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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
............ 
Jan 22, 2013 08:00 PM Montego Bay - Jamaica - friendship for money!
Montego Bay is the second largest town in Jamaica. It is hard to say it is a big town. The old center can be visited in an hour. I cannot see many tourists there. Streets are crowded. Therea are many stalls with food and fruits. Can you imagine that fruits here are more expensive then in US supermarkets?
North of the downtown on the coast are beaches, limited hotels and tourist shops along the coastal street - they call it Hip Strip. On a hip strip I met David - the friendly local. Since we were going the same direction I was talking and joking with him. You are my friend - he said. He show me the tiny lane in the city where they sell marijuana. Thank you, I am not interested! Finally... he asked for the tip. So as you can see Jamaican friendship is for money.
I stay on the outskirts of the town in the colonial villa with tropical trees around. They have also 15m pool and offer tours. Josef - and old Austrian run the place. They charge 55 USD per huge fan room with great breakfast. Highly recommended! The only disadvantages are barking dogs at night and 10kms distance to downtown. (Share taxi charge 100 Jamaican dollars one-way)
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Jan 21, 2013 08:00 PM I survived Kingston...
Few travellers go to the capital of Jamaica. The "Kingston town" from Bob Marley song has high crime records... 1/3 population of Jamaica live in poor Kingston.
Just let you know that this sad city has a good and inexpensive public buses. They have a/c and you pay to the driver 80 Jamaica dollars per ride. Useful bus 98 will take from the North Parade to the airport and Port Royal. Taxis are expensive - they charge from the foreigners "special rate".
There is still Queen Victoria staying on the monument in the Grant Park. From this place you can walk to the white Kingston Parish Church and then down the King Street to the Ocean Boulevard. King street seems to be the main street of the capital with shops, banks and few post-colonial buildings.
People seep on the sidewalks.
Then I walked up the Duke street to see the new and old parlament and St Andrew Church.
I did not see any other white people on the streets. Black people bother you asking for money, and sometimes shouting something you cannot understand... In the daylight I was not feeling safe. But I survived... And I took some pictures too to show how does it look like...
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Jan 20, 2013 08:00 PM On the footprints of Captain Morgan
I am already in Jamaica. Few people go to Kingston - the capital of the island with a high crime record...
Did you watch the "Pirates of the Caribbean?" Some 20 kms from Kingston on the long peninsula closing the bay lies Port Royal - the nest of the Caribean pirates. Now it is sleepy village with the nice Fort Charles built by Brits in 1656.
I reached the fort early in the morning and the charming black lady decided let me go there for free. Officialy the open at 9 am and the foreigners pay 10 USD entry fee...
Brick walls, cannons and history...
Port Royal was not lucky: there was heavy earthquaque in 1692 who destroyed 3/4 of the town and the next one in 1907.
But with some imagination... looking at the remains of the sin town you can feel the atmosphere of the old pirates times... Do not you feel? Buy the bottle of Captain Morgan rum for 900 Jamaica Dollars (like 10 USD) and I am sure you will feel better!
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Jan 19, 2013 08:00 PM Highest waterfall of Tobago
You know that I am a waterfalls fan... The highest waterfall on Tobago Island is Argyle Waterfall. 54 m high.
To get there I took a public bus (4 TTD - one hour) to Roxbourne - picturesque village on the south coast.
Then there is like 600 m walk to the little lodge where you have to pay 40 TTD entry fee. The guide is not obligatory since it is only 20-min easy walk onward by path through the thick tropical forest to the fall.
The waterfall has 4 tiers. At the bottkom there is 6-m deep pool to swim (it is hot and humid!) and the I was climbing uo to the bottom of the upper tier. It is short but steep climb with the rope installed.
It is worth since the upper cascade is most picturesque!
Now it is time to pack again because in the afternoon I am depadring to Jamaica. New adventure awaits!
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Jan 18, 2013 08:00 PM Cannons, pirates, paradise beaches...
There were pirates on Tobago. Yesterday I saw lovely Pirates Bay near Charloteville. Today I went first to the Fort Benneth on the north coast of Tobago. Not much left there regarding walls but it is lovely spot with a great view of the Black Rock and Caribbean Sea. Three old cannons are still there and a lot of flowers around.
There were many little forts protecting the Tobago Island against the pirates in the colonial times. Few kilometers farther east I found fort James - the firts built on the island. It has connection to Poland: first settlers on Tobago at the end of 17th century were from Courland - dependency of Poland...
In the after noon two nice ladies from Trinidad took me with their cat to the Englishmen's Bay. There is little paradise beach listed by the Discovery Travel cannel on the list of the 10 top beaches of the world. It is really nice. We were swimming there enjoying the scenery... Great day!
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Jan 17, 2013 08:00 PM Tropical Tobago...
Nice, friendly people, lush green around, flowers, music... I woke up in the different world.
Bananaquit Apts are located just 5 minutes walk from the tiny airport. Nice double room with bath, a/c and kitchenette cost 36 USD pp. - for the Caribbean it is very good price.
Due to the my delayed arrival I will stay here only 3 days instead of 6.
So let's goo and see!
They have quite nice and inexpensive public buses on Tobago. I took such a bus from Scarborough - the capital of the island to the picturesque fishing village of Charlotteville on the eastern end. Two hours drive on the windy road cost me just 8 TT dollars (for one USD they pay 6 TT dolars). Drivers do not sell tickets - you have to buy them in the shop.
Great views on the way. Sea bays, little houses and MUSIC. They have here elections very soon and loudly music is used to engourage people to vote for the specific party... I have extra fun! It is very hot and humid during the day!
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Jan 16, 2013 08:00 PM After 24 hours...
Four airplanes, three border controls, two customs controls, five airports...
After 24 hours from my departure from Gdansk I reached the tropical island of Tobago - at 1 am.
One more dream came true...
In Europe there was a snow (see FRA airport on the picture). Here in the middle of the night was 26 deg Celsius.
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Jan 15, 2013 08:00 PM Tomorrow, via Barbados...
As you can see it is not easy to travel to the little-known, far-away destinations.
I missed my connection because LOT plane was broken. But they sent me to get refund to Condor because I bought a ticket on Condor website. And Condor does not have the office in Poland, and their Frankfurt office is not responding!
Funny isn't it?
But I found the solution to get to Tobago: inexpensive flight via Frankfurt and Barbados for tomorrow...
I have already new ticket. Surprisely from Gdansk to Frankfurt I will fly the same flight: LO359 to catch there my onward flight... Today LO359 landed in Frankfurt with one hour delay (easy to check on flightstats.com - airports). What will be tomorrow? Let's hope!
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Jan 14, 2013 08:00 PM Rerouting to Tobago, please...
All passengers of our plane were waiting in the line in front of the LOT airport office. Hours... When my turn arrived the lady told me: what we can do is to rebook you for the flight on next Monday because there is only one flight per week Frankfurt to Tobago! What? You want me to fly one week later? You should offer te connection around - via Miami (I know that AA flies to Trinidad) The airline is guilty because the plane returned! -No we are not allowed! End.
I took a bus to the LOT city office explaining the situation there to the management. No way! the same answer!
Even more: -We do not have agreement with the airlines flying to Tobago other then Condor and Condor flies on next Monday!
So what should I do?
-Because you bought your ticket online in the Condor website you should address to Condor Airline to get your money back. And then you can buy new ticket for your new route to Tobago! Aha!
I made a telephone call to the Condor office in Frankfurt. They said that the LOT plane was broken, so it is LOT who should send me to Tobago via USA.
Dear Friends - I am looking for the solution. Still in Gdansk.
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Jan 13, 2013 08:00 PM Bang. Did you really keep the fingers crossed?
It was early morning when I came with mu big backpack to the Gdansk airport. They checked my luggage to Tobago and issued two boarding passes: first flight LOT Polish to Frankfurt and secont for Condor Airline Frankfurt to Tobago. We departed on time so I did not worry about connection time in Frankfurt.
We have been already above the clouds when I got a sandwich. They started to distribute the softdrinks when captain announced: due to the technical problem the plane must go back to Gdansk! I did not get my juice...
We landed safely in Gdansk and they took us back to the transit hall. We were waiting 30 minutes and then I recognized that even if they will repair the plane I will not catch mu flight from Frankfurt to Tobago...
But they didn't and the flight to FRA was totally cancelled.
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