2014 Latin America Adventure

Ah ha! Here is my bag, after traveling from Guayaquil with a plane change at Panama City, safely arrived at Mexico City, my immediate stop before heading home in two days time. My experience with COPA Airline throughout this trip had been very good, so far, and for that matter, Aerogal which I used between the mainland and Galapagos.

Approaching Mexico City

All the airlines had always been able to provide me with a large plastic bag for my backpack, save it from being jammed on the conveyor belts and breaking the many click-locks.

Mexico City was where I came through just on 3 months ago. This time, I decided to try the metro rail system after some research online, especially it is in the middle of the day. And it all went well, save locating the hotel ! After walking pass it three times, you know what, the sign there still bore the old name....sigh!

After exploring the historical district of this megalopolis in my first visit, with the one full day in between flights, I decided to see the western side of the city, which is the commercial and the modern face of Mexico City.

First of all, some local high rise residences,

and local parks and reserves..

And the local metro-bus system, similar to the one in Lima, I would think,

Ah ha, here we are the business district and more...

And the Monument for Revolution, with a grand plaza in the front, but a less than dignified rear side, a market of sort...

The less then dignified rear of the Monument for Revolution

The Senate

A modern office and business plaza

And what a green idea, self-serve bicycle rental along the Paseo de la Reforma. Apparently, it works by purchasing a pre-paid card from the city office, and just simply pick a bike, checkout and check-in again when finish, at any of the many bike rails. Unfortunately, they are not for tourists as we do not have a local address !

And the Column for Independence

And the playful squirrels at Chapultepec Park

And then back to the old again, the historical Post Office Palace with its golden ornaments.

Finally, the journey was done, the adventure came to its conclusion.....challenges, exhilaration, faraway friendships, unforgettable experiences.... are all going to be consigned to the memory banks.

And it is time to head home.....one flight to Los Angeles for a few hours of transit and visiting my 80+ year old uncle, who still travels around the World.

landing at LAX

This is a sign of greener things to come, by the side of a freeway in Los Angeles.

This shall be a sign to be everywhere in the near future

And then a very long flight back to Sydney.

And Home Sweet Home, after 94 days. The End.

My Final Words

The trip covered Mexico and Panama in the Central Americas, and then an 8 week overland on a Tucan Truck, which took me and a small group through 5 countries over 11,000 Km, and then into the Galapagos for a 12 day exploration, it's been a wonderful experience.

Compared to my previous self-drive trip through Argentina and Chile, another wonderful trip in itself, this trip shielded me from police problems when they try to extract money etc., though I was able to fend them off every time in Argentina, but it wasn't an experience one wants to repeat.

Among the highlights, there were the Mayan Pyramids and ruins, the Panama Canal, the Atacama Deserts ( driest place on Earth ), the Uyuni Salt Pan ( largest of its kind ), then the Machu Picchu 4 day walk, the never ending wildlife encounters in the Galapagos etc. are all something one would never forget.

There were also real adventures like the sand dune surfing, the canyoning in Banos, flying over the Nazca drawings, the ocean snorkeling in the Galapagos, where many videos were taken for my Alzheimer days.

The trip provided me with a totally different insight ( history and modern life ) into Latin America, a very positive one, though one that is seen through the eyes of a tourist, but nevertheless real and firsthand. My subsequent trip to Southern Africa also did the same, the only real impression is the one that is on the ground with a big dose of "see and feel".

Like everywhere else, to tour and understand Latin America requires time and planning, a three month trip is better than the 10 days fly-in fly-out one, but it is still just scratching the surface, especially so much of it are hidden gems.

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Wednesday 25 June 2014

Day 88 - 90 Guayaquil the colorful

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Photo Album: Guayaquil the colorful

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Finally, it was time to bid farewell to the Galapagos and commence my long homeward journey across the Pacific, the beginning of the End of this 3-month long adventure through the Latin Americas.

First it was a 2 minutes taxi ride to the San Cristobal Airport, an airport with very basic facilities, but nevertheless, a jet airport.

Right on time, the aeroplane departed, well organised and no fuss. So it should be. And I bade goodbye, for the last time this time, to one of my favourites, the Kicker Rock, and the idyllic San Cristobal Island.

Another short taxi trip, I was in a tourist popular part of town with a modern shopping center nearby.

Despite the area seemingly to have a lot of up market residences, however, the shops on the streets aren't too friendly, security seems to be a bit of a concern here ! Walking around here after dark is not to be encouraged, I said to myself.

As I was by now, was in winding down mode. So it was late morning on the next day, that I decided to go into downtown for a walk along the river front. A 30 minutes bus trip delivered me to the busy part of town, noisy and jam packed with traffics.

After walking towards the river front for a couple of blocks, passing a street of shops with mainly Chinese traders for electronic and other domestic small goods, the better faces of the town came into view.

The river front is basically an recreational walking area, full of small modern facilities and shops for a leisure day out. While having lunch, the Chinese lady owner of the cafe pointed me to the Cathedral and its main square, to see some colourful iguanas.

She even took the trouble to walk with me for a couple of blocks just to point out them out...a big thanks to her. And indeed there were...

It seems that they just while their time away, with the town folks lazying on the park benches, while a number of silly tourists like me, snapping away with their latest cameras.

So far, the city seem quite safe and leisurely, at least along this stretch of the river front..

And I kept walking north along the river, towards La Penas, a hilly area with a lot of colourful houses. It is a somewhat renewed part of the Guayaquil seedy ghettos of the Santa Ana Hill.

From a distance, it does seem like Ecuador's answer to the famed Italian Cinque Terre.

It took 444 steps to walk to the top, starting from what seems like a local police station, with plenty of uniformed guards, secretly talking into their radios. Oops, have I done something wrong ?

Step no. 001

Around some corners, there are more of them, and there seems to be some places where they would stop us tourist going in. I guess they are there to protect tourists.

The views at the top is certainly worthwhile...apparently, I was told, they close the top after dark, because of the potential for crimes.

Step no. 444

After another day of simply lazying around, catching up with the rest of the World etc., it's time to book a taxi for an early morning trip to meet my flight to Mexico City.

My early morning departure was a little dramatic. The taxi ride was easy, the check-in no hassles. But when going through security checks, I was met with searches of the severest degree that I can recall.

First, I had to pass through what appears to be soldiers manned, probably an anti-drug enforcement check-point. I was picked out by a stern looking soldier, firstly to a small room, to answer a few questions, about what my activities in Ecuador had been etc., and I then, was told to strip myself down to my underwear, hand searched, and all my hand carries taken out for a piece by piece inspection. And finally, through a body scanner, yes, one of those big black machines they can see through every body parts. Then reluctantly, they were done, leaving me to pack up all my belongings again. It must be their need to exercise every instrument at the start of everyday, and I was the lucky one picked to go through the process !!

Just out of the door, then there was the queue for security checks, I thought not again, seeing the way other were searched. Yes, indeed, I was told to take my belt, my shoes off, and further frisking and walking through metal detectors, another looked into my belonging piece by piece, no body scanner this time !!!!!!!! My..., my ...., I've done my "body search" cravings for a long while, not if I have a choice.

Next Post: The modern face of Mexico City

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