This is Not a Holiday

Travel Tales for the Third-World Realist

  • HOME

  • ABOUT

  • BOOKS

  • FILMS

  • ARTICLES

  • BLOG

  • CONTACT

  • More

    X-Mini Max v1.1 Travel Speakers

    [Short of time? Read the Haiku review instead]

    Where once portable speaker technology meant a boom box balanced on each shoulder like an aurally-challenged roller-disco enthusiast, now we can enjoy fantastic sound anywhere courtesy of the egg-sized X-mini speaker set. Mp3 players are cool an' all, but have you ever sat around a pair of earphones, their tinny sounds pathetically magnified by an impromptu cone of newspaper, trying to enjoy the complex instrumental noodlings of the latest Tool album? I remember doing just this on Omotepe Island in Nicaragua one independence day. I'd purchased the masterpiece that is Tool's Lateralus cd in neighbouring Honduras weeks before but hadn't yet been able to listen to it. I didn't have a personal cd player, did I, just a crappy old Walkman. This was in the time before ipods, by the way. I suppose I could have bought it on cassette but I was thinking ahead.

    Anyway, I managed to negotiate the use of a fellow traveller's Discman on the condition that we shared the experience, so there we were crouched around this miserable wooferless funnel contraption when we were approached by a 3rd party who rolled his eyes and shook his head in a pitying way. "I think you need these," he said, pulling from his 100L pack a pair of full-sized Sony speakers. Lo and behold, we were soon enjoying the throbbing anger of Maynard et al without severe straining of the eardrums. That chap liked to travel in style, and I'm sure he would appreciate these little beauties as much as I do. Their 4W output is probably as good as the shoebox-sized ones he was lugging around anyway, and they have the additional qualities of being USB rechargeable with a 12 hour run time, metallic red and only 104g! Plus, they can be linked in series with other sets to form a powerhouse quadrophonic assault team!

    That night, we sent a representative of the group (he spoke the best Spanish) into the little town to procure some rum. He returned with a fistful of clear liquid-filled plastic bags, as if he'd won several goldfish at the fair but the actual fish had been stolen. This was the local moonshine - when it is served in a bag you know it's authentic, and when you go to take a sip and the fumes burn your eyes before the liquor hits your lips, it's confirmed. Viva la revolucion!

    Tags:

    • x-mini max v1.1
    • travel speakers
    • omotepe
    • nicaragua
    • tool
    Featured Posts
    Tyres, Trucks & Tarmac: The premiere

    Tyres, Trucks & Tarmac: The premiere

    An Interview with Dan Slater, The Trail Running Mastermind Behind The NUTR.

    An Interview with Dan Slater, The Trail Running Mastermind Behind The NUTR.

    Sea to Summit Waterproof Phone Case

    Sea to Summit Waterproof Phone Case

    Ruffwear Grip Trex

    Ruffwear Grip Trex

    Lifeventure Travel Ear Plugs

    Lifeventure Travel Ear Plugs

    Packtowl Ultralite Travel Towel

    Packtowl Ultralite Travel Towel

    Bose QC15 Headphones

    Bose QC15 Headphones

    This is NOT a Holiday - Dan Slater

    This is NOT a Holiday - Dan Slater

    Short film - the NZ tour training weekend.

    New Edition out now!

    New Edition out now!

    {"items":["5f6bf5b3916c26001763e43b","5f6bf5b3916c26001763e440","5f6bf5b3916c26001763e444","5f6bf5b36c382100170192d6","5f6bf5b36c382100170192d7","5f6bf5b36c382100170192da","5f6bf5b36c382100170192dc","5f6bf5b36c382100170192dd","5f6bf5b2a6d2c400186dd8c9","5f6bf5b2a6d2c400186dd8ce"],"styles":{"galleryType":"Strips","groupSize":1,"showArrows":true,"cubeImages":true,"cubeType":"fill","cubeRatio":"100%/100%","isVertical":false,"gallerySize":30,"collageDensity":0.8,"groupTypes":"1","oneRow":true,"imageMargin":0,"galleryMargin":0,"scatter":0,"rotatingScatter":"","chooseBestGroup":true,"smartCrop":false,"hasThumbnails":false,"enableScroll":true,"isGrid":false,"isSlider":false,"isColumns":false,"isSlideshow":true,"cropOnlyFill":false,"fixedColumns":1,"enableInfiniteScroll":true,"isRTL":false,"minItemSize":120,"rotatingGroupTypes":"","rotatingCropRatios":"","columnWidths":"","gallerySliderImageRatio":1.7777777777777777,"numberOfImagesPerRow":3,"numberOfImagesPerCol":1,"groupsPerStrip":0,"borderRadius":0,"boxShadow":0,"gridStyle":0,"mobilePanorama":false,"placeGroupsLtr":false,"viewMode":"preview","thumbnailSpacings":4,"galleryThumbnailsAlignment":"bottom","isMasonry":false,"isAutoSlideshow":true,"slideshowLoop":false,"autoSlideshowInterval":3,"bottomInfoHeight":0,"titlePlacement":"SHOW_ON_HOVER","galleryTextAlign":"center","scrollSnap":true,"itemClick":"nothing","fullscreen":true,"videoPlay":"hover","scrollAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","slideAnimation":"SCROLL","scrollDirection":1,"scrollDuration":400,"overlayAnimation":"FADE_IN","arrowsPosition":0,"arrowsSize":18,"watermarkOpacity":40,"watermarkSize":40,"useWatermark":true,"watermarkDock":{"top":"auto","left":"auto","right":0,"bottom":0,"transform":"translate3d(0,0,0)"},"loadMoreAmount":"all","defaultShowInfoExpand":1,"allowLinkExpand":true,"expandInfoPosition":0,"allowFullscreenExpand":true,"fullscreenLoop":false,"galleryAlignExpand":"left","addToCartBorderWidth":1,"addToCartButtonText":"","slideshowInfoSize":160,"playButtonForAutoSlideShow":false,"allowSlideshowCounter":false,"hoveringBehaviour":"NEVER_SHOW","thumbnailSize":120,"magicLayoutSeed":1,"imageHoverAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","imagePlacementAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","calculateTextBoxWidthMode":"PERCENT","textBoxHeight":0,"textBoxWidth":200,"textBoxWidthPercent":50,"textImageSpace":10,"textBoxBorderRadius":0,"textBoxBorderWidth":0,"loadMoreButtonText":"","loadMoreButtonBorderWidth":1,"loadMoreButtonBorderRadius":0,"imageInfoType":"ATTACHED_BACKGROUND","itemBorderWidth":0,"itemBorderRadius":0,"itemEnableShadow":false,"itemShadowBlur":20,"itemShadowDirection":135,"itemShadowSize":10,"imageLoadingMode":"BLUR","expandAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","imageQuality":90,"usmToggle":false,"usm_a":0,"usm_r":0,"usm_t":0,"videoSound":false,"videoSpeed":"1","videoLoop":true,"jsonStyleParams":"","gallerySizeType":"px","gallerySizePx":220,"allowTitle":true,"allowContextMenu":true,"textsHorizontalPadding":-30,"showVideoPlayButton":true,"galleryLayout":5,"targetItemSize":220,"selectedLayout":"5|bottom|1|fill|false|1|true","layoutsVersion":2,"selectedLayoutV2":5,"isSlideshowFont":true,"externalInfoHeight":0,"externalInfoWidth":0},"container":{"width":220,"height":284,"galleryWidth":220,"galleryHeight":123,"scrollBase":0}}
    Recent Posts
    Escape to Coronaville

    Escape to Coronaville

    West Side Boys Story

    West Side Boys Story

    Halftime Report

    Halftime Report

    Race to Dakar

    Race to Dakar

    How the Hell did I get Here?

    How the Hell did I get Here?

    {"items":["5f6bf5b3f4cf3700184ea5e9","5f6bf5b3f4cf3700184ea5ea","5f6bf5b3f4cf3700184ea5eb","5f6bf5b3f4cf3700184ea5ec","5f6bf5b3f4cf3700184ea5ed"],"styles":{"galleryType":"Columns","groupSize":1,"showArrows":true,"cubeImages":true,"cubeType":"max","cubeRatio":1.7777777777777777,"isVertical":true,"gallerySize":30,"collageAmount":0,"collageDensity":0,"groupTypes":"1","oneRow":false,"imageMargin":22,"galleryMargin":0,"scatter":0,"rotatingScatter":"","chooseBestGroup":true,"smartCrop":false,"hasThumbnails":false,"enableScroll":true,"isGrid":true,"isSlider":false,"isColumns":false,"isSlideshow":false,"cropOnlyFill":false,"fixedColumns":0,"enableInfiniteScroll":true,"isRTL":false,"minItemSize":50,"rotatingGroupTypes":"","rotatingCropRatios":"","columnWidths":"","gallerySliderImageRatio":1.7777777777777777,"numberOfImagesPerRow":3,"numberOfImagesPerCol":1,"groupsPerStrip":0,"borderRadius":0,"boxShadow":0,"gridStyle":0,"mobilePanorama":false,"placeGroupsLtr":true,"viewMode":"preview","thumbnailSpacings":4,"galleryThumbnailsAlignment":"bottom","isMasonry":false,"isAutoSlideshow":false,"slideshowLoop":false,"autoSlideshowInterval":4,"bottomInfoHeight":0,"titlePlacement":["SHOW_ON_THE_RIGHT","SHOW_BELOW"],"galleryTextAlign":"center","scrollSnap":false,"itemClick":"nothing","fullscreen":true,"videoPlay":"hover","scrollAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","slideAnimation":"SCROLL","scrollDirection":0,"scrollDuration":400,"overlayAnimation":"FADE_IN","arrowsPosition":0,"arrowsSize":23,"watermarkOpacity":40,"watermarkSize":40,"useWatermark":true,"watermarkDock":{"top":"auto","left":"auto","right":0,"bottom":0,"transform":"translate3d(0,0,0)"},"loadMoreAmount":"all","defaultShowInfoExpand":1,"allowLinkExpand":true,"expandInfoPosition":0,"allowFullscreenExpand":true,"fullscreenLoop":false,"galleryAlignExpand":"left","addToCartBorderWidth":1,"addToCartButtonText":"","slideshowInfoSize":200,"playButtonForAutoSlideShow":false,"allowSlideshowCounter":false,"hoveringBehaviour":"NEVER_SHOW","thumbnailSize":120,"magicLayoutSeed":1,"imageHoverAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","imagePlacementAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","calculateTextBoxWidthMode":"PERCENT","textBoxHeight":60,"textBoxWidth":200,"textBoxWidthPercent":75,"textImageSpace":10,"textBoxBorderRadius":0,"textBoxBorderWidth":0,"loadMoreButtonText":"","loadMoreButtonBorderWidth":1,"loadMoreButtonBorderRadius":0,"imageInfoType":"ATTACHED_BACKGROUND","itemBorderWidth":0,"itemBorderRadius":0,"itemEnableShadow":false,"itemShadowBlur":20,"itemShadowDirection":135,"itemShadowSize":10,"imageLoadingMode":"BLUR","expandAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","imageQuality":90,"usmToggle":false,"usm_a":0,"usm_r":0,"usm_t":0,"videoSound":false,"videoSpeed":"1","videoLoop":true,"jsonStyleParams":"","gallerySizeType":"px","gallerySizePx":1000,"allowTitle":true,"allowContextMenu":true,"textsHorizontalPadding":-30,"itemBorderColor":{"themeName":"color_12","value":"rgba(113,113,113,0)"},"showVideoPlayButton":true,"galleryLayout":2,"calculateTextBoxHeightMode":"MANUAL","targetItemSize":1000,"selectedLayout":"2|bottom|1|max|true|0|true","layoutsVersion":2,"selectedLayoutV2":2,"isSlideshowFont":true,"externalInfoHeight":60,"externalInfoWidth":0.75},"container":{"width":220,"galleryWidth":242,"galleryHeight":0,"scrollBase":0,"height":null}}
    Archive
    • March 2020 (1) 1 post
    • February 2020 (1) 1 post
    • January 2020 (1) 1 post
    • December 2019 (2) 2 posts
    • November 2019 (1) 1 post
    • July 2018 (1) 1 post
    • December 2016 (1) 1 post
    • October 2016 (1) 1 post
    • September 2016 (2) 2 posts
    • August 2016 (1) 1 post
    • July 2016 (1) 1 post
    • June 2016 (1) 1 post
    • May 2016 (1) 1 post
    • March 2016 (2) 2 posts
    • February 2016 (1) 1 post
    • January 2016 (1) 1 post
    • November 2015 (1) 1 post
    • October 2015 (1) 1 post
    • September 2015 (3) 3 posts
    • July 2015 (1) 1 post
    • June 2015 (1) 1 post
    • May 2015 (2) 2 posts
    • April 2015 (1) 1 post
    • March 2015 (2) 2 posts
    • February 2015 (1) 1 post
    • January 2015 (3) 3 posts
    • December 2014 (2) 2 posts
    • August 2014 (1) 1 post
    • July 2014 (1) 1 post
    • December 2013 (1) 1 post
    • October 2013 (1) 1 post
    • September 2013 (1) 1 post
    • August 2013 (2) 2 posts
    • July 2013 (2) 2 posts
    • June 2013 (2) 2 posts
    • May 2013 (2) 2 posts
    • April 2013 (3) 3 posts
    • March 2013 (2) 2 posts
    • February 2013 (2) 2 posts
    • January 2013 (2) 2 posts
    • December 2012 (2) 2 posts
    • November 2012 (2) 2 posts
    • October 2012 (2) 2 posts
    • September 2012 (3) 3 posts
    • August 2012 (1) 1 post

    © 2014 by Dan Slater

    Follow Us