Antigua – the Historic City not the Island

21 June 2016 / travellingross / 2 Comments

13 – 16 June 2016

Travellingross Rating: 10 out of 10

This city in Guatemala is an infusion of places I have been before. Fortunately the best parts of those places. A bit of Peru, Costa Rica, Cuba and Mexico.

But different to those countries (I know I’m broad brushing entire countries and not comparing to all of Guatemala just yet), here in Antigua city, it’s like the tourist doesn’t exist. Sure there are people trying to sell tacky jewellery and cashews. But other than that everyone goes on with life and it’s authentic. Not like Cuba with their vintage taxis and tourist pesos made solely for the foreigners. Or like Costa Rica where everyone seemed to target the assumed wealthy foreigner. Here kids play basketball with archaeological digs and repairs in the background. A volcano erupts smoke in the near distance. And the stalls on the streets are intended for the locals, not the tourist. All in a relaxed, simple atmosphere that is safer than my minimal research lead me to believe.

A world heritage listed city that literally has an historic site or ruin on every corner. I did not see anything outside the core but I felt that, unlike other world heritage listed towns, this one is a working lived in, functioning city. I really enjoyed my time here and it was a great way to kick off my Guatemala and Belize trip.

How to Make this Trip

Flights: Copa Airlines via Panama City. Long layover in Panama so I paid $50 USD to enter the lounge which was a great decision.

Transport: Pre-arranged an airport pick up and transfer to my hotel through Around Antigua for $43 USD. I read that Guatemala City is hazardous for tourists and not much to see, so I was happy to see someone holding my name on a sign and get straight outta there to my hotel in 45 mins.

Accommodation: Hotel Meson de Maria for $56 USD per night via booking.com. Quiet, perfect location and with a delicious included breakfast. Only downside was the weak Wi-Fi signal.

Ahhhh my hotel from the rooftop terrace

My hotel. Loved the courtyard

The arch. Symbol of the town.

Typical street scene

Basillica

Inside the basillica

Riiiiiight

Creative fountain

City Hall

“The most preserved church in town”

City Hall looking to Cathedral

Typical courtyard

Local beer overlooking some ruins

Parque central. Very peaceful.

Another corner, another ruin

Volcano overlooking the town

A volcano blowing a puff of smoke. I’m sure there was a tremor one morning.

From Santa Cruz look out

Kids playing in front of a ruin under restoration. Such a contrast.

Love this

I don’t normally show food, but here’s some local dish. Food is good here.

Home of Curacao Liqueur

15 December 2014 / travellingross / Leave a comment

Friday 14 to Wednesday 19 November 2014

Curacao. Yet another country I didn’t know existed and a name I pronounced entirely incorrect (it’s cure-a-sow not koo-rac-o). But a country that has intriguing character, great people and many turquoise bays to explore. And to be fair to myself for another geography failure, it is a country that only became official in 2010 when the Dutch Antilles were separated under the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Getting to Curacao from Fort Lauderdale I became trapped in a terrible traffic jam of gridlock hell that amplified frustration when trying to get to the airport for a 10:50am flight. I roared into the rental car return, raced to check-in and then I became one of ‘those people’ trying to cram 4 bags into 2 to meet the TSA requirements of only 2 pieces of hand-luggage. All along I was worried they’d weigh my bags but instead it was all about the number of items. Rejected by the TSA security, I was against the wall between the water fountain and the toilet stuffing souvenirs, food and belongings into my back pack and then kneeling on my carry-on suitcase to zip it up. In the end I got to the gate only to be told my suitcase was now too fat and would have to be checked. Free of charge. $25 saving, a lot of sweat and a bit of stress. Next time I’ll know better. This could be the first and last attempt at carry-on only.

3 hrs later and I landed mid-afternoon in Willemstad, the capital of Curacao. In Fort Lauderdale the night before, and under the influence of some beers, I booked the Marriot beachfront hotel through an app on my phone. I have a policy of not staying in Marriot’s because they tend to be the ones targeted by terrorists. But the Hilton was booked and the Marriot had the beach hotel vibe I was chasing for 5 nights ahead of my return to work. Getting to my room and any concerns about expense or being blown up washed away literally with the waves outside my room. I love these kind of hotels and have always enjoyed these vacations whether it be in Zanzibar, Turks & Caicos, or Broome. The check-in process was the best I’ve experienced anywhere.

The sea water here is perfect temperature. It rained a fair bit though and was cloudy 70% of the time which meant it wasn’t really hot enough for me to feel like beach weather. People smoke on the beach which annoys me. I used the steam room everyday. I’ve added ‘steam room’ to my ‘Dream Home’ list.

Other highlights included renting a scooter for a couple of days and cruising around the island to the Sea Aquarium, along the coast to some truly beautiful bays and out to the factory where the Curacao liqueur is made. It’s a brief tour here, but interesting to learn how this orange flavoured blue drink originated and is now the component of many cocktails around the world. All because of importing Spanish oranges that suffered in the hot Caribbean climate to generate the famous liqueur that now comes in many colours but blue is the most recognised. Wandering around the two sides of Willemstad was enjoyable. The harbour inlet separates the two sides but is joined by a mobile pedestrian bridge that opens for ships, tug boats etc. Very relaxing to sit at one of the waterside restaurants with beer in hand watching the ships go by. Ahhhhhh island life.

Websites Used to Make this Trip

Booked the scooter through www.curacaoscooters.com

On a rare clear day

Marriot

Cloudy a lot

Seal time

love these fish

They’re real

Dolphin gets some height!

Animal cruelty can look a lot like fun. Riding dolphins.

has had better days

Who would’ve thought i’d find Japanese here.

Appropriate spot to sit under that sign

I’ll be back

I’m in Miami…Beach

12 November 201412 November 2014 / travellingross / Leave a comment

Of course I had the LMFAO song ‘I’m in Miami Bitch’ in my head on repeat for most of the 2 flights (via Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago) to Miami. And then I got to Miami Beach and I had this moment of internal contemplation that maybe it is not ‘Bitch’ but ‘Beach’ and I have been singing it wrong all this time. ‘I’m in Miami Beach’ would be so geographically correct and appropriate, but too academic for the singers and not really a title befitting a #1 hit. Then I saw the t-shirts that confirmed that of course it’s not ‘beach’. Crisis over.

9 nights in Miami Beach had a bit of everything: sun, swimming, tourism, party, sleep, vegetating, ridiculously expensive meals out, rain, TV, celebrities, basketball, hot people, omg people, shopping, and old men randomly singing on buses. Arriving Saturday 1 November, I had been up since 2:30am Suriname time to get a 6:10am flight and landing in Miami at 12:30pm. Getting the Miami Beach Airport Flyer Bus was easy and cheap at $2.65 and dropped me off a 2 block walk from my Ocean Drive prime position apartment between 9^th and 10^th Streets (love how the street names are so basic). The walk was short but a sensory overload. On a beautiful day, it was crowded and still busy with Halloween revellers. I wasn’t expecting or wanting a party atmosphere (this time), but that’s what I got, and I should’ve realised this but wasn’t exactly here for that. It’s got a Cancun vibe where everyone drinks from way too big glasses and is dressed to impress. Give me a couple of days (hours?) and I’ll adjust.

With such a chunk of time to spend in one place, I am glad I stayed in a vacation rental apartment rather than a hotel or cheap hostel. Here I felt like a Miami Beach local and could do my own cooking etc. I did this in New York City for a week a few years ago and it is still one of my most memorable trips. Plus an easy way to save money. This was $94/night and for the location is incredible value. The idea was to stay put for a large portion of my 19 day break to catch my breath and explore a little. Miami has not really been high on my travel list, but there were still a few things I wanted to see. And I am glad not to be somewhere (like a NYC or Rome or London) that I would be out of the house every day exploring or sightseeing. Here are the highlights:

Miami Heat NBA Game: I rate it an 8 out of 10 experience with great seats at the American Airlines Arena versus Houston Rockets. Game started off competitive and entertaining, T shirts parachuted from the ceiling rails at half time, but people started leaving with 5 mins to go when obvious that Miami were getting embarrassingly beaten. Houston player bounced ball for last 15 seconds. Then they all just walked off court. Jumbo hot dog not so Jumbo. Beers $8. Burger tasted like artificial display burger. Lots of food outlets though and a very well run event.

Lincoln Street Mall and Holocaust Memorial: 7/10. The outdoor mall is like many in the world. I bought some new Oakley sunglasses and a jumper/sweater cause it is colder here than I hoped (mid-twenties). I was going to avoid the holocaust memorial cause I’ve seen so many but I glimpsed it on a bus and it looked unique. I’m glad I took a closer look. All outdoor and very well put together with an emotional experience walking through an enclosed hallway to the centre of the memorial where a sculpted girl is crouched down reaching for your help as hymn music plays. This opens out to circular area with some of the most emotive sculptures I have seen.

Everglades National Park: 6/10. I did a little research into tours and you know I hate choice, so I just went with the tour recommended by the tourist centre – Everglades Safari Park. The 4 hour tour satisfied my Everglades curiosity. Airboat ride, swamp, alligators, interactive wildlife show, gator burger. Reminded me a little of the Okavango Delta in Botswana, but with fewer wildlife encounters. I guess going in the heat of the day means not seeing many animals. If I went back, I would explore with a car and head down towards the Keys area.

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens: 9/10. Fascinating mansion south of Miami and easy to get to by bus and train. Built in 1914, it looks like a much older Italian villa and has some elements of my dream home. I did the audio guided tour and was really interested in the history and place showcasing some of the excess of the gilded age in the USA when new millionaires wanted to show off their wealth by largely copying European aristocracy.

Beach and Clubbing: 7/10. Usually it needs to be 32C+ to get me into the water, but I couldn’t leave Miami Beach without a beach day. And then a club crawl tour where you pay $25 to meet up with others (rent-a-friends! Perfect for the solo traveller), get cheap drinks, and free express entry to 5 pubs/clubs. I hesitated about doing this as I am a bit shy (!) but sucked up the courage and glad I went.

Websites Used to Make this Trip

Booked the vacation rental through www.flipkey.com

Found basketball, concerts and other events at miami.eventful.com/events

Bus and train routes www.miamidade.gov/transit/routes.asp

Club Crawl pubcrawl-miami.com/

Art Deco Welcome Center for museum and really helpful people to make the most of your trip www.mdpl.org/