Category: South America


And Just Like That, Here’s 2025

Filed under: art, Chile, cruising, Europe, Italy, lima, Musings & Ramblings, New Zealand, Patagonia, Peru, South America, Travel, travels, United Kingdom — Leave a comment
December 10, 2024

Same time last year, I was only too happy to welcome the new year. It was a very challenging 2023 then and by God’s grace, we breezed through 2024 with many pleasant surprises and happy developments. And just like that, here we are on the last few weeks of 2024, looking forward to a very Merry Christmas and an even happier 2024.

Nightcap at Fairmont Hotel

The first quarter of 2024 was nearly uneventful until my visit to our OZ branch in Sydney. The visit was actually a prelude to an even longer trip crossing 3 time zones. Sydney was our takeoff point for our South American adventure. I waited to join my travel buddies on a flight to Santiago, Chile on April 2. The “barkada trip” covering Chile and Peru spanned over 2 weeks but I left earlier than the rest to join my 2 “apos” in the beautiful city of Venezia for the biennale exhibition. But that’s getting ahead of my story. Patagonia on Chile’s side is magnificent — the kind of adventure you should have planned for when you were younger. Seriously. But visiting it now still stirs that adventurous juice within you. The vista was so dreamy it casts a magical spell. We’ve had some mishaps and coming into Peru, experienced altitude sickness of sorts. Yet, we all cherish the memories and weeks after the trip, found it a chore to move on. We’ve traveled to many beautiful spots together but this South American journey is one for the books. Santiago, Patagonia, Machu Picchu, Cuzco, Lake Titicaca and all the places in between comprise one magical holiday, compelling us to rethink our future travel plans.

Torres Del Paine. Patagonia. Chile.
Cusco. Peru

It was agonizing to leave this happy group to take that last seat on a flight from Lima, Peru to Madrid, Spain for a connecting flight to Venice, Italy. By the time I landed in Venice, I felt brain-fogged and nearly deaf after all those flight hours and anxieties over missing my connecting flight. My 2 elves were waiting for me by then as I managed to join them on the exhibit opening day. Without change of clothes, we didn’t miss a beat and went straight to the gallery where my grandma pride took over as I stared at apo’s lone entry hanging on a wall at Palazzo Mora. Grateful. Proud. Beyond Happy. We celebrated the day I arrived with a sumptuous Italian dinner before I hit the sack and snored the night away. Just one night. The following morning, we took the train for Florence where we spent 6 nights and then to Rome for 3 more nights before flying home. It was an Italian holiday that went better than planned.

Venezia

London

Some friends ask me where I get the energy. By September, we got ready for yet another art exhibition in London. Before the London exhibit, we took side trips to Liverpool and Edinburgh in Scotland. A most rewarding trip in 3 cities in the United Kingdom. Apo and her mom enjoyed these detours and prepped us good for the exhibit of Filipino artists in D Contemporary in the Mayfair area of London. Took all of nearly 3 weeks for this UK journey. Stayed home less than 2 weeks before flying back to Sydney — a second visit this year, and this time as a prelude to a New Zealand cruise aboard the Celebrity Edge. Not my first cruise but my first trip to further Down Under! Twelve nights on this big boat, half of which spent at sea. Our big group of 29 made it across those unpredictable waters and found the NZ spots under the tourist radar quite interesting, if not charming.

Celebrity Edge Cruiseship Behind me.

Marina in Auckland, New Zealand

I am home now. Happy to have bonded with my OZ family before and after my NZ cruise. Happy to be back to attend a reunion with college friends and of course, to spend Christmas and New Year with my family. No trips outside the country nor out-of-town. We are staying home to spend time with balikbayan kin and friends. The Yuletide calendar is full, marking a couple of birthdays and a wedding anniversary as well. We have made some Yuletide traditions simpler over the years. Simpler, but more “present”. Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas. May 2025 bring us peace, prosperity, harmony and many treasured moments with our loved ones ❤️

My OZ family
Christmas Party
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Our South American Adventure

Filed under: Chile, Musings & Ramblings, Patagonia, Peru, South America, Travel, travels — Leave a comment
May 11, 2024

Planned years ago but then, the pandemic threw a monkey wrench on our travel calendar for 2020. Postponed a couple of times, we finally managed to pull through this 2024 minus some friends originally in the list. We’ve settled on Chile and Peru but not without some major iti changes like dropping Atacama Desert and instead including Patagonia. We were also close to implementing “Plan B” as half in our group have not obtained Chilean visas a good week before the trip. In the end, all of us but one got our visas. The one who didn’t just caught up with us in Peru for the second leg of the trip.

Santiago, Chile

While I spent 3 weeks in Sydney prior to this South American adventure, I caught up with the group at the Sydney Airport for our trip to Santiago, Chile. They flew in from Manila for the connecting flight Down Under. The others chose to fly in to Chile from California. We also planned to enjoy 3 rest days prior to the start of the tour to rev up our energy, especially considering that this travel itinerary involves 6 domestic and regional flights. And that does not include a 10 hour bus ride from Cusco to Puno. Thinking back, it sure is a hectic, tiring and challenging journey. Only our excitement and sworn resolve to endure were going for us. And true, the familiarity and tested friendship helped along.

Lago Pehoe in Patagonia

The second leg of the journey spawned a few health concerns. Altitude sickness hit some of us especially as we moved from Cusco towards Lake Titicaca. It helped that the novelty and the magnificent scenery helped us endure some ailments, and that our hotels were well-prepared and accustomed to deal with such adversities. Not to be dismissed is the fact that we had very good guides in Patagonia, Cusco, Machu Picchu and Puno. We drew a lot of comfort in that. As we dwelled on our travel joys and woes, we all agreed that while the trip is longer and more tiring than most of our previous travels, we totally enjoyed it as the spots we visited are simply magical and breathtaking.

Lunch in Cusco

Here’s the blog summary of our adventures in Chile and Peru.

Touchdown, Santiago de Chile

A Neruda Kind of Day

Flying Into Patagonia

Torres del Paine, Chilean Side

Back In Lima, Peru

Segunda Vez En Machu Picchu

Getting High in Cusco (2017)

Higher Up in Lake Titicaca

Except for my piece on Cusco, all other blog links refer to our recent (2024) trip. It has been a while since I’ve done a really lengthy trip — this time, crossing 3 timezones. From Down Under (Sydney) to South America (Chile and Peru) to Italy. Watch out for my blogs on our Italian holiday with Nieto y Nieta. It’s a rather short one but never lacking in new adventures. After all, there is always something new to do or check out in Italy. Ciao!

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Crazy High in Lake Titicaca

Filed under: Peru, South America, Travel, travels — Leave a comment
May 4, 2024

Can’t believe I paid big bucks for this. Sure, I anticipated the racing heartbeat and low oxygen levels, but diarrhea? And not just moí — others in our traveling group experienced upset stomachs too. Just another offshoot of altitude sickness, they say. But we endured. Puno is where you’d find Lake Titicaca, the largest freshwater lake in South America and the highest navigable lake in the world. There are less than 20 “ancient” lakes on earth and Titicaca ranks among them. It also borders Bolivia to the east and sits at over 3,800 meters above sea level. That is just a few meters below La Raya, the highest point (4,300 meters) between Cusco and Puno which we passed on our way here. Feeling the way I did here, I gave up on my dream to visit Rainbow Mountain which tops at 5,200 meters, more than twice that of Machu Picchu!

Boat made of totora reeds.
The Lady Village Head

At this elevation, it’s interesting that the waters are very still, so calm it mirrors one’s reflection quite clearly and brightly! The lake claimed to be the birthplace of the Incas is 56% owned by Peru while the remaining 44% lies in La Paz, Bolivia. The lady you see on the photo above rules the village like a Mayor would. When we arrived, there was an assortment of fabrics, rugs, handicraft strewn on the floating island made of reeds, available for sale. Calls to mind my visit to Myanmar’s Inle Lake where I also found “floating villages”. The latter, I find more progressive though. Their weaving industry is far more superior and the villages have become self-sufficient with “floating gardens” complete with weaving factories, schools and even restaurants.

For Sale
The Village Chief’s Hubby

The closest city to the lake is Puno from where we took a private boat to reach Uros Village. The indigenous people who live here are called Uros themselves and they call the floating islands made of Totora reeds their home. I’ve read somewhere that should one fall into the lake, tradition dictates that no rescue will be done. That is, the person who fell into the lake would be considered an “offering” to the Earth Goddess”. Now, if you’re wondering about the lake’s depth, you bet it’s deep at 140 to 280 meters deep!

The boat ride took less than a half hour
from the hotel’s wharf.

We tried riding the “reed boats” but felt safer back in our tiny motorboat sailing to the island of Taquile for a short hike for our lunch. Then back to our Puno lakefront hotel. I like our Sonesta Posada del Inca Hotel’s lakefront yard. Breakfast offers a stunning view of the waters and the yard has cozy gazebos and sitting areas. Perfect for cocktails at sundown.

The hike before the lunch.

back to the hotel after this excursion

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Patagonia Vibes

Filed under: Patagonia, South America, Travel, travels — 1 Comment
April 17, 2024

Ice, Ice Baby. Seriously chill mornings, sunrise at 7:30am and temps bottoming at -4 C with the wind factor. We landed in Punta Arenas where we stayed a night before moving to Puerto Natales where Torres del Paine is. Every trip has its highlights but I must admit this trip had way too many. The Chilean side of Patagonia may not present the total picture but seeing those mountain peaks, glaciers and blue lakes won’t fail to soothe your nerves after a long drive. Like a balm to your soul. Typically, I blog about my travels within 24 hours of the experience. Not this time. Took a while to put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard) to recall these pleasant, recent memories. Not sure why — was I too tired? Or was I wont to stir these Patagonia vibes which I refuse to shake off? At day’s end, I felt compelled to hug and thank our excellent guide Gabriella for all the fabulous adventures. Patagonia gave me a natural high.

Bundled up for the magic that unfolded before us. Located way south of Chilean Patagonia, the park truly mesmerized us with insanely blue skies and lakes, majestic mountain peaks and valleys. The closest city is Puerto Natales where we stayed 3 nights. The hotel alone where we stayed was a pleasant surprise with breakfasts served with stunning views. Somehow, we felt spoiled as we coped with sceneries after sceneries of mountain ranges, aqua blue lakes and impossibly sunny skies! Everything that should be seen was enjoyed sans cloud and fog covers. What a gift!

The catamaran cruise towards the Balmaceda and Serrano Glaciers was very relaxing. Part of the Bernardo O’ Higgins Park, the glaciers can be reached only by boat. We shared the boat with many other travelers just as eager as we are to see these natural wonders. The Park is the largest in Chile and one of top 4 in the world. The glaciers didn’t disappoint, nor the lunch served in Estancia Perales . Lamb and more lamb, along with the Estancia’s fine vino. Another glorious day!

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Heading South. Really South.

Filed under: Chile, Musings & Ramblings, Phlog, South America, Travel, travels — Leave a comment
April 9, 2024

Have you been to Punta Arenas? How about Puerto Natales to check out the Chilean side of Patagonia? Torre del Paine and the calving glaciers of Balmaceda y Serrano are certainly NOT to be missed. (But that segment of the trip deserves a separate blog.) And right now, I’m just too confused what to write about. Too many highlights! This trip to Chile has had its varied stressful episodes — like delayed visa issuances, many changes in itinerary, postponement from an originally-scheduled trip in 2020, 5 years in planning and all of 8 domestic, regional and international flights (including Peru) on this trip but we are not complaining. 😉

Punta Arenas. Flew from Santiago to this southern tip of the narrowest, longest country in the world.
Hi there. Or as they say here, Hola!

Snow-capped mountains, the bluest waters, glaciers, waterfalls and fields of alfalfa. Plus the wildlife. Andean condors, armadillos, sheep, Patagonian horses, fox and guanacos. And if you’re seriously into wildlife, there are whales, sea lions, penguins, pumas, and flamingoes. Frankly, we’re quite happy seeing the Andean condors. Nature at its best!

Replica of the NAO Victoria , the first ship to circumnavigate the world.

After some days resting our butts in Santiago, Chile we flew south to Punta Arenas and Puerto Natales. The Chilean Patagonia. We had good luck and timed it perfectly in the weather department. While temps hovered between negatives and positive 7 Celsius, the sun was out the 5 days we were here. Every mountain peak showed up! Even the clouds parted into unique patterns, letting the sun beam for better-lighted snapshots. Slight showers, snow flurries, but only for brief moments. And those peaks and valleys showed up in all its clear glory, making photography buffs in our group grow insanely excited and happy. Same goes with the camwhores who have stacked up megabytes in their photo galleries. Our gizmo’s batteries drained and storage full. But that slight setback was ignored completely as we just couldn’t move on from the landscapes, seascapes we saw before us. Nothing can upset my dreamy Patagonia vibes here. The clouds above and the rolling waves from both the South Atlantic and South Pacific Oceans cheered us up. The Strait of Magellan was a good reminder of how Magellan discovered this southern Chilean strip before navigating onwards to discover the Philippine Islands in the 1520’s. Hmmm, we share some history here. And it’s interesting how we each “turned out”.

The Barkada in Fundo San Fernando where we had a soupy beef dish that reminded us of pochero.
Hiking is always a happy adventure for this group.
At Fundo San Fernando’s Parque Keuken

For many of our meals, lamb ruled. Ranchos and estancias provided meaty dishes with portions overly generous that carnivores may choose to live here. As for seafood, I enjoyed their ceviches, pulpo, and filete de cormoran. Been searching for the “Chilean sea bass” but it appears this is pure branding since the real fish is simply referred to as corvina just like the dorado or salmon commonly available. For sure, they grow real sweet tomatoes and onions — just these 2 sprinkled with olive oil and salt enough to prep your appetite. Coffee was a disappointment though, at least those served in our hotels. I rather expected strong, quality coffee thinking Colombia is in the same region. Thus, our morning runs included trips to cafés to pick up our morning brew. This in seriously chill mornings where the sun rises at 7:30 am.

Across our lovely hotel in Puerto Natales is this park fronting the sea.

Between Punta Arenas where the airport is located and Puerto Natales where Torre del Paine can be found, is a nearly 3 hour drive. It must be lonely driving these well-paved roads in winter. But on second thought, those towers covered in snow in all its resplendent beauty can’t fail to cheer anyone up. Just lovely.

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A Neruda Kind of Day

Filed under: Chile, Musings & Ramblings, poetry, South America, Travel, travels — Leave a comment
April 8, 2024

From an urban landscape to rustic villages lining the coast of the longest and narrowest country in the world, it took nearly 2 hours driving from Santiago to Isla Negra. One of Chile’s famous citizens was Pablo Neruda, a poet and I must add, a full-blooded romantic. Makes me wonder if all poets are indeed romantics. His two-storey house in Isla Negra is one of 3 — the other two can be found in Santiago and Valparaiso. The one in Isla Negra is an oceanfront lovely house filled with curio and childhood souvenirs that give you a better appreciation of Señor Pablo.

There are 14 “stations” where the audio guide details the items found in each. Here’s one audio guide I truly enjoyed. Whoever crafted the narratives are so good that one feels the sentimental values and laugh at the humor just listening to the well-articulated descriptions. The rooms and halls are a tad tiny — as Neruda wanted a house designed like a boat — which enhanced a visitor’s personal encounter. Most rooms have large glass windows facing the Pacific Ocean where waves wildly crash the boulders. It was almost violent but still a lovely sight that must have inspired many of Neruda’s poems.

It is a pity that photography is not allowed inside the house. But someone in our group snapped some photos which I’m sharing here. If I were bold enough, I would have taken a picture of the bedroom with its crocheted bedcovers and the living room which looked more like an antique shop. Oh, there’s also the small writing room which Señor Pablo considered his “refuge” and where many of his poems were written. I can just imagine him seated behind that desk, staring at the ocean and listening to the sound of waves . As one steps outside the house, the cold wind slaps your face and perks your senses awake. Sitting still on the benches is a welcome luxury. Bathed in sunlight and lightly sprayed with ocean mist, the outdoor spots truly offer a meditative break — a pleasure.

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Touchdown, Santiago de Chile

Filed under: Food Trip, Musings & Ramblings, Phlog, South America, Travel, travels — 1 Comment
April 5, 2024

Finally joined up with my travel buddies who flew in from Manila to Sydney to catch a connecting flight into Santiago, Chile. The Qantas flight from Down Under took 12 hours where I hardly had a wink. Shouldn’t complain since my buddies endured another 8 hours plus all the waiting time at the 2 airports for a gruelling 28 hours. By the time we landed in the country’s capital, we were all wasted. But pleasant weather welcomed us in Santiago, named after one of our favorite saints. Hearing and speaking Spanish is both familiar and a struggle for many of us, but the excitement balances all sentiments and dulls the anxieties.

Our Pisco Sour and Empanada Outing on Day 1
Cool early evenings. Perfect cocktail hours.

A very manageable walking distance from our hotel is the Costanera Mall in the quiet, posh neighborhood of Providencia. That’s how we spotted La Pikada along with the laundromat we’d use before we move out of the capital on Day 6. The Mall is huge, houses over 300 stores and the Sky Tower which is touted as the highest sky deck in South America. It’s a good place for shopping and some dining. We tried a bistecca and empanadas here before walking back to our hotel. The next day, we explored the city’s Mercado Central. Lunch was seafood in Donde Blanca amid stall after stall of clams and fish varieties from Merluza to dorado to salmon to a new find, Reineta (pomfret). The Resto transformed this assortment of sea creatures to stews, soup, ceviches or simply grilled. Paired well with Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and a red vino. Meatless, on an Easter Week!

Donde Blanca Restaurant
A Seafood Stew. I’m all for clams, mussels and scallops.

We took it real easy the first 3 days. The hotel’s veranda is our designated spot for cocktails starting at 6pm. We exchanged notes especially on where to buy and dine at the end of each day. Dealing with jet lag is a struggle so the first 3 days took care of that. On the 4th day, we tried to cover as much of the city as possible. Still, we managed on a very leisurely pace. Well, it isn’t like we had to tick off all the boxes. We particularly enjoyed the stroll around the park. With an urban landscape as a background, it was refreshing to find ponds, gardens and kids’ playgrounds. It’s the city’s oxygen tank where nearly 40% of the nation’s population work and live.

Waiting for our seafood lunch
Fishy fishy Spot

Then there’s the Plaza Armas. A typical Latino square with the cathedral as the centrepiece. It is the heartbeat of the city from where many folks congregate, many eateries flourish and where many tourists never failed to visit as a must-destination. Buskers abound too, from singers to dancers to jugglers. And so do the resident pickpockets. Just the typical scenario in any capital. Cuidate!

Bicentario Parque
Plaza Armas

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The Way To Machu Picchu (Peru)

Filed under: South America, Travel, travels — 2 Comments
April 1, 2018

I just realized I didn’t do a blog summary on my 2017 trip to Peru. Specifically, on my adventures ticking Machu Picchu off my bucket list. Instead, I lumped my blog links on Peru, Miami, Utah and San Francisco, California all together. Not very neat. Especially for a trip where I honestly worried I could die. And so, this blog summary which I can now share with you.

Machu Picchu

Sacred Valley

Cusco

Lima

Andean Delights

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All 4 Seasons In 1 Trip

Filed under: South America, Travel, travels, Travels Around USA — Leave a comment
November 16, 2017

Touchdown, Manila! I’m back now after a month-long trip. This Oct-Nov trip had me packing and “improvising” for all 4 seasons. I know layering works but I never thought I’d experience extreme weather.

Miami was hot and humid, even in the evenings. The day we drove to Orlando and Hutchinson Island, it was in the high 20’s C. I was sweating while standing in line for my banshee ride in Avatar Land (Pandora) in Disney World. More beads of sweat as we took the boat ride to view celebrity homes in sunny Miami and checked out some Spanish Monastery. Oh, how it sizzled! It only grew more comfortable when we leisurely drove around Central Miami to feast on Joe’s stone crabs!

Peru had us moving from summer to spring. A blessing, given the rainy forecast for the day we visited Macchu Picchu. Weather was so unpredictable I had to strip to my undershirt during the day and then layer up towards late afternoons. I worked up a sweat climbing up and down this Incan sanctuary high up in the Andes. Temps dipped a bit as we moved from Aguas Calientes, Sacred Valley to Cusco and Lima.

From Peru, we flew back to Miami before flying to San Francisco, then Vegas and Utah to enjoy crisp autumn season. Halloween beckoned and the orange colors ruled the days especially when we visited Zion National Park and Red Rock Canyon. It was a great day for riverside walks and breezy, autumn afternoons.

The weekend in Lake Tahoe took over 3 hours of driving from San Francisco area. It rained, grew foggy and on our drive back, experienced snow at Donner Summit. But the lake view before that was breathtaking! By nightfall, we only managed a dinner in the hotel and a few casino hours. Slot machines bore me so I turned in early for the night while my friends played.

Back in San Francisco, we didn’t waste time visiting Napa Valley. The Riverfront, Ox Bow Public Market, the drive to Yountville, Oakville, Rutherford and St. Helena. Earlier, I wasn’t keen on doing yet another Napa day out. Now I realize there is simply too many, too much to cover in one visit. Mondavi the last time, Beringer, Hall and Far Niente now, perhaps Calistoga’s castle and wineries next. It was an exhausting, eventful month-long trip. Covered as much ground as possible in a month. Experienced all 4 seasons in one trip. Met up with as many friends and missed just as many too! I should be making another trip if only to visit more friends I sorely miss.

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LIMA: Gateway to Incan Treasures

Filed under: South America, Travel, travels — 2 Comments
November 8, 2017

Many people go to Peru primarily to visit Macchu Picchu. Lima, its capital, has thus become just an entry point for most everyone’s coveted dream of setting foot on this wonder of the world. Perhaps not a fair assessment of what Lima can offer. But what’s going for it is how many of us visitors have very few expectations of this Peruvian capital. In fact, I’d dare say many of such expectations dwell on Lima’s gastronomic delights. After all, Peruvian cuisine has attracted global interest and many of its restaurants rank among the best. But that should not take away the charm off Lima’s unique attractions.

The capital has a very charming plaza with an ancient fountain, cathedral and monastery. After having your fill of archaelogical sites, fortresses and temples, it is refreshing to feel the ocean breeze as one walks along the promenade facing the Pacific.

For sure, you can’t miss that most erotic monument to “The Kiss” — strategically situated along the coastal park while paragliders hover above it.

Peruvians are proud of Lima’s major scenic attraction: the Pacific. If your first agenda is to try their cebiche and roasted or fried cuy (guinea pig) , you can check out the bistros lining the promenade serving these Peruvian delicacies. And if you’re there on a happy hour, go ahead and take sips of the Pisco Sour before checking out the core of the city: the Plaza Mayor or Plaza de las Armas.

In 1535, Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro “founded” Lima and created this beautiful square with all the important buildings around it. One can only imagine all kinds of Peruvian festivities and entertainment being held here. It does have its dark history as well, having stood as venue for public executions relating to the Spanish Inquisition. In the past, the same square was also used as arena for bullfights or corrida. Seeing those ladies in tiered skirts and bow hats sitting on benches or just strolling around the square add charm to the place.

The market in Lima gave us our first taste of the many, exotic fruits of Peru. I’m a big fan of chirimoya and I was eager to have more than a slice of it. The papayas were very sweet and there were many other fruits whose names I can’t recall now. If only for these fruits and the local vibe of mercados, one shouldn’t miss a visit to the market.

Many visitors will spend 2 nights in this capital, just before and right after flights to and from Cusco. That’s alright. You can take in the square, the oceanside promenade, the Nikkei restaurants, a couple of museos or monasterios in those 2 days. Lima may be underrated, even ignored, but it is certainly a good break after your Incan adventures.

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