Norway

Cuba

The 1st thing you need to know about Cuba is their two monetary systems. Old pesos versus Cuba convertible dollars (CUC). The bank exchange rate is 24/25. So sometimes paying dollars they calculate 24 but usually paying 50 peso price with 2 dollars is not an issue.

The government and economy is like soviet union 1991 before it broke down. Nobody owns anything and state runs most of the stuff but quality and supply is questionable. There is defencecy in almost any area. Internet is available only on major hotels with a expensive price 5CUC/h or more. Other electronics and mobiles are the same price but its hard to find original brand names like in all 3rd world countries all china. They fix and use all the old cars so all the taxies are 50+ years old american antique. They call them machina and they go up to suprisingly expensive 25000CUC for fully restaurated. Thats why horse is still main way of transportation in many rular areas.

But they have relatevely cheap camion witch is a truck used as publik transportation.

So if u dont mind beiung sometimes trasported lika an animal, you can go even as low as:

citybus (laguagua) 5km 0.025CUC 1 pieso 0.005$/km

train 1000km 5CUC 125 pieso 0.005$/km

camion 100km 1CUC 15 pieso 0.01$/km

bus laguagua 100km 2CUC 50 pieso 0.02$/km (long distance omnibus - tourist not allwed)

old makina shared 100km 5CUC 125 pieso 0.05$/km

tourist bus 100km 8CUC 200 pieso 0.08$/km

old makina 100km 10cuc 250 pieso 0.1$/km

private taxi 100km 15CUC 375 pieso 0.15$/km

fast horse 1km 1CUC 25 pieso 1$/km :)

                                                

Its just pitty because of politics these people are now pushed and pulled for their cheap labour and in future on low financial level.

There are 330 sunny days in a year witch makes it nice beach tourism magnet but you need visa to go in and dont forget the 25CUC leaving tax on departure. They have one of those traps in Israel too.

And overall it reminds me lot of india without the relogous shit and overpopulation. Its a land of amazing playas and cheap transprtation :)

Total visited 34 countries (15.1% of the world)

Happy new Year to everybody from Dublin ;)

Back from Egypt

Everything that has a beginning has an end. Also my trip is finished for this time and journey bought me back to Estonia.

Egypt was nice and really enjoyed it. I wanted to stay more so i throw away return ticked and traveled around going even Jerusalem in Israel.

I started in Hurghada witch was just a fishing village few decades ago. Now official population over 200 000 are local people who moved to the area to earn around $200 per month mainly from tourism. Understandable because its visited by 2 million tourist every year who just want to lye on the beach and enjoy sun. So its full of tourist resorts and hotels and unfinished buildings from rapid development. Businessman dont take bank loans and build bit by bit witch, in my opinion is good, because they dont have so much responsibilities and stress and can stay friendly and happy. There are lot of tourist from Russia and Russian language is even more common than English but you will manage with one of them. Children at school learn also Russian, English and Arabic. And sometime even french or dutch on top.
Nearby tourist village El Gouna is an eye catcher and one of the things not to miss along with El Dahar bazaars and Red Sea boat trips.

Luxor in the other hand is old town with lots of temples and tombs. Many tourist come in for a day trip to visit infamous Valley of the Kings or Hatshepsut temple where 62 people were killed in 1997 probably by al-Queda.
Tourists means money for Egyptians and they dont take no as an answer when trying to sell you something, show their shop or invite you to banana island. Witch might be actually just 10 min trip to the other side of nile to eat some bananas. Sometimes after a long chat when its sure that you are not buying anything they might start to talk about their big family and sic starving children witch is little bit annoying but otherwise there are some nice people around, good places to stay and sight to see witch have create historian value.

Cairo is already almost hassle free. Prices are cheaper and people friendly. When it was not possible to travel to/from Luxor with cheap shared taxi then now you can go any anywhere without the driver to need to worry loosing their license. But make sure you dont miss Giza Pyramids and Egypt Museum.

When rest of the Egypt reminds a lot of India then Alexanria
with its wide streets, crossroads and few traffic lights that everybody ignores is almost like European town. It was founded 3rd century BC and there is not much left of Amphitheater nor the World Wonder Lighthouse but you can visit the infamous Library. City has been one of the most important in ancient times and even now its the second biggest in Egypt.

The holy land Israel is not so holy after all. Of course there is beautiful Jerusalem and Bethlem where all the Pible story took place but we have to remember that it wasn't also nice what happened to Jesus in the end.
Now there are lot of army and guns on the streets around you all the time like Sri Lanka where they had trouble with Tamil Tigers.
Everybody, including girls have to go through 3 year military training where they learn to kill everything without questions and compassion. Of course training makes you strong and Jews are otherwise wise but its hard to understand why they keep Palestinia occupied and killed innocent people in Gaza. Maybe Hitler genocide wasnt for no reason. Palestinia is allied with Russia and Israel gets lot of help from US but their politics and intentions are bit weird. I was there by the time of riot because of opening Jews synagogue and taking over Jerusalem so they were shooting all day. Anyway it makes me little bit creepy to walk around empty burning streets but it happens there all the time everybody is used to this. But i know how fast you can get killed with bullet.
Otherwise its nice country with beautiful landscapes, mountains and deserts. Access to two different seas and Dead Sea which they now calling sea of life because its cancer and skin healing properties. Cities are quite organized, prices higher and reminds lot of Europe except Palestinian side where life is more easygoing like Egypt or India.
Don't forget the $25 border tax on departure ;)

Dahab in Egypt is a little tourist town on the beach. There is one of the most beautiful coral reef i have seen just few meters from the beach so its sin not go to swim every morning. Just like Sharm el-Sheikh but instead of big hotels and tourist resorts there are small houses for rent on the beach. With a prices lower than $200 a month i wonder why people dont stay there and work over internet for long term because thats what im gonna do next time.
Corals cover only 0,5% of the seabed but offers protection and home for 25% seas pieces. They fossilize and are found all around the world as limb stone. In last 2 million years that animal group have changed to earth the most.

Still Lot of Places to Go

Estonian Winter

Arrived back to Estonia where it had snowed heavily. Temperatures often reaching -30, cars getting stuck and streets impossible to walk. Winter that people havent seen for many years.
I moved to Tallinn to do some work and see some friends. Staying with Jagna in the same house where i started my travels 3 years ago. One day she suggested me for a travel show on the TV where you quickly have to pack your bag and be first in the airport in order to win a trip and i was the first one! Whatta suprise...
So now im in Egypt learning to enjoy charter flights and 5-star hotels.
Special thanks to Jagna and everybody else.
More updates coming soon ;)