One year ago I came off a plane and landed in Sydney. I caught a bus to Canberra and was finally home after nine months of being away.
Perhaps I came back with my tail in between my legs. It had felt like a long time away. I had no job to go to, no savings left and I was tired from the 9 months I had just lived. Nevertheless, my spirits were lifted, I saw my family again, I realised Canberra is the place for me now and I had my fiancee with me. Continue reading
Earlier this year, I had the privilege to finally visit the Blue Mountains in NSW.
The journey was amazing, I felt like a child on a school excursion. It took a while to get there but every minute of it was interesting. I never imagined there would be so many towns along the way. When I’ve heard that people lived in the Blue Mountains, I always assumed that they would live at the foot of the mountains but never did I expect to see so many houses right at the top!
Without going too much further into it. Here are just a few photos from the trip. Enjoy.
I was on a ferry a couple of months ago in the beautiful city of Sydney.
I was in my own paradise for ten minutes as I sat outside with the wind against my face and the distant lights from the city slowly getting closer.
As I heard small waves knock against the boat, I was able to take in the beauty of everything around me.
It reminded me of travelling. I always tell me friends that it’s not the landscapes that make a trip memorable, it’s what you’re feeling at the time and those short moments you experience while doing ordinary every day activities.
Being on that ferry brought back many memories of places I have visited. At that moment I wished I was back there to retrace my steps as an older person.
That’s when I realised that when you travel you leave pieces of your heart at every place you visit. As time goes on, those pieces of your heart call to you, asking you to come back. And I believe it’s not enough to visit a place just once.
Obelisco
I was lucky enough to visit Buenos Aires in 2005 and there are many great memories to look back on. Here is my experience.
Great things about the city
The city of Buenos Aires is old, elegant, big and entertaining. The biggest feature for me was that the city literally doesn’t sleep! I still talk about how I was able to eat a steak in a restaurant at 2:30am and how I bought a soccer shirt from a shop at 1:30 in the morning!
The people in Buenos Aires are very friendly to tourists and also helpful. They treat foreigners with a lot of respect and you always feel welcome. This came as a surprise to me as I was warned to receive a hostile reception for being Chilean. This myth was debunked early on in my trip! Continue reading
Valparaiso is one of few ports that Chile has. It was the first port of the country and was discovered rather than founded. It has had its moments of success and of despair.
At one time, it was the envy of all other cities in Chile and was known as the gateway to Europe from the Americas. Over time it had gained a new nick name “La Joya del Pacifico” (the jewel of the pacific ocean).
Valparaiso has once again begun to shine as it attracts tourists from Northern America and Europe. Thanks to its UNESCO Heritage status and the cruise ships that visit in summer, Valparaiso is slowly becoming the charming port that every Chilean is so fond of.
Valparaiso’s history starts somewhere around 1536, since then, many events have shaped the city. I plan to begin a series of posts dedicated to the history and present state of Valparaiso, Chile’s first ever port and my place of birth. So stay tuned with the series.