A Travelling Journey
Charming Phuket
by Laura Blanc de Silva on 12/04/13
It was a Friday morning and we were
flying over the small incredible islands of this part of the world. From far
away one could see this, but much bigger. Phuket was going to be our
destination for the next 4 days, to be more precisely, a beach town called
Patong.
The arrival at Casa del M Resort was about an hour drive from the airport by minivan.
The interesting thing was that the van's route did not drop us off at the
resort, but all the way downtown from it. The resort was at the high peak of
the town. Anyway, someone drove us down and picked us up. We checked into our
room and headed down into the shore to enjoy the sunset and grab some acclaimed
traditional Thai diner. I had in mind some seafood with pad Thai noodles,
steamed dumplings or green curry. Along the way, we purchased the activities
for our stay in the island (daytrip on a speed boat to Koh Phi Phi, James Bond’s
Island, Monkey’s Island; elephant ride through the jungle, a visit to the big
Buddha Phuket in Chalong which is almost as tall as the Statue of Liberty in NY
harbor, except that this one is completely made of beautiful white marble
pieces.
Saturday morning as planned, we were picked up and headed to the port to join
other tourists, mostly Russians and Europeans. The speed boat with about 60
people onboard headed east to Koh Phi Phi Islands. We visited 4 islands (James Bond’s,
Monkey’s Island, Kaino, and Krabi where we had lunch. The boat ride to the
first stop took about an hour at sea. It was difficult to put into words the
feelings that one experienced contemplating that scenery for the first time. In
a way, I wanted to take a picture of it in my mind, and went back to live it
every other day for the rest of my life. The water was captivating, clear
greenish full of small multicolored fishes swimming right below the boat! So
beautiful!
On Sunday, we had breakfast at the resort. It was raining, very much tropical
weather with all sorts of birds singing through the corridors of the venue. We
headed uphill to see the elephants, and watched the jungle. What we didn't know
was that these heavy animals were kept chained throughout the day, so they
wouldn't run wild and leave their owners out of business. It was my least
favorite part of the trip in Thailand. On our way back to Patong, the sky
started to clear out and the sun came back out. We visited the Big Buddha’s
monument which was very enjoyable. There were about two dozen small golden
Buddhas in different positions surrounding the actual temple, and many people
praying and meditating. It was a peaceful and serene place to encounter in this
island, which not too long ago on a Christmas day, was almost washed out by the
Tsunami.
Phuket was one of the most beautiful and enjoyable parts of our trip. However,
it was not as clean as our previous location, Singapore. Let's see what awaits us
in our next stop, “The Pearl of the Orient.”
Bologna: “La Dotta, La Rossa, La Grassa”
by Laura Blanc de Silva on 12/04/13
At the end of August, and after spending some
days in Rome, we decided to visit Bologna. A friend has told us that it was one
of the most welcoming cities in Italy; however it is not enlisted as one of the
most popular cities in the guidebooks. We love “welcoming cities”, so we gave a
try!
We took one of the fastest Trenitalia trains
and in three hours we arrived in Bologna, better known by the Italians as “La Dotta, La Rossa, La Grassa” (“the educated, the red, the
fat”) . “Educated” is for the city’s university, the oldest in the western
world; “Red” refers both to the red bricks that most of Bologna’s historic
buildings and porticoes are made from, and to the city’s history of leftist
(read communist) politics. And “fat”, of course, is for Bologna’s culinary
tradition.
It is one most beautiful city we have been to. Bologna’s
historic centre has been beautifully maintained, and we enjoyed exploring it on
foot. As we went in August, it was not full of tourists, so we wandered around,
enjoyed the view and ate! Bologna has innumerable streets that
are worth visiting, each has something to catch the tourist’s attention. The
streets are so narrow, that cars do not pass through. The main means of transportation in the
downtown area are bicycles. Less pollution and more exercise! A curiosity in
Bologna are its porches that can be seen everywhere, it rains a lot, especially
in autumn and spring, so it is a must to carry an umbrella, or seek protection
under their beautiful and unique frames.
Its famous University of Bologna embraces a lot of foreign students that mingled with
tourists from all over and people who come and go from their jobs. It has
museums to explore, churches and beautiful places to visit. In the historic,
center we visited La Piazza Maggiore, and the Basilica di San Petronio. When
visiting new places, we always love to engage in conversations with the locals.
They mentioned to us that the Basilica has a shocking piece of architecture and
art inside worth seeing, an ancient and controversial painting that shows
Mohammed burning in inferno. The painting has been subject to considerable
threats terrorists and is well maintained. There are a large number of Roman
ruins under the city that did not allow building a metro.
Tomorrow we are heading from Bologna Centrale
(train station) to Florence, only a 40 minutes train
ride! But that is another story.
The Must-Visit Loire Valley
by Laura Blanc de Silva on 12/04/13
We
visited some European countries this summer, we stayed in Paris five days, and
from there we went for the day to the Loire Valley. These are only some of Loire’s
historic towns: Blois, Chinon, Orléans, Saumur, Tours, Nantes or Angers, and the
world-renowned heritage sites such as the castles of Chambord and Chenonceau,
Amboise Royal Castle, the Gardens of Villandry Castle , the Château du Clos
Lucé or the Royal Abbey of Fontevraud. The Loire Valley has an extension of 280
km long and 800 km2, and is enlisted on the world heritage of UNESCO since 2000
for its cultural landscapes, that illustrated the ideals of the Renaissance and
the Enlightenment. One of the best excursions to be done when visiting France! But
one day is not enough!
The
day was hot and dry, and it was mid-August already! The town of Amboise was a medieval
fortress in the late fifteenth century and early sixteenth century, and once
the home of Charles VIII and Francis I. On the left bank of the Loire, the Amboise
Castle has preserved the traces of its past. It has big terraces overlooking
the Loire. The royal castle is a showroom of the great figures in the history
of France, and to the ones that love history, it is enchanting. European’s artists stayed at the court of
Amboise, as it was a reference for the art and other cultural expressions.
We
had the great surprise to learn that Leonardo da Vinci lived in the castle of
Clos Lucé invited by Francis I. It is said that he was intimate of the king and
that he exhibited 40 of his fabulous machines in the castle. During the guide
visit, we knew that Leonardo came to France, probably after the death in 1516
of his patron Julian Medici, and that he received a rich income of 700 gold
crowns. It seemed a fortune I thought! Our guide explained that Leonardo spent
his time drawing and teaching, and that he also dedicated his time to urbanism
and architecture. Leonardo’s remains rest in the chapel in the Amboise Castle,
and we paid a visit to his tomb. He died in the house of Cloux on May 2, 1519.
From
there, we visited the beautiful and well-kept gardens of the castle, and then
we decided to buy souvenirs, before going to the town to have a delicious
French meal.
So much to see and do in Vancouver!
by Laura Blanc de Silva on 12/04/13
We arrived at night at the fascinating city of Vancouver after travelling through the luxuriant landscape of British Columbia by Whistler Mountaineer. This train company, takes the famous Sea-to-Sky corridor which goes from evergreen forests to mountains. Amazing, exciting and unforgettable views! We chose to visit Vancouver in July, the weather was pleasant, it rains often and then the sun shines. An unusual combination.
We bought a hop-on hop-off ticket that was good for two days. The city is big and it takes time to visit it. The first day we visited Stanley Park, which has 400-hectare, located west of the city, and that is one of the national historic sites of Canada. A magnificent park, with mountains, and majestic ancient trees. We took amazing pictures. Visitors can walk, bike, dine, or swim in the beach that holds the park. We took the bus again and visited the First Nations totem poles. Staley Park is home to a variety of monuments and the totems are located at Brockton Point in the eastern corner of Stanley Park. These totems are considered to be the most visited monuments in British Columbia, and they are also a few minutes away from the Vancouver Aquarium, our next stop.
The Aquarium is also in Stanley Park and it is a must
visit. It has more than 50,000 animals from all over the world. We saw
funny shows and got splashed by the dolphins! One of the most interesting
things is the marine research and the conservation initiatives that they have
implemented. There were a lot of fast food restaurants, and endless lines of
tourists waiting with noisy and cheerful kids. What a long day! Back to the
hotel, dine and rest was what everybody said. Beautiful I thought! No extra
plans to go out tonight. Plans for next day were to use the day pass and visit
Gasstown, a reflection of the city's past.
A Jewel in South America
by Laura Blanc de Silva on 12/04/13
So
we headed to Punta del Este or Punta as everybody called it, a unique natural
destination. It is located in the department of Maldonado, only an hour and a
half from Montevideo, it has more than 20 miles of coastline and high hills
overlooking the sea. It is internationally recognized as one of the top spas in
America and the most exclusive in the region. Luxurious summer houses,
high-rise beachfront apartments, huge yachts in the harbor, luxury hotels and
restaurants make this the most glamorous resort of America. Not surprisingly, it
has been chosen as a destination resort for celebrities such as Ralph Lauren, Paul
Mc Cartney, Metallica, Shakira.
Every imaginable recreation is an option to visit. We started taking a shopping
trip along Gorlero Avenue and were impressed with the most recognized global
brands. Christian Dior’s products to Benetton’s, along with traditional
Uruguayan’s products converge there. Gorlero is the main street of the resort. Talking
to some locals, they said that around this avenue, it was born the tourist’s
life of Punta del Este. A fantastic beach that offers showrooms, restaurants, malls, pubs, clubs,
antique shops, art galleries, cinemas, theaters, markets, casinos and
nightlife. Every summer Punta is chosen to be home of large fancy parties,
fashion shows for brands and a wide range of cultural offerings of large
dimension such as the International Jazz Festival, the International Film
Festival and so forth. Punta also offers lovely places and landscapes for those
who come in search of absolute tranquility.
The
meeting point for all ages are the beaches. The most popular are Playa Mansa
and Playa Brava, they mark the end of the Rio de la Plata and the beginning of
the Atlantic Ocean. Punta also extends itself to the west forming Punta Ballena,
and to the east creating La Barra and Jose Ignacio. Lots of sports are
practiced along the diversity of its coast, such as surfing, windsurfing, jet skiing, boating,
sailing, fishing and yachting. On land, tourists also engage in polo
competitions, golf, tennis, soccer, and rugby.
We
visited an astonishing Mediterranean-style house sculpture, Casapueblo, that is
only 20 minutes from Punta del Este. Casapueblo is a white building, with
curved edges, filled with paintings and sculptures, located on a cliff while watching
the sea. It seems an appalling Greek house. It was designed by the Uruguayan
artist Carlos Páez Vilaró, which became an architectural icon. In summer,
Casapueblo is the place to gather multiple cultural activities and the
house-museum of Vilaró who can be described as a painter, potter, sculptor,
muralist, writer, composer, builder and frequent traveler. Every day at sunset
there is a Ceremony of the Sun that can be heard over loudspeakers. It was written
and recited by Paez Vilaró and it is an anthem to the sun.
Punta
surprised and captivated us. The best place to spend some days when you want to
have fun and escape from the unfriendly winter. An enjoyable jewel in South
America.
