Andiamo! Rotating Header Image

Tony’s Corner

The Beautiful Chaos of Havana, Part 2…

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…)

Mom… inspiration source??

Mom, back in her prime. 🙂

Mom would have been 83 today. What has become most prominent about my sentiments on this particular milestone strangely has to do with the words on the upper left hand corner of this blog, under the title. “You won’t know, if you don’t go.”

See, before I posted that quote, I would change it from time to time, with various one-line musings and thoughts. Though they were all different from each other, they yet always gave a different variation or angle on the whole philosophy of “going”, reaching a destiny.

However, since I updated it to this one, it hasn’t changed. And I don’t see it changing anytime soon. Why? Since posting the story surrounding this quote last year on this day something strange has happened. I’ve received some very interesting, dare I say flattering and humbling feedback from multitudes of guests and readers of the blog. (more…)

Remembering 7/7 – London…

Five years since the London bombings, and I remember being in London just before and after it happened as if it was yesterday.

Figured this was a good time to bring my post from that day out of the archives. Dedicated to all my London friends who deal with the memory every day.

Pop goes to McDonald’s in Centre Pompidou…

Being in Europe while Pop’s birthday passes today, I couldn’t help but think about his last jaunt out here. It was courtesy of my ex-wife and me. The time I spent in Amsterdam during this jaunt particularly brought back memories. In the midst of it all, I’d find myself grinning or laughing out loud remembering his antics from those fateful weeks he spent with us road tripping from Holland to France. But I also had to shed a few tears. (more…)

Take Me to the River…

Trying to save the stuff from the roof of the sinking SUV. Leave no clean laundry or comrade's baggage behind! 😛 - Thanks Alison for the photo!

Just when I find myself cursing that I haven’t had new blog fodder lately due to life being thrust into a relatively comfy zone of tranquilo-ness, I get thrown a nice little zinger to break the quiet streak, and not a moment too soon. 😮

Last week, I had a nice little convergence of diverse friends in Panama. My Guatemalan friend Mitzy (better known as GCMitzy, a fixture on the Andiamo blog over the years), was in town for a business exploration trip, some research work, and of course to kick ass in some local poker tournaments. Greg, an old friend from Florida, was back in town for his second visit to Andiamo in about six months. This time, he had his girlfriend Lori and Alan, a work colleague, come along for the jaunt. (more…)

The 2009 Muchas Gracias List!

In keeping with my annual thanksgiving tradition, I’m happy to present my 5th annual Muchas Gracias List. This is where I take a moment to thank all the people who’ve been good to me and/or Andiamo the past year. I always find myself lucky enough to have friends who support me or help in such exceptional ways that I never think I can thank them enough. This is just another way of trying to put that sentiment to rest…

So on to the list! As always, in no particular order… (more…)

Return to Mexico…

Arriving at the dock at Isla Mujeres... *gulp*

Arriving at the dock at Isla Mujeres... *gulp*


It was inevitable. It was bound to happen sometime. Though I had been able to successfully dodge the subject for over five years, it finally happened. I got pulled back to Mexico. Not only was I slickly cajoled to Mexico. A place that until now showed up as just as one big black, non-existent spot on the map of my “world” as I saw it. No, on top of that I was called to a specific place there that shows up on that black hole on my map as my undisputed “epicenter of pain and sadness”. That would be… Isla Mujeres. (more…)