Mendoza has a population of about 1 million people. The city is located in a large desert valley next to the great Andes mountains, whose peaks dominate the skyline from the outside of the city. The valley here is truly desert, once you are outside of Mendoza one quickly sees the native vegetation is similar to desert scenery. However, there is plenty of water in the region as the great Andes are Mendoza's neighbor. A large drinking water … [Read more...]
Mendoza, Argentina – Hotels
Lodging in Mendoza ranges from very basic to high end hotels such as the Grand Hyatt and the Sheraton. Pricing is typically more expensive closer to the center of town and near the Plaza del Armas. Lodging is really quite spread out throughout the city and there no specific 'hotel' district. Aires de Montana is a destination spa located in the Andes about an hour from Mendoza. Lodging is also available on site - elevation is 1800 … [Read more...]
Mendoza, Argentina – Transportation
Bus - The bus station is located about 15 to 20 minutes from the Plaza del Armas (the center of town). As with most bus stations, train terminals or airports be careful of your bags and belongings. These are typically high crime areas. We met a fellow traveler who was hanging around at the bus station when she was approached by a local - he pretended to ask her directions and she put her bag down to help him and when she looked back down, he and … [Read more...]
Mendoza, Argentina – More Info
Banks Banks in Mendoza tend to honor siesta time and typically will close between 1-2pm for the rest of the day. ATM's and banks are scattered throughout the main part of Mendoza - ATM's are available 24/7. ATM's can be found at the airport and at the bus station. Typically we use Pay Pal and HSBC for our ATM withdrawals. The reason being are the lower transaction fees through Paypal to withdraw money from most Argentina Banks - and HSBC … [Read more...]
Greetings from Peru!!
Arrived in Lima and rested all day which was good. Saw the catacombs underground in the 16th century St Francis of Assisi Monastery. Many skulls staring upwards with individual bones all separated and arranged nicely in neat orderly piles. Took bus overnight to C. Huayash - the pass was about 14,000 feet which we hit at 1am. I was in bad shape by then - arrived at 6am into town and immediately found hostel and crashed. For 2 days was … [Read more...]
Learning Spanish in Xela, Guatemala
A large chunk of Guatemala's tourism revenue comes from teaching Spanish to travellers. It's not like it's the only Spanish-speaking country on the continent, but a number of factors make it a number one choice. To start with, the Gutemaltekas speak slowly and clearly. Anyone who has been to Cuba will appreciate the importance of this - you aren't going to learn Spanish if you don't understand a single word muttered through lazy lips at … [Read more...]
The British Aura of London is Capped by Stratford Shakespearean Festival
As well, like London, Britain's capital, the town is intersected by the River Thames and as is the case in most of the towns in England it is filled with green spaces consisting of pleasant parks and thousands of trees. They offer year round opportunities for outdoor leisure activities and have earned the city the nickname 'Forest City'. Located in southwest Ontario-roughly halfway between Toronto and the U.S. border, London, a city of some … [Read more...]
Falling for Africa
"Only two of us have had malaria so far," said Heidi as I joined the group of seasoned overlanders in their fifth week on a truck safari from Nairobi to Cape Town. "Weren't you taking malaria stuff?" I asked naively. "Yeah, but it doesn't always work," was her heart-stopping response. I added 'contracting permanently-relapsing malaria' to my list of African hazards to watch out for - something I thought I'd taken care of with a quick trip to … [Read more...]
Italy Story: Hostage of the Hostile Hostel
When I arrived, panting, at the three-story brick-and-steel building, I was dismayed to see a mob of backpackers crowded around the front desk. Two surly staff members were shouting at them in Italian, grabbing crumpled piles of money, and stuffing registration forms, one each, into the hundred cubby holes in the wall behind them. Each nook denoted one available bed. As I made my way to the counter, I heard one of the clerks answer the … [Read more...]
Trip to the Rhine in Germany
We flew British Airways from San Francisco Int. Airport, to Heathrow Airport, and then into Frankfurt Airport. Heathrow has a special assistance lounge. Ask for assistance when leaving your plane, and they will take you to the lounge. You give them your boarding pass and let them know what sort of help you need, and when the time comes for you to board your departing flight, they either let you know that someone will meet you at the gate with an … [Read more...]
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