Dino
Accomodtions and Food
Hotel
Casa Andina Classic - Nasca
Jr. Bolognesi 367, Nasca 5156, Peru
$80/room
Total for 2 rooms= $1120
This particular hotel we felt was so-so compared to the others we had checked into during the 8 weeks. The service we thought was okay, but not excellent and the complementary breakfast was mediocre at best. We did appreciate the free-WiFi and the cleanliness of the pool. Overall for the price we got the room it was good, but could have been much better.
Food
This week, like last week we took advantage of the free breakfast that came with our hotel rooms. But unlike last week we felt that the food was not as good as the ones like in Bolivia. We believe it’s because we had basically the same breakfast over and over for the past two weeks. But we endured it get proper pick up we needed for the adventures ahead. That and Erin and Jennifer are coffee addicts.
We found a restaurant called La Taberna, which had a pretty interesting vibe about it. On the wall was graffiti from tourists and locals that have been into this restaurant. Here we all decided to be healthy and eat the vegetarian meals that they offered. This was a change from our high protein diet we had all been on since the beginning of the trip. The guys did not enjoy the meal as much because they did not like vegetables, but got through the meal just fine. Price was not too bad at about $8.75 a person. Total bill came out t be $43.75
Not hearing about too many restaurants in Nazca, Peru, aside from eating at the hotel for breakfast it was hard to find places that were trust worthy. So we checked TripAdvisor and found out about Dono Hono. Without much detail on it we decided to go. Overall we thought the restaurant was clean and decent and had a good mix of tourists and locals. We tried the lasagna and other soups on their menu. The prices in this particular place was not too expensive, about $3/dish. With such a great low price and pretty delicious food we came back for seconds. For trip of two we spent a grand total of $30
We then found Pollo a la brasa. A local area that served some of the best chicken for under $10 a plate. The place seemed to be crawling with locals. A bit intimidating to the 5 of us. But we built up the courage and went it to get some of the good local foods. The chicken was great and the locals were not as bad as they seemed when entering the building. Although we did get some stares. But for the $50 we spent, it was not too bad.
Overall Spent of Food: $341, including our free breakfast at the hotel.
Jennifer
Transportation
On Saturday, October 23rd at 7am we hopped back into our rental car and headed to the airport. Our flight was at 8:52am and we were running behind. This was the only flight that day so it would be a big deal to miss it. We pulled up and dropped Erin off and let her run inside to hold our plane while we returned the car. When the rest of us finally got to the gate they were obviously arguing with her and trying to get the door closed. They weren’t pleased, but we made it. The flight was only 1 hour 48 minutes, but took us to Lima, Peru since there were no flights into Nazca. To get there we decided to take a bus and found a service that provided two deck seating, served dinner, and had VIP seating which turned out to be incredibly comfortable. We arrived at the airport at 9:40am and had till 1:30pm to grab food and get to the Expreso Cruz del Sur bus station. We got one of the airport officials to call us a registered taxi, which ended up being Andinataxi. Their drivers speak English or they provide a translator, and they also make sure their drivers aren’t out to rip off tourists and locals alike. We were making sure that we got a taxi big enough for all five of us and all our stuff. We ended up having the driver drop us off at a restaurant close to the bus station, which ended up being a little sandwich shop. The food was unimpressive, but we were looking forward to food in Nazca. It is 446km from Lima to Nazca which took six and a half hours by bus. We got to ride on the second level, and saw some amazing views. The seats were incredibly comfortable, and the dinner was very nice, and came with the price of the bus ticket. We got into Nazca at 8pm and were met by the car that we had chartered to take us around. The service only cost $50 a day, and it was great to have someone who knew the area show us around and take us to the best restaurants.
To return to Raleigh we caught the same bus back from Nazca to Lima with again cost us ($37.65 per person). The first bus back left at 11:30am and got us back at 6pm. We ended up calling Andinataxi again and they came and took us back to the airport. The ride was much longer this time since it was during rush hour, but we’d made sure to give ourselves plenty of time and didn’t have to be to the airport till 11:35pm. We decided to fly first class again, but even with that this was a long flight. The first leg took us from Lima to Newark Liberty where it was 7:30am. Our next flight didn’t leave until 10:07 so a few of us took a nap in the VIP area while the rest went to find food and coffee. From Newark we had a quick flight to Washington Dulles, and luckily only an hour layover before our last leg to RDU. The whole flight took us 14 hours and 15 minutes, and we were just glad to be home.
5 tickets La Paz, Bolivia to Lima, Peru Sat, October 23rd First Class = 30863.43 bolivianos ($4,396.50 [$752 per person])
1 bus ticket Lima to Nazca with Expreso Cruz del Sur (Class Cruzero VIP) = 530.21 bolivianos ($188.25)
Return trip = 530.21 bolivianos ($188.25)
Taxi = 42.25 bolivianos ($15)
Lunch in Lima = 56.33 bolivianos ($20)
Chartered Car = 704.13 ($250)
Return Flight: 5 tickets Lima, Peru to Raleigh/Durham, Sat, October 30th First Class = 29227.10 bolivianos ($10,377.10)
Nathaniel
Attractions
Cantalloc Aqueduct
Carretera Puquio-Cusco
Nasca, Peru
As our final stop in our trip, we decided for one of the attractions to visit the Cantalloc Aqueduct. We took a rental car to the site. This site was really cool because it was a natural attraction that had a lot of history tied to it. We found out that this aqueduct has been in existence since the 3rd century. It was also a really good piece of engineering, which was especially cool because of how long it has lasted. To walk around and see with our own eyes something this old was really cool, especially for me. The point of this site was to provide water for the inhabitants of the area back when it was made. What made this attraction so unique was the fact that it was made in area that had very little water. It cost just $1.06 USD per person for us to visit this place. Everyone found this attraction very interesting, especially Nathaniel. We ended up staying there for about five hours.
Sandboarding
Cerro Blanco
Peru
The last place we went was on a sandboarding trip to Cerro Blanco. We took the rental car to the site and spent like six hours enjoying the day. It was really cool because we got to rent a 4x4 buggy vehicle that would carry us across the sand dunes. The experience was a lot of fun because it was more like an amusement park ride than anything else because of the nature of the terrain. It was a lot of fun to travel on the sand, except for the fact that we got sand everywhere and our group was in need of some long showers when we got back. Sandboarding is almost exactly like snowboarding except for the fact that we are travelling on sand. It was interesting to take part in this because we had just done the same activity on snow a few weeks prior. Overall, the trip cost $30 USD per person.
John
Budget
Hotel: $1,120
Food: $361
Air Travel to Nazca: $4,396.50
Air Travel to Raleigh: $10,377.10
Taxi/Bus: $641.50
Attractions: $136.30
Total: $17,032.40
Total Remaining: $41,886.71
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
La Paz, Bolivia
Jennifer
We flew from Ushuaia to La Paz on October 16th at 8:25pm and arrived in La Paz at 2:30. It sounds simple doesn’t it? In truth, this got quite complicated since we had to find a hotel for our overnight in Buenos Aires, plus getting in at 11:45pm at Jorge Newbery Airpark, and having to catch our next flight at 9:10am out of Ministro Pistarini International the next day. We caught a taxi for both transfers and the total came out to around AR$130 (US$32.06). We were exhausted from all the running around, but we kind of splurged on the hotel so felt pretty relaxed. After another transfer in Santa Cruz and a two hour layover there, we finally arrived in La Paz at 2:30pm. At the airport we grabbed our bags and headed to the rental car area where we picked up our 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe which was 540.54 Bolivianos (US$77) a day. We decided to brave the roads for the freedom it afforded us to get outside the city. We had all kinds of adventures while driving around this week. Everyone took a turn at it and was able to enjoy avoiding potholes and crazy motorcyclist. In the city we tried to walk whenever we could, just to truly experience the incredibly steep streets and light headedness that comes from the high altitude in the world’s highest capitol city. The fact that the streets are incredibly slippery only adds interest and entertainment. Especially the first time I hit the ground.
5 Plane tickets: AR$9869.16 (US$2487.50)
Each: AR$1973.83 (US$497.50)
Taxi: AR$130 (US$32.06)
Car Rental: 540.54 Bolivian Boliviano ($77) a day = 3783.78 Bolivian Boliviano ($539)
Gas: Holds 26 Gallons of gas = 98.54 liters
Gas Prices: 4.21 Bolivianos ($0.60) per litre
Every fill up: 415.02 Bolivianos ($59.12) and filled up twice = 830.40 Bolivianos ($118.24)
Our Tahoe at the Airport
Dino
Accomodations
Hotel: Residencial Rosario
Address: Illampu 704, La Paz 12446, Bolivia
Hotel Rosario is an excellent hotel with a staff that knows what they're doing! The rooms are nice (don't let the seemingly shoddy room doors put you off though, it's safe), the restaurant/breakfast is good and the free internet, either in the "Ayni" lounge or upstairs in the cafe, is a welcome treat.
The location is perfect- a couple of minutes by foot, and you're in the Witches' Market, on the Plaza San Francisco, the Prado or Plaza Murillo.
The location is perfect- a couple of minutes by foot, and you're in the Witches' Market, on the Plaza San Francisco, the Prado or Plaza Murillo.
Erin
Plaza San Francisco and the Witches Market:
We visited this bustling city square, the center of which is of course the Church of San Francisco. We walked through the plaza on Sunday afternoon, shortly after arriving in the ciry. We got to watch part of a wedding ceremony at the church, a common occurrence on Sundays in the square. Interestingly enough, everywhere there were shoe shiners wearing ski masks, offering to shine our shoes. We browsed and shopped through the numerous stalls and vendors and got to experience a little of the colonial religious architecture of the city.
We were told by hotel personnel to visit another attraction, the popular Mercado de los Brujos, or the Witches Market. There they sell a variety of goods, including armadillo, owl feathers, dried frogs and several kinds of cacti. The most popular item at the market, however, are dried llama fetuses, selling for about 1.50 USD. As odd as this sounds, the market is a popular tourist attraction, and we decided to visit. Among the many different odd items for sale were many things worth buying—they had many different kinds of candy and lots of silver jewelry. Overall we spent about $75 US dollars at the market.
Yungas Road: The “Road of Death”:
An hour outside of La Paz in the La Cumbre area is one of the more popular destinations for adventurers vacationing to the city. We went on the four hour long mountain bike ride tour down Yungas Road, affectionately known as the Road of Death. The road begins at an elevation of 15,400 ft. above sea level and ends at 5,003 ft. above sea level, descending about two miles down in the course of the trip.
The company we took our tour with is called Gravity Assisted Tours, and the trip was definitely the most adventurous moment of our entire travel experience. The unpaved road has sheer cliff-like mountainsides on either edge and is unpaved with no guard rail. If you can brave it though, the views of the mountains and the valleys surrounding them are just spectacular.
Nathaniel
Attractions
Museo Nacional de Arte
Address: Comercio y Socabaya La Paz 1190 Bolivia
We had the opportunity to go to the Museum of Art in La Paz. It was interesting to see the museum and compare some of the art to what have seen in art museums in some of the other places we have visited. Everyone found that some of the most interesting things in the museum were not so much the paintings but the sculptures. We found the style of the building really cool, as it was built in 1770’s style architecture. The only down part to the museum was the crowds of people. The place was so crowded our group did not really get a chance to get some good time to ourselves. Another disadvantage to the museum was the distance it was to the hotel. It took us 28 minutes to drive there, but overall it was well worth it.
Gravity Assisted Mountain Biking
Address: Av. 16 de Julio #1490, Edificio Avenida Planta Baja, Oficina #10 La Paz
Our group decided to do a recreational activity as we took a mountain biking trip. We were very impressed with the whole activity. The tour guides were so accommodating. They gave us heads up on every part of the trip and showed us how to go about using the bikes. We were also excited about the mountain bikes that we rented. They were really high quality with smooth gears and excellent tires. The overall cost was $381.40, which was not bad for a full day of entertainment. We did have a mishap when Nathaniel had a spill while cruising down one of the steep hills. Once again the tour guide was able to bandage him up and we were back on our way again with very little repercussions.
Total Price: $5.50 * 5= 27.50+$381.40= $408.90
Our group decided to rent a car for the week, to make transportation less of a hassle. We rented a 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe for $77 a day. We really enjoyed the freedom of having a car instead of relying on a taxi or the bus.
John
Budget
Car + Gas = $657.24
Air Travel = $2487.50
Attractions = $408.90
Misc = $75.00
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Week 6: Ushuaia, Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina
Jennifer: Transportation
We had a few options for how to get between Montevideo and our next city, which was Ushuaia, Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina. We decided we wanted to use the fact that both cities were on the ocean, and get a different travel experience. We looked at taking Buquebus from Montevideo to Buenos Aires, and flying from there, but the transitions and timing got very complicated, and much more expensive than what we were looking for. In the end we ended up catching the bus back to the airport and then flying to Ushuaia. The fly time was six hours all together; with a 3hr and 50min layover is Buenos Aires, for a total of nine hours. The layover sucked, but we all used to it to read or write in our journals. We left at 10:55am from Montevideo, and landed in Ushuaia at 7:45pm. This was one of the easier time changes, and we were able to head to the hotel and check in before dinner. The plane tickets for the five of us came out to U$36787.80 (US$1844) and the busses are really cheap, we spent U$59.85 (US$3).
Since we were arriving to Ushuaia off season, we decided to be daring and not book a hotel before arriving. This would give us a chance to get a lay of the land and talk to some locals to see what they recommended. From the Airport we took a van taxi which cost us AR$18 (US$4.54) and dropped us off at the waterfront. From there we were able to find a restaurant to grab something warm to drink and ask about accommodation recommendations. We also asked him the best way to get around the city. He said we could normally walk to most restaurants and shops in the area, but to get to things farther out, we could have our hotel call for a taxi.
Erin:
Food/Accommodations
Dino:
Cerro Castor
Location: 26 km from the city of Ushuaia, Argentina over Route No. 3
Price: Lift =123 pesos + Equipment=78 pesos = 201pesos($50.73)
Total for 5: 1005peso = $253.66
We had looked up many things to do in Ushuaia, and one of the things we all wanted to do was go out and ski and snowboard. Luckily for us we arrived in Ushuaia on the last week the mountain is open for such an activity. Since the seasons are changing we found out that the price of skiing and snowboarding went down to only 123 pesos per person($31.04). Everyone decided to pick up snowboards and helmets for safety. Fortunately we all thought to bring jackets and gloves so we did not have to worry about buying new gear. The guys had all snowboarded before, but Jennifer and Erin had not, so they had to learn on the go so we forwent lessons. With 24 different slopes to ride, everyone just went on the easier ones so we could all get a chance to ride with one another. We spent several hours riding and enjoying the cool air around us. Overall one of the most exhilarating experiences thus far.
Location: Yaganes 127 (next to the port), Ushuaia, Argentina
Price: $100/person
Total: $500
We found out that there were Penguins in Ushuaia!!! Everyone got really excited about this so we booked our tour with the Pira Tour group. On the day of the tour we hopped on a bus of about 15 people toward Harburton Estancia. The bus ride was about an hour which felt like forever because we all really wanted to see penguins in the wild. Upon arrival we treated ourselves to a coffee break and a nice slice of lemon cake(98.97pesos). John and Dino agreed it was probably one of the best cakes tasted during the trip. Erin, Jennifer and Nathaniel didn’t think so much about. But once the snack was done off we went on to a small island 15 minutes from the shore. We were very amazed when we started to see them. We were surprised to learn that we were going to get off onto the island and get closer. Apparently this is one of the only tour groups allowed to do such a thing. We took most of our time taking photos near the penguins. We kind of scared ourselves that they would eat or eyes out if we got too close. After 45 minutes with the penguins we had to say our goodbyes. Erin and Jennifer were especially saddened by our departure. An exciting new experience with local wildlife that we usually only see in zoos or TV.
Total for Skiing and Penguin Watching: $778.66
John Ropietski:
Beagle Channel
Description
This excursion sets out from the tourist port of Ushuaia, on one of the different crafts available, even though our proposal is a twenty-passenger ship so you can experience a good approach of the surrounding natural environment and are assisted in a more personalized way. Later, the boat sails southwest, away from the city and towards the heart of the Beagle Channel. It circumnavigates Alicia Island, which shelters a large colony of sea lions, until it reaches the Eclaireurs Light House, standing on a small island in the archipelago of the same name. This old lighthouse dating back from 1919 is one of the icons of Ushuaia, and the farthest point of the excursion
Maritime, Penal, and Antarctica Museum
Description
The huge Maritime, Penal, and Antarctica Museum is housed in a sprawling 5-spoked penitentiary built for bad guys and political prisoners (from Russian anarchist philosopher, Simon Radowitzky, to a noted Argentine author, Ricardo Rojas). The maritime portion displays scale models of the important early explorers from Magellan to the Dutch, English, and Portuguese. A huge map of Tierra del Fuego shows the literally hundreds of ships that have foundered and sunk on its shores. The museum also describes the lives of the most notorious murderers and the politically incorrect and a huge amount of information on the exploration of Antarctica.
Nathaniel:
Overall, I enjoyed the time spent in Ushuaia. My favorite attraction was the Maritime Museum. It taught me a lot of stuff about Antarctica that I really had never learned before. Plus, I have always had such a big interest in the sea and ships. Antarctica is interesting because most people do not really know a whole lot about the continent. I also enjoyed the snowboarding, especially with the fact that we were using real snow and not artificial.
Budget (USD):
Food:
Attractions: $500+$778.66= $1278.66
Accommodations:
Transportation: $1851.54
Weekly Total: $3130.20
Grand Total Remaining: 62,547.75
Friday, November 5, 2010
Week 5 Montevideo
Transportation: Erin
We flew to from Sao Paulo to Montevideo for $257 US dollars per person, totaling $1285. We arrived in Montevideo’s only airport at noon after a 2 ½ hour nonstop flight.
Review the flight details
Sao Paulo (GRU)
Depart 9:25 am
Terminal 1 to Montevideo (MVD)
Arrive 12:00 pm 974 mi
(1,568 km)
Duration: 2hr 35mn
Flight: 8046
Economy/Coach Class , Airbus A320
Total distance: 974 mi (1,568 km) Total duration: 2hr 35mn
We explored the city of Montevideo thoroughly during our stay there. Travel by bus in the city is very safe, and service is very friendly and helpful. We took a bus from the airport to our hotel for very cheap. Buses were convenient but crowded, and to get to many of the attractions we visited and to the restaurants we dined at, we took taxi’s. Taxi’s are an excellent way of getting around in the city quickly¸ and although they are more expensive than the buses, they are still relatively cheap. We considered renting a rental car, but we spoke to a few people in our hotel about the service who informed us that rental cars for city travelers were expensive and difficult to take advantage of. Traffic in the city tends to back up, and we were better off trusting the experienced taxi drivers to maneuver us through the crowded streets. In Montevideo, drivers drive on the right as in the US, but tend to have a habit of driving far above the speed limit! Many intersections didn’t even have traffic lights or stop signs, and drivers simply slowed down and looked to make sure not to hit anyone—traffic laws in the city are far more loose than in the US. We trusted and befriended many of our drivers though, and indeed met many friendly people in the city during our travels.
This is one of the “radio taxis” we took to get to a restaurant one afternoon for lunch. Cabs are metered like in the US but much less expensive, and one of the best ways of efficiently navigating the city. Meters start out at zero and rise with mileage, and the numbers correspond with numbers on a price chart, which you may ask to see before riding in the taxi (not all drivers charge the same). Short trips within the city cost us on the average about four or five US dollars a trip, and we spent a total of a little under $160 for our whole week.
Nathaniel
Accommodations for Montevideo
After we arrived in Montevideo, we headed for the hotel. The whole hotel experience was amazing. The hotel had some pretty amazing amenities. Each room had a mini-bar. The hotel had an indoor pool, casino, and fitness center. Our group had the opportunity to take advantage of the 3-hour express laundry service that was provided and get all of our clothes cleaned. We got a total of 2 rooms for a total for the week of $3706, at $264 a night per room. The experience was great. We especially found the wait staff very accommodating. They went out of their way to make our stay very comforting. We got rooms on the 14th floor of the building, so the view was amazing. We were able to see the River Plate. We were overwhelmed by the distance we could see. Even though, the hotel was priced so high, we were definitely had a satisfactory stay.
DINO
El Prado
TripAdvisor
Address:
Avenida Lucas Obes y Av. Bushental ,Montevideo el Prado Montevideo, Uruguay
Price: Free
We’ve seen a couple gardens thus far on our journey, so we decided to visit another one to see how European gardens differ from the ones in South America. Coming in we instantly noticed all the different varieties of exotic plants. There were plants from all over the world. Unlike the other gardens we have visited, this one had a love story that was connected to it. We learned that a businessman started the park for his wife. We then learned that the wife did not see the garden until after the death of her husband, and her attendance to it was only to liquidate her assets for money. We all felt a bit of pity for such a wonderful gesture. But along with such an interesting story we all noticed and loved the 54 different species of roses. John, Nathaniel and Dino even enjoyed the flowers, even though they are not big fans like Erin and Jennifer.
Playa Pocitos
TripAdvisor
Beach: Free
We thought that during this trip we could go out and enjoy a day at the beach. When planning the trip to Montevideo we saw that the beach is one of the most popular places to go and visit to play some soccer and volleyball. So on our way to the beach we bought a volleyball and three beach towels for 1300 pesos($65). Once we got to the beach we were amazed at the amount of people on the beach. It seems like the sea of people was as big as the beach itself, so it was kind of hard to find a place to set up. Unfortunately it was so busy we could not get into a game of volleyball, so we just played with the ball while we swam in the water. Dino had issues with bumping into people while in the water, but overall nothing too serious. After the beach we wanted to grab a bite to eat and found Montecristo/Castillo Pittamiglio, a museum/restaurant. The food was delicious and a good mix of South American cuisine. The meal was about 877peso/person costing us a total of 4385pesos($220). Overall we felt that the price was justified by the food they served.
Cost: $65 + $220= $285
Jennifer Hice
Ciudad Vieja: Mercado del Puerto, Cabildo de Montevideo, Teatro Solis
When doing research about what to visit in Montevideo, I kept coming across information about the Ciudad Vieja. This is the oldest part of the capital of Uruguay and has recently begun to go through a major revitalization. It has become home to art galleries, restaurants, and nightclubs. We decided to spend the whole day there and started it off with a visit to one of the many coffee shops, to sit and watch locals. Our coffee and pastries were delicious and fresh and came out to U$797.90 (US$40). After breakfast we walked around the streets for a while enjoying comparing the revitalized sections to what they had been before. Erin and I took some extra time going into some the Uruguayan artists’ studios, while the guys continued to wander.
We were also able to visit the Mercado del Puerto, which is a venue for traditional Uruguayan food and drink. There are stalls full of antiques, and leather goods. I fell in love with a pair of tall leather boots and ended going back for them. They were U$598 (US$30). Dino and John also ended up getting leather belts from the same vendor which came out to U$498.70 (US$25). After walking around some more we stopped at one of the stalls and got sandwiches made right in front of us on the grill. My hungaras (sausage) sandwich was amazing and served with grilled bell peppers. Everyone else got sandwiches, except for Nathaniel, who got a parillada, which is an assortment of grilled beef. We also split a pitcher of sangria, which was full of fresh fruit. All together lunch came out to U$1176.90 (US$59).
Mercado del Puerto
Chef in Mercado del Puerto fixing our grilled meats and vegetables
Gateway in Ciudad Vieja
After lunch, and recovering from lunch, we walked over to the Gateway which is the only part left of the wall that once surrounded the city. There were a lot of beautiful buildings from the colonial era such as the Solis Theatre and the Cabildo de Montevideo which once served as the government house. The Cabildo is now a museum housing maps, photographs, coins, furniture, apparel and accessories (combs, fans, etc.), porcelain, weapons and paintings. We went in and wandered around because there was no entrance fee. Next we went to the Solis Theatre which is Uruguay’s oldest theater, and would have been incredible to see a show in. It was recently renovated and all the columns you see in the picture were added during the renovation.
Cabildo de Montevideo
Theatro Solis
This turned out to be an incredible day, and really made us feel that we’d experienced a true part of the local culture and history.
U$797.90 (US$40)
U$598 (US$30)
U$498.70 (US$25)
U$1176.90 (US$59)
U$3071.5 (US$154)= Total
John
Budget
Hotel= $264/night $3706/week
Food= $319
Shopping= $120
Attractions= $0
Flight= $1,225
We flew to from Sao Paulo to Montevideo for $257 US dollars per person, totaling $1285. We arrived in Montevideo’s only airport at noon after a 2 ½ hour nonstop flight.
Review the flight details
Sao Paulo (GRU)
Depart 9:25 am
Terminal 1 to Montevideo (MVD)
Arrive 12:00 pm 974 mi
(1,568 km)
Duration: 2hr 35mn
Flight: 8046
Economy/Coach Class , Airbus A320
Total distance: 974 mi (1,568 km) Total duration: 2hr 35mn
We explored the city of Montevideo thoroughly during our stay there. Travel by bus in the city is very safe, and service is very friendly and helpful. We took a bus from the airport to our hotel for very cheap. Buses were convenient but crowded, and to get to many of the attractions we visited and to the restaurants we dined at, we took taxi’s. Taxi’s are an excellent way of getting around in the city quickly¸ and although they are more expensive than the buses, they are still relatively cheap. We considered renting a rental car, but we spoke to a few people in our hotel about the service who informed us that rental cars for city travelers were expensive and difficult to take advantage of. Traffic in the city tends to back up, and we were better off trusting the experienced taxi drivers to maneuver us through the crowded streets. In Montevideo, drivers drive on the right as in the US, but tend to have a habit of driving far above the speed limit! Many intersections didn’t even have traffic lights or stop signs, and drivers simply slowed down and looked to make sure not to hit anyone—traffic laws in the city are far more loose than in the US. We trusted and befriended many of our drivers though, and indeed met many friendly people in the city during our travels.
This is one of the “radio taxis” we took to get to a restaurant one afternoon for lunch. Cabs are metered like in the US but much less expensive, and one of the best ways of efficiently navigating the city. Meters start out at zero and rise with mileage, and the numbers correspond with numbers on a price chart, which you may ask to see before riding in the taxi (not all drivers charge the same). Short trips within the city cost us on the average about four or five US dollars a trip, and we spent a total of a little under $160 for our whole week.
Nathaniel
Accommodations for Montevideo
After we arrived in Montevideo, we headed for the hotel. The whole hotel experience was amazing. The hotel had some pretty amazing amenities. Each room had a mini-bar. The hotel had an indoor pool, casino, and fitness center. Our group had the opportunity to take advantage of the 3-hour express laundry service that was provided and get all of our clothes cleaned. We got a total of 2 rooms for a total for the week of $3706, at $264 a night per room. The experience was great. We especially found the wait staff very accommodating. They went out of their way to make our stay very comforting. We got rooms on the 14th floor of the building, so the view was amazing. We were able to see the River Plate. We were overwhelmed by the distance we could see. Even though, the hotel was priced so high, we were definitely had a satisfactory stay.
DINO
El Prado
TripAdvisor
Address:
Avenida Lucas Obes y Av. Bushental ,Montevideo el Prado Montevideo, Uruguay
Price: Free
We’ve seen a couple gardens thus far on our journey, so we decided to visit another one to see how European gardens differ from the ones in South America. Coming in we instantly noticed all the different varieties of exotic plants. There were plants from all over the world. Unlike the other gardens we have visited, this one had a love story that was connected to it. We learned that a businessman started the park for his wife. We then learned that the wife did not see the garden until after the death of her husband, and her attendance to it was only to liquidate her assets for money. We all felt a bit of pity for such a wonderful gesture. But along with such an interesting story we all noticed and loved the 54 different species of roses. John, Nathaniel and Dino even enjoyed the flowers, even though they are not big fans like Erin and Jennifer.
Playa Pocitos
TripAdvisor
Beach: Free
We thought that during this trip we could go out and enjoy a day at the beach. When planning the trip to Montevideo we saw that the beach is one of the most popular places to go and visit to play some soccer and volleyball. So on our way to the beach we bought a volleyball and three beach towels for 1300 pesos($65). Once we got to the beach we were amazed at the amount of people on the beach. It seems like the sea of people was as big as the beach itself, so it was kind of hard to find a place to set up. Unfortunately it was so busy we could not get into a game of volleyball, so we just played with the ball while we swam in the water. Dino had issues with bumping into people while in the water, but overall nothing too serious. After the beach we wanted to grab a bite to eat and found Montecristo/Castillo Pittamiglio, a museum/restaurant. The food was delicious and a good mix of South American cuisine. The meal was about 877peso/person costing us a total of 4385pesos($220). Overall we felt that the price was justified by the food they served.
Cost: $65 + $220= $285
Jennifer Hice
Ciudad Vieja: Mercado del Puerto, Cabildo de Montevideo, Teatro Solis
When doing research about what to visit in Montevideo, I kept coming across information about the Ciudad Vieja. This is the oldest part of the capital of Uruguay and has recently begun to go through a major revitalization. It has become home to art galleries, restaurants, and nightclubs. We decided to spend the whole day there and started it off with a visit to one of the many coffee shops, to sit and watch locals. Our coffee and pastries were delicious and fresh and came out to U$797.90 (US$40). After breakfast we walked around the streets for a while enjoying comparing the revitalized sections to what they had been before. Erin and I took some extra time going into some the Uruguayan artists’ studios, while the guys continued to wander.
We were also able to visit the Mercado del Puerto, which is a venue for traditional Uruguayan food and drink. There are stalls full of antiques, and leather goods. I fell in love with a pair of tall leather boots and ended going back for them. They were U$598 (US$30). Dino and John also ended up getting leather belts from the same vendor which came out to U$498.70 (US$25). After walking around some more we stopped at one of the stalls and got sandwiches made right in front of us on the grill. My hungaras (sausage) sandwich was amazing and served with grilled bell peppers. Everyone else got sandwiches, except for Nathaniel, who got a parillada, which is an assortment of grilled beef. We also split a pitcher of sangria, which was full of fresh fruit. All together lunch came out to U$1176.90 (US$59).
Mercado del Puerto
Chef in Mercado del Puerto fixing our grilled meats and vegetables
Gateway in Ciudad Vieja
After lunch, and recovering from lunch, we walked over to the Gateway which is the only part left of the wall that once surrounded the city. There were a lot of beautiful buildings from the colonial era such as the Solis Theatre and the Cabildo de Montevideo which once served as the government house. The Cabildo is now a museum housing maps, photographs, coins, furniture, apparel and accessories (combs, fans, etc.), porcelain, weapons and paintings. We went in and wandered around because there was no entrance fee. Next we went to the Solis Theatre which is Uruguay’s oldest theater, and would have been incredible to see a show in. It was recently renovated and all the columns you see in the picture were added during the renovation.
Cabildo de Montevideo
Theatro Solis
This turned out to be an incredible day, and really made us feel that we’d experienced a true part of the local culture and history.
U$797.90 (US$40)
U$598 (US$30)
U$498.70 (US$25)
U$1176.90 (US$59)
U$3071.5 (US$154)= Total
John
Budget
Hotel= $264/night $3706/week
Food= $319
Shopping= $120
Attractions= $0
Flight= $1,225
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Week 4: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Transportation: Jennifer
Flight: 5 One-Way Tickets
Sat, Sept 24, 2010
Edinburgh (EDI) to Sao Paulo Guarulhos International Airport (GRU)
Depart: 06:10pm from Edinburgh, Great Britain (EDI)
Arrive: 07:35pm at London, Great Britain (LHR)
1 Stop – change planes in London, Great Britain (LHR)
Connection Time: 1 hr 30 mins
Connection Time: 1 hr 30 mins
Depart: 09:05pm from London, Great Britain (LHR)
Arrive: 07:20am at Sao Paulo, SP Brazil (GRU)
Next day
Next day
TAM Linhas Aereas
Flight 8085 (on Boeing 777-300)
Flight 8085 (on Boeing 777-300)
Total Travel Time: 15 hrs 10 mins
Per person = £494.70 ($775.10)
Our flight from Edinburgh to Sao Paulo was the longest flight yet. We made sure that we got a later flight so we didn’t have to spend as much time hanging around the London airport between flights.
The first flight only lasted an hour and 30 minutes, but then we had a layover of an hour and a half, which gave us just enough time to grab a burger at one of the bars in the airport. Each burger plus fries and a drink came out to £12.50 plus £2 for tip. Our total was £72.50. We were all excited about Sao Paulo, but not about the 14 hour flight. We arrived in Brazil at 7:20am and were out of the airport by 8am on Saturday, September 25th.
It took us forever to figure out how we were going to get to downtown San Paulo. The Airport is way outside the city, about 30 kilometers or 19 miles. We knew not to take the taxis because they were known for taking advantage of tourists and could charge anywhere from $50-$100 to take you downtown. The trains and metro do not connect, which left us with the shuttle buses. The fare was 27 reals a person ($15.85). The bus drops off at six points in the city including the Park Republica, which was only a block and half from our hotel. This was probably the most stressful transportation process we’d been through since we were already exhausted, and it was very difficult finding someone who spoke English who could give us advice.
Once we got into the city and checked into our hotel, we went in search of an underground station to buy our Bilhete Unico which is the smartcard used for paying fares on busses, subways and trains. The card is free and then you put the amount of money you need on it. The buses cost 2.70 reals ($1.58)to board, and you can board up to three other buses in a two-hour period with being charged again. A single trip on the Metro was 2,55 reals ($1.5).
To get to Famiglia Mancini we decided to take a bus which cost 13.50 reals ($7.92) for all five of us to go, and because we were only there an hour and a half, free to come back. Bolinha was a longer trip and wasn’t on a metro line, so we ended up taking a bus again. Because the trip was longer, and the traffic was worse we ended up paying to go and come back, which was 27 reals ($15.84) for all five. Our Hotel was very central, so we were able to do a lot of walking.
Transportation costs:
Plane: $3,875.50
Airport to Hotel: $15.85 x 5 = $79.25
Dinner: $7.92
Dinner: $15.84
Accommodations: John
Hotel: BOURBON SAO PAULO HOTEL
Address: Doutor Vieira de Carvalho Avenue, 99 (Buarque Lane) - Sao Paulo - Brazil.
Rooms: 2(Triple : $ 117 US, Double : $90 US)
Cost per night: $207
Total 7nights = $1449
 |
| View from the Outside |
 |
| The Lobby |
 |
| One of the beds to our rooms Food For breakfast each day we had the hotel’s complimentary breakfast, which was quick and easy to kick start the day. On Sunday night we decided to go out to a nicer Italian restaurant called Famiglia Mancini. Price per place is around $25 so the total was $125 that night. It was a little expensive but the food was delicious. We wanted to get a taste for the local food so for lunches we went around the streets of Sao Paulo to get the real thing. Little stores are set up along most street corners giving us variety of local food to choose from. Each day for lunch only cost us around $8 per person coming to a total of $45 per day and $270 for the whole week. Having the local food was very enjoyable and a good change from the average American food we eat all the time. For dinner, another two nights we decided to just eat at the hotel after a long day of site seeing. The total cost for eating at the hotel was $115 for both nights. Another night we had dinner at Bolinha, which is a local cuisine restaurant for around $15 per plate, which is a good price for the amount of food they give you. Dinner for the other nights we just walked around downtown and got food at little family owned shops with the local cuisine. These cost us around $10 per person coming out to $150 for the three nights. Overall the food was surprisingly good. We didn’t really know what to expect what the local food was or how it would taste, but it turned out for the better. |
Attrctions: Nathaniel
Museum of Football
Our group had the opportunity to go the Museum of Football or as it is called in Sao Paulo (Museu de Futebol). This museum is dedicated to the players, coaches, broadcasters, and to the history of the sport itself. We took the bus from our hotel and arrived at the museum in approximately 10 minutes. It cost about 1.50 USD per person one way. The museum was amazing to see because; it showed the world’s sport and the popularity of the sport in from an international point of view. Our tour guide was very helpful. He told the group some interesting facts. The museum actually cost 18 million USD to build, which is astounding. This just shows how important the topic is the Brazilian people. Our group was most interested in the section dedicated to the players. We spent a good amount of time looking at the panel display of Pele, the world’s greatest soccer player ever. Overall, our group found the museum interesting because of the amount of effort that had been put into making the museum such an attraction. We also were impressed at how inexpensive it was to get into such a fine place.
Costs
Museum Admission $3.50 * 5 people = $17.50
Bus Fare $1.50 * 5 people * 2 trips = $15.84
Central Market
Our group had the opportunity to go to Central Market in downtown Sao Paulo. We were able to walk there from our hotel, which was very convenient. On our way to the market, we met a student who wanted to practice her English and offered to give us a tour of the market and be a translator for us. This was wonderful because we would not be equipped with the capabilities to speak and negotiate with vendors. I had the opportunity to buy a very nice pair of shoes and souvenir t-shirt. We also purchased some fruit and cheeses for the hotel room. All told, we spent a total of $565 in merchandise and food from the market. We enjoyed this experience because we had the opportunity to take part in the culture, shop for apparel and food, and meet a student willing to help us for the purpose of enhancing her language skills.
Costs
Merchandise and food = $565
Attractions: Erin
TO BE ADDED
Accounting: Dino
Sao Paulo Expenditures
Travel( Plane)=5 Adults = £2473.51 ($3,875.50)
Accommodations= Total 7 nights= $1449
Travel(City)= $95.09, pending costs from Erin's section
Attractions: $17.50, pending costs from Erin's section
Food and Merchandise: $1530.32
Total Spend= $6967.41
Running Budget= $78015.36( includes Week 3 Transportation not accounted for $2450)
Remaining Budget: $71047.95
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