Cuba Part 2

After leaving the airport we (as part of the package got a hotel for 2 nights, the night we came and the last night) went to the hotel. Supposed to cost $80 a night, most hostel i thought would be better!! Everyone was smoking and a think smell of cigar smoke in the room, didnt help my helpless little lungs!! The following night and the rest of the nights we stayed in casa particulars, which are much like bed and breakfasts, in Havana these copst $25 for a room and this is "budget" accomodation. It didnt take us long to notice that everyone wanted to "help" you, but their hand was out all the time looking for money. even the post man just gave us directions to one of the casa´s and the hand was out!!! got really annoying, could never tell if anyone was genuine!!

Havana was a cool place, vcery old and lots of old colonial buildings and old 1940 and 1950´s cars roaming the streets. Good atmopsphere but again you wpuld never know if people were genuine. The majority of times they weren´t!!! I will bring you through a dialogue of a typical conversation..... Emma and a randomer...

Cuban: Oh my ffriend where you from.
Emma (trying to ignore him)......
Cuban: Talk, I´m not the Mafia....
Emma: Irlanda
Cuban: Oh Holland, very good!!
Emma: No... IRELAND!
Cuban: (confused look on his/her face)
Emma: Beside England...
Cuban: Still confused... Oh Beautiful place!!
Emma: Argh....
Cuban: My friend, you have milk for baby?
(Baby happens to be 15 yrs old, babies are old in cuba, must be the communism or something!!!)
Emma: No
Cuban: Snotty face and walks off...

This can happen for a number of options, depending on the approach of the person. they ask for
1) Milk for the Baby.
2) U like Cuban cigars...
3) Can have your trousers?
4) you have t-shirt for me in your hotel room... "no"... Reply.. "do they not have t-shirts in your country"
5) Can i have your watch?
the list could go on..... and this happens at least 20-30 times a day in havana!!!! Good job the mojitos are so good!!! I dont thin we have met as rude of people in my life unreal! really put us off the experience!

After spending 2 nights in havana, we went to the Pinar Del Rio region and the town of Viñales. This was a small town, with ox and cart in the street, it was an absolutely amazing place, very beautiful. It has mountains called mogotes, only found elsewhere in the world in Southern China, They´re square limestone mountains. I will post some pics after this. We went horse riding through them which was an experience (and a sore arse!!!).

We stayed there 3 nights then back to Havana for the rest of the time. I must point out that the food in Cuba is absolutely terriblñe, a delicacy to them is rice and beans!!! or spam for that matter. at our hotel we had a "HUGE BUFFET", here´s how it went...

1) the fruit counter consisted of a few manky pieces of mango and pineapple with some beautiful slices of grapefruit! all very appealing...
2) The pancake section (which was ok) with a dish of beautifully sliced spam with a handul of delicately sliced process cheese on top!
3)(my favourite section) Croquettes (which are supposed to have potatoe in them, right?) but yet again, they had spam inside them... i can hear your bellies rumbling from here...mmmmmmmm! This was served alongside some sort of fried veg, possibly cabbage with a few sporatic carrots thrown in there for good measure!!

Are you suprised Emma got food poisoning... I think not!!! EMMA DID NOT EAT THE SPAM!!!!

Same bloody plane back...grrr

Overall, we were both really glad that we went to cuba, and got to see just how crazy the place is with its comminism and all that. The people were extremelly rude which kind of spoiled it at times, we also got to see tobacco plantations and coffee plantations which was also cool and how all that works.

Verdict: If your thick skinned and have money to burn, go to cuba!!!