Lausanne and Bern

With these two cities I have nice memories. They both kind of have the same athmosphere. Lausanne is a small town by a lake, Alps on the background. Bern is the capital, but somehow Zürich has taken the ”big city” role and left Bern to be really nice down to earth town with a river running through it. And they both have those lovely clock tower figures! 😍In Lausanne the clock tower figures show the history of the city every hour. Now they seem to be just cute, but by the time they were built, they must have been amazing technological break through -Switch watches, you know. 😉 So I enjoyed more the Old Town, Cathedral and the oldest covered wooden stairs, although Olumpics Museum is the thing to mention in Lausanne.

Partially my nice memories about Bern comes from the fact that I and Jasmine were again united. You remember the smugling in Los Coloradas? And her friend Joanna join us also. This time my temper wasn’t tested the way that it would have led to something as extreme as smugling.

Initially our plan in Bern was to rent a plastic boat and let the river take us three hours from upriver to the city. Unfortunately we were late with renting and they were all already booked. The other big thing for me in Bern was to visit Einstein’s Home Museum and Historical Museum’s permanent Einstein exhibition. They both handle the achievments and personal life drama. We started with the Home Museum. It kind of was a mistake. I have been quite a fan of Einstein, you know. I totally agree his saying ”If you can’t say it simple, you just don’t know it”. I even have that in my office as a painting. 🤓 But did you know, he was a total as....le? He never even met his first born, the daughter. Even through he later married the mother of this daughter and had two sons with her. Girls were asking whether I was surpriced -after all great persons are rarely nice personalities. I don’t agree. Genius (or introvert, as a trending excuse nowadays) -you don’t need to be an asshole! So, I got a bit upset and we skipped Historical Museum and went straight (after me leading us to wrong zoo first) to see the city mascots: bears. I certainly felt obliged to refress Finn’s (the daddy bear, born in Finland) Finnish skills. He was quite busy to chat but posed few nice pics with her daughter.

So my nice mood was back and we continued to the river bank. We had left this as a cherry on our Bern cake. And so we jumped to the river and joined the other swimmers and boats. Yes, the river was full of floating boats and people. And there were every now and then stairs on the river bank so you could get up again, walk upriver and jump floating again. And hey, this is a must, if you ever visit Bern. 🤩Those who floated several kilometers had their valuables and chlothes in floating waterproof bags. But as we were floating only few hundred meters we left our valuables under the towel. The local rule says, that they are secured under the towel. So don’t forget those on your towel. 😉

P.S. We certainly also discovered the Bern Old Town which is named as Unesco World Heritage Site. 🏆

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mexico City Part II, Stones in the amazing Anthropological Museum

When visiting Anthropological Museum on Mexico City, I was stunned of all the stones collected there. But on the other hand I was a bit disappointed, that most of the text was only in Spanish. So I didn’t get all the fascinating history they could tell, but got it surprising well. It was over whelming. We agreed to meet in our meeting point after rough one and half hour, but by that time we hadn’t even taken half of the museum. So we gave us an additional hour and made running the rest of it. By that time we were already too hungry to do any more. It was a pity, that there was so much to see, but as you couldn’t get food in and there was no restaurant inside, you just were driven by your hunger. 🤷🏼‍♀️

It was a great place to start my adventure to the history of Mexico. Most of the original statues and constructions were in Anthropological Museum to assure they will stay in shape for the coming generations. of course they hadn't left the original places empty but reconstructed them there also. (And you can trust my word, they have stones, original stones, still also on those archeological sites. Yes, Mexico has stones. 😅 ) The constructions were huge, both inside the museum and on outside area -almost like in a jungle. And all in the middle of the city.

So I started naturally to think the business side of it... It was almost like using what I have learnt now in my studies about Service Design. I might even use that some day as a case in my studies... There would be so many ways to get the visitors more involved. 🤩 It could easily be 1-2 days amusement park, even with quite minor changes. You could so clearly see the difference compared to any amazing place for example in States. But as a summary: as long as they don’t have restaurant inside, eat well before. And as the ticket is only few euros, prepare to visit for two days and enjoy the other half day in the surrounding park (and street food you can find from there). 😋

Last days in Mexico City ❤️

When I arrived first time in Mexico City I immediately felt like coming back to home. Diring my whole trip Mexico City has been my homebase. And it has felt like coming home every time arriving to U-Co Roma Nomadi hostel. I have been always taken such a good care -I will miss all the new friends I have got.

Although you go to new places when travelling, the people you meet there are actually the true thing. The moments you share, the connections you have. It is hard to explain how you meet people in totally different level when travelling, and especially when travelling alone. Last year I met lovely Mexican girls in Amazon and they were part of the reason I chose Mexico City for my base camp for this trip.

There are of course always ups and downs during longer trip. The most important parts for me are still the starts (even mini starts like every time arriving to a new city) and endings. With this trip I was lucky to have a lovely ending for the whole trip. ❤️ I spent the last night and days with lovely people, still doing a little bit turistic staff I hadn’t had time before and finally also getting to a salsa club 💃🏼🕺🏼in Mexico City (like planned from day 1 😄).

I’m happy and lucky. And this applys both to my trip and return. I have experienced amazing thing things with beatiful people -I have still so many stories and pictures I haven’t shared with you. I will share atleast those which are already written and are only waiting for the pictures. (Yes, technical challenges have been one of the main themes of this trip.) With some luck, I will some day add pics also into this text... 😁

It was lovely to get this nice ending for my trip and leave home smile on my face, although feeling maybe a bit melancholic but at the same time sure I will meet these people again. ❤️

Panama City -views from Old Town, pool, zip line over jungle -and not so nice neighborhood

Panama reminder me a lot of Cuba and maybe especially Havanna. For me Panama was windy city with palms and beatiful old buildings. The sea was disturbing blue - the kind of they paint the bottom of the pool of swimming halls.

When discovering the City first day I again ended up in kind of streets we can be happy it was daylight time. I had already a bit missed that Ooops! feeling. Before travelling to Mexico and Guatemala I had friends from there who gave me strickt instructions where to live and where to walk. (And Caye Culkin in Belize has only three streets from north to south and three from west to east, so there wasn’t so much to get in troubles. 😁) But, in Panama I have hotel in area they forbidded me to go out after dark. 😳🙄 I do follow the instructions, but feel sooo destrickted. 😫

But at hotel they said the area was safe at daytime, so I desided to walk to the bus station only 3 km apart when heading to zip lines in Lagun Gato, Colon. Didn’t even take my long sleeves with me as assuming to travel in chicken busses. But the beaty in difference of planning and doing... On my morning walk to the bus station I was stopped by a policeman. (Yes, I admit, I had been already looking around me, that now I have a reason to walk like knowing where going and in the middle of the road. Everybody probably had already seen me, so didn’t want anybody to surprice me behind a corner by being all too close to me. 😐 My only defence, Attitude Walk, saying ”If you are looking for easy, keep on looking!” So no pics from that situation, but from few blocks earlier... Yes. 😄) Considering the reputation police have in some of these countries, I was a bit sceptical. But after a small discussion he made his opinion clear: it is not safe in here and I should take a taxi. Then he saw a police car, winked them to us and clearly instructed them to take me to bus a station (where I have told I was heading). No one open any doors, so I played I didn’t understand and said I will look a taxi. So, I had plenty of time to choose, whether I want to be robed by taxi or police. I chose my poison for the day and decided to give the opportunity to taxi some other day.

When sitting in the back seat of a police car, doors locked, the streets seemed even more ”not recommended area”. I saw so many places where I would prefer not to be with two bad cops... But these happend to be the good ones, or atleast one of the four was, and so I got my way safely to the bus station. 😅 So, if I’m fattie, it’s not because I have avoided my excercise. It’s because police has forbidden it. ☝🏻

Well, in bus everybody were again taking care of the Blond (who was freezing in airconditioned bus). I was trying to ask the driver, where to step out from the bus, but also the lady in front row wanted to participate. Ok, ticket-collector robt me with a double price, but that’s kind of the spirit.

When arriving the zip lines, I noticed my tour would be private. Nice, but in Spanish and the guide had clear injuries on his hands. I almost laughed out loud and decided not to think any safety perspectives in a hysterical manner -just signed them out from any liability. As this evidently had already shown to be my lucky day. 🤷🏼‍♀️😂 And yes, the boys were absolutely great. I just let them do their thing, taking care of my safety. And they were even really helpfull with all foto taking, into my cameras.

Panama was the last Spanish speaking country at this trip and tomorrow I’ll continue to Portugese speaking Brasil. The next two weeks in there might smelt all my learnt Spanish away. But I’m happy into which level I have brought it. I’m using words which I didn’t know I would even understand. And manage to fool taxi drivers several blocks, that I do speak Spanish. 😅 Or atleast I’m saying something and get the answers I want and things are going the way I want to. 😂 I have even started answering ”Si” to questions, when it feels right, and still haven’t ended up into troubles. 😇 And in customs I always struggle first 3-5 questions in Spanish, but then change into English before I say something illeagal. 😬 So it seems, that the excitement of travelling without common language is soon taken away from me -in Spanish speaking countries. Hmm... Maybe I’ll after that learn the language properly. But anyhow I have a strong feeling that I’ll be back. ❤️

Trekking on vulcano Acatenango to see vulcano Fuego erupting

It was something between silly and stupid when I decided to do the vulcano trekking after released from hospital just a week ago. But hey, I wasn’t thinking. 🤷🏼‍♀️😅 I wish I would have been thinking clearly when they told you can rent a horse to take you up. I didn’t have the money with me, but Juan had and I’m pretty sure he would have loned to me. 😁 I’m in such way lucky, that I have been trekking so much, that I don’t have any need to prove anything -there is only the minor thing: sometimes I don’t think. 🤦🏼‍♀️

Juan... I don’t know how it happend, but in hostel I was telling him (almost in extase) about the vulcano trekking. He haven’t heard about it before -or atleast not been told with such inner fire. (Remember that I had carried this disappointment of missed active vulcano trekking already a week and now had had courage to arrange everything again with quite extra money for recheduling my flights etc.) Juan had been so kind, that he had showed me everything that there was to see in Guatemala City (which meant we had been already walking some 15 km together) so maybe it was only natural, that we continued 16 km together in higher altitudes. Anyhow, now I felt totally comfortable to use his money for my horse -if I just would have thought that in time. 😆 But it wasn’t a one-way-road -I also felt totally responsible whether he had drinken enough and whether he had enough snacks and warm chlothes... 😅

Have to say 1000 m elevation in 4.5 hours as convalescent was not a picnic. I have done the same elevation before even in higher altitudes, but when being healthy and well acclimatised. It was all worth it when I first time heard the eruption. It sounded like a thunder. And when that sound was finally combined to the smoke and flying stones... Well, stones is maybe an understatement. Your eyes could hardly separate the people half way getting there, but you could clearly see the stones that were spit by the vulcano, even though it was double that far. 😱The views were spectacular and beatiful, as long as you didn’t mind the vulcanic dust that tried to get into your each and every hole... 😳😬🙄

Even though I was the one suggesting us to do the vulcano trekking, Juan quite easily took the control of arrangements, as he is fluent in Spanish. It was funny how I suddenly considered him as a local, although he is absolutely pure Yankee, even though his heritage is half Mexican half El Salvador. But in Northern El Salvador, from where his father is from, the Mayan heritage is strong. They are the tall ones with green eyes, the same types that often were rulers in Guatemala’s and Mexico’s Mayan cities. And Juan has that Mayan look. As a summary, I’m pretty sure he is a descendant of some deceased Mayan King, although his father hasn’t revealed it to him yet. Yes, I know, sounds like a teenage girl’s novel. 😃 But I allow that to myself. 😌 The slightly negative site of this was that I totally lost any talent I ever had to manage my staff in Spanish and just followed him smiling. Easy travelling. 👌🏻😃

Our campsite on vulcano Acatenango had very nice views facing vulcano Fuego and when the evening came, the sunset was one of the most beautiful ones and vulcano Fuego had one more surprice for us. In darkness we could see the burning red lava, which was totally amazing. So as the night came we were having our dinner at the campfire -and of course having hot chocolate and grilled marshmallows as dessert.

As always in high altitudes, the night was cold. I even saw tiny snow flakes at the night time. I anyhow managed almost not freezing when sleeping in our tents, but as the sleeping bags were prepared just for summer temperatures I had some extra on me. Certainly starting from silk bodice, merino wool long sleeves underwear with merino wool socks and boxers. Then in upperbody silk knitting, hoodie and guilted jacket and wrapping my lower body with my trusted Burberry pashmina wool scatf (which works really well also as blanket in flights). And then having inside sleeping bag one blanket folded under me and one on me. I say it was a process to get out to pee and see those snow flakes. 😅

The next day we were all so impressed, that on our way down the time was just flying. We were all amazed and so happy what we have experienced. The way down though had also its challenges. There was quite a much vulcanic loose soil in the path and some made the way down sliding, some running. But I must said there you saw the difference of proper hiking shoes. I was so happy mine gripped even to the loose soil and let me just walk firm and safely my way down. Got to love those shoes! 🥾❤️

And to the who are now worried: I recovered from the total uncapabability to use Spanish when our paths with the descendant of Mayan Ruler separated. I haven’t have change to rechallenge, so I actually can’t accuse him for sure about my symptoms. But I hope to get my rechallenge next summer when travelling to California. Until then I would say only my symptoms were (most) probably related. 😄

Now I’m already on my way to Panama where I have decided to pamper myself a bit. It will include luxorious hotel with Spa and Gym and probably also massage, yoga, etc. 😌