I have started to select and upload my photos. Here you can find them (grouped by days).
In the same time I enhance the posts with the 'More photos' links to the related albums.
Update on 13/12/2105:
The link above is no more accessible thanks to some change Google introduced in Photos.
I also experienced that the 'More photos' links gives you the photos in enjoyable resolution only of you are logged into some Google account (though no matter which one).
I apologise.
Though here you can find a selection of photos here.
Thursday 26 February 2015
Saturday 14 February 2015
Chicago and the surprises
Arrived to Chicago after 10 pm so looked around the terminal, unsuccessfully called the hotel service that was suggested by the airline and was promised to get the lowest rate available. Than found a quiet corner to sleep. A man in the uniform of the airport passed by and asked whether I plan to spend overnight there. I answered positively and asked if it a problem is. His replay was: 'Nice shoes, nice bag... Take care.' So I put my nice shoes into my nice backpack to reduce the risk info half.:) And was starting to set myself into a confortable position when the man returned carrying a camping bed. For me! Surprise #1.
(I have to admit that I am strangely affected by sleeping in unusual places: in an abandoned stone mine; in a cave 100ms below the surface; under the sky without tent; in a tent in snow; in a bivaque hut planned to use only in case of emergency; alone in a dormitory of 20; with 19 other person in a dorm of 20; in the meeting room of the office; in the Chicago airport on a camping bed.)
Without visa I did not expect to be let out of the transit area and enter the US. But I was allowed. Surprise #2.
So I get up early, that was supported by the man requesting back his camping bed shortly after 5 am, and set off for the city center.
It was freezing cold. Or I was just not used to this temperature in this season.:) The display showed 11 degree and most probably in Fahrenheit.
Without directly seeking for it or even was very sure that it is in this city I was able to find the Cloud Gate. Surprise #3.
Given that my set of clothes was not optimized for this temperature after a bit more than an hour spending in the city I returned to the airport.
Ps: The US definitely has the feature that everybody speaks English so even the simplest people could understand your question.
More photos
(I have to admit that I am strangely affected by sleeping in unusual places: in an abandoned stone mine; in a cave 100ms below the surface; under the sky without tent; in a tent in snow; in a bivaque hut planned to use only in case of emergency; alone in a dormitory of 20; with 19 other person in a dorm of 20; in the meeting room of the office; in the Chicago airport on a camping bed.)
Without visa I did not expect to be let out of the transit area and enter the US. But I was allowed. Surprise #2.
So I get up early, that was supported by the man requesting back his camping bed shortly after 5 am, and set off for the city center.
It was freezing cold. Or I was just not used to this temperature in this season.:) The display showed 11 degree and most probably in Fahrenheit.
Without directly seeking for it or even was very sure that it is in this city I was able to find the Cloud Gate. Surprise #3.
Given that my set of clothes was not optimized for this temperature after a bit more than an hour spending in the city I returned to the airport.
Ps: The US definitely has the feature that everybody speaks English so even the simplest people could understand your question.
More photos
Bosque de Chapiltepec and the metro
On the day of my departure I planned to visit the Bosque de Chapultepec, that is a big park (or forest as its name states) with two lakes, a little hill with a castle housing the Museo Nacional de Antropología. And cheeky squirrels.
Travelling on the metro in Mexico City is quite entertaining. There are some 'program' all the time.
Almost in each stop gets on somebody selling more or less useful things like: snacks, headsets, creams, led lamps, hair gums. Or selling music cd with a hangfal demonstrate them or begging with singing songs. I guess the later ones got money just to stop.
...But maybe after a week these events are rather annoying to entertaining.
Also a good feature that in the rush hours there are some carriage (and also a section on the peron) where only women and children are allowed to enter. Despite of if there was such a crowd at some morning that the metros was not able to take in all of the people for at least 15 minutes so at the end I chose to walk.
More photos
Travelling on the metro in Mexico City is quite entertaining. There are some 'program' all the time.
Almost in each stop gets on somebody selling more or less useful things like: snacks, headsets, creams, led lamps, hair gums. Or selling music cd with a hangfal demonstrate them or begging with singing songs. I guess the later ones got money just to stop.
...But maybe after a week these events are rather annoying to entertaining.
Also a good feature that in the rush hours there are some carriage (and also a section on the peron) where only women and children are allowed to enter. Despite of if there was such a crowd at some morning that the metros was not able to take in all of the people for at least 15 minutes so at the end I chose to walk.
More photos
Xochimilco and the canals
My last full day in Mexico.
Xochimilco had been a separate town that was swallowed by the capital but kept the both peaceful and vivid atmosphere.
It's main attractions are the channels where you can travel with cheerfully coloured boats (for a good price, of course) and can see the floating gardens.
It is also worth just stroll on the streets where you bump into little bridges crossing the branches of the canals time after time and you can observe birds hunting for fishes making vivid the shallow water.
Toward the center and around the market the streets are full of the vivid noises of everyday life, that was dominated by the cheerful ones of the children on them way to home.
More photos
Xochimilco had been a separate town that was swallowed by the capital but kept the both peaceful and vivid atmosphere.
It's main attractions are the channels where you can travel with cheerfully coloured boats (for a good price, of course) and can see the floating gardens.
It is also worth just stroll on the streets where you bump into little bridges crossing the branches of the canals time after time and you can observe birds hunting for fishes making vivid the shallow water.
Toward the center and around the market the streets are full of the vivid noises of everyday life, that was dominated by the cheerful ones of the children on them way to home.
More photos
Friday 13 February 2015
Complication around my return -- it is ok now
If you change flight in the US you need a permission called ESTA. I faced this fact only when I was not allowed to check in on the airport.
You can apply for ESTA online filling in a form with all of your details except for your dog's name. First I starts to fill in an other form by mistake and I was surprised why it insists on my address to stay in the US. After a while it was said that I do not meet a 'transit visa' only an ESTA. Than I started to collect all of the required info: my id number, the address of my last employs, etc.
When I finished even with paying the administration fee of $14 it was 3:30 pm. Officially my flight for Chicago should had set off at 3:00 pm. Fortunately and unfortunately it has a delay of at least 2 hours. So I was able to check in with the kind help of the friendly stuff that I appreciate but in return I will miss my flight to Europe so I have to spend almost a whole day in Chicago.
But I am on my way with full of beautiful experiences and colorful pictures.
You can apply for ESTA online filling in a form with all of your details except for your dog's name. First I starts to fill in an other form by mistake and I was surprised why it insists on my address to stay in the US. After a while it was said that I do not meet a 'transit visa' only an ESTA. Than I started to collect all of the required info: my id number, the address of my last employs, etc.
When I finished even with paying the administration fee of $14 it was 3:30 pm. Officially my flight for Chicago should had set off at 3:00 pm. Fortunately and unfortunately it has a delay of at least 2 hours. So I was able to check in with the kind help of the friendly stuff that I appreciate but in return I will miss my flight to Europe so I have to spend almost a whole day in Chicago.
But I am on my way with full of beautiful experiences and colorful pictures.
Wednesday 11 February 2015
Taxco
Sweet little VW Beetles (VW bogár). A lot.
Taxco is a pretty village climbing up on the mountain side. So its vertical size is comparable the horizontal one. Mountains are all around.
Lots of VW cars are used, mainly for taxies, as they can climb up in steep slopes because the back wheels are driven (hátsó kerék meghajtású).
The silver mine nearby and jewelry are the causes the prosperity of the town.
More photos
Taxco is a pretty village climbing up on the mountain side. So its vertical size is comparable the horizontal one. Mountains are all around.
Lots of VW cars are used, mainly for taxies, as they can climb up in steep slopes because the back wheels are driven (hátsó kerék meghajtású).
The silver mine nearby and jewelry are the causes the prosperity of the town.
More photos
Basic English
I have learned a new word in English that seems to be one of the basic ones. As a proof here is the conversation between a Mexican guide and me at the entrance of the Placio Nacional:
Guide: Do you want to see the murals?
Aniko: Pardon?
Guide: Do you want to see the murals?
Aniko: What does 'murals' mean?
G: Do you speak English?
A: Yes, but I don't know this word.
G: Do you speak English and don't know what does 'mural' mean??? [With the intonation like: 'How on Earth could you state that you speak English if you do not know such a basic word like 'mural'???')
Guide: Do you want to see the murals?
Aniko: Pardon?
Guide: Do you want to see the murals?
Aniko: What does 'murals' mean?
G: Do you speak English?
A: Yes, but I don't know this word.
G: Do you speak English and don't know what does 'mural' mean??? [With the intonation like: 'How on Earth could you state that you speak English if you do not know such a basic word like 'mural'???')
Teotihuacán
Yesterday I visited an archeological place where some colorful decoration of the walls remained and we can see them either on them original place or in the museum of the site together with numerous devices and sculptures and useful explanations, even in English.
You can climb the Pyramid of the Sun and enjoy the nice view over the smaller pyramids surrounded by the hilly landscape full of cactuses.
I also visited the Basilica de Guandalipe that is a vast, modern, circle-based building, that can his over 20,000 people.
More photos
You can climb the Pyramid of the Sun and enjoy the nice view over the smaller pyramids surrounded by the hilly landscape full of cactuses.
I also visited the Basilica de Guandalipe that is a vast, modern, circle-based building, that can his over 20,000 people.
More photos
Cathedral and around
In Mexican cities the main square called 'Zocalo'. Usually it is a nice park. Not in Mexico City. There it is a paved square with no else decoration than a huge Mexican flag in the middle. No plants, no shadow.
On the Zocalo we can find the lavishly decorated Cathedral and the 'Placio Nacional'. In the second one there are murals (huge paintings) on the wall depicting the life in Mexico before the Spanish and them influence in a stunning way.
Also visited the square around the Santo Domingo church and ate 'quesadilla' there.
More photos
On the Zocalo we can find the lavishly decorated Cathedral and the 'Placio Nacional'. In the second one there are murals (huge paintings) on the wall depicting the life in Mexico before the Spanish and them influence in a stunning way.
Also visited the square around the Santo Domingo church and ate 'quesadilla' there.
More photos
Sunday 8 February 2015
Mexico city, the final destination
Arrived to Mexico City successfully. The hostel resembles a good old and moderately clean student hostel but as a result of some issue around my reservation I got a private room so I am ok with it.:)
After a bit of thinking, asking and examining the map it was easy to find a metro to the hostel.
After a bit of thinking, asking and examining the map it was easy to find a metro to the hostel.
A bit more Querétaro
I realised that my affection toward a town highly depends on the peoples I come across.
I really like Queretaro. People I meet are relaxed and kind and helpful and usually enthusiastic about communicating with me in Spanish.
I had a nice conversation with Ana, a Mexican lady, who is from Mexico DF but moved to Querétaro many-many years ago and now directs an organization that gives work for 16 disabled people, who bake delicious cakes.
Today I ate some tortilla-like thing that has blueish grey color, that seemed to be artificially coloured for me. But it turned out that the black corn causes this strange color. (If I had understood the explanation well.)
In Mexico they have 4 type / colour of corns: yellow, white, red and black. From the red one they make orange tortillas.
The public transportation (buses) represents both end of the scale from worn-out till super posh and modern. On the first class bus you have your own display with numerous movies to choose from (in Spanish, of course:)), headset, 2 toilets (one for men and one for women), air-conditioning and plush pad for your feet. But eg. some of the local buses (called 'taxibus') Queretaro or the 2nd (3rd, 4th?) class coaches are really worn out with several dents, sometimes stopping engines, dirty curtains rich in holes or the most simple blinders: The upper part of the windshield and the windows are sprayed black.
Ah, I have almost forgotten about the most thrilling experience of the day: Is it real or only my imagination that the music of the film in the 'Museo de la Casa de la Zacatecana' is an adaptation of a Hungarian folk song and contains parts like: 'Szakajt egyet róla' or 'Túrót eszik a cigány'? Hungarian speakers around, could you please confirm it or disappoint me?
You might noticed that this post is a bit longer than the former ones. It is because I am writing it on a bus toward Mexico DF, where I have time. I just realised that people here use them smartphones, tablets, notebooks or all the three in the same time (I really have seen such) without having feet of being robbed. Just to do as the locals do I have starts to follow the examples.
More photos
I really like Queretaro. People I meet are relaxed and kind and helpful and usually enthusiastic about communicating with me in Spanish.
I had a nice conversation with Ana, a Mexican lady, who is from Mexico DF but moved to Querétaro many-many years ago and now directs an organization that gives work for 16 disabled people, who bake delicious cakes.
Today I ate some tortilla-like thing that has blueish grey color, that seemed to be artificially coloured for me. But it turned out that the black corn causes this strange color. (If I had understood the explanation well.)
In Mexico they have 4 type / colour of corns: yellow, white, red and black. From the red one they make orange tortillas.
The public transportation (buses) represents both end of the scale from worn-out till super posh and modern. On the first class bus you have your own display with numerous movies to choose from (in Spanish, of course:)), headset, 2 toilets (one for men and one for women), air-conditioning and plush pad for your feet. But eg. some of the local buses (called 'taxibus') Queretaro or the 2nd (3rd, 4th?) class coaches are really worn out with several dents, sometimes stopping engines, dirty curtains rich in holes or the most simple blinders: The upper part of the windshield and the windows are sprayed black.
Ah, I have almost forgotten about the most thrilling experience of the day: Is it real or only my imagination that the music of the film in the 'Museo de la Casa de la Zacatecana' is an adaptation of a Hungarian folk song and contains parts like: 'Szakajt egyet róla' or 'Túrót eszik a cigány'? Hungarian speakers around, could you please confirm it or disappoint me?
You might noticed that this post is a bit longer than the former ones. It is because I am writing it on a bus toward Mexico DF, where I have time. I just realised that people here use them smartphones, tablets, notebooks or all the three in the same time (I really have seen such) without having feet of being robbed. Just to do as the locals do I have starts to follow the examples.
More photos
Saturday 7 February 2015
Peña de Bernal
Hummingbird, squirrel, cactuses, the third biggest monolit of the world with nice climbing routes (yummy), nice tiny town.
..Ok, the hummingbird (or some similar entity that is tiny, flies and has long beak) was yesterday.
More photos
..Ok, the hummingbird (or some similar entity that is tiny, flies and has long beak) was yesterday.
More photos
Friday 6 February 2015
Querétaro
Colorful houses (again), churches, ex-convent with an expressive aquaduct built as the only result of a true love.
Nice hostel with fine view from its roof terrace.
Just counted that I needed to wash my clothes only one more time, that was a clear sign that the end of my journey was approaching. :'(
More photos
Nice hostel with fine view from its roof terrace.
Just counted that I needed to wash my clothes only one more time, that was a clear sign that the end of my journey was approaching. :'(
More photos
Thursday 5 February 2015
Puebla
The downtown of Puebla is full of lavishly ornamented churches and colorful houses sometimes decorated with tiles.
I visited the Museo Amparo that is architecturally an exciting combination of the legacy and the modern. Its facade is a nice old building decorated by bricks and tiles but some part of the inside area is quite modern, full of glasses (or glass-like plastic) that provides a bit sterile atmosphere. The greatest feature is its roof-terasse that provides a fine view above the city.
The other museum I visited was the 'Casa de Alfeñique' that hosts a nice exhibition of the 16th century. The building with its gurgeous decoration with tiles and paintings is at least as interesting that the exhibition. Even the narrow gaps between the beams(?) are pained!
More photos
I visited the Museo Amparo that is architecturally an exciting combination of the legacy and the modern. Its facade is a nice old building decorated by bricks and tiles but some part of the inside area is quite modern, full of glasses (or glass-like plastic) that provides a bit sterile atmosphere. The greatest feature is its roof-terasse that provides a fine view above the city.
The other museum I visited was the 'Casa de Alfeñique' that hosts a nice exhibition of the 16th century. The building with its gurgeous decoration with tiles and paintings is at least as interesting that the exhibition. Even the narrow gaps between the beams(?) are pained!
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| 'El Parián' Craft Market |
More photos
Wednesday 4 February 2015
Cholula, Popocatépetl and the angels
I arrived to Puebla de los Angeles ie. 'the city of the angels'. I had an exciting conversation with Paty. In Spanish. Since than I have realised that her English is quite good so today we used much less Spanish than English.
Today I visited Cholula, a cozy, sleepy town with several nice churches, library of antique books and a chapel built on the top of a pyramid and thus provides a fine view of the town and the two beautiful fivethousender volcanoes: Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl.
More photos
Today I visited Cholula, a cozy, sleepy town with several nice churches, library of antique books and a chapel built on the top of a pyramid and thus provides a fine view of the town and the two beautiful fivethousender volcanoes: Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl.
More photos
Sunday 1 February 2015
Monte Alban and the grasshoppers
Today we visited an other archeological place called Monte Alban.
After that we were strolling in the local market buying foods and trying things that we (er, me) had not tried before. Eg. fried grasshoppers. That was delicious:) though a bit spicy for me.
I just realised how big and diverse Mexico is. Not only the traditional costumes change almost city by city. Also the fauna differs. Here the landscape rather savanna-like with lots of types of cactuses as opposed to the lush rainforests that dominated before.
Tuc-tucs (a 3-wheeled vehicle with an engine in the front and seats for two passengers behind the driver) appeared as a kind of alternative of the tricycles that carried a big basket on them front wheels that is used for carrying different stuff even peoples.
More photos
After that we were strolling in the local market buying foods and trying things that we (er, me) had not tried before. Eg. fried grasshoppers. That was delicious:) though a bit spicy for me.
I just realised how big and diverse Mexico is. Not only the traditional costumes change almost city by city. Also the fauna differs. Here the landscape rather savanna-like with lots of types of cactuses as opposed to the lush rainforests that dominated before.
Tuc-tucs (a 3-wheeled vehicle with an engine in the front and seats for two passengers behind the driver) appeared as a kind of alternative of the tricycles that carried a big basket on them front wheels that is used for carrying different stuff even peoples.
More photos
Frozen waterfalls of boiling water
Yesterday we visited the 'Hierve el Agua' that means 'boiling water'. It is called boiling, because there are bubbles in the water come up from the stone and straps behind dams (mésztufagát) for a while forming pools to swim in, before fall down on giant and gorgeous stalactites. Because of the bright whiteness of the stone the cascades
seem to be frozen.
'Árbol de Tule'. Said to be the widest tree of the World.
Mitla, archeological place, built by Zapotecs.
Beautiful, colorful rugs in Theotitlán de Valle.
Trying the local 'pálinka' called 'mezcal' that is made of a cactus-like plant called 'agave'.
More photos
seem to be frozen.
'Árbol de Tule'. Said to be the widest tree of the World.
Mitla, archeological place, built by Zapotecs.
Beautiful, colorful rugs in Theotitlán de Valle.
Trying the local 'pálinka' called 'mezcal' that is made of a cactus-like plant called 'agave'.
More photos
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