX_YvKLyPiWmlSoRdhSRmTN-4sM05e3LoE9qNlzk_LCmDmL5jeeaagFb4LvWcu2lGsy7I3EUB03X7zNeZXMtkF/s200/WP_20160311_12_27_28_Pro+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The equatorial monument</td></tr>
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Inside the museum you can view various facts and experiments about the physics of beings at the equator and about the earth's axes in general.<br />
The monument is also surrounded by restaurants, which gives it a little commercial feel. The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_of_South_American_Nations" target="_blank">UNASUR</a> (Union of South American Nations) headquarters is located just next to the monument.<br />
There're also several art museums honoring the French expedition that came here to learn about the equator.<br />
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This brought to an end a wonderful week, in the most geographically diverse country I've been to. It's hard to believe that after spending about a week in the country, which is smaller than Kansas, we'd only explored about one-fourth of the attractions. I urge you explore this beautiful country, including the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gal%C3%A1pagos_Islands" target="_blank">Galapagos islands</a>, if you have time. It really is a life changing experience!<br />
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<b>What businesses did we use?</b><br />
<b>Hotel</b>: <a href="http://www.carpedm.ca/casa-carpedm-our-new-guesthouse/" target="_blank">Casa CarpeDM</a> (Quito) and <a href="http://www.lacasaverde.com.ec/" target="_blank">La casa verde</a> (Baños)<br />
<b>Tours</b>: <a href="http://freewalkingtourecuador.com/" target="_blank">Quito free walking tour</a> ($50 private tour), <a href="http://www.carpedm.ca/cotapaxi-1-day-2/" target="_blank">CarpeDM adventures for Cotopaxi tour</a> and Oswaldo, a private guide hired through <a href="http://www.lacasaverde.com.ec/" target="_blank">La Casa Verde</a> for the Amazon jungle day trip.<br />
<b>Travel</b>: United Airlines and San Francisco Bus for Quito to Baños one way trip</div>
Mohit Samanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11921125793502265689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676617735394521442.post-51990535024068985232016-02-03T16:43:00.000-08:002020-06-09T10:34:11.488-07:00Canada tourist VISA for Indian citizens in USA<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I recently applied and got a multiple-entry 10 year tourist VISA </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">to Canada and below is my experience through the entire process.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The document submission process is almost entirely online and can be done by creating an account on their <a href="http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/e-services/mycic.asp" target="_blank">website</a>. </span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwrncU__QE0IjDc7DbWMEI0NsX3SiktLLiKl2bBtnEe68qpMskrwwDo1C6sROHDX_98kYSTeLuzGtmk1WnAuk1E9vo41Pr3iO2V8iVBWwMf4yrY4f_ZoqQPKpeKi1u5mqV-qYLTh9AuHqm/s1600/can.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="747" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwrncU__QE0IjDc7DbWMEI0NsX3SiktLLiKl2bBtnEe68qpMskrwwDo1C6sROHDX_98kYSTeLuzGtmk1WnAuk1E9vo41Pr3iO2V8iVBWwMf4yrY4f_ZoqQPKpeKi1u5mqV-qYLTh9AuHqm/s200/can.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Canada Tourist VISA</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">However, before you create an account, you need to <a href="http://www.cic.gc.ca/ctc-vac/getting-started.asp" target="_blank">check your eligibility</a> for an online application, and get a unique confirmation code that you will need, when creating the application.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Please note, <b>the maximum validity of the VISA can only be until the passport expiry date</b>.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once you get the key and <a href="http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/e-services/mycic.asp" target="_blank">create the account</a> you can start filing out the form based off the application.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The <b>list of documents</b> I submitted online are as follows:</span><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1) Current Passport Scan</span><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2) </span><a class="eapp-popover-container" href="http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/forms/IMM5257E.PDF" target="_blank">Application for Visitor Visa</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3) Invitation letter from my friend with his passport and Canadian PR card scans.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">4) </span><span style="line-height: 23px;">Proof of Means of Financial Support</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 23px;"> (Bank statements, pay stubs etc.)</span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_QkwGoz6kZRcZqvpYlrK7QyFzTbKkqa4LwGBoH14l3e4tZJu3Ua1BktBeeYVnVpLPBZgBchTYE_rC2eneYirjbbVUeh3fQqiBgV1ezvqcmw8btRu0m0ls9KoDH1-gA9rmfvMoDNgCseQp/s1600/Cover_Letter.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_QkwGoz6kZRcZqvpYlrK7QyFzTbKkqa4LwGBoH14l3e4tZJu3Ua1BktBeeYVnVpLPBZgBchTYE_rC2eneYirjbbVUeh3fQqiBgV1ezvqcmw8btRu0m0ls9KoDH1-gA9rmfvMoDNgCseQp/s200/Cover_Letter.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My cover letter</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 23px;">5) Cover Letter</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 23px;">6) </span></span><span style="line-height: 23px;">Digital photo</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 23px;">7) Travel History (Previous Passport scan)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 23px;">8) <a href="http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/forms/IMM5645E.PDF" target="_blank">Family Information</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 23px;">9) <a href="http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/forms/IMM5257B_1.PDF" target="_blank">Application addendum</a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 23px;"></span></span><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 23px;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 23px;">After submitting the application, you're provided with a unique applicant ID and an application number. You can monitor the progress of the application by logging in to your CIC account. Once the processing is completed by CIC, you will find a PDF letter in your CIC account online, asking for your passport to be sent to the Canadian consulate.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 23px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 23px;">Now this is the tricky part, as the <a href="https://www.csc-cvac.com/en-us/selfservice/cvac_application_processing" target="_blank">New York consulate website</a> is very confusing as to what are the next steps. There's another $31.99 </span></span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 23px;">fee</span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 23px;"> </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 23px;">(at the time of this writing) that needs to be paid to the VAC via Money order or cashier's check. This fee needs to be sent to a lock-box in Philadelphia, PA and a copy (as a confirmation) of the money order needs to be sent to the New York VAC processing center.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i style="line-height: 23px;">PS</i><span style="line-height: 23px;">:</span><i><span style="line-height: 23px;"> If you're sending your Passport to the LA consulate, there's a lock-box in Salt lake city, UT that you need to send the $31.99 fee to.</span></i></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 23px;"></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 23px;"></span></span></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="line-height: 23px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Here are the documents that need to be mailed in:</b></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 23px;"><b>A</b>) $31.99 money order/cashier's check to the below address. </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 16.8px; text-align: justify;">(Name with pencil written on the back)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 16.8px; text-align: justify;">CSC Consular Services Inc</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 16.8px; text-align: justify;">Lockbox 3352</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 16.8px; text-align: justify;">PO Box 8500</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 16.8px; text-align: justify;">Philadelphia, PA 19178-3352</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span>
</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16.8px; text-align: justify;">B</b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 16.8px; text-align: justify;">) 1. 2 signed copies of VAC consent form</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 16.8px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2. Copy of the $31.99 money order/cashier's check </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 16.8px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3. Original current India passport</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 16.8px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">4. UPS return shipping label</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 16.8px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 16.8px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 16.8px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Above documents mailed to:</span></span><br />
<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 16.8px;">Visa Application Centre – New York</span></span><br />
<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 16.8px;">290 Madison Ave, 2nd floor</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">New York, NY 10017</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here is the entire timeline for my application process:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>January 18th</b>: Online application submitted in <a href="http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/e-services/mycic.asp">CIC</a>, received an application # and an applicant #</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In CIC: "Application Status" was "Open" and "Final Decision" was "Not Started".</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>January 20th</b>: Letter asking for Passport submission in CIC</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>January 25th</b>: Passport reached New York CSC</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span>
</span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At this point, I received another tracking # from NY CSC and the below statuses started showing on their <a href="https://www.csc-cvac.com/en-us/selfservice/status" target="_blank">tracking website</a>.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>January 26th</b>: Passport in Transit to the Visa Office</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>January 27th</b>: Passport Received by the Visa Office - Under Consideration</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>January 28th</b>: In CIC: "Application Status" Changed to "Closed" and "Final Decision" to "Approved".</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>January 29th</b>: Application Processing Completed - In Transit to the VAC</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>February 1st</b>: </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Application Processing Completed - In Transit to the Applicant from the VAC</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After this my UPS tracking status was updated and I received my Passport in hand with the VISA stamp about 2 days after the last status.</span></span></div>
</div>
Mohit Samanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11921125793502265689noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676617735394521442.post-18205308242681764172016-01-23T15:09:00.001-08:002016-01-23T15:09:44.066-08:00A look at Architecture: Delhi and Agra<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="text-align: left;">During my recent trip to India, in November last year, I visited New Delhi and Agra for 4 days with my parents. The city that has been the capital of several empires throughout it's </span>500 odd years' history in the subcontinent, Delhi had been on my travel list for a long time. Below are some of my photos from the trip.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_z7ggwfF0JQTz-4I0ZW_6n_byqvQ_ibHDAiIbBkH_-q311ERizNJRXR48X6TyHkWHr9XQeaGYG2-WtJeA44gRuIM6VY8NrzPTTXI8W2e1wre4OK7uwjcnTtQMSiDnBiqWU_8tMnkxVC6/s1600/WP_20151130_048+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_z7ggwfF0JQTz-4I0ZW_6n_byqvQ_ibHDAiIbBkH_-q311ERizNJRXR48X6TyHkWHr9XQeaGYG2-WtJeA44gRuIM6VY8NrzPTTXI8W2e1wre4OK7uwjcnTtQMSiDnBiqWU_8tMnkxVC6/s320/WP_20151130_048+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Entering the Taj<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioRZA_VBidpVzgFOP-Gwedzd3vqnOBCBy2elzA8Ne6OMBK62f3k-PVmiK_uzOtWKBfoHcOJS6m1Y_j4uHMs3YhYH5F-POZNTFrPe5XmGTw9JYCzIX2PEFF3vMzDl5jRo0FnR5SfHUA73X7/s1600/IMG_2306.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioRZA_VBidpVzgFOP-Gwedzd3vqnOBCBy2elzA8Ne6OMBK62f3k-PVmiK_uzOtWKBfoHcOJS6m1Y_j4uHMs3YhYH5F-POZNTFrPe5XmGTw9JYCzIX2PEFF3vMzDl5jRo0FnR5SfHUA73X7/s320/IMG_2306.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrance to the Taj</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS0w3W4-nW0o_QbfVWdRRMts2SOnxWSEDhwlruygzrQpM3Voi28n0TSWu40j14FfpTvbRBZ_FseYkUcwWiCPsbciIomSewViWtZsdx4URzbfSsrHOH6XWUSUISq39ADp9HSbK__s_RZLdQ/s1600/IMG_2285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS0w3W4-nW0o_QbfVWdRRMts2SOnxWSEDhwlruygzrQpM3Voi28n0TSWu40j14FfpTvbRBZ_FseYkUcwWiCPsbciIomSewViWtZsdx4URzbfSsrHOH6XWUSUISq39ADp9HSbK__s_RZLdQ/s1600/IMG_2285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGcmQYE7pk_5mNQ0nWPZxElfMaffioIWLTqIT2UHilwImJnLh1SJdwth-mpheU4buJ5_xJThbq0BZYuYY5XfO8PJXwYiSafQ9yk1WITmtHHYpBn5KE2FMxMkEmcNfn0GqvKJW3-AQo0rM/s1600/12308222_10154420947331393_2388582656583070971_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGcmQYE7pk_5mNQ0nWPZxElfMaffioIWLTqIT2UHilwImJnLh1SJdwth-mpheU4buJ5_xJThbq0BZYuYY5XfO8PJXwYiSafQ9yk1WITmtHHYpBn5KE2FMxMkEmcNfn0GqvKJW3-AQo0rM/s320/12308222_10154420947331393_2388582656583070971_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Taj</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8uNgBQX1Lo1yS3A9L5Q_7yBcnT9MFBVRfg_l67iueTtuVsY2Crl53jnwIhNyeMpvswV4b7y8VqzS9JDpgl23dm89yzUZqZWkTs5vqaoZDRf_SJo_krq2ZA-u6ob4tvRNsILUophDH9OfM/s1600/WP_20151130_098+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8uNgBQX1Lo1yS3A9L5Q_7yBcnT9MFBVRfg_l67iueTtuVsY2Crl53jnwIhNyeMpvswV4b7y8VqzS9JDpgl23dm89yzUZqZWkTs5vqaoZDRf_SJo_krq2ZA-u6ob4tvRNsILUophDH9OfM/s320/WP_20151130_098+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">The Taj Mahal<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJv72Wa6jwpdusd0qh_O50tAW4ist0KOd-91Kr9uA9qqKHpF6-MoJxbbd1uoEnc4r7c0Gs28FXJ6UGWDjaKLrCukq9hWgqZORwdWJLS7jVR9b3VsYxCzBHRZTenlfxKd6mhQiBRKJOh1kd/s1600/WP_20151128_037+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJv72Wa6jwpdusd0qh_O50tAW4ist0KOd-91Kr9uA9qqKHpF6-MoJxbbd1uoEnc4r7c0Gs28FXJ6UGWDjaKLrCukq9hWgqZORwdWJLS7jVR9b3VsYxCzBHRZTenlfxKd6mhQiBRKJOh1kd/s320/WP_20151128_037+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Qutub minar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYP6HVWJW6CoR2qzDQaMPIUMTf1ZUhErl86gG2WO1Ot47e0iCjzEncYGIQVKLHhqTy7NkeFqQSZM0eMH6Z4sOos0Bhcw9UFwy8DhnEnXXUY8JsO5-Hcmy9gx7xGWbQGLcU41anhL0xtbm_/s1600/WP_20151127_011+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYP6HVWJW6CoR2qzDQaMPIUMTf1ZUhErl86gG2WO1Ot47e0iCjzEncYGIQVKLHhqTy7NkeFqQSZM0eMH6Z4sOos0Bhcw9UFwy8DhnEnXXUY8JsO5-Hcmy9gx7xGWbQGLcU41anhL0xtbm_/s320/WP_20151127_011+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Bahai faith - Lotus Temple</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQLjeWHrUko8ny4vGV88uU4Tkv0weyCSznmtQxt2um68mqwdKz_2EsbjsiwPX9_bdB1Qruq5Mtu62jTbRMuWxsTaKhedL2VaU9OwySmgPNuM_bUQXMNVpOV2HEPhSj4cVqp1u2-ZS2YksJ/s1600/WP_20151126_005+%25283%2529+%2528%2529+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQLjeWHrUko8ny4vGV88uU4Tkv0weyCSznmtQxt2um68mqwdKz_2EsbjsiwPX9_bdB1Qruq5Mtu62jTbRMuWxsTaKhedL2VaU9OwySmgPNuM_bUQXMNVpOV2HEPhSj4cVqp1u2-ZS2YksJ/s320/WP_20151126_005+%25283%2529+%2528%2529+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Fort</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSTYGxU3C0mhszpCs3uEP4QfxQk6tEv_FpWEAUwvVGEWBUigGAA32LLaMCS4_HcNlSg7AC53enFFtMt3g8sT8nZo5Inmvk_EeaWoxEWdu_4pLS5VdMn_Dzm9UvC5tn13HiBYbEFiESkmT7/s1600/WP_20151127_015+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSTYGxU3C0mhszpCs3uEP4QfxQk6tEv_FpWEAUwvVGEWBUigGAA32LLaMCS4_HcNlSg7AC53enFFtMt3g8sT8nZo5Inmvk_EeaWoxEWdu_4pLS5VdMn_Dzm9UvC5tn13HiBYbEFiESkmT7/s320/WP_20151127_015+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bahai faith - Lotus Temple</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidrdLIm7mocriRVCL4iUPk8q2PtI5PLKK5WTroTHDJT7Mj9JGW-jO3ZfOCdF7bG6LbPgECILFaehcSON4bClvDLdsAXR1q3C3uxVC8xsx_9XOOcmIyDEe19R-aVKPIXZQPXkm6yfymaDDy/s1600/WP_20151128_007+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidrdLIm7mocriRVCL4iUPk8q2PtI5PLKK5WTroTHDJT7Mj9JGW-jO3ZfOCdF7bG6LbPgECILFaehcSON4bClvDLdsAXR1q3C3uxVC8xsx_9XOOcmIyDEe19R-aVKPIXZQPXkm6yfymaDDy/s320/WP_20151128_007+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">India Gate</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGVXvqdwXMLXYXpuAx36s3cbSj3UMuaAWrjLpdZ2Aj1pKzAYLEmEUOgllA5bgXZbJe7MblBQXSCF9Q1XN3rBEdboeAFqYWKpEz0TiobGqWpD5Agvlm21LVBeReSI1A6g4W5ZCf6flyS5cu/s1600/WP_20151128_025+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGVXvqdwXMLXYXpuAx36s3cbSj3UMuaAWrjLpdZ2Aj1pKzAYLEmEUOgllA5bgXZbJe7MblBQXSCF9Q1XN3rBEdboeAFqYWKpEz0TiobGqWpD5Agvlm21LVBeReSI1A6g4W5ZCf6flyS5cu/s320/WP_20151128_025+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rashtrapati Bhavan - Facade</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPSIN3DzOGhXeBIhrbKYQjSoClL_DU1hsRBIXrrckh5POSCAe4C0j96f8j1gTut9hXMXYlh7ipz-KolXmvaO_nOxcD5SEUYq2PIDRLIXi6hUBMcruvLRtqAW__KQLHdc-jNYOMyi6I7f1/s1600/WP_20151128_028+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPSIN3DzOGhXeBIhrbKYQjSoClL_DU1hsRBIXrrckh5POSCAe4C0j96f8j1gTut9hXMXYlh7ipz-KolXmvaO_nOxcD5SEUYq2PIDRLIXi6hUBMcruvLRtqAW__KQLHdc-jNYOMyi6I7f1/s320/WP_20151128_028+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Rashtrapati Bhavan - Front yard</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjURUcOZS3c99S11TnBZe2U5UeR3XtdjsgCEist1jcFHoMXW-YFoIkCGB1EZrSPFLWvzQBEv_7-kpWyf6ccZCEyH1HvHM81sD4-Z8UVfKzF9uE-0udzTcPu-mJ-q22NQM0Fy0-aScKOPdjq/s1600/WP_20151129_011+%25283%2529+%2528%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjURUcOZS3c99S11TnBZe2U5UeR3XtdjsgCEist1jcFHoMXW-YFoIkCGB1EZrSPFLWvzQBEv_7-kpWyf6ccZCEyH1HvHM81sD4-Z8UVfKzF9uE-0udzTcPu-mJ-q22NQM0Fy0-aScKOPdjq/s320/WP_20151129_011+%25283%2529+%2528%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jama Masjid</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilTF0bsZIP9Uybv6Qlp_rZ9QasFM2WgKkRfpccnTRVQjN6LKqOoBkgOMM5MaOWTumx_HSbMusfBJ3m2OdFHGVzFL7z71I2CDl655kc-qFWPEzNj__AxjiPZ0uexaGSLngadylROKmB_6IX/s1600/WP_20151129_018+%25283%2529+%2528%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilTF0bsZIP9Uybv6Qlp_rZ9QasFM2WgKkRfpccnTRVQjN6LKqOoBkgOMM5MaOWTumx_HSbMusfBJ3m2OdFHGVzFL7z71I2CDl655kc-qFWPEzNj__AxjiPZ0uexaGSLngadylROKmB_6IX/s320/WP_20151129_018+%25283%2529+%2528%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the minaret -<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Jama Masjid</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiizUvFw2H6ZvSON96B17IjlMKIajQMN7LK2j3SYWR7h02ck_8pQpaoi50na2thtmU6kwyiyO4dmF6b_cSZB2Vw4Xc-zkTtJusrkXeGbIKa_IbmYdKmQrQQ4ZdVMfeTAGufyi6yTDCHIenj/s1600/WP_20151129_021+%25283%2529+%2528%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiizUvFw2H6ZvSON96B17IjlMKIajQMN7LK2j3SYWR7h02ck_8pQpaoi50na2thtmU6kwyiyO4dmF6b_cSZB2Vw4Xc-zkTtJusrkXeGbIKa_IbmYdKmQrQQ4ZdVMfeTAGufyi6yTDCHIenj/s320/WP_20151129_021+%25283%2529+%2528%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">View from the minaret -</span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Jama Masjid</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMbz8Cq4CtFCuoxwP65ToM3IxTDjndlSKKYCLxFvCu7WNMDUDy6mxiP4bWKWiz4O8sNFLN0-YIn7djUPw0EvUwLThhsuww4ZNh9D8SITsKYH89BMDy5xg3PG_tNs_yfO_pap3RpbnM9t0/s1600/WP_20151130_002+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMbz8Cq4CtFCuoxwP65ToM3IxTDjndlSKKYCLxFvCu7WNMDUDy6mxiP4bWKWiz4O8sNFLN0-YIn7djUPw0EvUwLThhsuww4ZNh9D8SITsKYH89BMDy5xg3PG_tNs_yfO_pap3RpbnM9t0/s320/WP_20151130_002+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Agra Fort</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC8f6d7cYHTpJh0WbDvSr2ImyOay3wYVgtN0jdYeOsE-Bh9kQ8gQ_x0os0goV1nbboI4PFmSoXFGOLLx__kNBJFeeTskXFrdWGRvnjSqfxeV1IviTdm652v4WVPKV-XYx3ulexmwS9kM6u/s1600/WP_20151130_035+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC8f6d7cYHTpJh0WbDvSr2ImyOay3wYVgtN0jdYeOsE-Bh9kQ8gQ_x0os0goV1nbboI4PFmSoXFGOLLx__kNBJFeeTskXFrdWGRvnjSqfxeV1IviTdm652v4WVPKV-XYx3ulexmwS9kM6u/s320/WP_20151130_035+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lawns inside the Agra Fort</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-xI-qsKfNw4TNnh9zTAaR7aAaP1DfqqFKILvpcvpVWGAOL5eHJh1OXkH-3AxAZ1aslf8EyIru8xlXTdwfS7yJOmUy4JGb9jGqWRhcHaeeQLJjlGsVzVSK_ikaHix8luprqCfro4BAXFE_/s1600/IMG_2273.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-xI-qsKfNw4TNnh9zTAaR7aAaP1DfqqFKILvpcvpVWGAOL5eHJh1OXkH-3AxAZ1aslf8EyIru8xlXTdwfS7yJOmUy4JGb9jGqWRhcHaeeQLJjlGsVzVSK_ikaHix8luprqCfro4BAXFE_/s320/IMG_2273.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Sheeh mahal - Agra fort<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcSL3sEBpL3utKNPaBAsIhR39DG_lxLgg5_R-WSRTNrIL7RDUksFnM1O6KRFbckcSMYGGODJheZCYghpoSNixFtkG2QHQuhTkruC_y9DlOAoHS-9aQU4YkSmej4rGFsKvMZB2kvxtPm2tX/s1600/IMG_2270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcSL3sEBpL3utKNPaBAsIhR39DG_lxLgg5_R-WSRTNrIL7RDUksFnM1O6KRFbckcSMYGGODJheZCYghpoSNixFtkG2QHQuhTkruC_y9DlOAoHS-9aQU4YkSmej4rGFsKvMZB2kvxtPm2tX/s320/IMG_2270.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Painting inside the Sheel Mahal - Agra Fort</td></tr>
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Mohit Samanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11921125793502265689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676617735394521442.post-80130483671649318952016-01-04T12:49:00.000-08:002016-12-28T10:17:22.068-08:00By the Blue Waters of Los Cabos<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioVq_nEv9NiPn8OpgR8TxJECafxW4PWHQDt19RvzGYLv6M-ymVrALj4-HCa4PAaCH8I_qXdyvNPXE4iQd0dcJnd_-WCuhjLe5u42NG-B1uV7ObCMkt-MpHP-k4PR8jUeQGEzX79E6giqZj/s1600/WP_20151225_020+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioVq_nEv9NiPn8OpgR8TxJECafxW4PWHQDt19RvzGYLv6M-ymVrALj4-HCa4PAaCH8I_qXdyvNPXE4iQd0dcJnd_-WCuhjLe5u42NG-B1uV7ObCMkt-MpHP-k4PR8jUeQGEzX79E6giqZj/s200/WP_20151225_020+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">El Arco de Cabo San Lucas (The Arch)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnqc15jiq-G05CIdi3JDcLVbD3phtN5_tlIPdtTOLqd0TIVACj-evQuEvcozS-613A7NFp0LHMyPtOpgZuGNyaDkfSvUD7sxbFTTxNweMJbZSjE6mHQFGJRZwJtODfx7-nYAlEzOon1qe9/s1600/IMG_2729.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnqc15jiq-G05CIdi3JDcLVbD3phtN5_tlIPdtTOLqd0TIVACj-evQuEvcozS-613A7NFp0LHMyPtOpgZuGNyaDkfSvUD7sxbFTTxNweMJbZSjE6mHQFGJRZwJtODfx7-nYAlEzOon1qe9/s200/IMG_2729.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playa del Amor</td></tr>
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My wife and I recently did a short trip to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Cabos_Municipality" target="_blank">Los Cabos</a> during Christmas last year. The land's end of twin cities of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Cabos_Municipality" target="_blank">Los Cabos</a> lies at the tip of the Mexican State of Baja California, surrounded by the Gulf of California (or the Sea of Cortez) on the east and the Pacific ocean on the west.<br />
The immigration in Mexico is usually very smooth, if you're coming as a tourist, and this was no exception. Although it took a little longer than usual, because of the holiday traffic.<br />
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<b>Day 1</b>: We had booked a pre-paid shared taxi using <a href="http://www.funloscabos.com/index.php?lang=english" target="_blank">Fun Los Cabos</a>, from the airport. They do the booking through a company called Trans Cabo but it's more expensive <br />
to book directly with them. The taxi picked us just outside the airport and since we were staying in San José del Cabo and not Cabo San Lucas, which is farther of the two sister cit<br />
ies, we were dropped first at our destination.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIQjmgUazpyNEkbSeRUMy24wZMtQtQlI1LlAOBF765rdVwffy2yaE3ggvmJoQRN4UIZXpt8QE0cdZbzWuyWNeWQHZoEh72waUphU1yZcTIU3xGgmiy4uFSTQHqIWZaNphkiedEQOIl8S_p/s1600/IMG_3077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIQjmgUazpyNEkbSeRUMy24wZMtQtQlI1LlAOBF765rdVwffy2yaE3ggvmJoQRN4UIZXpt8QE0cdZbzWuyWNeWQHZoEh72waUphU1yZcTIU3xGgmiy4uFSTQHqIWZaNphkiedEQOIl8S_p/s200/IMG_3077.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mission of <span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> San José </span><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Church</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCBjndQIcSvlt_Z1QDXxKtCYE7C2P0nH4W2woNcwHRl6ESc8pOt_R1lBTB-Q4HH1d7u4XhEd1a2JnIu4Nv3xw3ctn5G1rnAJc2bJGAhaVf0qx4QMaDD7VT9XgxsEiBkQC60E9cRWVh8MPa/s1600/IMG_3095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCBjndQIcSvlt_Z1QDXxKtCYE7C2P0nH4W2woNcwHRl6ESc8pOt_R1lBTB-Q4HH1d7u4XhEd1a2JnIu4Nv3xw3ctn5G1rnAJc2bJGAhaVf0qx4QMaDD7VT9XgxsEiBkQC60E9cRWVh8MPa/s200/IMG_3095.JPG" width="200" /></a>After dropping off our luggage, we went for a stroll towards Mega, which is a huge grocery store, to exchange money, as Banco Santander which has a no-fee tie up with Bank of America, has an ATM inside the store.<br />
From there we took the Urbano, which is the bus used by locals for transport within San José, to get to downtown San José, where the weekly <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g152516-d2371717-Reviews-Art_Walk-San_Jose_del_Cabo_Los_Cabos_Baja_California.html" target="_blank">art walks</a> happen every Thursday. The art walk is a weekly activity organized 16 artist organizations around the town. We explored the art work for the rest of the evening and headed back to the apartment after a light dinner.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDAzrp_Vv56kppmNC4_pwslhk7HSADrjTC6NcwEoQR9BZEvNIw7_Z1fwpdBWSATgdmhZ0RnnSR-uTWpivnXetZhJfUyfcQNLIjWl4gUXsRVJyFwTdzCaLceWXFlHx1YhiFYGibigYphFt/s1600/20151225_102813.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUDAzrp_Vv56kppmNC4_pwslhk7HSADrjTC6NcwEoQR9BZEvNIw7_Z1fwpdBWSATgdmhZ0RnnSR-uTWpivnXetZhJfUyfcQNLIjWl4gUXsRVJyFwTdzCaLceWXFlHx1YhiFYGibigYphFt/s200/20151225_102813.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whales Spotted!</td></tr>
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<b>Day 2</b>: We had booked a <a href="http://www.cabo-adventures.com/tours/whale-watching-photo-safari" target="_blank">Whale watching safari</a> as part of a package of <a href="https://www.cabo-adventures.com/special-offers/buy-2-tours-get-3rd-free">3 for 2 tours</a> offered by Cabo Adventures. We were driven by a van from their office in San José to their office in Cabo (from where most tours commence) early in the morning. After some initial guidelines and instructions from our boat captain, we hopped on to the boat, wearing our life jackets. The high speed boat made it's way past the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch_of_Cabo_San_Lucas" target="_blank">Arch</a>, and the other beaches and we were quickly in deeper waters for Whale watching. We almost immediately spotted a couple of humpback gray whales hanging out by the Sea of Cortez.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeCR8dflhuf4R-SSFtnwUXBnsKqnKHuQFHV1h_JnMYAi6HraGdwrsK04ye12m_3ydkLE_sRr7XCWnufwevqIxXKeBCFhLR7oGJo8wbvYLYmS7S6jdzxG2op4mmcUORbngLqU7cTmI64x6p/s1600/IMG_2899.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeCR8dflhuf4R-SSFtnwUXBnsKqnKHuQFHV1h_JnMYAi6HraGdwrsK04ye12m_3ydkLE_sRr7XCWnufwevqIxXKeBCFhLR7oGJo8wbvYLYmS7S6jdzxG2op4mmcUORbngLqU7cTmI64x6p/s200/IMG_2899.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset cruise</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The mothers usually bring their calves to nurse near the shallower (but still deep by human standards) waters, and many of them can be spotted when they come up to the surface to breathe some fresh air.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3rKIImm1NC7ke6ZjQ23pSjyz697_BLEXSAyurMF3M5fY5won1lfYAqP76JLxPfwZDcjjEn3LunitWjPye11fH1DgC4alEOws_PGbNMS9e10SY4_5HZFPfCMxa2PYeYQKIP3delZBK3QbY/s1600/IMG_2868.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3rKIImm1NC7ke6ZjQ23pSjyz697_BLEXSAyurMF3M5fY5won1lfYAqP76JLxPfwZDcjjEn3LunitWjPye11fH1DgC4alEOws_PGbNMS9e10SY4_5HZFPfCMxa2PYeYQKIP3delZBK3QbY/s200/IMG_2868.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset at the Arch</td></tr>
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After the tour, we went via a small boat to the near by beach, Playa del amor (Lover's beach), to relax.<br />
<br />
Evening, we did the sunset sailboat cruise, while catching some stunning views of the Arch during sunset and enjoying margaritas on the deck. We were also provided some delicious snacks during the two hour sailing.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh86kYaOi5PN0QXTH6MXfjIwcCTwNNpNT9WmGgRuKroBcYfu1lpYgxHd3SSLma4qB2BfCD4JkpgaCi3nPxyaLEhdvIp6yu9NouHIAL2_ZI14auE56wLzu38GvXOi0dAAJ04RRLDSTXLnnOT/s1600/GOPR3633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh86kYaOi5PN0QXTH6MXfjIwcCTwNNpNT9WmGgRuKroBcYfu1lpYgxHd3SSLma4qB2BfCD4JkpgaCi3nPxyaLEhdvIp6yu9NouHIAL2_ZI14auE56wLzu38GvXOi0dAAJ04RRLDSTXLnnOT/s200/GOPR3633.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fishes under water at Santa Maria</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR1uHiBdWV3P_Ie9xqsitie4lqbXQ4HuF7ZwUIJTpdOB3MYrsvqHbQRJeiccQfxGMhLKPUOS1V7lHHDDEhNAM1FiZQjXtsbzQdBR2NjkUOrcknSs8vC78P0coeJXBgSOOgspr_V0aad9ux/s1600/IMG_3046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR1uHiBdWV3P_Ie9xqsitie4lqbXQ4HuF7ZwUIJTpdOB3MYrsvqHbQRJeiccQfxGMhLKPUOS1V7lHHDDEhNAM1FiZQjXtsbzQdBR2NjkUOrcknSs8vC78P0coeJXBgSOOgspr_V0aad9ux/s200/IMG_3046.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The intersection near our apartment</td></tr>
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<b>Day 3</b>: This morning we had booked the Snorkeling tour, and like before, we were picked at the San José office and driven to Cabo Marina. We were then take via the speed boat to Santa Maria beach, were the water is a little warmer compared to others.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0wdA02V-Zxwx0KV-i7UvWbTLSfojLiKjy0jfkNQX_TMAh-nsT2XAXtGdBcSEeKZg5CBFGyhAr1wtkOn-RdFL61oEDtksxMeZEs7FvQUxuO9KjXD98Momw-S3KIu6Ke_VwWglfs1F9FrdN/s1600/IMG_0097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0wdA02V-Zxwx0KV-i7UvWbTLSfojLiKjy0jfkNQX_TMAh-nsT2XAXtGdBcSEeKZg5CBFGyhAr1wtkOn-RdFL61oEDtksxMeZEs7FvQUxuO9KjXD98Momw-S3KIu6Ke_VwWglfs1F9FrdN/s200/IMG_0097.JPG" width="200" /></a>We were given instructions along the way on how to wear the masks and life jackets while snorkeling. Since it was our first time, we were a bit nervous doing this exercise, but the guides were with us throughout and were really helpful. We saw some colorful fishes and underwater life during the almost one hour underwater. We were then driven back to the main office, from where we were given a ride back to San José.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTI6aRYy4MQ6LPenB2W9KJpQ8ADkD_lPo9bMcbifYKNcGV20Q7Qdd9wnsWlJmA98Aqckbm-0Ksm4lIWAppp8Fs1F-Wl2rhT5ZR5FoMHpW-wr13Zwx1s6cm5blOcMGJc87kIqxnQ7em2Qx/s1600/WP_20151226_023+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTI6aRYy4MQ6LPenB2W9KJpQ8ADkD_lPo9bMcbifYKNcGV20Q7Qdd9wnsWlJmA98Aqckbm-0Ksm4lIWAppp8Fs1F-Wl2rhT5ZR5FoMHpW-wr13Zwx1s6cm5blOcMGJc87kIqxnQ7em2Qx/s200/WP_20151226_023+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset in San José</td></tr>
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<br />
<b>Day 4</b>: This was the last day before we left back, and we wanted to reserve this day just for relaxation. We strolled the <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g152516-d584808-Reviews-San_Jose_s_Estuary_and_Bird_Sanctuary-San_Jose_del_Cabo_Los_Cabos_Baja_California.html" target="_blank">Estuary</a> near by, and the downtown in the morning and relaxed at the beach, opposite where we were staying, in the evening.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsbTv7BKmIDVeLweL89GqHYGIdWLqwx4j3pJITZjGW7TZ_K_DZvJZN2BNal7pWWttZknPLHwXSvNpg1C2PwybDsb-8__8UqjwEHsmQ4jwPWd9jG8pAKnW93zSOOa6HjDTmc3SjX9yJHSEk/s1600/IMG_0087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsbTv7BKmIDVeLweL89GqHYGIdWLqwx4j3pJITZjGW7TZ_K_DZvJZN2BNal7pWWttZknPLHwXSvNpg1C2PwybDsb-8__8UqjwEHsmQ4jwPWd9jG8pAKnW93zSOOa6HjDTmc3SjX9yJHSEk/s200/IMG_0087.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
<b>What businesses did we use?</b><br />
Hotel: <a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/4718981" target="_blank">Airbnb</a><br />
Tours: <a href="http://www.cabo-adventures.com/" target="_blank">Cabo-Adventures</a><br />
Airlines: American<br />
Airport transportation: <a href="http://www.funloscabos.com/index.php?lang=english" target="_blank">Fun Los Cabos</a></div>
Mohit Samanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11921125793502265689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676617735394521442.post-85031547007764111722015-12-15T13:08:00.001-08:002021-08-12T06:15:19.274-07:00Hello Hong Kong!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUC69xDAnxnhvlIQibsIYWTssQ9JV5TygTDjvH4xtCTH3g0KiK61tla_cNhhHosRTf4jm2IfSQbFAW92OsQvT58bLuSnxPgd8U8xKWZfQ-ZaVqUGzN6pbtokcwqQ9PZDXkb9w3t61uBnQc/s1600/IMG_2492.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUC69xDAnxnhvlIQibsIYWTssQ9JV5TygTDjvH4xtCTH3g0KiK61tla_cNhhHosRTf4jm2IfSQbFAW92OsQvT58bLuSnxPgd8U8xKWZfQ-ZaVqUGzN6pbtokcwqQ9PZDXkb9w3t61uBnQc/s200/IMG_2492.jpg" width="200" /></a>My wife and I recently did a 3 day stopover trip to Hong Kong on our way back to the US from India. A democratic special administrative region within communist China, Hong Kong is very different from the mainland. A former British colony, which is reflected in the fact that almost all signs in the city are tri or at least bilingual, the main language spoken here is Cantonese, unlike mainland China, where the primary spoken language is Mandarin Chinese.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJR3onhAVJRd2KyHeWs0oex_cw6govZMF02F-8Uz7ENHAfMnZ73aF_2iEx2OM1DNsmbI6NHQZoTzOFUPhQdbIYSZZWEF6UIHTkaJBNfwRzRcSvztCo1ayXk5fk0dmtMYBrqjUgjEknkFOX/s1600/IMG_2391.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJR3onhAVJRd2KyHeWs0oex_cw6govZMF02F-8Uz7ENHAfMnZ73aF_2iEx2OM1DNsmbI6NHQZoTzOFUPhQdbIYSZZWEF6UIHTkaJBNfwRzRcSvztCo1ayXk5fk0dmtMYBrqjUgjEknkFOX/s200/IMG_2391.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hong Kong from the Victoria harbor</td></tr>
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<br />
<b>Day 1</b>: We landed at around 7 am local time at the Hong Kong airport, after completing the immigration at the airport and exchanging a few USD for<br />
HKD, we met a relative of mine, who lives there and he took us to his place, as our hotel check-in was not until 2 pm and we needed a place to freshen up and store our luggage until check-in.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM7XcnoZ424lxd3jSaWRY2iiT2dLcZPAVuq9pcuHE3K6etGdjvZOkwuqrKukgwXaYtpASl1n3zn8MxJlMdN2ZndGDk1Tgx9KVNl3lwP5FepFmtZGmC7vCTfYYx_g8MFim54AaArpdwuMOD/s1600/IMG_2401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM7XcnoZ424lxd3jSaWRY2iiT2dLcZPAVuq9pcuHE3K6etGdjvZOkwuqrKukgwXaYtpASl1n3zn8MxJlMdN2ZndGDk1Tgx9KVNl3lwP5FepFmtZGmC7vCTfYYx_g8MFim54AaArpdwuMOD/s200/IMG_2401.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
We left our temporary abode and we were guided by my uncle to nearest station (i.e Kowloon) for our train to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tian_Tan_Buddha" target="_blank">Tian Tan Buddha</a>, commonly<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6d8KRyJxKAA1t0tkzrQs0deUA9V018yTi2tpVCeo16ibh4ZivaHseI-KHsHt_z0hT5IPzu7aJSNQo2azo_Jekn0ZgjNBWZuv6dvMvNH9Z0PtqdcED23xIi80sMJ-NjSQqtyok1Dbndpr4/s1600/WP_20151209_001+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6d8KRyJxKAA1t0tkzrQs0deUA9V018yTi2tpVCeo16ibh4ZivaHseI-KHsHt_z0hT5IPzu7aJSNQo2azo_Jekn0ZgjNBWZuv6dvMvNH9Z0PtqdcED23xIi80sMJ-NjSQqtyok1Dbndpr4/s200/WP_20151209_001+%25282%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The barely visible Buddha</td></tr>
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known as Big Buddha. It took us about an hour by train and then 20 minutes by the NP 360 cable car to get to the Ngong Ping village where the Buddha is located, however, unfortunately, due to the rainy and foggy weather, we could barely see the Buddha or the monastery in the small village. We returned back to our hotel late afternoon, a little disappointed.<br />
Evening, although it continued to rain steady, we decided to go ahead with our Hong Kong after dark tour, with our guide Danny. He showed us how the city landscape, including the markets, parks, intersection etc. look during night time. We felt it <br />
was a nice introduction to city. We ended the tour with a view of the skyline form a secret vantage point near the Victoria harbor. By that time, it had stopped raining and we were able to take some good photos of the views on offer.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/HK_Mid-Level_Escalators.jpg/800px-HK_Mid-Level_Escalators.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/HK_Mid-Level_Escalators.jpg/800px-HK_Mid-Level_Escalators.jpg" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The SoHo escalator </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRSz-CrbgFgrZtbnHuiekJWY2TqYBbPd3R6Fu9gI8_U1FzRw0v4bt3f-2jsVGBaczciHRikOvNiFHnRSMzkh5lYoNBIHtv_Oa8-iu-ascXQMcAqWKLyfsx6RIpEOdy_movZytnrXuZasJO/s1600/IMG_2424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRSz-CrbgFgrZtbnHuiekJWY2TqYBbPd3R6Fu9gI8_U1FzRw0v4bt3f-2jsVGBaczciHRikOvNiFHnRSMzkh5lYoNBIHtv_Oa8-iu-ascXQMcAqWKLyfsx6RIpEOdy_movZytnrXuZasJO/s200/IMG_2424.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Man Mo Tao temple</td></tr>
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<b>Day 2</b>: Next morning was a refreshing change from the dull and drab rainy day we had seen the day before. It was bright, albeit a little cloudy; but no rain, which was a welcome relief. We had booked the 10 a.m Old Vs New Hong tour with Danny through Urban adventures, and he promptly met us at the designated spot on the South Hong Kong island. Danny walked us through Hong Kong’s journey from traditional fishing harbor to international financial powerhouse, exploring the pathways of Hong Kong’s historical transformation through its multicultural neighborhoods. We first went through the Hollywood neighborhood (the name actually comes from the fact that the area had a lot of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holly" target="_blank">Holly trees</a> when it was discovered first by<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEGwJgSmePv19rGXI67v_kqTpKBPYFIBvzhIlDHgGWLXbnPsx_YGtBxDLQeHS-LGWVsM2hNWLNg8hXr2t5dJSE2C-x8VzBF6NE19HZFhdD-_ihSqT5f9COYPF3UtWMNu7xWXnBjqQDSSvD/s1600/IMG_2528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEGwJgSmePv19rGXI67v_kqTpKBPYFIBvzhIlDHgGWLXbnPsx_YGtBxDLQeHS-LGWVsM2hNWLNg8hXr2t5dJSE2C-x8VzBF6NE19HZFhdD-_ihSqT5f9COYPF3UtWMNu7xWXnBjqQDSSvD/s200/IMG_2528.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clock Tower</td></tr>
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the British), home to many of Hong Kong's elitists.<br />
<br />
Next stop was a a former black market turned open-air curio market, called Cat street. This is because, apparently in Cantonese, the thieves are called "rats", and those who buy from them are called "cats". Our next stop was the <a href="http://www.discoverhongkong.com/us/see-do/culture-heritage/historical-sites/colonial/pmq.jsp" target="_blank">PMQ</a>, which used to be the Queen’s College and Police Married Quarters before, and now is a hub for design and creative industries. Its buildings have been retained, reinforced, refurbished and upgraded for new uses. Residential units have been converted into design studios and shops, offices for creative enterprises and lodging for visiting designers.<br />
<br />
Our last stop was the SoHo district of Hong Kong, which has the world’s longest outdoor escalator. We round off the morning by a visit to the IFC 2 tower, in the central district, where there is a viewing gallery on the 56th floor, free for visitors.<br />
<br />
Evening, we met up with my uncle, who took us to watch the light show at the Victoria harbor. We ended the night by having a Hong Kong special sea food curry dinner at one of the restaurants he took us to.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW0KkF0GLnhemFc2LyIyBbnPF8exBA3Y57DQcaCJskS0xqMTKOnMtXpeYCeNm7oqiiywxy0SNxBUs66FIlTaGkc04gEPESAtEu841-hjuwpGQsUb2ucCxIANE3PbEo5IeKDu2enlfEyN6M/s1600/Hong_Kong_Peak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW0KkF0GLnhemFc2LyIyBbnPF8exBA3Y57DQcaCJskS0xqMTKOnMtXpeYCeNm7oqiiywxy0SNxBUs66FIlTaGkc04gEPESAtEu841-hjuwpGQsUb2ucCxIANE3PbEo5IeKDu2enlfEyN6M/s200/Hong_Kong_Peak.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skyline from the peak</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzuMe1uu13borB_Z3HqSgwgSwntIkIG62Eaj26ZMNG_Cy8xm4pfFdLS1CELoKgPxwKa9yqA1Gw8jvBWPh5qYoPcFawxvTz3is02g5ox64Gnzt4qe297yIJD5x1D21WN1KYSKwFsTN-26H_/s1600/IMG_2595.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzuMe1uu13borB_Z3HqSgwgSwntIkIG62Eaj26ZMNG_Cy8xm4pfFdLS1CELoKgPxwKa9yqA1Gw8jvBWPh5qYoPcFawxvTz3is02g5ox64Gnzt4qe297yIJD5x1D21WN1KYSKwFsTN-26H_/s200/IMG_2595.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cable car to the Buddha</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Day 3</b>: Our last day in Hong Kong, was by far the brightest and sunniest. We took this opportunity to ride to the Victoria Peak to catch a full view of the skyline. The journey involved changed a train and a bus ride to get to the bottom of the hill. And then a tram to get to the peak. However, the view from the peak is one of the most amazing things I've seen yet. The photos don't do justice to the sight from the top. On one side you have the world's tallest and widest skyline spread across two islands and on the other side, you have the pacific ocean with green hilltops, which make you forget what's on the other side of the viewing gallery.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW8O6_P2IBwSFnSjcI3VSjfu2krHE71r7q3C5dkNDSjQdQifcIclSA35rAwiWKiB1xoEgpCvAmViR-VwKPDkUWpoOmyoVfnvADGlPef9LfvHsM3_MNFPUZecSOoB2Gh1A8ERhaJYYdGuQe/s1600/IMG_2647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW8O6_P2IBwSFnSjcI3VSjfu2krHE71r7q3C5dkNDSjQdQifcIclSA35rAwiWKiB1xoEgpCvAmViR-VwKPDkUWpoOmyoVfnvADGlPef9LfvHsM3_MNFPUZecSOoB2Gh1A8ERhaJYYdGuQe/s200/IMG_2647.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The monastery as seen from the Buddha</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKzuOqGgkR1_Tp92STICF_z7wd8zDLUpnhBAVHEdtebDTdGWPjvC1rSbNotwUGIo-yDzUIr7CDcOtI2Ya7jwQWd0YW1Ucnkf2hy50wlRUkRasYMRtToo5lfwoPxIHAdj42WgFm3W50mlhm/s1600/IMG_2627.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKzuOqGgkR1_Tp92STICF_z7wd8zDLUpnhBAVHEdtebDTdGWPjvC1rSbNotwUGIo-yDzUIr7CDcOtI2Ya7jwQWd0YW1Ucnkf2hy50wlRUkRasYMRtToo5lfwoPxIHAdj42WgFm3W50mlhm/s200/IMG_2627.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">The Big Buddha</span></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: right;">
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Next, because of our disappointing visit first time and the amazing weather that day, we decided to give the Big Buddha a second visit. And indeed it was worth it! This time we caught a glimpse of the giant Buddha from the cable car itself as we approached the hill top village of Ngong Ping. We spent about a couple of hours exploring the Buddha, the monastery and the surrounding areas of the village. We wrapped up our visit with some bean curd, which is made from soya and mountain water.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpUtpx9In7Q9ShwO22hF6QTwRQ57FsgM6y3xIyN2fXjZC3eJEgDJT3_4vZ_EKO3-Iq2xkoaLzz7DGXL1MrCJlPuNSkNVwyR2pb1K9EWYLZ5qQj598Mb8O5Pu1U2wr1plNQieuxoE-UjiNu/s1600/IMG_2688.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpUtpx9In7Q9ShwO22hF6QTwRQ57FsgM6y3xIyN2fXjZC3eJEgDJT3_4vZ_EKO3-Iq2xkoaLzz7DGXL1MrCJlPuNSkNVwyR2pb1K9EWYLZ5qQj598Mb8O5Pu1U2wr1plNQieuxoE-UjiNu/s200/IMG_2688.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">10000 Buddhas Monastery </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This brought to an end our exciting three day trip to Hong Kong. If we had more time, we would've done the day trip to Macau and may be a trip to Ocean park, but we'll reserve that for the next time.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiegv3CHnmcz29sxfc5j4tRN12US_3kgPVD6PHbSl4sUWSlnidM28cqrZNTWqt8esT7vqL8j3pkqL6Rw3lVGfp8CULRoXe3P6TAz6PlXjrIQJTMXyJyN8J_m4WV-F5jT7xOeyCwtz1ZCKfn/s1600/IMG_2689.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiegv3CHnmcz29sxfc5j4tRN12US_3kgPVD6PHbSl4sUWSlnidM28cqrZNTWqt8esT7vqL8j3pkqL6Rw3lVGfp8CULRoXe3P6TAz6PlXjrIQJTMXyJyN8J_m4WV-F5jT7xOeyCwtz1ZCKfn/s200/IMG_2689.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
<b>Tips</b>: 1) Use the MTR octopus 3 day/ 5 day pass for unlimited travel on the train or the bus.<br />
2) Exchange the Hong Kong dollars at the local dealers in Kowloon. Not all of them have good rates, so look around for the best rate. Else, the ATM card has the best rate, but you end paying a surcharge to the bank, it would make more sense of a large one time withdrawal.<br />
3) Eat local/street side; we really enjoyed the taste and it's relatively cheaper. Make sure you know how to use chopsticks though, as forks/spoons are tough to get in these establishments.<br />
<br />
<b>What businesses did we use?</b><br />
<b>Flight</b>: Air India (BOM-DEL-HKG)<br />
<b>Tours</b>: <a href="http://www.urbanadventures.com/Hong-Kong-tour-hong-kong-after-dark" target="_blank">Hong Kong after dark</a> and <a href="http://www.urbanadventures.com/Old-Vs-New-Hong-Kong" target="_blank">Old vs </a><a href="http://www.urbanadventures.com/Old-Vs-New-Hong-Kong" target="_blank">New</a><a href="http://www.urbanadventures.com/Old-Vs-New-Hong-Kong" target="_blank"> Hong Kong</a><br />
<b>Hotel</b>: <a href="https://www.expedia.com/Hong-Kong-Hotels-Kowloon-Mongkok-1812-Guest-House.h8771777.Hotel-Information" target="_blank">Kowloon Mongkok 1812 Guest House</a><br />
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Mohit Samanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11921125793502265689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676617735394521442.post-23078386808363038692015-12-01T00:11:00.000-08:002016-09-22T07:25:41.422-07:00H1B Dropbox experience at US Embassy in Mumbai<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cc/USA-wiza-anonymous.jpg/220px-USA-wiza-anonymous.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cc/USA-wiza-anonymous.jpg/220px-USA-wiza-anonymous.jpg" width="200" /></a>I recently used the dropbox facility for my second H1-B VISA stamping, at the US Embassy in Mumbai. The experience was a smooth one, and is definitely hassle free compared to the in-person finger printing and interview process. The requirements for using the dropbox can be found <a href="http://www.ustraveldocs.com/in/in-niv-visarenew.asp" target="_blank">here</a>, and the list of dropbox locations across India can be found <a href="http://www.ustraveldocs.com/in/in-loc-documentdropoff.asp" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
The documents I submitted are as below:<br />
1) I797 Copy<br />
2) DS-160 confirmation printout<br />
3) Dropbox confirmation letter<br />
4) All previous and current passports.<br />
5) One 2 X 2 inch recent <a href="http://www.ustraveldocs.com/in/in-niv-photoinfo.asp" target="_blank">photo</a> (Please note, this photo has to be different from the one in passport even if it was clicked recently)<br />
<br />
The whole process took about a week for me and here is the entire timeline.<br />
<br />
Nov 23rd - Dropped off the document<br />
Nov 24th - Case created - VISA status: Ready<br />
Nov 27th - Case updated - VISA Status: Admin Processing<br />
Nov 30th - Case updated - VISA Status: Issued and Passport ready for pickup</div>
Mohit Samanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11921125793502265689noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676617735394521442.post-83045439128415487772015-07-29T12:30:00.002-07:002016-05-05T13:13:26.353-07:00Renewing your Indian Passport in the U.S by Post<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cnskashmir.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Passport.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://cnskashmir.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Passport.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">India Passport</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>This process is no longer valid as the passport applications are now handled by <a href="https://www.in.ckgs.us/" target="_blank">Cox and Kings Global Services.</a></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cccccc;">I recently renewed my India passport by post at the Houston, TX conuslate. You need to mail your passport to the <a href="http://www.passport.blsindia-usa.com/contactus.php" target="_blank">appropriate consulate</a>, based on your <a href="http://www.passport.blsindia-usa.com/forms/Jurisdiction.pdf" target="_blank">physical address</a> within the US. The whole process took about 3 weeks for me.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">There are several documents that have to be attached with your application and here are some key points compiling them.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>Photo requirements</b>: There're about 9 <a href="http://www.passport.blsindia-usa.com/photo_spec.php" target="_blank">passport size photos</a> that are needed to be sent/attached with this application. Walmart quoted $32 for 10 photos, but I did this via an <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/apps/passport-photos/9nblggh080tl" target="_blank">app</a> on my Windows phone. I bet iPhone and Android have something similar in their store. The way this works is, you take the photo against a white background using this app, the app then puts 6 replica clicked photos on a single "photo", and you then print this collage on a 4X6 inch glossy paper at Walmart (or any other pharmacy) for 45c. So I got 12 photos for ~$3 using this method.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>Notary</b>: There're at least 3 documents that need to be notarized. This can be done by either going to a public notary or at any <a href="http://locators.bankofamerica.com/locator/locator/LocatorAction.do" target="_blank">Bank of America</a> or <a href="https://www.wellsfargo.com/locator/" target="_blank">Wells Fargo</a> branch and they will do it for free! <a href="http://www.immihelp.com/immigration/notarized-copy.html" target="_blank">Here</a> is an article on notarizing photo copies, if you face any issues.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>Cashier's check/DD</b>: Please note that personal check or cash is NOT an accepted <a href="http://www.blsindia-usa.com/passport/passportFee.php" target="_blank">form of payment</a> for postal application. You can get a cashier's check or a demand draft in favor of "BLS INTERNATIONAL SERVICES USA INC" at any bank or grocery store for a small fee. This needs to be done before you fill out the online <a href="https://blsivac.com/orderform/passport.php" target="_blank">BLS order form</a>, as you will need to input the # in the form.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b>Shipping Labels: </b>This needs to be done before you fill out the online <a href="https://blsivac.com/orderform/passport.php" target="_blank">BLS order form</a>, as you will need to input both tracking numbers for shipments in the online form.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Below are the steps I followed for UPS.com I bet FedEx has something similar though.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">1. <a href="https://www.ups.com/one-to-one/login" target="_blank">Create a UPS personal account</a> from their website.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">2. <a href="https://www.ups.com/uis/create?loc=en_US&WT.svl=PNRO_L1" target="_blank">Create two shipping labels</a> (for the packaging type specify UPS Letter)</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"> (a) Destination <a href="http://www.passport.blsindia-usa.com/contactus.php" target="_blank">BLS address</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"> (b) Destination: Your home address</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4R6kBDFaxFV0zF4Vlr59dZuAXizRFV1D44zAaLaqUAGHLphqi2aMpKyIMZgU8M9MnDzKmpLbIMbUY8kKbgoy_mrAdVrN4HY4ljqHfU8uS_NTLrBV3p-hoRFbw2B_4QwVDL6s0wpx2J415/s1600/File_NO_Passport.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #cccccc;"><img border="0" height="91" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4R6kBDFaxFV0zF4Vlr59dZuAXizRFV1D44zAaLaqUAGHLphqi2aMpKyIMZgU8M9MnDzKmpLbIMbUY8kKbgoy_mrAdVrN4HY4ljqHfU8uS_NTLrBV3p-hoRFbw2B_4QwVDL6s0wpx2J415/s200/File_NO_Passport.png" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cccccc;">File Number</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b><a href="http://passport.gov.in/nri/Reg1.do" target="_blank">Online Application</a></b>: This was pretty straight forward, the only tricky part was a field called</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">"File Number". This can actually be found on the last page of your current passport. <a href="http://www.immihelp.com/nri/indianpassport/sample-application-form.pdf" target="_blank">Here</a> is a sample form filled out, that I found on the internet.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b><a href="http://blsindia-usa.com/passport1/forms/BLS-nationality-status-verification-form.pdf" target="_blank">Nationality Verification Form</a>: </b>You need to submit 3 copies of this form, here is a <a href="http://www.immihelp.com/nri/indianpassport/sample-nationality-verification-form.pdf" target="_blank">sample</a>. The only confusing part is point #14 on there, it seems like you can't enter your home address in India as a reference, so I had to use other addresses of relatives in India.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">For #11, I entered the date I first left India for the US.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">I left #15 blank.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><b><a href="http://www.passport.blsindia-usa.com/forms/AFFIDAVIT_CHANGE_SIGNATURE.pdf" target="_blank">Affidavit form for change of appearance</a></b>: This is mandatory <b>only for Houston jurisdiction</b>, and needs to be <b>notarized</b> and signed.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Below is the <b>grand checklist</b> in the order I attached them, with the application:</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">1) <a href="http://www.passport.blsindia-usa.com/pptchecklist/BLSUSPassportChecklist.pdf" target="_blank">Signed checklist</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">2) Original India passport</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">3) Cashier's check for $116.20 (Appropriate fee can be found <a href="http://www.blsindia-usa.com/passport/passportFee.php" target="_blank">here</a>)</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">4) <a href="http://passport.gov.in/nri/Reg1.do" target="_blank">Passport renewal application</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">5) <a href="https://blsivac.com/orderform/passport.php" target="_blank">BLS order form</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">6) Envelope with 4 photos</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">7) 3 copies of <a href="http://blsindia-usa.com/passport1/forms/BLS-nationality-status-verification-form.pdf" target="_blank">Nationality Verification Form</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">8) Colored photocopy of the first five pages and last two pages of the passport.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">9) Notarized color H1B VISA photocopy, as proof of valid VISA.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">10) Notarized Lease copy as US proof of residence</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">11) Notarized Change in Appearance and Signature (<b>Only needed for Houston consulate</b>)</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">12) Return waybill for UPS</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">13) MS Degree copy for ECNR requirement</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Once you mail in the application, it can be tracked <a href="http://www.passport.blsindia-usa.com/tracking.php" target="_blank">here</a>. My status started showing the next day after UPS delivered it to BLS.</span><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;">Here is the entire timeline.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyKUSEj-a-WCTTLv3L_nliuA5980a9R5ospTsBLk7UnxCF_5N0hIlDPuUrAweycjbNu1TJhWzwP_91mao3JZ9hoehBgAtJjIcDnLbwbzlvifz6_w_c6U5iwF5DUMdJDLl6OGFU0FsjaHO8/s1600/File_NO_Passport.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="102" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyKUSEj-a-WCTTLv3L_nliuA5980a9R5ospTsBLk7UnxCF_5N0hIlDPuUrAweycjbNu1TJhWzwP_91mao3JZ9hoehBgAtJjIcDnLbwbzlvifz6_w_c6U5iwF5DUMdJDLl6OGFU0FsjaHO8/s400/File_NO_Passport.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Mohit Samanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11921125793502265689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676617735394521442.post-24325308777189219102015-07-09T14:15:00.001-07:002015-07-10T11:57:52.301-07:00Alaska: The last frontier<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNBbtS_p7pLt-ku-I5ZQT2EBhPRVC4f2pAHfQ5RTJrZvMELLBNMde-2vmQRlaPfPTR9otbySf67LwvVZs7Yzuo3wh_dAQErK7J7gQj7ijXxC8xsCA3nCw3uJaSyB8PZ8RrdqVyG5JLbbbG/s1600/IMG_0894.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNBbtS_p7pLt-ku-I5ZQT2EBhPRVC4f2pAHfQ5RTJrZvMELLBNMde-2vmQRlaPfPTR9otbySf67LwvVZs7Yzuo3wh_dAQErK7J7gQj7ijXxC8xsCA3nCw3uJaSyB8PZ8RrdqVyG5JLbbbG/s200/IMG_0894.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise in Anchorage</td></tr>
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Bears larger than bison, national parks the size of nations, and glaciers bigger than other US states. Me and my wife recently did a week long trip to the great state of Alaska. We chose the state for it's unique and distant geography.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzOCpHKmSnmhlWt5kUpBS53xtaEUs8LOVDFCR-4zrnnElGXiEmyA0I_OZCMDKKd9eULUJZzWTYMuTSPDVR6tepoZrqcrOcackx2wnSwyQRHh6tZdfl-ecuGfDhEQHtGj1g83Hk6x9ydt0/s1600/IMG_0904.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgzOCpHKmSnmhlWt5kUpBS53xtaEUs8LOVDFCR-4zrnnElGXiEmyA0I_OZCMDKKd9eULUJZzWTYMuTSPDVR6tepoZrqcrOcackx2wnSwyQRHh6tZdfl-ecuGfDhEQHtGj1g83Hk6x9ydt0/s200/IMG_0904.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arctic Valley drive</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Day 1 (Anchorage, AK) </b>We landed in Anchorage on 6/27, Saturday early morning at around half past three in the morning. The rental cars companies don't open until five in the morning, so we waited at the airport to kill time. After<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE0Qt2Qd1ZYNyvr6LQabfDatZnS6rKZCSc481ue4KbdUI6VnOD7LZAwHpcFqNNyiIwM_7zBlZr9c4MrJHN7c9cqhzPbmahFIuUwlQHqB7c0_JDt6TahUBbeM-Xh8WDd8i2dSElJpqRlk7K/s1600/IMG_0927.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE0Qt2Qd1ZYNyvr6LQabfDatZnS6rKZCSc481ue4KbdUI6VnOD7LZAwHpcFqNNyiIwM_7zBlZr9c4MrJHN7c9cqhzPbmahFIuUwlQHqB7c0_JDt6TahUBbeM-Xh8WDd8i2dSElJpqRlk7K/s200/IMG_0927.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Artifacts at the museum</span></td></tr>
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picking up the rental car we headed straight into Anchorage downtown for breakfast. Since the check-in time wasn't till noon, we then headed to the <a href="http://www.alaska.org/guide/arctic-valley-road-scenic-drive" target="_blank">Arctic valley scenic drive</a> after. The drive is about 40 min outside of Anchorage and the last 6 miles are on unpaved road, which makes it a little difficult to drive to the top. After coming back from the drive, we headed to the <a href="http://anchoragecoastaltrail.com/" target="_blank">Tony Knowles Coastal trail</a> near by for a nice walk along the coast. We rested for a while in the afternoon and later headed to the <a href="https://www.anchoragemuseum.org/" target="_blank">Anchorage Museum</a> in downtown. This museum has some of the artifacts from the earlier settlers in the state.<br />
The day came to end with dinner at the <a href="http://www.namasteshangrila.com/" target="_blank">Namaste Shangrila</a> Himalayan restaurant in town.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs6IfxdG1RluI39kvpHxseiPjsFdgdI3XpkJGHQEJ0IVm9O6-U5M-xQp4fuB3FL4qzozhHzoSxoHscvuVxcow-wHI3EKCwfgA-YVfUKF60dnevNCGCQyhEUlMd8AgKXakJMzkV4DJzPVnw/s1600/IMG_1104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs6IfxdG1RluI39kvpHxseiPjsFdgdI3XpkJGHQEJ0IVm9O6-U5M-xQp4fuB3FL4qzozhHzoSxoHscvuVxcow-wHI3EKCwfgA-YVfUKF60dnevNCGCQyhEUlMd8AgKXakJMzkV4DJzPVnw/s200/IMG_1104.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seward Highway</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLQvGBr1P-RInUyQryR_Yl7KuDV97MNK7cPbxh1MJpcPbFAyuZSbt9iwJFYsfvXA6P0-UBT21OxLqd0bsLE6NeCaW53g2NjxremA9K2UzX5w268Ng_QVCTETIhX8GyBQrxfJgxvDdEbcTR/s1600/WP_20150628_006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLQvGBr1P-RInUyQryR_Yl7KuDV97MNK7cPbxh1MJpcPbFAyuZSbt9iwJFYsfvXA6P0-UBT21OxLqd0bsLE6NeCaW53g2NjxremA9K2UzX5w268Ng_QVCTETIhX8GyBQrxfJgxvDdEbcTR/s200/WP_20150628_006.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The train arrives in Whittier</td></tr>
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<b>Day 2 (Whittier, AK) </b>We had booked a <a href="http://www.phillipscruises.com/gq-cruise.htm" target="_blank">Glacier cruise</a> into the Prince William sound wilderness, which departs from the harbor in the small and remote town of Whittier, AK. Just getting there from Anchorage is half the fun, according to their brochure, and so it was! The drive from Anchorage passes through the scenic Seward highway (aka Alaska 1 Hwy) and goes through an unique tunnel just before entering the town of Whittier. The drive has some of the best scenic natural beauty I've ever seen. With mountains on one side and the Pacific wilderness on the other. <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFnx1GYl_81j3LbjEYj8YfhJaC0-G0JARLOyLHUP-GAkKZNPW5Yd1mjb5oOnPP9HwGkCGEFK6IXcvbH1N0XE_cQRIVy1Jt7kmaCIglCldf825kTjvQGYIdkl_AGEsn8zT7qDje95XuKuzm/s1600/WP_20150628_028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFnx1GYl_81j3LbjEYj8YfhJaC0-G0JARLOyLHUP-GAkKZNPW5Yd1mjb5oOnPP9HwGkCGEFK6IXcvbH1N0XE_cQRIVy1Jt7kmaCIglCldf825kTjvQGYIdkl_AGEsn8zT7qDje95XuKuzm/s200/WP_20150628_028.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prince William Sound</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3bzIeMT45Br_-WUPhTApsWvi0TM-Zrs5TkrgQwmcXzNQ_OaTtbW6nn3l1r5QfL4vTzOwcntOmy7kL3YfG6bq2Ajs1QAVL0QiCXyiB7CBOIH0yzlapvqORtHR43Hilj2ER1wBXwRoKViE2/s1600/IMG_1116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3bzIeMT45Br_-WUPhTApsWvi0TM-Zrs5TkrgQwmcXzNQ_OaTtbW6nn3l1r5QfL4vTzOwcntOmy7kL3YfG6bq2Ajs1QAVL0QiCXyiB7CBOIH0yzlapvqORtHR43Hilj2ER1wBXwRoKViE2/s200/IMG_1116.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://www.alaska.org/detail/whittier-tunnel" target="_blank">The one-lane tunnel</a>, before entering Whittier, is shared by cars and trains traveling in both directions, and it usually needs to be aired out in between trips. This unique design that enables a single lane of traffic to travel directly over the railroad track saved tens of millions of dollars over the cost of constructing a new tunnel. It takes about an hour, if you miss your at the hour.<br />
After having a quick lunch, we boarded the cruise at around at 1 p.m. It was raining pretty heavily that day, but we were told that's how the weather near the coast is most days of the year there. The cruise went into the Prince William Sound waters and it took about an hour to get to our first glacier. It got much more cold as we got close and deeper inside the waters, and the rain added to it. However, we were told that rain is actually good for glacier's health and it actually makes them look bluish (as seen in the photo above). It did however make viewing and clicking photos from the deck much more adventurous.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZC3SgA8ex-F30xFkAQ0C8trKvn0W9lydi4jdkAnsvVWNoQzdieXYnkD1XE4UOYsn46kuQXjRpZduID5J3ehULfFyn6kwPhBxAI_de6uN3D5urK95277flEvcZeLuksG4h8EfdcUtXSGqp/s1600/WP_20150629_033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZC3SgA8ex-F30xFkAQ0C8trKvn0W9lydi4jdkAnsvVWNoQzdieXYnkD1XE4UOYsn46kuQXjRpZduID5J3ehULfFyn6kwPhBxAI_de6uN3D5urK95277flEvcZeLuksG4h8EfdcUtXSGqp/s200/WP_20150629_033.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seward</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWP5K6yYsvp9NQ9Yn_MviYjWoyeoDFRHzZQIrnyAc4mZkTgh0jmyBACDrhmDX5xR5-BeHeZgHZvjeVfWW4-cAe0qynvpQaWU_ZSNpbxMhUp826vxdRqO-_fi4V9wRl_FgAbh5BRg84e0S/s1600/IMG_1161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWP5K6yYsvp9NQ9Yn_MviYjWoyeoDFRHzZQIrnyAc4mZkTgh0jmyBACDrhmDX5xR5-BeHeZgHZvjeVfWW4-cAe0qynvpQaWU_ZSNpbxMhUp826vxdRqO-_fi4V9wRl_FgAbh5BRg84e0S/s200/IMG_1161.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exit glacier</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After the three and half hour cruise we drove back to Anchorage, taking the 5 p.m tunnel.<br />
<b>Day 3 (Seward, AK)</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYhz2xRNePkcTP-E6jhPVSIsEcGGU039Y-4hXmu-mMZcQ0dl4sGaOS8RLR8bpU47Lb7QmUrDck4LjeTM6YxjaIAhNA2BdlX_PjefBIKdJYze9-zXY8s_trQBSFrUQIZv9WnryCossQimb/s1600/IMG_1165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYhz2xRNePkcTP-E6jhPVSIsEcGGU039Y-4hXmu-mMZcQ0dl4sGaOS8RLR8bpU47Lb7QmUrDck4LjeTM6YxjaIAhNA2BdlX_PjefBIKdJYze9-zXY8s_trQBSFrUQIZv9WnryCossQimb/s200/IMG_1165.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glacial river</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The next day we had planned a drip one of Alaska southern harbors, Seward, named after for US senator <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_H._Seward" target="_blank">William H Seward</a>, who was the mastermind behind the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_Purchase" target="_blank">Alaska purchase</a> from Russia. The drive took us thorough some of the previous day's scenic route and into the Seward mount haven wilderness, on our way there. After reaching Seward, we had lunch at <a href="http://rayswaterfrontak.com/" target="_blank">Ray's Waterfront</a> and then headed to hike the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exit_Glacier" target="_blank">Exit glacier</a>. There is a 7 mile drive to get to the glacier and a 1 mile one-way hike to get to the tip. The glacier has been retreating since the nineties, and it probably won't be that long before it's gone. There're some really scenic stops getting to the top and a glacial river near the bottom, where you can hike to.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilXRUJDYpwJi_KXAhPRp7denecQfMEOO3_6EDj0SnNVPkGB09cbxKZB_ximZMr1diCBTCldPhmjkfbkqGRuwLfOhrNmuKZ-o3n_fnMCvX9UzDmUYhDVXlE-BWi83y5A8nRqNmqwrQi2gjH/s1600/IMG_1209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilXRUJDYpwJi_KXAhPRp7denecQfMEOO3_6EDj0SnNVPkGB09cbxKZB_ximZMr1diCBTCldPhmjkfbkqGRuwLfOhrNmuKZ-o3n_fnMCvX9UzDmUYhDVXlE-BWi83y5A8nRqNmqwrQi2gjH/s200/IMG_1209.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Us with our guide</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ASv4PHNL2qzMP9nhzvN1U9FZpa41PMdg0-012hbM966y_XgyfqWr937FE8mIWDKMfNZX9Ok4hT0Z2_cJ2t7-8Im4rBSRRPOxBSRQkcUcubD9z74LQVkmh-pobKM7-JzHJ7rTbCHElouJ/s1600/IMG_1207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ASv4PHNL2qzMP9nhzvN1U9FZpa41PMdg0-012hbM966y_XgyfqWr937FE8mIWDKMfNZX9Ok4hT0Z2_cJ2t7-8Im4rBSRRPOxBSRQkcUcubD9z74LQVkmh-pobKM7-JzHJ7rTbCHElouJ/s200/IMG_1207.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The river float trip</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Day 4 & 5 (Talkeetna, AK) </b>We had booked the next three days up north in a small Alaskan town call <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talkeetna,_Alaska" target="_blank">Talkeetna</a>. The town is about 15 miles from the nearest highway and the downtown is easily walk able.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5LEe_GRoIboBcSFZZ4fuImozYZayw0hf1XxSVPmRbvcShCrljKos-BNvOOFsrx0fZPoMIKyHIRsV7hLbXrk3-YcM0owat8IoIoveEp8ai1nQlvspcCiSjB-rjJwN0LkFWSYJ2emhRiBwW/s1600/IMG_1407.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5LEe_GRoIboBcSFZZ4fuImozYZayw0hf1XxSVPmRbvcShCrljKos-BNvOOFsrx0fZPoMIKyHIRsV7hLbXrk3-YcM0owat8IoIoveEp8ai1nQlvspcCiSjB-rjJwN0LkFWSYJ2emhRiBwW/s200/IMG_1407.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Byer's lake</td></tr>
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The town is unique because at the end of the town's main street is the confluence of three rivers - Takeetna, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susitna_River" target="_blank">Susitna</a> and <a href="http://www.alaska.org/detail/chulitna-river" target="_blank">Chulitna</a>, with <a href="http://www.nps.gov/dena/index.htm" target="_blank">Denali national park</a> as the backdrop and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_McKinley" target="_blank">Mt McKinley</a> visible (on really clear sunny days). The drive from Anchorage took about 2 hours to get to the remote town and after checking in we did a <a href="http://www.talkeetnariverguides.com/" target="_blank">2 hour river float trip</a> on the Talkeetna river.<br />
The next day we did a drive up the Denali highway north, to catch a glimpse of Mt Mkinley but it was too overcast to really see anything but dark clouds. Although, there is no denying the adventure of driving in the wilderness, weather sunny or overcast. We stopped by<a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g31136-d3494262-Reviews-Byers_Lake-Talkeetna_Alaska.html" target="_blank"> Byer's lake</a> to do a small hike be<br />
fore heading back to our lodge.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqJqHbJYbaX3g1KAtm2W6MS14ySvX4-Ah4xco0DcMLUZWYrjgkPRKbBXpdjonMuE0PC8X3ZQUYe15tvZ-TkfTSBEXFpqdqIwfu5tqIxQKVISLaacFsYQPRZL4VstQ2lruWA9e49l41u343/s1600/IMG_1323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqJqHbJYbaX3g1KAtm2W6MS14ySvX4-Ah4xco0DcMLUZWYrjgkPRKbBXpdjonMuE0PC8X3ZQUYe15tvZ-TkfTSBEXFpqdqIwfu5tqIxQKVISLaacFsYQPRZL4VstQ2lruWA9e49l41u343/s200/IMG_1323.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hurricane Glutch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZGOqgffLl-hVG7A-a4hPyE3QVuK75h09gwsx1bJNM_HERUV6PJHWLxoh6D27MibfQYb-RP2p3VxViAc2fV_cJsprc_W2Cl0I7ZPaj5HIgkcNJSFF9e4DGn3ZqYk0bjLEwgJG3V9hR_LT/s1600/IMG_1287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiZGOqgffLl-hVG7A-a4hPyE3QVuK75h09gwsx1bJNM_HERUV6PJHWLxoh6D27MibfQYb-RP2p3VxViAc2fV_cJsprc_W2Cl0I7ZPaj5HIgkcNJSFF9e4DGn3ZqYk0bjLEwgJG3V9hR_LT/s200/IMG_1287.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hurricane Turn Train</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Day 6 (Hurricane Turn) </b>The next day we had book the <a href="http://www.alaska.org/detail/hurricane-turn" target="_blank">hurricane turn train</a> which departs from Talkeetna during the summer season on a round trip to Hurricane Gulch, hop off at any given mile post. This train still operates as a flag stop service, allowing passengers to hop on and off as they please. This area is home to approximately 40 year round residents. They use this train as their lifeline to transport necessary goods from Talkeetna or beyond back to their homes in the wilderness. I must confess, I did not know the meaning of the word "remote living", until I saw how the people lived in this area. There are literally single home towns, on this track, and this train is their only connection to the outside world, as there is no dedicated electricity, no internet and only emergency/local phone service.<br />
The entire round trip takes about 7-8 hours, from and back to Talkeetna.<br />
<b>Day 7 (Drive back to ANC) </b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMtQJKzFdSFSemR0yqLDcxRbgiiUQUhwnn36YgLarDnnq3Qm4dUr3MKwHu1I055kpUN1E4JIQOcLFm7e901l-ONA-K84w1xFtTGvqCbZvEyzDa1P8etfa29aR6pZJvs654WGPivpm7ivQe/s1600/IMG_1387.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMtQJKzFdSFSemR0yqLDcxRbgiiUQUhwnn36YgLarDnnq3Qm4dUr3MKwHu1I055kpUN1E4JIQOcLFm7e901l-ONA-K84w1xFtTGvqCbZvEyzDa1P8etfa29aR6pZJvs654WGPivpm7ivQe/s200/IMG_1387.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you spot McKinley?</td></tr>
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The last day before we headed back home via our late evening flight from ANC, we decided to head up north one more time to try and catch a glimpse of Mt McKinley, as the sun had finally showed up. (Well, almost). We headed north to a point called Mt McKinley view point, which we had seen the first time we drove up there but did not venture in. The point is located about a mile inwards from the highway, uphill through twists and turns, to a private hotel called "<a href="http://www.princesslodges.com/mckinley-lodge.cfm" target="_blank">Mt McKinley Lodge</a>". We stood in the viewing of the lodge, as it was kind of seemed open to the general public too, and there is it was! Finally, we could see the mysterious and hidden Mt McKinley, in all it's glory. We took some photos and headed for the 3 hour drive back to the airport.<br />
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All in all, this was one of the most unique and adventurous trips we've had in recent times. I would go back in heartbeat.<br />
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<b>What businesses did we use?</b><br />
Anchorage B&B: <a href="http://aloonsnest.com/" target="_blank">A loon's nest</a><br />
Talkeetna Lodge: <a href="http://talkeetnanorthernguesthouse.com/" target="_blank">Northern Guesthouse</a><br />
Glacier Cruise: <a href="http://www.phillipscruises.com/" target="_blank">Phillips Cruises</a><br />
Talkeetna River trip: <a href="http://www.talkeetnariverguides.com/" target="_blank">Talkeetna River guides</a><br />
Hurricane Turn trip: <a href="https://alaskarailroad.com/OurTrains/HurricaneTurn/tabid/102/Default.aspx" target="_blank">Alaska railroad</a><br />
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Mohit Samanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11921125793502265689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676617735394521442.post-78020722728643429922015-06-03T09:08:00.004-07:002015-06-07T16:00:39.694-07:00Chicago in a day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I recently visited Chicago with my wife, during the memorial day weekend. Located only an hour by flight from Kansas City, the city boasts of having one of the most spectacular skylines in the world.<br />
The destruction caused by the Great Chicago Fire in 1871 led to the largest building boom in U.S history. Today, Chicago's skyline is among the world's tallest and most dense.<br />
We began our day by doing a walking tour with "<a href="http://www.insidechicagowalkingtours.com/" target="_blank">Inside Chicago</a>", which is owned and operated by a lady named Hillary. She was on-time and showed us some of the "inside" details of some buildings in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Loop" target="_blank">Loop</a>.<br />
Afternoon, we did an <a href="https://www.architecture.org/experience-caf/tours/detail/chicago-architecture-foundation-river-cruise-aboard-chicagos-first-lady-cruises/" target="_blank">architectural boat tour</a> that goes right through the river that does a "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolf_Point,_Chicago" target="_blank">Y</a>" within the city. I would highly recommend both these tours as give an insight into how and why the city skyline is the way it is. Here are some of the pictures from the tours.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicago skyline as seen from the flight landing</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tribune tower</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The riverfront</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Triangular apartments </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wrigley building(s)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Chicago bean </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Millennium park </span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0PM_RffD3k-DWrITy7xcYYdlkk84VHIq9MxRXxg4O4n-jWTE_xvt3yv8MfGAkd1jm3w5fnMooQOAQzSraAogsXfbYXPztyEmE8Ee34zjpT_EusJFpmwdl1P8Z_UDaQrAtYj4OlN9jMvp0/s1600/WP_20150524_156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0PM_RffD3k-DWrITy7xcYYdlkk84VHIq9MxRXxg4O4n-jWTE_xvt3yv8MfGAkd1jm3w5fnMooQOAQzSraAogsXfbYXPztyEmE8Ee34zjpT_EusJFpmwdl1P8Z_UDaQrAtYj4OlN9jMvp0/s320/WP_20150524_156.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgifUL64p-T8F-FvZpaDwhDrhhbkMoPEjpUheBlVmpSL72CFbDMahrDNTyadk8StDvbZxBDnF3KaY9LxJlFL4L7SfH-5znuqSG0sT_Lo7a7g4A6i5BCTH8ng5P_4b1c4rqgLSwsRy2pJ4bP/s1600/WP_20150524_161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgifUL64p-T8F-FvZpaDwhDrhhbkMoPEjpUheBlVmpSL72CFbDMahrDNTyadk8StDvbZxBDnF3KaY9LxJlFL4L7SfH-5znuqSG0sT_Lo7a7g4A6i5BCTH8ng5P_4b1c4rqgLSwsRy2pJ4bP/s320/WP_20150524_161.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trump tower, 2nd tallest in the city</td></tr>
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Mohit Samanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11921125793502265689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7676617735394521442.post-25156453154832414412015-03-29T16:36:00.000-07:002017-08-10T13:28:50.510-07:00Mexico City Reloaded!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgspKh7e84i1qfYcSzGb80MiDU9PUaoNAYHCC8-Q61zLKaWB_zQF1M7F0bfnBShvhOQKz5V69Vo9V-9HfrSE2nJOSAOOBdjeB7_eF5oYjWwzwGMi34xmZxHlbRhuxhvGF9qAMIatDMBQGQV/s1600/WP_20150324_055+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgspKh7e84i1qfYcSzGb80MiDU9PUaoNAYHCC8-Q61zLKaWB_zQF1M7F0bfnBShvhOQKz5V69Vo9V-9HfrSE2nJOSAOOBdjeB7_eF5oYjWwzwGMi34xmZxHlbRhuxhvGF9qAMIatDMBQGQV/s1600/WP_20150324_055+(2).jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Metropolitan Cathedral at dusk</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQSqIaPRXjKIuJ1eVBLvE7WBu2c14FDOeoajrD-mjvze9YMUj5o38fafSTawxiIhHUzyc_H35eTMV8XSQBJVaJ2kZl3eHJEdz5KkvHZcHX3ehdCqeuvGrcGtBaXInsJ8hlfI9BEVoGaNpP/s1600/IMG_0669.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQSqIaPRXjKIuJ1eVBLvE7WBu2c14FDOeoajrD-mjvze9YMUj5o38fafSTawxiIhHUzyc_H35eTMV8XSQBJVaJ2kZl3eHJEdz5KkvHZcHX3ehdCqeuvGrcGtBaXInsJ8hlfI9BEVoGaNpP/s1600/IMG_0669.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mexico City Skyline</td></tr>
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After my <a href="http://blog.mohitsamant.com/2014/09/mexico-travel-diaries.html" target="_blank">previous day trip in Mexico city</a>, September last year while in transit to Playa del Carmen, I was really intrigued by the megacity and decided to visit it for a longer period this time around. I booked my round trip flight through American Airlines for $525, which I felt was a bit on the higher side for this time of the year. After landing, I cleared immigration at the Mexico city airport, which was not as express as the last time around(!), and I had to wait 30 min for my turn to get my passport stamped.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5lS3WqBPAfDi7xxkrN2wb6S-8d0CiYbUkcZhkt7NPcZtdIuTa4TEQxSOF9zWLBpkzh5g-8Oqt2Nk1xSjjHtlq1nA9jkhyphenhypheng9Uepvc2JAA4Aswl_Pb4D91TxkZIaK8FHt8hlAoUUibQIjwb/s1600/IMG_0700.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5lS3WqBPAfDi7xxkrN2wb6S-8d0CiYbUkcZhkt7NPcZtdIuTa4TEQxSOF9zWLBpkzh5g-8Oqt2Nk1xSjjHtlq1nA9jkhyphenhypheng9Uepvc2JAA4Aswl_Pb4D91TxkZIaK8FHt8hlAoUUibQIjwb/s1600/IMG_0700.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the top of Torre Latinoamerica</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjnZZUMuNeWKb_8iaYZKsLhHT3YO7rxXoz_EnWKYB91-9lwLJBhIEHZAmjd2U0ffvcY-MUruJ070vklqdhX2-K7UONub3I9mK3I7KYFmUY0XS8EphqgQyyyWr0qptUwbqI5ilHURapatmY/s1600/IMG_0590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjnZZUMuNeWKb_8iaYZKsLhHT3YO7rxXoz_EnWKYB91-9lwLJBhIEHZAmjd2U0ffvcY-MUruJ070vklqdhX2-K7UONub3I9mK3I7KYFmUY0XS8EphqgQyyyWr0qptUwbqI5ilHURapatmY/s1600/IMG_0590.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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After clearing the immigrations, I went on to exchange my USDs for some Mexican Pesos. The bank Santader ATM, at the airport, was broken, so I decided to exchange the cash I had. Although, ideally you would want to get the Pesos at the ATMs at the airport, you must have some backup cash for these kinds of situations.<br />
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For transport to the hotel, this time I decided take the off beaten path and took the <a href="http://www.metrobus.cdmx.gob.mx/mapas-de-sistema/mapa-linea-4" target="_blank">Metrobus</a> to the city center. The Metrobus is a novel and unique mode of transportation introduced by the Mexican government to ease traffic congestion in the city. All buses have dedicated lanes on the city roads and it cost only 30 pesos (~$2) for a one way trip to downtown from the airport. There is a booth located near gate 7 at terminal 1 at the airport, where you can purchase the card (10 pesos) and put balance on it. There're armed guards on the bus rides, although I really didn't really feel the need for one. They have <a href="http://www.metrobus.cdmx.gob.mx/rutas.html" target="_blank">many more routes</a> and destinations within the city, which cost 5 pesos for a single ride.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIg9zWdyGQa4PEMCmRmOS4KbEFx8IsNP-_b5fodqlqfPPF-3hOukLTqzTBlDVPYtI98wgPAclQGWj52utWWifMYFuB9fbhH3RdDCz4PKh4v_K91grHMzl0sJap0SsmoO5ssF2ld-nQafoU/s1600/IMG_0624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIg9zWdyGQa4PEMCmRmOS4KbEFx8IsNP-_b5fodqlqfPPF-3hOukLTqzTBlDVPYtI98wgPAclQGWj52utWWifMYFuB9fbhH3RdDCz4PKh4v_K91grHMzl0sJap0SsmoO5ssF2ld-nQafoU/s1600/IMG_0624.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Monumento a la revolución</span></td></tr>
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The bus dropped me about 2 block from the hotel and I only had to walk a couple of minutes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhet35fzCCrWhd_ag7FVJjhFsk0_xREdddtPCAB4cU0Bbzcx-gD27BQVMgzkSoCfw79PE1rDj8ZN-DtjOcR4yV8hvtfBLmOsk5scykAuSjwwS3zA_SipVJsIWtL_4IieHtuJRvbJC1B37pI/s1600/WP_20150321_024%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhet35fzCCrWhd_ag7FVJjhFsk0_xREdddtPCAB4cU0Bbzcx-gD27BQVMgzkSoCfw79PE1rDj8ZN-DtjOcR4yV8hvtfBLmOsk5scykAuSjwwS3zA_SipVJsIWtL_4IieHtuJRvbJC1B37pI/s1600/WP_20150321_024%5B1%5D.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tlacoyo - Blue corn, cheese and cactus salad</td></tr>
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<b>Day 1</b>: I had booked an Urban adventures' <a href="http://www.urbanadventures.com/Mexico-City-tour-mexico-city-markets-and-food-tour" target="_blank">Mexico city markets tour</a> and the guide promptly met me at 8:45 a.m at a pre-decided spot near Zocalo, the city center. The first stop was a relatively unknown market known for it's murals painted by the slaves who worked there. The guide briefly explained about the history of that market before moving on to the public transport to get to the next stop. The next market was a more typical city market, with every thing ranging from vegetables to live pets (Yes, live dogs, rabbits, mice etc.) and spices to magic potions & healing herbs, on sale.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqYuhIX0Uu0yE5Y2fYytfxtYhd_9cxNeTB3-J5nx7VFMxUYXtBQ71XqDScjIXiqzkuMG7-k5kvp0f-zyQA8580R-ThmQ5mzxA96JbSP-cLXnTthFws9lMf6BsEGCh7MrFuBAvfrFGK3WD1/s1600/Phototastic-3_29_2015_b93fa3d4-75b4-41f7-ac13-1157f516bf29%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqYuhIX0Uu0yE5Y2fYytfxtYhd_9cxNeTB3-J5nx7VFMxUYXtBQ71XqDScjIXiqzkuMG7-k5kvp0f-zyQA8580R-ThmQ5mzxA96JbSP-cLXnTthFws9lMf6BsEGCh7MrFuBAvfrFGK3WD1/s1600/Phototastic-3_29_2015_b93fa3d4-75b4-41f7-ac13-1157f516bf29%5B1%5D.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mexico city markets</td></tr>
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After a bit of exploring, we moved on to tasting some Mexico city street food. We tried a dish named Tlacoyo, made out of blue corn, cheese, cactus, refried beans and salsas, grilled together on a big pan, making a tasty conglomeration. We rounded off the tour with a trip by the metro train to Mercado de Jamaica and the flower market.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjBpYZjnXPHfbBYut5pQTI_ylHryrfSssqvMCdrZllxR1O8nPBYm5WYA-wCs65KROfxIAwc73C-XD5un8208Z-tq7KvZnztVLpv5-pbm86T430aytRrtbcfEzVgxpPdtxbJoR3QDep7kBE/s1600/Phototastic-3_29_2015_4cdc9759-9a54-4ccd-83fb-63a9cba97dbc%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjBpYZjnXPHfbBYut5pQTI_ylHryrfSssqvMCdrZllxR1O8nPBYm5WYA-wCs65KROfxIAwc73C-XD5un8208Z-tq7KvZnztVLpv5-pbm86T430aytRrtbcfEzVgxpPdtxbJoR3QDep7kBE/s1600/Phototastic-3_29_2015_4cdc9759-9a54-4ccd-83fb-63a9cba97dbc%5B1%5D.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the National Palace</td></tr>
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On my way back, I decided to take a little detour to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Palace_%28Mexico%29" target="_blank">Palacio nacional</a>, which used to be the residence of the incumbent Señor Presidente of Mexico. The entry is free, albeit there're airport style security checkpoints to get in. Every year September 15, just before midnight, the president of Mexico gives the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grito_de_Dolores" target="_blank">Grito de Dolores</a> (Cry of Dolores), in a ceremony to commemorate Mexican Independence from the Spaniards. About 1/3rd of the palace is open it to public, you can spot some amazing murals painted by<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diego_Rivera" target="_blank"> Diego Rivera</a> on the walls near the entrance of the palace. The murals represent various stages of Mexico city history, from the Aztec period to the modern era.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdujS5guNwNV9hYQAf9ZbbLl-mSgK9qFF55R8GOefRpzYK46VtZkwp7B45ATAGLi7iwvRVJ8Ef7lta_4IWRYS-QHfE-WGC3jeA2SCQRiBsPvrywEVJbkzhexZDT4txz_WUykFWe8kVIogL/s1600/IMG_0599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdujS5guNwNV9hYQAf9ZbbLl-mSgK9qFF55R8GOefRpzYK46VtZkwp7B45ATAGLi7iwvRVJ8Ef7lta_4IWRYS-QHfE-WGC3jeA2SCQRiBsPvrywEVJbkzhexZDT4txz_WUykFWe8kVIogL/s1600/IMG_0599.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ángel de la independencia</td></tr>
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After some resting at the hotel, I came back to Zocalo and took the <a href="http://www.turibus.com.mx/" target="_blank">Turibus </a>(Mexico city version of Big Bus) central circuit, which leaves from the center taking us through some of the most imp<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjymOrY6Ee53YsP4XyxjLdsiFXw4fQ0KngZEZtMlhHEZK4yW9Sm4bNbL9rpm3k0FYQat9SL-qCtHiVEJDGxNnwSf9hyphenhyphenFXxP7qvLY8VcWgsakxcLm72jRufOol8LrG_K-nNueDjZBLNLiHWx/s1600/Phototastic-3_29_2015_cf2880bf-e2bc-4f74-b149-6bb7710624bd%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjymOrY6Ee53YsP4XyxjLdsiFXw4fQ0KngZEZtMlhHEZK4yW9Sm4bNbL9rpm3k0FYQat9SL-qCtHiVEJDGxNnwSf9hyphenhyphenFXxP7qvLY8VcWgsakxcLm72jRufOol8LrG_K-nNueDjZBLNLiHWx/s1600/Phototastic-3_29_2015_cf2880bf-e2bc-4f74-b149-6bb7710624bd%5B1%5D.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: left;"> A</span>nthropological Museum</td></tr>
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ortant points of interest within the central area, like Plaza a la revolucion, Angel of Independence and some suave neighborhoods of the city.<br />
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<b>Day 2</b>: Next day, I decided to go to the famous <a href="http://www.mna.inah.gob.mx/index.html" target="_blank">anthropological museum</a>. I had to take a taxi from Zocalo to get there, as the metrobus doesn't have a route there, and I was skeptical about taking the metro train by myself. The taxi cost about 50-60 pesos for a one way trip. (Be sure to ask for the taxi meter before you board it, though).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMkrRwCnfNv6FlUjQQ1mVm885OaCqft3qbvF_HsLyf_sDl6hHlSpmEaDWL8pyPt0rycCR1o2oGVP2Dm_CPu8HSXHVP_mfqSAOi5DUCY9xfR8UfV_I-feeCf0O0b9ucAISW2y1rIMGBYFb3/s1600/11102897_10153901084386393_2512504434129703247_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMkrRwCnfNv6FlUjQQ1mVm885OaCqft3qbvF_HsLyf_sDl6hHlSpmEaDWL8pyPt0rycCR1o2oGVP2Dm_CPu8HSXHVP_mfqSAOi5DUCY9xfR8UfV_I-feeCf0O0b9ucAISW2y1rIMGBYFb3/s200/11102897_10153901084386393_2512504434129703247_o.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hemiciclo a Juarez.</td></tr>
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The museum contains artifacts from the pre-Colombian era of Mexico, including the Mayan and Aztec and empires. Depending on your level of interest, you can spend anywhere between a couple of hours to the whole day, with 64 pesos as the entry fee. I came back in the afternoon, as evening, I wanted to go to the top of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torre_Latinoamericana" target="_blank">Torre Latinoamerica </a>(Latin American Tower) and catch sunsets panoramic views of this big city. There is a restaurant and bar on the 41st floor of the tower, just one level below the viewing area. Here, you can have a drink or some food, relax and enjoy the views of city. So it makes more sense to go here, than spend 80 pesos to go just to the top.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZUJK2615DPEhy2mnYRE4G6XHnRtPMiMQD2iOf3QtFwqzUA7PiRGGoWzHp7Fi0mcJ3ZM4UwjIyNTWqNJ6-TZfU1E6EFYhKcXw3g8YzRXr8ciucG5R7K5cjYRnhdIFqDGadK_H0FZnlLgtP/s1600/IMG_0729.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZUJK2615DPEhy2mnYRE4G6XHnRtPMiMQD2iOf3QtFwqzUA7PiRGGoWzHp7Fi0mcJ3ZM4UwjIyNTWqNJ6-TZfU1E6EFYhKcXw3g8YzRXr8ciucG5R7K5cjYRnhdIFqDGadK_H0FZnlLgtP/s1600/IMG_0729.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me on top of the pyramid of the Sun</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzCwFccXVf9ufZDiucmk9LCBEMwKeDfsEW95Lvz8LkkB-V5PnlmQhQmtopVM2TdUY5N-uwOp3msNEG6Mf-Ys2Q9nMUpEhffyAfmYOj-X8n3wry-frjVSo9gooUuPKE9yQEHuXf19lv_Gdn/s1600/IMG_0704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzCwFccXVf9ufZDiucmk9LCBEMwKeDfsEW95Lvz8LkkB-V5PnlmQhQmtopVM2TdUY5N-uwOp3msNEG6Mf-Ys2Q9nMUpEhffyAfmYOj-X8n3wry-frjVSo9gooUuPKE9yQEHuXf19lv_Gdn/s1600/IMG_0704.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pyramid of the sun</td></tr>
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<b>Day 3</b>: I had booked <a href="http://www.urbanadventures.com/Mexico-City-tour-beyond-mexico-city-hidden-teotihuacan-family-dinner" target="_blank">another tour</a> with Urban adventures, to visit the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teotihuacan" target="_blank">pyramids at Teotihuacan</a>. The pyramids were built during the pre-Colombian era and were discovered by the Aztecs who named them Teotihuacan. The site is located about 25 miles north of Mexico city and hence, is technically outside of this city. We had to change a couple of metro trains and eventually take a 45 min public bus ride from one of the stations to get to the site. The ride was comfortable and air-conditioned. Once at the site, I was amazed at the size of the main pyramid, which is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramid_of_the_Sun" target="_blank">pyramid of the Sun</a>. It is probably the widest pyramid I've seen in North/Central America, although not the tallest (that credit goes to <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD3g3UCErgKAKLtb5-Nx56A2kyOVsMrkdKhCs0osEQcgub05mMSBytlyF_4skSoOEGEsOgISFW2bS5x2W4zZLyg-rghraTEoOLKHJcv6c1Yk5zcfvni9yGqez2G2phf5BWEQXaOnXtnI_U/s1600/WP_20131225_08020131225124046.jpg" target="_blank">Temple I in Tikal</a>, Guatemala). The guide briefly explained us the history and legend behind the pyramids as we climbed up to the top. Apparently, nobody has any concrete evidence regarding the purpose of these pyramids, and whom they were built by. The excavations at this site are still in progress, and they're still uncovering more and more mini-pyramids near the main site.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzKOu3-E8-VRllz_3OpG-E8CTFPkDlY8WRQxgeSg0STrOou81iUqE4DK_mw6CiEqV4Qn7HAbIr6IzmesYWJD9aOLCeJB-YRU3dhXQQ4xsNxf_IPSXONBhAnEs7UYvfTcf0gx7ZgSzsZlhB/s1600/WP_20150323_030%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzKOu3-E8-VRllz_3OpG-E8CTFPkDlY8WRQxgeSg0STrOou81iUqE4DK_mw6CiEqV4Qn7HAbIr6IzmesYWJD9aOLCeJB-YRU3dhXQQ4xsNxf_IPSXONBhAnEs7UYvfTcf0gx7ZgSzsZlhB/s200/WP_20150323_030%255B1%255D.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Agave plant</td></tr>
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We had to hurry to the next stop as it was just about to start pouring, we could feel it, as the wind had picked up and there was a nip in the air.<br />
Our next stop was a small house near by where the family specialized in the production of Tequila and artwork made out of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsidian" target="_blank">Obsidian</a>. One guy gave us some insight into the production of Tequila from the Agave plant and various species of the pla<br />
nt. Next stop, was a family who specialized in the production of delicacies made out of cactus. Final stop, was a "dinner with a local family". Although, we never dined with the family themselves, we were served some salad and tamarind chicken, which was delicious. After dinner, we took the bus back and a taxi to get to Zocalo.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRpu7n41OP6mE65nCYIdVCGsNV_dFx2ttF3eH5NFGM9AHpEQ0WC9hFVPBdcxcZDzMOckdrZGy-thsrZrOwkZLOmPVxG1qp-1uTe85zK0eQChnSzaR9xZZOAZ3KBPaEWY6GuA4EIZIvk6j/s1600/WP_20150324_019%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRpu7n41OP6mE65nCYIdVCGsNV_dFx2ttF3eH5NFGM9AHpEQ0WC9hFVPBdcxcZDzMOckdrZGy-thsrZrOwkZLOmPVxG1qp-1uTe85zK0eQChnSzaR9xZZOAZ3KBPaEWY6GuA4EIZIvk6j/s1600/WP_20150324_019%5B1%5D.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Xochimilco</td></tr>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/C_z2aBIJv1c/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/C_z2aBIJv1c?feature=player_embedded" style="clear: right; float: right;" width="320"></iframe><b>Day 4</b>: For my last day in the city, I had booked a tour to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xochimilco" target="_blank">Xochimilco</a> hanging gardens, located about 45 minutes from the center, but technically inside Districto Federal, the Mexico city district. These are artificial islands developed during the Aztec period, as the farming land was scarce. We boarded a flat-bottomed "trajinera" with our guide and drifted through the lovely floating gardens amid a network of small canals – it was difficult to tell that we were still inside once of the largest and most populated cities in the world. During the ride, was saw every thing from floating mariachi band to salesman selling ornaments on boats to even food being cooked and served right on the boat!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZ8jicocLdRakPCso4heyk819jG-pUGwNoOAjeyVAwed7Wm61GH2fNiwBzSPEJf7gImHPBuKDdA876bYA1ts2ro3kUXdceSaKmpQvLEH8qWAgXdXvis17-gfm5C5jB1s8X6tWOZza2dfv/s1600/WP_20150324_034%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZ8jicocLdRakPCso4heyk819jG-pUGwNoOAjeyVAwed7Wm61GH2fNiwBzSPEJf7gImHPBuKDdA876bYA1ts2ro3kUXdceSaKmpQvLEH8qWAgXdXvis17-gfm5C5jB1s8X6tWOZza2dfv/s1600/WP_20150324_034%5B1%5D.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">University of Mexico</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVRQrP1W_LMulubfgh6aSOQhU2XmXIOb_lIq_EJxzOOtv2yOjfTFP2urSPdMs3O-mWMjOeRBS8e4SKcBpKdXaRj4u_05I9jN7DpDABaQoWTNp-ma6iEMAVdFXMBEdFOfG3CgabYUPrMoYN/s1600/Phototastic-3_29_2015_250d313f-f856-40b2-9bc4-fe505596c497%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVRQrP1W_LMulubfgh6aSOQhU2XmXIOb_lIq_EJxzOOtv2yOjfTFP2urSPdMs3O-mWMjOeRBS8e4SKcBpKdXaRj4u_05I9jN7DpDABaQoWTNp-ma6iEMAVdFXMBEdFOfG3CgabYUPrMoYN/s1600/Phototastic-3_29_2015_250d313f-f856-40b2-9bc4-fe505596c497%5B1%5D.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coyocan market</td></tr>
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After the boat ride, we moved to the next stop, the National Autonomous University of Mexico. This is one of the most prestigious universities in the entire world and is constantly ranked among the top 100. They have engineering, arts and even a medical school, and best part is, it costs 1/3 of a mexican peso (2 cents U.S.) as tuition fees for an year!<br />
Of course, the competition to get in, is cut throat, but it makes quality education within the reach of those who can't afford private schools.<br />
We stopped for lunch at the Coyocan market, where were had tostadas and aquas (juices).<br />
Our final stop was at the <a href="https://www.artsy.net/artist/frida-kahlo" target="_blank">Frida Kahlo</a> museum where her works were on display. The museum was actually her last home, in Coyoacan, where she spent her final years. The museum contains a collection of artwork by her, and is one of the most visited in Mexico city.<br />
<br />
That brought to end an interesting and educating five days in one of the largest cities in the world.<br />
Given it's proximity and direct flights from most major cities in the U.S, I'm surprised why more people don't visit this historic and cultural megacity. The city is clean, safe, the people are friendly and there's lots to do here!<br />
<br />
<b>What businesses did I use?</b><br />
Airlines : American<br />
Hotels: <a href="http://www.casasanildefonso.com/" target="_blank">Casa San Iledefonso</a><br />
Tours: <a href="http://www.urbanadventures.com/Mexico-City-tour-beyond-mexico-city-hidden-teotihuacan-family-dinner" target="_blank">Urban adventures</a> and <a href="http://booking.amigotours.com.mx/Booking/excursions/5885ZRKFHCRE1--NGIvngbeNpgvivgl--ZK333--ZK--Rkphefvba/mexico-city-super-saver-coyoacn-and-frida-kahlo-museum-plus-xochimilco-and-national-university.aspx?PageId=334533576&CallFrom=List" target="_blank">Amigo tours</a></div>
Mohit Samanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11921125793502265689noreply@blogger.com0