http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Dreamer/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Dreamer en-us Wed, 06 Jan 2010 05:23:36 +0000 Wed, 06 Jan 2010 05:23:36 +0000 Last night did not sleep much as there was something happening in the Zcalo. It was connected with May Day which is a workers day or labour day in this part of the world. Anyway there was heaps of noise and so it was hard to sleep. Mostly music but occasionally some dedicated supporter of workers made long blasts on a air horn. I guess there is always something happening in the Zalo. To http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/blog-7937.html Last morning in Cuba and the casa particular owner dishes up a fruit platter for breakfast ... papaya mango guayaba watermellon and pineapple ... mmmmmmmmFlight to Mexico was meant to be at about 3pm so spent the morning on one last walk along the Malecon. Was walking on the side opposite the sea when a police officer or soldier directed me to walk on the other side of the road. When I c http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Cuba/Oeste/La-Habana/blog-8366.html Went to the Alczar of the Christian Kings. A few good views of Crdoba from its towers but the best thing were its gardens.Want to see more photosHave a look at my website here httpwww.firemanonasailingship.comphotos http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Andalusia/C-rdoba/blog-10055.html Early start to go to the Alhambra the main attraction here.It has three main parts the Palacios Nazares palace of Sultans the Generalife Gardens and the Alcazaba first castle on the site.All really good glad that I had booked my ticket to go early as there were crowds even at 930am.In the most visited part the Palacios Nazares there were heaps of things to take photos of by it was http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Andalusia/Granada/blog-10261.html Up early for the flight from Arequipa to Juliaca nearest airport to Puno.The flight was only 25 minutes and was surprisingly painless. The plane was modern and there was plenty of leg room. The steward even handed out lollies.Got to Puno after a drive from Juliaca Airport but not before we were surrounded by people selling all sorts of local handy crafts or people just begging as we were loa http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Puno/Lake-Titicaca-/blog-7233.html Woke up not feeling too well but lungs not burning like the night before probably the altitude managed to have some breakfast.Another trip with a local operator. First stop was a area with a whole bunch of stone sculptures and what they meant and how they were changed and developed by the different people of the area in ancient times. Next stop was a local Sunday market. Thousands of peopl http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Puno/Lake-Titicaca-/Uros-Island/blog-7234.html Okay so spent the afternoon wandering around Cuzco. Cuzco was the Inca Capital and full of Inca palaces. You can see a lot of Inca Stonework which usually forms the base of buildings and on top you see Spanish Colonial architecture. When the Spanish arrived they used the original Inca work as the foundations for their own buildings hence the conbination of styles. I have to say the Inca w http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/Lima/blog-7413.html Today was spent travelling from Cuzco along the Ollantaytambo Valley to some Inca constructions at Ollantaytambo itself.To hard core travellers going on organised tours is a bit of a soft option but today it was excellent because the guide was a local university history professor and politician. He knew heaps about the valley about Inca history and about Pervian history and politics. If you w http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Peru/blog-7414.html Woke up this morning to rain. First real rainy day in about two months of travelling so canrsquot complain. Got out my 30 Sole raincoat which I bought in Cuzco Peru. Donrsquot know what it is made of but seems to work okay so long as it is not exposed to water ... just kidding itrsquos not that bad kept mostly dry and Crdoba is the birth place of the Roman philosopher Seneca who was http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Andalusia/C-rdoba/blog-9822.html Okay its has been a bit of while so here is a summary of what I have seen and done of the last couple of weeks ...Puerta del Sol Plaza Mayor Palacio RealWent to some of the main tourist places in Madrid. Pretty easy to walk between them.Puerta del Sol. Supposedly the centre of Madrid. It has a clock tower from which I think distances to other places from Madrid are calculated.Plaza Mayor. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/District-of-Madrid/blog-8597.html Well back in Mexico City did not do much but did go on walking tour of the city around the hostel again. The last time I went it was May day and a lot of the buildings were closed and also because of the May day celebrationsprotests there was a lot of noise which made it difficult to here the guide. This time the buildings were open and I got to see some excellent murals by Diego Riviera on M http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/blog-8368.html I thought that the mango juice I had in Peru was great but had some pretty good freshly squeezed juice for breakfast. Again excellent coffee.After breakfast walked from the casa along a long street from Vedado through Central Havana and China Town to the Capitolio. Only saw one Chinese looking person in and only a little bit of Chinese looking writing in China Town but have to admit only stuc http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Cuba/Oeste/La-Habana/blog-8365.html Breakfast in the casa. Fresh squeezed papaya juice and really good coffee. Not really a fan of papaya juice or coffee but these were so good I could probably drink them everyday. Better than the juice and coffee in the hotel. Feeling good so decided to walk from Vedado along the Malecon to old Havana. Not really that much happening on the Malecon no one launching a boat bound for Florid http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Cuba/Oeste/La-Habana/blog-8364.html Decided to take an early morning walk around old Havana. Basically walked down one street from my hotel to old Havana. Lots of people on way to work walking or waiting for crowded buses. People waiting outside workplaces. In old Havana people walking on the streets because the footpaths too narrow or too broken up. One armed man sold me yesterdays copy of Granma. People pushing trolleys wi http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Cuba/Oeste/La-Habana/blog-8361.html Well arrived in Cuba after uneventful flight no problems with customs or immigration person spoke English better than I could speak Spanish or the health check desk I just said that I did not speak Spanish and they let me pass.First thing I noticed stepping out of the airport was the humidity. Start sweating almost immediately.Taxi from the airport to central Havana 25CUC about half an hour. http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Cuba/Oeste/La-Habana/blog-8291.html My hotel room had a balcony overlooking the Prado and Parque Central. Which is great for the view and people and traffic watching but not so good if you want to get some sleep two reasons noise and the smell of petrol or diesel wafting into the room either through the shuttered and curtained windows or via the air conditioning unit.Woke up late so missed the tour that I had booked to go on. http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Cuba/Oeste/La-Habana/blog-8292.html Friday Night in the ZocaloLast night there was a free concert in the Zocalo the main square of Mexico City. The concert was something to do with a festival of cultures. Apparently the night before Carlos Santana was playing missed him doh.After the pointless trip to the Cuban Embassy yesterday today I got to go on a tour organised by the hostel to the Guadalupe Shrine and also to Teotihuaca http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/blog-7905.html NightWent for a walk last night about 9pm once again across the Roman Bridge but much cooler than during the day the streets and the walls of the buildings were giving off the heat they absorbed earlier ... people going for evening strolls a joggers taking advantage of the relative cool air at night ... birds swallows calling out as they fly about ... MezquitaWent to the Mezquita this morni http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Andalusia/C-rdoba/blog-9902.html Up early to go for a walk up to some hills in the Scaramonte area overlooking Granada to take pictures of the Alhambra. On the way there walked through part of the Albayzin area lots of narrow streets and white houses like Crdoba's Jewish area so of course it is really easy to get lost. But got to the lookout points and the views were worth it. On the way back however decided not to walk th http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Andalusia/Granada/blog-10178.html This morning went on a walking tour of Granada. Really good guide from httpwww.ciceronegranada.com Tour was about the contrast between MoorishIslamic Granada and Catholic Granada and the transition between the two.Started off outside the town hall of Granada and went to a building that was an old Moorish inn called a Fondak dating from the 14th Century. It was taken over by the Catholics http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Andalusia/Granada/blog-10355.html