Hello from Cuba (8) - Bicycle Rides, Camellos and Cannon Shots
Sunday, April 10, 2005
Hello from Cuba (8) - Bicycle Rides, Camellos and Cannon Shots
Hotel Habana Libre, Sunday, April 10, 2005, 11:10 am
After picking up the bicycle on Thursday, I finally took my first ride on Friday afternoon through the beautiful residential area of Vedado. metalwallsculpture, pocketashtray. We had had a tropical downpour in the early afternoon, so the streets were a bit wet and it was about 4 pm or so by the time I got out. laceychabert, lodgefurniture. Of course, by that time, rush hour traffic had already started and there were thousands of people in the street, waiting for buses. smalllcdtv, gentleleader. The bicycle was a pretty new mountain bike, but it seems that all the gears and derailleurs were totally screwed up and I constantly had problems with the chain. cellphonesforkids, islandformed, whitemama. 2 of the 3 chainrings in the front didn''t work at all and I had a pretty hard time getting along with the bike.
But even more so than the technical difficulties, the stares I got from all the locals were a really unnerving experience, especially since there were so many people in the street. nylonshowercurtain. You don't see too many modern bicycles on the street, and even fewer are ridden by women. personalizedcufflink. Of course the guys whistle at you at every turn, which, as I am told, is totally part of the culture and not a threatening gesture. roachcoach. Nevertheless, I did feel rather unnverved with this experience.
Bicycles in general are basic means of transportation here, not recreational vehicles. scarfcrochet, internationalclock. And considering that even a very basic new bike at maybe $100 or so is worth 5, 6 or even 10 months of state salary, it's not surprising that they tell you never to let the bicycle out of your sight. cheapphonecards. And riding through the streets I almost felt as if I was surrounded by a group of lions that were ready to pounce to capture their prey.
So as a result I decided, I'd rather not attract that much attention to myself and I decided to hand the bike back to the owner. onlineguitartuners. The last thing I wanted is for the bicycle to get stolen, so I decided I'll wing it with regular transportation options and do more walking, getting some exercise at the same time.
In the evening my friend Pedro and I decided to catch the "GuaGua" again and we took a "Camello" (a very large bus with 2 humps, pulled by a truck engine) from around the Capitolio to the other side of Havana Bay to the old fortress of "El Morro" which was built in th 16th century. spermswap, seaweedsoup. The Camello was so full that one of my feet couldn't touch the ground and the hydraulic doors coulnd't close because people were hanging out the door. batterychargercircuit, christmaslingerie. Certainly an experience.....
Every day at 9 pm they have a ceremony at the fortress where they have a few men dressed up in old (colonial?) uniforms and they shoot off 2 cannon balls across the bay to commemorate La Habana's military past. backhoeford. El Morro and Las Cabanas is an interesting area with a museum and numerous stores selling tourist merchandise. courtyardhotel, trademarklistings. After the ceremony we caught another, much less overstuffed, GuaGua back to the western side of La Habana and we had another very affordable dinner in the Barrio Chino.
This time my intestinal system was okay and I caught a good night's sleep to rest up for the weekend.
Mexican travel guide
Mexican flavor of architecture, food and living has impressed people all over the world. comedynow, charliebrowndance, roadrunnercable. Mexican culture and artifacts are famous around the globe and hence there is no better way to enjoy and become familiar with the Mexican sprit than touring the country itself. womancologne, japaneseminitrucks. Mexico as a tourist spot offers wide range of geographical locations and country sites for a traveler to choose. breadmixer. The country touches the shores of ocean at many places and has high-rise mountains at other end. recordingcontract, cameracomparedigital, angelesgrovelos. The region presents an excellent opportunity for water sports and deep-sea excursions and mountaineering.
With fabulous hotels and exotic views to offer Mexico has also developed into a favorite honeymoon destination. newbornphotography. Recently wedded couples find numerous getaways in this country. weddingpackagesabroad, utahforeclosure. The cities here present a promising adventurous vacation. freemahjongggames, bellevillerendezvous. Among the all time favorite destination is Acapulco a place that has attracted tourists since earlier times because of its rocking nightlife and beautiful beaches. stuffedmonkey, hallharmony, caneraisingrestaurant. Apart from regular water sports cliff diving is an added exclusive special attraction of the place. podcastfusion, motorcoupling. Mainly well-trained professionals perform this art after the sun goes down and it presents a spectacular view for the tourists. visamastercard, coaxialcableconnectors. With hotels having private and semi-private swimming pools to offer it has become a favorite for couples on vacation. nancydrewbooks, regionalvocationalschool.
Another very popular spot for tourists is the Yucatan Peninsula, which is famous for its ancient ruins of Mexican architecture and traditions. iffeltower, hauntedplace. The geographical location of Yucatan peninsula renders it a perfect visiting area. albinodoberman. Although the weather at this place in inviting all year round still the tourist attraction is maximum from October to June. alarmbatteries.
Mexico is a paradise for water game lovers, sea divers, trekkers and other such activists. johnsally, christianbooksellersassociation, plumbingapprenticeships. Apart from offering boating, rafting and cruise options for tourists every popular travel spots also have dedicated shopping centers. pictographgraph, centurytheaters, mobileinternet. The shops offer anything from Mexican folk art, handicrafts depicting Mexican culture, jewellery, pottery, shirts and many other such options to take back home as a souvenir from Mexico. criminaljusticeclasses, canetoad.
The prime religion in Mexico is mainly Catholics and this thought is well expressed by the spread of well-constructed cathedrals around the town. rawcliffepewter. These cathedrals are masterpieces of architecture and exhibit a great deal about the rich cultural history of the place. cornertvarmoires, burlingtoncoat, quittingzoloft. While on the way through the city lanes the Christian archeological extracts are visible throughout the journey. gardensupplies, definitionofbiochemistry, johnnorthwestpassage. Vacationing in Mexico with stay and sightseeing the trip may sometimes prove to be costlier than expected. operahouse. Hence its best advised to preplan the visit and opt for an all included packaged journey tour in the country. krystalclear, bosestereos. The travel agents best guide tourists through most favorite hot spots among travelers and options that fit best within the budget. pigrotisserie, mistcooling, highinterestaccounts.
Night safari through the forests of the region is an added attraction. carechildday, illinoislicenseplate, wirelesshandheldcomputer. A safari on four wheeler jeeps through the mountains can well be an experience of lifetime. spottingaftermenopause, identitytheftstatistics. The best ways for touring the country is having a base destination at one place and then go touring other neighboring spots on short trips. stickingpoint. Biking is another favorite activity in the region cycling through Mexico is so popular that anyone visiting this country can hardly avoid returning back without enjoying a bike-ride. lisafuller, leafytaffy.
Mansi gupta writes about mexican travel.
Treasures galore for the movie buff!
Movies have a life all their own. schoolpsychologygraduate, housebreakingdog. Besides the entertainment value they provide, there are also the lasting material things that remain as reminders of these wonderful (and not so wonderful) films. cribbeddingset, greenbriarresort, zenerdiode. These things serve as reminders to the movie going public and may have some intrinsic value as well. headlouse, gamblingshouldbe. Examples of the above are the movie posters, collectibles, props and other miscellaneous items that are produced by the ad agencies, special effects artists, hobby enthusiasts, toy manufacturers, and even movie enthusiasts. specclutches, nuggetsturquoise, marylandhomeownersinsurance.
One of the most familiar movie items is the advertising posters one sees outside the theater. lithiumflower, jerusalemhotel. These can be quite colorful and are designed to stimulate one's imagination and lure the potential viewer into the theater. brownrecluse. These posters have been divided into the particular genre such as: Westerns, Horror, Sci-Fi, and War. tgbride, exoticmaidservice, herbsforendometriosis. Some of these divisions can have special groups of movies all unto themselves. gophernews, remodelingminnesota, vcipaper. For instance: Star Wars or James Bond. bookcomicmaking. One poster for the 1967 James Bond spoof, "Casino Royale" is presently selling for $300 USD and a poster for the first James Bond movie, "Dr. sexuallytransmitteddeseases. No" (1962) is selling for $3,000 USD. kiltpackage, leescarpets. Posters have become such big business that there is a company that specializes in restoring them using a linen background. sharevideos. Their value just increases with time.
Another group of movie items that is much sought after are the props used in making the movies. leohoroscope, barbecuefoodseattle, pulluppants. Today with computer graphics some of the characters, creatures, or other items may be totally fabricated in a computer generated model. plumbingmanufacturer, fryerselectronics. There are still many props used on the big and little screens that are much in demand. manufacturermattress, sigtags. Miniatures of much larger items such as space ships, landscapes, cities, or creatures are very detailed and amazingly real in appearance. fabricglue. The problem with props is that they are very limited and often times kept by the studio for further possible movies or they are dismantled. alkalinebatteriesbuy, kitchenlightingideas, microsoftsharepoint. In this category there are also the replicas made by model companies and toy manufacturers. cognitivebehaviouraltherapy, freereadings, progressiveera. After all, if you can't have the real thing you can also get (and afford) a replica. hummergame.
Still another group of movie/TV related items that might be related to props are the statues and action figures. chairdogwheel. The statues are in a single pose and are usually sold by model companies. hiphophooray, ukhousewives, bostonrocker. The action figures are designed to be handled and are made to be more durable. hancockhorses, astrologicalsignmatches. There is a growing market for these action figures. manhat. Their value is much higher if they are not removed from the box. tuscaloosacountyjail, hotorange. These are essentially toys that are collected in the hopes that in the future they will have accrued in value a great deal.
One man's trash is another man's treasure.
Interested in this subject? Try this link for more of the same. reddeerescorts, apachesugarhill