Montreal isn't a place you'll find my warmth this time of year but a quick quick onto the internet can get you on a plane south that could keep you warm and well-oiled.
A quick trip out of town will refuel you for spring in Montreal, best place in the world to be in May.
Here are my southernbound travel tips:
The big question: Can you go alone? Hell yeah but get away from the boring resorts and into the exciting cities or risk dying of boredom.
Is it safe to travel alone? Well no but what is safe in this life? Elevators aren't safe. Balconies aren't safe. Nothing is safe. But you'll probably be fine.
Dominican Republic is a country with a lousy name and the slightly disconcerting sight of civilians strolling around with loaded holsters in a country of machismo and girly-girls. Beer fridges advertise the exact temperatures of their El
Presidente beers and there's lots of new gringo booster cash up north in Cabarete/Puerto Plata. Less renovated Sosua is a sensational northern town, boasting most-wanted Quebec ex-pat bikers and a lousy public beach but a rocking nightlife full of women of dubious repute. Punta Cana in the south is well maintained but it's just a resort with no real town close by, so stay away if you're out for adventure. Boca Chica is a beach town full of desperate people, from ripoff beach vendors to zonked out Major Tomed Euros but rooms are cheap and eats are fine. Nearby Santo Domingo is a legit metropolis worth a visit, hit the old city.
Trinidad Port of Spain is a little Big Apple with some tensions between East Asians and blacks. I spent a few nights in a crazy hot non-air conditioned house next to the Shouters Church in Laventille, a tough ghetto where they steal clothes from the line. Tourists don't waste too much time in the urban jungle, instead they head to Tobago. It's tiny but with a good beach and lots of cricket. Not much town life from what I could tell in Tobago.
Costa Rica boasts nature paradise Manuel Antonio Beach, the nicest I've seen. On my 90s trip I briefly bunked in a hotel on the other side of the hill from the nature park with an Elvis Gratton
lookalike from Quebec City who stiffed me with the hotel bill. San Jose had the stink of diesel, a McDonald's with giggling school girls and tourists who complained of getting robbed. The Caribbean coast might be worth a peek if you have a few extra days. The beaches are unattractive but many locals are transplanted Jamaicans who speak English
Cuba Has a true city as its capital, plus the local charters there have been known to be dirt cheap.
I had a magical trip in the late 90s where I made more friends in a few days than I have in a lifetime Montreal, it seemed. They were hungry for knowledge, greenbacks and lyric translations to songs like Rumpshaker. Kid on a bike stole my Montreal Maroons hat on the boardwalk. An awesome motorcycle cop caught him and we sall went together to the police station. I went back a couple of years ago to explore Caribbean baseball (a pet interest) and caught a few ballgames, in jammed stadiums that reeked of oil and cigars. Calle Obispo (Bishop) is the best touristy type street in Havana. Cuba can have some dodgy cold weather and unswimmable beaches but you can do a trip super cheap.
Florida South Beach Miami is great if you can find bargain digs. I went in the 90s and stayed in a
cheap dilapidated art deco hotel The beach is nothing too exciting but the party strip is full of energy and livelee drunks who will drunkenly chat with you for no reason.
*No money changed hands in connection with the creation of this article. I heard that a Montreal "news" blog was demanding $1,500 from a company to promote their charter flights in a "news article." So I figured hell nah, I'll write one about southern travel for free.
A quick trip out of town will refuel you for spring in Montreal, best place in the world to be in May.
Here are my southernbound travel tips:
The big question: Can you go alone? Hell yeah but get away from the boring resorts and into the exciting cities or risk dying of boredom.
Is it safe to travel alone? Well no but what is safe in this life? Elevators aren't safe. Balconies aren't safe. Nothing is safe. But you'll probably be fine.
Dominican Republic is a country with a lousy name and the slightly disconcerting sight of civilians strolling around with loaded holsters in a country of machismo and girly-girls. Beer fridges advertise the exact temperatures of their El
Trinidad Port of Spain is a little Big Apple with some tensions between East Asians and blacks. I spent a few nights in a crazy hot non-air conditioned house next to the Shouters Church in Laventille, a tough ghetto where they steal clothes from the line. Tourists don't waste too much time in the urban jungle, instead they head to Tobago. It's tiny but with a good beach and lots of cricket. Not much town life from what I could tell in Tobago.Costa Rica boasts nature paradise Manuel Antonio Beach, the nicest I've seen. On my 90s trip I briefly bunked in a hotel on the other side of the hill from the nature park with an Elvis Gratton
lookalike from Quebec City who stiffed me with the hotel bill. San Jose had the stink of diesel, a McDonald's with giggling school girls and tourists who complained of getting robbed. The Caribbean coast might be worth a peek if you have a few extra days. The beaches are unattractive but many locals are transplanted Jamaicans who speak EnglishCuba Has a true city as its capital, plus the local charters there have been known to be dirt cheap.
Florida South Beach Miami is great if you can find bargain digs. I went in the 90s and stayed in a cheap dilapidated art deco hotel The beach is nothing too exciting but the party strip is full of energy and livelee drunks who will drunkenly chat with you for no reason.
*No money changed hands in connection with the creation of this article. I heard that a Montreal "news" blog was demanding $1,500 from a company to promote their charter flights in a "news article." So I figured hell nah, I'll write one about southern travel for free.
Fly to south Florida and drive down to the keys. Waste the days and weeks away watching the birds, taking a daily stroll, listening to the wind in the palms as you sip your drink. Before you know it you've got "Keys Disease", you've missed your flight home but its all goooooooooood. You'll figure it out another day.
ReplyDeleteThe Carribean is best experienced from within a walled off resort compound. I get all the "local flavor" I need on the shuttle from the airport. Cuba seems to be the exception but I haven't been yet.
ReplyDeleteWe would all be wringing our hands over the deplorable conditions in the Dominican Republic but sharing an island with basket case Haiti makes the D.R. look like the height of civilization by comparison.
Oh you're missing out. I've been to the DR a few times and stayed in the whole range of places including poor areas, fleabag hotels, the whole shebang and never had anything but mellow good times. My Spanish is pretty much non existent too so I was glad to meet Haitians down there as we could usually chat in French, altho you'd be surprised how some Haitians can't even do that. Loads of ex-pats all over too.
ReplyDeleteI don't know. I wandered around like that in Central America and had a great time but I think I look too much like a tourist for that kind of exploring in the Carribean. I get swarmed by beggars and people selling junk. I stayed in a resort in Puerto Rico that had a private beach that was fenced off. The locals simply attacked by sea. Floating 30 meters or so off the beach in any manner of boat and screaming their heads off all day trying to sell one thing or another.
ReplyDeleteI have come to avoid being a tourist in places where tourism is the only economic activity of any kind.
So yeah it seems you get bugged more on resorts than off, because they know you're a well-heeled tourist if you're there.
ReplyDeleteIn the towns, a lot of people look like tourists but many are ex-pat gringos who have settled permanently there. They don't get bugged and you won't either.
Cabarete has no beach vendors.
Boca Chica beach has a lot, including idiots who pull a scam where they say they'll call police on you if you don't pay them for sitting on their beach chairs.
I never got approached or bugged in non-beach areas, which constituted about 95% of my outings.
Manuel Antonio is spectacular , but you have to enter the park very early , 06:00 , otherwise by mid-day all the wild life and the wise humans have retreated to cool off. 95 degrees , 90% humidity , absolutely stifling. I lived in CR for 22 months , amazing people , spectacular countryside. The Jamaicans on the Caribbean coast are descendants of the slaves brought over to build the railroad. English speaking , and very warm. The beaches on the Caribbean coast are wild , the forest comes to within 30 feet of the ocean. The Nicoya peninsula has many small towns perfect for surfers.Everything , bars , restaurants , close by 22:00.Go to the beach at 05:30 , packed with surfers , runners , vacationers. The roads are terrible , but are part of the CR adventure. PURA VIDA
ReplyDelete