havana diary day 1

[Ken Gargett]

given that el presidente remains in his mojito-induced haze (and is tossing unauthorised and unhelpful hints from his stupor) it falls to me to do the update. we have all been on best behaviour and even our mums would be proud.

a visit to the r and j factory to see our old mate hamlet was a good place to start. rest if the crew horrified to see how cheap prices can actually be (understadable when they are only used to rob´s prices - that will teach you to try and leave me when the rigours of international travel caught up and i needed a quick power nap at that bar). actually, for anyone who has not visited havana in the last two years, you will be shocked at how much prices have risen. also, stock appears a little in short supply though there were a few classics available. after the festival next week, visitors will be lucky to find anything.

we had walked to the factory from the national (and may i say that i have not been given due accolades for a feat of navigation that would have impressed columbus or one of those explorers who got it right) so it was taxis down to havana veija and cruising a few bars (who would have thought that you could travel 10,000 k to hear ABBA?). then to lunch at the florida hotel. a trip over to the castle to finish the afternoon where we encountered typical cuban efficiency 0 you buy your ticket for the fort, all well and good, and in the middle is the lighthouse. so up and up we go, steps getting steeper and steeper and narrower until finally, for the last 10 metres, you would swear that you need a degree from NASA to get up the last bit. at the top is an ols man guarding the exit to the viewing area and needing a ticket. we give him ours. no, he needs us to have a different ticket and could we go back to the kiosk to buy it. just why he would not be situated at the bottom instead of the top of these stairs, we never found out but we didn´t return. back to the national for a reviving sleep and a small incident better left unmentioned tho el presidente may try and blow it out of proportion. then a top dinner at a paladar that none of us had been to before - los cactus 33. back to the national and crashed. if your presient has recovered, he will be with you tomorrow.

kbg

[PigFish]

Now Ken… us folks here at home are hot for this ****!!! Could you make this sound any more exciting… please!!!

I think next year Bwana needs to hire a professional chronicler. I have at least one person in mind! –LOL Enjoy the trip boys, and help out Ken here with the reports!!! -Piggy