Nong Khai, bad tourists, and Cuba

Published: Mon, 12/22/14

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Above: Saturday market in Nong Khai with sunset views over the Mekong.

Update: We are really enjoying Nong Khai. Every day we wake up to clear skies and temperatures in the mid 20s. Unlike Bangkok and Hua Hin the weather is very pleasant. It's a quiet town, the liveliest time is Saturday night which is market night along the riverside promenade. That's when you run into everyone in town.

The cost of staying in this little paradise? We're paying 8,000 Baht a month for our apartment, that's $290 Canadian. But that's because its high season. Our rent will go down to 6,000 Baht ($218) in February. So much cheaper than either Bangkok or Hua Hin.

I'll be doing a post in the next little while on Nong Khai.
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Photo 1: I wrote a huge post this week on all the temples of Angkor Wat Archaeological Park. What I didn't cover is things not to do. You don't, for example, sit your fat ass down on a 1000-year old monument. We were surprised by some of the bad tourist behaviour.  
CUBA
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The big news this week was the normalizing of US - Cuba relations after 53 years. That's huge. I'm going to focus on some of our Cuba posts on this Newsletter because I think it is a place that people have to go now. Cuba for us is a really, really special place despite a lot of economic problems. It's going to change fast and it might not be long until you see a McDonalds, Starbucks or KFC on every street corner. 

This post was written a couple of years ago. It wasn't read by many. But I think it summarizes Cuba pretty well. And I look at that last paragraph and I think I was pretty prophetic...

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Trinidad, Cuba
Our highlight in Cuba. Go there and stay in a casa (which will cost about $30/night). One of the prettiest, most enjoyable colonial towns anywhere. Again, go before the floodgates open. We are still in contact with Addys and Jose and I see they still get excellent reviews on Trip Advisor. The thing is we were just talking about going back there one of these days. Check out this post for tons of photos on Trinidad....
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Havana, Cuba

I've compared Havana to Venice because it is one of those ruined cities where you feel that you've stepped back in time. No place in Cuba will change quicker than Havana with the political changes getting underway. Not a relaxing city but just an incredible place that has to be seen. This is one of the most popular photo posts on this blog...but anyone can take great photos in Havana, it is an incredibly photogenic place.
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Cuba - Destination Guide

A complete guide to Cuba: costs, logistics and places to go.

To all our family, friends, and our wonderful readers. Thank you for your support, encouragement, and for taking the time to comment and share your own thoughts on the blog! 
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