http://blogs.bootsnall.com/WriterJosh A BootsnAll Travel Blog Tue, 19 Dec 2006 18:35:27 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Trinidad, though scorching by day, is a lovely place to walk around.  As in Lijiang, the old town here is only partically set up for tourists, who often bus in for a day trip from Havana or Varadero.  The “tourist zone” is easily noted by security gates and architecture that ... http://blogs.bootsnall.com/WriterJosh/last-days-of-the-revolution-part-7-cuba-november-2006.html DAY NINE: Whether we learned any lessons about Cuban life from our eventful Saturday night is a point of debate.  I’d say we did, even if it was that some things are universal.  We chocked up what we could and headed out of town, fan club in tow.  It took a while, ... http://blogs.bootsnall.com/WriterJosh/last-days-of-the-revolution-part-6-cuba-november-2006.html The first week has been a mixed bag for me. The lack of good sleep is becoming a serious issue.  Many places seem utterly devoid of things to see or do and I’m getting tired of drinking Bucanero Fuerte for entertainment.  Moreover, I often when travelling set a brutal pace.  ... http://blogs.bootsnall.com/WriterJosh/last-days-of-the-revolution-part-5-cuba-nov-2006.html DAY SIX: I quite like Santiago.  It has a vibrant feel to it.  People are moving here.  Yes, that means lots of honking horns and belching fumes, but it beats Havana’s chronic vagrancy.  I don’t feel as much the Walking Whitey Show that I did in the capital. At first I went ... http://blogs.bootsnall.com/WriterJosh/last-days-of-the-revolution-part-4-cuba-november-2006.html The next sign took forever to arrive and when it did I got a sense of how messed up we were.  I hastily put together a Plan B and away we went to a place called Santa Lucia.  There’s a beach here, and a couple of crappy hotels.  I get ... http://blogs.bootsnall.com/WriterJosh/last-days-of-the-revolution-part-3-cuba-november-2006.html Foggy-eyed and bleary-brained, I tried to ignore the hostess.  That didn’t last long.  First came the realization that Hosh was me.  Then the rest of that sentence clicked in. I snapped to attention.  All of the alcohol that remained in my bloodstream vanished in an instant.  My vacation flashed before me ... http://blogs.bootsnall.com/WriterJosh/last-days-of-the-revolultion-part-2-cuba-november-2006.html As usual, departure day snuck up on me.  Not in a quaint oh it’s here sort of way, but more like a cougar pouncing on me from behind, sinking his teeth into my jugular.  Worse yet, I knew deep down I couldn’t afford two weeks in Cuba.  But on the ... http://blogs.bootsnall.com/WriterJosh/last-days-of-the-revolution-part-1-cuba-november-2006.html Angkor was a city the size of New York, with a population of one million. The site sprawls, but the main ruins are within easy biking range of Siem Reap, the tourist trap town where you stay. In fact, bicycling gives you a little bit of down time in between ... http://blogs.bootsnall.com/WriterJosh/temples-of-angkor.html The roads south of Stung Streng are terrible, so people generally take the boat. Conditions in the seating cabin are beyond cramped, and the airflow minimal, so the roof is popular. It is a beautiful way to ride, no question, past forests, villages, and the occasional temple, all with the ... http://blogs.bootsnall.com/WriterJosh/phnom-penh.html I departed first thing the next morning, unable to stomach being in such a place. The lifestyle in rural Lao is a little rough on me, too. Early to bed, early to rise is just not my thing. Especially when I've already got a bitter taste in my mouth. I ... http://blogs.bootsnall.com/WriterJosh/don-khong-ssshhh.html