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Adventures, misadventures and reflections of traveling in the tropics.
Recent Posts Tagged With 'Mexico'
A profile of the extraordinary owner of Phu Lang Ka
Kevan, the proprietor of Phu Lang Ka Lodge, is an extraordinary man. As the elected president of the Yao (Mien) people of Thailand, Kevan and his wife, Nong are very active in the community and play an instrumental role in the preservation of Yao cul...
Reflections of a Traveler - The Year in Review
On New Years Day, I lie in bed reflecting on the past year in the life a traveler. In light of the global recession and economic downturn, 2008 was a very rough year for many people including your truly. There were far less travelers taking to the ...
What is your favorite tropical vacation destination?
As a traveler, I admit to having a bias towards tropical destinations - there’s something about the lush vegetation, diverse wildlife, exotic butterflies and colorful landscapes of the tropics that captivates me. Some of my favorite tropical destin...
My 10 least favorite beach resorts of all time
LISTMANIA - One of the most popular crazes in our culture is compiling lists. People publish lists of many different things, ranging from the worst Beatle songs of all times to the top 10 reasons why George Bush will be remembered as the worst Presid...
The measuring stick for a Seasoned Traveler
I consider myself a seasoned traveler – however the total number of countries that I have visited in my short life is only 25. Now that is considerably more than a lot of people that I know, but really falls short compared to some seasoned travele...
The most distasteful beach resorts in the world
Actually the title of this post should be the most distasteful beach resorts that I have visited. Of course, my opinion is subjective and you may disagree with my choices. After all beauty is in the eye of the beholder and one man’s garbage is anot...
Resume of a Traveler
Have you ever totaled up the number of countries that you have visited in your lifetime? Furthermore, how many times have you traveled to each particular country? Breaking it down even further, what places/cities have you visited (with at least one ...
The Road to San Blas
I had my taste of travel on a 3-week adventure to Mexico in January 1974. Back at home, I found myself drifting into a career in travel – not only did I become a travel agent/entrepreneur, I had become a traveler. However another six years elapsed ...
My most miserable travel experience
One of the most miserable travel experiences happened to me when I was in Mexico. It was December 1973 and I had just spent an action packed week in Puerto Vallarta over the Christmas Holidays. As this was my first real trip to Mexico – previously ...
The Story of Raicilla (Mexican Moonshine)
On my way to Tenacatita Beach from La Manzanilla, my taxi driver asked me if I wanted to take a tour of the distillery. I thought he was taking me to a tequila tasting room, but when we approached the place, I saw the sign and I realized that that t...
Watching the Beach Vendors go by
My most recent visit to the small Mexican resort town of La Manzanilla coincided with the tail end of the Semana Santa (Easter) Holidays. Predictably the beach was throbbing with activity as many Mexicans - especially from the nearby cities of Guadal...
Annoying Beach Vendors (who won’t take NO for an answer)
Most beach resorts that cater to tourists usually have their fair share of vendors. Basically there are two types of vendors - those that are mobile (they walk up and down the beach) and those that are stationary (they man a concession). Now, I’ve...
Attacked by jellyfish at Tenacatita Beach
While swimming about a ¼ mile offshore at Tenacatita Beach in Mexico, I happened to observe through my goggles some small semi-transparent floating creatures that looked like minuscule jellyfish. Not coincidentally, I felt a mild burning sensation o...
Snippets from La Manzanilla
The taxi fare from the Manzanillo Airport is 590 pesos (approximately 58USD) for the 45-minute ride to town. A little on the expensive side especially if you’re traveling alone. The return trip by taxi from La Manzanilla to the airport is only 400...
Watering the streets in La Manzanilla
In the small Mexican beach town of La Manzanilla, you’ll see many people watering the unpaved dirt streets with their garden hose in the downtown area. Why do they do this, you may ask? Answer - to keep the dust down. I don’t know this for a fact...
Just another day in Paradise
Mornings get off to a sleepy crawl-about 8:00AM or so, some of the local ladies set up an impromptu juice stand in the center of town, just down the street from Posada Tonala. Equipped with some fairly powerful juicers, they do a very brisk business ...
Bridge without a Name
I am guessing that many of you are familiar with the song “Horse without a name” as popularized by the rock group, America, in the early 1970s. Well, today I was taking a day excursion from the small Mexican Beach town of La Manzanilla to Tenacat...
The Cost of Paradise
Back in the 1970’s, Hughes Air West (which is now defunct) had a special promotion to Mexico called Paradise for Pesos. Mexico was a very inexpensive destination in those days. Many Gringos from the USA and Canada flocked to Mexico as the dollar ha...
How is the weather in paradise?
The last several days, I have been playing the part of a ‘beach bum’ and ‘hack journalist’ in La Manzanilla. To many gringos, this small Mexican beach town is Paradise. You’re probably wondering how’s the weather ...
Business as usual in La Manzanilla
A couple of days ago, I returned to La Manzanilla, a small beach resort located about 45 minutes north of the Manzanillo Airport on Mexico’s Pacific Coast. Affectionately known as “My Secret Paradise”(a nickname that I coined), La Manzanilla i...
My Secret Paradise Revisited
I’m feeling somewhat nostalgic about My Secret Paradise - the small resort town of La Manzanilla on Mexico’s Costa Alegre - so I thought I would share with you my adventure from March 2007. Hope to see you down there - there’s enou...
