5 comments about Rum & Reggae's Caribbean (Rum & Reggae series).

1. At last! Mr. Runge has updated his Caribbean guide and it is better than ever. He includes more locations, more activities, more places to stay, and more ratings. His opinions are sharper, his descriptions are more detailed, his guidance is right on the money. This book is NOT for your average vacationer, this is for the sophisticated traveler who's looking for something out of the ordinary. Like YOU!



2. Well, Mr. Runge has finally come out with an encore to his classic book on the Caribbean, and he has outdone himself. He has once again given us all the best kept secret places in the Caribbean, and not a moment to soon. I was afraid he was down there permanently this time after a six year information drought between editions and it was killin' me!. So all I can ask now, is that he quickly pack up and give us more of the same quality for some other destinations such as Mexico, Hawaii, or perhaps a south Pacific island guide. I just hope he can maintain this extraordinary level of "insider's" scuttlebutt as he expands his travel territory. This is far and away the best book on what to do and where to go in the Caribbean that has ever been put together, and I believe I own all of them (over 50 Caribbean vacation guidebooks in my library, and I would throw them all out to keep this one). A masterpiece.



3. Don't waste your money! The island descriptions are brief, highly subjective and inaccurate. As an example, the author lists Playa El Agua on Margarita Island, Venezuela as a choice for the Ten Best Beaches in the Caribbean. Anyone who has visited this beach will find a typical Venezuelan beach: trash everywhere and people looking for money (both legally and illegally) all along the beach. The author also advises that a good excursion from Margarita Island would be to visit Caracas, Venezuela: ranked as the 6th most dangerous place in the world!

   The author seems to have a preconceived attitude toward many of the islands in his book and this is evident in the descriptions that he provides the reader. As an example the author has a "climates chart" which lists the friendliness of an island. Near the bottom of the list are the twin islands of Nevis and St. Kitts, home to some of the friendliest people you will ever meet.

   This book is written in a manner that tries to set itself apart from the other Caribbean travel guides such as Fielding's and Fodor's. The biased tone of the book makes this guide stand out, that is for certain. But beware, this book can be misleading and possibly dangerous if the advice contained inside is followed by a would-be Caribbean traveler.




4. The reader from Maracaibo's comments could not be further from my own experience at Playa El Agua. I absolutely loved the natives! Although correct in stating that is not the most beautiful beach,(which Runge does state in the book), I found that the fun-loving Venezuelans, mostly hipsters from Caracas, made it a blast. What a time I had partying, I felt like I knew these people from birth.

   What I really love about Rum & Reggae is it's opinionated style. Runge is so edgy, so right on, so now, he tells it like it is while making the whole book entertaining and enlightening. I wish more travel books were written for people who avoid the predictable. For anyone looking for a Caribbean experience that defies ordinary, buy this book, it will take you on a trip you will never forget!




5. Never will you find this sort of quality in other travel guides. Mr. Runge's books have become my travel bibles!

No comments about Hunter Travel Guide Dominican Republic (Pocket Adventures) (Pocket Adventures).

No comments about 100 Best Resorts of the Caribbean, 8th (100 Best Series).

4 comments about Fodor's Caribbean 2005 (Fodor's Gold Guides).

1. Still the best. Comprehensive, well organized, easy on the eyes, easy on the hands, and compact enough to take wherever you go. None of those fancy-schmancy pictures and other graphics that just distract you from what you're looking for. Of course, as with all guidebooks, sometimes the ratings make you wonder what they were smoking at the time; also I could do without those advertisement pages in the middle of the book. DON'T RELY TOO MUCH ON OUTDATED EDITIONS, because of how often places open and close, or are affected by construction, hurricanes, and whatever else, or just change hands (which means the quality can change).



2. Fodor's Caribbean is different from other Fodor's guidebooks; in most cases (Fodor's London, Fodor's Paris) the traveler is beginning with the specific destination in mind. Those guidebooks are geared to get as much as possible out of a given city. Fodor's Caribbean is designed to help the reader to DECIDE where to go.
   
   The Caribbean is a vast area and each island is different from the next. There is something there for everybody. It runs the gamut in terms of cultures and prices. The first sixty-six pages of this book are filled with general information about the Caribbean to help you plan your trip. The "What's Where" section is especially helpful; it gives a paragraph breakdown on each island. This is followed by the equally useful "Island Finder" chart: this is a graph with all the islands arranged vertically and every possible category of interest (price, beaches, golf, night-life, etc.) arranged horizontally. Each island's price and activities are rated to help you determine which one is best for your interests and your budget. The introduction also has a ton of other useful information, such as when to go, currency, events, and various other travel tips.
   
   The bulk of the book (and it is a bulky book) is like an encyclopedia of islands; each island (or island cluster) has its own chapter that tells you everything you could possibly want to know about it: history, location, size, population, activities, events, etc. Of course, all the restaurants and hotels are rated according to quality and price.
   
   For my money, the best islands in the Caribbean are the smaller ones that take more trouble to get to. St. Barth's used to be the best and most inexpensive island; now it is the best and MOST expensive. Then, little-known Anguilla became the "new" St. Barth's; now, it is almost as expensive as the old St. Barth's. Believe it or not, there are still islands in the Caribbean that you have never heard of, which are unique and authentic and make for the best vacations. Take Saba, for example: this is an island so small that the islanders only go by their first names. Saba is simply a volcano rising out of the ocean. There are no beaches on Saba, but it has some of the best diving around. There are other islands out there - this book will help you find them.



3. Truly can not plan a trip to paradise without this book. Fodors is IMO the leader of the genre of tropical travel books.
   
   This 2005 edition is thoroughly up-to-date and crammed full of useful information.
   
   Best of breed!



4. We just pulled out this book again to plan a trip in 2007. It is jam packed with lots of useful overviews and info of the whole Caribbean.

5 comments about Conversations With Cuba.

1. Superior work that puts the reader on five tours of Cuba and allows you to talk to Cubans who stayed and to experience the wonderful island paradise. The writer admits that he idealized the Revolution and wants it to work but still shows the numerous ways that it hasn't work and that the island is in trouble. I enjoyed his conversations with Cubans and the Cubans' resilent nature. Great background information for a novice to Latin American relations like myself who only recently gained interest in the island due to its recent commercial musical success. Conservatives and Castro haters will dislike Ripley's point of view, which may be unfair -- the work seems intellectually honest.



2. I agree with the reviewer who noted that this book gives a different perspective than the typical Cold War paranoid view of Cuba. The changes in Cuba from trip to trip were evident in the author's descriptions. Clearly, the book is slanted toward the Cuban people and away from the Castro regime. However, it did give a nice view of daily life for the ordinary citizen. After a while, though, the book seemed to drag on. Overall, though, it was nice to have a new view of Cuban life, and it clearly showed how the embargo is only hurting the Cuban people.



3. This book blows. Buy the book by Christopher Hunt, "Waiting for Fidel", which is funnier and more accurate (albeit also flawed by a no-fun author). This book tries to be ponderous, serious, weighty, but with no analysis, just postering. The author is an ... (or at least claims to be) when Cuba is in fact crying out as a place to have fun. The author tries to engage in seditious conversation about politics at every turn, when most people (and I have visited Cuba) just want to get on with life. What a bore and waste of money. I almost think the author threw together this book so he can claim that he is a professor who has published. By the way, the author should educate himself when railing against the U.S. embargo as the root of Cuba's ills--according to the Cato Institute, the embargo is not that disruptive--the fault lies in communism. But again, I don't care about politics, just trying to point out how limited in scope the author's views are....braying about politics, never having fun...on and on and on and...well, I've made my point.



4. It is hard to put one's finger on just what it is about this guy that is so damn annoying. Maybe it's the way he spouts off "facts" about Cuba that would appear to have been gleaned from Reader's Digest. Maybe it is the way he reminds one of that pesky "authority" sitting next to you on an international flight who deems it his responsibility to enlighten everyone else in coach. Or maybe it is just that he appears to be so damn american. Whatever it is, it is creepy. Pick it up at your library and give it a quick read some afternoon, but only after you have read works by more credible authors. There are scores out there with more credibility on this subject.



5. Good travel writing must encompass an author's ability to leave a good deal of his preconceptions and certainties at home and view everything from a different perspective. Conversations With Cuba, authored by C. Peter Ripley does not disappoint the reader in presenting Cuba in an impartial and unbiased light that for many of us will be quite a revelation.

   As the title suggests, the book is based on a chronicle of conversations the author held with several Cubans during the course of his six trips to Cuba from 1991 until 2000. The first trip commences in 1991 and as the author states "a book about Cuba wasn't part of the plan when I began scheming to travel to Fidel Castro's embargoed island." It was moreover a need to satisfy a romantic curiosity that had occupied the author's mind since the age of fifteen. The opportunity presented itself when Ripley convinces a writer friend to tag along with him when the friend had been assigned by a magazine to write an article concerning Castro's emerging tourism trade.

   From the very onset of his travels in 1991, Ripley is able to make personal contact with ordinary Cubans who are very eager to converse and express their feelings and perceptions. In fact, as the author states, "whatever the problems, whatever the politics of this place, no one, no one, refused to talk with us, about anything. Who is going to believe that back home."

   Subsequent trips to Cuba reveal a kind of roller coaster ride in the sense that unlike the initial contact with Cuba, there were periods of extreme anxiety when basic necessities such as food, fuel and electricity were rationed. As for consumer goods, they were out of bounds for the average Cubans, although they were available in stores where foreigners frequented. There was also a prohibition imposed on the Cubans from being permitted to frequent hotels where foreigners vacationed.

   This period was followed by a kind of loosening when a sliver of Capitalism peeks out from the clouds and Castro permits farmers to sell their produce for dollars in various markets. Unfortunately, this does not last too long, and the brakes are applied, putting an end to the so called "good times."
   Ripley is very effective in revealing to the reader the spirit and soul of Cuba. As he states, "whatever Cuba was or was not, whatever she might become, she was not an island where a single opinion prevailed, however much some claim or hope." This is evidenced in the many towns and villages Ripley visits and as he asserts, Havana is not Cuba. To understand Cuba you must travel throughout the country and in particular to Santiago, the birthplace of the revolution. It is in all of these towns and hamlets where you will feel, taste, hear and smell what Cuba is all about and perhaps where it may be going in the future.

   Although the book is not meant to be a scholarly text, it certainly serves as an excellent introduction in understanding Cuban history prior to and after the revolution.

   Norm Goldman Editor of Bookpleasures

No comments about Beaches of the Caribbean/Las Playas del Caribe 2009 7X7 Mini Wall Calendar.

1 comments about The Best Public Golf Courses in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico.

1. This book does a great job highlighting several of the better courses in each state (as well as Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean). It does include resort courses, with tips, phone numbers, etc. to help you get tee times with ease - all in all, a great resource for a golfer who travels for either business or pleasure.

No comments about Diving and Snorkeling Guide to Roatan & Honduras' Bay Islands (2nd ed).

5 comments about Coming About: A Family Passage at Sea.

1. Coming About: A Family Passage At Sea is the memoir of Susan Tyler Hitchcock, a wife and mother of two young children. Feeling the demands of daily life slowly pulling all of the members of her family apart from one another, the Hitchcock's embarked upon a nine-month, 3,500 mile Caribbean sea voyage in order to reconnect and discover more about the world. Highly recommended reading, Coming About biographically chronicles their adventures and life experiences with a vivid and engaging honesty which includes internal contemplations on the values of marriage, family, and togetherness.



2. My family currently owns the boat written about in the book, the Hei Tiki II, so it was interesting to see some of the voyages of the family and the boat. Susan writes as a woman who has almost no sailing experiance thrust into a long voyage at sea. She recounts how the various experiances changed her, her family and saved her shaky marriage. She tells how a long time at sea effects the attitudes of the people involved. At first it is easy to feel sorry for her, having no boating experiance but being coerced into it by her husband, but it quickly shows you the enormous strength this woman must have to cope. The tales of exotic ports of call, friends gained and lost, and stormy seas are all secondary to the story of the family. The book is subtitled "A Family's Passage At Sea," and this is what the book is really about, the family.



3. My wife & I are considering such a trip in a few years, and are reading as much as possible about others' experiences in the mean time. My advice is to skip this one (glad I only checked it out of the library...). What you get is the story of how a couple lacking in seamanship skills (yes, even her "Capt. Bligh" of a husband) and trapped in a dysfunctional marriage manage to survive 9 months in the Bahamas & Caribbean...with a graphic, poorly written "romance-novel" style sex scene every 25-30 pages or so. It all comes off as some sort of strange exhibitionism.

   I have sailed and otherwise travelled to many of the places she describes, and find her descriptions mostly on the level (although I hold Provo in higher regard than she does.) The rest of the book should serve as a cautionary tale on how NOT to do it.




4. I just finished this book and I spent the first half just loathing both huband and wife: wife for being a doormat and husband for being a jerk. Then, through the story I came to know Susan and Dave and the story of their earning each others' trust was so moving for me. Trusting each other enough to feel safe in their expressions of frustration. And to be able to slog through problems because they had to - what else were they to do? 32 ft isn't a lot. The tranformation of the kids, their willingness to have John homeschool (once they were back), their ability to work as a team and express needs without feeling bad about it. It was wonderful to read about these changes. I also loved reading about the islands, port life and Susan's learning to sail in a sink-or-swim situation. It's clear that Susan is a super strong woman who is clear in her ability to work with what she's got and understand her choices. She takes the world and makes it her own. If there's something she doesn't like, she changes it or accepts it if she cant.
   
   The kids were amazing though it was hard to see how hard they are on them and how little positive intent is not often assumed, if at all.
   
   Some folks here have given poor reviews of this book. My take on those reviews is that Susan was brave enough to expose her life and all of its intricacies so that others may benefit. it's called non-fiction i believe. And their love-making scenes, while not my taste, were real and far better than some made up, grody, milky-white-thigh-laiden romance novel.
   
   We have just purchased a cruising boat and plan to leave with our little one when she's a little older. This book has taught me some things about cruising life. Thanks Susan for the honest account!



5. The couple chronicled in this story are not perfect. If you want to read about a sugar-coated-sail-off-into-the-sunset family, this isn't for you. However, if you want an honest look at honest people with true flaws, going on an incredible adventure through the carribean you won't be able to put it down, just as I couldn't. Everything is revealed for the reader, no matter how uncomfortable it can be at times. That discomfort makes you feel as if your there with the family in the midst of those awkward moments. Most importantly, it gives me courage that my family can undertake simmilar cruises, with success... flaws and all.

No comments about Moon Vieques and Culebra (Moon Handbooks).