2 June 2019 Trinidad to Cienfuegos

We caught a private taxi from Trinidad to Cienfuegos. We were dropped off at a hotel where we then made our way to our casa particular. We were greeted by the incredibly enthusiastic owner.

Hanging out with our enthusiastic Casa owner

The casa was incredibly beautiful with beautiful high ceilings. It had a lovely roof terrace. 

Cienfuegos was so hot. Our casa owner took us out for a walking tour of the city. Her English was great and she was so personable. We walked around the city and ended up buying rum and cigars, and listening to some live music at a cultural center. We then caught a tourist train around the city for 1 CUC. It was really fun.

In the evening we ended up eating ice cream and drinking mojitos, and then after, ending up on our roof terrace doing face masks and drinking more rum as the sky lit up with lightening.  

1 June 2019 Trinidad

This place is like the wild west. Lots of horses and cowboys. Unknowingly, we ended up doing a horse riding tour with some Cuban cowboy to a "waterfall" (I'll explain later). So let me set the scene:

We were met by our guide who took us to our sorry looking horses. The animals didn't look great and we all felt sorry for our horses. I have no idea how, but I climbed/slithered onto my horse and thought, "um, should you be giving me some health and safety advice". The answer is no and off we went.
Have you ever seen the film City Slickers? Honestly, I felt like I was Billy Crystal!
Horses are big animals and really quite uncomfortable when you aren't used to them. Saddle burns, sore ass. Not pretty. Did I say saddle sores? Yep, but just I case you didn't hear SADDLE SORES!!

Whatcha looking at?

Selfie time

We parked our horses and walked a small trail to the "waterfall" It was just a pool with no waterfall. The pool was gorgeous though. Lots of scantily dressed girls lounging by the water. We couldn't wait to get in as we were so hot and sweaty. The water was gorgeous.

In the lovely water pool

• With my bestie 

Afterwards we had to get back on our horses. This time they went much faster and thats when the real fun began. Up and down, bouncing on the saddle = serious chaffing and sore ass!! We stopped for lunch and by that time we had had enough and decided to walk back to town. Not sure if that was a good or bad idea. It was so hot and the sun blazing down on us. It was a pitiful walk back into town as the cowboy and the horses went galloping past us.

Run horse, run!

We were all so exhausted that the boys ended up cooking for us girls that night. They managed to cobble together a meal from the supermarket with whatever they could find. It was a great meal!! I and the other girls were super impressed!
It's an interesting thing. Things we take for granted such as buying tinned tomatoes. The boys informed us that the stores didn't stock tinned tomatoes. They stocked what they stocked. In the end the boys bought tinned peppers. The stores sell what little they have. The markets are very limited and don't sell fresh produce. We are very lucky in our capitalist world. We can almost get whatever we want. In a way, we are spoilt! 

31 May 2019 Havana - Trinidad

An early start to catch our bus to Trinidad. We were told to meet at 8am at the Plaza Hotel. After waiting till 9am they finally arrived to take us on our 6 hr bus ride.

The ride was really smooth. My observations when getting out of the city and onto the roads was the distinct lack of traffic. The roads were empty. Along the roads were many propaganda signs about the revolution and how Cuba is. There were so many mango trees and just greenery along the route. There was an estatic Cuban man giving commentary during the trip and he made it a point to tell us how great mangoes were at every opportunity possible!

Propaganda 

More revolution road signs

Selfie time on the bus

 The land profile was mainly flat until we got closer to Trinidad where it became more mountainous. When we got into Trinidad, you could see all the cobbled streets and colorful houses.

Cobbled street. Colourful houses 

Our Casa is really beautiful. Us girls are staying alone while the 2 boys are in another Casa, with a bunch of geriatrics.

I needed some time alone so left the gang to wander the streets. I then saw a sign stating happy hour at a place called "La Bodeguita Del Medio". Happy hour. Cheap mojitos. Let's cram them in!!

Mojito happy hr. Let's get these babies in!

The late afternoon we had a private 1 hr salsa class. It was really fun and the male teacher was really good, although his shorts were a little too tight which made it a bit weird. 

More cheap rum. The night ended up turning into a drunken  blur.

Blurry rum effect

30 May 2019 Havana

Walking tour "organised" through our tour company. It was all a bit of a mess trying to work out what was happening. A lot of chaos and disorganisation. In the end we found our guide but it took a few calls to work out what was happening.

We ended up doing a tour of the old town, learning about the history of Cuba and its independence. It was really hot and humid and to be honest I didn't really learn anything. The heat was just so draining and sweating like a pig = unhappiness!

We rounded off by visiting the musee de revolution. It cost 8 CUC to enter the museum which used to be the former presidential palace. It's a small gallery of information. I'm not sure what to think. Obviously it's all propaganda and portrayed in a way that Cuba want to portray the revolution. In the end it was a decent museum and I am glad I went, if just to get out of the sun!

I know I earn much more than the local Cuban and I know I have to pay more for services. What I have found in Havana is constantly being asked for money. Constantly being hounded. Its relentless. Even going to the loo they are asking for money. Its non stop.

Tonight we ended up buying a bottle of rum for 5 CUC and some mixers, ordering in pizza, playing cards and music. It was a really fun and relaxed night. So nice to not be bombarded by people asking for money all the time. 

29 May 2019 Havana

Oh Havana!

Walking around Havana, the buildings from afar look so grand and majestic, but as you get up close you realise how run down everything is. It's like the buildings have stood still but not time in a physical sense.
Havana is incredibly hot and humid. Walking around is exhausting and the need to constantly sit down and drink mojitos is a MUST!

Obligatory mojito becomes my normal whilst in Cuba!

But the city is very interesting. Since I have chosen to 'disconnect' from the world and avoid wifi I notice that people actually talk. Sometimes I see people dancing in the street or people playing instruments. Old cars roll by pumping out diesel. Stuck in the past....for the time being at least.

Dinner tonight was at a restuarant we randomly found called San Cristóbal. We were walking by and saw this amazing looking restaurant. We went in and found out that Obama had actually eaten here during his visit to the country a few years back. I swear I sat in the same seat as the former presidential haha!

Seafood platter dinner. Such a large meal. So good!

Gang of 6 strike a pose

28 May 2019 Mexico City to Havana

On our way to Cuba

Flying over Cuba I can see so much green! Everything is green!

Flying over Cuba

look how green everything is!

There are two ways to get money. Use the ATM or bring loads of cash with you, like I did, and get it changed. There's nothing like carrying £450 cash strapped to your body for days on end!
They have two currencies here. The CUC and CUP. The CUC is the tourist currency and the CUP is the local currency. You get 25 CUP to the CUC. Although not confusing per se, think it'll take time to work these things out in my head. Also, a scam that goes on is you pay in CUC and they short change you by giving you CUP. So you need to look at your change carefully.

Getting around the city is interesting. We are using an actual paper map and our guide book. My provider won't even allow me to use data in this country. Also to make a call will cost me £2.40 per minute!!! Wifi is almost non existent. I have seen so many people stood at payphones making calls.

It is very hot and humid and there seems to be a lot of people sitting around the streets. There is rum and music everywhere. The cars are distinctly old fashioned. They have old American classics everywhere and also lots of small old communist era European cars. The buildings are really big and one can imagine they were once very grand, but now most of them look really worn and close to collapsing. It's like this place has stopped in a moment in time.

First night dinner with the gang

Cuba

Off to Cuba. Won't be online for a few days. Salsa time! 

27 May 2019 Teotihuacan

What a day! We went up in a hot air balloon over Teotihuacan. Teotihuacan is a vast Mexican archaeological complex northeast of Mexico City.

It was such a calm ride over over the pyramids. Very quiet up above.  

https://youtu.be/5kQGG2UeL_I

26 May 2019 - Mexico City Day 3

In the UK we have the Royal Family, in Mexico they have Frida Kahlo to draw in the tourists. Today I visited the Frida Kahlo museum which was where Frida and her husband lived. It was very busy and full of tourists, but it was a nice museum which I found interesting. 9n a side note; Frida and I share the same birthdate.

In the afternoon A and I headed out to Arena Mexico the watch some Luche Libre! Lucha libre, a.k.a. Mexican wrestling, is a way of life for many people in Mexico City and a ‘sport’ with the second highest spectator rate after football in Mexico. It's a spectacle that is utterly ridiculous, with way too much lycra, but it is so much fun to watch. The Mexicans really get into it and you cheer when they cheer. It's a really fun spectacle to see!

At the half way point we also got to experience an earthquake evacuation drill. At first I thought they were joking, but then they made us evacuate.

I am Yapster Libre

not sure what is happening here but thought it was funny

I am the man