Category Archives: Travelogues

Zapotrek, Part I

“Maybe we can go on a bike ride this weekend,” Cheryl ventured. We’d seen a few cyclists in a group rambling through the valley floor on our excursion the previous Sunday. Lonely Planet listed a few local outfits which visit … Continue reading

Posted in Oaxaca, Travelogues | 1 Comment

The End of The Road

The Western tip of Cuba angles towards the south, pointing directly across the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico at Cancun, 250 kilometers away. Twelve days on the road, 1600 kilometers total, from Baracoa at the far Eastern end of … Continue reading

Posted in Cuba, Travelogues | Comments Off on The End of The Road

Valle Viñales

Leandro Malagon, or at least the top half of him, rose monumentally above the deserted plaza. A stray hound emerged from the base, and I squatted to get the correct perspective on the heroic statue which jutted incongruously from the … Continue reading

Posted in Cuba, Travelogues | Comments Off on Valle Viñales

Americano KOM

Big Jim had been chuckling nervously about today’s ride for the proceeding two weeks. “ ‘Americano. A masculine name, but a bitch of a climb.’ That’s what it says on the website itinerary.” He had mentioned this almost daily, and … Continue reading

Posted in Cuba, Travelogues | Comments Off on Americano KOM

Charco Azul

After cycling all morning and into the afternoon from Playa Giron, along the Bay of Pigs, we headed across the swamp lands of southern Matanzas, towards the town of Australia. The odd name of this little municipality stems from the … Continue reading

Posted in Cuba, Travelogues | Comments Off on Charco Azul

Running in Oaxaca – II

A few days after our walk up into the Cerro del Fontin, Cheryl surprised me by getting up when I did, a little after six. Sunrise was 7:20, and I had been heading out for my morning runs along the … Continue reading

Posted in Oaxaca, Travelogues | 2 Comments

Running in Oaxaca

“You really ought to come with me to my photography course in Oaxaca,” Cheryl announced.

“Uh, I’ll think about it…” My usual delay tactic. New ideas take some time to seep into my head, especially when I’ve got some momentum on another track. Like wanting to do another Ironman in October or November. Continue reading

Posted in Oaxaca, Travelogues | Comments Off on Running in Oaxaca

Bay of Crabs – II

I pulled out of Giron with Yoany, Tony and John. The narrow two lane road out of town hugged the coastline for 25 km the entire way to Playa Larga at the head of the bay. To our right, a … Continue reading

Posted in Cuba, Travelogues, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Bay of Crabs – II

Bay of Crabs – Part I

After our tour of Cienfuegos, we hopped on our bikes just outside of town,  and began a three hour, 85 kilometer cruise heading towards Playa Giron. Most of the ride was across a desolate swampy plain, along a nearly deserted … Continue reading

Posted in Cuba, Travelogues | Comments Off on Bay of Crabs – Part I

Cienfuegos

Tacoma, Washington; Etzatlan, Mexico; Cambridge, Massachusetts; Kingston, Ontario; Bahia Blanca, Argentina; Saint-Nazaire, France; Contagem, Brazil. What could they possibly have in common? All are “Sister Cities” of Cienfuegos, Cuba. Which means our visit there was high on the must-see list, … Continue reading

Posted in Cuba, Travelogues | Comments Off on Cienfuegos