Happy New Year from Germany

[Nuno Sa]

Hi Nino welcome to this nice forum, it?s good to have other guys from continental Europe here (i?m from Portugal), if you ever come around this parts ill gladly join you for a smoke.

[barrytb]

Welcome Nino. Awesome site!

[yiorgos]

Hello Nino, welcome to the forum and happy new year.

I love your blog, it has been inspiring to me.

[mb55317]

Welcome Nino, fantastic blog, I love looking at the photos you take. Certainly looks as though you're living the dream. I wish you all the best in your retirement.

As a mere 20-something (albeit late 20s) infant in the world, i feel inspired to 'live it up' whenever possible. Life is to short. That has to be the best new years resolution one can make.

[Flying Cigar]

@ Everybody : Again thank you, I appreciate your kind words !!

@ Nuno Sa : Muito obrigado, tamben gostaria fumar um charuto com voce na prossima visita da nosso pais favorito - Portugal - ate logo & obrigadinho !!

http://www.flyingcigar.de/travel_cigars/2004_09_algarve.php

Nino

[Stevieboy]

Hi Nino....LOVE your blog...LOVE it...I bet you must have smoked some amazing sticks that we can only dream of!!

[Robusto]

Hello Nino. Welcome.
Your blog is a very interesting read.

[Gary]

Hey Nino, again a BIG welcome to the forums.

Long time admirer and reader of your blog. Love the reports and the photo's and your cigar meets in the lab with Andreas & Co. always looks like a great time.

I look forward to reading more of your blogs in the future.

[El Catador]

So my advice would be : Don't wait for later, travel now !

The very words I 'try' to live by.
Like you, out of everywhere I've visited, SE Asia is probably the area I feel the greatest affinity for (first visited in the 80's), having spent time in many of the places you mention: Bali, Borneo, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, China etc (now there's a place that changes rapidly).

Often use the railways when getting around the region, so share your enthusiasm for that type of journey (the Trans-Siberian is high on my 'to do' list), especially after experiencing rail in places like India, Thailand and Vietnam, etc (they may be faster in Japan, but there just not as evocative).

As far as city's go, my preference is for places like KL and HK over say Singapore and Tokyo, but that's probably because I hadn?t heard about some of their fantastic cigar lounges when I was last there. These days I make a point of researching potential ?cigar friendly? establishments prior to booking (particularly restaurants) thankfully my good lady is indulgent of my little obsession.

I must confess, I miss the days (pre-smoking ban) when many European restaurants were aimed specifically at cigar smokers (particularly Eastern Europe), having been lucky enough to enjoy some of my finest smoking moments in places in Spain (where I was first introduced to the pleasures of the Puro), Italy, Germany (my first Cohiba experience), Greece, Holland, France etc. right through to the ?old school? elegance of places like: Hungary, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Estonia (home of a surprisingly good, though not cheap, LCDH), etc.

Love the idea of a ?slow boat? travelling experience via a Cargo ship (have you any info you could post up?), in truth though, sail is my weakness, ideally Indian ocean or Caribbean, but not too fussy as long as it?s warm and pirate free.

I friend of mine (travel photographer) did the overland ?hippy trail? you mention in the late 60?s, and after seeing the pictures of how untouched and ?innocent? many of those places were back then, I can understand your regret at not getting round to doing it. I guess the number of ?untamed/untarnished? destinations is dwindling year by year, so we should make the most of what's left while we can.
Anyhow, keep up the good work, its inspiring stuff and has given me plenty of ideas for future trips.

Muchas Gracias
El Cat

[mackem keith]

hey

Hey nino welcome to the forum.
I actually discovered your site through another cigar forum about a year ago i'll not bother naming the site as im devoting myself to the UKCF needless to say the first time i read through your blogs i just had to keep picking my jaw off the floor. and still you keep coming up with some cracking stuff,.
Keep up the good work..

[Nuno Sa]

@ Everybody : Again thank you, I appreciate your kind words !!

@ Nuno Sa : Muito obrigado, tamben gostaria fumar um charuto com voce na prossima visita da nosso pais favorito - Portugal - ate logo & obrigadinho !!

http://www.flyingcigar.de/travel_cigars/2004_09_algarve.php

Nino

Agora fiquei surpreendido, ainda ? melhor ter por aqui algu?m que escreva e perceba o portugu?s.

Aquele Abra?o,

Nuno S

[cohibaIV]

WOW, As a fan of your site I am really glad you have found the time to visit our small (but growing) UK forum...

Welcome mate, and I hope you will be able to find the time to post in the future too...

CIV

[Flying Cigar]

Hi again, El Cat,

Thank you for the reply, interesting theme !

Like you, out of everywhere I've visited, SE Asia is probably the area I feel the greatest affinity for (first visited in the 80's), having spent time in many of the places you mention: Bali, Borneo, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, China etc (now there's a place that changes rapidly).

I can see that by being there in the 80?s and spending time there you also like SE Asia, guess it?s an ?acquired habit? after one has been to many places and can compare, then you prefer the places that appeal to your feelings, your senses and, above all, where you feel welcomed ( and not just your wallet ) ? for that you have to go out of the travelled track, but it?s sure worth it, and in SE Asia the track is always easy to walk.

Often use the railways when getting around the region, so share your enthusiasm for that type of journey (the Trans-Siberian is high on my 'to do' list), especially after experiencing rail in places like India, Thailand and Vietnam, etc (they may be faster in Japan, but there just not as evocative).


I have used trains in SE Asia, both during longer lay-overs and on vacation, and I always loved it. And, from using trains in Japan, I agree with you, there?s efficiency there, but no charm, nothing that connects you to the place, very artificial ( plus you are illiterate and, while very helpful people, no-one will lose face speaking English to you ? ).

While the Trans-Sib is highly known, my idea for the trip to Lake Baikal is not to take that one, but to fly to Almaty (Kazakhstan) and take the local train from there to Irkutsk.
A 2-3 day affair, but sharing it with locals should be more attractive.
Same for the other trains planned. Besides, you can always hop on & off, which is an added bonus !

Funny, I remember trying to visit the main station in Beijing in the 70?s and it was off-limits to foreigners, we had to ?smuggle? ourselves in to visit it, very interesting, basically all of China?s ?nationalities? there waiting hours and days for their trains.

My most memorable train ride was with my wife in ?89 on the ?Blue Train? from Cape Town to J?burg, 24 very luxurious hours of travel. Took me a year to get tickets, well worth it !

As far as city's go, my preference is for places like KL and HK over say Singapore and Tokyo, but that's probably because I hadn?t heard about some of their fantastic cigar lounges when I was last there. These days I make a point of researching potential ?cigar friendly? establishments prior to booking (particularly restaurants) thankfully my good lady is indulgent of my little obsession.

I share your preferences in cities as well. KL is far more ?local flavour? than big sister S?pore ? a city I sometimes compare to a Swedish hospital for its antiseptic look, but I was lucky in getting a whiff of old style S?pore in the 70?s, and having local friends helps finding treasures.
Same with HK, it offers a rough & tough flavour that S?pore will never have.
I?ve taken several trips from KL by bus to Ipoh and the western shore as well as to Kuantan, Cherating and farther south to the ?Thousand Islands? (Pulau Seribu ??).

Cigar smoking is a problem in the big Asian cities by now. China is still very liberal but changing too.

In S?pore you may not even get an outside table to smoke, as out of 25 tables, 20 are non-smoking ( open air !! ) Crazy ? here, again, having local friends helps.

I must confess, I miss the days (pre-smoking ban) when many European restaurants were aimed specifically at cigar smokers (particularly Eastern Europe), having been lucky enough to enjoy some of my finest smoking moments in places in Spain (where I was first introduced to the pleasures of the Puro), Italy, Germany (my first Cohiba experience), Greece, Holland, France etc. right through to the ?old school? elegance of places like: Hungary, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Estonia (home of a surprisingly good, though not cheap, LCDH), etc.

Spain, where I am quite often, is quite easy for cigar smokers, even Germany ( in certain states, I am lucky living in a liberal one ) also. In my village I can smoke cigars in a good Restaurant that has a smoking area, even a smoking-only pub here.
But it?s getting harder.
Budapest is one of my favourite ?old world? Eastern cities, along with Vienna. Lots of charm.


Love the idea of a ?slow boat? travelling experience via a Cargo ship (have you any info you could post up?), in truth though, sail is my weakness, ideally Indian ocean or Caribbean, but not too fussy as long as it?s warm and pirate free.

I have a large file folder with infos on several shipping lines, routes, prices, but have not yet started to seriously plan the voyage ? I am just too busy with family matters in Spain right now. But, if interested, send me a mail, and I?ll send you bulk information and links.
I have even found a shipping line that carries cargo from big hubs ( SIN/HK ) to smaller Asian ports like Haiphong, Saigon, BKK and other obscure places, very attractive as they are not on a tight schedule and lay-overs can be long, which is what I look for.

I friend of mine (travel photographer) did the overland ?hippy trail? you mention in the late 60?s, and after seeing the pictures of how untouched and ?innocent? many of those places were back then, I can understand your regret at not getting round to doing it. I guess the number of ?untamed/untarnished? destinations is dwindling year by year, so we should make the most of what's left while we can.
Anyhow, keep up the good work, its inspiring stuff and has given me plenty of ideas for future trips.

Muchas Gracias
El Cat


De nada ? un placer !
Nino

[Nuno Sa]

Nino now that i had the time to read that excellent review you made of the Algarve region i can understand better your affection for my country food, people, gastronomy and beach side.

The Algarve is one of the best regions here to be all year round, don?t know if you have been in the beaches near Lisboa, i live near by and my parents have a small house in the Ericeira region, if you ever come here it would be a pleasure to meet you and show you around.

[Big J]

Welcome, Nino!