Back to the Future

OK...so by the title you probably guessed I traveled in time like Michel J. Fox in the movie ¨Back to the Future¨.
Well it´s not my first traveling in time since I already been in Japan, which means 10 further.
But this time, oh boy..... it wasn´t 10 years traveling in time it was more like 50 years back to the past.



Well... my first experience with the cuban people was in Cancun airport, the minute I showed up and found my line some idiot cuban worker came and said the flight canceled because the plane crashed down. What the fuck... ?!!!! but after few moments another more normal worker came and said the original plane had a technical problem so they only have a small plane, which means some people will have to stay the night over, and come for the morning flight.

I were the first to volunteer since they offered a room in hotel, meals and transportation. One more party night in Cancun and in a private room and bathroom after who knows how many nights in dorms. So who would say no to that ?!




The hotel was really cool and the day after I took the flight which also delayed. After 5 hours in the airport finally we were in the air on the way to Havana. During the flight, suddenly out of no where lots of smoke came beneath the seat next to me, I was thrilled for the dramatic scene but someone relaxed us very fast and said it´s a smoke from the air condition and it´s totally normal, the smoke stopped after a minute.

Some things you should know about Cuba, that took me a while to understand are:
Casa - In cuba they don´t have chip hostels, only big expensive hotels or the other option is a casa particular, which means you go to family house and they renting you a room in their house. Normally the rooms are big with furnitures, TV, fridge, Air-Con, private bathroom and breakfast for 20 CUC (a bit more than 20 bucks). So what you need to do to find one is to walk in the streets with your big giant bag untill someone will offer you a casa or to look for the sign that means room for rent.



CUC - Convertible Cuban Pesos, they have 2 kinds of money, the cuban pesos money for the locals and the CUC for the tourists. 1 CUC = 25 Pesos.
For example a horse carriage taxi on the streets will cost the locals 1 peso, but for me as a tourist it will cost 1 CUC.
Sometimes I managed to get by just like a local, for example I paid 2 pesos for haircut and tipped 5 more pesos totally 0.35 cents !!!
I even managed to get my self food in local restaurants for 1 dollar. So yeah you can live chip over there but the casas are real expense, especially when you travel alone.

Jinoteres - buggers people, the cubans are really nice and they will take you and show you famous places but then they gonna ask you a mojito, a beer, dippers for the baby, or just some money. Well yeah... they kind of poor (definitely not like in Nicaragua since all the cuban has something to eat, a place to live and clothes to wear) but the way they are doing it to get the money from you is disgusting. Their nicest eventually will cost you money. One more thing is that they always do is trying to full you up with the change, put more things on your bill so you will have to pay more.

I spent 4 nights in Havana which I hated, 3 days in the lovely city Varadero that has more tourists than cubans and great awesome beaches almost like Tulum in Mexico. Over there I met Shelley (same name like my sister but she spell it different), a Canadian girl (yeah, she doesn´t looks like since her parents from Korea). She had a motorcycle and we explored the peninsula together.









I also met there Alberto Argentinian guy that his parents from Syria, we had a few drinks and smoked cuban cigars.





At night I moved to a small boring town called Santa Clara, that all this town has is some Che Gevara monuments.
And as always, I got arrested by the police, this time I had a copy of my passport on me but it wasn´t enough for them so take took me to the station, and after explaining and making a phone call to the family in my casa they let me go. The police officers were really nice compare to the other police officers I met in central america, but not as nice as the Japanese police officers.



My next stop was Trinidad small town but ugly like Havana. The streets looks like the market (SHOCK) of Netanya, everything is dirty and the building looks like wrecks. Near Trinidad there is some beautiful nature I checked by riding on a horse, and there is a nice beach, 12 km far called Playa Ancon. I took some local train to get there, but it pulled for like in the half way so I had to walked in the desert till a horse carriage came and picked me up all the way to the playa.
Since I lost my World-Cup hat, I got myself sun burn and at night I was dead sick with puking and diarrhea.











A day after I felt better and moved to Cienfegus a big really nice city with some great parts that wouldn´t be ashamed to compare to Paris. I found casa at some old grandma who took care of my sickness, she gave me rice, fruits and even ice-cream. I recovered fast and started drinking again.



From there I moved back to Havana and catched my flight back to Cancun.

Happy Passover

OK... so it was like 2 weeks since my last update, and I spent them in Cancun and then back to the most amazing place so far, Playa Del Carmen and back again to Cancun for the Seder.

In this 2 weeks John (the Canadian guy) left back home, and I met Alon, good ARS guy from Bat-Yam. We had some snorkeling in stalactite caves, too many crazy parties, girls, too much alcohol and we even snicked into 5 stars hotels using there jacuzzi, watching the dolphins, eating steaks and drinking champagne, in 2 words Great Fucxxxx Time.

I was also went to a great show of bullfighting, a big bull turning into a steak, you could see the blood sparkling all over and how the bull is bleeding to death until the Matador stick the sword right in the center of the bull´s head. After the bull is totally dead they cut the ears and throw it to the crowd, so I hold the bleeding ears and took some photos with it.

The Lel Seder (Passover) was ok but not as I accepted it to be, I had to pay 18 dollars as a student else its 33 (well, you can pay less since its like a donation but then they give you the bad eye). It was in 5 stars hotel really cool place but the plates, glasses and SAKUM was from plastic and the food was horrible, actually when I think of it there was no food only chicken soup and chicken as main dish, with no side dish. well one good thing the Mazot was the best I have ever ate and the wine definitely maid the job. The Rabai read the AGADA, DEY BE HAUA and we sang some songs. It was really nice to meet once again all the israelis I met in other places in Mexico.

Very regretfully, since there was no food and I was still dead hungry, I had to end up my day with a Hot-Dog (probably even maid from pork). haa... and also the beers I had that day, so not even couple of Kosher hours for me.

Finally after a long journey, over too many electricity stores and checking around I found myself a small tiny, second hand camera, (probably stolen, but who gives a shit) just as I like. I found it in some dangerous street where all the drug addicts that steel stuff come to sell it for cheep. So now I have a cool IXUS 60 with 1 Giga SD card for only 140 bucks.

Hag Sameach from Cancun, Mexico
Eran

A picture is worth a thousand words - Cancun

Party time....

Well, wow... Playa Del Carmen, the most crazy party place ever in the world, even crazier than Thailand.
The drunkenness American and Canadian girls are so fucking crazy when they get drunk and oh... boy the stuff they do...!!!
So...I have been in almost every bar, club, disco and party over there and getting drunk until 06:00 AM every single day for 5 days.
Besides dealing with the hang over each morning my day was pretty boring, until the night after.

But in my last day in Playa Del Carmen I went to some Cenote (kind of lake) place which is similar to the SACHNE in Israel, I was snorkeling over there and also jumped from 4 meter cliff. I got to Cancun which suppose to be really dangerous at night, (I met a guy who almost got beaten to death, all his face is blue and purple) but I was walking there all by my own and felt really secure.

I went to the Coco Bungo club, more then 3000 people in a huge club with shows of the Matrix, Michel Jackson, Queen, Guns n Roses, The Mask and so on...
Great party, great dancing and once again tons of Americans, it was awesome.
The day after I hang around the beaches of Cancun, and took the ferry to Isla Mujeres.

 

In Isla Mujeres I rented a bicycles and explored the whole island, there is a turtle farm with huge sea turtles and also a cat shark that you can go and swim with it in the water.

I was holding the shark and a sea hedgehog (kipod yam) and had some pics with it.

 

Isla Mujeres is a quite tiny island with many israelis and a few israeli restaurants, good atmosphere that you can hooked to it really easy. Basically what we did is there is getting drunk, watching movies, soccer games and even the Maccabi game on the internet.

 

chao till next time,

EK

Viva Mexico

So, after being in Lanqin playing volleyball, chess (and yeah... wining once again, Elad), and doing the tubes, Me and Dotan (israeli guy I met on the hostel) left to Flores another town in Gutemalla. We went to see the temples of the MAYA people at the sun rise which mean to get up at fucking 02:30 AM, we got to the site at 05:00 and because of a lousy weather with too much fog, we couldn't see the sun rise but we heard all the jungle animals waking up, which was really nice. Then we explored all the Tikal site for 9 more hours and on the way we saw some monkeys, toucans and even a tarantula that I hold on my hands.

The Foggy Day at 05:00 AM

The day after me and Dotan left to Mexico, we took a shuttle bus that goes all the way throw Belize. Belize border was fucking expensive they charge from Israelis, Japanese, Swiss, and Brazilians 50 bucks (all the others nationalities can cross for free) for visa to get throw and yeah... only for one day pass so now if I´ll go there I will have to pay 50 dollars again.
On the way out from the country they charge 15 bucks more but this they take from all nationalities. well it was very expensive country for a very short visit.

Viva Mexico, ho yeah baby, if I said on Roatan - Honduras heaven on earth I guess that was only the intro, since Tulum and Playa Del Carmen are THE BEST PLACES EVER.

Take the best postcard you have ever seen in your life add to this girls in tiny bikinis, topless MILF, music, pineapple, bananas, nachos and corona beers, is there anything else missing in that equation, well I guess not.

We (Dotan, John and me) spent 4 days in Tulum on the beach, snorkeled and visiting the Maya ruins in Tulum then we moved to Playa Del Carmen, which is just like a normal American town with Starbucks, Wall Mart, MacDonald's and fancy hotels. ¨Back to Civilization, baby...¨ as John define it.

Adrenaline Day

OK, dudes I had today the most crazy day ever in my life, oh boy what a day...

I went to Samuc Champey fucking awesome place, at first we went inside a cave half full of water, it's totally dark inside so you get a candle that always dripping on you hot wax (which is kind of nice :->, if u know what I mean). You have to swim inside the darkness with one hand holding the candle and you always get stack in sharp rocks.
You can actually feel how Rambo felt on the movie Fist Blood in 1982, when he hide in the cave from the maniac sheriff.

Anyhow, after swimming, climbing on some waterfalls (still inside the cave), we get to the highlight of the cave which is jumping from a cliff to a small tiny pool. And yeah... as you all probably guessed it, me and my stupidity judgement, I had to jump it. It was totally craziness shit, and some how I managed to survive. (relax, many did it before me, although many others didn't, well the guide said it's safe). aha... and yeah I was the only stupid israeli who did it.

After the cave we did the tubes (ABOVIM), which was also nice since there was high current because it rained the day before.
Then we went to a 6 meters bridge and only the crazy mother fuckers jumped from that bridge even tough the rough current, and yeah once again I fucking did it (Sorry mom, dad & Savti, for not keeping my promise).

It wasn't the end since after all that crazy stuff we did, we went to see the rough waterfall, swim in the amazing turquoise color pools, and hike to the view point where you can see them all from above.

In conclusion, fucking adrenaline day !!!

Happy Purim

Hola, so... I spend more than a week in San Pedro a tiny village full of Israelis. I ate in a resort called ZooLa (the palace where Yehoda & Ninet crashed in when they were in Guatemala) almost every kind of israeli food you can think off, like Falafel, Humus, Sabij, Jerusalem Mix and Shaksuka.

Lake Atitlan with the locals of San Pedro doing the laundry.

San Pedro is a very chip town you can retire and go out pension, most of the day you are spending by watching movies, football games, drinking beer and parties at night in the Buddha Bar.

And when you get bored from that you just rent a kayak, going hiking and riding a horse.

And if that took too much pressure on your mussels you can just go and do the Hot Stone Massage which was the most relaxing experience I have ever had, by a cute girl named Andrea from Canada. (Elran you should go there only for massage).

After San Pedro I went to a nice local town, Panajachel which is also located on lake Atitlan, it was full of local tourists and it was totally full because of the Semana Santa which is the most holly week in the year, even more than Christmas. It was a big operation to find hotel for a decent price, but wow... the parties over there was awesome.

Right Now, I am in Lanquin, a tiny village located on a river, I'm staying in a El Retiro a great resort totally green and with ecological bathroom, which mean you have to dump into a hole and after to throw some lime powder on it against the smell. I guess they use it not to pollute the river.

This morning I also explored Lanquin Caves, which is a 500 meters long with full of bats.

till next time,
Nos vamos,
Eran

Bienvenido a Guatemala

Hola from Guatemala,

So... I have been in Antigua, which is a nice city and they had the Santa Semana holiday while I was there which was totally cool.

Tons of Guatemalan people that came for the holiday, 3 times bigger than our independence day.


I also went to Volcano Packaya which was awesome, you get really close to the lava you actually can touch it, I brought with me some lighters, hot dogs and marshmallow.

I trow the lighters to the lava and it maid great explosion, I baked hot dogs on the lava and even maid some good marshmallow.

Movie from the Pakaya: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ5XHJhS6tI

The lava is floating like in the movies and it almost melt my shoes and fell all over me.







John a friend I met in Nicaragua came to meet me here and we went to San Pedro a small hipi´s town, that sits right next to Atitlan Lagoon, it´s full of Israelis, and I even found here a good Humus and Falafel.

up until next time, Shalom,
EK

The Last week in Honduras

So... the last week in Roatan was totally great I met Felix from Germany, Anna from England, Nico from Italy and Leo from Guatemala.
The last guy Leo was totally cool, smoking joints for breakfast and pretty much all day long. Nico always cooked for us Italian food, pizza and pasta, and even Felix and Anna cooked for me dinner once, also pasta with great red wine.

One of my day I even burn on a 6 hours chess games with a very old guy from Canada named Gee, he lives most of the year on this island, and already traveled in half of the world except Israel (but I guess he will come over after what I told him).
Anyway, yeah Elad I even manage to beat him few times, and he said I am a good competitor.

After Roatan island and my diving course, me Leo and Nico left to Copan Ruinas to see the Maya temples, which was nice I guess, but only to said been there done that. The day after I went to lovely spa place on nature, hot burning waterfall, which was fucking amazing.

The day after I took a shuttle bus for a 6:30 hours on the road, it was a nightmare but I guess much easier than the last borders I crossed on local buses. I got to Antigua in Guatemala at 18:30 and found out that my fucking giant bag got broken, so I had to carry it on one shoulder. (looks like a sign to finish my trip and come back home). But don't worry I won't come back so soon because of a bag, I found today a tailor (actually he was SANDLAR) and he fixed my bag, (it was only one plastic that got broken) so I can continue traveling.

From first site of one day around the city, Guatemala looks pretty much as all the other center America cities, but one good thing then the other cities I have been so far it reminds me Thailand since they have here lots of restaurants that shows the latest movies from the cinema.
And... actually I just found myself the great American restaurant in the whole wide world... oh yeah, I bet you guessed it, the one and only Macdonald's. They have it all in here, TV showing the champions league soccer games, 5 computers free of charge Internet with LCD screen, and of course great delicious meals.
What can a man ask for more ?
Well, they did give a mess a bit, since I had to find how to cross over their firewall that blocks the entry of all kind of web based email, so after reading a while and doing homework I managed to log in to my GMAIL.

More from Guatemala will come up soon, up until then adios,
EK

Bienvenido a Honduras

Hola from heaven on earth, Roatan Island.

 

Where the sand is white and shine like gold, the water is clear and transparent more the Mei Eden bottle and the tourists are rich American with tons of dollars. Yeah, it's not a backpackers place but it's definitely a great nice island to visit and to make a diving course.

 

Oh yeah, I took the diving course which was fucking amazing, great adventure with lots of practise underwater what to do in case of emergency like you have no air, no mask or if you losing all you gear.

I even had to read a huge book in English and to had an exam, I nearly failed, I got only 76 while the pass is from 75.

Anyway, the reef here is great, nice giant fish with tons of colors, and the feeling is like swimming in aquarium.

 

My first night in Honduras was in the capital city Tegucigalpa, I met 3 Israelis that just came from this haven (Roatan Island) and they told me not to miss it. So basically we talked and played cards all the evening and then at 23:00 we felt hungry and I suggested to go out to have some food even tough the lonely planet says be careful it's a dangerous city and all that shit.

The other Israelis didn't like the idea but I managed to convince the guy to come with me and that we will bring some food for us and the girls that was too afraid to come out with us. So after the guy took a pepper spray (GAS MADMIAA - in case we will get attack) of his girlfriend, we went out from the hostel and started to walk 25 meters, then I saw a nice decent guy, looks good with cellular and asked him in Spanish "Besculpe Senyor donde esta el comida?" (Excuse me sir, where is food?) he didn't look at me at the first time so I asked more loudly the same question, then he just put two fist in the air and get into a combat position like he want to attack me. When I saw this I got panic and cross the street, after 2 seconds the police came out of no where.

At first I was so happy, wow what a great protection and safe city, but then 3 police officers came out of the car and each one of them grabbed one of us (one on the local guy, and two on me and the other Israeli guy). The police did a body search on us, and we felt like Arabics in the SHTACHIM. The police asked us for passport and we both didn't have it on us, I tried to convince them in my broken Spanish to come to our hotel which is only 25 meters from the incident, but with no luck. They wanted to arrest us and take us to the police station, but after 10 minutes of explaining to them that we are sorry and it will not happen again and it's my first night in Honduras and I just went out to grab some food, and my passport is not on me because it's dangerous to carry it on in this danger city, and all that shit. I just told them ok let me go back to sleep, I'm sorry and they just let us go. We had luck somehow but unfortunately we went to bed hungry and on empty stomach.

 

till next time, Adios,

EK

Last night in Nicaragua

Long time no speak since my mind was busy on other things.
Carmel left me to Costa Rica, and I´m all alone once again but I hope only till my next stop in Honduras.
I wanted to cross the border today but it was too late, so I had to stay the night in small local town that seems like I am the only tourist in here, but for the first time after 2 months I found myself a giant room with Hot shower (yeah, up until now since Montaverde in Costa Rica I was showering in cold water).

In the last week and a half me and Carmel was in Granada and San Juan Del Sur. In Granada me and Eddie found some good night life and discotechs which was really fun, and we went to one of the lakes of Nicaragua and played some chess, yeah, once again I won.

San Juan Del Sur is an amazing place with great beach and we spend there the last week, nice clear very cold water and beautiful beach. Most of the time me and Carmel got ourselves drunk with beers, slept the afternoon and watched movies in our great room that I used to clean everyday.

In the weekend we had a huge party of Harley Davidson bikers from all over america, it's was so cool to see there pices and many came from all over central america. Finally a good party like in israel that you pay entry and then have free drinks all night.

see ya,
EK

Nica - Ragua

Hola mi amigos, ¿que paso? (Shalom my friends, MA KORE ?)
Aki para Nicaragua todo bien (here in Nicaragua everything is good).

So...my last week was so chilled out and Tranquilo, Carmel (a cute girl I met in Israel that came to travel with in Nicaragua), me and Eddie (Turkish guy that lives in Munich and we met in the hostel) got hooked up to the Lazy Bones Hostel, because of the swimming pool.
But...since I can´t sit to much on my ass while doing nothing I went to sand boarding which was suppose to be real fast and cool but I lost my balance all the time and rolled over in the sand couple of times and lost all the momentum, even though it was pretty nice view of a volcano and good attraction.
The day after I took them by force (since I got so bored sitting all day on the air mattress in the pool and reading a book I got from Tomer, Israeli guy that had so much weight and couldn´t carry his bug) to Leon Vicho (the old Leon city that got ruined after the volcano explode) it was nice and it´s was nice expirence to see the poor village of Nicaragua.


The weekend we spent in Los Paintes nice peacful village that sit right on the beach, we had fucking close room to the water you could hear the waves all night (MAMASH BE MERCHAK YERIKA ME AYAM).

It was so peacful and quite, I almost finished the book I got (as you all know I never ever read a book in my life!). In the rest of the time we played checkers with one of Nicaraguan employee that always bits us, and chess between each other (me & Eddie).
BTW: 4 wins in a row, so prepare yourself Elad!
We also drunk lots of cocktails & beers while getting tan and listening to mp3 music.


Right now, we are in Granada another city that I already been here but never had the chance really to travel in it. Granada really reminds me the classic Europe since it all looks like from the middle age (YEMI ABENAEEM) just like in Amsterdam, Barcelona or even Paris, but of course they have here tons (as many as we have street cats in Israel) of street dogs dying for food and a lot of dirt and sewage that floating in the middle of the street.


thats all for now,
EK

The living in Nicaragua

Till now Nicaragua looks so much different from Panama and Costa Rica, it's a poor country and lots of kids here are working in the streets selling food, drinks and anything they can, just to make a small profit. The other kids just will walk around you until you gonna give them a coin, unfortunately many of this kids are sleeping in the streets.
Lots of women here are also selling almost anything while they carry the basket on their head with no hands, basically it's like a mobile PIZUZZEIA (you can find in the basket fruits, drinks, chocolate bars and cigarettes).

In the last week (I spoke so much English until my teeth hurt) I went with Andy (the Canadian guy) to Masaya and we saw the active Volcano of Masaya which was pulling out so much gas and to some caves that maid after the last explosion of the mountain in 2002.
For the first time in my life I even saw a baseball game, (the national sport here) between Managua (the capital city) to Masaya it ends up 6:0 and Managua won the championship.

After Masaya city we went to Leon, another great city which was the Capital city of all the Latins America countries, until one of the wars.
I have here the best hotel I have ever had, (since I landed in the area) with swimming pool, pool table, free international calls, hammocks all over, 5 pc´s for free internet and last but not list a cable TV with DVD for only 6 bucks a night in dorms.

Yesterday I catched another chicken fight and gambled a bit (with some German guy). I won twice and one was drew, this time the place was authentic but I came with an organized tourists group (I took it only because of the atmosphere and the free booze that was include in the package). But... as a big idiot I went their on empty stomach (which was probably good because that's why I didn´t had anything to puke) and got my self so fucking drunk from beer and some other see trow local drink. In the end I found myself with all the tourists in a restaurant while they were eating I was sleeping with head on the table and they loughed at me on how israelis good in gambling but don't know how to drink.

till next time, adios
Eran