TravelStream™ news feed for member ahlaynu on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/ahlaynu en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sat, 18 Oct 2008 13:56:17 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ahlaynu/5/1224351180/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ahlaynu/5/1224351180/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ahlaynu/5/1224351180/tpod.html Sat, 18 Oct 2008 13:56:17 -0400 Faux Egyptologists Suffering from A Bad Case of the Munchies.

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Los Angeles, California, United States

First Entry: A Little Over a Month Before Departure

I guess that means it's time to start prepping, huh?  I don't know what it is but for some reason my mind has been preoccupied with other things that are NOT Egypt related.  Usually, I start to check out of my daily musings 2 to 3 months before a big trip.  But this time, it's different.  I suppose I have a lot more important things to worry about.  Like figuring out what the fuck I'm going to be doing for money when I finally quit my day job. Yes, I'm finally quitting my day job as an Account Executive in publishing.  Yay!! It's a welcome change for me - but to say that I'm not at all concerned about what the future might hold for me would be silly. Last month, I turned the big "3-OH Shit! Didn't I just turn 21 Last Year?!" And I started to think about all the things that I still want to accomplish before they start throwing dirt on me.  Which leads me to this trip.... 
One of the things I've always wanted to do is see the pyramids.  I mean, think about all the movies we've seen, the books we've read, and the Discovery Channel specials we've all watched about the history of Egypt and it's Pyramids.  It's rich culture and history.  How could I NOT go, right?  So, I said to myself, I said "Self, why don't you just go talk to Laura, your travel agent, and set this thing up?"  And self replied, "Fuck it, why not?"
Now I find myself with a little over a month left to prep for this big trip and I have yet to get started.  Urgh!  The pressure!!!

I'll check back with you guys in another week or two.  Perhaps I'll have more info then... Ciao
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ahlaynu/4/1209168120/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ahlaynu/4/1209168120/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ahlaynu/4/1209168120/tpod.html Fri, 30 May 2008 19:00:06 -0400 My Own Motorcycle Diary - My Trip to Cuba

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Havana, Havana, Cuba

Day 3: La Habana, Cuba
When: April 25th, 2008, 8:02pm local time
Point of Entry: En Route to Varadero


We're crossing one of the highest bridges in Cuba right now. On the right side of the bridge is a breathtaking view of the plush forests that I had mentioned in my previous entry. On the left side is a picturesque view of the Caribbean sunset and the white sand beaches of Cuba. Behind us is Havana. Before us is Matanza and Varadero. I just finished making an ass out of myself when I asked the driver if we were close to Manzana. "¿Manzana? ¿Tienes hambre?" he asked. I'm such a dork. Perhaps those Spanish classes didn't do me any good.

At any rate, we were able to explore more of the city today. We had breakfast at our hotel, jumped on board a tour bus, and took a stroll through Havana. Angela and I don't like signing up for these kinds of tours, but we figured it would help us get a better sense of where things were located. Unfortunately, the tour guide was pretty dull. However, he did manage to entertain us. Every time we passed by an old building or a monument of historic importance, he would say in the most dullest monotone voice ever, "Este es el más importante en la ciudad y país." Imagine Ben Stein saying that repeatedly for 3 hours - shitastically fun, right?

First stop on our tour was the Capital Building. It is an exact replica of the U.S. Capital building, or at least the dome part. This was the moment when it became apparent to us how run down Havana was. Some of the buildings we saw on the drive here were in bad shape. But to see the Capital building in such poor conditions was surprising to me. We walked around the building, trying to take it all in. We noticed that there were these street vendors who manned these strange looking boxes on stilts. We weren't sure what they were selling at the time but upon further observation, we realized that those boxes were make-shift cameras. And what they produced were these wonderful classic/vintage black and white stills of people sitting perched on the steps of the capital. Without any hesitation, I coughed up the peso and asked one of the gentlemen to take our picture. It took a couple tries to get it right - only because I wasn't sitting still the first time even though he explicitly told me using hand gestures not to move. But the end result, was worth it.

The second stop of our tour was Revolution Square - probably one of the more duller points of interests in my estimation. It is merely an empty lot - nothing more. Now, don't get me wrong. There were numerous historical events that occurred on this given lot where we stood. However, it still doesn't change the fact that it's just a paved lot - which looked nothing more like a deserted parking lot in downtown LA. There were some interesting buildings adjacent to the lot - the Military Buildings which had Che Guevara's likeness on the side of the building, not to mention the Revolutionary Monument that stood north of the Square.

The third stop of our tour was the first fortress built in Havana. We had to take an underground tunnel that went under the bay to get to this fortress. It was built to help ward off pirates that were apparently prevalent during the colonial period of Cuba. Really? You mean Captain Jack Sparrow was, like, um, for real?! Angela and I had some fun pretending to me pirates when we running around the fortress - messing with the old cannons that still remained.

We ended our tour in Old Havana. But before we reached our final destination - we made a small pit stop at a local cigar store. What fun that was. At first, Angela couldn't grasp the idea of the U.S. ban on Cuban goods. She thought that we can buy them here and then just tell the U.S. Customs officers that we bought them in Mexico. After a few minutes of discussion, she finally understood that it doesn't matter where you buy them - you cannot bring anything from Cuba into the U.S. But did this stop us? Nope. We ended up buying a few cohibas. There's nothing more exciting than knowing that living on the edge. Ooooh!!! Scary!!! Ok, it's not at all uncommon for people to smuggle in cohibas. You just have to change the little band on the cigar and the customs officers have no way to prove that they are Cubans. Easy enough.

At any rate - we made it to Old Havana. A familiar site since we've already introduced ourselves to this place last night. We ended up telling the tour guide that we were going to go off on our own and make our way back to the hotel ourselves. Thank goodness we did that. I don't think I could've taken any more of his monotonous rants about how "important a building was to the city and country." Anyway - Angela and I walked around for a few hours snapping off tons of pictures. We've become really efficient at finding ways to document what we see on our trips. My weapon of choice is and will always be my Canon Super8 film camera. Hers is a Canon SLR with a 17-55mm EF lens. We tried to document the feel and texture of the city. Hopefully, we did.

We took a ride on one of the little yellow taxi's that scurry about in Havana. They look like the carts you would normally see on a Disneyland adventure ride sans safety bar. It dropped us off at the Revolution Museum. There, we were able to see some of the coolest things about the Revolution in Cuba. A visual time line of sorts that help bring to life the events that occurred before, during, and after the revolution. It was mazing to see the kind of history that they documented in their museum and how it differs from the kind of history that is written here about Cuba. It's always fascinating to me to learn the other side of the story - which has become a prevailing theme to most of my adventures.

After a few hours of walking about, we safely found our way back to our Hotel. We had a few minutes to spare before we were off to Varadero. So we decided to chop it up with some of the locals who owned the beautiful vintage cars that were parked right outside of the hotel. I asked one of the guys if I could sit in his car and he immediately jumped up and opened the door to his classic '57 Chevy convertible. It wasn't in the best shape but it was still pretty cool nonetheless. I asked him if he has trouble maintaining the car given it's age. He quickly replied, "ma meno". "Ma meno" has become a common phrase that Angela and I have grown accustom to during our stay here. It's really pronounced "Mas o Menos" - which means more or less. But for the locals, they drop the "s" and just go with "ma meno". But I digress. This guy was so nice to us that I had to give him a tip for letting us take pictures of his car. But as soon as I gave him a tip, I quickly realized that this wasn't his car. He quickly whistled to another gentlemen down the street and started laughing. Now, I couldn't fully understand what he was yelling to the other guy down the street. But it was certainly entertaining to see the real owner of the car, who happens to be this overweight dude, come wobbling down the street trying to chase down the his friend who posed as the owner of the car. I felt bad so I gave him some money too.

Now, we're own on way to Varadero. I've heard so many wonderful things about Varadero. I can't wait to see the white sand beach as well as the turquoise ocean best described in the book "Waiting for Snow in Havana." I'll write more tomorrow.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ahlaynu/4/1209878460/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ahlaynu/4/1209878460/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ahlaynu/4/1209878460/tpod.html Mon, 12 May 2008 13:55:58 -0400 My Own Motorcycle Diary - My Trip to Cuba

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Havana, Havana, Cuba

Day 1 and a Half: La Habana, Cuba
When: April 24th, 2008, 11:14pm local time
Point of Entry: Hotel Nacional de Cuba

As a resident Angeleno, sometimes I feel like the Spanish language has become second nature to me. Of course, having spent 4 years of my high school academic life on Spanish Language classes, isn't something to balk at either. Now I'm not saying I can hold court with Selma Hayek or Penelope Cruz anytime soon - far from it, actually. But I'd like to think that I can say more than just "El queso está viejo y pútrido. ¿Dónde está el sanitario?" But no classes nor any casual conversations I've had with my Spanish speaking friends would've prepared me for what I experienced within the first hour of being here in Cuba.

I wasn't kidding when I wrote on my last entry that the Spanish the Cubans speak is a totally different beast in comparison to what you would normally hear at Los Burritos on Figueroa St. Cubans tend to speak faster and their diction is much more slurred - again, think Jabba the Hut speaking Spanish with marbles in his mouth. This is what I had to endure when I was being questioned by the Customs Officer upon entering the doors to Cuba. I wish I could've taken a picture of the little booth thing that you have to go into for the Customs Officer. Imagine a fluorescent light shining on you while this guy sits there and asks you questions about your visit to Cuba. I couldn't understand a thing he was saying. And every time I tried to answer in Spanish, he would just give me this dead-pan look like "What the fuck are you saying? Did you just call my sister a cow and you like to play with hairy balls and mushrooms?" He asked me what my profession was. And I told him that I was an artist and that I was here to learn more about Cuban Art. He eventually cracked a smile and said, in broken English, "There are many artists that have come out of Cuba. Welcome to Cuba." Of course, I could've returned a similar dead-pan look like he gave me earlier - but, I was too scared to do so. Meanwhile, Angela didn't seem to have any issues with her Customs Officer. What gives?! It's probably because I'm not as cute as her.

We were greeted by our contact, Doug, after we cleared customs and collected our luggage. Finally! We're in Cuba! After more than 3 months of planning and researching, we can finally say that we have arrived. Doug helped us get situated and provided us with the necessary information we needed for our stay in Havana and Varadero. We converted our money to Cuban Convertible Pesos and then we hopped into a car en route to Hotel Nacional de Cuba.

I've always found that the ride from the airport to your first destination is usually an educational one. It's your first introduction to the country or city that you are visiting. And just like meeting someone for the first time, you make observations that eventually shape your opinions about them. At first glance, Cuba seemed peaceful, quiet, and serene. The road to Havana showcased a vast tropical expanse that welcomed me. Horse-Drawn carriages became the norm as our driver quickly maneuvered his way through traffic. Eventually, our driver's carelessness lands him in trouble - pulled over by the police for an apparent infraction. He was able to talk his way out of it and we finally got to our destination - Hotel Nacional de Cuba. One other note about the ride over here - Angela and I both noticed that there were no advertising anywhere. Or at least, none that we saw. The only advertising we saw were billboards filled with Pro-Socialist messages and constant reminders about the revolution. None was more eye opening than a "senal" we saw of our President and the words "terrrorista" on it. It didn't hit us until then that we were truly in a different world - with different ideals.

Our first impression of Hotel Nacional was powerful. We knew coming into this trip that we were going to see lots of historical landmarks - but we weren't prepared for such a place. I felt the history rush through me when I pushed through the heavy mahogany doors to enter the lobby. The receptionist informed us that the hotel was fully booked and that they had no other recourse but to upgrade us to an executive suite. I love that! We quickly rushed to our suite, got situated, and then made our way to La Habana Vieja. But before we left, I had to take care of one thing. I had to get in contact with Dr. Remedios' uncle Francisco. After numerous tries, I was finally able to get him on the phone. Unfortunately, my Spanish failed me again. Angela quickly grabbed the phone from me and worked her magic. "He's coming to meet us here at 9 tonight," she said. How the fuck is it so easy for her to talk to them?! Perhaps if she finds herself almost killing an elderly Cuban lady with her luggage, she'll know how to apologize in Spanish. Haha.

At any rate, we made our way to La Catedral in Habana Vieja. We were greeted by the sight of dancers practicing for what seemed like an upcoming show. The music that echoed through the narrow streets of La Habana Vieja and the Catedral was amazing. We made our way to La Bodeguita del Medio - a place made famous by Ernest Hemingway and their mojitos. The food was great - especially the tostones. And the atmosphere was even better. We became friendly with an elderly group of travelers who were sitting next to us - Steve, Graham, Goh, Diane, and Blaire. We share laughs and had a great conversation about traveling. They wanted to know how two Americans found their way to a country that is prohibited by their government. Haha - very carefully, I suppose. The walls of La Bodeguita were riddled with scribblings and writings of past patrons. Of course, we had to leave our mark as well. I mean, it's not very often that we come to Cuba, right?

We headed back to our hotel and waited for Francisco at our lobby. It took a good half hour for him to arrive but there he was - sitting quietly on one of the antique chairs. He looked so out of place. It wasn't until recently that Raul Castro allowed Cubans to stay at these types of hotels. And to see him surrounded by well to do Europeans dressed to the nines, was awesome. We exchanged greetings and I gave him the note and money from Elizabeth. There was a sense of longing in his face as he read the note. You can tell he missed his niece. Then we met Elizabeth's cousin, who is also named Francisco, outside the hotel. It was great meeting them both because it gave us a chance to get to know Cuba through the eyes of it's people. Of course, I couldn't understand half the shit they were saying - but that didn't matter.

We've only been here for a few hours but I already feel like we've seen so much. I'm brimming with excitement for what tomorrow may bring. My thumbs hurt from typing on this thing - I'll post again tomorrow night.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ahlaynu/4/1209667500/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ahlaynu/4/1209667500/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ahlaynu/4/1209667500/tpod.html Mon, 12 May 2008 13:51:50 -0400 My Own Motorcycle Diary - My Trip to Cuba

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Mexico City, Central Mexico and Gulf Coast, Mexico

Day 1: Mexico City
When: April 24th, 2008, 11:52am local time
Point of Entry: On the Mexicana Plane, flight MX321 - en route to Havana, Cuba

I must admit that I was a little nervous about going to Cuba. My reservations stemmed from some of the urban legends that surrounds American travel to Cuba. Just in case some of you folks have been living under one of Amy Winehouse's crack cocaine rocks, Americans are not suppose to go to Cuba. Big Bad Bush Jr. said so. But after doing some research and talking to my friend, Chic, it became apparent to me some months ago prior to trip that it wasn't really that hard to get to Cuba. It's the "re-entering U.S. soil" part of the equation that can get a little sticky.


Just a few "truths" that I have uncovered from my research and my experience thus far:


- In 1963, it was deemed unconstitutional for the U.S. Government to prevent Americans from traveling to wherever they please.

- However, it is illegal for US citizens to spend money in Cuba - the Loop-Hole, if you will.

- Legal travel is only permitted to a select few and must go through some screenings in order to qualify for a license to travel to Cuba.

- If the US government finds out you visited Cuba, you will be detained and will have to pay a fine upwards of $10,000 USD.

- The only way they can find out is if you have two entry stamps on your passport from the host country (Mexico in my case)

- Cuban Tourist Visas only cost $15 at the airport

- Cubans don't really speak Spanish - its sounds more like Jaba the Hut's language.

Hahaha - ok, the last bullet point on my list isn't really a "truth" per se. But the two Cuban dudes sitting behind us can certainly make a case for it. Its as if they have marbles in their mouths while they speak Spanish. Its hard to understand.

At any rate - we had a pretty long lay over in Mexico City. We arrived around 6am from LAX and our flight is scheduled to depart at 1230pm. Luckily, Angela and I were able to charm one of the girls at the front desk of the American Express lounge into letting us in. The lounge turned out to be the best thing that could've happen to us. They had everything there; comfy sofas to sleep on, free Internet access, free coffee, and bootleg movies playing on HD to boot. Needless to say, Angela was able to sprawl out and get some much needed beauty sleep while I checked up on the box score of last night's Laker game. Just as I suspected, Kobe lit up the "Enver" Nuggets - "Enver" because they have no "D". Lakers are up 2-0 in the series, Kobe stat line was 49 points, a dime of dimes, and one hell of a fourth quarter - or so I've read. Hopefully the Lakers find some success on the road - and I hope we do too.

One last thing before I close this entry - there are some super hot women walking around the Mexico City Airport. Holy smokes! I've been to a lot of airports - but this place certainly just shot up my list. Wow!

Goodbye Mexico. Hello Cuba. I'll write again once we land.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ahlaynu/4/1209005040/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ahlaynu/4/1209005040/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ahlaynu/4/1209005040/tpod.html Mon, 12 May 2008 13:42:08 -0400 My Own Motorcycle Diary - My Trip to Cuba

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Los Angeles, California, United States

This was the first thing she said to me when I first walked into her office. She sat their quietly examining my demeanor, looking for any clue that would suggest that what I just told her was some kind of joke. It had been almost three months since my last doctor's visit. And it was here in this very office that I became intrinsically engaged with the idea of going to Dr. Elizabeth Remedios' home country- Cuba.

It took me a few minutes of convincing for her to finally drop her guard and crack a little smile. This was no easy feat to accomplish - my first impression of Dr. Remedios was that of a pragmatic woman with a sprinkling of a wry dry wit. "So you're really going to Cuba?" She said - mouth agape. She was staring at me - but it was obvious to me that she was looking past me. She was staring at the streets of La Habana Vieja, the warm turquoise waters of Varadero Beach, and stared intently at what was now just the fleeting memories of the family she left behind.

By visit's end, she grew increasingly excited for what was to come for me. She gave me some tips on how I should handle myself. "Don't talk about politics when you're there. You'll never know how your opinions will be taken by some of the locals there," she said. Smart advise - given the current political climate in Cuba. Dr. Remedios then gave me a check for $300 with a hand written note. The note was in Spanish but I knew exactly what it was for. "I want you to meet my family when you get there. Call my Tio Francisco when you get in. He'll take care of you. He'll show you Havana the way She should be shown. And give this to him and tell him how much I miss him and my cousins,"she said. She then gave me a warm hug goodbye and thanked me for doing this for her. I promised her that I would take as many pictures of her family and to document as much as I can for her. I'd like to help her reclaim some of those fleeting memories - if only for the briefests of moments. "You're part of my family now, Alain." Wow - talk about touching, right?

So, now I find myself sitting in my brother's living room watching the Lakers beat the living snot out of the Nuggets. I find myself waiting, once again. As some of you might know by now, there's nothing worse than having to wait for something to happen - at least for me. I'm tired but yet invigorated by the thought of this new adventure. I'm excited and scared for what trouble may lay ahead of me. I'm packed, converted all my money to Euros, and the itch to get going has grown increasingly difficult to scratch ... Cuba, here I come.

(I'll try post some pictures up as soon as I get back in town)
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ahlaynu/4/1203412320/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ahlaynu/4/1203412320/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ahlaynu/4/1203412320/tpod.html Wed, 20 Feb 2008 15:34:53 -0500 My Own Motorcycle Diary - My Trip to Cuba

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Los Angeles, California, United States

I've been having a difficult time sleeping as of late. It's probably because I was sleeping on a lumpy couch or an aeromattress that didn't seem to want to keep inflated. I'm finally home after spending a few days in Mammoth snowboarding, and I find myself once again at odds with getting some well deserved winks.

So, I turned on the television in hopes of finding something extremely boring for me to fall asleep to. Unfortunately, I found something that was completely opposite of that. It turns out that Fidel Castro announced earlier today that he is not accepting a new term for the Presidency according to CNN International. Click here for the official AP article.

My first reaction, "WHAT?!?!?!" Followed by a selfish, "How the fuck is this going to effect my trip?!?!!"

The answer - I have no idea. Am I worried? Absolutely! Now, Fidel Castro turned over his duties to his brother, Raul, in 2006 - making him the "un-official" President of Cuba. But, this is extremely important news because Fidel Castro has "officially" stepped down, ending almost 50 years of his administration/dictatorship that has endured more than 9 U.S. Presidents. Whether or not his official resignation shakes the very foundation of Cuba's government remains to be seen. Either way, it'll be interesting to see how the U.S. reacts to this news and how it will ultimately affect my trip. Here's to hoping that this news doesn't "reign" on my Cuban parade.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ahlaynu/4/1203024120/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ahlaynu/4/1203024120/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ahlaynu/4/1203024120/tpod.html Thu, 14 Feb 2008 18:22:51 -0500 My Own Motorcycle Diary - My Trip to Cuba

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

North Hollywood, California, United States

It's February - barely two months into the new year and I'm already starting to get the itch to travel again. It hasn't been that long since my return from my Euro-African Adventure. And what an adventure that was. In fact, it took me a while to recover from the journey I had to endure to get back home. I don't know about you but 30 hours of either waiting for a plane or sitting in a plane can be awfully taxing on your body. It felt like I was living out one of Method Man's famous lines, "I'll fucking cut your eyelids off, and feed you nothing but sleeping pills..." Nevertheless, I think I'm ready for some more fun "no-dose" fun...

Angela and I had been kicking around some ideas for our trip this year. At first, we thought it would be kind of cool to go to Amsterdam, then Egypt, then India, then Nepal, and then Thailand. A trek that would certainly allow us to experience many cultures AND quite literally, circle the world. But, when we got the proposed itinerary from my travel agent, it became obvious to us that we might be biting off more than we can chew. The itinerary would require us to take more than 2 weeks off, which would certainly rouse the ire of my agents and manager. Not to mention the umbrage my bosses will take with me on my free-spirited approach to company responsibilities and time management. Plus, the total time spent traveling through multiple time zones didn't seem as appealing as I originally envisioned. Instead, I've opted to tweak the trip and only go to Amsterdam, Egypt, Tanzania, and then Zanzibar. Sounds like an adventure. Where can I sign up? But that trip isn't going to happen for another 8-9 months. I don't think I can wait that long. So, where can I go to get a quick fix that won't put too much of a dent on my wallet and isn't that far away. Canada? Nay... Mexico? Eh... So.Where to?

The answer to that question came to me in the package of a woman wearing a stethoscope - my doctor. Last week, I went to visit her for my annual check up. As I was sitting next to an elderly woman in the waiting room, I noticed a series of stunning black and white photographs that were displayed next to the television set. They were pictures of streets filled with classic 50's automobiles, long peaceful white sand beaches, and pictures of beautiful people dancing to music. I was completely mesmerized by the pictures. So much so, that I didn't hear my doctor call my name.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" she asked me, referring to the pictures.
"Yeah... Where did you take these pictures?" I replied back.
"I took them last year when I went back home to Cuba to visit my mother," she said.

Cuba, you say? This certainly sparked some interest in me which led to the subsequent bombardment of questions I laid upon her regarding Cuba. After a few hours of probing, poking, and talking, I came out of her office with one thing in mind - I need to go to Cuba.

After some heavy duty Googling, conversations with my well traveled friend Chic, and some careful deliberations with my travel agent in Canada, I'm officially set to go to Cuba on April 24th thru the 28th. Now, this adventure certainly has the high risk factor that I thoroughly enjoy. If the United States government finds out that I went to Cuba, I will be heavily fined and could quite possibly be tortured and maimed for being a traitor to my country. Oooh - Scary!!! Ok, maybe I made up that last part. But even still, there is much to be said about the kind of "Double 0" danger that comes with visiting a country that's at odds with the United States. Does it matter to me? Fuck no. Life is too short to live in fear of what "might" happen.

In the next couple of weeks, I will try my best to document every thought that comes across my mind, every obstacle that I have to overcome, and every bit of information I research leading up to this trip. Hopefully, you guys will find my entries entertaining and creative, or at the very least, coherent. In the words of the famous Cuban writer Getrudis Gomez de Avellandeda "Wherever fate demands me... I will go."
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ahlaynu/motherland2007/1196307006/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ahlaynu/motherland2007/1196307006/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ahlaynu/motherland2007/1196307006/tpod.html Fri, 14 Dec 2007 19:15:20 -0500 EuroFrica - My journey from the Old World to the Origins of the World.

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Hazyview, South Africa

Day 11 and a half: Hazyview Mpumulunga
When: November 24th, 2007 - right before midnight.
Point of Entry: At Blue Jay Lodge, a cozy B&B in the Mpumulanga province of SA

Holy Shit! WE MADE IT!! I can't believe we made it through the African Gauntlet unscathed. We got thru the 4 hour drive from Jo'berg to our destination. I normally write one entry a day... But this was the craziest drive I've ever had to deal with. An achievement that deserves more than an honorable mention on tomorrow's entry.

First of all, we didn't get on the road to Nelspruit from Jo'berg until a quarter past 8pm. Yikes!! Its already dark out. Angela and I have both read many blogs and articles about traveling in the middle of the night in South Africa. To sum it up - beware of bandits and things that go bump in the night. Especially traveling thru the provincial areas of the Eastern Cape. I, for one, believe that these kinds of places never really live up to their reputation - good or bad. Its like how a person from Belfast will have had all these crazy images of how Compton and South Central will be before having had stepped one foot on said locations. Now, I'm not saying the CPT or South Central is Disneyland but it ain't as bad as someone from Belfast might think.

Back to my story - well, after driving pass the Jo'berg city limits, we enter the thicket. We are on a small highway that's surrounded by jungle brush. The further and further we get away from Jo'berg, the darker it gets. There are some rest stops but are few and very far between.

And then we enter the Thunderdome, aka Mpumulunga District, where we meet the thickest fog I've ever encountered in my life and a wild and unpredictable African thunderstorm. No wonder our flight was canceled. Now, that doesn't so sound bad, right? A little fog and roaring thunder never hurt nobody. You are so sadly mistaken, my friend. The highways are not lit well like our highways back home are. Street lamps are absent and the lane reflectors don't do their jobs very well. I turned off my headlights just to see how dark it is, and it's pitch black. Of course Angela got super pissed at me for doing that. She's already on pins and needles and playing around with the lights like that didn't make her feel any better. To add to an already stressful experience, there were hardly any warning signs of any pending hairpin turns up ahead. You have to drive cautiously and extremely slow just to make sure you don't go off a cliff. Try doing that whilst driving on the other side of the street. And then, tell me if that shit ain't scary.

Enter our hero of the night - a "leet tank" to run me through this "instance". Woohoo!! There was this random white truck that pulled up behind us right when we were starting to doubt our decision to drive to Hazyview. We didn't know who he was but whoever he was, he was my hero. I steered our red Corolla slightly to the shoulder to give enough room for this "leet tank" to squeeze by and get in front of us. In South Africa, it's customary for the locals to flash their hazard lights in appreciation when a friendly driver gives way. This was the very first time I ever veered to the side shoulder to let someone go through. So, when he flashed those bright amber lights, I felt a rush of excitement come through me. I'm one of them!!! Double Woohoo!!

I quickly grew fond of this truck - he became our escort through this one lane highway insanity. I don't know if I was becoming delusional but it really felt like he was looking out for us. Every turn, he would flash his amber lights so that we would know where the turn was. Every time the fog grew thicker, again, he would flash his amber lights. I love this dude!!! I was so caught up in this follow the leader game that I mistakenly followed him to his exit... He probably thought I was some psycho serial murderer tailing him. But I didn't care, White Truck FTW!!!

Anyway - after a few miscalculations given to us by our useless GPS navi system and a few wrongs turns here and there, we finally made it to our destination - Blue Jay Lodge. Philip Nichols, the guy who runs the establishment and eerily reminiscent of an older Alan Rickman, stayed up to wait for us. He greeted us with a warm smile and said, "I admire your fortitude for making such a trek in this unforgiving inclimate weather. Welcome." Ahh, "Welcome" indeed - a very under appreciated word. Well and Come, two words that describe how one has arrived. And we have arrived well.


** If you don't know what this is referencing, then you're missing out on the most addicting thing since crack. World of Wacraft - google it.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ahlaynu/motherland2007/1196016905/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ahlaynu/motherland2007/1196016905/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ahlaynu/motherland2007/1196016905/tpod.html Fri, 14 Dec 2007 19:07:32 -0500 EuroFrica - My journey from the Old World to the Origins of the World.

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Johannesburg, South Africa

Day 11: Jo'berg (Johannesburg) en route to Nelspruit - travel day
When: November 24th, 2007 - afternoon
Point of Entry: Jo'berg airport, Avis car port - waiting for my keys to our rental


For the first time this trip, we actually woke up early. Like 6am early. Hahaha. We bid adieu to Cape Town earlier today and we'll be making our way to Nelspruit by way of Jo'berg. Angela is starting to tire of all the traveling. And to be honest with you, the traveling has also started to take a toll on me. We decided to drive by the townships today on our way to the airport. Angela was a bit taken aback by the impoverish state that these people live in. We didn't stay very long because we had a plane to catch. Didn't want to be late.
When we got to the airport, Angela and I didn't bother getting up from our seats when we heard the boarding call. What's the point of getting in line when you have assigned seating? Why wait in a que? So, Angela decided to go buy a bottle of wine - "Fat Bastard" if you were inquiring - while I just sat there reading my book. At any rate, in a matter of minutes we hear our names being called over the loud PA system - "Angela Cuuh-leeeroh and Alaayaan Yaayuuuee, please make your way to gate E7 you are holding up the flight." What?! How the hell?!? When we got to the gate, the lady at the counter yelled at Angela, "Where were you!? Why were you late!?" Mind you, the Cape Town domestic terminal is small. Like, Burbank small. So, there was really no excuse for us to be late. Angela turned to me as if I knew the answer to the question. Shieet - don't look at me. I don't know.

Anywho - we get to Jo'berg after a one and a half hour flight. Once we get here, we noticed that our connecting flight to Nelspruit was delayed an hour. In fact, most flights to the Eastern Cape were delayed. Hmmm - not a good sign. Sure enough, after three hours of waiting, reading, and Angela playing Mortal Kombat on my PSP, we find out that the flight is cancelled due to weather... Yeah, what luck right?.

Things you encounter when traveling overseas - delayed flights. So what do you do? You either get upset and curse the world or you embrace it and find a way to get thru it. That's where we find ourselves now - at the Avis rental port. Phil Nichols, the owner of the lodge we're staying at, told me over the phone that the drive to Nelspruit and then to Hazyview will be taxing on us. But he'll welcome us with open arms if we decide to drive today. Angela and I looked at each other and had the same idea, "Did someone say Road Trip?!" Fuck yeah!! Now, I would be lying if I told you that Angela wasn't initially worried or bothered by all this. Shit, I was too. But how often does one get a chance to do a road trip in AFRICA!! Vegas aint shit compared to AFRICA!!

Now all we need are the keys to our brand new Corolla, a map, a GPS, our luggage, and some munchies for the road. We have a four hour drive ahead of us and we have no idea what to expect. It could be dangerous or it could be fun. Either way, its going to be one hell of a road trip. Wooohoo!! But before we go, where's the bathroom... I have to be pee.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ahlaynu/motherland2007/1195911303/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ahlaynu/motherland2007/1195911303/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/ahlaynu/motherland2007/1195911303/tpod.html Fri, 14 Dec 2007 18:59:37 -0500 EuroFrica - My journey from the Old World to the Origins of the World.

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Big Bay, South Africa

Day 10: Big Bay, South Africa
Where: at a local bar off the coastline of Big Bay.
When: November 23rd, 2007

We woke up to a bright beautiful sunny day today. The winds were still blowing but not as strong as they have been lately. So what are we to do? Its our last day here and we've been doing a lot of site-seeing and a whole lot of chillen. I personally would have preferred surfing, but was resigned to accommodate my non-surfing partner in crime, Angela. She had a better idea - Sandboarding!! Ooooh! I'm much more inclined to do something new like that. So, we signed up for an excursion this morning with a company called Downhill Adventures. Unfortunately, we had to walk around to find a cheap pair of sunglasses at the suggestion of the tour guides. Not a bad idea. Wouldn't want sand scratching my cornea. I also left my super-duper camera at our apartment. I just fixed the temperamental lens and I wouldn't want any sand getting in there and fucking it all up again.

After finding some super cheesy knockoffs, we were off for some fun in nature's sandbox.. Our destination? Atlantis, the sand dunes to the north. On the ride there, we befriended the four other travelers that came with. The first one, Eric, who ended up being THE military budget analyst for the US congress. Wow, what an interesting job, aye? Angela and I tried to coerce him to declassify some of super top secret shit he's working on. He assured us that most, if not all, the stuff that passes through his desk isn't that romantic. I begged to differ. Surely, he must have seen a proposal to build some kinda super death ray like Marvin the Martian's. He neither confirmed it or denied it. Hmmm.... make you wonder.

The other three travelers, Kenny, Adam, and Thea, were from the UK on a two week holiday to visit their mate. Two weeks?! Wow - I wish we had more days here. There are still so many things we haven't seen. Three and a half days wasn't going to cut it - 2 and a half if you don't count that rainy day. Our tour guy's name was Yaseen. A local South African of Middle-Eastern decent - very down to earth guy that says "dude" a lot. Strange to hear him to say it.

After 45 minutes, we got to our destination. We put on our tanks, sunblock, and strapped our boots on. I noticed Angela haphazardly put some sunblock on. I was going to say something to her since it was super bright out. But, I was distracted by the huge horse flies. According to Yaseen, if one of those things bite you - you will swell up like balloon. Fuck that. I'm not getting bit by some African Horse fly, even if it would be a cool story to tell my grandkids.

Sandboarding is a lot like Snowboarding - sans heavy snowgear, the frigid temperature, and chair lifts. Hiking to the top of the dune in big hulking snowboard boots whilst getting sand blown into your face isn't that fun. But coming down the dune at superspeed more than made up for it. There was a photoshoot happening in the neighboring dunes. By all indications, it looked to me like it was for a bikini & swimsuit catalog. Maybe even Sports Illustrated - wowwawweewa. I likes!! Sexy times.

We were all pretty beat up by lunch time. So we all opted to spend the rest of the day at Big Bay. This is where I find myself writing this entry. The beach is phenomenal. Almost as beautiful as the Caribbean but with nice rolling beach brakes. I'm starting to get the itch to surf. Yaseen shared with us his stories of close encounters with sharks and whales while surfing. Really interesting stuff. That quickly suppressed my urges to paddle out. Ha! - I like surfing. But I like having my limbs intact even more.

Angela and I have a Spa treatment set up for later on tonight. Perfect timing too - looks like Angela's got sunburned. Maybe I should told her about putting more sunblock on, huh?We also have to pack up tonight for the last leg of our trip - the Eastern Cape. I'm kinda bummed that we didn't get to do as much as we would have hoped here in Cape Town. Oh well - what are you going to do. On to Mufasa's hood...

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
]]>