Vagabond Fieldnotes.com
Traveler Tracks Left for Other Travelers

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Vagabond Fieldnotes.com is an interactive travel site made up of cheap accommodation and eating resources that I have found around the world. I am currently on year 8 of my global travels. 30+ countries, 5 continents. These are my fieldnotes.


Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Copan Ruinas Cheap Travel Guide and Map

Copan Ruinas Cheap Travel Guide

The Honduran village of Copan Ruinas lays 12km south of the Guatemalan border and three hours west of San Pedro Sula. This town is often just referred to as “Copan,” as its namesake is the great Mayan ruins of the same name, which are around a kilometer outside of the village. This is a tourist town, and if you take the easy route to visiting you will have to spend far more than a vagabond’s fare. These fieldnotes are intended to help you travel through this great little village on less than $10 a day.

Cheap Travel Map of Copan:

Click the above Copan map to make it bigger. Be sure to print it out.

Eating in Copan Ruinas:


Finding cheap, good food in Copan Ruinas can be a little challenging, but, like most tourist towns, there are local alternatives outside of the expensive central area. The village is built around a central plaza with a big Catholic church. But though this central area is an interesting place to while away some hours just chatting and hanging out, it is not a good place to find cheap food. Rather, there are two restaurants outside of town in which you can get a great plate of grub for half the price of the tourist restaurants.

Tacon Tento Restaurant:

One restaurant is called Tacon Tento and is located around a kilometer from the city center on Street. Just walk from the central park east passed the church until you get to the next street and then take a left. From here walk up the hill for around ten minutes and the restaurant is on the right hand side. Just look for a small sign with a smiley face painted on it. The restaurant sort of looks like a garage and is painted yellow. Look at the below photo. Tacon Tento serves empanadas of beans, chicken, and squash in the morning (until 11 AM) and dishes of fried chicken (pollo) and porkchops (chuletas) throughout the rest of the day. Each of the dinner dishes comes with a salad and fried bananas and the breakfast empanadas come with cabbage and spicy vegetables. Closed on Sunday.

Prices: 6 Lempira (35 cents) per empanada
35 Lempira ($2) for a chicken dish with salad and bananas
40 Lempira ($2.25) for a porkchop dish with salad and bananas
5 Lempira for coffee
15 for a refresco natural

Below are photos of the Tacon Tento restaurant in Copan Ruinas and a plate of the chicken that they serve, just look for the smiley face on the sign.





Dona Elena Bed and Breakfast Restaurant:

Another cheap and really good restaurant is the Dona Elena Bed and Breakfast. Keep in mind that this is not a restaurant proper and does not even have a sign on the door. It is more of an eating house that serves local workers lunch. But Dona Elena told me to tell all of my friends to come on over, so I will. These lunches are by far the best in town and Dona Elena is a wonderful host. There is not much choice of what you can order, just take whatever she gives you and eat it. The meals will be excellent, and plentiful. You will get filled up here. Don’t complain, don’t be picky, and do not ruin this ace in the hole eating house for other travelers. As of now, the Dona Elena Bed and Breakfast is not a formal restaurant, but I think that they will soon expand. I think that she is only open only for lunch, but if you request dinner, I am sure that she will cook for you. She often has foreign students from the Guacamaya Spanish school staying with her, so she is use to providing food to travelers. Get there around noon if you want food. Nice people.

Directions: Walk north from the Central Park on Ave. Centro Americano for around 10 minutes. It is a big yellow building on the right hand side. Refer to the below photos and the map (maybe print out the map?). Enter through the door of the big yellow house that has the name Gonzales-Melchor written over it. Introduce yourself and enjoy a good meal.

Price: 30 Lempira ($1.70) for a big plate of good food, as much tortilla bread as you want, and refresco natural. Best eating in town.

Below are photos of Dona Elena Bed and Breakfast in Copan:




The above photo is of the intersection that you turn off on to get to Dona Elena's bed and Breakfast.

Chrispy Chicken:


Cheapest beer in Copan Ruinas. 17 Lempira for local Honduran beer. Next door to the Guacamaya Spanish school. Refer to the above map for directions, or just walk north on Ave. Copan passed the Manzana Verde Hostel and then turn right (do not walk up the dirt road). Chispi Pollo is on the left.

Cheap places to sleep in Copan Ruinas:

Hotel accommodation seems to be expensive in Copan Ruinas. My advice is to get a dorm bed at En la Manzana Verde hostel for $4. This seems to be the cheapest bed in town. This hostel is located on Ave. Copan a block and a half north of the central park. It is on the left hand side. May have to ring the bell to enter. It is run by the same Belgians who own Café Via Via which sends out a horrid barrage of awful Euro-trash dance music on a nightly basis. Hopefully they are not playing any music in the hostel. Beware. This music is awful.


The Dona Elena Bed and Breakfast also has rooms that are available to rent on a nightly, weekly or monthly basis. They are nice places and cheap. For a room with a private bathroom the cost is 150 Lempira ($8) a day, for a room with a public bathroom, 100 Lempira ($5.50). You cannot find a room any cheaper than this in Copan.


So there you have it: A cheap travel guide to Copan Ruinas. If you have anything to add to this information please comment below. Thank you.

Walk Slow,

Wade from Vagabond Journey.com
Copan Ruinas, Honduras
March 24, 2008

Please read my blog, Song of the Open Road and look at my travel photos on Traveler Photographs.com

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Playa Gorgona Hotel- Virgen del Carmen

Playa Gorgona Hotel- Virgen del Carmen

This is the place for the vagabond to hole up on the beach in Panama. Playa Gorgona is the typical high-rise, expensive hotel beach on the Pacific Coast of Panama. This hotel is by far the cheapest and is run by a big black momma who will be sure to provide well for you.

The Virgen del Carmen Hotel is basic but it has everything that you need.

Price: $12 for a double, room for negotiation. Some people get charged more, which may have to do with the season, time of arrival, or maybe because the big, black momma thinks they have more money to spend. I took a look at the ledger and noticed that $12 for a double and $8 if there was only one person seem to have been the bottom rates.

Directions:

Go towards the beach from the main highway and take a right at the first intersection near the beach. Or follow the signs to the Swiss-run Hostel (the only hostel that has signs pointing to it, forgot the name, think it was something like Hostel Cabinas). The Virgen de Carmen Hotel is next door to the Swiss-run Hostel. The Hostel is expensive, $70 for a double. Not a real hostel.

Or walk to the beach and take a right. Walk down the beach until you get to the end and walk up the stairs. From here walk out to the road and take a right, the Virgen de Carmen Hotel is on the left after the Swiss Hostel.

The Virgen del Carmen Hotel is friendly, clean enough, in a cool village where the people are friendly and always laughing. Good beach close by, lots of Panamanians swimming and singing in the bright sunshine. Good place to be. Ignore the white man-beach to the west, the local one is far better. Good beach near Panama City.

Photographs of Playa Gorgona and Virgen del Carmen Hotel:




Go to Vagabond Fieldnotes Index

Wade from Vagabond Journey.com
Copan Ruinas, Honduras
March 18, 2008

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Border Crossing Costa Rica and Panama

Border Crossing Costa Rica and Panama

Crossing the border between Panama and Costa Rica is generally straight forward, although there are a few minor hitches that I would like to write the aspiring vagabond about.

Border Crossing Costa Rica to Panama:

The border between Costa Rica and Panama on the Pacific side of the countries is on the PanAmerican highway and is between the towns of Sixaola (Costa Rica) and Guabito (Panama).

This border can be crossed in two ways.

1. You can ride a direct bus- Tica Bus or Panaline- from San Jose, Costa Rica to Panama City or David, Panama.

2. You can go to one of the border towns and walk across. Then you can pick up transport on the other side.

Either way, the mode of crossing is similar.

Going to Panama:

You must first get stamped out of Costa Rica. Do this by going to one of the two Salida windows and getting your passport stamped. From here you walk down the road passed a long row of trucks and shops selling sunglasses until you get to a large circular shaped building which is a little to the right at the end of this road. This no-man’s land between Costa Rica and Panama has a real sleazy feel to it, and it seems as if other activities besides the selling of sunglasses are taking place at frequent intervals. But I do not have the impression that it is a dangerous crossing in the least.

Once you find the big building you have to go to the far side of it, stand in the “Entre Panama” line, get a little ticket, go to the other side of the building, stand in another line at the “Panama Tourism” window, pay a five dollar fee if you are from the USA, prove that you have $150 if you are from Costa Rica, $500 if from another Central America country, and $1,000 if you are from the Dominican Republic. You will then get a tourist card, and then have to go back and stand in the same line at the “Entre Panama” widow that you were first in. This seems to be a ridiculous process, as you have to stand in the same line twice, but this is what must be done to enter Panama. After you are stamped into Panama you then give your customs form to an inspector who is in the circular room on the opposite the immigration window and get your bags checked, if this is requested. They are not too strict about customs going into Panama. As a fellow traveler tole me at the border, “They are more worried about stuff going the other way.” He was proved right.

After this is over, you are now in Panama. You can either get back on your posh Tica Bus or catch a local from the border to David, Bocas, or wherever in Panama you want to go.

Border Crossing Panama to Costa Rica:

Crossing the border from Panama to Costa Rica presents slightly more of a hassle to the traveler. The basic steps that are outlined above generally hold true for going into Costa Rica save for the fact that there are far more intense customs inspections, as well as the fact that Panama opens their border and hour and a half before Costa Rica. So if you want to avoid the lines and cross first thing in the morning, you will just have to wait on the Costa Rican side for them to open. I cannot figure this out. It would seem as if one border was closed then there would be little for the other to do. You would think that they would work together in tandem to pass people easily from one country to the next. But they don’t. So if you are on the 10 PM Tica Bus or Panaline international services, you will have to wait for a really long time for the Costa Ricans to open their side of the border. Panama opens at 5:30 AM and Costa Rica at 7 (6:00 Costa Rican time) Oh well.

In all, the border crossing between Costa Rica and Panama is a pretty straight forward travel maneuver. Just follow the signs, do what your told, and ask questions if you get confused.

You will be alright.

Wade from Vagabond Journey.com
Barva, Costa Rica
February 27, 2008

* Song of the Open Road Travel Blog * Vagabond Fieldnotes Index * Traveler Photographs.com *

Bartering in Costa Rica

Bartering in Costa Rica

People tend to not haggle in Costa Rica. Prices are as stated. When it comes to vagabonding in this country this is a slight obstacle. I was told that bartering is not part of the cultural construction of Costa Ricans when I first arrived, but I did not believe it until I began getting stray looks for trying to get hotel rooms cheaper than the stated price.

“Well, maybe, but I will have to ask the owner,” the hotel managers would say. It seemed as if nobody ever offered a lower price for a room before. I soon began to realize that people in Costa Rica really do not barter.

It is true, to suggest a lower price for an object is an odd thing to do here. I have not experienced this before in Latin America, as I have usually- with a little crafty talk- been able to get everything from hotel rooms to meals for less than the stated price. This is the habit that I have gotten into while traveling, as I know that cheap can always be cheaper. In Costa Rica I have been rattled a little.

Costa Ricans do not barter.

Wade from Vagabond Journey.com
Barva, Costa Rica
February 28, 2008

*Song of the Open Road Travel Blog * Vagabond Fieldnotes Index * Traveler Photographs.com *

Friday, February 15, 2008

How to get to Uvita Costa Rica

How to get to Uvita, Costa Rica and Sleep on the Beach for Free

The Costa Rican beach of Uvita is a good place to go for a hike by the Pacific Ocean and to relax a day away. Uvita is approximately three hours by bus south of Manuel Antonio and an hour and a half west of San Isidro. You can get there easily from both of these locations.

From Manuel Antonio you need to first return to Quepos by flagging down a bus going north from the only main road that runs parallel to the coast. If you are in Manuel Antonio you would have first went through Quepos first, so don’t bewilder yourself about finding this town, it is the next town to the north. The fare for this bus is marginal. It is around a 15 minute ride to the bus terminal in Quepos. Here you can get on a bus to Uvita. There are a few buses that run in the morning before 10 AM and another in the evening at 5 PM. It is a three hour ride through the Costa Rican fincas on dirt roads to travel the 50 or so kilometers to Uvita. This bus goes slow.

But it soon meets up with the PanAmerican highway and you ride into Uvita in style. Don’t blink at this point, as Uvita is only a couple of shops on the highway. The driver will probably tell you to get off the bus here. Or you can just look for the white people on the side of the highway with bewildered looks on there faces because they do not know where the town is. The beach is to the west and there is a really nice waterfall around 3 km to the east of the highway. If you want to go to the beach you just walk west along one of the two roads that go west. It is probably a 2 to 3 mile walk to the beach, so be prepared to tramp a little. Get water and all of your supplies at one of the two general stores on either side of the highway. You can now just walk down the road to the little town at the beach. If you take the road that is to the south of town, it is a little easier to get to the beach, as you will not have to ford any streams. Just walk past the general store and information booth on the west side of the highway, go over a bridge, and then take a right. This road goes straight to the coast.

The other way to get to Uvita is by San Isidro. I do not know the bus schedule but I assume that there are a few a day. This bus takes the PanAmerican and is a short ride.

Once at the beach there are multiple cabana options. They are all expensive! Twenty dollars a night for two people was the cheapest I found. But you can camp on the beach with the locals for free.

How to get to the Uvita beach for free:

You walk into town on the main road and you come up to an intersection and there is a road that goes to the south, which would be a turn to the left. Walk down it and then take a right to go to the beach. This is how the locals get into the beach without paying. Otherwise MINAE will try to get $6 a person out of you. Too much to pay, I say. If you can not find your way past the MINAE barrier, ask the kid at the jewelry shop to show you how to get to the beach for free. He speaks English and says that he lives in the USA. You will talk to this kid during your stay. He is friendly and will call to you as you pass his jewelry shop and offer you free coconuts, breakfast, and conversation. Take it all, as I did not find any strings attached.

Have fun at the beach and slip past the MINAE racket whenever you can. The Costa Ricans do.

Have fun,

Wade from Vagabond Journey.com
Heredia, Costa Rica
February 15, 2008

Song of the Open Road Travel Blog * Traveler Photographs.com * Vagabond Fieldnotes

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Manuel Antonio Costa Rica- Stay Away

Stay Away from Manuel Antonio

Manuel Antonio is a tourist trap- Stay Away!

Plenty of nice, local, and cheap beaches in Costa Rica. There is nothing special about Manuel Antonio other than the seas of white women in bikinis. Tourist everywhere and people trying to sell you things that I do not want.

Not Vagabond Friendly!

Read To the Beach in Costa Rica and Tourism Can be Watched on the TV Screen for more information.

Wade from Vagabond Journey.com
Heredia, Costa Rica
February 9, 2008

Friday, February 1, 2008

How to get to Guayabo Archaeology Site

How to get to Guayabo Archaeology Site

To get to the Guayabo Archaeology national monument (Monumento National de Guayabo), which is the largest discover archaeological site in Costa Rica, you can first go to the town of Turrialba and then take a bus to the park. You can catch a bus from the main bus terminal in Turrialba and go to the ticket counter that is farthest to the right that says "Guayabo" on the window. The ticket should cost around 250 Colones (50 cents). You can then get on the bus at the farthest side of the station away from the ticket window. There are buses at 8 AM, 11 AM, 3PM, and 5 PM. The last bus to return to Turrialba that goes by the park is at 4 PM. If you walk 5 KM down from the park to the main road there are more buses that go by. If you want to get on a bus that is going down the road just flag it down, the driver will stop. I am told that there is camping at the park of $2, but I did not notice any signs of this.

Photograph of the Guayabo Archaeology site

Wade from Song of the Open Road

Heredia, Costa Rica
February 5, 2008

For more photographs go to Guaybo Archaeological site photos

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Saturday, January 26, 2008

Cheap Food near San Jose Costa Rica

Cheap Food Near San Jose (Heredia), Costa Rica at Universidad National de Costa Rica Cafeteria

University Cafeterias are always good places to find cheap meals in almost every major population center in this world. These cafeterias usually sell a large variety of food on a daily basis, and it is always really cheap!

Universidad de Costa Rica is in the city of Heredia, which is near (11km) San Jose. This is a university town and there are a lot of young people here. Finding a room in Heredia is just as good as staying in San Jose, and it is only 4 km from the airport. You can walk out of the airport to the main street and hop on a bus that says Heredia and be just as well off as you went into San Jose. People do not come to Costa Rica for the cities, so make your brief stay here as cheap as possible and eat at the cafeteria of this university.

When you get to Heredia just ask someone where the university is. "Donde Esta el Universidad National?" The people here just refer to the university as "La Una." Once you find the university just walk into the campus and the cafeteria is right in the center. It looks just as a cafeteria should and has red wood work around the outside. Refer to the photo below:
Photograph of the entrance to the cafeteria at the Universidad National de Costa Rica (Heredia)

Walk through these doors and take a left and go up to the counter and grab a tray. Ask for "El Plato del Dia" and you will get a salad, rice, beans, meat, and a juice for 850 colones ($1.70).

When in population centers make use of university cafeterias, they have fed me from South America to East Asia.

Wade from Song of the Open Road Travel Blog
Heredia, Costa Rica
January 26, 2008

For more photographs of Costa Rica go to Traveler Photographs.com

Monte De La Cruz- Costa Rica

How to get to Monte De La Cruz, Costa Rica

If you grow weary of the hassles, pollution, and grit of San Jose or Heredia, Costa Rica and want to go for a nice walk in the countryside, you can take a bus and within thirty minutes be in the mountains. Monte De La Cruz is simply a nice way to quickly shed the frustration of the city life below and just relax in the clouds. Fields, horse riding trails, waterfalls, and mountains are all at Monte de la Cruz.

This is the sign that you get off of the bus near. It shows the way to Cerro Redondo and is not difficult to locate.

Directions to Monte De La Cruz:

Option A: Take a local bus from San Jose or Heredia to San Rafael. The local buses will have the name of the place that they are going to clearly written on their fronts. Just find a bus going to San Rafael and get in. This bus trip should cost around 300 Colones.

From San Rafael take another bus to Monte De La Cruz. You can catch this bus next to the big yellow church. This church is a landmark, you can not miss it. San Rafael is not a big town, you will be able to navigate through it easily. The cost of this ride should be around 200 Colones.

Option B: Take a bus from Heredia directly to Monte De Le Cruz. This bus stops next to the National University. There is only one main street that goes by this university, so just ask for directions to it and you can find a bus stop. These buses come every hour and are bright purple and have Monte De La Cruz written on its front. The cost of this trim is only around 350 Colones You can also take a bus from the university to San Rafael and then go on to Monte De La Cruz from there.

After you get a bus that is going to Monte De La Cruz you ride it until you get up into the mountains. You can get off of the bus when you come to the sign that is photographed above which is at a fork in the road. The sign below is at the fork. It is not difficult to locate, and the bus usually stops here to pick up passengers anyway.

Once you get off of the bus you can either follow the sign and hike up to Cerro Redondo or to a waterfall and nice hiking trails on the opposite side of the road. To go to the water fall, walk back along the road for 100m and cross through an opening in the fence and walk by some cows and horses until you get to the river. There is a bridge that crosses the river and below it is the waterfall. There are also plenty of hiking trails that go through here.

Monte De La Cruz is a really beautiful way to escape from the less than charming cities San Jose and Heredia. When in Costa Rica, this makes a good little day trip. You can get there, have a picnic and be back in the city in two hours. Monte De La Cruz is beautiful.

If you have any more information on this part of Costa Rica please comment below.

This is the sign that is at the fork in the road where you get off the bus. Just pull the string to let the driver know that you want to get out.

Costa Rican cows in the agricultural pasture that you walk through to get to the waterfall and the forest.

The river near the waterfall. This is a great place to hike in Costa Rica and it is very close to San Jose Get out of the city and come here.

Wade from Song of the Open Road Travel Blog
Heredia, Costa Rica
January 26, 2008

For more photographs of Costa Rica pleas go to Traveler Photographs.com

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Wireless Internet Code for Mexico City Airport

Wireless Internet Code for Mexico City Airport

In the restaurant/ business area of the Mexico City airport, prior to going to the departures hall, is a fast food restaurant called Baguetelle Bistrot that offers a "free" WIFI connection. But in order to receive the password to use it you need to make a purchase. This restaurant is a little expensive (paid a$1.60 for a coffee), so to save a couple of dollars you could use one of the passwords below:

Username: bagsab002
Password: fedc1234

Username: bagdom002
Password: bazy5678

Write these codes down for future reference, you never know when you may be stuck up for a night in the Mexico City airport.

Wade from Song of the Open Road Travel Blog
Traveler Photographs

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Lisbon Oeiras Youth Hostel

Lisbon Catalazete Youth Hostel in Oeiras, Portugal

Price: 13 Euro- Dormbed, 11 Euro if you are not a member. Do not buy a membership card!
Note: This place is expensive, you can find a comparably priced room in the Bairro Alto district of Lisbon.


I found this hostel to be almost decent. It is clean and in right on the beach, but it has a male employee who is an absolute penis, and he can make your stay here a little uncomfortable. There is also a really nice woman and another guy who is also extremely amiable, but the rudeness that I was shown by the Penis makes this a place that I will not return to. You can tell who this guy is just by looking at him.

For the full story please read:
Youth Hosteling International Rip-Off

Address:
Lisbon - Catalazete Estrada Marginal (near Inatel) 2780-267

Oeiras, Portugal
Tel. +351 214430638 Fax. +351 214419267
Email: catalazete@movijovem.pt
http://www.hihostels.com/dba/hostel047006.en.htm

The Catalazete Youth Hostel is located on the beach in a really great location, 30 minutes from Lisbon, but connected with a train service to Cadre de Sodre in the city. This location may seem far from the city center, but is is beautiful.

The wireless internet service that the hostel offers is horridly expensive- 3 Euro an hour. A real rip-off. $4.50 for an hour of internet! But you can go to the funny looking black building, which is a reception center for people who sail in, that is near sea and use their internet for free.

How to get there:

From Lisbon take bus Nos. 17 and 35 to Cais do Sodre station. At Cais do Sodre, take the train to Oeiras (it is easy to tell what train this is) At Oeiras, walk 2km to INATEL (ask directions from the lady at the snack stand outside the station)

From the Hosteling International Website:

A restored 18th century fort, the Youth Hostel of Catalazete is a great option for young people who want to see Lisbon and the Estoril coastline. Oeiras is your host town. Here, you can use the sport and leisure facilities, such as Vale do Jamor sports complex where the National Stadium is located and the seawater public swimming pool, next to the hostel. If you prefer the beach, then Carcavelos is the nearest option, but the railway line along the coast gives you lots of others to choose from. Come and have a drink with us and watch the Tagus River meet the Atlantic Ocean.

Photos of the Lisbon (Oeiras) Youth Hostel:



Wade from Vagabond Journey
Song of the Open Road Travel Blog
Traveler Photographs
Cheat Eating Traveler

Monday, January 14, 2008

Milfontes Hostel- Casa Amarela

Casa Amarela Guesthouse in Vila Nova de Milfontes, Portugal

The Casa Amarela Guesthouse is located in the beautiful village of Vila Nova de Milfontes, which is right on the Costa Azul of Portugal. I stayed here for a month in a room in the back. I needed to do some writing and this hostel proved to be a great place for working.

Vila Nova de Milfontes is a truly beautiful place to stay for a while. It sits right where the River Mira meets the Atlantic Ocean. Miles of beaches. Rui, the owner, is also a really wonderful man, and he built the guesthouse with his own two hands. He is a dreamer who has traveled around the world himself, and therefore knows what travelers want in a hostel.

Prices:
15 Euro- Dorm
25-35 Euro- Single room
35-55 Euro- Double room
50- 70 Euro- Triple room

Note: Rui, the owner, is an extremely nice guy and is willing to be a little flexible with these prices if you really cannot afford it (I couldn't).

Services and facilities:
Full kitchen
Bathrooms in rooms
International TV
TV in rooms
Free internet
Private parking
Friendly staff
Great location

Contact information:
Rua d.Luis Castro e Almeida 7645-317
Vila Nova de Milfontes, Portugal

283 996 632 home phone
93 420 46 10 cellular phone
e-mail:casa.amar@gmail.com

Casa Amarela Website

A description of the Casa Amarela Guesthouse from their website:

"Less than 200 Km to the South of Lisbon, at the plain between the mountains, the sea and the mouth of Mira River, Vila Nova de Milfontes had become the main holidays destination at the South-West coast to Portuguese or other visitors from all over the world and surely one of the most appetizing of all the Portuguese coast. Rarely the Nature was so generous at this frontier between the Earth, the river valley and the Sea creating countless very beautiful beaches of fine sand and crystal waters.

Is at this paradise place that Rui, a traveller that have been travelling around 60 different countries around the world, therefore knowing better the needs of those ones travelling, offers lodgement , at the town centre but in a deep courtyard than extremely quite, in rooms of 2, 3 ,4 and 6 people or special rooms for youth at a cosmopolite, easy going and friendly atmosphere that calls for travelling. All rooms come with private bathroom, T.V., hairdryer. We also have common different kitchens for exclusive use of our guests. Free Internet."

Photographs of the Casa Amarela Guesthouse:




This is one of the common areas where travelers are able to use the internet and watch international TV and movies.

The Casa Amarela Guesthouse is full of paintings that Rui brought back from his travels.

One of the guest kitchens at the Casa Amarela Guesthouse

A double room at the Casa Amarela Guesthouse

Wade from Vagabond Journey.com

For more information on traveling in Portugal please visit:
Song of the Open Road Portugal Posts
Travel Photographs from Portugal

Cheap Eating Traveler

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Hotel al-Maghrib al-Jadid

Hotel al-Maghrib al-Jadid

Next to Hotel De Marraketch and is run by the same people. Similar service, same pink walls.

Go to: http://vagabondfieldnotes.blogspot.com/2007/09/hotel-de-marrakech-rabat-morocco.html

Hotel De Marrakech, Rabat, Morocco

Hotel De Marrakech, Rabat, Morocco
10 Rue Sebbahi in medina
Phone: 037 732207

By: Wade http://canciondelvagabundo.googlepages.com

Date visited: September, 2007

Price: 70 Dh single room

Directions: Walk north on Mohamed V into the old medina. Take a right at the sign for Hotel al-Maghrib al-Jadid, walk 100 meters and it should be on your right.

Description: Great place, kind of cheap for the area, nice staff who like to joke around, 7.5 Dh for a warm shower, no electrical outlets in room, bright pink walls.

Sign for Hotel Marrakech
My room. How did they get this bed fit into it?


Outside my room.


Toilet.


Entrance next to tailor shop on right hand side of street if walking east.

Hotel Foucauld, Casablanca, Morocco

Hotel Focauld, Casablanca, Morocco
52 Rue el-Oraibi Jilai

Single room: 80 Dh

Nothing to brag about. It is a room and nothing more.

Leave Casa Port train station and go south on main street. Take second left. On right hand side of street after Chinese Restaurant.

Casablanca Youth Hostel

Casablanca Youth Hostel
6 Place Ahmed el-Bidaoui

Dorm: 45 Dh

Double: 120 Dh

Triple: 180

Breakfast- a couple of sweet buns and tea or coffe- is included

An acceptable place to pass a few nights. I made the aquaintence of some interesting travellers. Cheap, cold showers, hard beds. No complaintants. Large common area.