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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
............ 
Jan 25, 2013 08:00 PM Viva Las Vegas!
I did not have any problem with immigrations or customs arriving to the USA... But American Airlines were not perfect - my flight to Las Vegas was delayed 90 minutes due to the problem with the toilet on their 757 airplane.
Finally I landed late in the evening in the sin city...
Wow! Last time I have been here some 20 years ago and I see thet they built new hotels on the Strip. They have more call-girls (starting from 35 USD) and new technologies like sky train were introduced...
Lights, casinos, gambling...
The bus shuttle for 7,50 will take you from the airport to any hotel on the strip. For the budget traveller The Quad is enough - booking via expedia I got huge room with buffet breakfast and 20 USD to spend in their shop for just 60 USD...
No, I do not gamble... But I like to see... This is theatre...
It is nice to take a walk in the daylight and then in the evening along the strip. I met there pink angels - see the pictures. They earn money posing for the pictures...
But the nicest thing I saw was the dancing fountain in front of Bellagio Hotel. Viva Las Vegas!
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Jan 24, 2013 08:00 PM Negril - on the Seven Miles Beach
Some 75 kms south of Montego Bay on the west coast of Jamaica lies famous Negril - little settlement famous for the sandy, 7-miles long beach. Along the beach there are many tourist resorts, tourist ghettos - as I say - with security guards and high fences.
To get to Negril from Montego Bay you have to catch first a shared taxi to Lucea (180 JMD) and then to jump on another one to Nagril for 200.
Negril River divides The site by two: on the north side there is long beach with the resorts. Beach is nice, but I was dissappointed because it is narrow. Truly - we have nicer beaches in Poland (but not such a azurre water in the Baltic Sea)
South of the river there is a little "downtown" and onward - few kilometers of rocky cliff with elehant villas and cafes on it. - Do you want ganja?- localls bothered me two or three times... I was walking south to the Rick's Cafe on the cliff (they say it is one of the 10 best bars in the world - famous for the spectacular sunsets) and onward to the picturesque lighthouse. Flowers around, many african tulip trees in blossom (see picture) Tropical paradise for vacationers...
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Jan 23, 2013 08:00 PM YS waterfall - biggest in Jamaica?
Our host - Josef offered a tour to the interior of Jamaica. 50 USD per person for the full day tour by private car - good price. Josef, 63 lives here since 1977 and knows the island well.
We started at 8 am climbing green hills by the narrow, bumpy road, full of holes. Side road - but it gave us possibility to see the real Jamaican countryside: little coffee and pineaple plantations, farmer's houses. Huge palms and breadfruit trees. After 2 hours we reached YS falls . named after estate owners.
You have to pay 17 USD entry fee here then they will take you like 1 km away on the platform driven by track - to the fall.
YS waterfall is not powerfull, but it is picturesque. Surrounded by the lush forest it has 7 cascades and total height of 40 m.
Comfortable stairs take you up to the 6th, the highest cascade and then to the 7th - reminding me the water courtain.
You know that I love waterfalls - so this was one more to my collection.
From the fall we went to Appelton rum destilery (hefty 25 USD entry fee) and Black River - little fishing harbor in the mouth of the river.
Nice day but very hot and humid...
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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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