South America – Wonders of Traveling

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Disclaimer: this post is based on my visit to the Iguazu Waterfalls in January, 2019.

HOW TO GET TO THE IGUAZU WATERFALLS?

From Buenos Aires you can take a plane to Puerto Iguazu. The flight time is around 1.5 hours. Puerto Iguazu is the gateway to visiting the Iguazu Waterfalls from the Argentinian side.

Did you know that these waterfalls are spread across three countries? You can also visit them from Brazil or Paraguay. I only went to the Argentinian side, but I can testify that the waterfalls are spectacular from this side.

WHERE TO STAY?

I would advise staying in Puerto Iguazu. This city is located about 30 minutes from the waterfalls and has good connections to the Iguazu National Park.

HOW TO REACH THE FALLS FROM PUERTO IGUAZU?

There are several ways to get to the National Park from Puerto Iguazu. The easiest and fastest way is by taking a taxi.

If you’re traveling on a budget, you might be more inclined to take the bus. In that case, you need to go to the bus station of Puerto Iguazu. Several buses leave from here to the waterfalls. Be aware: the bus stop mentioned on the bus is called ‘Cataratas’, not Iguazu Waterfalls.

We paid €3 per person for a one way ticket. The bus ride takes about 30 minutes from the station to the park entrance.

HOW MUCH DOES AN ENTRANCE TICKET COST?

Once you reach the entrance, you have to queue to get a ticket. I will already warn you in advance: you will be doing a lot of queueing and waiting when visiting the Iguazu Falls.

The entrance tickets sets you back €16.50 per person. You will also receive a ticket for the first train. Train, I hear you say? Yes, you have to take trains to get around the park. It’s also possible to walk, but this takes quite a lot of time.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM YOUR VISIT?

As I just mentioned, you will be doing a lot of waiting. This is because you have to wait for the train to take you to the central station (Cataratas station).

Once you reach the central station, you can either start several hikes, or you can choose to go to the Devil’s Throat. This is the closest you get to the waterfalls.

To get there, you have to queue for another ticket. The train to Devil’s Throat leaves every 15 minutes. By the time we were waiting for the train to Devil’s Throat, we were already inside the park for two (!) hours. At this point we hadn’t seen any water yet.

When it was finally our turn to get on the train to Devil’s Throat, it only took about 20 minutes to get there. From the Garganta train station, you need to walk for about 30 minutes to get to the Devil’s Throat itself.

You will be walking on suspension bridges that cross the river. The walk is 1 kilometer long. Be aware that you will have to share the view with hundreds of other people. Everyone is fighting for the best spot to see the waterfalls.

This means that it’s not easy to get a picture of the waterfalls. You can opt to get a professional picture taken, for €8. After you’ve admired the view, you need to walk back to the Devil Throat’s station to queue for another ticket and wait for the next train to the central station.

Then you can opt to go on a hike from the central station, or go back to the main entrance. Once again: you need to queue for a ticket and wait for the train.

WHICH HIKES CAN YOU DO IN IGUAZU?

From the central station you can go on several different hikes. The most popular hikes are the superior and inferior circuits. If you go on these hikes, you see the waterfalls from above (superior) and below (inferior).

Superior circuit

This hike gives you a panoramic view of the waterfalls from the upper walkways. On the way you will see parts of the inferior circuit and you will be able to see the Brazilian national park as well.

The walkway is approximately 1.75km long and will take around 1.5 – 2 hours. The hike is relatively easy, you don’t have to mount any stairs. The only thing you have to take into account is the humidity.

Inferior circuit

This hike takes you to ground level so you can admire the waterfalls from below. You will walk through the jungle which means you can enjoy the local fauna and flora (and spiders).

This hike also takes in between 1.5 – 2 hours, depending on if you walk the long or short loop. The inferior circuit is 1.7km long and the difficulty is medium to high. There are some steep stretches and you have to climb up stairs.

Other hikes

You can also find the following hikes in the Iguazu National Park:

Macuco trail: 7.7km – 3 hours
Devil’s throat (from Garganta station): 2.2km – 2 hours
Green trail: 655m – 30 minutes
Isla San Martin: 700m – only reachable by boat first

CAN YOU DO A BOAT TRIP TO THE IGUAZU FALLS?

Would you like to get even closer than the Devil’s Throat? Are you not afraid of getting wet? Then a boat trip to the waterfalls is the best option for you.

This is the priciest way to visit the waterfalls (think around €100). You can book them through a travel agency. We didn’t do this since it was a bit too expensive. But if you want to get up close, this is the best way to do it.

If you have any comments or questions, please feel free to reach out below!

]]> The Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu: The Ultimate Guide https://www.wondersoftraveling.com/2019/09/02/the-salkantay-trek-to-machu-picchu-the-ultimate-guide/ Mon, 02 Sep 2019 15:08:47 +0000 https://www.wondersoftraveling.com/?p=2390 Would you like to do the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu but you’re not quite sure what to expect? No worries, you have come to the right place.

This post is about The Salkantay Trek, and talks about which trek to choose, what company to go for and what to expect.

Salkantay Trek Machu Picchu

Disclaimer: this post is based on my experience doing the Salkantay Trek with Salkantay Trekking in September 2018

1. WHAT IS THE SALKANTAY TREK?

If you’re like me, and you like hiking, the Salkantay Trek to Machu Picchu is right up your street. There is something about earning your visit to Machu Picchu, instead of just taking the train and bus. Hiking to this new wonder of the world is very rewarding and an amazing experience.

The majority of people opt for the Inca Trail, but the spots for this trek fill up very quickly. There are plenty of alternatives which are as nice, or maybe even nicer. We opted for the Salkantay Trek, which takes you from the snowy Andes mountains, through the Peruvian jungle all the way to Machu Picchu.

The Salkantay Trek is a multiday hike (either 4 or 5 days long) which leaves from Mollepata and finishes in Machu Picchu. You will conquer 72 km in 5 days, climb to 4600 metres altitude (the Salkantay Pass) and descend to Aguas Calientes (the closest town to Machu Picchu).

Your legs will ache and at times you’ll wonder why you signed up for this. But on the last day, all your efforts and pain will be worth it: you will see Machu Picchu with your own eyes.

Salkantay_Machu_Picchu

2. 4 DAYS VS. 5 DAYS

Like I said earlier, you can do the Salkantay Trek in either 4 or 5 days. What exactly is the difference between these two?

Does the 4-day trek leave from a different starting point?

No. Both the 4 and the 5-day trek leave from Mollepata. The difference is that during the 4-day trek, you will skip the jungle day (day 3). Instead, you will take the bus to the next starting point.

For me personally, the jungle day can easily be skipped since the jungle part isn’t that interesting and day 3 is basically a rest day. During this day you will do 4 hours of hiking, a coffee tour and get a chance to go zip lining or take a dip in the hot springs. It’s not a big loss if you skip this day and opt for a 4-day Salkantay Trek.

3. WHICH COMPANY TO CHOOSE?

As you can imagine, there are plenty of companies to choose from.

We opted for Salkantay Trekking. This is considered one of the pricier ones. Since we were celebrating my birthday, and we were going to see Machu Picchu (the one place I’ve always wanted to go to), we decided to splurge a little bit.

There are plenty of cheaper options available, both online as in Cusco. We booked several months in advance to make sure it didn’t sell out, but once we were in Cusco we realised this wasn’t necessary. There were plenty of companies offering the Salkantay Trek with departures the following days.

These companies offer the trek at a much lower rate (around 150-200 dollars for 5 days). Do keep in mind that this means the overal quality of the trek won’t be as nice. You might be sleeping in tents, the toilet situation might be a bit off, the food might not be as much, etc.

4. HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

The 5 day/4 night trip with Salkantay Trekking set us back 460 dollars per person. It’s obviously not cheap, but this company will make it worth your while!

What did we get for our 460 dollars?

A guide who accompanied us and the rest of our group along the way.
Two cooks, who prepared a three course meal for every meal.
Daily snacks and drinking water.
You don’t have to carry your big backpacks yourself. Before you leave, you will be handed a duffle bag which will be carried by donkeys. The only thing you have to carry while hiking is your daypack.
Some of the most amazing accommodation you’ve ever slept in during a multiday hike. We slept in sky domes, cute jungle huts and hotels. Definitely beats tenting!
Entrance tickets to Machu Picchu
Transport: van to the starting point and train/van back to Cusco
Huayna Picchu entrance ticket
Walking poles
Sleeping bags

5. DAY BY DAY: SALKANTAY TREK ITINERARY

Day -1:

The day before you leave for the Salkantay Trek, you will be asked to meet up at the office for a briefing and to meet your team members. You will also receive your duffle bag so you can pack for the next couple of days. Keep reading for tips about what to pack for the Salkantay Trek.

salkantay_Machu_Picchu

Day 1: Mollepata to Soraypampa (8 km)

Your first day will be an early one. At 4 AM you will meet up at the office, from where you will be picked up and driven to Mollepata. The drive takes about 3 hours and you will stop for some breakfast (not included) along the way.

Once you get to the starting point, your guide will hand you some snacks and walking poles. He/She will give you some more information and will warn you that you might feel the effects of altitude sickness. I sure did…

Salkantay_Machu_Picchu

Day 1 is the shortest day of them all: only 8 km and 500 metres dislevel. However, don’t be fooled. You are walking at a very high altitude. I was used to hiking in the Alps and did some hiking in the Himalayas as well, but suddenly I was hit with altitude sickness. I felt nauseous within the first 15 minutes. This didn’t bode well for the rest of the trek… Luckily our guide gave me and other people who were struggling some coca leaves and he made sure to stop regularly so I could catch my breath.

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One of the highlights of the Salkantay Trek was the hike up to Humantay Lake! Absolutely breathtaking! #peru #salkantaytrek #travel #wanderlust #instago #instapassport #travelgirl #travelblogger #latergram #exploretheworld #wonderful_places

A post shared by Jolene Follens (@wondersoftraveling) on Sep 29, 2018 at 2:28pm PDT

After 4 hours of walking you will reach your first camp: the sky domes. This was my favourite accommodation of the whole trek. Once you get there, you will get some lunch and some time to relax. You can either choose to stay at the sky domes or start another hike: to Humantay Lake.

Despite feeling bad, I joined the rest of the group to Humantay Lake. Luckily it takes only 1 hour to get from camp 1 to the lake. You will be rewarded with the most gorgeous views: the lake and Salkantay Mountain!

Here you will get some free time and plenty of time to take amazing pictures. Afterwards, it’s time to go back to camp, enjoy an amazing dinner and get ready for the hardest day of the Salkantay Trek: day 2.

Salkantay_Machu_Picchu — Camp 1: Sky domes

Day 2: Soraypampa to Chaullay (24 km)

Rise and shine! You will be woken up at 5 AM for some coca tea and breakfast. You will need the massive amounts of food they will serve you because day 2 takes you to the highest point of the trek: 4600 metres. Not only will you climb the Salkantay Pass, you will also hike for 24 kilometres.

Salkantay_Machu_Picchu

Before starting your day, you will be offered the option of taking a horse up to the pass. However, it feels a lot better if you conquer the Salkantay Pass and the Trail of the Seven Snakes all by yourself!

The start of day 2 isn’t too challenging. The trail slowly makes its way up and you have time to adjust to the altitude. However, once you reach the 7 snakes (or also called “The Gringo Killer”, a set of switchbacks), you will really feel your legs and you might also feel short of breath. The guide will take his/her time to make sure you get past the Gringo Killer. Now you’re already at 4400 metres altitude. Only 200 metres to go to get to the Salkantay Pass!

You will most likely feel the altitude by now and your pace might drop a bit. But no worries, you will get to the Pass! And once you get there, you will be treated to some more coca tea, a sandwich and more snacks.

After about an hour, enough time to relax and take lots of pictures, you will start the descent towards Wayracmachay. Here you will have lunch.

After a tasty lunch, you will descend another 1000 metres until you reach camp 2: the Andean huts. Here, you will get the opportunity to take a shower for 2.50 euro.

Once again you will be treated to a delicious dinner before retreating into your huts.

Day 3: Chaullay to Lucmabamba (13 km)

Day 3 is considered a “resting day“. This is also the day you will skip if you decide to do the 4 day Salkantay Trek.

Don’t be fooled, however, you will still be walking for 4 hours today. Most of the way to Lucmabamba is downhill or flat, with some uphill stretches in between.

Salkantay_Machu_Picchu

At around 11 AM you the hiking part of the day will already be over.

What will you be doing the rest of the day? Plucking coffee beans to make your own coffee, going ziplining or taking a dip in the hot springs. Your legs will be thankful!

You will spend the night in the jungle domes. You will be very happy to have half a day off because day 4 is another very challenging day…

Salkantay_Machu_Picchu

Day 4: Lucmabamba to Aguas Calientes (27 km)

On day 4 you will have to get up even earlier. You will be woken up at 4 AM by the Salkantay Trekking team. But it will be worth it because today you will catch a first glimpse of Machu Picchu!

Day 4 is a very long and tiring day. The first part of the day will be heavy and long: you will hike up 800 metres on a steep hill. After 2h and 40 minutes, you will arrive at the top of the hill from where you’ll get to see Machu Picchu!

Salkantay_Machu_Picchu

The second part of the day consists of a 1000 metre downhill. Your knees will probably ache, and if you’re a bit like me, your feet will be covered in blisters.

Salkantay_Machu_Picchu

The last part of the day is a 3-hour walk next to the train tracks leading to Aguas Calientes, which will be your “camp” for the day. You can avoid this (boring) part by taking the train for 30 dollars.

In Aguas Calientes you will be staying in a hotel which means you will be able to take a shower! You will also go for a very tasty dinner with your team members and your guide.

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Yesterday I got to spend my birthday in one of the most magical places in the world! After 4 days of hiking the Salkantay trek we finally arrived at Machu Picchu which is absolutely breathtaking in real life! Now I need about 5 days to recover ?… #machupicchu #cusco #peru #latergram #travelgirl #exploretheworld #instapassport #instago #travelblogger #traveltheworld

A post shared by Jolene Follens (@wondersoftraveling) on Sep 26, 2018 at 2:06pm PDT

Day 5: Machu Picchu & Huayna Picchu/Machu Picchu Mountain

On day 5, your alarm clock will ring at approximately 3.15 AM. You will have to get up this early to make it on time to the gate which will open at 5 AM. At precisely 5 AM the gate will open, and you and hundreds of other people will hike up the last hill to Machu Picchu. You can also skip this part and take the bus up for 12 dollars, if you’d like.

The gates of Machu Picchu open at exactly 6 AM. The hike up takes about 45 min to an hour, and you will be very sweaty and tired.

Once you arrive at the gates, you will meet up with your team members and the time has finally come to enter Machu Picchu!

Salkantay_Machu_Picchu

Your guide will take you through the whole site and give you lots of information for about 1-1.5 hours. Afterwards, he/she will make his way down and you will be left on your own. Now you can either hike up Huayna Picchu or Machu Picchu mountain, or you can just explore the park until 1 PM.

The train back to Aguas Calientes will leave at around 4.15 PM. Since the guide has left by this time, you have to make sure to get there by yourself, but luckily it’s not too difficult. The guide will give you all the necessary documents and information.

AT 9 PM you will be back at your ho(s)tel in Cusco.

6. HOW TO PREPARE?

Fitness levels:

I get it, hiking for 5 days up to 4600 metres altitude sounds daunting… I totally understand if you feel like you won’t be able to do that. However, it’s definitely possible to train for the Salkantay Trek.

By the time we did the 5-day trek, we had already been travelling for more than 2 months. We were in pure holiday mode and had definitely indulged in lots of tasty Mexican food and cocktails. It’s not like we were in super shape. So what did we do to prepare for the Salkantay Trek?

We started preparing for it about 1 month in advance. We did several (short) hikes in Ecuador and then signed up for the Colca Canyon hike in Arequipa, Peru. This hike is considered one of the best ways to prepare for the Salkantay Trek or the Inca Trail. You can either do the 2 or 3-day trek. We opted for the 2 day trek since that one is more challenging.

We definitely struggled during the Colca Canyon hike, especially the second day. Despite that, it was a very good way to prepare for Salkantay. I would recommend it to anyone!

If you don’t have time to add the Colcan Canyon trek, I would advise to go for long walks for several weeks before leaving for Peru. Try to add a couple of jog sessions and make sure to raise your fitness levels.

Altitude sickness:

One of the other things people are a bit scared of, is the altitude. Like I mentioned before, I struggled quite a lot with the altitude on the first day of the Salkantay Trek. There isn’t really much you can do to prepare for it except for bringing medication and coca leaves. The coca leaves really helped me conquer those high altitudes. You can easily buy them in local stores in Peru.

7. WHAT TO BRING?

During the multiday hike, your main luggage will be stored in your hotel. If you’re changing hotels after you come back from the trip, the company will bring it to the new hotel for you.

You will be handed a duffle bag which will be carried by the donkeys. Make sure to also bring a day pack so you can bring snacks, water and some fresh clothes (t-shirt, socks) with you.

Here’s a list of what you should bring on the Salkantay Trek:

Good hiking boots
Hiking clothes: long pants, fleece, jacket, 4-5 t-shirts/tops, underwear, hat, gloves, buff, hiking socks, thermal underwear
Torch
Flip flops
Sleeping bag (can be rented)
Walking poles (can be rented)
Sunglasses
Micro fibre towel
First aid kit: we brought a first aid kit we bought on Amazon, and it was a life saver. I struggled a lot with blisters and I was very happy we brought tons of bandaids!
Sun block / lip balm
Hand sanitizer
Camera + charger/batteries
Power bank(s)
Phone + charger
Passport

8. PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Before leaving for the Salkantay Trek, I was a bit worried about the “toilet situation“. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect and was honestly dreading that part of the hike.

Luckily, the toilets at the camps are very nice and well maintained. Especially the toilets at the sky dome camp were completely new and very clean. We had some clogged toilets at the jungle camp, but nothing too major. I was very pleasantly surprised, and clearly worried for no reason.

Disclaimer: This could differ for other companies. Since we booked with Salkantay Trekking (which is considered one of the more high end companies), the whole trip had a very high overall standard.

Speaking of bathrooms, I’m sure a lot of people are also wondering how often you get a chance to take a shower:

There are no shower opportunities on day 1 (but then you will have showered in the morning at your hotel before leaving).
You will get a chance to take a shower on day 2 at the Andean hut camp. To use the shower, you have to pay 2.5 euros. When you pay the fee, you have to write down your name on a list. Once the shower is available, your name will be called.
On day 3 there is no opportunity to shower.
On day 4 you will be sleeping in a hotel, so you will have access to a shower.

9. OVERALL COST

Here is a breakdown of the overall cost of the 5 day Salkantay Trek (per person):

Salkantay Trek 5D/4N + Huayna Picchu: 460 euros
Bank fees to withdraw money: +/- 12 euros
Shower on day 2: 2.50 euros
Drinks along the way: 17 euros
Entrance to the Salkantay trail: 2.70 euros
Breakfast on day 1 and lunch & dinner on day 5: 35 euros
Tips for the guides and cook: 40 euros

Total: 569.20 euros per person

If you have any more questions or you feel like I didn’t tackle a certain topic, please feel free to leave a comment or reach out!

]]> 6 things to do in Buenos Aires https://www.wondersoftraveling.com/2019/02/23/visit-buenos-aires/ Sat, 23 Feb 2019 19:25:34 +0000 http://www.wondersoftraveling.com/?p=2070 After our 2-week visit to Uruguay, we travelled back to Buenos Aires. We spent our last 2 weeks of South America in the Argentinian capital. During these 2 weeks, we managed to see quite a lot of Buenos Aires. In this blog I’ve collected 6 of our favourite things to do in BA.

La Boca

One of the most iconic and colourful neighbourhoods of Buenos Aires is La Boca. This barrio is home to the Bombonera stadium, Boca Juniors’ home turf. As a massive football fan, Simen was dying to check out la Boca and la Bombonera.

Buenos Aires

La Bombonera

Our first stop in Boca was, of course, La Bombonera. The closer we got to the stadium, the more blue and yellow houses and decorations we saw. The stadium is also painted in Boca’s blue and yellow colours.

You can visit the museum and take a stadium tour for only 10 euros. After seeing the cheap price, even I was up for taking a stadium tour. The tour lasted a whole hour and took us throughout the whole stadium and the visitor’s dressing room. If you want to visit Boca’s dressing room, you have to pay another 200 pesos (about 5 euros).

During the tour we learnt a lot about the history of Boca Juniors. The team was founded by 3 Italian immigrants who initially decided to play in black and white the kits. However, considering how colourful La Boca is, they felt those colours were a bit misplaced. So they decided to go to the harbour and pick the colours of the first ship they saw. As it happens, this was a Swedish ship, which explains why Boca’s colours are now blue and yellow. Even for someone like me, who isn’t particularly interested in South American football, the tour was very interesting and entertaining!

Buenos Aires

Caminito

Caminito is the most touristic area of La Boca. It’s a very small area which only covers a couple of streets, however it’s very beautiful and cosy. The streets are full of colourful houses, bars and restaurants. This is probably the area where you’ll see the most tourists in Buenos Aires. It’s a delight to walk around and admire the beautiful houses and stroll the souvenir shops. However, like I said, it’s very touristic. There are tons of people trying to sell things everywhere and it’s very difficult to take pictures without any other tourists in it.

Despite its very touristic feel, it’s definitely a must see in Buenos Aires.

Safety instructions

Boca is considered to be a more unsafe neighbourhood. Therefore we planned our visit in the middle of the day and made sure to be back in the safer Palermo neighbourhood after dark. However, it’s also important to know that it’s best to stay in the touristic areas of La Boca.

Simen had found an interesting restaurant where we could have some parilla for lunch. On the way there, we were stopped and shouted at by a local who very strongly encouraged us to go back to the area of La Bombonera and Caminito. We weren’t quite sure why he was shouting, but we both figured it couldn’t be anything good. So, we quickly turned back and decided to have lunch elsewhere…

Buenos Aires

Football game at La Bombonera

Considering that watching a Boca Juniors home game, is on many football fan’s bucket list, it comes as no surprise Simen wanted to tick that off his personal bucket list.

After doing lots of research, he found the best travel agency to accompany him to the game. This agency is called Landing Pad and offers several tickets to Boca Juniors and River Plate games. Since Boca is a bit unsafe, like I said before, it’s important to go to a game with a travel agency. There are certain rules when it comes to going to the game (don’t wear your Boca shirt in certain neighbourhoods, don’t wear red/white clothes etc.) and Landing Pad will keep you up to date about all of those.

Buenos Aires

Also, it’s apparently extremely hard to get your hands on tickets. A lot of fake tickets are being sold. So if you see a cheapish Boca Juniors ticket, you can be almost 100% sure it’s fake. Landing Pad offers tickets from like 150 – 250 euros.

Simen told me the atmosphere in the Bombonera is amazing. People are singing, shouting, jumping, etc. He had an amazing time even though, unfortunately, Boca Juniors lost.

San Telmo Market

San Telmo Market is a market which takes place every Sunday from 10 AM to 4 PM at Plaza Dorrego. It’s mainly an antique market, however, the market has expanded over several blocks (in Defensa, starting from Plaza de Mayo) and is full of stalls selling artesanal handcrafts.

Since we’re not particularly fans of antiques, we actually enjoyed strolling those handcraft stalls a lot more. It’s so cool to see how creative people are and what they can make with their own hands and minds.

There’s also a small food market located in Defensa (the street which connects Plaza de Mayo with Plaza Dorrego) where you can buy home made dulce de leche or where you can try bondiola or choripan on the barbecue.

It’s a very nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

Museum Nacional de Bellas Artes

I was quite surprised when Simen mentioned that the National Museum of Art houses works of Rubens, Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Jackson Pollock, etc. We were both intrigued. Which is surprising, since we hadn’t been to one art museum since we left for our trip. But, it sounded like the museum had an amazing collection, and from what we read online, entrance was free!

So, we decided to pay the museum a visit. As expected, due to Argentinian recession the entrance was no longer free (for foreigners). However, it’s still very cheap. We paid 150 pesos each (around 1.80 euros) to get in.

The museum has 3 floors full of beautiful paintings, sculptures and artworks. I was very surprised to see that a big part of the ground floor was dedicated to Flemish and Dutch painters. We also saw works by Rodin, Manet, Monet, Kandinsky, etc.

The museum was very interesting and definitely a must if you’re into art!

Buenos Aires

Recoleta Cemetery

I always think it’s a bit macabre to have a cemetery as one of your major attractions, however Recoleta Cemetery is definitely a interesting place to visit.

I don’t know that much about Argentinian history or its famous people, but in Recoleta Cemetery you can visit the graves of Eva “Evita” Peron, Argentinian presidents and Nobel prize winners.

The cemetery is full of stately and big mausoleums. It is actually considered one of the 10 most beautiful cemeteries in the world.

Buenos Aires

Japanese Garden

The last couple of days it’s been excruciatingly hot in Buenos Aires. To get some shelter from the heat, we decided to go to the Japanese Garden.

To enter this beautiful garden, we paid 150 pesos (1.80 euros). It looks like a small oasis in the middle of a bustling, hectic city. There are several koi-ponds, red bridges and Torii Gates. We walked around for about an hour, and we both agreed that the gardens felt very peaceful.

There was also room for some pictures of all of Japan’s provinces, which made it clear to us: Japan is rightfully on our bucket list. Maybe it’ll be our next big destination after we come back from our trip?

Other nice places to visit in Buenos Aires:

Palermo: this is one of the most modern and safe neighbourhoods of Buenos Aires and is full of cosy bars and restaurants. It’s an ideal place to stay when you’re in BA.
Recoleta: just like Palermo, it’s very modern and safe. You’ll find tons of nice restaurants and bars here. This is also a good place to stay.
El Ateneo library: one of the most beautiful libraries I’ve ever seen. Although its English section is a bit underwhelming, the library itself is spectacular.

]]> 2 weeks in Uruguay: Punta del Diablo & Punta del Este https://www.wondersoftraveling.com/2019/02/18/uruguay-punta-del-diablo-punta-del-este/ Mon, 18 Feb 2019 19:15:36 +0000 http://www.wondersoftraveling.com/?p=2048 After exploring Colonia and Montevideo, we decided it was time for a beach holiday. We took the bus from Montevideo to Punta del Diablo (4 hours) where we stayed for four days. After Punta del Diablo we continued onwards to the “Paceville of Uruguay”: Punta del Este.