Here is a link to tomorrow's diary.
Here is a link to yesterday's diary.
Here is a link to the index of the days.
Here is a link to today's photos. Click the big i button in the centre of the screen to get the titles of each slide. However, it'll probably be best to look at the photos after you've read the following text (if you plan to do that!).
I go to breakfast (at Hostal Valencia). This is a buffet with not very interesting food. I drink a fair amount of coffee from an urn but it is tepid and uninteresting.
At 1045 I aim for the Hotel Ambos Mundos where the local rep for Havanatur should be in attendence until 1115. There is no sign of them at 1050. I walk around the block and return again. At about 1100 I return yet again and find out from the Hotel's receptionist where they should sit "if they come". I sit there until 1115 but it has been a waste of time.
I wanted to see the rep for two reasons. First to clarify where I should be for the transfer to the airport. At this point foolishly I mistakenly think it's the day after tomorrow (but it's actually tomorrow). And even though I haven't seen the rep today at this point I plan to have another go to see them here tomorrow. My voucher says I should be leaving the Hostal Valencia at 0500 but the Hostal is in a pedestrianed zone that has bollards preventing vehicular traffic.
I also want to query whether I'm at the El Castillo in Baracoa. On my voucher, it says "Porto Santo".
I wonder around the old town, Habana Vieja.
I visit a Cadeca to change some money. I dither about whether to change 300 euros or 600 euros. I go for 300 but later wish I'd done the whole lot. It's all straightforward and there is no queue. I get about a rate of about 1.2 giving me about 360 CUC (about 198 UKP). On my first visit to Cuba, I changed money at a bank in Baracoa. There I had to wait for 45 minutes in a queue whose consitution waivered. At this Cadeca, I see they have ATMs. I wonder whether this is the Cadeca that's open until 2200.
At lunch-time I'm in a plaza which has a restaurant called "Las Pasteles de la Marina". It brews its own beer. And that's a magnet to me.
You can get a container getting 3 litres of beer and two people on a table outside the restaurant are drinking one of these. One of them gets up to take a photo of the other one and I volunteer to use their camea to take them both. And then get one of them using my camera.
I'm also attracted by the food. You can get skewered pork and this is what I have but it looks better than what it tastes. I worry I may get ill but I've a day to recover before going to Baracoa (at least that's what I currently think).
After the trip out I return to my room at the hotel for a kip. It's whilst dozing I suddenly realise that I don't have another day in Havana and that I have to fly tomorrow. How stupid.
As tomorrow is going to be a long day and I have to get up early I get some more kip. Unfortunately it's a bit late when I wake again. I get my suitcase and rucksack sorted out for tomorrow and then go to get some food. On the way pass Reception I check whether there will be someone at the desk at 0440.
As it's late, I go to "La Domenica", a restaurant nearby. It's one that sells sort of Moroccan food. There is a band called "Trio Domenica", that plays here with vocals, guitar, double bass and violin. The violinist is excellent. They get little response ffrom the small audience of eaters. I listen for 2.5 sets, and buy their CD.
I do a quick wander around the square before going to bed. One of the people from the band at La Mina recognises me from yesterday and says hello.
Here is a link to today's photos. Click the big i button in the centre of the screen to get the titles of each slide.
Here is a link to tomorrow's diary.
Here is a link to yesterday's diary.
Here is a link to the index of the days.