I got my private pilots license (PPL) flying a Cessna 172S. I primarily trained with Aspen Flying Club at Centennial Airport (KAPA), in addition to a number of training flights originating from Western Air Flight Academy at Rocky Mountain Metro Airport KBJC. My solo cross country training flights were from Centennial KAPA down to Pueblo KPUB then onto LaJunta KLHX and back to Centennial KAPA. I also completed night VFR flights from Centennial KAPA up to Fort Collins KFNL. Also, lots of laps between Centennial KAPA and The Colorado Air and Space Port KCFO.
Training in the Denver Metro area was certainly interesting. I gained a good amount of experience flying in congested and convoluted airspace, handling the unique mountain and plains weather patterns we have, as well as well as navigating around our many military and other restricted areas.
Interested in learning to fly? Happy to talk to you about my personal experience with flight training any time!
This September, I had the opportunity to explore Panama with H. A few pics, and our trip notes.
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Thu Sept 13
Flew Denver to Ft. Lauderdale
Tight connection
Flew Ft. Lauderdale to Panama City
Took Uber to Casco Viejo AirBnB
Finally got in bed in AirBnB around 3am. Slept!
Fri Sept 14
Woke up late in Casco Viejo AirBnB
Walked around near our airbnb and found Super Gourmet – got good coffee and tasty breakfast.
Did big walk around Casco Viejo and then out to the main shopping street in Panama City
Learned about Black Weekend shopping deals
Got Uber to Obarrio neighborhood to get Venezuelan empanadas and arepas. Watched huge huge rainstorm
Walked Obarrio for a while and then got uber under spiral building back to Casco Viejo
Got tacos at Tacos Del Nata
Had moment of relaxation at AirBnB
Went to Jazz place at American Trade Hotel but decided it was too dead
Went across street to casco Casa and had a drink on slippery rooftop bar
went down to first floor for gold dusted quarto leches desert
Back to AirBnB to sleep
Sat Sept 15
Woke up in Casco Viejo AirBnB
Had breakfast at SuperGourmet in Casco Viejo
Got Uber to Panama Canal Miraflores Locks.
Got to locks and realized we were too early to see boats
Got back in Uber and took Uber to Metropolitan Park.
Did rainforest hike in the metro park to city lookout, and got caught in massive rainstorm.
Got scared by roaring animal in trees.
Finished hike and got back in Uber to try to get Japanese Ramen for lunch.
Got to Ramen restaurant but it was closed.
Eventually ended up at Mina Concept store for brunch
Got Uber back to Miraflores Locks at Panama Canal
Saw lots of boats going through locks
Learned a lot about new 2016 mega locks
Entertained by boats going through locks.
Were unimpressed by museum exhibits.
Got Uber back to Casco Viejo.
Went for walk around casco viejo and fount sloth chocolate place
Went to so-so ramen restaurant for dinner
got froyo at super complete froyo place
Went back to AirBnB and went to bed.
Sun Sept 16
Woke up at AirBnB in Panama City Casco Viejo
Packed up and checked out of AirBnB.
Walked to American Trade Hotel Cafe for THE BEST Cafe Americanos we’ve ever had .
Got cheap Uber to Albrook Airport, on old Air Force base.
Flew small Jet from Panama City to David
Met other travel couple on our flight. Shared taxi from David Airport to Boquete. Dropped off couple at their AirBnB and then got dropped off at Casa Azul.
Checked in to Casa Azul
Got lunch and milkshakes and watermelon water and ginger molasses cookies at Sugar and Spice in town.
Found the collective bus depot and got bus up the Three Waterfalls trail.
Hiked 3 waterfalls trail
Encountered newlywed honeymooning Israeli couple swimming at the top of waterfall number 2.
Slipped through lots of mud. Finished waterfall hike
Waited a bit for the bus which never came. Hitchiked back to town with two kids in a pickup truck,
Got dropped off at the Boquete Brewery
Had beers and fries at Boquete Brewery.
Went back to Casa Azul to shower and change
Walked back into town to get dinner at Retro Gusto restaurant after deciding Boulder 54 was too swanky for town
Sleep
Mon Sept 17
Day in Boquete hiking, coffee tour, and hanging out with Franka
Quetzal Trail, Coffee Tour, Panamonte Dinner
Woke up at Casa Azul and had homecooked breakfast and played with super great doggie Rusty.
Took a Collective bus from the supermarket in Boquete up to the top of the loop to get dropped off at the quetzal trail
Hiked for an hour and a half on quetzal trail
Saw jungle farms and sheep
Checked out deep cloud forest, with lots of epiphytes and other huge plants. No quetzals. Found a cool jungle suspension bridge
Got bus back to Casa Azul where we met up with B&B-mate Franka. Lan of Wannan tours picked us all up to take us on coffee tour at Finka Elida – recently won most expensive gesha coffee in the world sale at $803/lb.
Learned about coffee making and gesha coffee, did coffee cupping and tasting. Saw lots of cool plants, Learned the different between coffee plants. Saw more beautiful cloud forest.
Learned about coffee production process, and saw boxes of beans being packaged for China.
Went back to to B&B for shower and change.
Walked with Franka to Hotel Panamonte. Got a great table on porch.
Selected our own wine from the wine cave, and ordered tasty dinner.
Got a printout of Panamonte history and hung out in bar lounge while learning the local history.
Went to sleep at Casa Azul.
Tue Sept 18
Woke up at Casa Azul B&B
Had tasty breakfast with Kathy
Discovered Avocado Tree and Mint Bush
Got picked up by tall dutchman naturalist Hans in his Isuzu SUV
Drove all day from Boquete to Almirante
Saw military truss bridges
Saw super cool long susupension bridge
Saw large hydroelectric dam
Learned why we were eating Chinese food lunch at bus stop – Jeffrey had kungpow chicken.
Went to Ngobe village family Cacao farm where they had recently slaughtered cows for political campaign
Head of Family took us on tour of family cacao plantation
Family matriarch showed us how to roast, grind, and process cacao
Saved some cacao seeds
Crossed windy diablo pass with Hans
Had coffee by the river with Hans
Tried unsuccessfully to get ATM money in Almiante
Went on a lot of backroads that were super twisty and steep and investigated funny cars on street signs.
Learnedthat hans is responsible for many amyarilis in bouquet
Got dropped off in Almirante by Hans
Took fast boat from Almirante to Bocas Town on Isla Colon
Walked around Bocas Town
Stopped in La Buga for a happy hour drink and booked diving trips
Took boat from Bocas Town to Bastimentos
Found The Firefly and checked in, watched sunset at The Firefly while sipping rum punch.
Unpacked and then headed to dinner in Old Bank, Bastimentos at the Sea Monkey. Served by Keith
Wed Sept 19
Woke up at The Firefly
Breakfast at The Firefly with passionfruit smoothies
Debated about what to do for the day
Hung out at the bungalow for a bit and researched stuff to do in the area
Met up with Renee and company to go to the docks
Got on the bot and went through the mangrove forrest into the rainforest – saw two sloths in the trees!
Stopped the boat deep in the Jungle and met up with our barefooted native Ngobe guide.
Walked through the jungle to the Nivida Bat Cave
Had two puppies following us in the jungle
Explored the bat caves
Saw a crocodile in the bat cave entrance
Saw shrimp
Saw a water snake
Saw fruit bats
Sat insect bats
Saw vampire bats
Went swimming in a really dark pit of water deeeeeep in the cave, under a beautiful waterfall
Hiked back out of the cave and back through the rainforest to the boat. Got bitten by woodcutter ants.
Took the boat back out through the mangroves to the Red Frog Beach Dock.
Saw another sloth in the tree, saw a boa constrictor in the trees, saw a crocodile
Made it red frog beach, had $1 coconuts as a snack
Went for a wonderful swim in the waves
Got tase tacos at Natcho Mommas
Boated back to Bastimentos public dock
Hiked up the mountain to the Up The Mountain coco farm
sketchy jungle trail descent back to beach and to the Firefly
Jeffrey had photo shoot at rock beach and then we watched sunset
Finally back at firefly, showered and changed for dinner
Had dinner with honeymooning newlyweds Samantha and Adam, from New Jersey. Talked to them about moving to Denver and Israel.
Thu Sept 20
Woke up early in the bungalow at The Firefly and had a nice breakfast on the deck.
Drank lots of Duran coffee
Got our gear together and walked over to the park on Bastimiento dock, passed renee who walked with us to get a boat. Not sure what he was expecting
Took boat to Bocas town and checked in at La Buga for snorkeling and scuba diving.
Went on La Bugas trimaran dive boat. Jumped off roof of boat into water.
Snorkeling on a shallow reef. Saw eel, squid, beautiful blue reef fish, cool coral, and all sorts of fun stuff.
went diving on sunken catamaran
Got lunch back on the dock at La Buga.
Walked around Bocas town to investigate random stuff
Caught collectivo bus to Playa de Las Estrella. Passed lots of angry couples
Drank juices and coconuts
Swam in warm waters and saw lots of starfish
Investigated lobsters in a trap
Caught collectivo back to Bocas Town, with lots of kids on SIT study abroad trip
Walked around bocas town more. Bought Abuelo Rum at grocery store.
Found nice dock on the water and had Rum with Pineapple juice
Got dinner at Bocas Brewery. Met german friend Ellen.
Listened to Jazz on dock
Took boat back to The Firefly as a storm rolled into town.
Saw sloth on electrical wire as we were walking back to The Firefly. Super cool!
Fri Sept 21
Woke up in the Bungalow and had breakfast at The Firefly
Freaked out when we heard about impending labor strike that might mess up our departure flight transit
Got boat to Bocas Town
Met up with Captain Jose for Zapatillas Islands Package tour.
Got on package tour boat.
Saw Dolphins
Saw Starfish
Stopped at Sloth Island and saw 2 sloths
Went snorkeling
Stopped at lunch dock to order expensive lunch
Went out to Zapatillas Island, explored abandoned boardwalk into the jungle – saw lots of epiphites and mangroves
Swam with tourist Chris and hung out on the beach
Took boat back to lunch dock for lunch. Captain Jose drank heavily.
Boat back to Bocas town for lunch at the end of the day.
Wandered around bocas town, ate a churro, checked out schoo and airport, met new yorker in super gourmet
Decided to eat dinner at doghouse pizza, met argentinian girls who liked to party at selinas.
Tried to go to Bookstore Bar, but instead went to Coco Hostel to meet up with Ellen again for awkward beers
Went back to The Firefly
Sat Sept 22
Woke up earlyish at the firefly
Debriefed on Firefly issues with Adam and Samantha
Got packed up, boated to bocas, and caught our flight to Panama City
Forced to land at random airstrip in jungle because of storm in Panama city
Finally got back on our flight and made it to Panama city
Took Uber to Riande Grand Hotel, dropped bags there.
Got lunch at greek food stand recommended by a few prostitutes
Ubered to Casco Viejo
Realized Canal zone antiques is closed
Went to American Trade hotel for tasty coffee
Bought Molas from indians on the plaza
Walked around Casco Viejo
Walked to fish market
Walked on the riverfront walk
Got uber back to hotel to check in
Got bad room at hotel initially, and then changed to better room.
Went out for dinner at Hiraku japanese in Sortis Hotel. It was soso.
Saw more prostitutes at Sortis
Got drink at beer garden
Realized we were staying in center of prostitution area
Decided against Gamboa
Sun Sept 23
Woke up at Riande hotel
Ubered to Lung Fung for Sunday morning Dim Sum.
Ubered to Canal Administration building but it was closed
Hiked up to top of Cerro Ancon for cool views, with all the other families on Sunday morning exercise route
Saw cool lookouts and views around panama canal – saw neopanamax locks
Ubered to Biomuseo and soaked up AC at Kotowa Cafe
Checked out history of panama exhibit, for free
Checked out migrating birds exhibit, for free
Ubered to San Francisco neighborhood to Russian owned Leto Coffee Shop – chilled there for a bit
Walked around to find dinner spots
Ubered back to hotel for shower and rest
Ubered back to San Francisco neighborhood for super great dinner at Brutto restaurant
Went to Fragela for icecream “Bañado en chocolate”
Ubered back to hotel and passed out
Mon, Sept 24
Woke up at Riande hotel and packed
Free breakfast and checked out
Ubered to Isla Morada map and chart store – largest chart store in latin america. Bought chart of Panama Canal – printed just for us. Chart CP5
Ubered to airport to catch flight home.
Panama Trip Notes and Recommendations
Panama City
American Trade hotel is a must stop – coffee in their Cafe Unidos cofee shop, chilling at the bar
Papaya Bookstore cafe in Casco Viejo looks nice
Explore SanFrancisco neighborhood for restaurants and coffee off the tourist track
Walk by the fish market but dont get sucked in
Do a hike in the metro park
Check canal ship transit schedule before going to miraflores locks – time locks visit with ship transit
Strongly consider pre-booking smithsonian gamboa visit ahead of time and staying in Gamboa for 2 nights one full day
Check out Brutto in San Francisco
Get chocolate dipped icecream at Fragela in San Francisco
Don’t stay in El Cangrejo or Obarrio
Stay in Casco viejo or San Francisco
Use Uber to get around easily and cheaply
Don’t pay for Biomueso – check their free exhibits and walk around the facility
Get early rooftop drinks at Casa Casco, and order 4 Leches Dessert
Buy Molas from indias setup in tents on plaza – they have the best prices and the money goes straight back to the indian tribes
Bocas Del Toro
Don’t stay at The Firefly in Bocas del Toro Bastimento
Stay at Palomar Hostel private room on Bocas Del Toro Bastimento Red Frog Beach
Zapatillas package tour is nice, but bring your own lunch and don’t expect secluded beach to yourself
Do the Bat Caves tour, even better if you can do it as a private tour.
For scuba, go with La Buga. Ask them to give you good flippers with booties instead of slip ons.
Get food at La Buga after diving
Get beer at Bocas Brewery. Get pizza at The Doghouse
Soak up a/c at SuperGourmet
Don’t try to bike to starfish beach. Take the collectivo
Keep your eyes open for sloths in the trees
Prepare yourself for immersion deep in the backpacker vibe – even if staying at a hotel or nicer resort, you’ll still be deep in backpacker land and island time casual zone
Boquete
Stay at Casa Azul b&b for a homey experience
If you want an all day hike, find a transfer from David that drops you off in Cero Punto for the quetzal trail and then takes your luggage to your hotel in Boquete, leaving you to do the quetzal trail the whole day
Doublecheck the collectivo busses schedule and pickup points if you’re going hiking in the mountains
Do the 3 Waterfalls trail and be ready for a refreshing swim
Do a coffee plantation tour – Lan at iWanna tours was great.Ours was at Finca Elida, and was great! Be sure to try a tree tomato.
Get lunch snacks and ginger molasse cookies at Sugar and Spice
Get tasty beers at Boquete Brewery
Don’t go to RetroGusto
Get a drink at hotel Panamonte Bar, but don’t stress getting an entire meal there. A relaxed drink would be great there.
Try the popsicles on the main street.
Consider the gelateria
If transiting from Boquete to Bocas, consider an all day tour with transfer, rather than just a bus transfer. There’s lots of cool stuff to check out in between. Hans of Tinamou Cottage/Coffee Adventure Tours
In June of this year (2017), I explored Cyprus – both the southern Cypriot side, as well as the northern Turkish-controlled side. A few videoclips and photos from my discovery of the border areas, mountains, and other interesting quirks.
Exploring Larnaca
Scuba Diving the Wreck of the Zenobia
Attending Larnaca’s Summer Festival
Exploring southern Nicosia
Crossing the border into northern Turkish-controlled Nicosia
Exploring Famagusta
Climbing and exploring Saint Hilarion Castle and walking around Girne
Lunching in Ayia Napa
Crossing through British Overseas Territory in the Dhekelia Sovereign Base Area
During November 2015, I traveled with my family to discover Cuba. We explored Havana, and then got out of the city to travel to the southern coast and around a variety of towns, farm villages, beaches, mountains, and monuments. Here’s how it went…
Itinerary
Our itinerary took us through Havana, Trinidad, Las Terrazas, Remedios, Santa Clara, and Viñales. It was great seeing a wide range of places within Cuba, especially since we had a little more than a week to do it. The full daily log is below.
Getting in to and around Cuba
To get to Cuba, we flew Xtra Airways, a charter airline, from Miami, Florida direct to Havana, Cuba. The flight was great, and very straightforward. For visas, we each got a slightly different visa – my visa listed me as a reporter, since I was taking photos to write this story.
To travel around Cuba, we took a variety of Taxis within Havana, and then hired a private driver and van for the out of town sections. Since we were a group of 5 with limited time, it was very very convenient to have a dedicated, local driver to get us around. Had I done it with a single partner and had more time, it would have been fun to do it backpacker style with public transportation etc. But for our group and time constraints, the way in which we did it was great.
Photo Gear
While in cuba, I shot with four cameras. The Apple iPhone 6S, Sony RX100m3, GoPro Hero4 Silver, and Lytro Illum. All four were interesting cameras to shoot with, and allowed me to be flexible in both capturing the shot I wanted, and in being mobile and unencumbered most of the time. For more on the innovative Lytro Illum Lightfield Camera, click over to my full review. Although all four cameras are great for their own purpose, by far my favorite is the Sony RX100m3. It’s small and lightweight, is relatively easy to use for its size, and takes absolutely amazing photos. I love the flexibility of being able to shoot from waist level, as well as the bounce flash trick, and smooth video.
Photos
Here’s Cuba through my lens….
To fly from Miami to Cuba, the only way to go is on a charter flight. We flew Xtra Airways, which provided a direct flight from Miami to Havana..
The outside of our Casa Particular Bed and Breakfast. We had the entire building, including the top balcony. A great place to stay, right in the middle of Havana.
Our Casa Particular in Havana was great. Rooms were super cute and clean, and the staff was welcoming and friendly. We were the only group staying there, so we had the entire place to ourselves.
A taxi picks up passengers outside of the Hotel Nacional, Havana, Cuba. From Wikipedia: The Hotel Nacional de Cuba is a historic luxury hotel located on the Malec
My father walking around the Hotel Nacional, central Havana. This is right around the area where many of the missiles involved in the Cuban Missile Crisis were stationed. From Wikipedia: The hotel was built on the site of the Santa Clara Battery, which dates back to 1797. Part of the battery has been preserved in the hotel’s gardens, including two large coastal guns dating from the late 19th Century. There is also a small museum there featuring the 1962 Cuban missile crisis. During the crisis, Fidel Castro and Che Guevara set up their headquarters there to prepare the defence of Havana from aerial attack.
Getting drinks at Bar Rosa Nautica, Hotel Nacional, Havana, Cuba.
These Coco Taxis are everywhere in Cuba, and people ride them everywhere. Cute. From Wikipedia: Cocotaxi is an auto rickshaw-type taxi vehicle in Cuba. They have two passenger seats, three wheels, an egg-shaped fiberglass body, and a 75cc two-stroke engine. The word coco means coconut, whose shell shape the vehicles mimic. Though noisy, they cost less than regular taxis.[1]
Exploring Havana. This is the outside of the central Ministerio Del Comercio Exterior, and lies right in the heart of Havana.
Taking an evening walk in downtown Havana past Pabellon Cuba. From LaHabana.com: The Pabell
Internet access in Cuba is severly limited. There is a cell phone network, but it’s mostly voice and sms only. To get internet, cubans buy access cards, and then connect to public wifi hotspots. The hotspots are setup on popular street corners, so at night, it’s common to see groups of Cubans crowded around an internet hotspot area, all immersed in their smartphones and laptops.
Cubans enjoying wifi internet. Although it’s extremely slow, the internet does work, and people are glued to their phones.
There’s a smal, underground club culure in Havana, and we were lucky enough to find Sarao’s Club – one of the city’s music and club culture hotspots. From ALaMesaCuba.com: With an elegant and sensual modern style, Sarao’s bar all in white greets you in the mornings, in an atmosphere that brings the peace needed to carry on with your day. by night, it surprises you with the warm presence of the merriest colors and with music to bring rhythm into your life. This is the ideal place for breakfasts, lunchs and to go for tapas with your friends. a place where everything is possible and you can tell so. Sarao’s Bar, your size…
Classic American cars are extremely popular, and they’re repaired endlessly, right out on the street. This scene of a man fixing his car while his wife looks on was repeated throughout Cuba. Cubans are certainly among the most engenious.
In addition to slow wireless internet, movies and tv shows are also distributed (illegally) via USB drives. Here’s a sign advertising USB drive copying servies..
More classic cars cruise around Havana.
Walking around central Havana. This is a fairly common street scene, with a few cars, and lots of people happily walking around. The buildings are old, but are absolutely beautiful, and maintained as much as they can be.
A Cuban man looks out from his wrought iron door in Havana.
The food in the Old City, Havana was spectacular. We ate at lots of great paladars.
Two schoolgirls walk home through centra Havana, Cuba.
A typical house in one of the more residential sections of Havana.
Despite many well-maintained old buildings, some building, even in central Havana, are simply crumbling away. This one was miraculously still sort of standing..
From Wikipedia: The Christ of Havana (Spanish: Cristo de La Habana) is a large sculpture representing Jesus of Nazareth on a hilltop overlooking the bay in Havana, Cuba. It is the work of the Cuban sculptor Jilma Madera, who won the commission for it in 1953.
Paladars are unofficial restaurants, and this one was in an apartment building. Walking in, it looked like somebody had simply converted their apartment into a kitchy restaurant. The staff was amazing, as was the food.
Exploring Jaimainitas, outside of Havana.
Sushi, outside of Havana.
Mosaics at the house of Jos
The beach outside of Miramar, Cuba is beautiful – people surf, and enjoy the late afternoon sun. From Wikipedia: Many embassies, including the landmark Russian embassy, are located in Miramar – in particular on Quinta Avenida (Fifth Avenue) before called Avenida de las Am
Cars are repaired endlessly, and our taxi driver was very proud of his 1950’s car with a more recent Hundai engine.
Rallying signs are everywhere in Cuba, with slogans and art.
Nighttime in Havana.
At Paladar LaGuardia, we had an amazing dinner, and great drinks on the rooftop. From LaGuardia.com: En el a
On our way to the Fabrica De Artes, we encountered huge waves from the sea splashing over onto the roadway.
Fabrica De Artes, Havana is a great art and performance space. From FAC.CU: Donde estamos
Situado en la Calle 26 esquina a 11, Vedado, este edificio fue la Estaci
Trendy art people hang out at the Fabrica De Artes
On the way to Vinales, we tooka quick stop at Las Terrazas. This small coffee-growing village was situated in the mountains, and was beautiful to explore. Here a farmer shows us a few of his drying coffee beans. From Wikipedia: Las Terrazas is a small community and nature reserve in the municipality of Candelaria, Artemisa Province, Cuba. It is located in the Sierra del Rosario mountains (part of Guaniguanico range), which was designated a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1984. The village has a population of about 1,000 and a number of hotels and restaurants catering for tourists. The nature reserve includes 5000ha of secondary forest[1] which was planted on the surrounding (deforested) hills by building terraces to avoid erosion; hence the name (in Spanish, terrazas means terraces).[2]
The reserve is rich in flora and fauna, and includes lakes, rivers and waterfalls. Organised excursions on the many footpaths and trails can be booked at the local tourist office.[3]
Looking off into the valley outside of Vi
A tobacco farmer in Vinales shows Jill what the tobacco seeds look like.
A tobacco farmer in Vi
A tobacco farm in Vi
I caught a chicken!
Dog and Tobacco Farm, Vi
A local farmer shows us the red beans he grows on his farm.
The beaches near Trinidad, Cuba are absolutely beautiful. We spend a great day relaxing on the beach, and found this makeshift cafe setup by a few fisherman.
Fresh caught fish lunch. The fish was cooked on a stove made out of tire rims and wire mesh.
A local woman looks out from her home in Trinidad, Cuba. From Wikipedia: Trinidad was founded on December 23, 1514[1] by Diego Vel
Our homestay in Remedios, Cuba.
This is the provisions book that Cubans use to track what they get from the government.
This is the provisions book that Cubans use to track what they get from the government.
This is the provisions book that Cubans use to track what they get from the government.
A local grain dispensary in Remedios, Cuba.
Inside a church in Remedios, Cuba
Earnest Hemmingway’s house – Finca Vig
Walking around Remedios. From Wikipedia: Remedios (Spanish pronunciation: [re?me
Cuba Diary
We did LOTS in Cuba. Here’s a quick daily log of our activities – far from complete, but a good overview:
Day 1 – 2016-11-24
woke up at 3am to get to airport early for xtra airways flight Miami > Havana
taxi, easy, cuc30 airport to airbnb- airbnb checkin and late breakfast – omelettes and fresh guava juice and strong coffee
walked around looking for bank and internet cards
met up with dads friends from ingrnius
went to grand hotel havana for views, cambio.
lunch at paladar – shredded pork
passed ice cream park
nap at airbnb
got evening snack at next door bakery
jason and jill arrived
family dinner at paladar cafe laurent
early sleep
Day 2
breakfast at bnb
explore hotel nacional
sent postcards to mihi and wukate
walked across the center of town through callejon de hamel
walked through chinatown
walked into floridita restaurant
walked through obispo walking street
got lunch at ivan chef justo
walked around old havana some more, discovered central csthedral square
hired driver in old red car and went up hill to castle
saw worlds longest cigar
checked out nuclear missiles
cruised down to to jazz club
got confused by multiple buena vista social clubs
taxi’d back to airbnb
walked to sarao’s nightclub, then to dinner at 11th floor block building paladar
walked back to sarao and saw mana-like band
sleep
Day 3
woke up late had breakfast
chatted with travel agent ti work out plans
got taxi to jaimanitas
bought gifts at art area
had lunch next to canal – sushi with cuban rice
taxi to the beach along miramar near copacabana
taxi to beach hotel
taxi to revolution plaza
walked to rosenberg memorial and performing arts center
found santeria worship dance and danced with them
walked to ice cream park
checked email at cuba libre hotel
had an amazing dinner at paladar la quardia
taxi to fabrica de artes
sleep
Day 4
woke up early to have breakfast at airbnb
met eric our driver
stopped at airport
hit the road for Vinñales
stopped for lunch at Las terrazas
walked around las terrazas, found flamingos, found coffee plantation
had wifi session at las terrazas cafe
got back on road for viñales
arrived in vibales at family home
stopped at overlook hotel in vinales
went in cave hike and boat ride
stopped at tobacco farm and discovered cinnamon tree, fighting cocks, etc
went to homestay – jason and i stayed on roof
had dinner at family house – great chx and lobster
walked around town and saw live music at cafe
went to bed early
sketch showerhead
Day 5
woke up early for home cooked breakfast
took morning stroll with jason
drove to house owners farm
saw farm with corn tobacco chickens pigs goats water pump
hit road for cien fuegos
stopped in At a few gas stations for gas and food
arrived in cien fuegos and walked around for an hour
saw pier, art galleries, town square, grocery store
drove to palace at punta gorda
got on road for trinidad
arrived at dennis homestay in trinidad
walked around town and found restaurant el medico
Day 6
woke up for home cooked breakfast in back porch
cruised out to exclusive beach resort for relaxing afternoon on beach
walked to end of beach for fresh fisherman lunch
drove to la boca beach at end of river to explore
returned to Trinidad
walked around town with dennis and learned about history if trinidad
grabbed dinner at la botija and listened to snazzy jazz band
Day 7
got in van and started drive to santa clara
stopped at che monument
drove to santa clara
went to beach on cay las brujas
drove to remedios and walked around town – first place with internet and also a pretty hotel
had a nice dinner at the casa particular
“the help”
slept late, woke up at 8 and walked to coffee mans house
Shots from the Lytro Illum
Throughout the trip, I shot a series of lightfield photos with the Lytro Illum Camera. I was testing and reviewing it on behalf of Lytro, and had a great time learning about lightfield photography. If you’re interested in more about the Lytro, check out the full review: Shooting Lightfield Photos in Cuba with the Lytro Illum.
Today I’m excited to publish the documentary I shot last April 2015 in North Korea with Filmmaker Justin Martell and Uri Tours Owner Andrea Lee. We’ve been working hard for the past few months to assemble everything, and here’s the result.
I’m Jeffrey Donenfeld, and I am an adventure travel consultant, interactive technology strategist, and expedition photographer.
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, also known North Korea, has always seemed mysterious. In April, I decided to check it out for myself – and to run the 2015 Pyongyang Marathon in the process.
To get into North Korea as a tourist, it’s necessary to join a tour group. I traveled with expert tour operator Uri Tours, and specifically did their Pyongyang Marathon Beijing Departure Long Tour option.
Our initial meeting as a group was the night before at a restaurant in Beijing, and then most people stayed together that night in Beijing in a hotel.
The next morning, we departing Beijing for the DPRK via the country’s official airline, Air Koyo, on a Russian-made Antonov AN-148.
The ride was smooth; refreshments included sandwiches and beer, and the entertainment consisted of a concert DVD of the Moranbong Band.
After landing in Pyongyang, we were greeting by our guides from the Korean International Tour Company and boarded a coach bus to the the capital of the DPRK, Pyongyang.
We checked in at the Yanggakdo Hotel in the center of the city, on the Taedong River.
After dinner with our tour group in the hotel’s dining room, it was off to bed to get some rest for the Pyongyang Marathon.
ACT 2
DAY TWO – MARATHON/WAR MUSEUM
JEFF
After the marathon, my group returned to the hotel to clean up and have lunch in the rotating restaurant atop of the Yanggakdo Hotel. The view from the top is spectacular, with Pyongyang stretching into the distance.
At the Mansu Hill Grand Monument, the huge statues of leaders Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung dominate, surrounded by memorials to the Japanese Occupation of Korea and the Korean War.
At the Pyongyang Victorious War Museum, our tour guide wore a military uniform, showed our group relics from the Korean War, and took us aboard the captured US Navy Ship Pueblo.
Afterward, we had dinner at a restaurant on the other side of town – traditional korean hot pot! And, of course, lots of beer.
Next we checked into Koryo Hotel, the second largest hotel in the DPRK. The lobby was grand, and with leader Kim Il Sung’s birthday approaching, it was full of Kimjongilia and Kimilsungia.
The rooms are soviet-style kitsch replete with a smoking lounge, comfortable beds and a tv with 3 channels running your favorite DPRK music videos and soap operas.
ACT 3
DMZ
JEFF
The next morning we had breakfast and headed south to Kaesong, a city right on the border with South Korea.
As we approached the Demilitarized Zone, or DMZ, there were giant, colorful posters promoting unification of North and South Korea.
We were bused down a long, isolated road and entered the Joint Security Area.
We were also shown the armistice agreements, one in Korean, the other in English, preserved under glass.
There were also numerous displays chronicling the many visits the DPRK’s leaders have made to the DMZ to inspect the front line.
Our KPA guide lead us to the actual Military Demarcation Line. The feeling was light and jovial – but with the undertone that it could turn serious quickly.
After exiting the JSA, we visited the Koryo History Museum which is located in the city’s former Confucian academy, and contains priceless Goryeo relics and cultural artifacts.
Next to the museum is the Koryo Stamp Shop, where you can purchase DPRK themed posters, along with postcards and stamps so you can send a one of a kind keepsake to your friends back home.
Before leaving, we enjoyed traditional Kaesong cuisine at the Janamsan Hotel.
The subway cars are soviet built, and, though vintage, they run well.
The Pyongyang metro stations are grand, and each one having its own artistic motif and elaborate mosaics depicting the leadership as well as life in North Korea
In the station, there are central displays with the day’s newspaper.
The annual Kimilsungia flower show is held in honor of Kim Il Sung’s birthday – and featured an entire hall filled with some of the most intensely arranged and ornate flowers I’ve ever seen.
That night we enjoyed some of the best beer in town at the Taedonggang Craft Brewery bar. There are seven different beers available, conveniently numbered 1-7, from lightest to darkest. Of course, the bar also has a healthy supply of Korea’s most popular liquor, Soju.
ACT 4
MOUNTAIN/NAMPO/BOAT
JEFF
The next morning we checked out of the Koryo Hotel and southwest to Mount Myohyangsan. It is a beautiful mountain, and I had a great time hiking it with the group.
After our hike, we enjoyed seafood and fresh clams at a restaurant in the port city of Nampo. After serving the food, the staff changed into costumes, and performed an entertaining song and dance routine.
After lunch, we chartered a private boat and cruised 15 kilometers down the Taedong River to the West Sea Barrage, a sprawling 8-kilometer long system of dams which blocks off the Taedong river from the yellow sea.
After a day on the water, we arrived at the remote Ryonggang Hot Springs Resort in Onchon, outside of Nampo. The bathtubs in our rooms filled up with water from the hot springs, which was advertised as “healing” and “therapeutic.”
ACT 5
DAY OF THE SUN
JEFF
We took a beautiful early morning ride through Onchon, passing many cooperative farms, we passed through Nampo and arrived back in Pyongyang where citizens were enjoying The Day of The Sun, birthday of the country’s founder Kim Il Sung, and the biggest Holiday in North Korea.
First we visited the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, a mausoleum where leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il lie in state.
After a lunch that consisted of North Korea’s signature dish, cold noodle soup, one member of group jumped into a soccer game with the locals, while I made some new friends.
Next we took a stroll through the iconic Moranbong Park, where we were greeted by the locals and even invited to dance with them.
We went across town to Mangyondae, Kim Il Sung’s birthplace, and toured a nostalgic recreation of the hut where he lived as a boy under Japanese occupation. We toured the site alongside a large group of boys who looked to be the DPRK’s version of the boy scouts.
All week we had been seeing the locals practicing dance routines, and finally we got to see what they had been working on; an extravagant, choreographed dance routine in the center of Pyongyang.
ACT 6
WRAP UP
JEFF
The DPRK is a place like no other; an enigmatic socialist time warp, filled with beauty and intrigue. I have traveled extensively, but my trip to North Korea with Uri Tours will remain by far of my most amazing travel experiences.
Super special thanks to Mike & Anne from HoneyTrek & RTW Packing List for their support in spreading word of this doc. They rock!
Fall colors in Colorado are beautiful – and what better vantage point than the top of 2 Colorado 14ers. This weekend, I did the Fall 14er adventure and climbed with a group of friends to the tops of Grays and Torreys Peaks. (USGS Topo Quad)
Wikipedia:
“Grays Peak is the tenth highest summit of the Rocky Mountains of North America and the U.S. state of Colorado. The prominent 14,278-foot (4,352 m) fourteener is the highest summit of the Front Range and the highest point on the Continental Divide in North America. (There are higher summits, such as Mount Elbert, which are near, but not on, the Divide.) Grays Peak is located in Arapahoe National Forest, 3.9 miles (6.2 km) southeast by east (bearing 122°) of Loveland Pass on the Continental Divide between Clear Creek and Summit counties. The peak is the highest point in both counties.”
Cooking and lighting with the Biolite, with the rest of our camping toys strewn about
Fresh coffee in the morning.
Kevin enjoying fresh morning coffee from the Stanley Stacking Vacuum Pint before a late-fall ascent of Grays and Torreys peaks.
Fueling up for our climb..
Our first de-layering stop. Things heat up as soon as the sun comes over the mountain.
Morning light…
Kevin taking a quick break…
Selfies!
As we ascended higher, the snow began to creep in a little…
Approaching the summit ridge of Grays Peak
Lunch at the top
We made it to the top!
Jumping for joy at the top of Torreys
Jumping for joy at the top of Torreys
Shooting mountain photos with the Lytro Illum
Descending Torreys in the light snow.
On our descent, we encountered a beautiful white mountain goat.
Darn Tough was a great partner to have while on my recent expedition to the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Field Camp. I wore Darn Tough socks every day under my extreme cold weather boots, and was comfy and warm the entire time. Full report soon. Thanks DT!
Walking down the ramp to our drill arch during stormy ways was a bit like entering a frozen polar base. The ramp leading from the surface down to the arch door frequently got drifted in, requiring digging out by our bulldozer support crew.
This season in Antarctica, I was working at the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide Field Camp – an extremely remote field camp in Western Antarctica. Our camp consisted of a number of large communal tents, and individual “Arctic Oven” tents to live in. I had no power supplied to my tent, and in order to keep all of my gadgets charge and working, I relied on an Enerplex Kickr IV Solar Panel, and Enerplex Jumpr Stack 6 Battery, supplied to me directly by Enerplex.
I had the solar panel mounted on the outside of my personal tent. For mountain location, I chose to drape the flexible, 4-segment panel over a peak in the roof of the tent, so that each half of the panel was facing a slightly different direction. I figured this would let a portion of the panel be facing directly at the sun for more of the day, as the sun rotated overhead. Connected to the panel was an “Amazon Basics” extra long, heavy duty USB Cable, which snaked through an access port into my tent. I weatherproofed the USB connector with a bit of kapton tape, which held up just great,
Inside my tent, the USB cable ran down the wall of my tent and into the charging port of my Enerplex battery. I usually kept the panel connected to the battery at all times, except when I’d take the battery with me to work in the drill arch. When using the battery alone in the drill arch, it kept my UE Boom Bluetooth Speaker charged up and ready to rock while we worked.
Running any type of electronic system in Antarctica is a challenge. The sun shines 24/7, with extremely strong UV radiation that’s amplified by reflections off of the stark white snow and ice. Wind whips at incredible speeds, and combined with ambient -30 temperatures, creates a windchill nearing -80. Everything freezes, and gets whipped around violently by the wind continuously. Needless to say, gear must be specially ruggedzed to perform in these conditions. I had my Enerplex gear setup on the outside of my tent continuously for my entire field season – and I can now say from personal field testing experience that the gear held up perfectly. The solar panel flawlessly delivered power to my battery system without fail. The panel did stiffen slightly in the cold, but never cracked or delaminated. Additionally, with the addition of a bit of kapton tape and elastic support ties, the USB connector stayed intact – although I’d have preferred a weatherproof, military-style USB port. The Enerplex battery system stayed charged continuously, and even when I was simultaneously charing three devices, while at the same time charging the battery from solar, the battery indicator never moved off of the Full status. The battery pack also provided a great power buffer when Condition2 storms would roll in and obscure the sun for prolonged periods.
The story began sometime in 1962 along the outskirts of town when trash was burned in the pit of an abandoned strip mine, which connected to a coal vein running near the surface. The burning trash caught the exposed vein of coal on fire. The fire was thought to be extinguished but it apparently wasn’t when it erupted in the pit a few days later. Again the fire was doused with water for hours and thought to be out. But it wasn’t. The coal then began to burn underground. That was in 1962. For the next two decades, workers battled the fire, flushing the mines with water and fly ash, excavated the burning material and dug trenches, backfilled, drilling again and again in an attempt to find the boundaries of the fire and plan to put the fire out or at least contain it.
All efforts failed to do either as government officials delayed to take any real action to save the village. By the early 1980s the fire had affected approximately 200 acres and homes had to be abandoned as carbon monoxide levels reached life threatening levels. An engineering study concluded in 1983 that the fire could burn for another century or even more and “could conceivably spread over an area of approximately 3,700 acres.”
As time passed, each feeble attempt to do anything to stop the fire or help the residents of Centralia would cost more and more due to the fires progression. Over 47 years and 40 million dollars later the fire still burns through old coal mines and veins under the town and the surrounding hillsides on several fronts. The fire, smoke, fumes and toxic gases that came up through the back yards, basements and streets of Centralia literally ripped the town apart. Most of the homes were condemned and residents were relocated over the years with grants from the federal government although some die-hards refused to be bought out and some still remain in the town. Today Centralia is a virtual ghost town with only a few remaining residents. As they continue to live in their beloved homes now owned by the federal government, people pass every day along Route 61, most totally unaware of the history surrounding them and the sad story of Centralia.
We decided to go check it out for ourselves. We rented a car, and took the three hour drive out there.
Exploring Centralia was quite dramatic. The entire town is deserted, and during our initial drive through town, we actually missed it on the side of the road – the site where the town was is now simply a large overgrown, tree and shrub filled field, with an eirey grid of cracked, decaying streets crisscrossing the highway. There’s one house that still remains, and the owner was recently featured in the documentary “The Town That Was”. Just up on the hillside outside of town is where the mine fire wasteland starts. We drove the car a little ways up the side of the hill, and then hiked the surrounding area. All over the place, there are piles of broken rocks and garbage, with strange, smelly plumes of hot, wet smoke and gasses seeping out. When we first approached the plumes of smoke, we thought since it was hot and wet that it must just be steam. However, a little later in the day, as Polina and I began to develop headaches, we realized that the smoke was a mixture of smoke, steam, and other noxious gasses.
Up on the smoking hill, at the very top, there’s an old orthodox cemetery – considering its surroundings, its very well maintained, with a fresh driveway of asphalt just outside the gate.
After exploring the hillside we went over to the abandoned section of the highway, and took a long walk down the cracked, overgrown, abandoned piece of road. Over the years, almost every inch of the asphalt has been covered with grafitti from the local kids who hang out there. The road slopes downwards, and in the middle of the strip, there’s a large, smoking crack, where the fire has ripped apart the asphalt. Smoke pours out, and it appears to be widening – new cracks can be seen opening up all over the place.
Exploring Centralia was surreal, and a great experience. It’s amazing that the whole town was abandoned so completely – and will stay abandoned. According to some estimates, there’s 200 more years of fuel in the mines below.
On our way back to NYC, we made a quick stop in Pottsville, PA, the home of the the Yuengling Brewery, America’s oldest brewery. We also checked out some old mining areas in Pottsville.
While exploring, myself, Chris and Nick all took lots of video clips and pictures. Lisa Daly edited our video clips together – check it out below, as well as the photos of Centralia, Pennsylvania on Flickr.
In 2001, I climbed Colorado’s Mt. Massive for the first time. The blog post was originally made on my Geocities blog, but sadly never transferred over to my now-continuing database, started in 2002 on Blogger v1. Here are photos from our awesome climb up Mt. Massive!
So I was just scanning through the hundreds of little video clips i’ve taken over the years with various digital cameras, and found this one of Me, Steve, John, Chris and Kieth on the top of Longs Peak. Ahh, those were the days…I miss the mountains now more than ever, but I know I will return someday, at very least for a visit.
Darn Tough was a great partner to have while on my recent expedition to the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Field Camp. I wore Darn Tough socks every day under my extreme cold weather boots, and was comfy and warm the entire time. Full report soon. Thanks DT! 
