Bellini

When I first started traveling, I kept journals. They're mainly emotional trash, bemoaning my desperation to talk to another person after a week of being in a strange land and not speaking the language. It's better to have an audience.

This blog serves two purposes: to let friends and family know what I'm up to while on trips abroad and to give travel advice from the perspective of a fellow traveler, rather than from a guidebook writer.

I like to focus on how pleasant it was to visit a place, rather than on its historical or cultural value, which is relative.

I use my phone for photos and writing, so excuse the blurs and inevitable typos.

Please don't hesitate to write to me at bellini23@gmail.com if you have any questions about somewhere I’ve visited and you plan to go. Giving advice gets me through the winter months.

Grand Cayman Off-Resort

Central America Caribbean » Cayman Islands » Grand Cayman February 21st 2024

Perfection

Bellini

This was a beach vacation to escape the Pittsburgh winter. We wanted a long beach, turquoise waters, and good food, without any hassles. Snug Harbor To avoid the $1,000 per night prices at the resorts, we stayed at a short-term rental in Snug Harbor, about a km from the beach. It probably wasn't named because it's snug between the harbor and two highways, but if you stay here and don't rent a car, it's a bit prohibitive. Esterly Tibbels Highway was built to bypass West Bay Rd, which runs along the beach, and we had to cross both to get to the beach and nearby restaurants. The way people drive there is pretty similar to the U.S. - nothing too crazy - but we still celebrated on our final crossing. Our hosts had bikes but they ... read more

Ankwanda, Elmina, and Cape Coast

Africa » Ghana » Central » Ankwanda July 11th 2023

Our Beach

Bellini

Ankwanda The ordinary seaside town has nothing to offer tourists other than the fabulous Beach House hotel, owned by Ghanaians living abroad. The bus driver missed our stop and dropped us off 12km away at 5pm. We hadn’t gotten any exercise all day, so we walked to Ankwanda. About half was on a dirt road toward the sea and the other half on the beach at sunset. We arrived just after dark. It really was Peggy's idea to walk, though probably only to impress me. Beach House Ankwanda towers over the town and the view from the delicious rooftop restaurant illustrates the contrast between two worlds - the locals and the tourists. But the town does benefit through its staff - local kids who climb the palms to get coconuts for guests (are we complicit in ... read more

Accra

Africa » Ghana » Greater Accra July 10th 2023

Jubilee

Bellini

Arrival Our miserable flights with no entertainment or reclining seats from Malaga via Casablanca landed in Accra at 4:30 AM. After Peggy’s herculean month-long navigation of the visa process, we were expecting more red tape at entry, but the 10-minute immigration process was efficient and friendly. But they were by the book when it came to the yellow fever vaccines. We would never doctor our 15-year-old yellow fever vaccine cards to enter the country - because that would be wrong. We walked the km to the Marriott booked with Peggy’s platinum status. This sort of thing is always Peggy's idea. I was exhausted. And I was embarrassed stepping over people sleeping in the streets on our way to luxury. The breakfast was magnificent but Peggy was denied entry due to rule following, which is pretty funny. ... read more

Biakpe/Amedzofe

MISSING July 8th 2023

Mt. Gemi

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We stayed the night at Mountain Paradise Lodge to break up the trip from Wli back to Accra. It’s on a paved road a couple of kilometers from Biakpa and has a great view of Amedzofe, which is situated on a steep mountain across a lush jungle valley.We got money at an ATM in Hohoe and found a shared taxi pretty quickly. Most of the road is in good shape, but partly because people in pretty desperate circumstances use their hands to fill potholes with dirt and then beg the taxi drivers for food as they pass. The drivers ignored them.Mountain Paradise Lodge has seen better days. It was obviously someone’s (the deceased Tony?) dream, with guided hikes, organic home-grown food, mountain bike rental, and a beautiful bar area with sweeping views of the jungle below. ... read more

Wli

Africa » Ghana » Volta » Wli July 7th 2023

View from Patio

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Wli (pronounced Vlee, like glee) is in the highlands on the border with Togo, 137mi/212km north of Accra. Getting There The 2pm bus left Accra’s Tudu bus station half an hour late and we passed our airport hotel an hour and a half after that, so I was relieved when the traffic subsided and we hit the open road. This was short-lived, though, as there were more potholes than asphalt on the road to Hohoe, presumably caused by heavy rains, that the two rotating bus drivers somehow navigated without breaking an axle, which made for one of the worst long journeys I’ve ever been on. We finally made it to Hohoe at 9:30 p.m. and then found a taxi to take us the rest of the way to Wli. Accommodations We spent 3 nights in Wli ... read more

Lugo

Europe » Spain » Galicia » Lugo June 29th 2023

New and Old

Bellini

I only spent a day in Lugo after walking from Leon on the Caminos de San Salvador y Primitivo, but it deserves its own post. Tourism in Europe during the summer is completely out of control. Cities like Madrid and Barcelona are inundated with tourists, which means long lines, a ceaseless flow of tours and scams, American fast food chains, junk shops with souvenirs made in China, and even worse a loss of cultural authenticity. Even midsized cities like Granada and Cordoba have elements of this, despite the broiling heat. But most smaller cities like Lugo (and Leon, Zaragoza, Valladolid and probably a couple dozen others) fly under the radar. If you speak a bit of Spanish, I recommend prioritizing these cities even if you have to skip the big ones entirely. If traveling for you ... read more

El Camino Primitivo in June

Europe » Spain » Asturias » Tineo June 28th 2023

Asturias

Bellini

After walking the Camino de San Salvador from Leon to Oviedo, I continued onto the Camino Primitivo, which begins in Oviedo and passes through the Asturias and Galicia regions. It eventually joins with the Camino Frances for the final two days before reaching Santiago de Compostela, but time constraints only allowed me to walk the first 208 km from Oviedo to Lugo. This worked out well since I wouldn't enjoy walking with hundreds of pilgrims at the end of the French Way. It’s called the Primitivo because it was the first camino, not because it is the most primitive, though the accommodations are mostly basic albergues, which are like basic hostels - bunk bed, one big bathroom, little privacy. It’s busier than El Camino de San Salvador, with maybe 40-50 pilgrims in each etapa (stage). But ... read more

El Camino de San Salvador in June

Europe » Spain » Asturias June 18th 2023

Vista over Poladura

Bellini

Most of my thoughts below only pertain to those considering walking the 120km El Camino de San Salvador, arguably the least walked and at times most remote of the caminos in Spain; otherwise, consider it fodder for my photos. I’m not going to give any directions or trail descriptions because they can easily be found free online. I paid $10 to download a very long pdf book from PilgrimageTraveler.com and it was pretty good. Most everyone else was using the Camino app, but I didn’t have cell service. Why not El Camino Frances? Last summer I walked a 5-day portion of The French Way - the walk that most people choose - and opted for a different approach this year. The biggest pro and con of choosing El Camino de San Salvador vs. El Camino Frances ... read more

Turks and Caicos

Central America Caribbean » Turks & Caicos » Providenciales February 22nd 2023

Otter pose

Bellini

Expectations were high, but Turks and Caicos was as advertised - the water, sand and temperatures were all perfect. All that and its proximity to the U.S. means it’s not exactly a budget island, but luckily it wasn’t that kind of trip. At the same time, it’s the main thing anyone who doesn’t have unlimited money should keep in mind when planning a visit. Products that locals use (milk, apples, bananas, etc.) are only about double what they cost in the U.S., but tourist needs are exorbitant. Examples: $13 for a cylinder of Quaker Oats, $21 for a 6-pack of Kind bars, $3 for an orange, all not including the 12% tax. The theme here is to bring whatever you’re allowed by customs, like cereal, coffee, and snacks. As for restaurants, the going price for a ... read more

Return to Smoldering London

Europe » United Kingdom » England » Greater London July 20th 2022

Buckingham Palace

Bellini

If I'd never heard anything about London's weather, I would say it’s broiling hot based on my experiences there. It reached 100F for the first time ever during my stay in 2003 and passed 40C (104F) for the first time in history yesterday. Of course, these temperatures at only 20% humidity wouldn’t be anything special in New Delhi or Dubai or Houston, but London isn’t at all built for it. Even places with air conditioning like department stores and museums didn’t have the BTUs to keep up. We had to come south from Edinburgh early because trains were projected to be canceled due to the tracks buckling. I don’t know if the train lines in Spain (much hotter) are made of different materials? Luckily, we stayed in a major hotel and were comfortable enough inside. But ... read more

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