# Let's Hear Your Travel Stories



## Barwelle (Feb 23, 2011)

I took three months off last summer to backpack around Europe. Got to see many great places, meet tons of people, went off the beaten track, even got to meet a fellow forumer. A couple of months after returning, I found a job that, if I wanted to, I could settle in and make my career. And that's what I thought I was going to do about six months ago when I came in for my first day of work. I even had outlined a plan to save money for big purchases in the future that grown-ups usually make. But now, whenever there is a lull in the workload (like at this moment), or when I'm driving... I dream. Of travelling. Of being free. Of a different kind of day, every day. Of being a nomad. Of seeing new places. I have wanderlust.

I don't know yet if I'll be taking off or sticking around. But I figured... let's see what other CMF'ers have done! I did a quick search for a thread like this, but didn't see anything. So let this be the travel stories/discussion thread. Share your experiences, good and bad; your bucket list; advice; anything.

A former co-worker of mine was fond of telling the story of his father who went travelling to New Zealand for a couple of weeks, and ended up staying there for months - without telling the family what he was up to. A phone call from him months later informed the worried family that he had ended up "living off the land" with a few other people on a remote beach or island or something, away from civilization. Now, this co-worker of mine was also fond of exaggerating his stories - but, it comes up in my mind now and then, and I think, how cool would that be? Disappear for a while and get away from computers, phones, cars, everything that is modern technology (except for a few essentials like matches, clothes, and a first aid kit) and live naturally for a while?


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

My travel experiences have been pretty tame, and I've never done the vagabond thing, but I agree that something changes when you're gone for more than just a couple of weeks. 

I spent three weeks in Scotland one January hiking along the western and northern coasts counting shorebirds for the British Trust for Ornithology. That was a life-changing experience, and I got to see some stunningly beautiful coastline, lots of sheep (!), and made some lifelong friends. For a few years after that I applied for caretaker jobs on remote islands off the west coast of Scotland but it never worked out. A few years later I went back for a two-week vacation on Skye and almost convinced myself to buy a little croft I saw for sale in the village of Elgol, a gorgeous whitewashed cottage on 15 acres of land for the equivalent of $20,000.

I spent four weeks in Bergen, Norway as a journalist covering the preparatory meetings for the first Earth Summit in Rio; I had a lot of free time while I was there and spent it exploring the city and the hills around it. I made friends with a guy who lived in Bergen and he took me out for a boat ride in the fjords with a supper of fresh-caught shrimp. I hiked up to the hills overlooking Bergen each morning and often crossed paths with Lucien Bouchard, who at that time was Canada's environment minister. He walked up there as well.


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## indexxx (Oct 31, 2011)

I've done eight big solo trips for a total of 2.5 years with a pack on my back. The last one was when I left the Cayman Islands- I lived there for 5 years, and when I left, I decided to see how long I could stay on the road. I was not a resident of any country, had no ties nor obligations; I'd given up my Canadian residency for tax-free status (but not citizenship), and when I closed my Cayman work permit, I was no longer a resident there either. I had given up almost all my possessions when I'd moved, had no job or home, just a whack of cash saved up. So I hit Europe again and spent nine glorious months supporting myself on the road as a street musician, while working on a novel and building my photography portfolio. It was magical being that free, but I got sick of sleeping in youth hostels and eventually came back to Canada- I'd hoped to find a way to live in Europe, but it can be difficult. But man, that was living! I'd love to see India and Peru, but I think my next one will be a photography safari in Africa- that's my bucket list.


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## MoneyGal (Apr 24, 2009)

These are all amazing. 

I spent a few months living completely out of a backpack in India many years ago. I've also hiked the Lower Atlas mountain range in Morocco. I've hiked pretty extensively in the Canadian Rockies and I've been through the Canadian far and near north. I climbed Half Dome (in Yosemite National Park) and figured out I was pregnant halfway up when I was so tired out of proportion to the effort. I spent a few weeks in a nunnery in rural France near Le Mans. I rented a cabin for a few weeks in the Dutch Caribbean island of Saba and I also stayed in Bequia (in the Grenadines) for a while. The one place I do kind of dream about going back to is Essaouria on the west coast of Morocco - I'd like to take my kids there. (I've also been in many many cities throughout the U.S.)


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## Spudd (Oct 11, 2011)

I love this thread!

We spent last summer riding our bicycles across Sweden from south to north, 1900 km in all. We carried all our stuff with us on the bikes (about 30lb of luggage per person, plus food and water) and were fully self-supported. My husband broke more spokes than I care to remember. We got pretty good at fixing them. That was the best travel experience I've done. We camped 2/3 of the time, and stayed in B&Bs or hostels the rest of the time. We rode through so many varied landscapes. Wide open fields in the south, rocky coastline, super old pine forests. I could have done without the gravel roads but it all added up to the total experience.

Aside from that, our best trip was a cruise around South America, which included a visit to Antarctica. We weren't allowed to actually walk on Antarctica but we cruised around it for a couple of days and it was absolutely stunning. South America was really nice too.


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## Nemo2 (Mar 1, 2012)

Here's one that I posted a little while back on a, primarily US, retirement site under the title _"Robbed While Traveling Stories"_:

Back in 1963, 'we' ( 2 companions & I), came down through India to Ceylon, (now Sri Lanka), and encountered an assorted group of hitchhikers who were shipping out a couple days later, (Ceylon, being an island, is at the end of the line).

(At that time Ceylon had restrictive currency exchange rules.....the black market payment for hard currencies was ~ 3 times the official rate, and arrivals were 'required' to declare all their money on arrival, obtain official stamps for any/all conversions, then hand in the completed forms upon departure.)

The people heading out directed us to a travel agent who would provide temporary fake papers, (which he would then destroy), allowing his 'clients' to purchase tickets, (through him), with local money obtained 'unofficially'........the onus would then be upon the departees to claim they had lost their papers when exiting.

So far, so good.

About three weeks after our arrival, (at this time we had expanded into a group of about 20, assorted nationality, travellers), three Brits showed up on a motorcycle & sidecar.......we informed them of the procedure, off they went, and we didn't see them again.....until:

Our day of departure, on a small French passenger ship en route to Singapore/Viet Nam.........20 of us, all having mysteriously 'mislaid' our currency conversion papers, piled onto a tender to take us to the vessel moored in the harbor.

As we approached the ship we're hailed by the three Brits who are up on deck waving over the rail.

Once boarded we asked them if they'd gone to the travel agent....."Oh no" they exclaimed, (very taken with their own astuteness), "We got a much better deal.....we met a guy who took us to a place up country and provided booze, women, food, etc" "He told us to go out to the boat as 'visitors' and he'll arrange for our tickets/passports/motorcycle/stuff to be brought out prior to sailing".

Open mouthed, we all responded with versions of "You didn't actually do that...did you?"

They had. And, after the final "All visitors ashore" announcement, when the ship prepared to sail, the three of them were on the tender, heading into Colombo, with no passports, no motorcycle, no money.....no nuttin'.

(The moral, I guess, is don't think that because you're coming from the First World that the residents of the Third World are dumb and/or in awe of your self-perceived 'status.)


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## MoneyGal (Apr 24, 2009)

Oh, Spudd! I forgot that I've travelled through Sweden as well. I have some great stories from my nights at the ice hotel in Kiruna (and by "great" I mean they are great to tell, and were horrible to live. The visit to the reindeer herd with the reindeer herder by dogsled was awesome, though)


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## Spudd (Oct 11, 2011)

Don't leave us hanging, MG!


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## Barwelle (Feb 23, 2011)

Wow, I'm impressed with the responses already. Brad, that must have been a cold January, on the coasts of Scotland! You should have bought that place on Skye... so that we could have our annual CMF retreats there. You hit the nail on the head with this comment: "something changes when you're gone for more than just a couple of weeks." That is what I am looking for... that freedom when you aren't so limited by the two weeks you're allowed per year for vacation, and mortgage payments, and kids to take care of, etc. When you have nothing but yourself and the money in the bank to hold you back.

Spudd, how long did it take you to do that 1900km? That's something I've envisioned, to cycle across some of the parts of Europe I missed. 

Index, we'll be expecting some pictures in this thread after your safari! 9 months straight on the road, that is impressive. You didn't want to settle in one place for a bit, maybe find a pad for a month? I'd run into some people who did that. Also talked to a few musicians who did the same thing to support themselves. Even witnessed a confrontation in Vilnius where some travellers were playing in some local buskers' regular spot. The locals were very agressive about getting them to move... even though the travellers were being very polite about it and had no problem picking up their stuff and moving somewhere else. (They had more than just a couple instruments, including an amp, so it took a bit of time to pack up, meanwhile trying to cool down the locals who seemed to want a fight)


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

Some really amazing and inspiring stories here from everyone. Wow!!



Barwelle said:


> You hit the nail on the head with this comment: "something changes when you're gone for more than just a couple of weeks."


I'm embarrassed to admit that the last time I took a full two-week vacation (14 days off) was in 1987. Gotta do something about that. We just got back from 10 days in Brittany, which was nice, but two full weeks makes a difference.


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## indexxx (Oct 31, 2011)

Barwelle said:


> Wow, I'm impressed with the responses already. Brad, that must have been a cold January, on the coasts of Scotland! You should have bought that place on Skye... so that we could have our annual CMF retreats there. You hit the nail on the head with this comment: "something changes when you're gone for more than just a couple of weeks." That is what I am looking for... that freedom when you aren't so limited by the two weeks you're allowed per year for vacation, and mortgage payments, and kids to take care of, etc. When you have nothing but yourself and the money in the bank to hold you back.
> 
> Spudd, how long did it take you to do that 1900km? That's something I've envisioned, to cycle across some of the parts of Europe I missed.
> 
> Index, we'll be expecting some pictures in this thread after your safari! 9 months straight on the road, that is impressive. You didn't want to settle in one place for a bit, maybe find a pad for a month? I'd run into some people who did that. Also talked to a few musicians who did the same thing to support themselves. Even witnessed a confrontation in Vilnius where some travellers were playing in some local buskers' regular spot. The locals were very agressive about getting them to move... even though the travellers were being very polite about it and had no problem picking up their stuff and moving somewhere else. (They had more than just a couple instruments, including an amp, so it took a bit of time to pack up, meanwhile trying to cool down the locals who seemed to want a fight)



Actually, I spent four months in Slovenia, trying to find a way to stay- amazing place, and I made a fortune as a busker, and sold large photography prints also. (type in Gary Ljubljana on youtube if you want a laugh...) Yes, there can be some street politics when you're busking, certain codes that you learn. I got ripped off a couple of times and moved on by police once in a while- every city has different rules. When I get my photography website up and running I'll send you the link. My favourites also include Tunisia, Malta, Morocco, Egypt, Turkey, (love the ancient societies, and deserts!) and the Orkney Islands. But Italy is probably my favourite overall.


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## Spidey (May 11, 2009)

I went to a French summer language course in Dijon France way back in 1982 and also backpacked around the country and to England and Switzerland. Coincidentally, my wife was taking a similar course in Tours the same year. (We met 3 years later.) I still correspond in Facebook to some of the international friends I met way back then and I would advise such an experience to any young person. Since then we've been back to France several times. I like Paris but find the atmosphere much more down-to-earth in the smaller towns and villages. We usually rent a house (usually from Brits) and take day trips of up to 150 km. We find it's the most economical way to see the country.

I've never ventured anywhere too exotic, but I've also visited Mexico and Cuba. Cuba is a very nice winter get-away.

Thinking of perhaps Portugal or Italy sometime in the future.


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## donald (Apr 18, 2011)

Indexxx-I lived in the caymans(2004-2005)I had a chance encounter with a painting contractor(in winnipeg)who's brother owned a construction co(hurricaine ivan)devestated.He was looking for skilled contractors and i went down.(hamlin stephenson-stephenson construction)The island was WREAKED!.(were you around cayman than?)

I lived in bodden town,still actually remember the name of the street(will. T bay)Was one of the best op's i ever had(the CI was so strong then,almost 50c more a dollar canadian,if i recall correctely-and there no tax)I was'nt hanging around 7 mile beach and it was far from a vacation)It was awesome though,worked on a few homes(High net worth homes)All insurance work.I remember sheeting a roof 3 stories up looking right into the (pacific,i think it was?)beautiful-nothing like that(bloody hot there though)had a lot red stripe after work lol.(being a money forum-i swear you could almost smell money in the air there)think it was west beach that had gated island homes(aka 25/30 mill-some serious $ there)


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## Nemo2 (Mar 1, 2012)

You guys have got me onto a trip down 'Memory Lane'..........I keep reliving random flashbacks....such as heading east on my first trip through Turkey, (thence down into Syria/Iraq/Iran/Pakistan, etc), in 1963........2 of us hitched a ride on top of a high loaded, canvas covered, truck, up through the mountains at night.........we threw our sleeping bags on top, stuck an arm under the ropes holding the load, so that we wouldn't slide off..................swaying to & fro around curves throughout the night and looking up at the stars.


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## Spudd (Oct 11, 2011)

Barwelle said:


> Spudd, how long did it take you to do that 1900km? That's something I've envisioned, to cycle across some of the parts of Europe I missed.


We took a month. Our longest riding day was 110km, I would guess average was around 70-80. We had a few rest days. I do highly recommend it. We had not been cyclists before we got the idea in our heads. We bought bikes in June the year before, rode them July-Sept that year, and trained again April-July the year we went. We are now firmly cyclists.


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## indexxx (Oct 31, 2011)

donald said:


> Indexxx-I lived in the caymans(2004-2005)I had a chance encounter with a painting contractor(in winnipeg)who's brother owned a construction co(hurricaine ivan)devestated.He was looking for skilled contractors and i went down.(hamlin stephenson-stephenson construction)The island was WREAKED!.(were you around cayman than?)
> 
> I lived in bodden town,still actually remember the name of the street(will. T bay)Was one of the best op's i ever had(the CI was so strong then,almost 50c more a dollar canadian,if i recall correctely-and there no tax)I was'nt hanging around 7 mile beach and it was far from a vacation)It was awesome though,worked on a few homes(High net worth homes)All insurance work.I remember sheeting a roof 3 stories up looking right into the (pacific,i think it was?)beautiful-nothing like that(bloody hot there though)had a lot red stripe after work lol.(being a money forum-i swear you could almost smell money in the air there)think it was west beach that had gated island homes(aka 25/30 mill-some serious $ there)


Hi Donald- Ya mon!- I was there from 2002-2007. When Ivan hit, I happened to be on one of my backpacking trips- I left a few days before and was in Sicily when I heard the news- I climbed Stromboli volcano in celebration of my 40th birthday and travelled in North Africa and Malta for six weeks. I came back to the roof of my house completely missing- I lived in West Bay near Spanish Reef and it was four months before I had power again, and then I got sick from black mould in the filter of my A/C unit. What a freakin' mess the island was after the hurricane. I have pictures of cars stacked up four high and mountains of sand pushed through houses in East End still five weeks after. 

You're not going to believe this, but I think I know the person you're referring to, either that or I served you on my bar. I clearly recall talking to someone about a construction company and workers from Winnipeg after Ivan. Were you ever in Breezes By The Bay right across from the cruiseship dock in Georgetown? Second floor, wrap-around patio overlooking the water. Ridiculously busy place; I was head bartender there for four years. We were pretty much the first place to re-open after Ivan.

I love Bodden Town! My wife and I eloped to Cayman last year and got married in front of the Governor's house on SMB, and we've thought about moving back ever since- and we agreed that we'd love to live in BT. Man, I miss Cayman- Seymour's Jerk on Shedden Road is the best chicken in the world! Ever eat at Miss Viveen's out by the Wreck of the Ten Sails on East End? Local hangout.

Yes, the CI dollar was very strong when I first went- Canadian was worth 0.55, and I had declared non-residency, so lived tax-free for five years. Nothing like the Caribbean sea after a hot day's work... Ever hear about Kenneth Dart, the reclusive American billionaire who lives there? He built the entire town of Camana Bay out of his pocket from the ground up, and he's the guy who bought Argentina's debt several years ago- something along those lines. His family fortune is Dart styrofoam cups, all those disposable picnic supplies we all use. He's the only person in Cayman allowed to have armed guards on his property and he now owns 1% of the land in the Cayman Islands, as well as the dump and all the liquor stores- Big Daddy's and Jacques Scott, and god knows what else. I also read that he's not allowed back in the US due to tax evasion issues, so he tried to build a consulate for Belize- and they would make him an ambassador - allowing him to cross the US border with diplomatic immunity. Incredible.

http://journalism.berkeley.edu/projects/worldandus/archives/2005/04/kenneth_dart_ar_1.php

http://www.businessweek.com/stories/1995-07-09/the-darts-fear-loathing-and-foam-cups


Anyway, great to meet a Cayman peep here on CMF. Y'alright?


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## faline (Feb 10, 2011)

Barwelle said:


> I think, how cool would that be? Disappear for a while and get away from computers, phones, cars, everything that is modern technology (except for a few essentials like matches, clothes, and a first aid kit) and live naturally for a while?


I read a book recently called 'One Man's Wilderness'. It is based on the journals of Dick Proenneke and excellent read. At something like 55 years old he was dropped off at Twin Lakes, Alaska, and built a log home with his own two hands and lived off the land for the next 30 years. A true naturalist. I highly recommend it!

I thrive on travel and adventure. My next trip starts in Beijing followed by Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan and India. Good ol' government and 'leave with income averaging'. Can't wait to take that 1 year off! 

Great posts...very inspiring


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## Four Pillars (Apr 5, 2009)

My favourite holiday of all time was the time(s) we visit my parents and my mom looks after my kids. 

It doesn't get any better than that.


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## brad (May 22, 2009)

A couple of photos from Scotland:

Here's a view from the summit of Ben Nevis, the highest peak in the UK (still small by North American standards). It was sunny and 20 degrees Celsius at the base, snowing and cold at the summit:










Here's an old croft on the isle of Rhum, in the Inner Hebrides south of Skye. I was there visiting a research project studying shearwaters (pelagic birds that come ashore once a year to nest in burrows on the mountainside). The mountains on Rhum were all named by the Vikings and have Norse names: Hallival, Barkeval, etc., and the one where the shearwaters used to nest is called Trollaval, because the tens of thousands of shearwaters made such a bizarre noise that the Vikings figured the mountain was inhabited by trolls.


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

a bit off-topic - but there's a travel book i've had in mind for quite some time that a certain cmf forum member could write. It's a book that i think would sell extremely well.

our friend has posted that he's planning to take a year off & travel the planet on his motorcycle.

more than anyone else, he has the ability & the desire to visit dangerous destinations. He once told us that he'd be cool with inspecting chernobyl for a few hours. He's be OK biking the khyber pass, too, or taking his motorcycle on the train to lhasa.

he probably doesn't know it yet, but he's an excellent writer. He's able to relate easily & quickly to the people he meets, to whatever situation he finds himself in. He gets across the flavour of his surroundings in language that's both vivid & familiar. His colourful, quirky descriptions impart that you-are-there sensation which is the hallmark of every successful travel writer.

in my mind, the working title of this book is *Toxic Tourism.* I'm not trying to egg our member on to dangerous locations; i believe he's going to visit them anyhow. What i do think is that he can get into extreme places which nobody else is ever going to see. He'll be safe because he's an armed forces veteran with specialized training.

i'm convinced a book like Toxic Tourism would sell well. It would be at the outer edge of adventure tourism.

our friend could illustrate the book himself, too. He's an ace photographer. This is fortunate, because recruiting photographers willing to bike into chernobyl or the khyber pass would be a hassle.

the only question is, Should i tell him.


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## kcowan (Jul 1, 2010)

I spent 5 months in Metz France but I was working. So every week was spent planning for the weekend then heading out after work Friday and returning before work started on Monday morning. Had a pup tent for accomodation. Camped in Paris, Brussells, Amsterdam, Luxemburg, Munich, Nurberg, Le Mans, Lucerne, Zurich and took 10 day to travel through the Italian Alps and along the Cote d'Azure. Also spent a week in Sardinia. Hitched a flight to London and traveled back on the night train, arriving a little late at 8:45 am Monday in Metz.

My "bike" was a 70cc motorized job. The thread brings back memories and also the whole topic of Perpetual Travelers.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

Barwelle, you should just go for it if your position gets stale after awhile. I think many Canadians are hopping from job to job every few years, just take some extra time to find the next haha. Surprisingly not many other people have managed to visit me here, they're all tied down with life's binding obligations.

I have over a month off this fall, and Chernobyl is on the hit list for sure. I'm even more curious to see some of the abandoned Russian and German sites I have mapped all over E Europe. I have many pictures of the Khyber Pass from 20k feet from different times, that's sadly as close as I expect to get. There is hidden potential all over that region for adventure. Parts of Siberia, India or Africa are maybe possible before I leave the general vicinity. I did a 10k km break in trip on my bike last spring that I'm toying with sharing on another forum and blog. I love the random small towns where people are still genuinely happy to meet tourists. Camped out on a secluded beach in the Mediterranean with a few cows. A lot of the best stuff to see is not even expected, and outside the cities the sites are mostly free access. I've flown to Asia and rented a bike there for less than it costs to travel on my own. The more I see the more I want to just go for it as well. The catch to taking a few years off is that I have to do another degree at the same time, can't figure how to live off writing the voodoo options yet. There's a blog I follow about a world traveller who manages to live off his trades. That's the life!



indexxx said:


> I was not a resident of any country, had no ties nor obligations; I'd given up my Canadian residency for tax-free status (but not citizenship), and when I closed my Cayman work permit, I was no longer a resident there either.


I'm curious about how this plays out. Do you just have to live on 30 day visas hopping from country to country, or else apply for a work visa? Will the average country give a visa extension to a Canadian if they ask? I've read about people doing "visa runs" where they essentially drive to a border just to get another 30 day stamp?


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## chaudi (Sep 10, 2009)

I'ev spend a couple month in Tamil Nadu, a place called Tharangambadi. It is a very unique place on the planet, still recovering from the tsunai in some ways. It was a Danish Colloney before so some interesting architecture including a well preserved danish fort.


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## Cal (Jun 17, 2009)

Thanks to those who posted pics too!!!

Interesting thread to read.


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## donald (Apr 18, 2011)

Indexxx-I could of seriously worked on your unit,that's {bum- ba- clot!}lol.I came onto the island one day after the power was restored and it was still technically closed.I remember there was only one restaurant open(family owned)they had a really good sunday all you can eat brunch.The food mon!!I lived with about 18 jamacians in one of my bosses houses[will t drive]most were from kingston,spanish town and cliaridon.They were the real deal-oxtail/brown stew chicken/curry goat ect ect.I was like a fish out of water-Only white boy,only person from north america under employment with my boss.Took me a mth before i could understand the jamician slang{pat-taw}

My boss was good friend's with the owner of Tony's cars(the used car dealer)Ya got to know who im talking about??

I'm searching in my mind about the bars we hit(there were a few)One in the financial district,one was a ''hole in the ground'' by...**** i can't remember but i'll look it up.It was pretty wild there in the aftermath of ivan!I got alot to say but i got to go out-I'll rack my brian and post later!There is a chance i may have indeed meet you in the bar!!Bossman.


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## Islenska (May 4, 2011)

Faline I got the book and CD as a birthday gift. The CD is incredible, he is a real bushman. The scenes of wolverines are neat as they don't photograph easily or not at all. Not that is frugal living!


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## faline (Feb 10, 2011)

Islenska said:


> Faline I got the book and CD as a birthday gift. The CD is incredible, he is a real bushman. The scenes of wolverines are neat as they don't photograph easily or not at all. Not that is frugal living!


Awesome! Yes, I think he could teach us all a thing or two about frugality!!


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