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Just want to apologise that I am about a week behind (Cuba is rubbing off on me although I should be 100 years behind at this rate). The internet costs around US$15 per hour here and only works for around 2 minutes of that time. Don´t think I´ve ever been so frustrated in my life, especially when I´m trying to book the next leg of my trip which is Brazil and where I´ve been told by various books and people to simply expect to be attacked and robbed and I can´t even be on the net long enough to secure a hotel room. Grrrr!!
Anyway, have decided to head to Touristville Varadero on Saturday for 4 nights to escape Trinidad as it´s as boring as hell and the people are hassling me til the cows come home. I can´t stand it any longer! So, will be in an all inclusive resort hopefully sunning (burning) myself and doing some diving or something. Mind you, the weather has been awful here for the last 5 days. It hasn´t been above 10 degrees and apparently further north (ie Havana and Varadero) it´s even colder. Global warming?
So, here goes.
27th December
Stressful morning today. Well, it started off fine as I had a leisurely breakfast, avoided eye contact with the resident squawky parrot that had decided to sit on the chair next to me and then chew the table cloth and then was joined by a girl who I could see had been itching to start a conversation. Turned out she'd been travelling in Cuba and hadn't really met anyone so was desperate for a proper conversation. I can see how it would be really difficult to meet other travellers here as there are no hostels and most cheap accommodation is just a room in someone's house so short of talking to random people on the street, there's no known place for people to congregate. Anyway, interesting background as she's from Botswana but parents are Sri Lankan, was schooled in the US, grad school in UK, worked in Switzerland and had just moved to London to work for a hedge fund specialising in African funds. Spent a couple of hours chatting til I realised I needed to get my skates on if I was going to catch my bus and that's where the stress began!
On checking out, the grumpy old cow on reception (everyone else had been lovely) told me that I had booked for 4 nights and had to pay for them. What rubbish! I had an email confirming that I had paid for 2 nights and luckily I hadn't thrown the mail away. I then lugged my backpack in the heat and humidity in the direction (or so I thought) of the main road only to get myself into a complete pickle, having realised I was somewhere I really didn't recognise and couldn't ask anyone as they were all greasy men! Figured I would have to come to a main road at some point, which I did, to find that the one time I actually wanted a taxi, there were no curb crawling honking machismos trying to rip me off. Finally, FINALLY reached a hotel, negotiated my way into a cab and got to the bus terminus with 10 minutes to spare. The stress was only just mounting. I needed to change my online booking confirmation for a small ticket but the ticket sellers were on a break, having lunch, smoking, chatting, everything but giving a s*** about any passengers who needed to get on the bus that was standing outside and rapidly filling up with 5 minutes to go before departure. Every time I went to the bus they told me to go and get a ticket while I tore my hair out, getting hotter and hotter and redder and redder and more panicky that I wasn't going to make the only bus of the day and trying to figure out if I was brave enough to hire a car and drive if this all went pear shaped. Anyway, in the nick of time, the senora showed up, faffed around and took her time in issuing me with a scrap of paper (like the old coloured cinema tickets you used to get - for you fellow oldies out there!) and I piled on the already jam packed bus.
Finally arrived in Trinidad at 7pm. It was pitch dark (why are there no street lights in Cuba?) and there were no taxis in sight. I could see a hoard of people with signs yelling and prayed that someone from my host family would be there for me - and he was! A really lovely guy called Carlos. He was on his bike so he put me on a bici-taxi which is a bit like a rickshaw but shakier. The poor driver had to precariously strap my backpack on the back and I clung on for dear life as we rattled over the cobbled streets! Anyway, got to the house which is lovely. I have my own room with a double and single bed and my own bathroom which is across a courtyard - hot shower (already tested out!) and then we had a lovely meal of lentil soup, steamed fish and veggies. There's one other girl staying here who's Swiss called Andrea.
Am supposed to be in a mini group lesson but as there are only 2 of us and we're at different levels, I'm having 1-1 lessons instead which will be good. Will figure it all out tomorrow as I start at 8am - ugh!
Anyway, next insect instalment. Had just sat down on my bed with my laptop to start writing this when I saw something out of the corner of my eye. Guess what? One of my favourite friends - a cockroach creeping up the end of my bed. I jumped up, as did it and then it flew across the room. My God, is there no end to these horrid things and now this one has wings that work! Opened my door which just encouraged it to go into the corner and not move. So, with my hiking boot in one hand and a huge book in the other (as a shield), I banged the floor til it moved out enough so I could clobber it. I tell you, when I get on these truck trips, I'm befriending the first burly guy I see and enlisting him as my personal protector from bugs and the like. I'm a nervous wreck!
28th December
Started my lesson at 8am this morning and the 2.5 hours flew by. Griselle, the teacher, is Carlos' sister and doesn't speak much English (which is a good thing) so there it began. Some things came flooding back once I got into it but it's so frustrating when you're trying to express yourself and have no means of doing so. Patience Linda, patience!
Went for a wander into town, stupidly at the hottest time of day. Could have sworn I was in a furnace. My NZ 'tan' has now started to bubble so I really did look like the archetypal British tourist- bright red chest and shoulders, skin falling off, blue-ish/white legs and rivers pouring down all skin surface area!
Felt like I had stepped back about 200 years, possibly a bit more. There are proper roads here but most transport seems to be horse and cart, bike if you're lucky and there is the odd ancient Lada pootling about. Most of the people looked like extras from a cowboy film and I almost expected someone to shout 'hey gringo' at any moment. Not as much hassling as in Havana though, which is a good thing so off I went on my usual fast-paced mission to check out the town - which took me....erm..... about 10 minutes!
Decided to cool off (ha!) in an internet cafe so went to the one that has recently been refurbished. Refurbished as what? A 1950s telephone exchange? My computer kept shutting itself off, the keys didn't do what they said on the label, it was stupidly hot and, to top it all off, I couldn't access anything on my usb stick - couldn't even open it, couldn't open Word - nothing but the web. Harrumph! Bloody Communists!
Stopped for a spot of lunch - beer and a pizza, which, sorry to be crude (but it's true), looked like a plate of vomit but was surprisingly good and then decided to stock up on some supplies for future snacks and lunches (I get fed at breakfast and dinner time but not in-between). I tell you one thing, for a foreigner, Cuba is bloody expensive. The water was almost as expensive as the special year Havana Club rum I bought myself, along with some diet coke (or equivalent because of course nothing American gets in here) to enjoy later on (or when things get really tough!).
Got back home but decided it was too early to hit the rum for my first day so currently just chilling out in my room with the aircon on full blast and the curtains closed and pondering having a nana nap!
Had first salsa lesson today. The guy came to the house and we had a 1-1 session. Like the Spanish lessons, this is all very well and great for learning but does nothing to help me integrate with other people in the town and get to know people. I suppose I'm comparing it too much with my experience in Mexico a few years ago where I had lessons in a school so had an immediate group of friends and we all did salsa lessons together too. I may have to try and venture out somewhere on my own but am a bit reluctant when I get kissed at in the street like a dog by every guy I pass.
29th December
Didn't have a good night last night. Started feeling very sorry for myself and it's the first time since leaving HK that I've truly felt lonely. I don't think I've ever experienced being homesick, even as a kid, but I can imagine that this is what it must feel like. I just wanted to be back in Honkers - even if just in my flat, at least I'd have my stuff around me and the telly! Inevitably that made me hit the rum which did help me sleep and I actually woke up this morning feeling more positive. But, I don't think I would recommend Cuba as a good place for travelling alone/backpacking. Glad I'd spoken to that girl in Havana as she had experienced the same so makes me feel a bit more normal! I'm not sure if it's because people are still trying to decipher the country and it's not really set up for backpacking so people just keep themselves to themselves as they try and figure it all out. Thinking about it, nobody on the bus here spoke and that was full of foreigners. Even the dodgy German guy I sat next to ignored me, even when he asked to sit next to me at the cafe at the rest stop!
Anyway, had my 2nd Spanish lesson this morning which was good. We interspersed the grammar stuff with some conversation and I was asking her about Fidel and Raul and what she thought would happen to Cuba. It was interesting hearing what she had to say - that the government is good in so many ways but that they have no freedom and they are at least 20 years behind other countries. 20? More like 100!
Decided it would be a good idea this afternoon to hire a bike and go the beach - this was another one of my hair-brained ideas that backfired! Managed to get the bike ok but make the guy put the seat up and down so many times that I eventually had to make do and it was a wee bit high (so I could only just touch the ground with my tiptoes). Set off wobbling down the cobbled street and as I picked up a tremendous speed and was approaching the crossroads, I was frantically trying to find the brakes which weren't in their normal place - ie on the handlebars! Seeing my life flash before me as I careered towards the intersection, I started fiercely peddling backwards (goodness knows why - instinct?!). Luckily I did as that was the brakes! Phew!
So, the Lonely Planet in its true (as I've newly discovered) lying way, said that Playa Ancon (the nearest sandy beach and supposedly wonderful) was 12km away. It then went on to say that while that was the start of the beach, civilisation (ie hotels and places to buy beer!) was actually 18m away. That's fine I thought as I had been walking about 16km every day in Vanuatu so cycling should be easy - right?! Yes, that's very true but in my dumb blonde state, I hadn't remembered that that was the return distance but this today was one way - ie 18km there and 18km back - aaaaargh!!! I finally got there after an hour and much huffing and puffing and not really a lot to see enroute apart from the ditch as I swerved to avoid being hit by traffic driving in both directions and anywhere on the road they felt like! The beach was quite nice but I didn't really have time to stay as it was already 4pm and the bike needed to be back by 6pm and I suspected it was going to take me a hell of a long time to get back (as I had done quite a bit of free-wheeling on the way there which can only mean one thing - hills on the way back). In the words of Gwen, OH MY GOD!!!! I honestly thought I was going to die. In fact, I almost had another Gwen moment, "If I have to pedal one more kilometre, it will be the death of me. Just shoot me now!" I could see Trinidad in the distance but it didn't seem to be getting any closer and my legs were getting more and more tired, not to mention my bum which was on the verge of falling off. As I got closer, I couldn't take it any longer and had to get off and walk. I don't know what was worse as my legs had turned to jelly and I couldn't walk properly. I'm sure people must have thought there was something wrong with me. Anyway, they still insisted on shouting "hey chica" at me and one old guy told me to get on my bike (well, I think that's what he said) so I just shouted the word for tired at him as it's all the strength I had to do. Anyway, I reckon I must have pushed the bike for about a mile before reaching the town and finally getting rid of it! I won't be doing that again in a hurry.
As if that wasn't enough exercise for one day, I staggered home at about 6.15, just in time for my salsa lesson at 6.30 so am now absolutely exhausted. My fellow homestayer invited me out with her tonight but as I'm falling asleep on my feet , can't walk and certainly can't sit down without easing myself up and down like an old codger, I thought I'd better give it a miss so that my inaugural night on the town is not blighted by me looking and acting like a cripple. Damn it! I told her definitely tomorrow though so fingers crossed I'll meet some people - that's if the second day stiffness isn't too great!
Right, it's rum o'clock now......
30th December
After Spanish I went back to bed for a while (am getting good at this sleeping during the day lark - mind you, there's not much else to do and I only have a half a book left which has to last me another 2 weeks). I do, however, have enough music on my i-tunes to last me around 5 months non-stop which could become a new year's resolution (am I really that bored and sad?).
Decided to follow the LP's advice and go and see the bird's-eye view of Trinidad which, as if I hadn't had enough exercise yesterday, was up a really steep, rubbly hill that I chose to climb at 2pm when it was about as hot and sweaty as it could get. After fending off some local chicos asking me for some bon-bons (that's a new one after what they'd previously been asking me for!), I reached the top. View was ok but actually all I could see was a whole load of black smoke belching out of what transpired to be an old steam train - nice! Went to the tourist info centre to ask about said train as I had read that it goes to the Valle de los Ingenios which is the old sugar mill area so am thinking I might go there on Saturday. The guy in the info centre was such a character - hardly any teeth and those he had were black, smoking like a chimney then wondering why he had such a hacking cough but he spoke great English (turns out he used to be an English teacher) and taught me a tongue twister for saying the Spanish "rr" that he said he would write down when I next go in. I must have sat there for about 15 minutes chatting to him which was great and he's insisted we must speak Spanish the next time! Anyway, said he wouldn't sell me a ticket for the train today as he doesn't know if the train will be working or not. It seems that every day is a gamble as the train is so old it often conks out! So, we'll see.
Went for a mojito and a sit down in one of the bars with some live music and then spent an extortionate US$15 on 2 bottles of water, 4 dodgy apples and a carton of concentrated fruit juice in the supermarket. I cannot get over how expensive this country is and am panicking that my money won't last - there are no ATMs here, credit cards aren't accepted and I don't have that much cash left - and this is before I've made any friends and gone out so I've only bought on average 1 alcoholic drink per day so far. I don't think I remember it being so expensive the last time I was here. Oh well, will have to stick to a very strict budget from now on.
Went out with Andrea in the evening and we met 2 Italian guys that she's been hanging around with. Went to the 'happening' place in town with a live Cuban band and ended up being asked to dance a few times. It's such hit and miss dancing with strangers. If you get someone who isgood dancer and really leads you, you look like a pro, otherwise you end up with a muppet who just steps from side to side and it gets so boring! One guy kept coming back for more dances so I figured I can't be that bad and he was really patient with my 2 left feet. Ended up having a good night and was out til about 1am so not all that bad!
Now then, I do have to tell you about the toilet in the bar last night. There's only one toilet 'room' - ie no separate ones for men/women and there are 3 cubicles in the room. So, the lady at the entrance lets 3 guys in or 3 girls. Makes sense so far right? Well, so I thought. I got in there to find that there are not only no doors on the cubicles, but there are no seats on the toilets (not that you would want to sit down anyway but still, would be nice to be given the option). So, there was me, Andrea and some other random woman all hovering on our respective toilets and looking at eachother as we did our business, pulled up our pants etc etc. All this time, the 'attendant' can see exactly what's going on in each cubicle. Dignity? Lost it all in that one moment......
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