http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/unpaidbill/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from unpaidbill en-us Sun, 12 Oct 2008 02:20:19 BST Sun, 12 Oct 2008 02:20:19 BST Ah the Malecon the broad boulevard that runs around the waterfront. Many cities have a Malecon but my favourite is in La Habana. A favourite evening stroll the stream of bicycles bicitaxis ladybird 3 wheeler cabs roaring dinosaural old Chevies Fords even Caddies omnipresent little white Ladas with oversize blue domelights of the Policia and amongst them all occasional sleek new Benze http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Cuba/Oeste/La-Habana/blog-314608.html If these are the famous Trade Windshellip.I can do without the trade.Tearing ourselves away from the magic of Bora Bora in the Society Islands we set off for Rarotonga in the Cook Islands some 500 miles SW. The first day or so was really quiet we even had to drive for a while but then had Big Red up and hauling us along. Thursday came the front wind blowing 20 25 knots and the seas just went http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Cook-Islands/Rarotonga/blog-287810.html And just as the reformed alcoholic becomes the most strident teetotaller so the vitriolic green flash naysayer may become its most tediously vocal supporter. We were sailing from Morea to Huahine an overnighter so we would get there mid morning. The sun was setting off the port bow and M Jim and I were watching the last moments. As always waiting for this so called lsquogreen flashrsquo. Y http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/French-Polynesia/blog-283350.html PARADISE LOST and REGAINEDhellipJust walk away Reneehellip.CAN YOU BE MORE SPACIFIChellip NO MAD NOMAD HEREhellipAN ANENOME OF THE PEOPLE..Infernal Internal Thermalshellipand much much more..Nuku Hiva now a memory but something transpired there it really got to me Irsquom still not sure what it washellip..more later maybeUnlike the Galapagos Islands which were basically co http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/French-Polynesia/Tahiti/blog-277632.html They call it Stormy petrel MondayRecycled Casserole Deja StewNurse Hurts Worse the Killer CureMore WhalesI thought all waves were the samehellip.until I saw you wave goodbyehellipFIRST TATTOOReporting in from the extraordinary Marquesas. Minute specks of volcanic crests truly in the middle of nowhere. Beautiful isolation and laidback lifestyle. And the French influence fine when it co http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/French-Polynesia/Nuku-Hiva/blog-269721.html We changed islands. After a week in San Cristobal we were ready to move. I t had been memorable I think. A lovely little harbour nice collection of shops and a couple of restaurants fresh market renovated malecon always friendly people the usual resorts and research places for the turtle huggers and cute little water taxis to get us to and fro the boat. Althorsquo it may be hard to equate http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Galapagos-Islands/blog-257710.html WAY POINT navigating WEIGH POINT fishing WHEY POINT yoghurtingBooby Aboard hellip..Swimming the Equatorhellip..Back to the Galapagoshellip.Eau de Sea Lion Odour Sea Lionhelliphellip.buthellip.WHERE DO BIRDS PUT THEIR FEET WHEN THEYrsquoRE FLYING..especially those big gumbooted pelicanshelliphelliphellipalthorsquo sometimes I can see pelicansrsquo feet they tu http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Ecuador/Galapagos-Islands/blog-251365.html Another day another family another roast pighelliphellipthe sound of a thousand tiny balls bearinghellip..thoughtlessly efficient designhellip..back on boardhellip.and so much lesshellip..than last timeLife in Cuba the people the country can be described in many many ways but I can tell you one thing for nothinghellipit is NEVER boring nunca aburrido Not that I get bored http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/Panama-Canal/blog-246651.html WELCOME TO THE HOTEL I http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Cuba/Oeste/La-Habana/blog-241809.html Sailing down the Colombian coast big grey dusky mountains so close by. The mist is rising up the gullies and ridges looks like bushfire smoke wreathed in the trees slowly tearing itself away spiralling up to join the massive thunderhead taking up half the sky a gigantic slow motion explosion billowing out twisting and contorting blindingly white so pure and perfect a largerthanlife http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/Panama-Canal/blog-234011.html Irsquod bought a new rod and reel I didnrsquot want to be catching whales or anything bigger than I could eat so I went for a medium size reel with 200m of 50lb line. I chose this reel because it has a little arm that swings back and forth laying out the line as itrsquos reeled in. The old reel was slightly larger but I had to be guiding the line onto the reel with finger or thumb. This http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Colombia/Cartagena/blog-226809.html After dinner one night sitting out back dark swirling water swells rolling thrursquo itrsquos so much spookier at night the forebodingmeter ratchets up to 11 I chuck a piece of leftover bread out the backhellipsuddenly a massive splash flash of silver and gonehellipquickhellip.out with the linehellip. bit of somescrap on the hook and inhellip.the line didnrsquot get 10 http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Netherlands-Antilles/Cura-ao/blog-222913.html Here we go again see if this works............A VELCRO PARTING FROM PUERTO LA CRUZ AND MOREhellipA sad day as we leave PLChellipafter 8 weeks of boredom frustration and general stircraziness it was a day to look forward tohellipbut then I realised what I was leavinghellipthe espanol lessons the gym the good friends the pool the bars the restaurants the golf coursehellipthe mar http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Netherlands-Antilles/Bonaire/blog-217122.html In this episode Winter in the bar constant contrasts plumbing the unfathomable the Venezuelan toilet system security the effects of too much gravity the Marina and the Development Puerto Ordaz Caracas revisited another rum factory the bus the neighbourhood there it goes getting published and more grammatically strangled pithiness. At least my espaol is improving and I have on th http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Venezuela/North-Eastern/Puerto-la-Cruz/blog-203311.html Come back in the tripReturn to Canaima and the fabulous Falls...So we got to Puerto La Cruz PLC and got a berth at a marinahelliphave we been therehellip....Michael wanted to shout us a trip...very nice gesture.....so we went and saw the delightful Keigla who squeezed us into a 3 day excursione to Canaimahellipit started out with her squeezing us into a kamikaze taxi at 4amhellip.an o http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Venezuela/North-Eastern/Puerto-la-Cruz/blog-194234.html JOE WAS COMING TOMORROW TO MEET WITH OYSTERS AT A FART PARTYWhat I meant to say was IrsquoM COMING WITH MY GIRLFRIEND AND MEETING THE OTHERS AT THE FESTIVALAhh languagehellipIf one is as I am verging on the bereft when it comes to speaking espanolhellipeven on the computer I canrsquot find the bizzo that should go over the lsquonrsquohellipthen conversations on the telephone are n http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Venezuela/North-Eastern/Puerto-la-Cruz/blog-192121.html This is a resend...apologies if some of you get it twice but the blogsite was down for 4 days and lost this entry...The back hatch window in my berth has a recessed window 1400x120 with a well sheltered cover so its almost always openhellip.at eye level from the big Q size bed it offers a roving eye as we slowly swing at anchor thru 90 degrees or so hellipover 5 minutes or so and also the http://www.travelblog.org//South-America/Venezuela/Insular/Isla-Margarita/blog-188335.html Ah just when you thought he'd given up...he's baack. What was the last one just the change of eddress maybe Well since then I've been up to Townsville a couple of times cruised around and generally tried to keep the footloose spirit going....this has been assisted by selling the house and doing a torrid CELTA course to teach English to nonEnglish speakers and now I'm looking to get some w http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Melbourne/blog-100882.html So much to tell you but it's so daunting writing about things so close to home....and seeing so many bloggees up close and personal.....but something is coming....First up though I have a new eddress.bi55shumgmail.comCome on in.... http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Melbourne/Caulfield/blog-98453.html THE LAST GASP......Itrsquos just gone 5am first fady light in the local jargon itrsquos picaninny dawn or more locally accurate sparrowrsquos fart. Irsquom not sure about their bodily functions but there are mobs of really rowdy birds in my neighbourhood. They all have their own tree one full of sparrows another doves another pigeons then therersquos the raucous lorikeets swoopin http://www.travelblog.org//Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Melbourne/St--Kilda/blog-90315.html