Casa Bertha y Fidel Havana

... most to this part too. Then a small ride through the mountains where we were meant to meet another guy to drop us back home, as usual things did not turn out as planned and the guy was not there waiting for us. So the other guy we were horse riding with managed to flag us down a random car to drop us back into the city. A memoir of this day turned out to be a tick which was hiding in a straw hat I had bought specifically because we were in the sun all day.

We took leaving ...

... We had been watching the weather recently and it stated that it was going to rain a shitload, and not to be disappointed, it did !!! The cab dropped us off to our Casa Particulares. We were close to the Capitolo, so we had a quick walk around, had dinner, and then went back and died as we were now behind our usual time, our bodyclocks were so far out.

Havana Day 2

Glorious sunshine greeted us. We hit the streets and all I could ...

... try to explain how I got lost again trying to find the bus station, but I had to go there to reserve my ticket for tomorrow. Being "directionally challenged" the thrill is trying to become "unlost" ...and I have been thrilled to death this past week LOL. I am just glad that my posterior has not complained about my deficiency too much ... besides it is a good way to get to know a place even if you do not know where you are. If that is not a paradox, I don't know what is.

... infested this small communist island. We were welcomed by a man with a cowboy hat, levi jeans and cowboy boots. His name was Chester and he looked like the bad guy out of a John Wayne movie. He offered to take us for a ride on his horse and carriage, for a price. I must say Chester was definitely a character. He showed us some interesting places and with our sleepy tired eyes we took in the wonders of Havana. From the dilapidate buildings in Veja Havana ( old ...

... the road confirms my time travel to the 60's. the loud Cuban music that you will hear everywhere just sets the ambience and intensifies the feeling .... Si, si, yo soy en el pais de Cuba. You would see kids playing soccer or baseball on every open fields, of course, I am exaggerating when I said every. Spanish architecture is just everywhere in sight and the beautiful Cuban people waving their hands welcoming ...

... could I get some authentic cigars - every one on the street tries to sell them to you, but its very suss. Anyway he said that usually they would cost about 200 dollars, but he has a friend who lived around the corner, who works at the factory. So we all went to his friends place, met his mum who was downstairs, she was missing mot of her teeth, and she gave us a big grin, and I could see her tonsils. Anyway we were led upstairs to the bedroom and I was starting to get a ...

... near the tracks, tourists are waiting for the train to arrive. Ticket in hand, I head out to wait with the others. Minnesota man is whispering something into his wife's ear and she's looking at me funny...11:00 AM, off we go... I've been on trains before, but not a real old one, pulling wooden passenger cars with open-air windows. You could walk anywhere you wanted as the train rolled down the tracks...even dangle your feet off of the back stair area ...

... this period everywhere. But it a place that is falling down mostly, apparently many floors collapse daily. I only really saw the centro and the old part, which is absolutely beautiful. Also, Venado, a mostly residential part, is filled with magnificent colonial homes. I only stayed one night before I went down to Trinidad to meet Adelaide...who had fallen in love with the lovely Adolpho. Trinidad is quite a touristy place with a similarly beautiful old ...

... and check out this village, wasnt big bout hundred metres 1 street (like crewe if anyones been), was a really nice setting though, stopped for a beer and a bite to eat, before heading out towards the country, it was really nice to get a bit of time to myself, i had been getting quite angry with myself for letting that stuff happen in havana, so i cleared my head took some snaps and set back off to the casa (my tea was ready). had me some gooood fish, with the obligatry (sp?) rice ...

Our steps lead us to via Obispo, the most commercial street of old havana, among tourists mainly and locals going to the barber's or queuing in front of food shops (they still have rationing tickets to buy the basic food, the meat and extras being essentially sold in black market with the inconvenient that the price is in dollar (well, peso convertible), not in Cuban peso, which multiplies the price by 5...). Then we go on with our spot in sight: the ...