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travel stories

The Creature of Seat 27E…

Feb 12th, 2011
by Tony.
15 comments

Over the last few years, I’ve found myself on planes quite often traveling to my various points of the globe. Most times, I’ve been lucky to meet some really cool people on flights. Even some REALLY cool people. Sometimes, I meet nobody at all. And yes, I’ve also met some incredibly annoying people as well.

But nothing, I tell you, NOTHING could have prepared me for the evil, insanity incarnate that I was about to experience on my most recent flight from Orlando to Los Angeles. What was supposed to be a rather uneventful five and a half hour afternoon flight would no doubt become the ultimate test of patience, tolerance, and will. (more…)

The Beautiful Chaos of Havana, Part 2…

Dec 9th, 2010
by Tony.
4 comments

Rainbow over El Malecon - click on any photo to see the full Album on Facebook!

Part 1 can be found here.

After a few days in Havana, I discovered myself getting vaguely comfortable with how daily life worked. The routine was both basic and comfortable. Have my breakfast, usually consisting of some pressed black-market ham and cheese, and some rather dry toasted bread. Get the espresso pot going with some of Karen’s good black-market Venezuelan coffee. I’d then walk over to the living room and click on the rather large flat-screen and watch some state-TV news, which was usually all that was on during the morning.

Unfortunately it was quite boring and a bit on the sugar-coated side. If you were to believe all the feature stories, Cuba’s government was: actively patching up all its potholed roads; fixing schools; installing traffic lights in dangerous intersections; and ensuring that all citizens have adequate transit service to and from work. (more…)

The Beautiful Chaos of Havana, Part I

Nov 16th, 2010
by Tony.
3 comments

In front of Havana's El Capitolio...

Boarding the plane from Panama City to Havana, I felt an almost kiddie-ish excitement about the trip I was about to take. It was a long time coming. Something that had to finally happen. Finally, all the pieces of the puzzle were together, Something that had always been so elusive was finally becoming real.

For most Americans like me, going to Cuba always seemed a pipe dream. For as long as I can remember, it always seemed to be a strange, forbidden place so far away while yet being so ridiculously close. Particularly since I grew up in Florida. I remember how odd it seemed then that a place that so much closer to Florida than New York or Chicago could seem so distant, so out of this world. (more…)