The Shock Doctrine

The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein is one of the most thought provoking books I have read for a while that quite frankly scares the crap out of me! It is a bit of a beast to lug around in your backpack but it´s a must for anyone travelling in Central and South America.

Shedding some light on why amazing countries like Nicaragua are some of the poorest in the western hemisphere it also explains why there is so much 'I hate Bush' graffiti in most towns and cities I have been to.

How many Irishmen does it take to change a light bulb?

No idea, but I´ve just come back from staying with a family on an island in the San Blas, home of the Kuna Yala,(Did I mention you could walk round it in 3 minutes, it had a white sandy beach and we had the crystal clear water to ourselves?) and I was pleased to see that this was the most modern device on the entire Island.

A six foot solar panel...



Leading to a hefty battery...



That powered this one inch light bulb...

Some words of wisdom...backpacker stylee

I´ve met a lot of interesting people along the way so far. Some of which you could describe as over packed in more ways than one. In one toilet I found these words of wisdom to keep you entertained whilst taking a leak.

I'm sure that they came from the pen of someone else but I apologise to the person who wrote them if they are orginal...



This one is probably my favourite...



Not the most poetic but true all the same..