I can report that travel fatigue is a real thing.
I realised today that I've been moving around for four and a half months now. The last two and a half have been pretty much non-stop. I need a rest. And a job.
I don't think I'll ever travel for such a long period again. Travelling and holidays are two very different things. In the past, during these long journeys, I've stayed put in one spot for up to seven in order to recharge. I can't do that this time, but I can try to move relatively short distances for the next week.
Repeat to self, I'm definitely, never, ever going to travel like this for so long again. I've travelled liek this 7 times (13 months, 3 months, 3 months, 3 months, 2 months, 2 months and now 6 months) but this is the last! I swear. The last.
:-)
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Couchsurfing adventures in Florida and the East Coast
I haven't posted for a while. My laptop slowed to crawling pace one morning in Costa Rica and I couldn't get it repaired until Florida a few weeks later. So the fantastic country of Costa Rica and to some extent (lesser so), panama have not enjoyed a write up. And nor has Florida.
Costa Rica was amazing, the wildlife (and especially birds) stunning. If I had to go back to Central America it would most likely be Costa Rica.
In Panama, whilst hiking Bocas Del Toros, I happened upon a world traveller who has had some coverage in the press, which was fascinating. That story for another day, as will be the airbnb host in panama, (ex-mercenary), who did not have normal social barriers.
When I planned my arrival back in the US, I once again delved into the world of couchsurfing. As I was arriving at 6am, and would be exhausted from a night flight, I figured a flexible host would be a huge advantage. I'd mostly given up on couchsurfing after California and Central America, but it works a lot better down in Florida where it was relatively easy to find hosts. I jumped from one host to the other all the way up to Asheville. of course, my extensive hosting history helped a lot.
It can be addictive. There's something about beating the system and saving money on top of the challenge. It makes you want to find out how far you can go without paying for lodgings. How far outside, "the norm" you can live.
But after almost three weeks where I have only paid for three nights lodgings, I am back into the land of airbnb bookings. Sometimes with CS, you can feel trapped, and at the mercy of the host. Finding the appropriate balance is something tricky. Where does the appropriate level of gratefulness lie exactly in these circumstances? That's something must people lightly struggle with in these circumstances. You are staying with complete strangers (at the start). I can report that Americans are often just as generous and welcoming as they are reputed to be outside of built up and busy areas.
I sometimes feel guilty and undeserving of the good CS experiences. Most hosts are fantastic, others have strange personality quirks that make you uncomfortable, so it's back to airbnb for now, where the boundaries are clear. When you are paying, there's no confusion as to how grateful you ought to be. Overall, the hosts have been amazing, just one or two make it hard work. I am too sensitive.
I'm starting to crave my own space, my freedom and my dignity. Somehow, CS denies me this, although it's not meant to. I'll be back to try it agin on this trip but not for the next three nights at least.
It's chilly here in the Appalachians which is a relief after Florida, but the best place to be in March is somewhere in between, or at least at a lower altitude. America continues to delight. I long to travel to more remote places and stay in one place for longer. No more quick fire travel when this trip is over.
Costa Rica was amazing, the wildlife (and especially birds) stunning. If I had to go back to Central America it would most likely be Costa Rica.
In Panama, whilst hiking Bocas Del Toros, I happened upon a world traveller who has had some coverage in the press, which was fascinating. That story for another day, as will be the airbnb host in panama, (ex-mercenary), who did not have normal social barriers.
When I planned my arrival back in the US, I once again delved into the world of couchsurfing. As I was arriving at 6am, and would be exhausted from a night flight, I figured a flexible host would be a huge advantage. I'd mostly given up on couchsurfing after California and Central America, but it works a lot better down in Florida where it was relatively easy to find hosts. I jumped from one host to the other all the way up to Asheville. of course, my extensive hosting history helped a lot.
It can be addictive. There's something about beating the system and saving money on top of the challenge. It makes you want to find out how far you can go without paying for lodgings. How far outside, "the norm" you can live.
But after almost three weeks where I have only paid for three nights lodgings, I am back into the land of airbnb bookings. Sometimes with CS, you can feel trapped, and at the mercy of the host. Finding the appropriate balance is something tricky. Where does the appropriate level of gratefulness lie exactly in these circumstances? That's something must people lightly struggle with in these circumstances. You are staying with complete strangers (at the start). I can report that Americans are often just as generous and welcoming as they are reputed to be outside of built up and busy areas.
I sometimes feel guilty and undeserving of the good CS experiences. Most hosts are fantastic, others have strange personality quirks that make you uncomfortable, so it's back to airbnb for now, where the boundaries are clear. When you are paying, there's no confusion as to how grateful you ought to be. Overall, the hosts have been amazing, just one or two make it hard work. I am too sensitive.
I'm starting to crave my own space, my freedom and my dignity. Somehow, CS denies me this, although it's not meant to. I'll be back to try it agin on this trip but not for the next three nights at least.
It's chilly here in the Appalachians which is a relief after Florida, but the best place to be in March is somewhere in between, or at least at a lower altitude. America continues to delight. I long to travel to more remote places and stay in one place for longer. No more quick fire travel when this trip is over.
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Stuck in a lift, (but not a train), in Panama
1st March 2016
I had just returned from a trip to the Miraflores viewing area of the Panama Canal, happy to be close to the wonders of air conditioning when it happened. I entered the lift, the doors shut. I pressed the button and... nothing happened. None of the buttons reacted. Shit! It would get damned hot in there within 5-10 minutes. Luckily I had just bought 2 litres of water.
But I'm not hanging around waiting to be saved by a Panamanian. The doors could be prized open and held, but not easily. I recalled the Chinese guy who dies when doing the same thing. He was climbing out of the lift when the lift suddenly dropped, crushing and killing him within a minute.
So with that in mind, I made sure to move promptly when jumping out. Not sure I would have climbed if it hadn't been stuck at a floor. That's why the guy was killed, it took some time to climb up into the gap. I moved through the gap at speed. Then the lift doors shut and off it scooted to the 8th floor while I climbed them, happy to not be inside.
What can I say about the Panama Canal that others haven't already? Of course it is impressive from an engineering perspective, as are the ships that pass through them. I've said it before, engineers are under appreciated.
I watched a container-ship called the Monrovia pass through with the help of the railed engines they have. There are photos (to come) and videos and there were some rather tasty empanadas for sale there. It cost $15 to enter the visitor centre with viewing platforms. It's way over priced, but once I had negotiated the subway and a bus to get there, I felt I had no choice.
The Panama subway is rather nice one, if generic in design. It's 21st Century technology. But the people aren't. When faced with a platform of locals, you are lucky to get off the train. As the doors open, they ignore those waiting to get off and surge forward, pushing you back into the train. I had to knock a few of the idiots to the side to get off. And I was getting off. Over their dead bodies if necessary. I'd love to see this behaviour in London. Those responsible wolf be ripped a part. The only other place I've seen this is Delhi in India. You can bring modern tech to a people, but they're still stuck in the past.
Anyway, I laughed with another more educated local, who was also thrown back. He pleased with the indigenous to let us off first but they charge forward anyway. And it was all women. As many of these women are ample of size, it was a nice challenge to disembark. I can see it being brought in to the Olympics.
Panama is a surprising city. The only city in Central America that resembles the west in any way. But it's all down to the Canal. Yesterday I went to Albrook Mall which is ONE MILE in length and extremely modern, with many up market brand names present, and many more new retail spaces waiting. I'm not sure they won't have to close before long though. The top brands, mostly clustered together in the Southern wing, are selling off all their gear. I'm sure it's only a small percentage of Panamanians that will pay the prices. Of course, there are a lot of ex-pats, gringos and foreign workers in the City but enough to sustain the costs of running upscale brand shops? Not sure. Time will tell. One or two were already closing down. Diesel for example. They had their last day yesterday according to the sign in the window.
Panama City is a fitting last stop before heading to Miami at 3am tomorrow night. That's going to be an interesting night due to the take off time if nothing else. I haven't worked out where I'll be able to grab some sleep yet, but tomorrow I'll mostly be relaxing in non sweaty environments (it's sticky hot here throughout the days and evenings). I may spend the whole day and evening in either the Casino or the Cinema with their air conditioned loveliness.
My room stay expires at 1pm tomorrow otherwise I'd wait here here with cable TV all day. It's not worth an extra $45 as far as I'm concerned, but needless to say, I'm regretting buying this "cheap" middle of the night place ticket.
I just saw an interesting thing when returning from dinner. The trash collectors were out on the streets again. There were some outdoor cabinets full of trash bags. As I passed I noticed one of the workers picking up a 6 pack from beside the trash. But it wasn't rubbish, it was some kind of tip. I watched as he added it to a previously collected gift in the cab. I wonder if it's daily or weekly.
This morning, I took the opportunity to walk the water's edge to the Old Town. It's tourist heaven. Many of the buildings remind of Mediterranean architecture. This was the capital in days gone by, now home to several nice hotels and many a gringo. Just round the back, some of the same structures lack windows and paint, the insides destroyed, many held up by scaffolding, but for how long?
I had just returned from a trip to the Miraflores viewing area of the Panama Canal, happy to be close to the wonders of air conditioning when it happened. I entered the lift, the doors shut. I pressed the button and... nothing happened. None of the buttons reacted. Shit! It would get damned hot in there within 5-10 minutes. Luckily I had just bought 2 litres of water.
But I'm not hanging around waiting to be saved by a Panamanian. The doors could be prized open and held, but not easily. I recalled the Chinese guy who dies when doing the same thing. He was climbing out of the lift when the lift suddenly dropped, crushing and killing him within a minute.
So with that in mind, I made sure to move promptly when jumping out. Not sure I would have climbed if it hadn't been stuck at a floor. That's why the guy was killed, it took some time to climb up into the gap. I moved through the gap at speed. Then the lift doors shut and off it scooted to the 8th floor while I climbed them, happy to not be inside.
What can I say about the Panama Canal that others haven't already? Of course it is impressive from an engineering perspective, as are the ships that pass through them. I've said it before, engineers are under appreciated.
I watched a container-ship called the Monrovia pass through with the help of the railed engines they have. There are photos (to come) and videos and there were some rather tasty empanadas for sale there. It cost $15 to enter the visitor centre with viewing platforms. It's way over priced, but once I had negotiated the subway and a bus to get there, I felt I had no choice.
The Panama subway is rather nice one, if generic in design. It's 21st Century technology. But the people aren't. When faced with a platform of locals, you are lucky to get off the train. As the doors open, they ignore those waiting to get off and surge forward, pushing you back into the train. I had to knock a few of the idiots to the side to get off. And I was getting off. Over their dead bodies if necessary. I'd love to see this behaviour in London. Those responsible wolf be ripped a part. The only other place I've seen this is Delhi in India. You can bring modern tech to a people, but they're still stuck in the past.
Anyway, I laughed with another more educated local, who was also thrown back. He pleased with the indigenous to let us off first but they charge forward anyway. And it was all women. As many of these women are ample of size, it was a nice challenge to disembark. I can see it being brought in to the Olympics.
Panama is a surprising city. The only city in Central America that resembles the west in any way. But it's all down to the Canal. Yesterday I went to Albrook Mall which is ONE MILE in length and extremely modern, with many up market brand names present, and many more new retail spaces waiting. I'm not sure they won't have to close before long though. The top brands, mostly clustered together in the Southern wing, are selling off all their gear. I'm sure it's only a small percentage of Panamanians that will pay the prices. Of course, there are a lot of ex-pats, gringos and foreign workers in the City but enough to sustain the costs of running upscale brand shops? Not sure. Time will tell. One or two were already closing down. Diesel for example. They had their last day yesterday according to the sign in the window.
Panama City is a fitting last stop before heading to Miami at 3am tomorrow night. That's going to be an interesting night due to the take off time if nothing else. I haven't worked out where I'll be able to grab some sleep yet, but tomorrow I'll mostly be relaxing in non sweaty environments (it's sticky hot here throughout the days and evenings). I may spend the whole day and evening in either the Casino or the Cinema with their air conditioned loveliness.
My room stay expires at 1pm tomorrow otherwise I'd wait here here with cable TV all day. It's not worth an extra $45 as far as I'm concerned, but needless to say, I'm regretting buying this "cheap" middle of the night place ticket.
I just saw an interesting thing when returning from dinner. The trash collectors were out on the streets again. There were some outdoor cabinets full of trash bags. As I passed I noticed one of the workers picking up a 6 pack from beside the trash. But it wasn't rubbish, it was some kind of tip. I watched as he added it to a previously collected gift in the cab. I wonder if it's daily or weekly.
This morning, I took the opportunity to walk the water's edge to the Old Town. It's tourist heaven. Many of the buildings remind of Mediterranean architecture. This was the capital in days gone by, now home to several nice hotels and many a gringo. Just round the back, some of the same structures lack windows and paint, the insides destroyed, many held up by scaffolding, but for how long?
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