Sailing Day 6.. finally the boat starts going

Sailing day 5

So day five, which saw just about every bit of news , email, phone call received be nothing more then bad news finally turned out much better then expected.. Let me begin by saying i had an account closed then reopened then the number was changed through a PayPal linked interface, then my BOA was 9,000 negative with more 35.00 fees then you could count on one hand, my Citibank card was cancelled because of a mistake made by yes this true Citibank and blamed on me.. Of course my true friend Jessica which remained cool headed even after the 1 hour wait going through BOA telephone SUPPORT SYSTEM" or as i call it the twilight zone ride into the big underworld of sketch where it seems no matter what you say you end up right where you started where a seemingly nice man says befpre i can transfer you to an associate i must first get some information from you to transfer you to the right one... Over and over again and finally as you teach a living live person ithe United States and not half way across the world silence envelops your phone.. Your signal has blinked and at that moment in time well lets just say my phone is lucky to be alive..

Then on to Citibank where they decide on their own to take a payment out of your default account when none was due, not to mention the fact that we called them and let them know we had made a mistake in accidentally clicking Citibank payment from a non existent account number two seconds after it happened and we were personally guaranteed by the National of some other country that nothing would come of this and yesterday as we again talked to someone outside the United States, and please get this very carefully.. We asked why the account was on hold and their reply was oh yes sir you are a wonderful person as well have a great night.. And hung up the phone.. Hummmmm .. Makes you wonder..

Then its paypal and car payments.. Seems someone got into my. Redit file but with fast movement by my partner and friend.. I now believe everything might be ok.. Then of course there was the incident in which my best friend crashes again (twice now) while on his way to pick me up.. Claims he was in Rose something city off orlando and was waiting for hertz.. Then hertz arrives (the closest local hertz ) and instead of taking him to the closest agency decides to take him to Miami to fill out the paperwork.. Seems a little fisjy yo me.. Especially since policy is to take you to the nearest car rental place having the same brand.. But oh well .. So I am stuck once more in New Smerna Beach... However i must say one thing.. I aglad i was here to see us finally get the engine on the boat and clean it up and make it look for once like an actual niceclean sailboat, both inside and out..

So tomorrow we set sail for Miami and final,y are set to embark on our long ago promised journey through Indian River Florida, through mosquito swamp, and through the river all teh way down to Miami... Its now been over 6 weeks since we started but seeing the excitement on Jessica's face as the engine fit right into place was what do you call it priceless.. And i can see a commercial that goes something like this..

Koa being lazy in tbe morning and storing for wrong so that its useless he following morning.. 100.00

Jessica spending so much time in the bathroom it literally costs us slip time..150.00

Alex cleaning every five minutes using up  towels, cleaners, water, and other resources.200.00

The look on all our faces as the engine slid right into place and the back of the boat was free from debris... PRICELESS...

UNTIL NEXT TIME...

AG HOME GOODS

Dubai, UAE... Simply Amazing City a great atmosphere

A very modern awesome creation.. 
Abu Dhabi, UAE, A city designed with many future goals

opulence helix hotel design by leeser architecture

Here are the fantastic and opulence Helix hotel design by Leeser Architecture in Zayed Bay in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Called the Helix Hotel for its staggered floor plates, it rests in the bay, partially floating in the water and adjacent to the serpentine Sheik Zayed Bridge currently under construction by designer Zaha Hadid.the Hotel Helix takes part in a critical dialogue between rich and civility among the various services offered by a small town and the demands of a guest at the five star hotel. The floor of the curves suggests a winding path leads through a bustling city and many program elements are open to the views through the central void. Although the gap seems to offer complete visibility, there are enclaves for private meetings and guest privacy. It is designed for an activity that feeds the next time that affect clear separations between each activity. Moreover, a feeling of being free to experiment haphazardly all aspects of the hotel without having to decide on an agenda in advance. In the days luxury holiday of culture, there are play areas make the hotel a destination in an iconic design. From the beginning, is both a showcase for the wealth of the opulent life, because it is a totally enclosed urban experience. For example, the building has an inverse functional origin of water drops from the ceiling down through the vacuum at the lower pressure. At the entrance, valet parking for customers driving to its fleet, which, instead of being predictable on the surface or below the hotel, is located in the bay instead. Cars are literally pushed into the water. As guests head to their rooms, spectacular views Zayed Bay even more dramatic in the upper floors. At the top of the propeller, the pool deck on the top floor has a full group size glass bottom, and visible water swimmers from eight floors below ground level. In the restaurant below the lobby, the waves of the bay are so close to the floor plate that absorbs at the edge of the restaurant inside the glass curtain wall.

wonderful and opulence helix hotel design by leeser architecture

stunning layout at opulence helix hotel design by leeser architecture

stunning and opulence helix hotel design by leeser architecture

main lobby opulence helix hotel design by leeser architecture

landscape opulence helix hotel design by leeser architecture

fantastic lobby design in opulence helix hotel design by leeser architecture

fantastic and cool helix hotel design by leeser architecture

cool opulence helix hotel design by leeser architecture

cool bedroom design in opulence helix hotel design by leeser architecture

This is absolutely amazing any way you look at it. They already have the worlds only 7 star resort and now thins.. These people will not stop going out of their way to attracft tourists, first a dessert ski resort, then the worlds only 7 star resort, then the world tallest building, and now this.. Great job and way to attract tourists.. Its like the UAE has built its own versions of Disney world, since that company will not build in the Middle East.. Oh and I forgot and how could I, the man made Palm Islands in the UAE, an artificial neighborhood, design masterpiece.. 

Here they are one by one.. 

Burj Al Arab: the world's only 7-star resort

Burj Al Arab is a unique sail-shaped hotel situated on a man-made island in Dubai. The 7-star hotel has 27 double-storey floors, 202 bedrooms and all of the luxury trimmings. www.jumeirah.com

Worlds only Indoor Ski Resort...

Ski Dubai is the first indoors ski resort built in the Middle East and is part of the Mall of the Emirates, one of the third largest malls in the world. Travelers can visit the ski resort to enjoy the experience of real snow all the year round. The resort is a haven for ski sports enthusiasts, as it offers a 60-meter high indoor mountain, which is designed with 5 slopes of different difficulties and steepness.

The Ski Dubai resort also offers an amazing variety of activities for everyone like snowboarding, tobogganing, snowball shooting, or just playing in the snow. Not only this, the ski resort also has a snow play area that comprises of climbing towers, an icy body slide, a 3-D theatre, a mirror maze and an ice cave.


It offers something for all age groups and levels of expertise. If you get tired and need a break, Ski Dubai offers a number of themed restaurants where you can rejuvenate yourself before you go back for a fresh round of skiing.

Worlds Tallest Building...

Burj Khalifa
Also Known As: Burj Dubai or Dubai Tower
Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Developer: Emaar Properties
Architect: Adrian Smith, Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill (SOM)
Year: Officially opened January 4, 2010
Height: 828 meters / 2,717 feet (including the spire)
Stories: 162

About the Burj Khalifa:

Originally named Burj Dubai (or Dubai Tower), the soaring skyscraper is now called Burj Khalifa, after Khalifa Bin Zayed, the president of the United Arab Emirates. Dubai has been a showplace for innovative buildings, and the Burj Khalifa shatters world records for building height. The skyscraper is much taller than Taiwan's Taipei 101, which rises 508 metres (1,667 feet). During a time of economic slowdown, the Burj Khalifa has become an icon for wealth and progress in Dubai. No expense was spared for the building's opening ceremonies on January 4, 2010.

The Man-Made Islands at Dubai...

The Palm Islands in Dubai.  New Dutch dredging technology was used to create these massive man made islands.  They are the largest artificial islands in the world and can be seen from space.  Three of these Palms will be made with the last one being the largest of them all. 

Upon completion, the resort will have 2,000 villas, 40 luxury hotels, shopping centers, movie theaters, and many other facilities. It is expected to support a population of approximately 500,000 people. It is advertised as being visible from the moon

Our Final Day...in Cuba

Cuba day 9-10
Our Final 2 Days and goodbye

Yesterday (Thursday) as an official farewell to all of us.. My family on the side of my father threw a huge celebration on the farm they own here on the Island.. In conjunction with the birthday party of a very honest little girl I have come to really enjoy talking to these past few days...She always tells the truth about everything.. and I do mean everything and when you talk to her it does not seem like you are talking to a 10 year old but to a young passionate college student involved in government or politics and on one side passionately believing in thhe issues you are discussing.

She speaks about the conditions at her school, about the way things are here, and about the residents of the Island in ways that make her seemm like a college grad student.. One thing is clear from her view and many others here that the US Embargo on this Island is only hurting the peoople and not the goovernment and on this one point I will agree... The government still has what it needs and will always have the means to control the population.. Loook at China.. There is no imbargoo and the goivernment there is a much bigger threat to the United States then the Cuban government. If the embargo were lifted it would mean a new begining for this Island, one with some hope and maybe just maybe supplies would start rushing in.. The past is the past it is time to look forward and remove the Embargo against Cuba..

Getting back to our farewell dinner... It had a huge pig, roasted in the open, goat meat, which if any of you have not tried, I suggest you do because it is the most tasty delicious meat of all in my opinion, salids, tamales, and every other cuban made dish you could think of. I of course took the beers and drinks.. sodas and alcohol are usually out of financial limits to most cubans although Cuban Rum is readily available..The party went off without a hitch until about half way thhrough the power went out buty thank god the rain because even though thehre was no electricity for about two hours, the breeze kept things very cool, cooler then before the rain and wityh only fans as most cubans do not have AC anywhere on the island. It is a luxury reserved for the most financial stable families.

Then we sang Happy Birthday to this very special girl and the one thing she says she will remember the moost is the fact that there were balloons at her party. We brouth them from the states. For you see that is one item that even with money can not be found on the island ion any store or even the most expensive hotels... She was happy too have a birthday (her first) with ballonns.. I have to remember that on my next trip proobably in December to bring lots of ballooons because they seemed to maske everyone there happy it somehow took over the air all around us. It was indeed a good, memorable farewell diner for all of us who today at 10:00 PM will travel back to Miami and be there befor 11:00 PMM tonight.. Back to our working iPhones, home computers, blog postings, emails, problems, phone calls, and oother everyday stress... and as you think abnout all of this, you wonder who truly is the lucky one but then reality hits and you realize its you.. With all the problems we put up with in the United States, its rare we go too bed with hunnger or woondering where tomorroow´s mmeal is coming from, or whether or not we are going to eat or not...

Those are the issues facing lots of people here and entire families suffer the same restlessness although I can say one thing, everyone seems to get by somehow.. Somehow it stays together and peoople have time to fix their hommes and the streets of Cuba´s cities are cleaner thenn anywhere I have been in South America or the carribean, for that matter lots of american cities.. They take pride in maintaining the streets clean and debris free.. so that at least you can leave here knowing this is a very clean hygenic society that takes pride in itself and in their surroundings. 

Cuba is indeed a land of contrasts and one vacationn I will gladly repeat in December of this year and again next June for it is my father land and my families hoome, and one I can never forget.. It has my roots and my people from which I came and a week long family celebration is something thjat always does the body good.. Peace, relaxation, and a governmennt bent on making tourists feel welcome make this place, with all its shortcomings perhaps the best vacation on the planet.. at least to me...  

My next blog entry will be tonight from the city of Miami, from my office as I go to check up on what happened in the last ten days.. Gooodbye for now from Cuba, this beautiful island unnknown to many and misunderstood by most...

AG Home Goods

Cuba Days 6-9, tourist stuff with family and friends

Cuba Days 6-9
Tourist stuff with Family and Friends


The last few days on the Island have been mostly spent onn going around and seeing what each family household needs. In other words, a window that needs repairing oor replaced, a rooof that needs fixing, a household that is shoort on food, one that needs plaster or paint and then have been going around and trying to find these items in a country where these things do not exist or are hard nearly impossible toi find. However this year we found that everything we waanted to buy was readilly available and purchased everything we needed in about the two days we had allotted to the search. We purchased wardrobes for some family members, windows for others, as well as friends, connected flat screens that no one seems to know how to opperate, and helped spruce up homes with small items such as plates, glasses, stemware, paint, and a few other basic items such as toilet paper. Everyone here seems to need something yet their spirit and determination is completely alive and kicking. The tourist dollar only stores (correction new chavo - the term used for the converted american dollar) are rich in merchandise but at prices way out of reachj of most the Island. A shovel for example costs 20.00 and most cubans make 10.00 a month.


I also had my first experience in a Cubann Gym these last few days.. To say it was an experience is an understatement. No real equipment to speak about, or for that matter much of anything.. It was two bars, one bench, and outdated and broken stairmasters, which of course did not work.. There were two bars to be shared by everyone and thehy were full of rust and the smoothie bar was commpletely emty but yet there was still someoone working there, the massage area and steam, sauna, and bathrooms were long ago shut and the entrance fee 5.00 USD, which they think is a bargain.. I hear that most good gyms are in Havanna and I agree that Havana is perhaps the closest one gets to feeling like they are back in the states. Although sometimes when I am in the hotel in the room, with the AC full blast and the TV tuned too ESPN, I feel the same but as you open the door and feel the heat and run into the brooken elevator that forces you to walk down 9 flights of stairs annd be completely drenched I realize where I am Cuba. All of this and I would not trade this vacation for a week at the best greek villa on the islands of Mykonos.


People here are waram, friendly, and everyone survives, they know how to party, act, yet survive. The Cuban Spirit is strong determined, and willed to move ahead and make through these times so that they can live a better tomorrow. One thing is for sure the construction here is absolutely sturdy and if this place were to ever see a Lowes or Home Depot or something similar, the reaction would be a better island, one full of tourists, and one completely renovated and invigorated...


We went to a place called LA Granjita, which was Fidel Castro´s old Villa oor House  here in Santa Clara to eat yesterday with our family and friends and at $12.00 all you can eat buffet style dinnner, it was a bargain to have the pleasure of seeing my family and friends enjoy such a wonderful meal and savor every moment, including thhe all you can eat Ice Cream Bar, which seems unimportant to us yet is a super luxury on the Island, and some with us had never seen one.. Its amazing just 90 miles from here is the southern coast of Florida and the city of Miami, with everything available and yet here its a differennt world where everything is a chore too find or get a hold of.


One thing I will never get use to is the lack of paper towels or napkins.. There art none anywhere, you get one for lunch, dinner, and none in the bathrooms, even in the hotels.. So trust me on this when going to the bathroom and going to do number two, do it in your room for a surprize will definitely hit you, if you do it in the public areas.. TRUST ME ON THIS ONE...

Today we are going to say goodbye to most of the people we love and care about in a big celebration outside the city at my grandparents old home, one we completely renovated by sending money from the states. One of three homes we have completely rebuilt here on the Island even added AC, noty too mention the coutless windows, paintings, concrete for other homes of our friends and family we have helped with. For you see with western monney and funds everything is available, for that RIGHT price... then is back to Santa Clara to spend the nighht and tomorrow at 2:00 PM we leave for Havana to make sure we check in by 6:00 for our 10:00 PM flight and back in Miami before 11:00. When we land we will have traveled not only 90 miles but in a time machine forward in time to 2011..

And although I will happy to be back, I will not be able too stop tyhinking about my family and close friends still here on the Island fighting everyday to survive..

AG Home Goods