Laying Low in Durban

Good day,

I’m at a somewhat social spot right off Florida Road which is a pretty busy street in Durban, South Africa. It’s a place with lots of restaurants, nightlife and the like. Busy two weeks here and it’s catch-up mode, on everything. I could have left on Sunday when the campaign I came here for ended but last time I was in Durban, I wanted to get to know it better.

Bunny Chow is something that is uniquely Durban; it’s curry in a bun called a bunny. It was made so that people feeding lots of workers could get them all some curry in a bowl without the hassle of plates and the like; simple, cheap and easy. I had the mutton one a few years ago and didn’t care for it; kinda stayed away from the bunny after that but it all changed at Johnny Roti’s. This place is a legendary curry spot and for ~5US you can get a curry roti enough to feed an obese family of four. Got back into the mutton game, glad I gave it a second go. Mutton and cheese is a good way to go, I do believe.

Durban is right on the beach and it has a coast which almost rivals the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. It’s also got great surfing and you’ll find plenty of bums around but not the ones begging for your spare change. The weather here is a bit cool at night but perfect during the day and it’s winter now. Supposedly in the summer it’s a scorcher and lots of people from Johannesburg have places along this coast as it’s cool and laid back. The top photo is from my old hotel room and all day the whole break is lined with surfers.

One thing I have to mention is that drinking here is beyond affordable. I’m talking beers under $2 at bars and shots of anything about the same. I went to a whole slew of places and some are a slight bit pricier but not much and some are even cheaper. Roccabar Niteclub is good times and black label could be called blackout label; it’s stronger than you think. Also, if you’re someone just traveling through somewhere and into social media, tap into the igers network if there is a big one; met a lot of cool people from #IgersDurban at an organized meetup. Cities get a lot more interesting in a hurry when you’ve made new acquaintances based on similar interests.

Durban is largest city in the KwaZulu-Natal province and glad to be spending more time here. Played some golf the other day and have another round on Friday before leaving back to Nicaragua on the 17th. This will be my second time in South Africa and definitely not my last. I hung out at INDABA for a few days and it’s a massive African tourism trade show; you name the country or company from the region and they were there. What’s cool is that a few years ago digital marketing for tourism was new; now it seems everyone is seeing the value in it. Very interesting times ahead for anyone in the space.

Big thanks to my friends at the South African Tourism Office for inviting me to their country a second time and making this whole trip possible. I’m here as part of a campaign hosted by them and managed by the fine people at iambassador; obviously all opinions are my own.

Tips hat,

Greetings from Durban,

I’m in Durban for the next 10 days or so and soon is the kick off to INDABA 2014 which is one of the massive tourism fairs in Africa. It’s going to be pretty crazy and on Sunday I have an interview with SAfm; I’d share it but it’s not going to be something you all need to hear I’m quite sure. While in Johannesburg I went on an “Instawalk” which is basically a photo tour but you share it immediately on Instagram; hence the title “Strolling through Soweto”.

Click here for the full post on my blog.

There was a big turnout and I met a lot of interesting characters who are into their city, photography and social media. Soweto is an abbreviation for South Western Township and is famous for a few things one being incredibly great the other being incredibly sad. Let’s start with the great? Well Vilakazi Street was once home to not one but two Nobel Peace Prize winners; Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Oh yeah, this is the 20 year anniversary of the first democratic vote in South Africa’s history.

The bad news is that there was a big peaceful protest in 1976 where 10,000 kids marched from one spot to another and were gunned down by the police; 23 died the first day. What was it over? The Apartheid government wanted to make Afrikaans the official language taught in schools instead of English. Anyways this sparked worldwide attention and did lead to some positive changes in the townships; still a sad state of affairs is something I’ sure we can all agree upon. Photo below is the iconic snap taken of a fellow student carrying a dying Hector Pieterson while his sister runs besides them.

The place is pretty touristy and I went there in 2012 but this time was different. Strolling the streets with local characters is a way more authentic experience and something about hanging out with 100 people who are passionate about the same types of things causes a cool electricity which I very much enjoy. It’s sorta like when I traded stocks and had a distinguished gentlemen subscription in The PPT. It made trading stocks infinitely more interesting than sitting alone at my monitor eating donair kebabs while reading doomsday predictions on Google Finance and drinking Dunkin Donuts.

Much more later and big thanks to South African Tourism Office for inviting me to their country a second time and making this whole trip possible. I’m here as part of a campaign hosted by them and managed by the fine people at iambassador; obviously all opinions are my own.

I’d go on but I’ve got lots to do.

Flicks cap,

Greetings,

I’m writing this from the lobby of the hotel I’m staying at in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. I’ve been busy as ever with late nights and early flights; I wanted to check in as I’m not one of those absentee landlords when it comes to blogging. I’d add some photos and tell you more but the internet connection isn’t exactly cooperating.

This is the first bit of free time I’ve had since my last update and hopefully next time this occurs, it will be a cooperative internet connection. I spent some time in Johannesburg before heading to Port Elizabeth. Soon I’ll be in Durban where the rest of my trip will be spent as I’m attending INDABA. Besides seeing some sights and getting a better feel for the place, I’ve also adopted a rescued penguin named “Jay”. He is the local troublemaker who left a few times but always came back and is now a permanent resident.

The top photo is from a penthouse party in downtown Johannesburg. If you’re a TV type of character you’d recognize the crib from The Apprentice South Africa as the television series was filmed here. The boardroom was huge and made for a great dinner including drinks and light conversation.

Much more later and big thanks to South African Tourism Office for inviting me to their country a second time and making this whole trip possible. I’m here as part of a campaign hosted by them and managed by the fine people at iambassador; obviously all opinions are my own.

Tips hat,

P.S: Jay is second penguin on diving board about to push his friend off.

Good day,

Just passed 3 more nights in Berlin and it’s the bomb. For European / Western European standards it’s beyond affordable and interesting people at every street corner. I’m in the Kreuzberg district because a good friend recommended it. I reached out to some gent on a private apartment rental site and he said he wasn’t in town but the keys were in the drawer on the top floor so if I went, he’d give me 3 nights for the price of 2; deal.

Honestly, so many interesting people your head will spin.

Check this post for more & lots of photos.

It’s also legal to drink anywhere,  which is great considering ~1/3 the place is parks…

Tips hat,

Good day,

I’m off to South Africa once more as a guest of South African Tourism and they have put together a campaign called #MeetSouthAfrica. This campaign consists of three different niches which are heritage and culture, adventure and luxury. I’m in the latter and after the trip which ends in Durban, I’m going to spend a few more days so I can get some golfing and fishing in.

Here are some posts from my last time there:

• Helicopter Tour of Cape Town, South Africa VLOG
• Visiting Robben Island off the Coast of Cape Town
• Seeing the “BIG 5″ on Safari in Kruger National Park
• Day of Culture, Drinks, Dinner & Dancing in South Africa

I’d go on but I’ve got 000’s of things to do before leaving.

Tips hat,

P.S: That photo of Cape Town is from the helicopter tour.

Good day,

I’m diving deeper into the video game because people are getting lazier and technology is getting better. One day, your children will be watching Youtube as television in the living room while old cable companies go the way or Nortel aka the first horrific stock trade I ever entered. Gozo is a Maltese island which is considerably smaller and quieter than Malta itself. It’s a place where even the Maltese go to kick back and relax; it’s also a short ferry away.

That said, if you do go to Malta I suggest you check Gozo out.

For more, read the bloggery “Day Trip to Island of Gozo“.

I was in Malta as a guest of the Malta Tourism Authority; read about it here.

Tips hat,

P.S: Recognize the Azure Window from Game of Thrones?

Greetings from Berlin,

I”m in this studio apartment in some trendy neighborhood. I know that as people don fedoras and go out of their way to look weird which sadly, makes them look normal around here. I’m a little weird to begin with so I feel right at home here. I’m here for three nights aka two more before I’m off to Africa and I’m doing as little as possible besides lying around and cooking up the odd stir-fry filled with organic vegetables.

April was absolutely mental and I’m drained; I have more energy than 99.324% of the population but my batteries are low. If you’re thinking of doing some travel, I seriously urge you to look into apartment rentals as they are the future just like wind power. Hotels are like old refineries; filthy and a blast from the past.

If I never traveled again and only ever did this one month trip; it would be enough to talk about for years. In summary it all started in the Caribbean on Little Corn Island before going to the colonial city of Granada. I saved my friend’s life there and hope he’s still alive. He’s an insane 70 year old dude so who knows how many get out of jail free cards he has left but I did my part. From there it was off to Managua before catching a flight to Miami. From Miami I made my way to London and painted the town red like a renegade throwing buckets off the sides of double-decker buses.

Following that it was off to Malta which was very cool. I’ll go back sometime and will recommend it to all of you. If you like castles, forts and the like there is probably nowhere in the world more interesting than Valletta; seriously. From there it was off to Frankfurt before catching a train to Leipzig for a conference. In 2010 I breezed through Germany but I’m loving it more and more the longer I spend in its borders. From there it was off to Berlin before a short day trip to Potsdam, backtrack to Berlin for Easter and a long old bus to Krakow, Poland.

Now I’m back in Berlin and tired; it’s time to go into full hermit mode like the cancerous crab that I am for a few days which will be hard for me but 100% necessary. I’ll be in South Africa for ~3 weeks before heading back to Little Corn Island to check on my permit status and plant some hedges as it’s rainy season. Then it’s back to Europe again as I have unfinished business in the Balkans and seriously, from June 15th – September 15th; nowhere cooler than Europe.

Click here for a writeup & here for posts from April.

Tips hat,

Greetings,

I’m writing this from an apartment rental in the core of old town Krakow, Poland. To say it’s close to the main square which is the largest in Europe would be an understatement. It’s just as beautiful and busy as I remember it while still cheap as anything and you can live like a king on a peasants pocketbook if that makes sense to you…

I’m renting this sizable one bedroom apartment for 40E a night and I know a few places where I can drink pints of local beer for 1E each. There is lots of dining options but I’m not a big fan of Eastern European cuisine; it’s all fried… Not everything but most of the dishes are and it’s heavy on meats which I enjoy but I do know the meaning of a balanced diet and fully realize just how much protein I can absorb in any one sitting. Pierogies are massive here and it’s one of the dishes you might as well try; I had some again this time and they were tasty.

Why should you visit? It’s one of the best preserved old cities in all of Europe as for some reason it didn’t get pummeled in World War II like so many others. Warsaw was stunning but it was basically destroyed to the ground. The architecture is simply divine and the castle they have on top of the hill is worth a visit as well. There is this placed called the Music Academy which has a cafeteria on the top floor; go have a horrible cup of coffee and enjoy a priceless view of the city while here.

There are several tours you can take from here but I’m just hooked on the old town city center. I’ve maybe spent 2-3 weeks of my life in this city now and could easily pass more. That said, it’s still a bit cold and if you’re only coming once and spending cash on tickets to get here; do come from June 15th-September 15th. I’ve been to Europe several times now and I always recommend that so do take heed unless you like rain and cold which is possible; to each their own right? I think this is a spot that is great for a solo gent, group of gents, people my parents age or even a family; has something for everyone.

One thing I will mention is that Poland is not a place to act the fool; same goes for all of Eastern Europe. Go watch World’s Strongest Man and see the big boys from around here; not all are weight lifters some just like hanging out dancing to house music or slamming liters of beer. Normal and friendly enough guys but if you did get on their bad-side they could literally rip your head off, spine and all. This goes double if you’re at a club and start making eye contact with a beautiful lady and you’re unsure if she’s alone or not. So remember the number one rule of staying safe anywhere in the world, be a gentleman.

Click here for lots of Krakow content from 2010.

Tomorrow, I’m off to Berlin and back to Africa on Thursday.

Tips hat,

P.S: USD & CAD getting crushed by Euro & Pounds.

P.P.S: Big steel mills near the city and 3rd dirtiest air in Europe. As a result, renting an apartment here is simply not an option; ever.

Good day,

I’m writing this from Krakow, Poland but more on that later; let’s discuss 48 hours in London. I always fly into London as I’m based out of Nicaragua and well, London is a great gateway to the rest of the world. I’ve got a good friend who works there and we always link up. He’s getting married in two weeks so figured we’d paint the town red one last time before he bites the dust like so many good men have before him.

I’m sort of indifferent about London but without a doubt it’s a city you should experience to get a full “Chef’s Tasting” of what this planet has to offer. Day to day life would be depressing as it rains all the time, it’s damp, cold and expensive. That said, some of you would probably work in “The City” so you’d just be depressed, damp and cold but surrounded by gold which sadly, would lose its ability to warm you after a while I think.

That said, if you’re going to fill your stomach with fire water and run around somewhere for a night or so; it’s a solid spot. The transit system runs 24/7 so you can take a subway or as they call it “tube” into the center of the circus then bus or cab home later. Picadily Circus and Leicester Square are your go to spots. Leicester has countless clubs; we hit it on a Sunday night as that was the night I showed up and it was a good time.

If you’re going somewhere; spend a day or so visiting. From the airport take the Picadily Line or express to the city center. Get an apartment and spend a day sightseeing but I suggest you only do it between July 3rd and July 14th as that is the only semblance of summer they have. I’m exaggerating but people aren’t exaggerating when they say the weather is garbage.

All of these photos are from one night out.

Click here for an idea of what you’ll cross sightseeing.

Tips hat,

Good day,

Potsdam isn’t far from Berlin and no more than 50 minutes if you’re taking the train and don’t get lost like I did. It’s got amazing castles and that’s a big draw. I arrived where my friends were staying and it wasn’t in the city; also I didn’t care for the gent at reception / they charged wifi so I knew I’d be checking out in the morning.

I had an afternoon so I figured I’d stroll around the historic city center and see what’s happening. Turns out, lots was happening as it was Easter Weekend and everyone was off. The town had a cool vibe to it and if I had more time, would have loved to have seen the castles or had patio beers with pals.

Also, lots of wealthy Germans / celebrities reside in Potsdam as it’s close to Berlin but away from the hustle and bustle. If you don’t have to go to work everyday, why bother being a spectator in the race of rats when you can relax in the country drinking fine wine and ingesting animal fats? That or sit alone smoking darts in some park like the lady in the photo above?!

Click here for way more photos of Potsdam.

I’m in Krakow, Poland; having great flashbacks from 2010.