Cuba: Anthony Bourdain of No Reservations - July 11 - The Travel Channel

Not exactly a Baja-related trip, but Baja travelers love the guy!

Oh, program your DVRs for July 11th!







[Edited on 7-1-2011 by Ken Cooke]

[Edited on 7-3-2011 by Ken Cooke]

I have been eating Cuban food for years. You should try it, David!

With Family/friends at the Cuban Restaurant in Corona, CA

I feel that he has a dry, sarcastic sense of humor that you probably don't pick up on. His expose's on Latin America are insightful. Maybe, you should pay closer attention.

Cubans take offence when they're mistaken for Mexicans.

I don't know any "Commies"! I am not a "Commie" either, but I have been to Cuba and I love Cuban food! And cervaza is only one dollar, too.

Only ignorant people who live in fear and have no intellectual curiosity (and probably low IQ) would not put Cuba on their bucket list. It was definitely a trip of a lifetime. So unique! The people are kind, intelligent, and they have one of the best school systems in the world.

The music is unparalleled! Afro-Cubano Jazz fusion is the best there is. And to watch them dance....Oh my! Oh, and did I mention the women? Well,I saved desert for last. The Cuban women and Colombian women are truly the MOST beautiful in the world. I can strike that off my bucket list too, and meet my demise with a smile. Oh My!

Anthony and I share first names as well, and....I am a Foodie!

[Edited on 7-2-2011 by toneart]

Quote:

Originally posted by toneart The Cuban women and Colombian women are truly the MOST beautiful in the world. I can strike that off my bucket list too, and meet my demise with a smile. Oh My! [Edited on 7-2-2011 by toneart]

I have to second that, Antony!

Quote:

Originally posted by toneart Only ignorant people who live in fear and have no intellectual curiosity (and probably low IQ) would not put Cuba on their bucket list.

Tony is arrogant, which is part of his charm. Anyone interested in food should read, "Kitchen Confidential".

Cuban music is magical and is always on my play list.


Rice, beans, porky sandwiches, I want some right now.

Yes, Marc. You should.

Quote:

Originally posted by Roberto Quote: Originally posted by toneart Only ignorant people who live in fear and have no intellectual curiosity (and probably low IQ) would not put Cuba on their bucket list. Way to show how illuminated and open minded YOU are. Typical attitude of someone with a low IQ, though "if they don't like what I do, they must be stupid, or ...". Are you for real? Never mind, don't answer that, I know you are.

Always enjoyed his show... seemed to end up where most other travel shows do not go.. or even get close... loved the one when he was in Brazil .... and ended up sleeping with the host and others on one bed after having a meal, with drinks and dancing... all inside this lady's home...

Long way from Samatha Brown's idea of travel and eating.. to each their own.. I like getting out with the "people" .... just me ... so this guys show was much more to my own way of traveling... and eating... off taco stand's at 2-3 am...

It all good .... and it all helps... thanks much for the tread....

Quote:

Originally posted by toneart Quote: Originally posted by Roberto Quote: Originally posted by toneart Only ignorant people who live in fear and have no intellectual curiosity (and probably low IQ) would not put Cuba on their bucket list. Way to show how illuminated and open minded YOU are. Typical attitude of someone with a low IQ, though "if they don't like what I do, they must be stupid, or ...". Are you for real? Never mind, don't answer that, I know you are. Thank you, Einstein!

Any time, genius.

Nice to see you guys getting along.

I Give Up

To Blanca - Brazil!

Anthony is a worldly traveler who sometimes uses vulgarities, sarcasm, and does not subscribe to Conservative politics.

[Edited on 7-3-2011 by Ken Cooke]

Anthony Bourdain is Intelligant

Shhhhh! J. Edgar Hoover is tracking Ken from his grave.

Them pesky Commies are conspiring as we speak, in dark cafes, to overthrow the international food movement. That ferreign food sure don't look like meat and potatoes...and that's UnA'mercan!

Another great one, Anthony Bourdain ... in Namibia .. eating with the "Bushmen"..... and a first for Anthony having a hard time with a "meal" ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONq6KZD2JYQ

Its three parts... don't know how to it get up as utube.. so ya have to follow a link... one can skip to part three...

[Edited on 7-3-2011 by wessongroup]

It's incredible!

My Friend Kenny standing next to my Wife Leidys before going inside for some EXCELLENT food.

Linking to YouTube is my specialty!

This bottle of Havana Club rum from Cuba is not sold in the US. Bacardi sells a different rum in the US also called Havana Club but it is produced in Puerto Rico.
IMG code






Havana Club also has a bar in Havana. This is me the morning after (ten years ago)
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Anthony Bourdain weighs in...

Now, MSNBC weighs in!!

link: http://overheadbin.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/07/11/7044293-an...




By Rebecca Ruiz, Senior editor, msnbc.com

In the season premiere of "No Reservations" airing tonight, host Anthony Bourdain visits Cuba for the first time. He spends the hour falling for Havana's old school charms, from its retro cars and architecture to its passionate baseball fans to its so-called "sleeping" beans, which are eaten only after they've sat overnight.

U.S. tourists who have long dreamed of visiting the communist country should take note. Now that the Obama administration has issued new rules for traveling to Cuba, average Americans can visit the country provided they do so with tour operators that provide educational experiences. (See New rules promise legal Cuba travel for many.)

Bourdain talks to Overhead Bin about highlights − and the politics − of his first trip to the country. "No Reservations" airs this evening at 9 p.m. on the Travel Channel.

Q: You said in the show you expect to get a lot of grief over going to Cuba. Has the hate mail started trickling in?


A: No, but I think I’ve seen some stuff on Facebook. There are Cuban Americans with a zero tolerance policy as far as anything to do with Cuba, as long as any Castro is alive. It is heretical for any American to visit. It is an emotional position that I understand and that I'm sympathetic to, but obviously I went anyway.

Q: For the benefit of your viewers?

A: No, because I wanted to go. I don’t know that I have a lot of virtues, but one of them would be an intense curiosity about the world. I think my expectation is that things are going to be changing in Cuba very soon and I wanted to see it before they did.

Q: Was there anything that you wanted to see firsthand?



An Argentine tourist has his picture taken in a 1956 Buick in Havana.


Q: Is this the most politically charged destination you’ve visited?

A: For some people it’s going to be. I just don’t really care. I’ve been to a lot of countries where we have differences of opinion, to say the least, or bad histories or even places where they see the world very differently than I do. It was not something that I was looking to concentrate on, but at the same time, I was very aware that it was worth mentioning often that Cubans can’t leave Cuba, that they’re not free to say what they want. That even in this incredibly wired age, that Twittering or communicating freely over the Internet are things they can’t do.

Q: Speaking of free expression, what did you make of the legally permitted street corner debates over baseball?

A: I think there’s a lot going on there that I don’t know in the sense that you could argue publicly about baseball, but it’s probably ill-advised to argue about other things, though I do understand that politics do creep into the discussion at times. I wanted to mention repeatedly in the show certain obvious facts about living in Cuba, which is something that other travel show hosts, perhaps, did not do and I think got a lot of grief for it. If you’re eating in a fine dining restaurant it is worth mentioning that chances are, you won’t be seeing any ordinary Cubans there.

Q: You’re infamous for calling people out for idiotic behavior. Did you find any of your experiences in Cuba aggravating?

A: No. We met ordinary people, we met people who had been assigned by a government agency to help us. Right across the board at every level, people were shockingly frank with us as far as how they thought things would go. We were not shy about talking about these things. I get to come back to New York and say whatever the hell I want. The people who were good to us and spoke frankly to us, they have to live there. We’re not looking to hurt anybody with the show.

Q: It looked like you ate well there. What was the best thing you had?

A: I ate some really good food in a high-end tourist restaurant, a Spanish-Basque place, but I have to tell you the "sleeping" beans were really extraordinary. I’m a guy who is very happy with just some good beans and some decent rice, and that was quite good.

Q: Do you feel like the next few years will be transformative for Cuba?

A: I think everybody there is tangibly holding their breath. They know something has to change. Even the noises coming out of Raul Castro − he breached the subject of term limits. Just the fact that he would utter those things in public, it doesn’t mean they’re getting any nicer, but they’re recognizing a changing reality on the ground. It’s not a viable system and I think everybody knows that. People have to struggle and sneak and improvise and that’s what they’ve done their whole lives. How long can that go on when the they know the rest of the world is talking to each other having thousand of conversations?

Q: Some people go to Cuba and fall in love with it like some people fall in love with, for example, New Orleans. Do you feel like Havana has your heart?

A: I feel it has my heart in really significant ways. It’s not my country, where New Orleans is. It’s not my system, whereas New Orleans, for better or worse, is. But it has my heart in the sense that I’ll always care a lot about what happens. I feel interested in what happens and how it works for the Cuban people in ways that I might not care in other places. It’s just so damn beautiful. It’s like Venice or Naples in that sense. All of the things that don’t work, the fact that it is a dysfunctional system … is also what has kept it un-ruined. There’s not a lot of strip malls or the usual buildings you get for being too close to the Soviet Union; they managed to avoid that for the most part in Havana. It’s still beautiful and that’s something.

Q: You spend time with people who know the history, culture and quirks of the place. The most efficient way for most travelers to get the same behind-the-scenes look is to go on expensive guided tours. Is this a waste of money in your mind? Is there a better way to do it?

A: We do a lot of research before we go and we’re looking for local bloggers, people who live there and have a particular interest in what I’m interested in, which is looking at the world through a food-centric view. Also, we’re looking for someone with a sense of humor. Reaching out to local bloggers is always a good thing. There’s somebody, chances are, who has incredible and hyper-nerdly expertise in your area of interest. If you’re talking about a tour of Renaissance art in Florence, it would probably be a good idea. But street food in Vietnam, [go to a] blogger.

Q: Finally, what are the highlights from this season of 'No Reservations'? What did you come home and brag about?

A: Naples was a lot of fun because we were tracking the "Red Sauce" trail. I wanted to know if the Italian food that I grew up eating, does it have any relation to what they’re eating in Naples? I had a really great time doing that show. The Iraqi-Kurdistan episode, I'm really excited about that one, too. It was very beautiful and there was shockingly good food. We had a lot of fun this season.

Thanks Mr You Tube...

"I don’t know that I have a lot of virtues, but one of them would be an intense curiosity about the world." -Anthony Bourdain

This is the line that motivates people like Bourdain and me. Those that don't have that "intense curiosity about the world" are missing so much because they are blinded by their lack of imagination and/or their constipated and restricting ideology...or...a low IQ. Having a low IQ is the only excusable excuse. They can't help themselves.

How could you not want to go there?

Whatever You Feel About the Politics

Jan, I did check out this website. I liked her photos but found her comments too hard edged. They weren't all that complementary. Her attitude is very Los Angeles; brash, young and trying too hard.

My experience there was much more positive and my conversations with people were delightful. It is true they are not allowed to speak openly on politics. They did whisper though. Most of the population was born after Castro's revolution. They were indoctrinated and acculturated into the system early in school. In spite of their politics and poverty, their schools are very good. They all wear uniforms too.

Almost everybody I talked to candidly whispered that they like the system but they don't like Castro. According to them, he is a despot and the military are the elite. They hoard all the wealth and the people have nothing. The people are given laissee faire to try any business endeavor without much regulation though. For example, if they want to have a small restaurant from their kitchen, or if they want to rent a room to you, they can.

If there is an interest I will write more on Cuba.

Jan, your Mark Twain quote fits right in with what I have been saying in this string.

Hi, toneart

Mr. Toneart

With a superior IQ.

Quote:

Originally posted by Roberto With a superior IQ.

Robert - You sure hold grudges.

After the Castro's are gone Cuba will probably be the #1 tourist destination for millions of Americans.

Quote:

Originally posted by Roberto With a superior IQ.

Roberto,

In spite of your snipes at me, I have been told by a Nomad whom you have met, that you are a nice person. It is obvious that you disagree with some of my posts due to opposing ideology, but I can (and do) overlook that.

"If there is an interest I will write more on Cuba."

Please do Tone...

Quote:

Originally posted by Cypress After the Castro's are gone Cuba will probably be the #1 tourist destination for millions of Americans.

Wessonman, Blanca, thank you for your requests.

I was in Cuba seven years ago, just before traveling to Mulege and having my casita built. I had always wanted to go there, probably because we are forbidden. Tell me I can't do something and I will find a way to do it. Cuba far exceeded my expectations as to it's beauty and its friendly people.

Being that I was already in San Jose, Costa Rica, I saw a poster in a travel agency window advertising a round trip to Havana, including a week in Havana and two days in Veradero, a beach resort town. The cost, including RT air and a beautiful hotel, was around $425.00. Can you imagine such a price?

The plane was an old Russian Aeroflot jet about the size of a Boeing 747. It now belonged to AeroCubana and was painted with the red and white colors and logo of the company. Shortly after takeoff the cabin started to fill with fog. Condensation was filling the aisles, coming out from under the seats. It became so dense I couldn't see. I got scared. I had never seen a plane do this before. My seatmate told me that it is common with this aircraft, but I thought we were going to die.

After awhile, the fog subsided and I was taken by the frivolity of a Cuban tour group who were headed back home. They were all ages and very well dressed; the men in suits and ties and the women in smart dresses or tailored suits...not high fashion, but smart. They appeared to be business and/or government employees. Their tour guide, an attractive young woman, spent most of the time in the aisle exchanging questions and answers and lots of laughter. Cuban is spoken very fast and there are many idioms that I didn't know. I got the gist of it though.

Veradero Beach was not typical. It is a glossy showcase for tourists with Euros running around in Speedos. (Anthony Weiner must have been inspired by that...ugh!) I did not like it and was glad to get back to funky, soulful Havana.

As I walked around the city streets and malecons, and took in the sights, many people walked up and lock stepped with me to talk. They thought I was Spanish or Canadian. They hadn't seen or met many Americans. Most countries, except for the U.S., are there getting a foothold in business for when the U.S. embargo breaks. Too bad we aren't! In a way, I really don't want to see it change, but it would be better for the people when it does.

When they found out I am American, they really got interested and were very friendly and curious. Almost everybody wanted to be my guide. I gave that job to one of the bartenders at my hotel.
He asked me what I wanted to see. I told him to take me to a place where Cuban Jazz was featured; not The Copa Cabana! I wanted to go where the people go. Like all poor latinos, they will spend their last peso on having a good time. The currency, by the way, is officially a Cuban Peso, but the actual money that circulates is the U.S. dollar. One peso=one dollar.

I already knew about the music but to be there in an outdoor, tropical, balmy night, to see a live band perform, it was mind blowing! I will talk about this in a subsequent episode.

Later!
Tony

Parts 1-3 now on BAJA NOMAD!

::REPEAT!::

Quote:

Originally posted by toneart "I don’t know that I have a lot of virtues, but one of them would be an intense curiosity about the world." -Anthony Bourdain This is the line that motivates people like Bourdain and me. Those that don't have that "intense curiosity about the world" are missing so much because they are blinded by their lack of imagination and/or their constipated and restricting ideology...or...a low IQ. Having a low IQ is the only excusable excuse. They can't help themselves. How could you not want to go there?

Welcome to the real LATIN AMERICA

Poverty is a part of Latin America that some feel uncomfortable with. Many of the politics there lean left for a reason. Go figure.

Day Laborers waiting for work, trash on the streets, dogs looking for a piece of food - welcome to Peru


But, Peruvian SOUL FOOD is still good!


Colombia is both Rich and Poor.
The road to Santa Marta del Rodadero north from Barranquilla.



The "Street Poor" of Barranquilla, Colombia


Prosperity in Bogota, Colombia



[Edited on 7-18-2011 by Ken Cooke]

To each their own.. as the old lady kissed the cow... and I don't mean you know who...

Quote:

Originally posted by Ken Cooke Poverty is a part of Latin America that some feel uncomfortable with. Many of the politics there lean left for a reason. Go figure.

Wonderful, Beautiful Images

Quote:

Originally posted by Roberto Quote: Originally posted by Ken Cooke Poverty is a part of Latin America that some feel uncomfortable with. Many of the politics there lean left for a reason. Go figure. Has this "left leaning" helped?