Destinations Archives - Page 2 of 8

Lima. Part 4

author2020-03-16T17:44:38+00:00

San Isidro and Olive Grove Park Together with Barranco and Miraflores, San Isidro is one of the most developed districts in the city. It’s a prestigious place mostly inhabited by wealthy citizens. Architecturally and culturally, it’s not particularly interesting. The only historic landmark is Huaca Huallamarca, another ancient Indian pyramid, but a smaller one. The rest of the district is made up of tall glass buildings, multi-storey dwelling complexes, and local celebrities’ and attachés’ mansions. The district is considered the financial and diplomatic centre of the capital. Its status is proved by the fact that it’s here that the main offices [...]

Lima. Part 4author2020-03-16T17:44:38+00:00

Lima. Part 3

author2020-03-16T17:43:32+00:00

Lima Beaches The coastline of Lima and its surroundings is over 3,000 km long, but it’s almost impossible to swim here. Who’s to blame? The above-mentioned cold Humboldt Current. There are some exceptions though: a few beaches in the northern part of the suburbs, which the warm El Niño current flows by. But even these places are only comfortable to swim at certain times of the year. Moreover, the Pacific Ocean is unquiet near Lima. High waves rise here all the time, which makes the waters unsafe for swimming. However, the coast is popular with surfers. We often saw people in [...]

Lima. Part 3author2020-03-16T17:43:32+00:00

Lima. Part 2

author2020-03-16T17:41:56+00:00

Climate Lima is located in a tropical zone, so we expected warm weather and occasional showers. But the climate is unique in the capital: it’s a tropical desert! It rains here almost as rarely as in the Sahara. The city’s coast is washed by the cold Humboldt Current, starting from the shores of Antarctica, while the other part of the city is covered by mountain ranges creating a kind of a shield. That’s why the humidity level in Lima is really very high, but instead of abundant precipitation, low thick clouds often hover over the capital. We noticed this feature of [...]

Lima. Part 2author2020-03-16T17:41:56+00:00

Lima. Part 1

author2020-05-03T08:25:37+00:00

The next stop in our journey around Latin America was Peru, the cradle of the ancient Inca civilization, a country with incredible history and magnificent natural landmarks. We decided to stay in Lima, as it’s easier to study the culture and feel the rhythm of local life living in the capital. We usually spend a month in every city. But getting ready for the trip, we read a lot about Lima and figured that there was, presumably, not much to do there, so we decided two weeks would be more than enough for a visit to the capital. After Uruguay, we [...]

Lima. Part 1author2020-05-03T08:25:37+00:00

Colonia del Sacramento and Nueva Helvecia

author2020-03-07T20:45:18+00:00

After visiting Punta del Este and relaxing on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean, we decided to go searching for a genuine colonial colour that we missed in Montevideo so much. We heard a lot about a special place called Colonia del Sacramento, which is probably even more famous than Montevideo. We wanted to see this small old town with our own eyes. Colonia Suiza (Nueva Helvecia) We were driving to the west of Montevideo and decided to drop into another interesting place—Colonia Suiza that was renamed Nueva Helvecia (New Switzerland) some time ago—on our way to Colonia del Sacramento. The [...]

Colonia del Sacramento and Nueva Helveciaauthor2020-03-07T20:45:18+00:00

Punta del Este

author2019-12-11T18:17:25+00:00

Montevideo is a city with nice beaches, but the water there is dirty, which makes it totally unfit for bathing and water amusements. We started to miss classic seaside holidays, so we decided to go to Punta del Este, the most popular resort in Uruguay. According to tourists’ reviews, fabulous beaches, warm ocean waters, and a peaceful atmosphere were awaiting us there, so we rented a car and went exploring a new city. Punta del Este: History and Geography Punta del Este is a resort city located 140 km away from Montevideo. It’s Uruguay’s easternmost point whose long spit projects right [...]

Punta del Esteauthor2019-12-11T18:17:25+00:00

Montevideo. Part 3

author2020-05-05T15:41:05+00:00

Carnivals in Uruguay We arrived in Montevideo right in the heat of the carnival that is, by the way, the longest one in the world and lasts 45 days. First street performances started to be organized in the country in the 19th century. Dark-skinned slaves were given a few days off in the middle of February, so Africans dressed in colourful clothes, went out to the city streets, and danced to rhythmic drum beats. https://youtu.be/oaMfZlXGHuw The citizens often joined the slaves’ processions—first, as spectators, then as active participants. The Uruguayan carnival gradually became a mix of African culture and Spanish [...]

Montevideo. Part 3author2020-05-05T15:41:05+00:00

Montevideo. Part 2

author2019-11-29T23:42:04+00:00

Montevideo Beaches Montevideo is located near the place where the La Plata River flows into the ocean. A beach line of over 20 km stretches along the estuary. The nearest beach was just a five-minute walk from our house, so we often spent time there. https://youtu.be/80IoQQxceAs By the way, the river waters were not suitable for swimming. The water was murky, thick, and full of seaweed and sand lifted from the bed by river currents. However, the beaches themselves were clean and had soft, yellow sand that the boys adored so much. Equipped with sticks, spades, and toys, Michael Jr [...]

Montevideo. Part 2author2019-11-29T23:42:04+00:00

Montevideo. Part1

author2019-11-29T23:40:08+00:00

It was still warm in Buenos Aires, but winter was coming, bringing the first cold days in early February, so we decided to go further. The capital of Uruguay was chosen for a reason. Travelling around Malaysia, we noticed that wealthy citizens often move to Singapore. The same goes for Latin America. Many rich people living in Buenos Aires move to Montevideo. So going to Uruguay, we knew we were going to stay in a city with a high—at least for Latin America—quality of life. Ships regularly sail from the capital of Argentina to Montevideo, so we bought tickets to one [...]

Montevideo. Part1author2019-11-29T23:40:08+00:00

Buenos Aires. Part 4

author2019-10-28T20:53:23+00:00

Colourful Houses of La Boca La Boca is considered to be one of the brightest and memorable districts in the city. That’s where de Mendoza created the first settlement in 1536. After the reconstruction of Buenos Aires, the area was built up with shacks where black slaves were kept. In the 19th century, deserted La Boca became the refuge for thousands of European immigrants (mainly Italians). New citizens turned the former shacks and warehouses into houses and painted the walls, roofs, and windows with different colours. By the way, the reason for choosing such a colour palette is prosy: poor migrants [...]

Buenos Aires. Part 4author2019-10-28T20:53:23+00:00