2014 - St. James City,
Florida
Schim from Florida
writes:
Harry,
Your home fans are
waiting for an update. We all
have no lives and love to hear of
yours, so get your butt in
gear and do it.
02/04/14 - Harry
replies:
I have a life here in the
Sunshine State, so fishing, fun, golf,
and fast women all take precedence
over the updates.
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2012 - Back to the
Baja
Schim from Florida
writes:
Harry,
If you die from the dog bite (rabies),
can I have your iPad 2?
Schim
02/27/12
- Harry replies:
Schim,
It is far too complex a machine for
you to master. BUY YOUR OWN!
Harry
|
2012 - Back to the
Baja
Ed from Pennsylvania writes:
Harry,
I hope you're feeling better.
Was that really an earthquake today or
was it the return of Montezuma?
Seriously, did you feel the tremors?
Regards,
Ed
6.2
quake hits off coast
of southern Mexico
The
Associated Press
MEXICO CITY
- A
magnitude-6.2
earthquake
that hit off
the coast of
the southern
Mexican state
of Chiapas on
Saturday shook
as far away as
El Salvador
but brought no
immediate
reports of
damage or
injuries.
The quake at
12:47 p.m. local
time (1:47 p.m.
EST; 18:47 GMT)
broke windows in
the Chiapas
state capital of
Tuxtla Gutierrez
and sent
frightened
residents into
the streets in
numerous cities.
It was felt from
the Mexican
state of
Veracruz,
through Pacific
regions of
Guatemala and
into El
Salvador.
"It was quite
long and felt
with a lot of
force," said
Carlos Lopez
Mendoza,
spokesman with
the Red Cross in
El Salvador.
The temblor,
which some said
felt like waves,
also shook the
Mexican cities
of Comitan and
Tapachula, said
Jose Manuel
Aragon,
spokesman for
the Chiapas
Civil Protection
agency.
The U.S.
Geological
Survey said the
epicenter was in
the Pacific
Ocean about 35
miles (57
kilometers)
southwest of the
city of
Mapastepec, on
the coast near
the border with
Guatemala. It
had a depth of
41 miles (66
kilometers.)
"People here
wanted to run,"
said Juan Carlos
Hernandez, a
restaurant owner
in Mapastepec.
"Luckily it was
nothing bigger
than a scare."
|
01/21/12 - Harry replies:
Ed,
You know, the tremor could have been
some collateral damage from my case of
Montezuma. I didn't feel it,
however. The shock waves must
have passed east and south.
Thanks for thinking of me, though.
|
2011
- California: You Have to Like
Driving!
Andrea from Florida writes:
Doesn't your wife miss you and vice
versa?
01/28/11 -
Harry replies:
Aaaah, Andrea, don't you know that
"Absence makes the heart grow
fonder?" I hope and suspect that
she misses me, but you wouldn't know it
from the way she encourages me to stay
longer and go farther. Perhaps
there is something there about which I
should be suspicious??
|
2009
- Key West, then Mexico by Bus
Marie from Pennsylvania asks:
What are the churches like there and do
the people have a strong faith? Is
the Catholic Church the main
church? Just curious!!
03/21/09 -
Harry responds:
Yes, the people are strongly Catholic. I
am always amazed that even when riding
in a car (or a taxi), the driver will
always kiss his fingers, then cross
himself when passing a church or shrine
along the road. And, the Catholic Church
is always the most significant building
in even the poorest of towns.
|
2009
- Key West, then Mexico by Bus
Schim from Florida writes:
Harry,
It seems
to me that each year I am not with you,
you miss me more? Who is taking
the brunt of your jokes with me not
being along?
Schim
03/17/09 -
Harry replies:
Schim,
Your
place is being ably taken at the current
time by Crazy Larry of northern
California. He has some amazing
characteristics in common with you, but
some significant differences. Like you,
Larry spends little money on food, but
what he spends is mostly at the market;
he cooks for himself to save cash.
Unlike you, however, he spends his money
on beer, more important to him than to
either of us, as I recall. Another
couple of differences: he tells funny
jokes, but he has no gorgeous girlfriend
at home waiting for him. Just like last
year, you missed a great experience!
Harry
|
2009
- Key West, then Mexico by Bus
Luke from
Pennsylvania asks:
Hi Harry,
In your
March 4 blog you mentioned ceviche, RAW
fish COOKED in lime juice??? It
sounds to me like either the cooked or raw
can't be right. Which is it, or did
you mean it was raw and then cooked?
Luke
03/05/09 -
Harry responds:
Hi, Luke,
Ceviche is
raw fish cooked only by the citric juices
in the lime juice in which it is
marinated. Sometimes mixed with finely
chopped onion and tomatoes and always with
the herb cilantro, it is a light,
fresh-tasting, delicious seafood dish
started in Peru. It is now served as an
appetizer in most of Latin America. I love
the stuff.
Harry
|
2009 - Key West, then Mexico
by Bus
Jesse from
Florida writes:
Hello Harry,
Any chance you'll get to the trophy
smallmouth fishery that is Lake Erie?
Specifically the Buffalo, NY
region. It's not as glamorous as Spain
or Italy or even Africa but the smallies are
as big and mean as hyenas. Let me know. I
have a good contact.
Great to see
you. Thanks for taking the time to
"take a kid fishing".
Regards,
Jesse Romero
03/04/09 -
Harry replies:
Hola, Jesse!
I haven't
heard about the trophy smallies in Lake
Erie, but since there has been a major fish
kill the last few years in the Susquehanna
River, which had been a major smallie
destination, I might just head up that way. I have
fished the Thousand Islands area, so I know
the northern smallmouth is a fighting fool.
I remember our fishing expedition very well.
I think that all adults should take the time
to take a "kid" fishing, especially one who
may not get that opportunity very often.
Thanks for making contact.
Harry |
2008 - South Africa, then
the Dalmation Coast
Abby from Michigan
asks:
You
mention
people lingering over a cup of coffee - do
they get refills like in America, or is it
just one cup of coffee?
03/20/08 -
Harry responds:
The coffee is not
bottomless, you get one cup unless you want
to pay for another. Interestingly,
coffee with cream or milk costs more.
What's worse is that when you buy a sandwich
they usually have a group of stainless steel
dishes in the display case and you can
choose what you want - pickles, lettuce,
tomatoes, onions, fresh cabbage, marinated
cabbage, and a mild, red hot sauce - all at
no extra cost. But, if you want
mayonnaise on the bun, there is an extra
charge. You just have to adjust to the
differences and get with the program.
|
2007
- Pampas, Gauchos and Tangos... Then
Chile, Panama and Costa Rica
Joanne in Pennsylvania
asks:
Do
you talk with the 'locals' about their
opinions regarding the Iraq war, America's
foreign policy, America's standing in the
world, etc.?
03/08/07 -
Harry replies:
I
talk with the locals about almost
everything. Last night, I ate dinner on the
patio of my hotel, overlooking the lights of
the beautiful central valley of Costa Rica.
Dinner was take-out rotisserie chicken, cole
slaw, chips, wine, and water. I bought
enough to share with the night clerk at the
hotel and I planned on dining with him and
talking about whatever subjects came up. He
ended up watching TV and eating by himself
and, had I known that, I wouldn't have
bought him the chicken and two beers. But,
the uncle of the family that owns the hotel
was needed to open my wine bottle with his
Swiss army knife corkscrew, so we shared the
bottle and talked about many things. Last
night, one of the subjects was cheap labor
(Nicaraguans) undercutting local craftsmen
with household repairs and construction. The
uncle is a trained and certified
electrician, but he no longer works in his
field, except at the hotel. He now works at
the lumber yard/hardware store also owned by
the family.
Like
the
Amish in our area, the Nicaraguan
semi-skilled workers don't buy insurance,
don't follow building codes (our codes are
usually so tight the Amish must follow most
codes), don't pay minimum wage, etc. and do
cheaper (and more shoddy) work than the
skilled craftsmen.
Well,
that
isn't what you asked, is it? Yes, I talk to
them about Iraq and America's standing, etc.
Generally,
the people in the countries I have visited
over the past few years like the American
people, but the current government's
policies and personnel are ridiculed. This
President has dropped our nation's
reputation down quite a few pegs in his six
years in the oval office. I noticed this
slide soon after we got involved in Iraq and
soon after his Texas gunslinger comments
went global. Our country and government were
loved during the Clinton administration and
most foreigners just laughed off the
Lewinski thing as a "boys will be boys"
behavior. Of course, most countries weren't
begun with a puritan ethic and have a more
liberal (and I think healthier) view about
the human body and sex in general. Clinton
was pretty much respected and admired
worldwide. Our reputation as a nation was at
a wonderful peak and it made traveling a
breeze. I have talked to American travelers
who now put Canadian flags on their luggage
to avoid confrontation with others. I have
not found that necessary, but I don't wear a
lot of American flag shirts or hats, either.
Got
a little windy there, didn't I? Nothing much
has changed in retirement, eh? Almost sound
Canadian, eh? Thanks for staying in touch.
|
2007
- Pampas, Gauchos and Tangos... Then
Chile, Panama and Costa Rica
From
Luke in Pennsylvania:
It
looks
to me like San Jose is around 9000 feet up
and if you're higher I'd think you'd have
breathing problems. I've been traveling
vicariously with this site and especially
with it's pictures. How do you get around
without Glee??
Harry responds:
How do I
get around without Glee? Good question. This
morning, I walked about a mile to the bottom
of the hill, caught a public bus to Santa
Ana, and then hailed a cab to take me to the
golf course. I went to hit a bucket of golf
balls, but a young guy who moved here a
couple of weeks ago talked me into playing a
round. I had a great time, but got a little
too much sun - no real burn, though. After
golf, I called a cab to take me back to
Santa Ana for the bus home, but the people
in the pro shop talked the cabbie into
taking me back here (in the Internet center
in Escazu) for $8.00, so I cabbed it back
here about 15 minutes ago. The answer to
your question is mostly walking and public
buses, although cabs are usually very
inexpensive. I hope that you are enjoying
the trip this year.
|
2007 - Pampas, Gauchos and
Tangos... Then Chile, Panama and Costa
Rica
From
Judy
in Pennsylvania:
I was just at a
wine tasting in NYC and tasted a few great
malbecs (Noemia). If you stumble
across any pick up a bottle or two.
The cost here is about $95.00/btl. I'd
be curious to see how much it is
there. Keep me posted on your travels.
Harry
answers:
I don't take these
questions lightly. I have not located
the particular wine that you mention, but
not because I haven't tried. Futilely,
I first tried a large grocery store
recommended by a senior citizen on the
street. It had a huge wine section
complete with two large shelves of Malbec
whose every bottle I perused. Then, I
tried two Vinotecas (wine shops) with no
luck before turning despondently to the wine
bars.
At Puerte Zuelho,
which has a great selection that I regularly
sample, they had never heard of
Noemia. But, later last night, at a
new, larger wine bar (a real hot spot among
locals) they sold a bottle from Bodega
Noemia called "A Lisa" that sold for 90
pesos ($30). The knowledgeable
bartender, who fortunately spoke English,
informed me that Noemia had two better wines
at much higher prices, but that they didn't
carry them. Don't despair, the
research goes on. Next to the bikini
research that I have conducted in the past,
this could be my favorite.
Judy in PA.
responds:
I appreciate all
your hard work. I sampled the A Lisa as well
as the other two (the A Lisa is only $16/btl
- my cost in 2005). The Noemia Malbec
2003 and 2004 were quite good - I preferred
the 2003. Both are Bodegia Noemia from
Patagonia.
Harry
replies:
I will continue my
search for the Noemia Malbec, either '03 or
'04. You have presented me with an
interesting challenge and one that is fun to
pursue.
01/16/07 -
Harry writes:
Success!!! My search has finally yielded the
2004, J. Alberto from Bodega Noemia about
which you inquired. I found a huge wine shop
with cooling rooms that held the wines at
the proper temperatures and they sold all
three Noemia wines. I didn't price the A.
Lisa, but the middle J. Alberto was priced
at $160 pesos ($53). The J. Alberto 2004
that you tasted in New York sells for 190
pesos ($63). I am eager to taste the bottle
of the one you recommended that I brought
back to my apartment, waiting for just the
right mood and occasion to enjoy it. My
buddy, Schim, is appalled that I would spend
that much for a bottle of wine, but then he
has never paid more than $10 for a bottle in
his life. I will give him only the smallest
taste of this one. Thanks for the challenge!
|
2006 - Condo Renovation,
Charleston, SC, and Glee's Demise
Abby
from
Michigan asks:
What is the
scariest travel experience you've had?
Harry
answers:
My
scariest
travel experience has been this year's
(2006) thought of having to stay home and
face the ravages of winter in PA, instead of
making my annual three-month pilgrimage to
warmer climates. I am still hoping to
get away for a shorter time, but the thought
of snow and cold wind is frightening.
Other
than that, the intimidating border crossings
in Central America come to mind, as well as
the night Leonardo (my motor scooter) broke
down in France and I faced the prospect of
sleeping outside on a cold winter
evening. But for sheer terror, I would
pick the first day of my scooter ride the
previous year when I failed to check a map
and took a route through the mountains of
northern Italy to get to Genoa along the
Mediterranean. The sides of the road
were covered with snow, icicles hung from
the overhanging rock ledges, and the road
itself looked suspiciously shiny. On
two wheels, an icy road could have caused a
treacherous skid and my heart was beating
wildly in my chest during that entire day's
ride. I never lost control of the
scooter, so the road only looked icy, but it
took me a couple of hours soaking in a hot
tub in Genoa to warm up and to slow my heart
rate. That same year the Mistral
(winter wind from the Alps to the
Mediterranean) forced me to lean the scooter
precipitously as I crossed several bridges
heavy with truck traffic in France and that
was also pretty harrowing.
Basically
though, my trips have been a delight and the
few scary moments have merely caused a
slight adrenaline rush and made for more
colorful stories when I report back to my
friends snuggled in their winter beds.
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