買南美便宜機票貼士 How to get cheap airtickets of South America




機票是旅程最大的開支之一,所以長途旅行在機票上省得就省。
Airtickets are one of the highest expenses in the trips and we should save as much as possible for lonf journey.

每當我想預訂在其他國家的國內航班,價格很高,而當我身在這些國家中,找旅行社代購,價值就會大幅下跌,而沒有任何解釋。
When I try to reserve other countries' domestic flight, price is high comparing to those offered by local travel agencies when I was physically in those countries.

在航空公司的網站上,要買南美便宜機票,使用以下不同的方法可省錢 -
從不同國家銷售的機票,價格會因匯率、不同推廣而出現差異。尤其當其中一個航點是航空公司所在的國家。
You may try the followings to save when purchasing at the airline website -
There are different promotions and currency exchange rate that caused differences in different countries where the air tickets are sold.  Especially when one of the flyover points are where the airline headquarter located.

從以上的Santiago - Rio、Bogota -Quito的例子;改變航空公司網站的國家和語言,折扣從幾元到幾百元。也可在購物網站如Skyscanner、Expedia上,用這個方法試找更便宜的機票。
The above example in video with Santiago - Rio, Bogota - Quito, have discount of a few dollars to a few hundred dollars.  This also works in travel website like Skyscanner and Expedia.

美味墨西哥 - 獨立日食Chiles En Nogada



Roast the chiles and remove the skins and seeds.

烤辣椒和去除皮和籽。


Heat the oil over medium heat. Add in the beef or pork until done. Add in the garlic, onion, apple, almonds, cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, pinch of salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes.

中火加熱油,加牛肉或豬肉炒至接近熟,加了大蒜,洋蔥,蘋果,杏仁,肉桂,肉荳蔻,小茴香,鹽和胡椒少許,煮約5分鐘。


Beat the egg whites with a mixer or a whisk. Fold in the egg yolks and a pinch of salt. Dip each stuffed chile in the egg mixture and fry until golden brown.

用攪拌機或打蛋器打蛋白,加蛋黃和少許鹽。每個辣椒蘸蛋液,並炸至金黃色。

Stuff the chiles with stuffing. Mix the crema, walnuts and sugar with the evaporated milk. Pour over the freshly cooked chiles and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.
將餡的釀進辣椒。混合忌廉、核桃、糖與淡奶,淋在新鮮煮熟的辣椒,撒上石榴籽。

危地馬拉精華遊 - Tikal

Tikal is one of the UNESCO Heritage Site and it is a major Mayan site where there were human activities from 6th Century BC.
It is part of Guatemala's Tikal National Park at Northwest of Guatemala.







Some people will leave in Tikal to get to see the site early.  I would say to escape the heat, it s good to be early arriving the site and leaving early while the tour cost usually include the transportation and a guide.
(My case is with several return bus you may catch at different time)

I have stayed in Flores and it s a loverly place overseeing the lake.




Practical Information - 
Prepare 4-6 hours in the site (depends on your own rhythm), while the tour pick up can be as early as 4:30am because the transportation takes time and you ll need to arrive early to avoid the heat.

Compare the price among the agencies and usually the hotel offer the tour but they will simply group together.
There is an ATM inside the supermarket.
Plenty of restaurants and souvenir shops around for your last minute shopping!

Accommodation - 

Café Arqueológico Yaxha ,Avenida 15 de septiembre,Flores, Petén
(+502) 58 30 20 60
room 
single (Q100) US$ 14.- with bath, WIFI, no breakfast
Price asof 2012



危地馬拉精華遊 - Antigua


Antigua -

主要活動活火山 Volcán Pacaya ,參加 Volcán Pacaya 的半天本地登山團55Q,包來回接送、登山嚮導。登山入口約海拔1900m,必須有嚮導陪同,坐車前往約1.5hr。1:30pm集合,5:00pm 到達火山口,約 5:35pm 開始下山,8:30pm 返回。

***要自備糧水、保暖衣物***
***不要期望活火山很活躍、有熔岩湧出,否則也有危險;但可感受火山口被湧上來的蒸氣和煙霧***
***火山並不算高,但由於沙石多,行兩步退一步,有點費勁***

沿途有很多馬僮會向疲倦旅客拉生意


火山有不少洞口,冒出熱氣



Antigua有很多colonial 建築物,parque central (中央公園)是主要商店、銀行的集中地。




Azotea Coffee Farm - 有免費shuttle來回parque central,入場費50Q ;喜歡喝咖啡的應該去看看。








有關各種咖啡的豐富資料







也有中美樂器的demo


Chichicastenango -

從 Antigua 可乘旅行社的穿梭巴士前往,車費 US$10,車程約 2 小時。市集逢星期日和星期四舉行,從早上八、九時左右開始到下午三、四時


危地馬拉精華遊 - Panajachel

短短7-8日在危地馬拉只能走馬看花到Panajachel 、Antigua和Tikal,skip guatemala city(因為聽到的口碑都沒有什麼大不了)。
I was in Guatemala only for 7-8 days and could merely visit Panajachel,Antigua and Tikal, while skipping Guatemala City which is notorious for crime and nothing particular in sightseeing.


Panajachel - 

主要活動火山湖 Lago de Atitlán,登上沿岸小鎮 San Pedro 、Santiago 和 San Antonio 。可參加一天的遊湖團,也可直接到碼頭自己找船前往,25Q Santiago, 20Q San Pedro。 到 San Pedro 的船程約一小時,到達後停留約 1 小時 20 分鐘繼續前往 Santiago。我覺得那些島有點像香港的離島,四處走走看看居民生活、市塲和chapel。
This town is famous for the lake aside the volcano, Lago de Atitlán and those villages San Pedro, Santiago and San Antonio.  You may join 1 day tour or take the boat at pier which costed 25Q to Santiago, 20Q to San Pedro.  It took 1 hour to San Pedro and then another 1hr 20mins stopover before continuing to Santiago.
I personally felt that was very similar to outlying islands in Hong Kong but you can see how the local life, market and chapel there.

我喜歡當地人的樸素友善
How nice the locals are



島上一間廟,廟祝幫神像點煙;不要以為他們天主教就沒有民間信仰,我進去就看到島民在求問
Inside a temple of the Island, the chief is helping locals to do request by offering cigarette to the statue (the ethic religion is on top of the popular catholic belief they have)






色彩班爛的手工藝品
Beautiful Souvenirs



我住的hotel是hotel el sol
I lived in Hotel el Sol

single room with bath
Hotel El Sol - Salida a Santa Catarina Palopó, Barrio Jucanyá Panajacjel, Sololá Guatemala, C.A.
150Q / noche (provided free coffee, tea and water)

****all the prices here are asof 2012

Mexico陸路過Guatemala (Crossing from Mexico to Guatemala by land)


由Mexico陸路過去Guatemala有幾個關卡,Chiapas省邊境小鎮 Ciudad Cuauhtemoc、Tapachula 和Frontera Corozal。

San Cristobal出發,地理上應到邊境小鎮 Ciudad Cuauhtemoc 再過
境轉車。我在tuxtla gutierrez被OCC的姐姐點左去Tapachula,因為那裡係有車去Guatemala,但主要去Guatemala city,而且車次不密,如miss了一班,可能要等12小時,而這個鎮對我並沒有什麼要看的地方。如要到Antigua/Panajachel,就要在Guatemala邊境轉坐chicken bus。(但要留意假日班次相對少、而last bus也早完)
Frontera Corozal就比較接近Flores/Tikal。所以,如像我般由Mexico Chiapas先往Antigua/Panajachel,再去Tikal,而又要返回Mexico Palenque;我建議到Ciudad Cuauhtemoc 再過境轉車到Panajachel,回程才由Tikal到Bethel或La Técnica坐船到Frontera Corozal。(為省時,我take bus再join了tour參觀邊境Bonampak和Yaxchilán,再坐bus往Palenque,約7pm到達)



Yaxchilán





***從Frontera Corozal 出發,要轉船、轉車,如行李可以輕省點會更好,因為坐船要由岸上帶行李到船上,要經過泥路。
過境留意其實沒有所謂的離境稅,但當全車人都照pay,又話要receipt要回頭返去市區銀行,很花時間。我觀察就是san Juan司機同關員串謀。邊境有人會同你兌換Mexican Peso成quetzal ,但最好帶美金在銀行換,黑市有風險***
Bonampak