A Casual Traveler. Order the complete book from the publisher. Booklocker.com

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1 Travel tales and poems of one man's traveling adventures and misadventures. A Casual Traveler by Edmond Gagnon Order the complete book from the publisher Booklocker.com or from your favorite neighborhood or online bookstore.

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3 A Casual Traveler If you want a great vacation, go to an all-inclusive resort. If you want a great travel experience, go anywhere else! Edmond Gagnon

4 Copyright 2017 Edmond Gagnon ISBN: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author. Published by BookLocker.com, Inc., St. Petersburg, Florida Printed on acid-free paper. BookLocker.com, Inc nd Edition

5 Reviews for A Casual Traveler "I bought this book expecting the usual travel log narrative, but was pleasantly surprised by the authors personal anecdotes. It gave me a look at different places and cultures, causing me to research those that piqued my interest.." C.H. "I yearned to travel after reading the stories in this book. The author's spirit for adventure in places I've only dreamed of enlightened me. I found the author's tales both educational and entertaining." V.C. "Whether you're a seasoned traveler or a homebody who only dreams of traveling, you'll enjoy this book. The author takes you to exotic places and introduced you to different characters who were as much fun to read about as the locations." Sandra "A Casual Traveler takes you on a journey to places all over the world, where the author introduces you to different people and their cultures. I felt like I was with him, experiencing his adventures for myself. It mad me want to get out and explore more of our world." Marissa "I enjoyed learning about different countries and cultures, and how different they are from us. Reading the book I felt connected to the author, and I enjoyed his sense of humor." Mazerona Read more reviews at:

6 Table of Contents Introduction... 1 Missing in America... 3 Coco The Fugitive The Walkabout Sensual Awakening Bullets, Bugs, and Birds The Hawg and the Cow Bus # A Royal Tour Mad Max and the Mud Road Circus City Eddie Murphy and the Golden Girls King Cobra Floating Junk Land of Lam Fresh Beer The Beach and the Sunset Bar Rocky Mountain High Online Dating Goose Bumps Contrasts Doors ix

7 Edmond Gagnon Mendoza by a Landslide Tale of the Dragon Freebird North and South The Train & the Tower Breeze in Belize Consider the Conch Princess of Belize Caye Caulker Critters Pops Island In The Jungle Southern Comfort The Butcher Pura Vida Favorite Places The Old South ,100 Miles to the Hill and Back Two Bill's - Part Two Bills - Part Unintended Adventures Novels by Edmond Gagnon Author Bio x

8 Coco Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Most of my treasured memories of travel are recollections of sitting. Robert Thomas Allen I hadn t been in Mexico a week; I quickly and easily became a regular at one particular local watering hole in Puerto Vallarta. A good pub is a melting pot, where all sorts of people come together in the name of imbibing, for their own reasons. If one watches and listens closely, their lives are unveiled right before your eyes. Many Homo sapiens from the northern hemisphere, called snowbirds, migrate south to places like Puerto Vallarta, in the winter. One of the local watering holes I grew attached to was a place called Sweeney s. It's in the heart of old town Vallarta, only a couple blocks off the beach. In my case its location was perfect for a pit stop on the way home from the beach, after the sun left me parched and in need of hydration. Daily, you could count on the same bar staff and regulars, usually planted in their specific seats. Other than the cold beer and good food, there was really nothing special about Sweeney's. It was on the second floor, above another restaurant, on the main drag in old Vallarta. It's easy to miss the stairway entrance, if you didn't know it was there, or were to drunk to see it. A long and steep set of stairs takes you up, and sometimes challenges you on the way down. A horseshoe shaped bar is at the top of the stairs, directly in front of the kitchen. There is enough wooden tables and chairs to seat about fifty people. 10

9 A Casual Traveler The nicest feature in the place was the open balcony that offers a view of the street below. There is really nothing in the way of decoration, except for a huge mural on the back wall. At first glance it appears to be a painting of a desert landscape, but on closer inspection, it is a naked woman lying on her side, with her breasts drawn into the mountains, and her pubic area as an oasis. When I travel and meet new people I like to combine a person's name with their hometown, so I can remember them easier. It's a little trick I learned from Michael from Stratford, who has become Cambodia Mike. The barmaid, Lee Anna, from Virginia, was the first person I met at Sweeney's. Regina Dan and Randy, Tex, Nebraska Archie, and Coco, were the other barflies. Tex was really Calgary Mike, but he liked the southern handle better. I think Coco was a local, but nobody really knew. I was traveling solo on this particular trip so I picked my own special seat at the bar, a spot close to the bathroom, where I had a good view of the whole place. It wasn't long before I joined in the conversation with the regulars, chatting about how to solve all the world s problems. Better ideas and solutions are always hatched when you're drinking. One of the things I love to do when I travel is engage in the sport of people watching. In my opinion, everyone is a character and they all have their own story. Some people love to share their life story, and some keep it a secret or simply don t care to share it. Coco was one of those characters who kept to himself, but he caught my interest. A regular at the bar who everyone called by name, like Norm from Cheers. He even had his own spot up against the wall, at a table near the bar. He usually strolled in around dinner time, and then took his spot, and either watched the rest of us or nodded off. 11

10 Edmond Gagnon Curiosity got the best of me, I asked the regulars what Coco s story was. It varied, but the consensus was that Coco was homeless. Sweeney s was a safe haven where he could just hang out. He didn t look homeless, but he was elderly and somewhat weathered, with short hair and a trim build. His eyes had that glazed look that comes with age or the onset of cataracts. I could only wonder what those eyes had seen, but Coco was content in keeping to himself. I said hello in Spanish and English a few times, walking past him on the way to the washroom, but he barely acknowledged my presence. I was, after all, just another gringo tourist. Lee Anna said she had no problem with Coco hanging out he kept to himself, and didn t bother anyone. I saw her give him water once, but I don t recall ever seeing him imbibe. She said he sometimes leaves with drunken patrons late at night, walking them safely home. I was blown away when Lee Anna told me that Coco walked her home and she let him crash there. When she got up in the morning Coco was gone. Nebraska Archie said he d seen Coco come and go for the ten years he d been visiting Vallarta. On one particular night, after leaving the bar, I had the midnight munchies, and I went around the corner for a snack. I bumped into Nebraska Archie I seemed to bump into him all the time. It was at a local late-night taco stand, kind of like the drive thru at Taco Bell, but it had a patio. While Archie and I were eating we noticed Coco on the sidewalk across the street. Archie called out to him, but he was oblivious to us, with the traffic and street noise. I whistled and Coco trotted across the street. He joined us on the patio, and the usual nods of acknowledgement were made. I usually don't give street beggars a second glance, but it was Coco, and I asked if he 12

11 A Casual Traveler was hungry. He just looked at me with those sad brown eyes. I had more food than I needed, so I took one of my tacos and threw it onto the sidewalk, in front of Coco. I wasn t trying to being rude or ignorant. Coco is a dog, a Doberman Pincer to be exact. 13

12 Travel tales and poems of one man's traveling adventures and misadventures. A Casual Traveler by Edmond Gagnon Order the complete book from the publisher Booklocker.com or from your favorite neighborhood or online bookstore.