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Latin America 2018
  • Meaghan's Travels
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Latin America 2018

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  • Meaghan's TravelsLatin America 2018Meaghan's Travels

    Santiago

    3. januar 2018, Cuba ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    We did a few things today - cemetery, museum, wandering around the town, looking at the various art galleries including buying some artwork! - even on our tight budget and watching the sunset from a castle! Pretty good day!

    The art work is so cheap compared to western prices. Lots of hideous tourist stuff duplicated everywhere but looking around there are some real gems.

    I'll do some art posts.

    I just paid the asking price for the art we bought as its so reasonable and it would have been an insult to bargain for it. The Cubans really need the $ and I am very happy to pay what they ask.

    A Dr's wage may be $30 a month. So an artist selling to a westerner can do very well. The most expensive painting I have asked about was $1000.

    The museum was hot and it was a struggle to understand the guide's accent so I wandered on my own and marge grabbed a seat by a window. It was very interesting though and it had gruesome photos of murdered revolutionaries.

    Next was the cemetery where Fidel and other revolutionaries and heros are buried.

    They have a changing of the guard every half hour which is pretty impressive - all done to quite loud music.

    Fidel Castro and Che are beloved in Cuba and there are photos pictures billboards posters and murials of them everywhere.

    At the castle they fire a canon each evening along with some impressive marching!

    Then sitting on top of the castle watching the sunset over the ocean was very relaxing.

    Went to a night club after dinner. It was like the cuban nightclub for tourists I think. Had a dance, a margarita and went on stage to play percussion then called it a night.

    Walked home across town alone - wouldn't be able to do that in many countries!    Les mer

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  • Meaghan's TravelsLatin America 2018Meaghan's Travels

    Confusion

    5. januar 2018, Cuba ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Blog days are abit out of order but work with me!

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  • Meaghan's TravelsLatin America 2018Meaghan's Travels
    1Marge in emergency
    Not where you ever want to be!The examination!The prescribed medicationHospital Pharmacy and the MedsDiet Directions

    In Hospital in Havana

    12. januar 2018, Cuba ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Posting this out of order but its breaking news and I am so behind in my blogging.

    Poor Marge is not recovering from her gastro issues despite resting and cutting out all potentially hazardous food so the guide and I thought it best we see a Dr in Havana before heading off into the countryside.

    That means going to the designated foreigner hospital.

    So at 8am we set off to beat the crowds.
    We saw a Dr pretty quickly. She prescribed various medication (but didn't ask if marge had any allegries) and said to continue with the resticted diet and gastrolyte.

    One of the scripts is for an antibiotic you take once a day for three days so goodness knows what it is!

    Total cost - $25US for the consultation and $14 for the medication!

    So back to the casa so Marge can rest.

    Its pouring rain today so good day to rest. We were going to do the classic car tour but cancelled it.

    My mission today is to find wet wipes! Haven't seen any in Cuba so far but I spied some yesterday but the shop was closed.

    So set off and had lunch in a trendy restaurant which had its big tripadvisor banner displayed. A good trip advisor rating is gold in Cuba as thats where the tourists head for. I had an awesome chocolate milkshake and we all know how girlfriend loves her milkshakes!

    Next the wipes. Shop closed for 2nd day in a row and the shop assistants are just sitting inside. And lots of people keep trying to get in. Cuba takes weird to a whole new level.

    But then I found the holy grail - a shop devoted to toiletries with stock! And in the corner stacks of made in Italy wipes of different varieties! So I queue up and once in my umbrella rain jacket and handbag go in a giant heavy duty plastic bag which is locked by the security guard. I then carry that around with me! Security measures for what is basically a shampoo shop.

    Then back to the casa to check on marge. The casa is well located in the old city so easy to go to and fro.

    Then out again to check out some shops mentioned in a Havana guide published in Cuba. After finding the first two don't exist anymore I give up on this venture.

    Next its a hotel with wifi - I planned to sit in the huge leather chairs and have some tea while listening to the live music that usually plays in the lobby catching up on my blog. But no music no tea and the lobby is hot. By now I am exhausted and hot so head back to the casa to force feed Margy rice and gastrolyte.

    Next drama was tour company wanted us to change casa's for our last night in Havana. Guide had tried to fix this, I had said unless there is a good reason we should not have to move during a 3 night stay given there are so many available casas and it takes time away from our time in Havana. And on top of that its not appropriate for Mum.

    And the reason - despite tour groups generally being split between casas they decided they would keep a new tour group in the one casa. Yep go figure.

    So we had two days of the tour company saying we had to move.

    A lot of discussion and going back and forth with the tour company through the guide and eventually I just said I am not moving an elderly women who just left the hospital in the pouring rain (yes by the time we left the hospital it was torrential) to a new casa for no good reason!

    So we stayed.    Les mer

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  • Meaghan's TravelsLatin America 2018Meaghan's Travels
    1

    Galapagos day one

    19. januar 2018, Ecuador ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Ok going to have to finish off the Cuba posts later so will do my Galapagos posts.

    Wow what a first day - crabs iguanas flamingo turtle laying eggs lizards lots of birds gorgeous landscape and a beautiful white sand beach to swim in!

    First island visit was Santa Cruz at Bachas Beach. There were a few world war 2 remnants to see aside from the wildlife.

    I have lots of photos of the crabs as they are so colourful and fun to photograph.

    I could stare at the iguanas all day - they are so prehistoric looking.

    We had a good flight from Guayaquil and were met by the naturalist from the boat. The government mandates that cruise operators employ a naturalist for each cruise.

    Our naturalist likes our cruise operator the best as she said they take it seriously which is good to know!

    I looked at lots of reviews to narrow my choice and decided first class was the way to go. The only standard higher is luxory and the boats tend to be bigger with more people which is not what I wanted.

    Next I researched the two goverment mandated routes and decided on the west route which visits the younger islands.

    Next I decided a catamaran was the way to go as they have more stability.

    I then looked at the interiors of my finalists to make sure there were lots of places to hang out and that the staterooms had balconies.

    We are on the Tip Top ll run by the Rolf Wittmer family. Wittmer was a pioneer in Galapagos of eco tourism and died a few years ago.

    The catamaran we are on is fantastic! I will post photos later. Our stateroom is huge with a really large bathroom.

    I did book a room with a balcony which we didn't get for unknown reasons but the room we ended up with was better for margy in terms of stairs as it is on the same level as the dining room and the muster station. In fact I am liking not climbing the stairs as well! It is also more stable than the higher level where the rooms with the balconies are. Finally its so hot sitting on the balcony would have been too hot.

    The crew is amazing!!!! Really the best. We are going to leave them a huge tip. They take care of your every need and are so professional and thoughtful. The bursur became margy's best friend and he takes care of her beautifully. He is always near her and carries everything for her and helps her up and down stairs. He even gets her second helpings and extra dessert! He also put aside some orange juice just for margy and I! The crew have worked out the best way to get margy in and out of the zodiac and call out 'margy' when they are ready for her!

    Next is the food. Its really good and so much if it. We also have a mid morning snack and a snack with the pre dinner drinks. The pre dinner drinks are one of my favourite times as you get to relax on deck with a pina colada watching the sunset.

    The bar didn't have any cocktails so I organised for pina coladas to be made for me each evening as spirits and wine are too heavy for me on a cruise. They started off in small glass but I now I am getting a huge glass!

    The gentle rocking of the catamaran is like being in a hammock so it suits me perfectly. I really think I could become a cruise person!    Les mer

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  • Meaghan's TravelsLatin America 2018Meaghan's Travels
    Galapagos glammer!
    First Galapagos sunsetOur route - full green line

    The last of day one!

    19. januar 2018, Ecuador ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    I glammed up for for pre dinner drinks and dinner! (except for the hair - no hope there!)

    There are two routes you can cruise which are set by the government. We are doing the green one which has the younger islands and the green dotted line is the other route. 14 days to do both routes would be too much for me but I would like to come back in a few years and do the other route.Les mer

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  • Meaghan's TravelsLatin America 2018Meaghan's Travels
    1Like an abstract work of art
    1Me on Mars

    Galapagos day two

    20. januar 2018, Ecuador ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    So the days generally go like this. Early breakfast, walk/snorkle/swim, lunch, free time/siesta, walk/snorkle/swim, pre dinner drinks, briefing by naturalist, dinner and early night.

    Its generally hot and humid so at the end of the day you are pretty tired.

    The naturalist guides every walk. Ours is a very german in how she relates to us. At 6.29pm on the first night she came looking for us for the 6.30pm briefing.

    This morning its Santiago Island Sullivan Bay.

    This morning's walk was over a lava field. The landscape is abit Mars like. This trip I am prepared with two pairs of walking shoes (one with additional ankle support) and my walking sticks. And this walk needed the foregoing as the surface was of course very uneven there were lots of sharp edges.

    The patterns the lava made are lovely - like abstract artworks.    Les mer

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  • Meaghan's TravelsLatin America 2018Meaghan's Travels
    Lava field
    1Lava fieldAnd then the lava flow stoppedPinnacle rock1The money shotAnother blissful sunset

    Galapagos day two continued

    20. januar 2018, Ecuador ⋅ 🌫 25 °C

    In the afternoon we cruised to Bartholomew Island where in Galapagos world the well known Pinnacle Rock is. Advertising and promotion photos are often taken here.

    Its so glarey that when I take photos with my phone all I see is a black screen so most of my Galapagos photos are on my camera. The ones I am posting from now on are hit or miss from my phone. So don't just rely on your phone for photos when you go to the Galapagos!Les mer

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