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...

Things I like # 1 Mexico City´s pollution control

Mexico City is one of the most polluted cities in the world. Yeah, I know there are loads of places like this around the world, but what is cool about Mexico City is that they ban cars from driving on certain days in order to keep pollution levels stable. Cars are issued with a number plate that states the day that they are banned from driving in the City. When pollution levels rise they increase the driving ban over the weekend.

This is much better then any congestion charge that merely earns the government money but does little to reduce congestion and reduce pollution in the our Cities. I liking the no nonsense approach of Mexicans.