Most Liked Travel Blogs (264)

.....on the way, stopover on the lovely Azores, for the hikes around volcanic Lago Azul, and highlands. Perhaps around all of Sao Miguel Island. Inviting all my CS septuagenarian homies. Younger ones as well, by invitation only. Dogs and women need not apply. Feliz Navidad.

....Looks like millionaire auto CEO Carlos Ghosn was able to stroll right out of his home in Japan, while under house surveillance, and via private jet, high tailed it back to once beautiful Lebanon, where he has family, friends in high places and one of several passports. Just like you and me, no? This man, charged in Japan for corrupt activities, now may be hunted in most of the non bribable world, but is safe in Beirut. So once again, as with child sex practitioner Roman Polansky, now protected by Poland, it's another case of "money talks", but there have been surprises. Ecuador Embassy allows UK cops to, in one short visit, vastly improve the noise levels and hygiene in their building. And the Mossad has brought back Nazi's to Israel. I've actually thought this topic through. It's been years since I had my sights on the homosexual men in the Roman Catholic Church who had their ways with many of us altar boys. Ruining, and in some cases ending, many otherwise promising lives. Thankfully, I'm long over all that, and was able to punch the crap out of these deviants where it hurts most, in the wallet. But I did think of where one could get away with "high crimes, and misdemeaners", decades ago. Apparently, still lots of such places, world wide. And as did Israel, the USA/CIA and others have paid little visits to a number of creeps in many places. One person's creep, another one's hero, though.

Well. A trip could be on the cards? I'm floating the idea out there. The idea appeals to me. The only state i've been to is Florida - which was a so-so experience - it was the last holiday i went on with my folks as a teenager

Where, and what would you recommend to do, should i ever make the trip

Emirates airline has asked staff to take voluntary paid and unpaid leave as the effects of the coronavirus across the world ramps up.

The Dubai-based carrier halted most flights to China and suspended operations to Iran, the epicentres of the coronavirus.

Following Saudi Arabia's decision to temporarily suspend issuing tourist visas to people in countries badly hit by the coronavirus outbreak, Emirates stopped flying tourists from more than 20 countries to the kingdom, the company’s biggest market in the Middle East.

An email to staff described a “measureable slow-down in business across our brands” and called for “flexibility in the way we work”.

A spokesperson for Emirates said: “We can confirm the email was sent to our employees around unpaid leave due to the difficult business conditions.”

German airline Lufthansa on Friday announced that it expects to reduce its flights by up to 25 percent in the coming weeks due to the increasing spread of the new coronavirus.

Due to the "accelerated spread of the coronavirus" the company said it would have to cut the numbers of its short- and medium-haul flights by up to a quarter and ground 23 of its long-haul planes.

The International Civil Aviation Organisation has said that the virus outbreak could mean a $4-5 billion drop in worldwide airline revenue.

As you might know by now, I am set to go to New York in less than two months. I have run into a small complication: The person I am supposed to visit, isn't responding to any of my messages. I was promised a message a few weeks ago, but that never came. I know she's active, because she're replying to other people - just not me, so I might face a cancellation. There is just one problem: My ticket is non-refundable.

What I COULD do, is find an air bnb, and stay there, if it's not too expensive. I'll decide in the coming days. If I haven't heard back from my friend by the end of the week, I am looking into changing the trip. There's also the whole corona virus thing. I am not worried, since good hygiene will keep the virus at bay. I am also probably too healthy to get the virus

.....Cheap guys like me are used to travelling to Portugal several times a year, for under USD 500, RT. And on some great carriers, just by booking early. Getting bombarded with email adverts from booking agents, touting great deals. RT to the Azores from Logan, for USD 1,300. Do we ever have a deal for you. Supply and demand.

I had the dream again last night; the same dream I have had for countless nights; the dream that haunts my waking hours. I am on a packed rush hour bus travelling through a busy city centre and I am naked from the waist down, save for a pair of muddy walking boots. All the seats are occupied and I am forced to stand in the aisle, right next to an attractive young woman whose thumbs are moving like lightening on the keys of her smart phone. Is she snap chatting about me? She gives away no sign of even noticing my presence, but what must she be thinking?

I didn’t really have that dream, but I know I will, one night.

Tag: rhymes w/ buffalo.

Buffalo gals / Springsteen
.. Bethlehem steel / Grant Lee Buffalo
Darkest darks, Lightest lights / white buffalo
For what it's worth / buffalo springfield
.. expecting to fly../ ..Ibid.
Buffalo soldier / Marley
... Total.} Positive Friction / Donna the Buffalo
A R ] S O U L . S A G A.../ Q. Jones...

When we were globe trotting in Russia, after the same in China, I and she who must be obeyed, via the trans Siberian train, just after the country dissolved, under the weight of the Gipper's Star Wars competition, stayed with a lovely couple, in an arrangement some decades before Air B 'n B. The economy was in tatters, even worse than under the planned economy, the remnants of which were being gobbled up by slimy proto oligarchs. The purveyor of sleeper coach train tickets, a firm called Monkey Business, in still free Hong Kong, were also middle humans for folks in Moscow and Leningrad, who wanted to earn a bit by doubling up with friends, while their humble apartments were rented out.
Now, these retirees were university professors, so were relatively well off. Their residence, and appliances, were eye openers, certainly by comparison with Soviet arms and space technology. And of things here in the West. Elevator to sixth floor only ran now and again, with sparks from the floor choice button panel. Sticks were there on string to press the buttons. Same with appliances and heating. I could go on, but nuff said.
So, in my purchase on line of a new travel portable radio, somehow on eBay, I got sent to listings of vintage Soviet era short wave portables. The top of the line was the "Ocean 214-Meridian" . Reading up on it and looking at the pics, it seemed like the same sort of junk.
The Chinese now make many such units, and well reviewed ones, with performance and features, even MPV recording, cost less than 20 USD delivered. Two weeks later, from Shen Zhen, that would be. But products with similar features, with German and Japanese brand names, are made in China as well these days, with value, but marginal quality control. Get a good one, and it's well worth the price. What to do?
I tell this story, in part to be my usually narcissistic show offy self. But also to show my personal experience with so called communism. China is so in name only, and in one party statist lack of personal freedoms that we all take for granted. Russia, not so much.
The Ukrainians make a knock off BWM look alike bike, with side car, but it's also soon a piece of rusty junk, for those who have them here in Maine.
Cautionary tales, for all here. Especially for the deluded TD-HD Syndrome alt lefties of God's world. And then there are Honk Kong, and soon Taiwan.

There are times when I think my GPS is working against me. Let's say I'm going to an appointment a few cities from me. I'll input the address and the GPS will calculate the distance, route, travel time and expected arrival time. That sounds good so far... This is what a GPS is supposed to do.
Usually, if there is an accident or delaying conditions, my GPS will notify me and usually sometimes offer a detour or 2nd route around the trouble.
Most times, I can guess the travel time to any new appointments and leave earlier than what the GPS has calculated, because it's important to arrive before a meeting, rather than late to one.
I don't do the speed limit. I'm not excessive, but 5 miles per hour over the posted limit is my normal. Unless, I'm in a zone that's a speed trap, 5mph more seems to be what most of the traffic around me will do.
What I don't understand about my GPS is when I'm in the express lane of the highway doing more than 20 miles per hour over the posted limit and I'm 'cranking it' for nearly half the way to my destination, with no delays or slow traffic holding me up... do I show up several minutes past the time it told me at the beginning of the trip.


It defaults to fastest route and there are times my GPS recommends a back road that takes me into a 30mph area and also a 20mph school zone. No, no, no, I'm taking the highway.

The GPS app is resident to my Android phone and I'm told Google updates on a regular basis which is different to the GPS in my car, so I use the cellphone GPS and the car GPS only for map functions and to alert me of posted speed zones.

Wouldn't you expect the GPS... any GPS to calculate duration based on posted speed limits and not what chatillion thinks he can get away with? Yeah, I didn't think so!