My journey started in Havana - probably the safest capital in Latin America. The Castro regime has put so many cops on the streets that I was instantly told from the very beginning that any assault on a traveller is unthinkable. Scams, theft, yes. But in terms of violence, it is pretty obvious on the streets of Havana who is the boss. Then I flew in to Yucatan, Eastern Mexico. As I wait in the queue for passport control, a guy in front of me … [Read more...]
Learning Spanish in Xela, Guatemala
A large chunk of Guatemala's tourism revenue comes from teaching Spanish to travellers. It's not like it's the only Spanish-speaking country on the continent, but a number of factors make it a number one choice. To start with, the Gutemaltekas speak slowly and clearly. Anyone who has been to Cuba will appreciate the importance of this - you aren't going to learn Spanish if you don't understand a single word muttered through lazy lips at … [Read more...]
Orlando, FL
Orlando Florida, The City Beautiful The biggest surprise to many visitors as they first arrive in Orlando, Florida is often the fact that a vast percentage of the area is not land, but water. Within Orlando's city limits are 104 named lakes. And in the surrounding suburbs that encompass much of Orange County, there are an additional 238 named lakes as well as a whopping 369 lakes as yet unnamed. The hundreds and hundreds of sparkling lakes … [Read more...]
Mt. Rainier, WA – Equipment List
The following are important items that you will want to take to Mt. Rainier if you are planning to climb to the summit via the standard Disappointment Cleaver router. Also, there may be additional items you will want to bring not listed here. This list assumes 2-3 days on the mountain and it assumes you will experience below freezing temperatures and strong winds. For reference, Dave's climb was in late June. Other routes may require more … [Read more...]
Los Angeles, CA – City Parks
As of last count,there are over 600 public parks within the Los Angeles city limits - ranging from tiny green spaces to larger parks tucked away in the Hollywood Hills. We continue to explore the city's public park terrain and will update this page as time permits. Barnsdall Park is located right off Hollywood Blvd in East Hollywood (about 2 miles East of the 101 Freeway) on top of a hill ("Olive Hill") which affords one superb views of much … [Read more...]
Los Angeles, CA – LA Stadiums
The following prominent stadiums and arenas are located within the greater LA and Orange County metropolitan regions. We have also reviewed many venues & theatres here. Angel Stadium of Anaheim (or "the Big A") is located at 2000 E Gene Autry Way just off of the 57 freeway in the heart of Orange County just a few miles from Disneyland. Similar to how the Oakland Coliseum is located next to the Oracle Arena up in the San Francisco Bay Area, … [Read more...]
Under the Cobalt
Africa greets you with immediate attention. You just barely exit the boat ramp before many men, who we kindly call hustlers, but who call themselves "guides," greet you, offering you their local expertise for a price. I ignored all eyes and comments as a way to say I was uninterested, but it was more difficult than that. We managed to make our way to the more honest taxi stands and request a ride to the bus station. We had decided to go directly … [Read more...]
7 Years in Tibet
Tashi Delek from Lhasa, The Holy City, at the heart of the Rooftop of the World! A wild & wacky week of travel covering maybe 2000 miles, countless mountain passes, and some of the planet's most beautiful terrain brought me here over a week ago. My route to Lhasa took me from the NW reaches of Yunnan north thru areas which are officially closed to foreigners by the oppressive Communist imperialists which have occupied Tibet for the past 53 … [Read more...]
Chamonix, France – Calling
SIM Cards Prior to sim cards, phone cards were what locals and travelers purchased to make phone calls both in and outside of the country. These days sim cards can be purchased at any "tabacs" store, or most supermarches (super markets). The "tabac" is a store that sells a variety of things such as newspapers, cigarettes, books, gum, and phone cards. They are a very common store in towns. Old French phone cards are now collectibles. Many … [Read more...]
Mt. Shasta, CA – What to Pack
The following are important items that you will want to take to Shasta if you are planning to climb to the summit via the Avalanche Gulch Route. Other routes may require more technical equipment. Also, there may be additional items you will want to bring not listed here. This list assumes 3-4 days on the mountain and it assumes you will experience below freezing temperatures and some winds. … [Read more...]
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