No comments about Birnbaum's Caribbean 1997 (Birnbaum's Caribbean).

1 comments about Rum & Reggae's Dominican Republic (Rum & Reggae series).

1. My wife and me are planning a trip to Puerto Plata in June so I purchased this book hoping to gain some useful information. What a disappointment! In fact, the author doesn't cover Puerto Plata (or Playa Dorado and the other nearby tourist areas) at all, saying only that the city was ugly and should be avoided by everyone. This will probably come as a bit of a suprise to the many people who enjoy vacationing there. It is, after all, the second most visited location in the country after Punta Cana.
   
   The other problem is that the author comes across as an elitist snob of the worst kind. The book starts off with him whining about how tough it is to be a travel writer because he has to drive around to different cities and visit different hotels instead of being able to just lounge by the pool. But, of course, he does enjoy getting to brag about his travels later on at the fabulous cocktail parties he attends. He then goes on to complain about how corrupt and poverty stricken the Dominican Republic is, at one point referring to the country as a "banana republic." Hey, if you think so badly of the place then just go home instead of trying to make money by writing a travel guide. There are practically no recommendations for backpackers or others on a tight budget and he refers to all-inclusive hotels as "the bane of the Caribbean". Basically, he just discounts the vast majority of travellers as being too "low class" and instead focuses on the small number of luxury resorts he considers worthy of his "high class" tastes.
   
   This guy is a joke and his lousy book isn't even worth the mere 6 cents (plus $3.99 shipping and handling) that I paid for it. Avoid!

No comments about Hunter Travel Guide Aruba, Bonaire & Curacao Alive (Adventure Guide Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao).

1 comments about Cuba In Focus: A Guide to the People, Politics and Culture (In Focus Guides).

1. I bought this book in anticipation of traveling to Cuba for the first time. The book offers great insight into Cuban people, politics and culture (as per the sub-title), but not much on travel. An excellent resource on the "Cuban experience."

1 comments about Travels with Yeti.

1. Travels With Yeti, by Hiram Connell (Back Channel Press, 2006; 200 pages; $24.95)
   Review by Donald Chambers
   Lawrence, Kan.
   Good Old Boat Newsletter June 2007
   
   Here is the story of an enthusiastic sailing couple and their five-year wander down the Atlantic Coast and through the Caribbean to Venezuela and back. You get the complete story, starting from their very first dinghy sail to the final, sale of Yeti, the sailboat that entwined their lives over so many years. It would be a character-building read for those who have been tempted to do something similar; your heart will warm toward an author who spares us no details about the mistakes he makes along the way to becoming a seasoned cruiser. And there are some exciting descriptions of sailing in rough weather, including what it is like to have your mainsail split by high winds while in the middle of the ocean.
   
   There are odd characters met on the beach, odd goings-on in strange boats in the middle of the night, the great (and miserable) food, and the frustrating encounters with local Caribbean police and customs officers. There are brief descriptions of islands and anchorages and lots of judgments about good ports-of-call plus some details about those a person might want to avoid. And while there was probably too much on dealing with engine problems, it was comforting to learn that other people also had these things happen to them at the worst possible time.
   
   While the book is worthwhile, it sometimes can't seem to make up its mind whether it wants to be a cruising guide or a memoir of a wonderful cruise of a lifetime. An author probably can't do both in the same book, so it's sometimes a bit short on both counts. The details about anchoring and navigation aren't sufficient and there often is not enough about the people and their stories. One missing detail: while Hiram Connell's wife, Helen, was an integral part of this adventure, I feel like I know almost nothing about her. Of course, he gives her heartfelt acknowledgments along the way but I wish he'd also given her a voice.
   
   Other things could have been left out -- perhaps half of the pictures and almost all of the editorial asides on the politics, the poverty and the graft in third-world countries. I suspect most readers know those facts already.
   
   But there were some nice stories in the book: the spontaneous operatic concert in the Puerto Rico restaurant, the 25th wedding anniversary on some isolated island, the evening with Earl and the poetry and the waltzing. Yes, yes, author, give us more!

No comments about Vacation Spanish: A Survival Guide for Mexico, the Caribbean, Central & South America.

No comments about Birnbaum's Caribbean 1993.

No comments about Johansens Recommended Hotels and Inns North America, Bermuda, Caribbean 2001 (Alavish Series).

No comments about Adventure Guide Cuba (Adventure Guides Series) (Adventure Guides Series).

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