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Photos: left to right - Playa Del Carmen - second photo: SellOffVacations.com….. I found a deal for Playa Del Carmen - Mexico hotel, flight with taxes in, $97% off - $29.00 plus $500.00 taxes, I ended up paying a bit more because the posted price was for double occupancy. The next photo was posted on YYCdeals.com Calgary …… Canada to Sydney Australia for as low as $651.00 to $685.00 round trip, including taxes…. Unbelievable! As for the third photo, I found this deal on NextDeparture.com; across Canada to Sydney, Australia for $624.00 to $808.00 round trip including taxes. People that are living in Canada and looking for great deals can sign up with Ydeals and NextDeparture. They will email you when they find deals in your city and it’s free. I use ydeals for my flights. To check prices, scroll down to flights…. google flights or ITA Matrix . when you get to dates, put in search exact dates, meaning you can put in up to two day before or after. I like to use the calendar for lowest fares; for example. if you put in 14 days, it will show you best prices or add or minuses days, Also, be sure to put in Canadian $$$$ under currency, I also use SkyScanner to find great deals. Once you find a good price, it is best to go directly to the airlines, Expedia or your own travel agent. They will give it to you for the price you see most of the time, but prices change so fast sometimes. If I’m in Canada with my phone on April till November, then I could help you book all your travel needs with my Expedia. I got laid off the last week of November 2018, so I went shopping online for a deal and found the Playa Del Carmen deal with Mexico hotel, flight with taxes in - $97% off =($29.00) plus $500.00 taxes, I ended up paying a bit more because the posted deal was for double occupancy. I go to Mexico quite a bit, so it was just a relaxing holiday and meet up with some old friends.
I have been to Panama many times, but this was my first Christmas there. Spending it there was all about family, parks all lit up (lights), decorations and the parade and fireworks were all amazing. My friends, Martin and Victor came by for Christmas dinner. I had also invited a few other friends, but they thought I was having the dinner on Christmas eve as that’s when most people celebrate Christmas; sorry about that Conrad and Louis. This is the first time I took the Panama Canal Railway from Panama City to Colon, for only $25.00 and I took the bus back from Colon. While in Colon, I checked out the free zone and the new locks. Colon is not a place to visit at night.
Wow! New Years Eve in Cartagena, Colombia; met quite a few good people from England, Miami, Brazil and Mexico and we had a great time in the old town on a rooftop bar for the new year. Cartagena is a beautiful city with dark gray beaches. After the great time in Cartagena, I wanted to check out Medellin, Colombia for the first time. It’s a city surrounded with mountains. It has a great subway system that even has a gondola (cable car) that you get to take, as it is part of the subway system and you don’t have to pay extra. It’s worth checking out the amazing views of the city from the top of the mountain. I also enjoyed the cool nights as you don’t need air conditioning there at night. I spent a relaxing week back in Panama after my trip to Colombia. I made it out to Coronado to visit a couple of old friends Jimmy and Derek for a round of golf. For this whole trip of a t month and a half, I stayed in a hotel in Play Del Carmen, because it came with the flight, but the rest of the traveling I stayed in Airbnb.com. I strongly recommend Airbnb over hotels now as you get to meet so many good people in the world that live in the city you are visiting but the secret is make sure they are a 5 star or a super host and they will go out of the way for you. Funny story: …a friend of mine stayed at an Airbnb and said it was OK, so I asked him what star rating it was, His answer was no star but it was OK because he paid $120.00 . I showed him that a 5 star or super host was only average $40.00 a night in the same city and a better location too. Anyway, for some reason people think if you pay more it will be a better place. I proved him wrong so take it from an experienced traveler, read up on the person you are staying with and also read up on the people that have stayed at their place. I am a 5 star host myself when I put my place back on line with Airbnb. Amazing tile art work in Havana, see if you can recognize the person on the tile. Always love the people of Cuba. I went to visit my friend Fernando’s wife, Yarelys and daughter Monica in Cardenas about 30 minutes from the resort town of Varadero. It was great to meet up with her family (photos 7&8). It’s so cheap to get around on horse and buggy (photos 9&10) in these small towns (love it). Off to Havana (Habana) with my travelling amigo Normando Salsa (aka Norm Freele) . The first six photos are of celebrity caricatures in our new favorite bar Cinema (cervezas 2.75 CUC). I took time for a shower down at the harbour (photo 1). Hotel Lido (Dean's favorite when visiting), just two blocks off the Prado, was 30 CUC per night ($30) on the last visit. It had risen to 57 CUC so we stayed next door at the Casa Particular for 30 CUC. The Casa did not appear to be too Particular about shared occupancy, but we still got our own rooms,,,, Heh! Heh! The restored car lineup (photos 2&6) at the main plaza is amazing. We visited the National building (photos 3&4) , spent some time with Ernest (photo 5) at his favorite bar Floridita and capped the visit with some salsa back down by the Malecon. My heart is in Havana Ahha!  My next trip, February 6th to the 27th in Australia looking foreword to see some old friends and their extended families in Australia as they all moved back home after living in Canada for a few years.
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