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[the-flying-platypus]

Chile - leaving Santiago

Valparaíso

A UNESCO world heritage site, Valparaíso into a steep hillside with lots of stairs and escalators. For me, the best way to experience this city is to start at the Plaza de Armas (with convenient parking lot underneath) and just head uphill. There are murals and street art EVERYWHERE, as well as great overlooks of the bay.

My favorite restaurants are Le Filou de Montpellier (also known as Bistrot de Montpellier), a distinctly French bistro that is great for lunch (we liked the empanadas and sandwiches in addition to the lunch entrees). I have been to Valparíso 3 times over the last 11 years, and have happened upon this spot every time. I seem to remember something about Pablo Neruda eating here, but I may have just made that up. Across the street, you’ll find Café del Pintor, which we basically went to because Le Filou was closed, but we really enjoyed it. Great pisco sours and pasta dishes, and bread dips.

Viña del Mar

Santiago’s lux beach town. I have only been to Chile in the winter, so I all I can say is it is pretty quiet in the winter, but some of the fancy shops are still open. That said, my pic for a near-to-Valpo beach is…

Concon

Cute, small, great little seafood empanada shops on the beach. We had heard that sometimes there are penguins here, which we definitely did not find. It was very quiet in the winter, with an amazing sunset. We ate at El Rincon de Charlie and were very happy with our various empanadas.

Cachagua – PENGUINS!

Distinctly further up the coast from the Viña area, Cachagua is probably a happening resort town in the summer. In the winter, it retains its charm, without the crowds. Our main reason to visit was the colony of Humboldt Penguins on Isla Los Pinguinos Cachagua http://www.conaf.cl/parques/monumento-natural-isla-cachagua/. The island is only a hundred or so yards from the beach at Cachagua, and you could totally swim it if not for the rough surf and the fact that it’s illegal for humans to set foot on penguin island.

Unfortunately the penguins seem to like to hang out on the far shore of the island, so in order to see the penguins, you have to drive 3 km North to the port at Zapallar and hire a fishing boat to take you. Note:  don’t attempt to hire a boat in the afternoon, particularly on the day of the Chile-Bolivia soccer championship. Best to go in the morning, expect to bargain, don’t expect any English to be spoken. We paid about $50 for the boat trip (for 2). #worthit.

If you have time, there is a lovely seaside walkway connecting Cachagua beach and Zapallar harbor that is a bit of an adventure route. There is also a ton of sea glass to be found in the sand on both beaches.

Food: Cafetería Emporo don Matias was one of the few places open in the winter, and we loved it. We were able to sit on the upstairs deck with a view of the water, underneath some large papaya trees. The service was wonderful, they even provided blankets. They have a ton of bakery items, but we got lomo sandwiches, which were gigantic and delicious. We also went to a great café that I have been unable to find online, but it was directly across the street from the Cruz Verde on Calle Cachagua, and the menú del día had several great options.

[the-flying-platypus]

Santorini: The exact image you have in your head of a Greek Isle

This was probably my favorite part of our trip to Greece. We stayed at the Villa Costa Marina, a small B&B in the town of Fira (Latin spelling varies) run by an awesome 30-something and her friend. Maria’s family seemingly has run inns for ages, they also own the Pelicanos Kipos restaurant up the street, and basically, they know what they’re doing.

Orientation

Once a round island, Santorini is now shaped like a sliver of a crescent moon due to a volcanic eruption. The inside of the crescent features steep cliffs with whitewashed houses and churches clinging to the edges. The outside of the crescent falls towards the sea more gradually, and most of the beaches (and farms) can be found here.

Fira is the main city, and is located on the eastern (inside of crescent) side of the island. Oia, a town famous for sunsets, is on the Northern tip of the crescent. Beaches and archeological sites are generally found to the south.

Sights/Activities

The original crater is still active, and you can take a boat tour there. To get to the pier, you can either walk down the hill which includes many stairs and spectacular views (I ran down because I was late for the boat), ride a donkey (probably a cool experience for some people but be warned, the donkeys are excruciatingly slow and kind of smelly), or take the funicular (fastest, we did this on the way up). There are several boat tours available. We opted for a half-day tour in a cool old boat that included an opportunity to swim to the volcanic hot springs. The tour included a guided hike up to the top of the crater that took our group about 30-45 min. Our group was pretty large and included slow walkers like my parents; I probably could have summited in under 15 min without breaking a sweat. The hike to the volcano caldera is all rock (mostly red, some yellow or black) and there are several spots at the top where you can see smoke coming out. There is NO SHADE, so it gets super hot. Bring an umbrella (yes, for the sun). We probably spent 1.5 hours on the volcano crater before going back to the boat. 

Reaching the hot springs, we were allowed to jump off the deck of the boat. The water was freezing, which made me swim faster to reach the springs, which, sadly were only warm and not hot (apparently this is seasonal). I definitely swam hard back to the boat knowing that the cold water was coming.

After the tour, I opted to do a 10km hike from Fira to Oia for the sunset. The walk was amazing: generally you travel along the edge of a cliff with views of the sea the whole way. There’s a bit of countryside, some farm navigation, and some old churches and shrines to explore.

Oia is a cool town which merited more time than I gave it. It has smooth, wide stone sidewalks, more whitewashed buildings clinging to cliffsides, cute shops (especially art shops), a wide variety of restaurants, and, of course, breathtaking sunsets. The best place to see the sunset is at the Northern tip of the crescent – basically just keep walking in the direction you were hiking until you can’t anymore. If it’s around sunset, they’ll be lots of people there. There’s a castle thing you can climb for a better view. Buses back were plentiful and popular. I was a bit scared when the last scheduled bus, packed to the gills, left the station before I could get on it, but not to worry, there were more buses coming to take the rest of the people waiting.

The next day, while my parents took a guided tour around the island, I opted to take the city bus to some attractions. The city of Akrotiri was buried 3800 years ago by volcanic eruption, and is now an archaeological site enclosed by an impressive building. Not taking the tour saved me the money I needed for entrance, which was not cheap, but it was worth it. The site includes several ancient buildings, some of which you can walk through, as well as some pottery. Signage is in English and pretty good, plus you can always follow one of the guided tour groups around to learn more. The most historically interesting fact (to me) was that Akrotiri was a peaceful city, there was no evidence of weapons or war, just trade. It appears to have been abandoned before the volcano destroyed it, because there were no bodies found buried alive (not like they were in Pompeii).

Santorini isn’t known for its beaches, but there are actually a couple nice ones. Located a short (but technical) walk from the Akrotiri site, the red beach is a smallish semi-circle of coarse reddish-brown sand backed by a high cliff. Though well-known, the beach was uncrowded when we were there (early May) and did not have the typical European 10,000 beach chairs and umbrellas. There’s a juice stand at the entrance to the hike.

As I was standing at the bus stop waiting to go back to town, Maria and Steve, a young couple from California that we’d met on our tour in Athens happened to drive by in their rental car, and I tagged along to their next destination, the black beach. Much bigger than the red beach, the black beach sits on the southeastern side of the crescent of Santorini, far from the cliffs of Oia. Though it was uncrowded in offseason, this is the beach that clearly becomes the land of 10,000 chairs and umbrellas full of probably topless sunbathers in the summer. As it was, we had some mezze at one of the beachside restaurants and a couple beers in the chairs. We were the only ones there.

That night, Maria and Steve and I followed Lila, the girl who worked at our inn, to experience some Santorini nightlife. I couldn’t tell you where we went, but being the off season it was pretty chill. You can see how it would heat up in season, but I doubt it gets crazy like Mikonos, as the vibe is a bit older (more 30-somethings)

Finally, there is a fish pedicure place called Fish Spa. They have free WiFi and offer a 2nd fish pedicure for free if you come back within a certain amount of time. I’d wanted to get a fish pedicure before (mainly, in Cozumel) but they don’t have them in the US because of PETA or something, so I was super excited. And my feet were so soft afterwards. I totally want to do it again.

Food

Pelican Kipos restaurant is owned by Maria’s family and includes an extensive wine cellar. Everything we ate was delicious. A highlight for me was the tomato fritters. They also have a wine tour featuring local cheeses, which I would love to do next time. Generally I found the food in Santorini to be much more reasonably priced than in Mikonos. Anyway, everything we got was delicious and you should go there.

Other than that, there weren’t any places that really stood out in terms of deliciousness. There several restaurants in downtown Fira that offer decks with western exposure, and it’s worth it to get a spot by the railing around sunset (or earlier). One of the Santorini specialties is fried tomatoes, which obviously I couldn’t get enough of.

[the-flying-platypus]

Mikonos - (or, visiting a beach party town in off season with your parents)

Mykonos is, like, the epicenter of the Greek Isles beach party nightlife. Which, being there alone with my parents, I experienced approximately none of. Stil, it has daytime charms.

The main urban center is a jumble of whitewashed buildings, red-domed churches, and narrow stone alleyways. There’s a variety of shops, and the occasional giant pink pelican walking down the street. (Though pelicans are usually migratory, Mikonos has 3 full-time pelican residents – you can read the story here)

In my personal opinion, the best place to watch the sun set in Mykonos is by the windmills, near little Venice.

We were a bit early for beach season, but did manage to check out the beaches nearest the town. Ornos is a short bus ride or 30-minute walk from town. It had several beach bars and you could tell it would be happening place in a couple weeks…or maybe just much later at night. In typical European fashion there were roughly ten thousand beach chairs available for rent. All of the restaurants/clubs lining the beach had the same great view and atmosphere. Our choice, Kostantis, had great décor and pretty good food, though you definitely paid a premium for the view.

We stayed just off the main drag, at the hotel Mikonos Adonis. It was super cute, with well-appointed rooms and a a fabulous breakfast buffet (though, my dad noted, no ketchup, so bring your own if you’re obsessed, as runs in my family). It had strong WiFi and a partial view of the sea. I thought the location was great, very close to town, but as I mentioned we weren’t there in peak beach season, and it’s over a mile to the nearest sand patch.

In town, we ate at Casa de Giorgio (Italian), Koursaros (Greek), and En Plo on the waterfront. I should note here that there was not a single restaurant on this island that wasn’t crazy overpriced, and it was an even bigger shock after spending a couple days in Athens, the land of cut-rate restaurant prices. That said, Koursaros was my personal favorite. The food had the most flavor, and the staff was very friendly.

Best of all, we happened upon some sort of festival where traditional dancers lined the entire length of the beach downtown.

We took a ferry from Mikonos to Santorini. It was really late due to high seas or something, apparently this is pretty common. The main problem was that no one really had a good idea of when the ferry was coming, and there weren’t any good ways to kill time at the ferry terminal. There was just one little food stand that had coffee, cold sandwiches and snacks, and didn’t sell souvenirs or things to read (there may have been some Greek newspapers or something). The bathrooms were pretty gross, there was a covered waiting area but no “inside” to go to (it was raining). Moral of the story here, BRING A BOOK and plenty of food.

[the-flying-platypus]

Athens - land of ancient monuments and cheap, delicious food

As it turns out, I have some relatives who live outside Athens that my mom hadn’t seen in like 40 years. We were fortunate to have local tour guides to tell us where to go and where to eat.

Do

Greece’s capital city will most likely be your port of entry. Unlike many large cities that one might rush through to get to the beach, Athens really deserves at least a day or two to absorb its incredible history. It can be a bit rough and tumble, and you’ll definitely need to heed all of that advice your mom gave you once upon a time about pickpockets and not counting your money before getting on the train unless you don’t really like your wallet (ask me how I know…)

In Athens, the main tourist attraction is fairly obvious: you want to go to the Acropolis and see the Parthenon. We did a guided tour, which included watching the changing of the guard, the Acropolis museum, and the 3 temples on the Acropolis (including the Parthenon).

If I had to do it again I’d go without the tour. Our group was supersized, and the guide had to give all of the descriptions in 2 languages. Most of the time the guide was difficult to hear over the echoing voices of the 5 million other tourists, and the museum had placards in English that explained everything pretty well. It seems you can get a super ticket to the Acropolis that includes the two agoras, temple of Zeus, and probably some other things, and on my own I’d have been able to get to all of those in a day just fine, provided I’d started early.

Both the museum and the Acropolis were well worth it. The museum has all of the sculptures that have been removed from the Acropolis, plus really cool architecture to incorporate viewing of the ancient village that was found under the museum when they began excavations. The Parthenon and the 2 other temples to Athena are obviously worth it, even though, as my uncle pointed out, you can no longer walk around inside. The changing of the guard occurs on the hour and takes only a few minutes. It’s probably pretty easy to time around other things given that it happens so frequently.

Outside of the tour, the other activity we enjoyed was going up to Likavitou Hill and checking out the view. The funicular railway goes inside the mountain and costs EUR7.50 per person, but you can also walk. My 81-year-old uncle took us up the funicular, but he had no problem walking down.

My uncle was really excited to show us the Syntagma metro station – it includes archeological exhibits of ancient Athenian plumbing systems, and other archeological finds uncovered while they were excavating the station. Unfortunately, this was where my dad’s wallet was pickpocketed, so we don’t have a great memory of it. That could honestly have happened anywhere, though.

At night, stroll through the area around Monastiraki Square or Plaka, both of which are full of restaurants and shops

Outside of Athens, we did a day bus tour to the temple at Delphi. In ancient times, people would come to the Oracle of Delphi to seek her aid in divining the future. It’s since been discovered that the Oracle’s future-telling trances were induced through inhalation of toxic fumes from vents below the oxygen-deprived temple.

Stay

We stayed at the Attaloos Hotel, which had a nice rooftop bar with a view of the Acropolis, and a great breakfast buffet. It was conveniently located near Monastiraki square, though this also meant there was a lot of traffic.

Eat

Our favorite meal in Athens was probably Agora. We met my uncle and aunt at the nearby Hilton Athens (incidentally, home to the oldest living olive tree in Athens – check out the tree in the hotel restaurant). My aunt Helen then proceeded to order us the largest selection of Greek mezze I’ve ever seen, and every single thing was delicious.

Thanasis located off Monastiraki square, this huge place is apparently THE spot for kebab. We were lucky to stumble upon it and happened to get the kabob based off the picture menu. It is delicious and comes on pita with grilled tomatoes. Get a side of tzatziki.

Potato King – I mean really, how can you go wrong? A late-night eats joint, brightly lit with just a few high-top tables, this place is low on atmosphere but high on cheap deliciousness. 3 varieties of fried taters, topped with your choice of meat, grilled tomatoes, onion, peppers, other stuff that I don’t remember, and maybe 15 sauce options. I was a fan of the lemon one. Near Monastiraki Square.

Beneth bakery on Monastiraki square has fantastic galaktibouriko (sort of a custard in a pastry, my personal favorite Greek dessert), and lots of other pastries. And gelato.

Nightlife: Seeing as this was a family vacation, I didn’t go out. But the neighborhood of Psirri, again right by Monastiraki Square, seemed to be the happening place.

[the-flying-platypus]

The Ancient City of Dubrovnik (to some, also known as King’s Landing)

Dubrovnik’s walls have protected its residents from invaders for thousands of years, from Romans, Venetians, Napoleons, and the Yugoslav army as recently as 1991. Its red tile roofs survived centuries of foreign invaders, but did not fare as well during the 1991 shelling of the city. The city has been rebuilt and is a charming, historic, pedestrian-friendly gem. It’s also one of the major filming locations for Game of Thrones, and if you’re not a fan of the show, being here might make you become one. I had 3 days in town and was pretty happily entertained hanging out inside the walls for almost the entire time.

Activities

Stradun – main pedestrian walkway of Dubrovnik. Once upon a time, it was a canal separating the southern (wealthier) city from the northern (poorer, hillier) city. If it feels touristy, remember that this is part of the historical experience. This has been a merchant street, full of tourists, for hundreds of years.

Walking the city walls – This is THE activity in Dubrovnik. Walk around, explore some towers and take in the views, and give yourself lots of time to take pictures. Try to go early when it’s less crowded (and less hot). 2km, with a fair amount of stairs.

Just walk around. It’s a really cool old city, and the character is much as it has been for hundreds and hundreds of years. Plus there are fun places to get a drink, like this spot built into the city walls

If you’re a Game of Thrones fan, this is King’s Landing (and parts of Qarth), and many places will look familiar (This link has more details). 

Ploce beach – I rented a kayak here and headed out around the city walls. There is also an island that you can paddle to/around. Guided tours are available but they are much more expensive and not worth it in my opinion. Kayak rental was about $20 for a couple hours. Great to use some different muscles after all of that walking! When you’re done kayaking, Ploce beach has a fancy beach bar with a variety of cocktails.

Food

There’s a Dubrovnik card you can pick up for about $5 that gets you discounts at a bunch of restaurants and shops around town. Caveat is most of the discounts are only valid if you pay cash.

Taj Mahal – Bosnian. Recommended by all of the guide books, you’ll probably need a reservation in the high season. Being off season, I barely got a table at 6pm. Since I’d never had Bosnian food, I ordered a little bit of everything – tarhana (tomato) soup, cevapi meat skewers with ayvar (Bosnian ketchup, made of red pepper and eggplant), and a side of baked potato with kaymak cheese. Everything was delicious. I’ve started cooking Bosnian food at home.

Nishta – vegetarian. “Nishta” means “nothing” in Croatian, thought being that if you’re not eating meat, you’re eating nothing. I didn’t miss the meat. Had the carrot soup and pakoras with hummus.  Could have come back and eaten here several more times. 

Malvasija wine bar – the book highly recommended D’vino wine bar, which was fine, but the Ethopian-American couple I shared at table with at D’vino brought me to Malvasija and I enjoyed it much more. Host was friendly, they had a few appetizers on offer, the wine was reasonably priced and most importantly, our server really wanted to make sure we got wine that we liked. She asked us a few questions to figure out what flavor profile to bring out, and gave us a couple samples. We ended up spending a while there, she was really great and so was the wine!

Spaghetteria Toni – pasta. I got the Dubrovnik “dirty” macaroni – beef slices in sauce with cinnamon and gnocchi-like dumplings. Very unique dish, and the tables outside are chill and comfortable, great for people watching.

Fresh – smoothies, salads, pastas, crepes. Free wifi. 2 locations in Dubrovnik. I had a dessert crepe which was huge and delicious, and a smoothie which I had to take home. They also had some good looking pasta dishes. Service was very friendly, which was unexpected as this place has a fast food vibe.

Lady Pi-Pi, at the top of a long staircase and known for a rather provacative sculpture out front, was highly recommended by a friend of mine, but I didn’t have a chance to eat there. They don’t take reservations, so arrive early.

Lodging

I stayed in an Airbnb in old town, just outside the city gates. It was convenient, but nothing to really write home about (not like my place in Split). The main thing to remember is there are LOTS OF STAIRS in Dubrovnik, so keep that in mind when planning to move about with luggage. Pretty much anywhere you go will involve some steps.

[the-flying-platypus]

A Tiny Slice of Bosnia

You have to pass through a tiny slice of Bosnia to get to Dubrovnik from Split. As a result of the old state of Dubrovnik's rivalry with the state of Venice, a corridor was set from the landlocked Ottoman empire to the sea as a buffer zone. Centuries layer, this buffer belongs to Bosnia, dividing Croatia's dalmatian coastline in two.

The little town of Neum, Bosnia sits in a bay in this sliver. It seemed pleasant enough, and I was excited to stop there and knock another country off the list. Sadly, the roadside stop offered only a restaurant and supermarket selling t-shirts, crappy plastic magnets, and fabric satchels of lavender emblazoned with "Hrvatska" (Croatia) in childish cursive. Why on earth don’t they sell the same crappy things with "Bosnia" instead, given all the tour buses passing through? So, my only souvenir is the photo I took of the beautiful sunset over the Adriatic from the parking lot.

And then I watched our bus driver, in somewhat of a panic, going into the cargo hold, peeling labels off stacked cardboard boxes and chucking them under the bus. (A stupid move, littering the evidence of your illegal smuggling rather than disposing of it properly.) He then proceeded to remove a single, very large (5'x3'x3') box of what appeared to be asparagus into an unmarked white van, dropping both of his mobile phones and swearing in the process.

So that was normal.

[the-flying-platypus]

Split, Croatia, and some stuff nearby

SPLIT, CROATIA

Arrival in Split

Split airport is a ways outside of town, and there are two options to get to the downtown area. The 37 bus, across the street, is about $2.50 and takes ~50 minutes. Alternatively, there is a coach bus that leaves right from the terminal for about $5 that is a lot easier to deal with if you have luggage, as it’s closer and direct. Both go to the main bus station by the port.

Sights

Split is a gorgeous city built in and around Roman Emperor Diocletian’s 3rd century palace. Diocletian was the last pagan Roman emperor, known for his persecution of Christians. He built his palace in Split as a retirement villa. Later, Split was occupied by the Venetians, and you can see their influence in the architecture and food. The palace has been taken apart and rebuilt over the centuries so it’s a slice of living history (a bit like Jerusalem in that regard).

I came in early May, which is still the off season. The downside was that not all of the ferries were running, and it was still a bit chilly at night, but there were also NO CROWDS. Like at all.  

The main thing to do in Split is walk around. There are no cars in the old city, and lots and lots of cool old architecture. And eat pastries. Anyway, the center of the palace/old city is the Perestil, or central square. Standing in the Perestil with the main road behind you, you’ll find the Vestibule in front of you (up the stairs), the Cathedral and bell tower to your left, and the kitchen of Luxor café to your right

The Vestibule is the former entrance to the residential quarters of the palace, and one of the best-preserved sections of the palace, aside from the basement. Wait for a tour group and you’ll be more likely to hear an “a capella” performance (they have an accordion). The acoustics in the vestibule are amazing, it’s well worth waiting.

The cathedral (~$5) has to be one of the smallest cathedrals in the world. It was designed as a mausoleum for Diocletian, so it’s rather ironic now that it is a center of the religion he once persecuted. Ticket includes entrance to the crypt and the Temple of Jupiter (now a baptistery), located in an alley off the right side of the Perestil. The crypt has no light, it’s a bit creepy. The former Temple of Jupiter is pretty cool as it’s one of the few Roman (pagan) religious buildings that still survives. You can walk around it through the restaurant (they don’t mind). The ticket to all three is worth it if you have an interest in religion but bear in mind, all three buildings are pretty small

Next to the cathedral, the bell tower (separate ticket, $3) is well worth the climb – as long as you’re not afraid of heights. The interior stairway was a bit of an engineering marvel in my mind, especially if you think it was once made of unsupported stone (no one could tell me how they used to get up to the top before the current metal stairs were installed).  Go early or late to avoid crowds, and make sure to check closing times.

Below the vestibule, down the stairs, you’ll find Diocletian’s basement. The main hall contains rows of trinket shops that mostly sell the same items as the shops outside, at higher prices. It’s worth paying the extra K42 to see the basement halls of the Palace, as they are in the exact layout of the original palace above, before it was modified dues to centuries of people living in it. And also, it’s the dragon lair from Game of Thrones.

Walking through the basement, you’ll end up on the Riva, Split’s boardwalk. It’s a great place to sit with some ice cream or a pastry and people watch. It’s also several degrees warmer than inside the palace walls

For a hike, I went up Marjan Hill, which has nice views of the old town. After the rectangular viewing platform with the Croatian flag, you can keep going for more views of the coast, but you can’t see old town after that. As it happened, I was there on May 1, which is Labor Day, so most locals were off work, having picnics, singing in the streets (with accordions), and roasting whole goats.

There are beaches right in Split, most notably Bačvice, right in town. Bačvice was rather underwhelming when I was there, it was really small and I was there at high tide, which didn’t help. There is a nice walk you can do along the coastline, and apparently this area has great nightlife (I wouldn’t know, though).

Food/Cocktails

Galija pizza – super friendly service, unfortunately I couldn’t sit outside, but my homemade pasta with white truffle cream sauce was delicious and I enjoyed my first taste of Croatian wine. East of the palace walls, Tončićeva 12.

Nostress – on a main square inside the palace walls, it’s a fancier place with smaller portions. I enjoyed my risotto but did find them kind of pushy – the manager kept trying to get me to order more things, even though they weren’t really on top of the service, I had to ask for the check 3 times because they kept forgetting, etc.

Buffet Fife – en route to Marjan hill, known for surly servers, is not in fact a buffet. The pasticada (beef stew with gnocchi) was delicious and huge. They were cool about providing free water. By the eastern end of the Riva, Trumbićeva Obala 11.

Pizzeria Portas – awesome, delicious pizza, fresh ingredients, really friendly service, free wifi, cheap wine. Coming in from the back gate, turn left on the first street and it’s on the left.

Konoba Trattoria Bajamont – including this spot because it is recommended by literally every guidebook, from Lonely Planet to Fodor’s, so it’s probably pretty good. However, it took me a while to find it so I never actually ate there. Bajamontijeva 3, reservations recommended.

Luxor Bar – literally IN the Perestil, a great place to enjoy a glass of wine or dessert while watching some live music.

Shopping

Nadalina Chocolates – they hold the world record for the largest chocolate bar. Noted for combining dark chocolate with interesting ingredients such as figs, honey, wine, pepper, lavender, etc. They are sold all over town, but the best place to get them is in their flagship store on Diokiecijanova, the street that runs away from the sea directly opposite the Perestil.

Farmer’s Market – by the west gate of the palace, there are lots of fresh fruits and vegetables (and fish). There are also a bunch of souvenir stand places.

Art galleries - there are several, mainly selling kitschy souveneir art. However, I loved the colorful boats at JAMAN. I bought a magnet since I’m out of wall space.

Lodging

I stayed in an Airbnb just west of the city walls, and absolutely loved it. If you have an opportunity to stay in any of Marija’s properties, do it! I loved being in this neighborhood because it’s super close to the old city, but also very quiet. My attic room was basically a suite, it had a small desk, kitchenette, and little sitting area.

DAY TRIPS FROM SPLIT

TROGIR

Trogir is a Medieval city located about an hour north of Split on the 57 bus. Buses leave from the port bus station as well as another bus station in the modern part of Split, about a mile inland from the North entrance to Diocletian’s palace. (Note, on return, make sure to ask which station you bus is heading to in Split – I made the mistake of paying more to sit on an older bus to the wrong station). There is also a ferry in the summer, which I imagine is faster.

Like Split, the main thing to do in Trogir is walk around. Off the central square, the Romanesque Cathedral of St Lawrence is famous for its west portal (main doorway) depicting the Garden of Eden and scenes from the Gospels, carved by Master Radovan in the year 1240. You can see the doorway without buying a ticket, but if you’ll do that you’ll miss the display of 16th and 17th century silver candlesticks in the treasury (actually really cool) and the opportunity to climb the bell tower.

Trogir has a nice boardwalk as well, a great place to catch some sun if you’re getting cold inside the medieval castle walls. Down at the end of the boardwalk is an old fortress that I didn’t pay to get into.

I avoided the pricey restaurants on the boardwalk and instead got a table on the outdoor patio at Calebotta. I ordered a glass of sparkling wine and the goat cheese lunch special, which included a salad, roasted goat cheese with crostini, and a ricotta cheesecake type dessert. The salad and goat cheese entrée were delicious but small, and I could have used like twice as much crostini. The dessert was kind of huge in proportion and all in all, it was a good value.

BRAČ

I wanted to go to Brač because of Bol beach, pictured below and on like every postcard of Dalmatia. In the winter, ferries only run to Supetar, which is a cute little port town on the opposite side of the island. While it is possible to take a bus or taxi to Bol, I chose to rent a car (Atlas Supetar, info@atlas-supetar.com), which allowed me to stop in some other spots on this beautiful island.

After walking around Supetar for a bit, I drove to Wine Tasting Brač in the village of Nerezisca. It’s a small family winery that did a really great tasting, 15EUR for the crazy amount of wine/grappa/food shown below (I obviously didn’t drink it all). Email Toni at winetastingbrac@gmail.com for details and reservations.

The next winery I wanted to check out was the opposite end of the spectrum, Stina, located in the town of Bol, in a converted old factory facing the waterfront. Their tasting is by the glass, and following the other tasting I didn’t have more than a glass in me, but I did pick up a bottle of the vugava (white – signature wine in this area) and plavac mali (red, a zinfandel varietal).

Next stop was the 20 minute walk to Bol beach, along the shoreline. You can rent a bike for this, which if you’re short on time, I would recommend. There are some cute shops along the boardwalk as well, I picked up some earrings and souvenirs.

Bol beach changes shape with the tide, currents, and wind. In early May, it wasn’t warm enough for swimming, but it was warm enough for hanging out on the sand or at the beach bar. As I realized later, though Bol beach is super cool and you’d be hard pressed to find something that looks like it anywhere else, there are more of these finger beaches on the Dalamation coast – I spotted 2 from the top of a mountain in Makarska – that are presumably way less crowded in the high season. Fortunately, it wasn’t crowded at all when I was there.

Finally, I saw the sunset from teh boat on the ferry ride home.

MAKARSKA

Originally, I had planned to go from Split to Dubrovnik by boat, overnighting in Hvar. Unfortunately the not-yet-summer ferry schedule made that difficult, so I went overland by bus. Fortunately, that meant I got to stop in Makarska.

My main goal in Makarska was to hike Mt. Vosec, towering over Makarska at 1422 metres (Makarska is at sea level). The trail is essentially vertical, and is generally pretty exposed with little shade. The views the whole way up are amazing, and from the top viewing platform you can see Italy on a clear day. It’s the big tall mountain above the town shown below.

From the bus station, follow signs to the village of Makar. Note: There are no bakeries or markets in Makar that I could find, so make sure to buy snacks/water for your hike by the bus station in Makarska. At some point you may notice circular red and white blazes that look a bit like the Target logo – follow these to save some switchbacks up to Makar. In Makar, you’ll find a trail sign for the Biokovo wilderness just past the church. (There’s also a drinking water tap by the graveyard). After this point, pick up those target blazes if you haven’t already and follow them essentially straight up the hill. (you can see an example on the rock below, lower left corner)

At the end of the relentless uphill, you’ll reach Stirbina Pass (above), which offers (more) fantastic views. From this point, turn left. Mt. Vosac is the closer peak (without the TV antenna), follow the path to the top, turning left at the fork. There’s a rectangular building at the top, with a viewing platform all around. The building was dark and empty when I was there in early May.

Guidebooks vary in their descriptions of how long this hike takes. From the bus station, walking up to Makar and on up to the summit took me about 3.5 hours, and the total trip was 5.5. I was practically running (wanted to make sure I caught the last bus home), and flew past the few people I encountered. If you want to walk at a normal pace (or, the pace of everyone I passed), I’d plan on at least 4.5 hours one way.

Here’s a view from the top.

Most of the food places near the bus station, including the bakery right at the bus station, seemed to close around 2 or 3pm. Plan accordingly, you’ll be hungry after your hike.

Bag storage in the bus station was reasonable. It’s a couple of shelves in the ticket-seller’s office. Not sure what the official price was, but I paid about $4 to store my rollaboard and small duffel for about 6 hours.

[the-flying-platypus]

Guide to killing time in New Chitose Airport (Sapporo, Japan)

I ended up stuck in Sapporo’s New Chitose airport for about 20 hours the other day due to poor flight/bus timing, and my own unwillingness to pay Y$$$ to store my giant, heavy bags for 4 hours. And, actually, it wasn’t half bad. So, I present to you my guide to the airport. This is roughly in order.

Exchange your rail pass. I didn’t realize when I got my Japan Rail pass that it can only be exchanged in certain stations, during opening hours. Luckily for you, the Chitose airport office has good hours, and you can push your luggage cart down there in the elevator. The process itself is really quick as long as you’ve got your stuff in order (exchange pass and passport), which for some reason the long line of Chinese tourists in front of me in line did not. So it was a good way to kill a half hour.

Free WiFi. The network name is NewChitose_Airport_Free_WiFi. When you get to the login screen, keep clicking the orange buttons until it tells you you’re connected to the internet (in English). Presumably you’re agreeing to sell your soul in Japanese when you do this, but the WiFi is fast so I guess it’s worth it? And, once you’ve momentarily tired of stalking people on Facebook, you can go exploring

First up: shopping. AKA finding really interesting/weird things to take pictures of and put on Instagram. CTS has a humongous shopping area on the 2nd floor of the domestic terminal, behind the central check-in counters. It is divided into roughly 4 sections: sweets, crazy toys, crafts, and fish products. The food areas are loaded with free samples of cheesecake, chocolate, pastries, and of course, fish products. The crafts are unique, high quality, and accordingly priced. Finally, the toy section includes, among other oddities, random amusing t-shirts, cute socks, and lots of Marimokkori -themed merchandise. Marimokkori is Hokkaido’s oddly sexual green-algae-man mascot, and if you didn’t click on the link, you should really google image this. Worth it.)

(center: view of the mall. Clockwise from top left: cute donuts, strange socks, disco Marimokkori boxers, potato chip cafe menu)

Once you’ve had your fill free samples, it’s probably time to eat more (and collect food pictures to Instagram) Most of the eateries in the airport are on the 3rd floor: there are nicer sit-down places, a food court, and the Hokkaido ramen dojo, which features regional takes on ramen from throughout the island. My experience suggests that most of the places in the food court are not really worth the $2 savings over the sit-down places or the ramen dojo. My favorite restaurant is actually down in the arrivals area, a soba place called Maruki. It’s delicious and has an English menu. Also good for a quick meal when you’re not trying to kill time

Egg and plum hot soba from Maruki

And now to walk off that food…go museum hopping. There are several museums on the 3rd floor of the domestic terminal, outside security. Two are free, and focus on the history of flight, and the history of the airport, respectively. Another, more intriguing option, is the Steiff Animal World museum of stuffed animals. http://www.new-chitose-airport.jp/en/steiff/ It costs Y500 and I would have gladly paid that if I’d gotten there during their opening hours (10-6pm) just for the amusement factor. There’s also Royce Chocolate World, DORAEMON (a mascot) kids park, and the extremely popular Snow Miku Sky World, featuring yet another mascot . Sidebar: mascots are very important to selling things in Japan

Still bored? There’s also a movie theatre and an arcade on the third floor.

To ease those sore muscles from all of the walking around the airport with your luggage cart, you have a few relaxation options: massage chairs, massages at the spa on the 4th floor, and the airport onsen.

Massage Chairs are scattered throughout the airport, with a large bank by the Jetstar check in counter on the 2nd floor. It’s Y200 for 10 minutes and it starts automatically so you don’t have to figure out how to work the Japanese controls. And it has one of those calf-massager-stretchy-things. There are change machines by the luggage lockers; I’d advise getting more than Y200 out of them.

The airport has an honest-to-goodness hot spring on the roof. They call it a sodium chloride spring, which to me makes it sound like they just put salt in the water, but apparently they pipe it in from somewhere. Anyway, it’s quite fancy and will run you Y1500. It has a nice relaxation room in addition to the onsen, complete with individual TVs and a large movie selection (in Japanese). It’s got toiletries and towels, and I even discovered my first underwear vending machine in the changing room (which makes perfect sense, if you think about it). But, to make it more worth it….

For an extra Y1500, you can spend the night in the relaxation room. This puts you at Y3000 for a hotel night right on top of the airport. Pretty sweet deal. The relaxation room chairs recline fully, come with a personal head shade (in addition to the TV and movies), and blankets (towels) are provided. I honestly slept better in that chair than I have on many futons. Plus, it comes with a free breakfast buffet that includes western breakfast foods. Winning!

So here’s the complication with the onsen: once you enter, you can’t leave. So, you can’t leave your stuff there while you wander around the airport. They are closed from 9am-10am for cleaning, and they do kick everyone out. But by now you probably have a flight to catch, right?

[the-flying-platypus]

Diving into Palau

Known as a diver’s Paradise, Palau did not disappoint. Unless you happen to be afraid of sharks, and then you might not like it so much…

I dove with 2 dive operators. Of them, Palau Sea World, off the English tourist circuit was the standout favorite. They gave us a good package deal, a private boat for our group of 6 (generally, on one day 2 people joined us but they were pretty cool), and a great dive master. The other, MAML, I list only because I wouldn’t recommend them. Yes, we joined a group of other divers and it is expected that we wouldn’t be able to go to the sites we wanted in the same way as when we had our own boat, with Palau Sea World. But mostly I hated how they nickel-and-dimed me for every piece of gear at really high rates. For example, they had no working depth gauges on any of the regulators in the shop, but they charged me for a dive computer in order to have a depth gauge. Etc.  (The other major dive shop catering to English-speaking tourists is Sam’s Tours – Chris did an advanced dive with them and was pleased with that, but said he wouldn’t have wanted to do our regular dives with them due to the number of people on the boats)

I’ve marked my favorite dive sites on the map below, as well as one I didn’t like (Chandelier Cave) because…well apparently I don’t like dark caves under water. Who knew.  Diving, we saw a LOT of sharks, many big schools of fish, turtles, and 2 manta rays (or the same one twice).

Palau Sea World also gave us great snorkeling breaks at Turtle Wall, and we got to see a ton of spinner dolphins on our lunch break. They also took us to jellyfish lake after one of our 3-dive days, allowing us to skip the $100 tour fee and just pay for the permits. Pretty awesome. Note: I was not expecting to like Jellyfish lake but it turned out to be really cool. The jellyfish there have evolved without (strong) stinging cells and there are tons of them that you can touch and hold in your hands (I think you are not supposed to but you really can’t swim without bumping into them).

On our off days, we did a kayak/snorkel tour with Rock Island Tour Company - they mainly just gave us the gear and left us to ourselves, which was fine for us, though I don’t know that I would call it a ‘tour’ exactly. Another day we rented a car and drove all around Babeldaob island, seeing an arai (traditional meeting house), war canoe, Palau’s impressive capital building, and the stone monoliths on the north side of the island. While these were all interesting, I would not say it is worth booking one of the tours that go up there. The Etpison museum on Main St (different from the national museum) was well worth a visit, particularly with their (temporary) display of storyboards. If you want to bring home a storyboard, the best place to get one is the prison gift shop. It’s located behind the post office (and the barbed wire). Note: storyboards are not cheap, even the smallest ones start at $50, so I didn’t get one. 

We stayed at the Antelope Inn. For a budget place, they provided a lot of services – fresh towels and water every day, friendly staff (though often they didn’t have a lot of answers), $5 taxi service into town (going rate seemed to be about $10), etc. The location right on the water was great – our dive boat was able to drop us off and pick us up right from the dock, and we were able to go night snorkeling. Also liked the pool – basic but good to rinse off the salt water.

Food was pretty hit or miss. My favorites were the ramen shop on the main street in Koror, across from the Surangel store, and Kramer’s cafe by our hotel. 

Other notes: there are a few random extra fees to be aware of: a permit to visit/dive/snorkel the rock islands costs $50, or $100 if you want to add Jellyfish lake. Make the decision on jellyfish lake when you buy your rock islands permit, otherwise it will be an extra $100, not an extra $50. Finally, you need $50 cash to get through customs on your way out of the airport to fly home. 

[the-flying-platypus]

La Paz, Bolivia

I’ve seen it written many places that the view when you first enter La Paz is literally breathtaking. I think this has more to do with the altitude than anything else, but fortunately, when my bus dropped me off from Copacabana in the pouring rain, it was at the top of a hill. Starting somewhere near the cemetary, I rolled my suitcase down the hill through a whole bunch of street markets – basically a seemingly endless collection of street vendors hawking everything from umbrellas (I was tempted) to televisions to women’s undergarments, under a series of plastic tarps with built-in rain gutters.

I stayed at an Airbnb located near the Plaza Estudiante. On a map it looked a bit far from the center, but in reality, it was not a long walk (and not too uphill).

Key attractions in La Paz:

·         Gondolas – Built in 2014, these ski-style gondolas are too new to appear in most guidebooks. They make a lot of sense for a city built into a mountainside (really it’s too tall to call it a hillside), and are also a fantastic way to see the city. I can’t remember if it was 2 or 3 BS per trip, but it was pretty cheap. There are 3 lines – I only rode to the top of the yellow but wish I’d seen all 3. Ask at the tourist information center for maps.

·         The Basilica San Francisco marks the entrance to the tourist district. I didn’t enter the church itself, but apparently it’s pretty cool. Beside the church is the calle Sagarná – here you will find the offices of all of the tourist booking agencies. Shop around for the best deals

·         Museo de la coca – museum on the history of the coca leaf. Displays are predominantly text, all in Spanish but they do have a guidebook in English that translates everything. While I did find it interesting, you could probably learn everything in a book, and there aren’t a lot of things to look at that you couldn’t find somewhere on the internet (if you knew where to look)

·         Calle Linares – lots of handicraft shops, and some really great deals. You don’t have to really bargain, but prices can vary substantially between stores for similar items, so best to ask at a few places before purchasing.

·         Mercado de las brujas/brujeria – this “witches market” sells all manner of traditional cures, good luck charms, bad luck charms, etc.  Make sure not to go too late at night, as it starts to shut down (I’d say before 6pm)

·         Museo de Etnografia – upstairs there’s a history of Bolivian cultures, and some good displays. Downstairs houses rotating displays – when I was there it was feather art.

·         Plaza Murillo – has La Paz’s cathedral, but mostly it is interesting because it is covered in pigeons.

·         El Ciebo produces (arguably) the finest Bolivian chocolate. I base my opinion on the lack of fake crap and sugar on the ingredient list. While it is sold in many stores, the best prices are at its proprietary locations. There’s one on Calle Potosi by the back of the cathedral, and one at the top of the yellow gondola line. Probably more around, but store locations aren’t listed on the website.

·         Tiwanku – site of South America’s longest lived civilization and likely ancestors of the Inca. No one knows a lot about them, though. The best way to do this is with a full-day tour. It should cost no more than 80 BS, plus another 80 BS for the entry fee, plus you are supposed to buy lunch at the buffet place. By asking around, you can get better prices. I got my entry for 60 BS, and more importantly I was able to get them to let me put the whole 140 BS on a credit card (for a 6% fee) since I was out of cash and my ATM card broke. I also got out of the whole buffet lunch thing and just bought a soup due to the no-cash thing. You can get here without a tour, but once you get there, you won’t know what anything is, and really, you won’t save that much money. But don’t try to book this in advance (i.e. before you get to La Paz) because you’ll just pay more for the same thing

·         Death Road – I didn’t do it. Didn’t have time. But apparently it’s pretty cool. I’ve heard you need to make sure to check the brakes before you accept your rental bicycle.

·         Finally, if you happen to be in La Paz on a Sunday, you can see the fighting cholitas, Bolivian women’s answer to lucha libre.  I’ve heard Coca Tours on calle Sagarná sells ticket packages, but there is probably some other way to get them.

Food really wasn’t the highlight for me in Bolivia. Sure, I ate the things, but nothing was super memorable. But, here are a couple of places that I ate that had Wi-Fi: Café Ciudad, open 24 hours, I only had drinks there, but those were fine. Café Banais, attached to a hotel, the food was pretty good but the service was basically an exercise in getting someone to pay attention to you.

Other notes: get your hotel or someone else to call a registered taxi to go to the airport.

[the-flying-platypus]

Lake Titicaca

I arrived in Juliaca by plane from Lima, intending to go straight to the Bolivian side of Lake Titicaca. Things didn’t really work out that way.

Note 1: get an updated guide. I thought I'd be OK with a 5 year old book when visiting ancient ruins and natural wonders. Wrong. After a guidebook told me I didn't need a visa, I didn't get one. The bus ticket lady didn't mention it because she apparently thought I was Chilean.  So I found out about this $160 visa B.S.only after putting my suitcase on the bus and having it almost go to Bolivia without me. And then they made me buy a second bus ticket for the next day even though it was arguably their fault I couldn't use the first one...

So, Americans need a visa to visit Bolivia.  I believe these are the current rules but it is worth checking again right before you go, as the rules seem to change frequently, and rather than update old pages with new information, or take them down, they simply put up new pages, leaving the old information out on the Google too. So look at the dates.

Peru

Juliaca  is, by most accounts, dangerous and not worth visiting. Apparently the airport is here only because the city Juliaca won some sort of bidding war with Puno. In any case, cabs booked in advance from Juliaca airport to Puno were quoted at $38-$80 USD. The official cab charged me S 80 (USD $24 at current rate) when I met him at the airport without a reservation, and I probably could have bargained him down if I'd cared at that point.

Note 2: Don’t buy bus tickets or taxi transfers in advance. In this part of the world, it seems you always get a better rate by waiting.

Right, I arrived, bought my bus ticket, and went to wander around the port for an hour before my bus left. I saw some interesting handicrafts, but not a ton in the way of food (maybe due to the time of day). Then, I went back to the bus station and … see above.

So due to the whole visa thing I had to spend the night in Puno. I chose one of the hospedajes across the street from the bus station because I put myself on a 6am bus and wanted to be as close as possible. The prices of hospedajes on this street ranged from S 15 - 25 for a single room, and supposedly the one above the bus station charges S28. I paid S20 for good wifi, a comfy bed, TV, and a shocking lack of toilet paper in the bathroom (shocking because when both bathrooms were out and I went to ask at reception, the guy looked at me like I had 3 heads. Apparently people bring their own?) Also my pillow felt like it was made of clay.

I took a moto cab to the centro (S3) twice, first to find an internet café and print the stuff for my visa (most of the shops had false signs – like “color printing!” when they didn’t have it – so it took a while asking around to find places that could actually help me). I wandered around a bit to the tourist shops (there were plenty), and exchange places. Everyone says it’s cheaper to buy Bolivianos on the Peruvian side, and Soles on the Bolivian side, but I didn’t really find that to be true. For dinner at had the set menu at Colors. Happily they let me upgrade to alpaca steak and risotto, which was quite tasty, for some minimal amount (S2?) It came with soup and a giant slice of cake. It was a pretty touristy place, but I was pleased with the food and the service, and I talked with some Americans and a Croatian girl who were eating there.

The next morning I was finally able to get on my bus. They have assigned seats, but sometimes they just assign you one without asking you. Make sure to ask, and look for the front row seats on the upper level for the best view. The bus stopped first on the Peruvian side of the border, where, as an American, I was told to skip everyone else and go first. Then, again because I was American, I was driven to the Bolivian side (everyone else had to walk the 100 yards – I guess this is what my $160 fee bought me), where they proceeded to not look at most of my paperwork, take my money, and give me my visa. They also took the page of instructions I’d printed out from the Bolivian consulate website…because apparently this happens all the time, and also because apparently they don’t have the ability to go online and  print it themselves.

Bolivia

The rest of my trip to Copacabana went off without a hitch. Due to my missing the first night of my stay, my hotel had given away my USD$30/night room, and apologized profusely for having to put me in one that cost $15 instead. Obviously, this was not a problem for me. They also checked me in at like 11AM with no issues.

My hotel was Hotel La Cupula, and it was pretty fantastic. The room was really nice, clean, airy, and the place was so cute. They have an onsite restaurant (everyone says you need a reservation but I was able to walk right in towards the end of the night), a kitchen, library, game and TV room, etc. They also have use of the hot tub next door at Las Olas (really cool place too, and well worth the money if you can get a reservation there). The hot tub has a view of the lake, and they make private 1-hour appointments for some small amount of money.  The properties are up on a hill (so be prepared for the walk, it is not a huge hill but Copacabana is at 12,600 feet elevation) with a great view. They also have a little garden with some llamas or alpacas.

Note 3: my guidebook said there were no ATMs in Copacabana. This is false. However, due to a power outage the previous day, none of them were working, so that’s something to keep in mind. Apparently power outages are common. 

Next I wanted to take a boat to Isla del Sol. This is the main reason you come to Copacabana, and I was feeling antsy because, due to my night in Peru, the next public boat was leaving at 1:30, and I would get just 45 minutes on the island before catching the last public boat back. I was told you can get a private boat for 400BS/day (about USD $60) which is pretty steep compared to the public boat price of BS30. So around noon I was looking for a private boat, but I forgot that there was a time change and it was really 1pm. Oops. I got what I thought was a private boat to take me for BS150, and I was thinking, “score.” Except with a group 24 other people on the boat, it really wasn’t private, now was it. They also had me play tour guide, because the one that came with the boat didn’t actually speak English, and I was the only one with enough Spanish to translate for him. Right. Also, turns out the last boat of the day actually left at 4pm, not 3:30, so I would have had the same amount of time if I’d taken the other boat. So, robbed.

In any case, you really do need more time than I had to see the island, but I’m glad I saw it at all. I was able to see the little ruin of the house of the first Inca, and walk a bit of the hiking trail that is supposed to be fantastic, see a bunch of llamas, a village, and drink from the 3-chambered fountain. For more of a guide, I thought this review was useful.

Also, thanks to that other group on my boat, I discovered Bolivia Hop just a bit too late. Seems like they were all pretty happy with the service, and man I wish I'd known about them sooner.

Food: Well, Copacabana isn’t Lima. I had the beet pancake at the hotel restaurant and it was good, a bit underseasoned but nothing some salt and pepper didn’t fix. I got to try Bolivian wine, which is apparently a thing (and not bad). I got some cheese rolls and a bread thing with tomato sauce and cheese from a lady on the street, and was quite impressed with the pizza-y thing. Finally, I picked up some empanada-type things from Pit Stop near the bus stop. They had meat and ginger - a really interesting and delicious combination. Also a bunch of pastries and pizza. 

Finally, on my way out of town, heading for La Paz, I learned that the bus you book in advance is literally the exact same bus as the public bus that costs 5-10Bs less if you just go to the corner as it is leaving. At least this was a cheaper lesson than the boat and the visa!

[the-flying-platypus]

Eating our way through Lima

Gastronomy is king in Lima - therefore, we planned our entire 4-night trip around food. It was worth it. 

There are basically 3 neighborhoods where tourists stay in Lima: Miraflores, Barranco, and downtown (Centro). Miraflores is the most upscale, pretty area with easy access to the ocean boardwalk (malecon) and many restaurants. Barranco is more eclectic and artsy, with easy access to nightlife. The centro is the most historic (read: oldest) with easy access to historical sights but least modern accomodation. My mom and I chose the Ibis Larco in Miraflores, a modern business hotel with small, but comfortable rooms, a convenient location, and a great rate for our extended weekend stay.  

Sights. This was my mom’s first trip to South America, so I wanted to make sure she saw some Spanish colonial architecture. We went to the Plaza Mayor and saw the outside of the Government Palace and Cathedral. We went to the iglesia San Francisco to do the catacomb tour and see the monastery - the highlight for me was probably the library full of 500-year-old books. We checked out Plaza San Martin.  After some time spent with 500-year-old-buildings (though many have been rebuilt due to earthquakes), we went to check out the magical water show at Parque de la Reserva. Despite seeming touristy, it was full of locals and honestly pretty cool and well worth the very modest admission fee. We had fun. On our last day we rented bicycles by the Larcomar shopping-restaurant complex and rode through Barranco (past the Bridge of Sighs) all the way down to the beaches at Chorillos (which seemed to be the best for swimming in the Lima area). 

And now for the highlight: food.

Mangos - Our first meal in Lima and a restaurant that we kept wanting to go back to (but decided we should try other places too). We had pisco sours, one of the appetizer samplers, and a truly delicious lomo saltado risotto that makes my short list of meals I remember months later. Located in Larcomar, and probably had the best view of all of the restaurants there (and in Lima) 

Plaza san Martin restaurante - in Plaza San Martin, ownded by someone who seems to be a semi-celebrity chef (at least from the pictures on the wall), and completely not in any guidebooks, which is a curious omission. First and best causa (sort of a potato salad) in Lima. 

La Mar Cebicheria - well known, and with a deserved reputation for deliciousity (yes, new word). Surprisingly, the highlight for me was not the ceviche (though it was muy rico) but the cocktails and mocktails made of fresh, exotic fruits (i.e. chirimoya, strawberry, and prickly pear fruit smoothie). A Gaston Acurio restaurant, I believe.

La Popular - also in Larcomar. We went for breakfast, which was delicious and had the bonus of a great view during the day. 

La Rosa Nautica - our fancy dinner out at a restaurant right on the sea (on a pier). My mom had some sort of fish that she really liked, and I had the cebiche and this delicious desert of cookies and chirimoya cream. Make a reservation to get a table by the window, otherwise views at night are limited. 

Saqra - another delicious choice not in the guidebook, I remember this one mostly for how pretty the food was (though it was also very delicious). We started with the quinua taboule (delicious, but had secret olives hiding in it), then my mom had prawns and polenta and I had gnocchi huancaina with steak. The sauce is like Peruvian pesto - with yellow peppers, cream, and cheese, and the steak was a whole steak, not just some cut up pieces. I ate the whole thing and wobbled around full for hours afterwards.

[the-flying-platypus]

Margaritaville

Headed to Key West just after Halloween for a few days in paradise with the parents. The timing meant we missed Key West’s annual barely-or-not-at-all clothed parade, Fantasy Fest. However, our tour bus driver assured us we were better off (”Fantasy Fest...where everyone who shouldn’t take their clothes off does, and everyone who should doesn’t”), and plenty of people seemed to have missed the memo that it was over (cue: my mom describing the attire of a very overweight woman in her 60′s, and me having to explain that those things are called ‘pasties’)

Anyway.

Lodging: La Concha Key West (Crowne Plaza) - this is far nicer than any hotel I would normally stay in, but the location was perfect, we got a great discount due to it being right after the Fantasy Fest rush ended, and I wasn’t paying. Beds were comfortable, rooms had mini-fridges and nice toiletries, the pool was great, and there was a happy hour in the lobby. The hotel staff was very helpful when I lost my wallet in terms of printing things for me and sending it back when someone turned it in to them after I left. 

Food:

Sippin coffee: Attentive management, generous portions on breakfast, cute atmosphere, free wifi.

Glazed donuts: yummy variety of options. Personal favorite is the simple vanilla cake, but also enjoyed pie donuts. I think they have coffee and seating too.

Carolines: my father is not one to rave. But he went on and on about how good his burger was. Unsurprisingly, no one else got to taste it to verify.

Margaritaville: expectations were pretty low going in, so I wasn't exactly disappointed. But let back up. We were waiting outside the much more promising Meison de Pepe, but someone in our group couldn't handle the 15-20 min wait. So, we wandered down Duvall st in search of another spot with live music and no wait. By the time we made it to Margaritaville, hope of finding that combination was waning. There was no wait at Margaritaville and the band was setting up. Upshot: margaritas were good, food was decidedly meh (including the signature cheeseburger in paradise) and the band was good despite taking forever to set up and being "too loud"

Old town bakery: Good, reasonably priced breakfast sandwiches and pastries. A good walk from Duvall, and no real seating (just a small bench outside)

Kermit’s Key Lime Shop - home of the best key lime pie on the island (supposedly, I didn’t try others but it was pretty good). There are a few locations.

Activities

It should be noted that Key West is sort of a beachless tropical resort town. The few beaches we found on the island were honestly not that nice, and there was a massive undertow. 

City View Trolley - not just a tour (though it is), it’s also a 2-day bus ticket around the island. Cheapest tour of the 3 on the island, and well worth it for the 2-day bus aspect. 

Fury dolphin snorkel sunset - You do need to take a boat if you want to see any of Key West’s reef. Fury is one of the bigger tour companies on the island, which I wasn’t too keen on in terms of snorkeling (I like to avoid getting kicked in the face). However, there were only 5 passengers on my dolphin tour, and we did see lots of dolphins. We had a good long snorkel after the dolphin watching, and then they plied us with cheap alcohol as we watched the sunset. All in all a good value. 

Florida Keys Eco-Discovery center - A free museum with small aquarium. Provides a good introduction to the area, and it is wonderfully air-conditioned and has nice bathrooms and water fountains :). We especially liked the research submarine exhibit.

Fort Zachary Taylor state park- Civil war fort with some cannons and viewpoints in the back, though most people come for the beach park. As previously mentioned it’s not like the most fantastic beach ever, but there is a concession stand, outdoor showers, and lots of places ot sit and picnic. Supposedly it’s the best beach on the island. There is a marginal admission fee, and it’s a fairly long walk from the entrance station to the beach (especially on a hot day). 

Key West Garden Club - we went on a Monday, which happens to be when the volunteers are there, which made for a nice experience. It is free and has a good collection of orchids and a butterfly garden.

Southernmost Point - a large buoy where people wait in line to take pictures. And yes, we did.

Hemingway House - probably the most famous place on the island, though I didn’t go in because of the admission fee, and because I haven’t actually read any of Hemingway’s books so I thought it’d be lost on me. Apparently there are a LOT of cats there.

[the-flying-platypus]

Wow. Crazy amazing retro collection. I had no idea this place was here. #skiing #skiutah (at SkiTrucks)

[the-flying-platypus]

Scotland part 3: The Highlands, and Isle of Skye

I did a very poor job of geographically organizing my trip and ended up with a lot of back and forth. The numbers in the map below are the order of how I did things. Looking at this, you can see a pretty clear circular route that I should have taken...oh well. 

So, some notes to help you:

Shops, attractions, and places with tours almost without fail close at 5pm in Scotland. Many (but not all) are closed Sundays. Meanwhile, pubs and restaurants are open quite late, and due to the northern latitude, if you’re there in the summer you’ll have daylight past 10pm.

The highlights:

(2) The Tarbet Tearoom at the north end of Loch Lommand. This lake was not as spectacular as many others, but it is the nearest to Glasgow thus making it quite popular. The tearoom was the cutest thing we saw in Scotland. Get the curry chips (again, fries for Americans), with cheese, and then learn how to make them at home. The pastries were also quite good: i.e. the apple turnover had a custard AND chocolate topping.

At the Tarbet tearoom we met a man who gave us free tickets to the Highland games. If you’re there in the summer it is worth getting a calendar in advance and checking one of these out. They seem to happen throughout the highlands on weekends in different villages. The games feature contests like “who can carry a large log vertically to a flag pole and then throw it the furthest” and “who can throw a bale of sticks backwards over a pole the highest” (yes, these are the technical names). All competitors are men in kilts.

(3) Glencoe is apparently commonly forgotten by visitors. It features high (for Scotland) peaks with some good walks (hikes) across moor-bottomed hills. We stayed at the Glencoe Independent Hostel, which was lovely and the guests were considerate and quiet. The tearoom in Glencoe had amazing scones.

(4) Eilan Donan Castle was, like all attractions, closed after 6 when we got there, but the lighting at night is lovely, and they leave the gate open at night so you can explore the outside of the castle area for free after hours. This was a very cool castle near Kyle of Lochalsh (a town that we just referred to as “Kyle” for simplicity)

(5) We only covered the southern part of the Isle of Skye due to time constraints. We had a chance to see (and swim in ) the fairy pools, which were cool but not totally like the photos you see when you google them. We stayed at the Glenbrittle Youth Hostel, which is well appointed and has lovely private rooms, but is a bit echoey and can be loud in the mornings. The hostel was the convenient starting point for our hike up unprounceable-Gaelic-named-peak in the Cuillen range. To do our hike, leave the hostel and walk up the hill along the river. After a mile or so the trail turns left to follow the river, and you follow a less-well-marked footpath straight ahead, up the ridge. A bad idea when it is cloudy. It is number 6 in the hostel’s guide book. Also of note, there’s a good little food truck during the day at the fairy pools parking lot (they are a bit heavy on the mayo though, it turns up on everything if you don’t ask for it not to be). The pub at Sligachan (Seuma’s) was the happening place to be on a Saturday night, and has rather huge portions, and the pizza café (Sia) in Broadford had good food and drinks, free WiFi, but service was a bit slow. We didn’t go up to the old man rock or the Quairing, and would have liked to. You do definitely need a car for Skye.

(15) Loch Ness was a nice loch, but due to its long skinny shape, it isn’t the most photogenic. Urquhart Castle was cool. Like most of the others, it does have an entry fee, but this does seem to be the best photo point on Loch Ness, and it also has a long and bloody history. Not that I’m condoning this, but if you arrive after closing, they don’t do a great job of shutting people out, and many people just hopped the low fence to explore. Not me, of course. I would never do that. 

Fort William – large town, just drove through it

Inverness – a proper city, again just drove through it. We basically avoided the larger towns, finding them less cute and too decision-heavy

(14) Nairn was an unexpected gem. Follow signs to the beach park and you’ll be treated to a park area with those public exercise machine thingies (every city should put these in a location right on the beach and I bet obesity rates would go down, and a great beach with these cool, very photogenic mossy green rocks. The cliffs of the far Northern Highlands are easily seen across part of the water, as well as open sea. Also there’s a large Walmart-type supermarket in town just off the main road.

We stopped in Oban for the distillery. - Oops, forgot to number this on the map! It’s the martini glass on the bottom left. - Instead of the tour, we did tastings at the bar upstairs, which was one of the best I visited. It was also hear that I learned of the Friends of the Classic Malts passport – it is free, and gets you a free distillery tour at 13 distilleries (which all happen to be owned by DIAGEO). Once you’ve done 2 tours you start to feel like you don’t need another one, but generally they come with a free dram (half shot)

(13) Aberlour is home to the walker’s shortbread factory (which has a shop but doesn’t give tours, and is closed Sundays) and the Aberlour distillery (part of the Speyside whiskey trail). And the Aberlour Takeaway, where you can get deep-fried pizza. Honestly I found it to be much like regular pizza, but worth trying. Apparently it’s all over Edinburgh as well but I had trouble finding it.

(12) The Glenlivet is home to the whisky (of course), as well as a number of good walking (again, hiking) trails. The distillery offers a free tour and sample to all visitors, and you can get the sample without the tour (this becomes important the more tours you go on). The museum downstairs was interested (covered lots of stuff about whisky smugglers), and they have a full café.

(9) The best distillery tour I went on, by far, was Dalwhinnie, which gives you chocolate with your whisky tasting and allows you to keep your glass after the tour. My guide wasn’t as knowledgeable as some of the ones I had at other distilleries, but honestly I liked it because it made the tour shorter. 

(10) The tour at Blair Atholl was definitely the one where I felt like I was earning my free dram. But it was also tour 2 in 2 hours that day, so I was a bit toured out by that point. They had a nice shop and some whiskies that aren’t usually exported.  

(11) Aviemore is the entry point to the heart of the Cairngorms, but it’s well worth taking a bus or driving up the road to the area by the loch in Glenmore Forest Park, en route to the Cairngorm ski area. There’s a campground (expensive) or can take advantage of Scotland’s open camping rule and pitch your tent on the adjacent beach for free. The key benefit of this spot is there’s a beach, a lake, several nice walks (I recommend the blue to the orange loop which takes you to a nice lake and then up above treeline to something that translates as “Herd Hill”(more or less) in Gaelic), AND A PUB. All in walking distance. The pub also operates a breakfast restaurant, a shop that’s open late and has general supplies, and live music on Friday, Saturday, and Tuesday nights in a very interactive format. You can also walk or drive up to the ski area and then walk or tram up that.

(11-12) Back roads in this area are a bit confusing, and very narrow.

And the most important note about the highlands: BEWARE THE MIDGES. These are tiny little mosquitos that can get through regular netting, fly in the mist, and bite like you’re the centerpiece of a kings buffet. They sell repellent everywhere, but I found my raincoat worked pretty well. And pants. And hood. 

[the-flying-platypus]

Scotland part 2: Edinburgh

On arrival in Edinburgh, I started out by checking my bags in a locker at the bus station. Note: The lockers in the bus station are £5-8 for as much as you can fit (I fit my rollaboard and backpack into the smallest one), for 24 hours (but only 24 hours). Left luggage at the train station is £10 per bag per day, regardless of bag size. So it was worth the 5 minute walk to the bus station.

After dropping my bags I wondered down Princes street, which is part of the “New” (post 1800′s) city. At Jenners department store I found a book of walking tours of the city, and decided to “the dark and disturbing past of Edinburgh,” which, the book noted, was meant to be done on a dark and stormy night. Basically, all of Scotland has a pretty bloody and violent history. Unfortunately most of the stops on the tour were of the “this is the spot where a thing happened 500 years ago and the place was later burnt to the ground and this other thing was built in its place” variety, but I’ve highlighted the better ones below.

Edinburgh Castle in on pretty much every tour hitlist. I think it was worth the expensive fee to get in (£15). I missed being there for the daily cannon firing at 1pm (apparently that’s the best time to go), but they’re open until 6, and stop letting people in at 5. It takes about 2 hours, and there is a free tour inside the castle grounds. 

Next to the castle entrance, there is a working tartan weaving factory (free) that’s worth a trip (also features a large shop).  Other spots that are worth a stroll: Victoria Street (Diagon Alley inspiration), the Grassmarket (old livestock market and site of public executions (there were a lot of execution sites) ), the Royal Mile (mainly tourist shops but lots of history, and more execution sites) and the walk up the Salisbury Cliffs to Arthur’s Seat for a great view of the city. The National Gallery (science and history museum) was a great stop during the rain (and free).  I had to check out Adam Smith’s grave at the Cannongate Kirkyard, because I heart economics theory. I also made the trip down to the port at Leith, which was probably not worth the time it took to get there. As my hosts noted, it’s a bit of a dodgy area and as it’s a port, it’s not like you can get in the water and swim or anything. There are a ton of shops on Prince’s street that I did my best to avoid (not the purpose of this trip), and I wish I’d had a chance to check out the Camera Obscura near the castle, which I’m told has some really cool tricks with mirrors, and provides free re-entry all day.

I also went on the free Harry Potter tour. Well worth it (incidentally, it’s free) if you’re a fan of the books/movies.

Mum’s Café (formerly Monster Mash) on Forrest Road was the culinary highlight of the trip. I had the 2-sausage and mash deal, where you can pick your sausages (one lamb and mint, one tomato herb) and mash (cheese and onion), and gravy (couldn’t pick and the waitress brought me both tomato thyme and caramelized onion). It was awesome. I kept debating going back for another round.

Across the street is the Sandy Bell’s  tavern, known for live traditional music every night, and home of a great £3 lamb and mango curry pie. We also stopped by the Royal Oak, where anyone is (theoretically) allowed to play some music, which my host did once he’d had more beer.

South Bridge street (and whatever it turns into as you walk further south) has a ton of charity shops, as well as a takeaway pie shop that does a mac-n-cheese pie for 95 pence. As with all pie shops, make sure to arrive early for the freshest pies and best selection.

Mosque Kitchen was recommended by my hosts, and the book, but there are 3 places near the mosque all claiming to be the original Mosque Kitchen, so that made things a bit difficult. Next to one of the Mosque Kitchens was a noodle shop that I also enjoyed. And, actually, the sandwich I picked up at the castle restaurant was quite good as well.

[the-flying-platypus]

Scotland part 1: Glasgow

I started my tour of the city in the West End at an Indian tapas place, Usha’s. They say 3-4 tapas portions are good for 2 people, I’d say that’s true for dinner but for lunch, 1 delicious snack of aloo tiki chaat and an order of curry chips (fries to us Americans), was plenty.

Then it was off to the Kelvingrove Gallery, which features both art (Dali’s vision of Christ on the cross being a highlight), natural history, and science.  And, like most museums in Scotlant, entrance is free.

Across from the Gallery, you’ll find Mother India, which started the Indian tapas craze, and now has several locations: the original restaurant across from the Gallery, a cook-at-home takeaway spot next door, the Wee Curry Shop (2 locations, reservations suggested), and an outpost in Edinburgh (the one I was able to check out, later in my trip). Also delicious, though I think I prefer the atmosphere at Usha’s (being new, you get the feeling they’re trying a bit harder).

Then there’s the University itself, thought to be the inspiration for Hogwarts,* and it’s easy to see why. Founded in the 1451, it is the 4th oldest university in the English-speaking world. The buildings are especially cool at night. And probably haunted. (However, wikipedia informs me that the buildings were actually built in the 1870′s when the campus moved to its current location. Which is a bit of a letdown, since they do feel rather medieval)

There are several pubs and restaurants in the West End off Byres Road, on a small parallel alley, Ashton Ln, which several people informed me is THE happening place to be at night. Ketchup had good burgers, the Irish pub Jinty McGinty’s had good music, and the people at the Belgian bar with the awesome looking beer garden…were super mean to me. Don’t go there.

We also ate at Chow, which was delicious with huge portions and cheap wine. Most importantly, their kitchen was open til 11pm on a weeknight. (This was after a failed attempt to go to Dumpling Monkey, which had great reviews but was not open quite as late.

Lodging: Smiths Hotel. It was decent. It was cheap, the room could have slept 3 (double bed and twin bed) and had an ensuite bath and a great traditional breakfast. On check-in, the place smelled vaguely of curry (not necessarily in a bad way), and off-street parking was available (though, warning, other guests may block you in if you arrive early). I stayed in another spot too, but I wouldn’t recommend that one.

I also explored the shopping area near George’s square (the square is great for picnics if it stops raining), the Cathedral (and crazy graveyard surrounding it), and the other university, Strathclyde, which was rather ugly.

So, summing up, the West End is cool and you should go there. Yes.