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Monthly Archives: January 2015

A Little R&R

www.jimmccluskey.com Posted on January 28, 2015 by JimApril 13, 2015

A trip and a vacation are not the same thing. A vacation is relaxing and enjoyable. A trip on the other hand is usually tiring but interesting. If it is also enjoyable, all the better.

Often at some point in our trips we’ll feel like we need a vacation, so we’ll head for some travelers’ ghetto where we can relax, eat comfort food, and not worry so much about violating the social norms of whatever conservative culture we are visiting. In India the place to go are the beaches of Goa.

Colorful cottages Agonda Beach in Goa, India.

Colorful cottages Agonda Beach in Goa, India.

The beaches of Goa were a hot spot for international hippies for several decades following the 60s. There are several different beaches along the coast of the small state, and each has its own flavor, some catering to younger partiers, others to middle-aged yoga devotees.

Sunbathers, beach walkers and restaurants line Palolem Beach, Goa, India.

Sunbathers, beach walkers and restaurants line Palolem Beach, Goa, India.

On a few of the beaches there are still old hippies wondering around, maybe living on their pensions by now. There are also the younger versions, kids with dreadlocks, tribal tattoos and outfits that appear to be made of scraps of earth-tone fabrics held together by rivets and laces.

These days, however, the most prominent demographic is Russian tourists (though there are fewer of them this year since the ruble tanked). Russian sunbathers line the beaches.

A sign on Ajuna Beach, Goa, aimed at Russian tourists.

A sign on Ajuna Beach, Goa, aimed at Russian tourists.

Just an observation—young Russians, in their larval stage, are slim and sexy. Later, as they mature, not so much. They seem to fancy skimpy bathing suits, whether they still fit into them or not.

We spent about 10 days on a couple of different beaches doing very little of significance, but enjoying ourselves nonetheless. But whatever energy we had accumulated at the beach was drained during the next leg of our trip.

Posted in Goa, India, TRAVEL

The Stone Temples of Ajanta and Ellora

www.jimmccluskey.com Posted on January 14, 2015 by JimApril 13, 2015

Even in the brief time we have been here, less than two weeks, it has become clear that India is a country of diversity and contrasts. Mumbai itself shows many different faces depending on which way you look (though whichever way you look, it is crowded.) But all of Mumbai is relatively modern— “ Old Bombay” dates basically to the Colonial Era. In the scope of India’s history, that isn’t very long. Our next destination was a giant leap into the past, the ancient and beautiful temples and monasteries of Ellora and Ajanta, near the city of Aurangabad. Carved out … Continue reading →

Posted in Ajanta and Ellora, India, TRAVEL

Maximum City

www.jimmccluskey.com Posted on January 6, 2015 by JimApril 13, 2015

We left Canada the afternoon of the last day of 2014 and landed in Mumbai, India, on the second day of the new year, having fast-forwarded through New Years Day on eastward flights. We’re at the beginning of a two-and-a-half-month trip which will take us through much of India, but by no means all of it. India is a vast and diverse country and we have no hope of doing more than scratching the surface. We had the good fortune of meeting an Indian couple just days before we left home, which resulted in us being met at the Mumbai … Continue reading →

Posted in India, Mumbai, TRAVEL

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Guatemala Gazette

a travel journal...
I started traveling to Guatemala in the mid-80s. When the internet became commonly available there a dozen years later I began writing a travel journal and emailing it to friends and family. This is the archive of those journals. GO>>>

Unpublished Articles

  • October Surprise - Did the Reagan Legacy begin with deceit?
  • Fool's Gold- The Legend of the Lost Dutchman Mine
  • That Sucking Sound-History of the Vacuum Cleaner
  • Women of the Wild West-It wasn't all cowboys.
  • History of the Motel

Published Articles

  • Who was Deep Throat? Answer: Mark Felt. Relive the speculation.
  • Smells Like Murder- The Death of Kurt Cobain
  • One Giant Hoax- The Apollo Moon Landing
  • Death, Drugs and Rock'n'Roll-Who killed Jimi Hendrix?
  • History of the Banana- More interesting than it sounds
  • Microcars- Smaller than compact
  • Death of a Princess-Was Diana Murdered?
  • Uncle Sam's Other Islands-Some your travel agent has never heard of.

Misc. Writing

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