Somebody Forgot to Tell Me that Aruba is a Barren Wasteland

I won't completely trash an island that has easy access drugs, whores and lots of sketchy Colombians, but truthfully, outside of those drugs and hookers there isn't a whole lot to do on the tiny (and desert like) island of Aruba.

Still had a good time, drank a lot of cheap Caribbean liquor, won some money, and learned that if you choose to go to Aruba you're gonna want to spend most of your time on the other side of island which apparently is inhabited only by refinery workers and whores.

Mushrooms, Smoking Bans and Decibel Readers

A few delayed thoughts after a recent trip across the Atlantic

Amsterdam -- I was confident that the last time I was in the city in May '07 it would be the final time I was able to sit quietly in a corner of a cafe, stoned out my mind while chain-smoking Camels and slowly drinking beers. Not the case. Despite what I "reported" here, the full ban was delayed until this summer leaving cafes, pubs, restaurants and coffee shops full of smoke for another few months. It was a nice a surprise to see that the country had delayed the ban yet again, coming awful close to delaying the smoking ban as many times as I've delayed taking the LSATS. I challenge them to beat my record.

Government buildings, i.e. airports, train stations, schools, (I think schools, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong), etc have been smoke-free since the start of '08. I also noticed a few more restaurants and hotels that had Non-Smoking sections, or were completely smoke-free than in my previous trips.

So, what else was I wrong about? Turns out you can still buy mushrooms from smart shops. From everything I had read it sure looked like wet mushrooms had joined dry shrooms and were banned. Not the case. At least from what I can piece together from my trip.

I have no idea what the actual change in law was. Getting an answer -- about anything -- from a smart shop worker is painful. Excruciatingly painful. Next to impossible to get him to move off his stool, let alone answer a question with a coherent answer. Googling, and casual encounters with locals (even ones I know) got me nowhere. So if anyone has a answer for me, post it in the comments section.

Paris -- I don't have much to say about Paris. I've never been a big fan of the city and on this trip I was only passing through for a night; just enough time to get loaded in a small Scottish bar up an alley that was a very hospitable place to spend a night drinking. A few quick thoughts though -- My buddy and I were in a taxi. Well not really a taxi, it was just what we would call a "hacker" over here. This guy spots some guy on the street getting arrested for smoking a joint and goes on a tirade about how they have no freedom in the country anymore, it's becoming all law and order since Sarko, etc -- "If I was to smoke a cannabis joint in my car, I should be able to." I always love to patiently listen to these types of complaints from foreigners, and then explain that in the US we shoot pot smokers. The looks you get are priceless.

Also -- I noticed in the bar that they had a digital decibel reader above a closet door, so I asked the bartender what the deal was. Turns out that every bar is mandated to have a decibel reader, and if the noise level reaches something like 90dec. the music automatically shuts off. I double-checked to see if this was required by law, and she nodded. I'm guessing it's a city thing. Fascinating. No smoke, no loud noise. Drink your booze while you can.....

Brussels -- Unattractive women and great beer. There are worse combinations in this world...

Off and On

Off my vacation destination list:

El Alto, Bolivia.

Prostitutes in the Bolivian city of El Alto sewed their lips together Wednesday as part of a hunger strike to demand that the mayor reopen brothels and bars ordered closed after violent protests by residents last week.

On my vacation destination list:

Western Australia.

CANBERRA (Reuters) - An Australian barmaid has been fined for crushing beer cans between her bare breasts while an off-duty colleague has been fined for hanging spoons from her friend's nipples, police said Wednesday.

Guide Book Problem Sorta Fixed

Ever buy a travel guide book before a trip, pick out 10-15 restaurants and sites you really want to visit, and then -- once you get to your destination -- find that about at least half of them no longer exist? Me, too. And it's never the ones that were easy to get to, either.

Minerva & I are heading to Mexico's Yucatan for some R&R next month. As I was looking for a handy little guide book, I came across The Rough Guide to the Yucatan UPDATE, a website maintained by the author of the eponymous guidebook. It lists, in some detail, things that have changed since the guidebook went to print. For example:

Cozumel restaurants
November 15th, 2006

Especias (p. 142) has moved to Calle 3 Sur at Avenida 5.

I’ve heard some reports of attempted overcharging at Sabores (p. 143). I would still recommend this place, as the food is great, and the gouging seems to come from one of the waitstaff, rather than the owner herself–but know that _everything_–chips, side of beans, agua de jamaica, etc.–is included in the price, which I think now is M$45 or M$50. The only thing you should actually get charged extra for is if you order a soda or something like that.

Serious Munchies (p. 142) is closed, and so is Garden of Eatin’ (p. 142).

Good stuff, them internets.