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		<title>The Splendor of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi</title>
		<link>https://itinerant.ph/sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-abu-dhabi-uae/</link>
					<comments>https://itinerant.ph/sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-abu-dhabi-uae/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Nelson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Jun 2021 18:55:02 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[United Arab Emirates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[free]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://itinerant.ph/?p=6215</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Looking at my photos of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque made me realize that they don&#8217;t deserve to be in a post on a day in Abu Dhabi; they deserve to be in a dedicated one to properly showcase the mosque&#8217;s splendor and beauty. Big words, especially that I actually had no intention of going to&#8230;</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://itinerant.ph/sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-abu-dhabi-uae/">The Splendor of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi</a> appeared first on <a href="https://itinerant.ph">Itinerant</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-01.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque"></p>
<p>Looking at my photos of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque made me realize that they don&rsquo;t deserve to be in a post on a day in Abu Dhabi; they deserve to be in a dedicated one to properly showcase the mosque&rsquo;s splendor and beauty. Big words, especially that I actually had no intention of going to the capital of the United Arab Emirates until it was brought up by the Korean and Chinese I met at the hostel. So, shall we?</p>
<p><span id="more-6215"></span></p>
<p>We arrived at the bus terminal in Abu Dhabi just before midday struck and took a taxi to get to Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. At ten minutes past twelve, I took my first photo of the structure and instantly grasped that when in Dubai, you just gotta go to Abu Dhabi, too. Standing in all its white glory, it&rsquo;s unquestionably a must-see.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-02.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque"></p>
<h2>Ingress</h2>
<p>There may be no such thing as a free lunch, but there sure is a thing as a free entrance to Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Of course, you have to be dressed appropriately to get inside the compound. If you didn&rsquo;t do your assignment, don&rsquo;t fret just yet, as there&rsquo;s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Types_of_hijab">abaya and shayla</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thawb">thawb</a> for everyone at the entrance. My clothes didn&rsquo;t require me to wear a thawb but I would&rsquo;ve loved to wear one as part of the experience if it weren&rsquo;t for the fact that it was gonna be uncomfortable because it was scorching and I sweat like mad. #jabar</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-03.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-04.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in the background"></p>
<p>Inappropriate behaviors, which include poses for your photos, are not tolerated so cooperate accordingly. <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/sheikh-zayed-mosque-rihannna-photoshoot_n_4136178">Rihanna</a> was kicked out after doing a pose similar to <a href="https://nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2015/08-nacpan-beach-01.jpg">one of my so-called signature poses</a>. We don&rsquo;t want that, do we.</p>
<p>Getting through the gate, I was immediately in awe as I approached the mosque. Its utter whiteness was very striking (reminiscent of the <a href="https://itinerant.ph/two-days-in-athens-itinerary/#Panathenaic_Stadium">Panathenaic Stadium</a> in <a class="lar-automated-link" href="https://itinerant.ph/list/world/europe/greece/" 2667  target="_self">Greece</a>, if I may say); its minarets, columns, and reflecting pools gave the most wonderful welcome.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-05.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Rules inside Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-06.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-07.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Minarets, columns, and reflecting pool"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-08.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Minarets, columns, and reflecting pool"></p>
<h2>The Grand Mosque</h2>
<p>Footwear is prohibited in the building so don&rsquo;t expect it to be a part of your OOTD while inside. See those golden circles? They&rsquo;re not like the one in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingsman:_The_Golden_Circle">Kingsman</a>; they&rsquo;re where footwear were left.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-09.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Entrance to Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-10.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Entrance to Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-11.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Entrance to Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in the background"></p>
<p>The first photo that I took once inside the mosque was that of the intricately designed ceiling. The off-limits courtyard, with its beautiful floral design, opens up to a marvelous view of the minarets and the domes housing the prayer hall.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-12.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Ceiling design"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-13.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Marble mosaic courtyard"></p>
<p>There were a lot of people by the blockade so it wasn&rsquo;t easy getting a photograph with the courtyard and prayer hall&rsquo;s facade.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-14.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Marble mosaic courtyard"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-15.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Marble mosaic courtyard"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-16.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Marble mosaic courtyard"></p>
<p>From there we turned left where another perspective of the columns awaited. Floral designs were all over the place&mdash;from the ceiling to the columns and to the floor.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-17.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Columns"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-18.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Columns and reflecting pool"></p>
<p>The courtyard, given how grand of a marble mosaic it was, deserved photos from multiple angles. Photographed below are our destination and where we entered.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-19.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Marble mosaic courtyard"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-20.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Marble mosaic courtyard"></p>
<p>Towards the prayer hall were more decorations&mdash;stained glass, decorative tilework, and more flowers on the walls. It just doesn&rsquo;t get any better, I&rsquo;m telling you. Everything was becoming more intricate wherever you look, with the ceilings looking like they&rsquo;re about to warp you.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-21.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Wall designs"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-22.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Ceiling design"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-23.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Outside the prayer hall"></p>
<p>And oh, oh, did I mention that there were chandeliers? Man, they were the most exquisite!</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-24.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Chandelier outside the prayer hall"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-25.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Chandelier outside the prayer hall"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-26.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Flowers on the walls outside the prayer hall"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-27.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Chandelier outside the prayer hall"></p>
<p>There was also a pretty floral clock displaying different times which I initially thought was of different countries. Apparently they were a schedule of prayers, particularly the daily obligatory ones.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-28.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Schedule of daily obligatory prayers"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-29.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Outside the prayer hall"></p>
<h2>Prayer Hall</h2>
<p>As it turned out, the prayer hall had a lot more in store. Aside from the head-to-toe shift in ornaments from the outside (not in a negative way, of course!), it sported the largest carpet there was and on the wall were the 99 names of Allah, in Arabic calligraphy. The place was essentially off-limits as well but there was still a path tourists could follow and, most importantly, taking photos was still allowed.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-30.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Prayer hall interior"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-31.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="99 names of Allah"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-32.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Prayer hall interior"></p>
<p>I wonder if Sia could handle these?</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-33.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Chandelier in the prayer hall"></p>
<p>I could use all the superlative adjectives to describe everything my eyes were processing but I guess there&rsquo;s no better way than to just let the photos do all the talking.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-34.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Prayer hall interior"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-35.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Prayer hall interior"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-36.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Selfie in the prayer hall"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-37.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Columns and books in the prayer hall"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-38.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Prayer hall interior design"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-39.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Columns in the prayer hall"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-40.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Wall designs in the prayer hall"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-41.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Chandeliers in the prayer hall"></p>
<p>You should never miss visiting Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque when in <del>Abu Dhabi</del> Dubai for a few days (flew there for only <a href="https://itinerant.ph/seat-sale-promo-fare-tips-and-tricks/#Seat_Sale_Proofs">&#8369;9,358.58</a>). You just shouldn&rsquo;t. Herewith is Gary and Min, the company that I&rsquo;m very thankful for for that day. We were in the building complex for almost two hours, with me and Min heading to the lovely Emirates Palace afterwards and Gary going back ahead to Dubai to <em>climb</em> Burj Khalifa.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-42.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Gary, Min, and me"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-43.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Stained glass"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-44.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Columns"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-45.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Twinnings"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-46.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Columns, minaret, and reflecting pool"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-47.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Reflecting pool"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-48.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque"></p>
<h2>Tips</h2>
<ul>
<li>Check the complex&rsquo;s operating hours, especially when going there on your own #DIY and not on a tour. You wouldn&rsquo;t wanna be very excited to visit Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque only to find out that it&rsquo;s closed during your time in Abu Dhabi.</li>
<li>It&rsquo;s common knowledge that there&rsquo;s a dress code. Men should avoid shorts and sleeveless shirts while women should cover most of their skin. If for some reason you can only wear any of the prohibited clothes or even after not doing so they still deem a part of your OOTD inappropriate, they have cloaks (nope, not like <a href="https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Invisibility_cloak">Harry&rsquo;s</a>) for both genders as already mentioned.</li>
<li>Having said those, that doesn&rsquo;t mean that you can actually wear the skimpiest of clothes. You&rsquo;re in a holy place so be respectful and dress suitably.</li>
<li>As far as I know, you can always ask to wear the traditional clothing even if you&rsquo;re already properly dressed. If it won&rsquo;t cause you discomfort, go for it for the experience. It&rsquo;ll also make all the difference in your photos.</li>
<li>There may be guided tours throughout the day so watch out for them to learn more about the building complex.</li>
<li>IMO, visiting in the afternoon is the most ideal. It couldn&rsquo;t be as hot as the rest of the day and you can stay past sunset to witness the complex transform when it becomes illuminated at night. I bet those reflecting pools do wonders!</li>
<li>Food and drinks are verboten so to avoid the Hunger Games you might wanna refuel ahead if you intend to stay inside for a couple of hours.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Behind the Scenes</h2>
<p>When it was time to share photos I found out that Min had snaps of me shooting this and that. The first on the list was my being a selfie lord. What can I say!? Selfie!</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-49.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Selfie lord at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-50.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Selfie lord at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque"></p>
<p>Then there were those that captured my earnestness in capturing the courtyard and ceilings, as if I had the most expensive camera that doesn&rsquo;t deserve mediocrity.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-51.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Professional photographer in Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque"></p>
<p>Lastly, that moment when a family asked me to take their photo was also not spared. BTS was so good that I look like I actually know how to use a <del>DLRS</del> DSLR. Say &ldquo;Cheese~!&rdquo;</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2017/11-sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-52.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Professional photographer in Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque"></p>
<p><strong>Visited:</strong> November 2017</p>

<p>The post <a href="https://itinerant.ph/sheikh-zayed-grand-mosque-abu-dhabi-uae/">The Splendor of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi</a> appeared first on <a href="https://itinerant.ph">Itinerant</a>.</p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">6215</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Solo Travel and the Brooklyn Bridge at Night</title>
		<link>https://itinerant.ph/solo-travel-brooklyn-bridge-new-york/</link>
					<comments>https://itinerant.ph/solo-travel-brooklyn-bridge-new-york/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Nelson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 12 Jun 2021 11:57:35 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[United States]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[free]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[solo travel]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://itinerant.ph/?p=1342</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>It was a little more than a quarter to 1:00 AM when I descended to one of the platforms in 5th Avenue/53rd Street Station and started waiting for a train. I was capping off my fourth day of solo travel with a wide grin after the person I asked to take a photo of me&#8230;</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://itinerant.ph/solo-travel-brooklyn-bridge-new-york/">Solo Travel and the Brooklyn Bridge at Night</a> appeared first on <a href="https://itinerant.ph">Itinerant</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-brooklyn-bridge-01.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Solo travel: Brooklyn Bridge"></p>
<p>It was a little more than a quarter to 1:00 AM when I descended to one of the platforms in 5th Avenue/53rd Street Station and started waiting for a train. I was capping off my fourth day of solo travel with a wide grin after the person I asked to take a photo of me at the Top of the Rock (tripods were prohibited!) *insert adverb of your choice* nailed it. The only problem? I wanted to cross the Brooklyn Bridge that late but needed to take a dump. And as you ought to know, New York is not a place for public toilets.</p>
<p><span id="more-1342"></span></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-brooklyn-bridge-02.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Train ride to World Trade Center Station"></p>
<p>It was around 30 minutes later when I was on my way to the World Trade Center Station, hoping to make it back to Brooklyn in one piece. Fortunately, my shitty predicament (obviously no pun intended there) was <a href="https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Whitehall_underground_public_toilets">banished to the Ministry of Magic</a> in due course as the station had a restroom. (If you&rsquo;re not a Harry Potter fan, I&rsquo;m not even sorry for that analogy.) For being a terminal station on the rail system that goes to New Jersey, that must be why the loo was still open. What a relief, it was!</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-brooklyn-bridge-03.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="World Trade Center Station"></p>
<p>The World Trade Center Station was also where I wound up on my first day in New York and it was also in the wee hours of the morning, but that&rsquo;s gonna be for another shitty story (not literally this time). The point of mentioning it was to establish that I already shot myself with the utopic interior of the Oculus, the main station house, as seen from one of the balconies.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-brooklyn-bridge-04.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="World Trade Center Station"></p>
<p>Before my ungodly-hour walk to the Brooklyn Bridge, I took photos of the station&rsquo;s exterior&mdash;something I didn&rsquo;t do in detail on day one&mdash;and its neighboring buildings, namely the One World Trade Center and Spotify&rsquo;s.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-brooklyn-bridge-05.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="World Trade Center Station"></p>
<p>I was actually in Lower Manhattan the day before, but for not having planned my day and route, I didn&rsquo;t realize at all that the Oculus was just in the neighborhood. That was after my first attempt at taking dreamy pictures of the Brooklyn Bridge while crossing it. I had all the intention of getting to the bridge before daybreak but it&rsquo;s always the toughest for me to get up at my earliest when the weather&rsquo;s freezing my balls.</p>
<p>As I leisurely made my way to the hybrid cable-stayed/suspension bridge, I came across St. Paul&rsquo;s Chapel, the New York City Hall, and the Surrogate&rsquo;s Court again.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-brooklyn-bridge-06.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="St. Paul's Chapel"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-brooklyn-bridge-07.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="New York City Hall"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-brooklyn-bridge-08.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Surrogate's Court"></p>
<p>At 23 minutes past two, I started strutting down the runway to the Brooklyn Bridge. It was desolate in a post-apocalyptic kind of way, the utmost opposite of how it was in the morning of the previous day. Not long I spotted the familiar lights of a police car, making me sigh, and someone on a bicycle.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-brooklyn-bridge-09.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Walking to the Brooklyn Bridge"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-brooklyn-bridge-10.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Brooklyn Bridge elevated promenade"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-brooklyn-bridge-11.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Brooklyn Bridge elevated promenade"></p>
<p>When crossing the bridge to Brooklyn at night, you have to turn around at some point to ogle the city lights of the Financial District <del>and wish you could take away some of its moolah</del>.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-brooklyn-bridge-12.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Brooklyn Bridge at night"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-brooklyn-bridge-13.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Financial District in Lower Manhattan"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-brooklyn-bridge-14.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Financial District in Lower Manhattan"></p>
<p>With the bridge&rsquo;s stone towers and multitude of suspender cables, I just had to stop from time to time to take pictures and savor the sight. Twelve minutes after I started my modeling career on the elevated promenade, I did my first bid with my <a class="lar-automated-link" href="https://itinerant.ph/solo-travel-photography/" 2565  target="_self">tripod</a>. &lsquo;Course there also had to be a selfie.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-brooklyn-bridge-15.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Brooklyn Bridge at night"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-brooklyn-bridge-16.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Solo travel: Brooklyn Bridge"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-brooklyn-bridge-17.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Brooklyn Bridge at night"></p>
<p>Sixteen minutes before three, after many attempts at holding my breath and not budging from the moment the timer starts until the phone&rsquo;s camera is done with its thing on night mode, I was super pleased with a shot and decided to finally call it a <em>day</em>.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-brooklyn-bridge-18.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Solo travel: Brooklyn Bridge"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-brooklyn-bridge-19.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Brooklyn Bridge at night"></p>
<p>Unbeknownst to no one, I managed to snap another one&mdash;with the fan-like thingamajigs that only God knows what they&rsquo;re for&mdash;and it&rsquo;s the sickest. As my very first corporate boss described it, it looks as if I&rsquo;m about to fight the final boss in a video game.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-brooklyn-bridge-20.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Solo travel: Brooklyn Bridge"></p>
<p>Aside from the person pedaling, I only came across a single crossing soul. My night shift in the city that allegedly never sleeps paid off altogether, that&rsquo;s for sure.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-brooklyn-bridge-21.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Brooklyn Bridge in broad daylight"></p>
<h2>Tips</h2>
<ul>
<li>Avoid the rush hour, be it in the morning or in the evening.</li>
<li>Rely on a <a class="lar-automated-link" href="https://itinerant.ph/solo-travel-photography/" 2565  target="_self">tripod</a>. You can&rsquo;t go wrong with it on a solo travel.</li>
<li>If you&rsquo;re not meticulous with the framing of your photos or don&rsquo;t mind nuisances in the background (or actually prefer it that way), you can simply ask strangers to take pictures of you.</li>
<li>If you know image editing and have all the time in the world, you can always purge people like <a href="https://itinerant.ph/two-days-in-athens-itinerary/#The_Parthenon">what I did at the Parthenon</a>.</li>
<li>When going at night, make sure your camera can handle the dark. I was using a Huawei P30 (not the Pro); its night mode is astounding.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Visited:</strong> December 2019</p>

<p>The post <a href="https://itinerant.ph/solo-travel-brooklyn-bridge-new-york/">Solo Travel and the Brooklyn Bridge at Night</a> appeared first on <a href="https://itinerant.ph">Itinerant</a>.</p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">1342</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Longing for Long Beach in San Vicente, Palawan</title>
		<link>https://itinerant.ph/long-beach-san-vicente-palawan/</link>
					<comments>https://itinerant.ph/long-beach-san-vicente-palawan/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Nelson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 18 Apr 2021 16:10:33 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Palawan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beach]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[free]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://itinerant.ph/?p=5557</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>After paying a visit to Nagkalit-kalit Falls and Nacpan Beach, we were back at El Nido Sands Inn before three o&#8217;clock and had ample time to rest and prepare for our fourth day in Palawan which involved nothing else but a good swim at Long Beach in San Vicente. Around two and a half hours&#8230;</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://itinerant.ph/long-beach-san-vicente-palawan/">Longing for Long Beach in San Vicente, Palawan</a> appeared first on <a href="https://itinerant.ph">Itinerant</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2015/08-long-beach-01.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Long Beach, San Vicente, Palawan"></p>
<p>After paying a visit to <a href="https://itinerant.ph/nagkalit-kalit-falls-el-nido-palawan/">Nagkalit-kalit Falls</a> and <a href="https://itinerant.ph/nacpan-beach-el-nido-palawan/">Nacpan Beach</a>, we were back at El Nido Sands Inn before three o&rsquo;clock and had ample time to rest and prepare for our fourth day in <a class="lar-automated-link" href="https://itinerant.ph/list/philippines/luzon/palawan/" target="_self">Palawan</a> which involved nothing else but a good swim at Long Beach in San Vicente. Around two and a half hours later, we got the ball rolling for our transit.</p>
<p><span id="more-5557"></span></p>
<h2>Accommodation</h2>
<p>After transferring to a different van at a junction and traversing a hardly lit road which wasn&rsquo;t paved all throughout and seemingly didn&rsquo;t pass any civilization, we arrived at Myrla&rsquo;s Garden and Cottages in Barangay New Agutaya a little over half past seven. I was starving and was very glad that in less than an hour we were already called for dinner; we had squid, fish, and chicken <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afritada">afritada</a>.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2015/08-long-beach-02.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Arriving in San Vicente"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2015/08-long-beach-03.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Arriving in San Vicente"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2015/08-long-beach-04.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Dinner at Myrla's Garden and Cottages"></p>
<p>Our visit to the archipelagic province wasn&rsquo;t at the peak of the summer months and San Vicente wasn&rsquo;t on the same level as <a href="https://itinerant.ph/el-nido-island-hopping-palawan/">El Nido</a> and Puerto Princesa in terms of popularity so it wasn&rsquo;t surprising that we were the only guests around (well, AFAIR). We karaoke~d until midnight (maxed it, mate!) and, thanks to GSM Blue and Red Horse, even danced the night away in the open air outside our rooms. <em>Alak pa!!!</em></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2015/08-long-beach-05.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Karaoke at Myrla's Garden and Cottages"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2015/08-long-beach-06.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Karaoke at Myrla's Garden and Cottages"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2015/08-long-beach-07.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Karaoke at Myrla's Garden and Cottages"></p>
<h2>The 14-Kilometer Beach</h2>
<p>Twelve hours after dinner and seven hours after the gyrating, we had dried fish and eggs for breakfast. And I just feel the need to say that before leaving for Long Beach, I had an acquaintance&hellip;</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2015/08-long-beach-08.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Breakfast at Myrla's Garden and Cottages"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2015/08-long-beach-09.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Tampon"></p>
<p>Long Beach was only 500 meters away from Myrla&rsquo;s Garden and Cottages. We entered through a path which had a sign of an entrance fee but since no one was around to collect it, we just gave the payment to ourselves. #kurap The <a class="lar-automated-link" href="https://itinerant.ph/tag/beach/" 2474  target="_self">beach</a> was as bare as a newborn&rsquo;s butt cheeks; where we were, there were no establishments at all.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2015/08-long-beach-10.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Entrance to Long Beach"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2015/08-long-beach-11.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Arriving at Long Beach"></p>
<p>How annoying can it get when you anticipate a very sweet panorama shot only to find out that someone bombed it?</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2015/08-long-beach-12.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Long Beach, San Vicente, Palawan"></p>
<p>The place was deserted like a desert but there was a bamboo table and a suspended bench supported by tires. I&rsquo;m no stranger to my companions so, for the very first time and for a change, I decided to strip down to swimming trunks. Life&rsquo;s too short not to try on new fabrics for other people to see, right? <a href="https://itinerant.ph/why-you-should-post-on-social-media/">You will always be judged</a> anyway.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2015/08-long-beach-13.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Long Beach, San Vicente, Palawan"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2015/08-long-beach-14.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Long Beach, San Vicente, Palawan"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2015/08-long-beach-15.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Stripping off at Long Beach"></p>
<p>We lazed around, captured photos, and swam to the skies. The water was unbelievably crystal and overall the place reminded me of <a href="https://itinerant.ph/nacpan-beach-el-nido-palawan/">Nacpan Beach</a>.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2015/08-long-beach-16.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Photo shoot at Long Beach"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2015/08-long-beach-17.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Long Beach, San Vicente, Palawan"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2015/08-long-beach-18.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Photo shoot at Long Beach"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2015/08-long-beach-19.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Photo shoot at Long Beach"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2015/08-long-beach-20.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="The crystal waters of Long Beach"></p>
<p>What if&hellip;I wear a fedora?</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2015/08-long-beach-21.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Long Beach, San Vicente, Palawan"></p>
<p>As far as our eyes could see, there were no other tourists who strut on the sugary white sand during our two-hour stay in Long Beach. Again, it could&rsquo;ve been due to the off-peak season and the place not being as popular as other <a class="lar-automated-link" href="https://itinerant.ph/list/philippines/luzon/palawan/" target="_self">Palawan</a> destinations yet. Also, given that Long Beach is said to be 14 kilometers long (allegedly making it the longest white sand <a class="lar-automated-link" href="https://itinerant.ph/tag/beach/" 2474  target="_self">beach</a> in the <a class="lar-automated-link" href="https://itinerant.ph/list/philippines/" target="_self">Philippines</a>) and has rocky headlands that interrupt the continuous expanse of its length, another possibility is that there were actually other tourists but they were in the other coves.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2015/08-long-beach-22.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Long Beach, San Vicente, Palawan"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2015/08-long-beach-23.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Group photo at Long Beach"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2015/08-long-beach-24.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Selfie while swimming at Long Beach"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2015/08-long-beach-25.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Long Beach, San Vicente, Palawan"></p>
<p>Monkey (D. Luffy) see, monkey do. The shot was blurry, though, as if <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movie_and_Television_Review_and_Classification_Board">MTRCB</a> intercepted the shutter.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2015/08-long-beach-26.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Monkey D. Luffy at Long Beach"></p>
<p>We had a very hectic schedule <em>(artesta?)</em> so we returned to Myrla&rsquo;s at midday, just in time for lunch. Our ABS-CBN executive producer being constantly on the phone with a certain &ldquo;Ms. Alma&rdquo; instantly became a running joke since day one. At 3:00 PM, we were on the lookout for a bus going back to the capital.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2015/08-long-beach-27.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Busy with Ms. Alma of ABS-CBN"></p>
<h2>Tips</h2>
<ul>
<li>Long Beach spans multiple barangays of San Vicente so should you want to explore its entirety and you know how to ride a scooter, well, you now know what you can rent.</li>
<li>While the part of the Long Beach that we were on <del>had nothing</del> was unspoiled, it wasn&rsquo;t surprising that in reality, given its stretch, other parts of it already have beachfront resorts. As an emerging tourist destination, it could eventually become an alternative to Boracay.</li>
<li>San Vicente is where Port Barton, a known <a class="lar-automated-link" href="https://itinerant.ph/list/philippines/luzon/palawan/" target="_self">Palawan</a> destination, is so if you&rsquo;re traveling from Puerto Princesa to <a href="https://itinerant.ph/el-nido-island-hopping-palawan/">El Nido</a> or vice versa and plan to drop by, you can kill two birds with Long Beach as the other one.</li>
<li>San Vicente has been made more accessible with the presence of an airport. Fly away!</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Visited:</strong> August 2015</p>



<p>The post <a href="https://itinerant.ph/long-beach-san-vicente-palawan/">Longing for Long Beach in San Vicente, Palawan</a> appeared first on <a href="https://itinerant.ph">Itinerant</a>.</p>
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		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">5557</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>Climbing the Ficus Tree / Strangler Fig in Monteverde</title>
		<link>https://itinerant.ph/ficus-tree-monteverde-costa-rica/</link>
					<comments>https://itinerant.ph/ficus-tree-monteverde-costa-rica/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Nelson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 07 Mar 2021 15:15:46 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Costa Rica]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[free]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[solo travel]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://itinerant.ph/?p=5112</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>It was my penultimate day in town and after taking things to greater heights at Monteverde Extremo Park, joining a night walk, and getting a visit from white-faced monkeys at Que Tuanis, I could&#8217;ve just stayed at the hostel and lazed around. But then, the front desk attendant, who ended up calling me Josh during&#8230;</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://itinerant.ph/ficus-tree-monteverde-costa-rica/">Climbing the Ficus Tree / Strangler Fig in Monteverde</a> appeared first on <a href="https://itinerant.ph">Itinerant</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-ficus-tree-monteverde-01.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Ficus tree in Monteverde"></p>
<p>It was my penultimate day in town and after taking things to <a href="https://itinerant.ph/bungee-jumping-in-costa-rica-monteverde-extremo-park/">greater heights</a> at Monteverde Extremo Park, joining a night walk, and getting a visit from white-faced monkeys at Que Tuanis, I could&rsquo;ve just stayed at the hostel and lazed around. But then, the front desk attendant, who ended up calling me Josh during my stay (and I just let her because who knows if I was a Josh in another life), told me to visit the Ficus tree in Monteverde.</p>
<p><span id="more-5112"></span></p>
<p>So what is a Ficus tree? Welp, thought you&rsquo;d never ask! Actually, it was also the first time that I learned of such a thing. (A thing!)</p>
<blockquote><p>
A Ficus tree, also known as a strangler fig, is among the plants that grow on the surface of another plant. Ever heard of orchids? However, unlike orchids, this fig continuously grows upward for sunlight while its roots go downward, ultimately enveloping and strangling the host tree after making contact with the ground. The original tree sometimes dies, leaving the Ficus tree hollow and on its own.</p></blockquote>
<p>Remembering Science classes, the Ficus tree and host tree have a symbiotic relationship of commensalism, but unbeknownst to the latter, it can transition into a form of parasitism. <em>Traidor!</em> It&rsquo;s like being betrayed by someone you used to snuggle with all the time.</p>
<p>I was told of two Ficus trees in particular&mdash;a hollow strangler fig as described above and another which takes the form of a bridge. After Googling photos of them, I knew I just had to pay a courtesy call on the Ficus tree bridge even if looking for it eats my entire day that I can no longer check out the other one.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-ficus-tree-monteverde-02.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Map to the Ficus trees in Monteverde"></p>
<h2>Ficus Tree Bridge</h2>
<p>The hostel attendant&rsquo;s instructions to turn right, from the road, to a narrow path was crystal but I was having a hard time looking for it. Fortunately there was a local nearby so I whipped out Google Translate, keyed in &ldquo;tree bridge&rdquo;, and went ahead with:</p>
<blockquote><p>
&ldquo;Buenos dias! Tengo una pregunta. Donde esta el puente de arbol?&rdquo;</p></blockquote>
<p>He pointed me to the path and even waited for me to find it. At seven minutes past ten I started making my way through the woodland, followed the trail, and walked and walked and walked&hellip;</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-ficus-tree-monteverde-03.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Path to the Ficus tree bridge"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-ficus-tree-monteverde-04.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Path to the Ficus tree bridge"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-ficus-tree-monteverde-05.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Path to the Ficus tree bridge"></p>
<p>Until I came across a sign four minutes later which read:</p>
<blockquote><p>
&ldquo;Do not pass. There&rsquo;s a crazy man with a gun.&rdquo;</p></blockquote>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-ficus-tree-monteverde-06.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Private property sign"></p>
<p>For not having seen any sign of life at all apart from the greenery, I immediately turned on my heel and guided myself back, though in retrospect it was essentially just a message indicating that it&rsquo;s a private property. And that&rsquo;s when I remembered another instruction: Once you hit the river after going down the path from the highway, follow it downstream to the right where the Ficus tree bridge awaits.</p>
<p>Sure, I Googled it beforehand, but it was still nothing like I&rsquo;ve ever seen before. Otherworldly, it was. From the looks of it, it indeed seemed to have grown on a fallen <em>comrade</em>. With no one else around, I scampered for my <a class="lar-automated-link" href="https://itinerant.ph/solo-travel-photography/" 2565  target="_self">tripod</a> and went for the kill. It was the first time I brought it so an experimentation naturally ensued; I hurriedly took multiple shots from different angles in fear that someone might come and spoil the moment and make things #awkward.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-ficus-tree-monteverde-07.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Ficus tree bridge"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-ficus-tree-monteverde-08.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Ficus tree bridge"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-ficus-tree-monteverde-09.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Ficus tree bridge"></p>
<p>I crossed to the other side <del>to test if it was a portal that&rsquo;ll whisk me away to its origin</del> but immediately there was a drop so I could only do so much. Still feeling dissatisfied, I tried other angles and eventually found one that fit the entire tree in the frame. I was fucking sold. I wallowed there for roughly 30 minutes and no one else arrived. Huzzah!</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-ficus-tree-monteverde-10.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Ficus tree bridge"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-ficus-tree-monteverde-11.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Ficus tree bridge"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-ficus-tree-monteverde-12.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Ficus tree bridge"></p>
<h2>Hollow Ficus Tree</h2>
<p>Hiking to the other Ficus tree wasn&rsquo;t the easiest as I, after looking it up on Google Maps to be &ldquo;El Arbor Hueco / Ficus Tree&rdquo;, found myself on a continuously steep road. I&rsquo;m not one to whine but I was definitely gasping for air. The Monteverde Cloud Forest Lodge signage was my landmark; there was a path leading into the <del>unknown</del> woods across it.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-ficus-tree-monteverde-13.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Walking to the hollow strangler fig"></p>
<p>Before long I came across a strangler fig in all its erect glory. I&rsquo;m very certain I&rsquo;ll never see a wormhole in this fleeting life but from its base I would like to describe it as one (if not a monster&rsquo;s orifice, that is). It was a thing of beauty.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-ficus-tree-monteverde-14.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Ficus tree"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-ficus-tree-monteverde-15.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Ficus tree"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-ficus-tree-monteverde-16.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Climbing the Ficus tree"></p>
<p>During my hookup with this Ficus tree a Dutch <del>woman</del> <del>lady</del> girl and an American couple came by, with the guy remarking that he thought a monkey left its backpack on the ground. (Do tell!) Like many Caucasians, they hardly took photos and didn&rsquo;t stay long so I was once again saved from being seen as a loner, desperately aspiring for good and <del>emotional</del> dramatic photos.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-ficus-tree-monteverde-17.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Ficus tree"></p>
<p>It also gave me a chance to scale the tree again. Went up as high as I could with my <a href="https://itinerant.ph/solo-travel-photography/">good old pal</a> and spent another 30 minutes in total including the second photo shoot of the day.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-ficus-tree-monteverde-18.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Climbing the Ficus tree"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-ficus-tree-monteverde-19.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Climbing the Ficus tree"></p>
<p>At the hostel that night I met a Swedish couple who thought I was a photographer <em>(ano ba!)</em> after seeing me browse a million photos on my laptop and phone. When the guy caught a glimpse of the Ficus tree bridge, I learned that they looked for it, came across the warning sign as well, and was about to follow the river but gave up because it was already getting dark. They were leaving at first light so the regret on their faces was beyond doubt when I told them that it was only a few steps away had they pursued it.</p>
<h2>Tips</h2>
<ul>
<li>Visiting these Ficus trees is one of the things you shouldn&rsquo;t miss when in Monteverde on a trip to <a class="lar-automated-link" href="https://itinerant.ph/list/world/latin-america/costa-rica/" target="_self">Costa Rica</a> because it&rsquo;s free. If the hollow Ficus tree also sits on a private property, though, there&rsquo;s a chance that this might totally change. After all, there&rsquo;s no such thing as a free lunch.</li>
<li>The structure of a hollow strangler fig makes climbing it as easy as pie. You just have to be careful when you&rsquo;re on your own or when it&rsquo;s wet (why are a handful of things dangerous when wet anyway). Better yet, if your monkey instinct tells you not to ascend, then don&rsquo;t.</li>
<li>You could actually also climb and be on the Ficus tree bridge. I didn&rsquo;t go for it because I was already euphoric ogling it from the ground and there was also no point if my intention was to take photos using the <a class="lar-automated-link" href="https://itinerant.ph/solo-travel-photography/" 2565  target="_self">tripod</a>.</li>
<li>I was told later on by the hostel attendant that I was lucky no one stole my things while I was climbing the Ficus tree. In other cases, cars parked outside of the woods are broken into through the windows.</li>
<li>Furthermore, I was informed that I was in fact at the wrong Ficus tree, as there was a bigger and hollower one. The one you should be seeking is the one below, courtesy of <a href="https://www.nursetonomad.com/climb-ficus-tree/">Danielle</a> and <a href="https://trashtype.blogspot.com/2018/04/climbing-ficus-tree-in-monteverde-costa.html">Anna</a>. You could climb it all the way up to the canopy. All was still good for me, though, thanks to the Ficus tree bridge. But I wonder if the Dutch and the Americans knew that we were at the <em>wrong</em> one?</li>
</ul>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/12-ficus-tree-monteverde-20.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Ficus tree in Monteverde"></p>
<p><strong>Visited:</strong> December 2019</p>


<p>The post <a href="https://itinerant.ph/ficus-tree-monteverde-costa-rica/">Climbing the Ficus Tree / Strangler Fig in Monteverde</a> appeared first on <a href="https://itinerant.ph">Itinerant</a>.</p>
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		<title>Biblioteca Vasconcelos: Mexico&#8217;s Futuristic Library</title>
		<link>https://itinerant.ph/biblioteca-vasconcelos-mexico/</link>
					<comments>https://itinerant.ph/biblioteca-vasconcelos-mexico/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Nelson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Jul 2020 10:28:20 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Mexico]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[expenses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[free]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://itinerant.ph/?p=3230</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>After securing a Telcel SIM card at MEX airport&#8212;which I thought cost 129 USD until I checked that &#8220;$&#8221; is also used for Mexican peso&#8212;and making sure it was gonna keep me going in the city, I booked an Uber to Biblioteca Vasconcelos for $91.96 and stepped out in ~23 minutes, muttering the palabra one&#8230;</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://itinerant.ph/biblioteca-vasconcelos-mexico/">Biblioteca Vasconcelos: Mexico&#8217;s Futuristic Library</a> appeared first on <a href="https://itinerant.ph">Itinerant</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/08-biblioteca-vasconcelos-01.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Biblioteca Vasconcelos"></p>
<p>After securing a Telcel SIM card at MEX airport&mdash;which I thought cost 129 USD until I checked that &ldquo;$&rdquo; is also used for Mexican peso&mdash;and making sure it was gonna keep me going in the city, I booked an Uber to Biblioteca Vasconcelos for $91.96 and stepped out in ~23 minutes, muttering the <em>palabra</em> one has to know in the Spanish world: <em>Gracias!</em></p>
<p><span id="more-3230"></span></p>
<p>Like <a href="https://thenotsoinnocentsabroad.com/blog/biblioteca-vasconcelos-a-futuristic-architectural-marvel/">what I read</a> beforehand, I found myself in front of the building whose parking entrance looked like it was specifically made for the transport of specimens. And so I crawled to the left for the main entrance. <em>Precio de la entrada?</em> Nada.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/08-biblioteca-vasconcelos-02.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Biblioteca Vasconcelos"></p>
<h2>Entrance</h2>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/08-biblioteca-vasconcelos-03.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Biblioteca Vasconcelos entrance"></p>
<p>I&rsquo;m not the most burrowing bookworm but I got a knack of reading which may have started with the sorcerer&rsquo;s stone. Or could it be that I was <em>influenced</em> by how my classmates were all over pocketbooks back in the day?</p>
<p>When we were in elementary, I remember &ldquo;Halik sa Pisngi ng Langit&rdquo; (A Kiss on Heaven&rsquo;s Cheek) which became the talk of the class when the lead female character&rsquo;s nails sunk into the back of a guy named Abner. I&rsquo;ll let you imagine why. Then in high school I clearly recall an <del>incident</del> instance where a classmate concealed the pocketbook she was reading behind one of our textbooks, as if studying, only that the textbook was upside down, exhibiting that she was reading something else inside it. What a sight? Oh yeah.</p>
<h2>Design</h2>
<p>Indisputably, you don&rsquo;t have to be devoted to reading to fall in love with Biblioteca Vasconcelos. The exterior may be meh but the interior is just stupefying. (<em>Stupefy!</em> And the Death Eater goes flying.) It&rsquo;s out of this world. There was no other way but up for my gaze upon entering and I was actually discreet at taking photos at first as I felt that the guards would reprimand me. When I finally <em>acclimatized</em>, I was firing <del>spells</del> shots everywhere.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/08-biblioteca-vasconcelos-04.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Biblioteca Vasconcelos"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/08-biblioteca-vasconcelos-05.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Biblioteca Vasconcelos"></p>
<p>With the library&rsquo;s modern design having steel bookshelves on translucent floors suspended from the ceiling, I couldn&rsquo;t help but think of it as a laboratory, particularly those in post-apocalyptic novels-turned-into-movies-or-television-series. It&rsquo;s like where the Munies were experimented on in The Maze Runner and where the Grounders&rsquo; bloods were extracted in The 100. (All clear there! No spoilers at all.)</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/08-biblioteca-vasconcelos-06.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Biblioteca Vasconcelos"></p>
<p>There was a baggage counter but I didn&rsquo;t leave my backpack and all was good. Maybe it&rsquo;s only required when going to certain sections where <a href="https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Mrs_Norris">Mrs. Norris</a> might be purring. There were also artworks around.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/08-biblioteca-vasconcelos-07.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Biblioteca Vasconcelos baggage counter"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/08-biblioteca-vasconcelos-08.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Artworks"></p>
<p>Despite the futuristic vibe Biblioteca Vasconcelos exudes, I also get the feeling of books moving on their own. And while I&rsquo;m at it, the thought of the place being the Ministry of Magic&mdash;accessible by flushing yourself in a toilet&mdash;in the world of Harry Potter. It was just magical at the same time.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/08-biblioteca-vasconcelos-09.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Biblioteca Vasconcelos"></p>
<p>On the ground floor were four sets of <a class="lar-automated-link" href="https://itinerant.ph/tag/flight/" 2475  target="_self">flights</a> of stairs with landings that provide access to the first level of books. They&rsquo;re vantage points (and the best ones at that IMO) for stunning shots. For being very particular on symmetry and having no <a class="lar-automated-link" href="https://itinerant.ph/solo-travel-photography/" target="_self">tripod</a> then, I was <em>lucky</em> that the guard I asked for a photo managed to position my head between the hanging shelves (referring to the topmost photo).</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/08-biblioteca-vasconcelos-10.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Biblioteca Vasconcelos"></p>
<blockquote><p>
<strong>Yo:</strong> Tu hablas Ingles?<br>
<strong>Ellos:</strong> No.<br>
<strong>Yo:</strong> Puedes tomar mi foto por favor?</p></blockquote>
<h2>Ballena (Whale)</h2>
<p>In the middle of all the aforementioned stairs (and the building itself) was a <em>ballena</em> skeleton sculpture with intricate markings.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/08-biblioteca-vasconcelos-11.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Biblioteca Vasconcelos"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/08-biblioteca-vasconcelos-12.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Ballena by Gabriel Orozco"></p>
<h2>Common Areas</h2>
<p>Biblioteca Vasconcelos does not come short of reading, studying, and resting areas as well as computers. After seeing these common areas up-close, I was instantly sold on the idea of spending an entire day in such a humongous library. The ambiance was too conducive&mdash;no better word to describe it&mdash;and I don&rsquo;t think it ever gets packed unless there&rsquo;s an event.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/08-biblioteca-vasconcelos-13.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Common areas and stairs"></p>
<p>Of course, what&rsquo;s a library if you&rsquo;re not even gonna browse through the selections, right? The stairs and walkways looked industrial, further adding to the image in my head of a laboratory with <a href="https://itinerant.ph/travel-packing-checklist-what-to-pack/"><del>hip</del> flasks</a> on the shelves instead of books. Being the outdated software engineer that I am, I had to relish a moment with Windows XP. #Jurassic</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/08-biblioteca-vasconcelos-14.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Walkway and books"></p>
<p>After following my animal instinct, which wasn&rsquo;t by The Cranberries, I toured the massive place from top to bottom and it was an excellent move since I wanted to cover all corners and immediately head out after doing so.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/08-biblioteca-vasconcelos-15.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Biblioteca Vasconcelos"></p>
<p>The common areas on <del>topper (topper?!)</del> higher floors were even more conducive with lesser people; computers, chairs, and couches were undisturbed and having the time of their lives.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/08-biblioteca-vasconcelos-16.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Chairs"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/08-biblioteca-vasconcelos-17.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Couches"></p>
<p>I was really curious if anyone can just use any of the machines but since I was only &ldquo;layovering&rdquo; and had a SIM card for my antisocial needs, I no longer bothered asking (I didn&rsquo;t even enquire if there was free Wi-Fi). But given that they&rsquo;re numbered, it&rsquo;s most likely not the case.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/08-biblioteca-vasconcelos-18.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Computers"></p>
<p>The Hall of Prophecy, anyone?</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/08-biblioteca-vasconcelos-19.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Biblioteca Vasconcelos"></p>
<blockquote><p>&ldquo;The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches&hellip; born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies&hellip; and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not&hellip; and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives&hellip;&rdquo;</p></blockquote>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/08-biblioteca-vasconcelos-20.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Biblioteca Vasconcelos"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/08-biblioteca-vasconcelos-21.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Biblioteca Vasconcelos"></p>
<p>The presence of mangas didn&rsquo;t come as a surprise and pictured here is a series where vampires engage in incest to retain their pure bloods. Bare those fangs, honey~</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/08-biblioteca-vasconcelos-22.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Vampire Knight manga"></p>
<h2>Balcony</h2>
<p>Biblioteca Vasconcelos also has a balcony should you want some fresh air and a break from <del>your pretentions</del> whatever you&rsquo;re trying to accomplish in your visit.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/08-biblioteca-vasconcelos-23.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Biblioteca Vasconcelos balcony"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/08-biblioteca-vasconcelos-24.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="View from the balcony"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/08-biblioteca-vasconcelos-25.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Biblioteca Vasconcelos"></p>
<p>Halfway my way down (did that sound right?) I just had to ask for another photo and this time it was from a girl who spoke English. At this point I was not only imagining the books moving but the bookshelves themselves as well. <em>Shabu pa.</em></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/08-biblioteca-vasconcelos-26.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Biblioteca Vasconcelos"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/08-biblioteca-vasconcelos-27.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Biblioteca Vasconcelos"></p>
<p>As if that wasn&rsquo;t (or weren&rsquo;t?) enough, I wanted one more back-on-the-camera shot before going down the final set of stairs and while waiting for someone to take it I saw a couple making out. &ldquo;Get a <del>room</del> library,&rdquo; I wanted to tell them. #BitterOcampo</p>
<p>I think I asked for two retakes <em>(perdon!)</em> but the lad who made the cut was still unable to center-align my head like in the first one. But hey! Beggars can&rsquo;t be choosers, right? You just have to be thankful as it&rsquo;s definitely better than having no remembrance at all.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/08-biblioteca-vasconcelos-28.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Biblioteca Vasconcelos"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/08-biblioteca-vasconcelos-29.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Biblioteca Vasconcelos"></p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>If asked if Biblioteca Vasconcelos is utopian or dystopian, I&rsquo;d go for the former, no doubt about that. Aside from doing so with my eyes closed (pun intended there), I could even think of it as the tesseract where the quantum data was transmitted from in Interstellar. On the other hand, because of how otherworldly it is like a facility in a flick where Earth embraced an apocalypse, in such sense it&rsquo;s dystopian.</p>
<p>Because of the structure&rsquo;s glass walls, on a good day the lighting is natural and very good. With the many chairs to slouch on, you can easily lose yourself among the plethora of books available for flipping (the shelves weren&rsquo;t even jam-packed, which could be maximum weight-related) or simply get some rest to clear your head. There are elevators around so you can still go up if leg day ain&rsquo;t for you.</p>
<p>Now, before we bring this rubbish of a post to an end, Mr. Ballena here would like to ask a question.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/08-biblioteca-vasconcelos-30.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Ballena by Gabriel Orozco"></p>
<blockquote><p>
&ldquo;How many photos above were upside down?&rdquo;</p></blockquote>
<p>If you didn&rsquo;t notice any&mdash;which of course you didn&rsquo;t&mdash;then you have been <em>incepted</em>, a word here which I&rsquo;m using in the context of the movie Inception starring Leonardo who&rsquo;s also mentioned in <a href="https://itinerant.ph/el-nido-island-hopping-palawan/">El Nido</a>. Don&rsquo;t bother going back. You already lost your shot.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/08-biblioteca-vasconcelos-31.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Inception"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/08-biblioteca-vasconcelos-32.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Inception"></p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2019/08-biblioteca-vasconcelos-33.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Inception"></p>
<p>My roaming lasted for about an hour before I hopped on another Uber, for $55.65, to <a href="https://itinerant.ph/what-to-do-layover-in-mexico-city/">Catedral Metropolitana</a> past 7:00 PM.</p>
<h2>Video</h2>
<p><iframe title="Biblioteca Vasconcelos - Mexico City" width="821" height="462" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/a5-IzkbJkOY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<h2>Expenses</h2>

<table id="tablepress-14" class="tablepress tablepress-id-14">
<thead>
<tr class="row-1">
	<th class="column-1">Item</th><th class="column-2">Cost (MXN)</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody class="row-striping row-hover">
<tr class="row-2">
	<td class="column-1">Telcel SIM card</td><td class="column-2">129</td>
</tr>
<tr class="row-3">
	<td class="column-1">Uber from airport to Biblioteca Vasconcelos</td><td class="column-2">91.96</td>
</tr>
<tr class="row-4">
	<td class="column-1">Uber from Biblioteca Vasconcelos to Catedral Metropolitana</td><td class="column-2">55.65</td>
</tr>
<tr class="row-5">
	<td class="column-1">Uber from Catedral Metropolitana to airport</td><td class="column-2">73.02</td>
</tr>
<tr class="row-6">
	<td class="column-1"><strong>Total</strong></td><td class="column-2">349.63</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<p><strong>Visited:</strong> August 2019</p>



<p>The post <a href="https://itinerant.ph/biblioteca-vasconcelos-mexico/">Biblioteca Vasconcelos: Mexico&#8217;s Futuristic Library</a> appeared first on <a href="https://itinerant.ph">Itinerant</a>.</p>
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		<title>Free Yellow Fever Vaccine at Bogota Airport</title>
		<link>https://itinerant.ph/free-yellow-fever-vaccine-bogota-airport-colombia/</link>
					<comments>https://itinerant.ph/free-yellow-fever-vaccine-bogota-airport-colombia/#comments</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Nelson]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 18 Apr 2020 05:42:11 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Colombia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[free]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[solo travel]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://itinerant.ph/?p=1485</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Before COVID-19 forced countries to close borders and only allowed the entry of citizens and residents, I just arrived in Colombia for a 12-day trip without a Yellow Fever vaccine. Don&#8217;t get me wrong, I had it planned way ahead and the confirmed cases were only few then. And in retrospect, I barely talked to&#8230;</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://itinerant.ph/free-yellow-fever-vaccine-bogota-airport-colombia/">Free Yellow Fever Vaccine at Bogota Airport</a> appeared first on <a href="https://itinerant.ph">Itinerant</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2020/03-yellow-fever-vaccine-4.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Yellow Fever vaccination certificate"></p>
<p>Before COVID-19 forced countries to close borders and only allowed the entry of citizens and residents, I just arrived in <a class="lar-automated-link" href="https://itinerant.ph/list/world/latin-america/colombia/" 4668  target="_self">Colombia</a> for a 12-day trip without a Yellow Fever vaccine. Don&rsquo;t get me wrong, I had it planned way ahead and the confirmed cases were only few then. And in retrospect, I barely talked to anyone and constantly sanitized my hands from time to time. #defensive</p>
<p><span id="more-1485"></span></p>
<p>I will not lie though that the moment I stepped into the airport, the sense of guilt, stupidity, and paranoia struck me like no other. Now, enough of that and let&rsquo;s get down to it.</p>
<p>I flew in from <a class="lar-automated-link" href="https://itinerant.ph/list/world/latin-america/costa-rica/" target="_self">Costa Rica</a> and it was also where I was exiting to after. It&rsquo;s among those countries that require a Certificate of Vaccination when coming from a country with a risk of Yellow Fever transmission (most of South America are at risk, including <a class="lar-automated-link" href="https://itinerant.ph/list/world/latin-america/colombia/" 4668  target="_self">Colombia</a>). I could&rsquo;ve gotten a Yellow Fever vaccine while I was still in the Central American country but it cost around $100. Compared to the price in the US which I heard was twice or even thrice, it&rsquo;s definitely cheaper. But man, it&rsquo;s still a hundred bucks.</p>
<p>After doing my assignment and learning that you can get it for FREE at El Dorado International Airport, it was the first order of business without question. Whip out some Spanish to ask where Hospital de Fontibon is. As of this writing, the clinic is on the second floor and is open every day from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2020/03-yellow-fever-vaccine-1.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Hospital de Fontibon at Bogota Airport"></p>
<p>Get your priority number as soon as you get inside. I came in 20 minutes past one and was third (or fourth?) in line.</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2020/03-yellow-fever-vaccine-2.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Hospital de Fontibon at Bogota Airport"></p>
<p>You&rsquo;ll be asked to read the contraindications of Yellow Fever and to fill up a form with your basic information (labels are in Spanish so if you don&rsquo;t have a translator app, the information from other people on the list will be your guide).</p>
<p><img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" src="https://i0.wp.com/nelsoft.org/files/itinerant/2020/03-yellow-fever-vaccine-3.jpg?w=821&#038;ssl=1" alt="Hospital de Fontibon at Bogota Airport"></p>
<p>In 20 minutes I was out and about and just saved a hundred dollars. Do note that the Yellow Fever vaccine certificate only becomes valid 10 days after it was issued. Formerly valid for only 10 years, it now has a lifetime validity so make sure to make it as an extension of your passport.</p>


<p>The post <a href="https://itinerant.ph/free-yellow-fever-vaccine-bogota-airport-colombia/">Free Yellow Fever Vaccine at Bogota Airport</a> appeared first on <a href="https://itinerant.ph">Itinerant</a>.</p>
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