BootsnAll Travel Network



Archive for January, 2007

« Home

Escape from Capitolio

Friday, January 5th, 2007

This place is wearing on me.  The contradictions, the paranoia, the just-don’t-give-a-damn attitude and worse of all the I’m your amigo as long as I think I can make some money from you attitude.  Friendly, yes.  Genuine friendly like Kampala… I believe less so each day.  I finally found a car, but when I did the math of what they want for six days (well over $100 a day for a used, beat up VW Rabbit), I said no and got on the bus.  I am now in Trinidad looking for a better attitude of my own.  El Capitolio just got to me.  Scratch the surface by talking to enough people and getting away from the fake show in tourista-ville and it all looks pretty shitty to me.  My Mom taught me to not say anything if you don’t have anything positive to say.  Well, I’ll be breaking that one soon enough.  For now, I do like the lack of racism here.  It seems very genuine – blanco, moreno (brown) and negro (that’s nAgro and, yes, that is the term used in Latin America so please cut the political correctness if you have a problem with it) – all get along.  All are Bacuans!  I’m searching for more positive things to say over the next week.  Maybe the search will be easier now that I am outside of squallor…

From Within the Bowels of the Beast

Tuesday, January 2nd, 2007

Now I am in El Capitolio.  Just got a quick private viewing of the presidentś office and walked through the hall of Congress.  Of course, like everywhere in the world, the politicians are all on extended vacation.  They have an internet cafe in the Capitol Building which incidentally looks just like the one in Washington DC.  No better way to keep track of what touristas are doing online than putting the lines right into the heart of the government!  Seriously, I believe I have found a friendlier city than Kampala, Uganda which I had issued as a challenge to beat for the rest of the world.  I walked about ten miles this morning from where I am staying in Miramar section to Centro.  My feet are killing so I need a breather.  I doubt there is a more expensive place on Earth when you factor in what the locals make for salaries.  The lists showing Oslo, Tokyo, Tehran being expensive may be accurate for a visitor, but far from real for locals.  Stayed up late again last night listening to music around town.  Will attempt to leave here Thursday if I can find a rental car.  The architecture in this city has to be the best in the world.  Yes, a lot of it is crumbling, but in some ways that only makes it more fascinating.  Wait until I tell you about the American embassy.  Much of what I really want to say will need to wait until I get back to Panama or Colombia.  I finally found some Americans… from California as well.  I keep asking Canadians because they talk just like us… sorry Canada!!!  Itś all that damn American TV youŕe watching!  Speaking of which… CNN (Continuously Nauseating Network) as well as muchas American TV is shown here.  I am not sure if regular Bacuans get to watch it or if it is reserved for the foreigners only.  Adios…

Paranoia May Destroy You

Monday, January 1st, 2007
Shhhhh!  I am writing from the most paranoid place on Earth.  Or is this just the tip of the dictatorial iceberg?  Want to make every single Bacuno laugh?  Tell them you are from USA and then put your index finger ... [Continue reading this entry]