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Day 3: We got up at 0700 to have an early breakfast & catch a taxi to the central Bus Station in Havana. I had found the local bus timetable on the internet before leaving UK & it said tickets could be booked in advance but our hotel assured us & others it wasn't necessary.
The taxi dropped us off for 10CUC, this seemed to be the agreed price for tourists almost anywhere across the city.
We joined the ticket queue inside the Bus Station but after 20mins it hadn't got any smaller, turned out there was no ticket seller, they had sold out of tickets & we were all standing there like lemons. We had told our driver we were going to Vinales & he came in suggesting he take up for 80CUC, (bus would have been 12) I said we'd only go if there was another couple to split with. This was a try at keeping the cost down but really I knew if no one else wanted to go, we'd have to take it on our own. I had booked the Casa & confirmed from our hotel we were coming, we couldn't change our itinerary by a single day as it was already so tight. Although there were people trying to go all over the island, the very couple in front of us had spoken to a driver outside & said they wanted to go to Vinales as well (less likely than Pinar del Rio which is much bigger). Soon we were jammed packed an aging Lada with oil & diesel fumes making me drowsy. The only thing that kept me awake was the fear they would make the driver drowsy too, guess he had been weaned on them over the yrs!
The bus was going to take 3 hrs 15 & we managed it in 2hrs+, arriving at 1100. It was a long drive in cramped & 'warm' conditions. We thought the couple were Germans, as they had German guide books & had flown from Munich but turned out to be Czech?s. They are travelling the whole country, just staying in local casas.
We had arranged for our landlady to pick us up from the bus stop by 1250 but I thought I would be able to find the place with a rough sketch I had been given. Despite finding the right road, the number didn't appear to exist so we asked several people but no one knew Marilyn or her casa. This was a little worrying as you would expect them to know such near neighbors. In the end a lady called Debra let us rest on her shaded veranda (it was very warm buy this stage) & after a few failed attempts to get through on Marilyn's mobile she took me back to the bus stop so Marilyn would find me, whilst my wife rested with a fresh lemon drink.
At the bus stop lots of ladies were keen to offer me a bed for the night. They all looked at my papers & spoke to each other but no one could think where Casa Marilyn was. After many strange looks & approaches, all genuinely helpful, a lady strolled up who was introduced to me as Marilyn. She had turned up early, I thought she was just being particularly punctual but it was to make sure her friends didn't lure me away to their own casa's!
As we walked back to Debra?s, Marilyn explained she had to kick a couple out this morning who wanted to stay longer but as we had a long standing arrangement & as I had confirmed, she found a place for them across the road. We met them later, which was a little embarrassing.
Anyway back at Marilyn?s we quickly unpacked had a light lunch & I asked if we could go horse riding. I had read on trip Advisor that a tour was available to caves, lakes & a tobacco farm. So even at this short notice Marilyn made a call & half an hr later there was a young girl turn up, to escort us to the stables, just a km down the road.
I estimated 2km at least but we made it by 1500. The main tour with caves was 4hrs but as I hadn't ridden a horse for nearly 40yrs & my wife never had, I thought 3hrs would be long enough. No time for the caves then, awe shucks, ok just the lake & the farm then.
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I must give all credit to my wife, she gamely got on the horse & managed to hold on as we went up & down the steepest paths I have ever tackled on a horse. By the time we got to the lake my knees were aching & I gladly got into the lake but didn't go swimming as planned. I thought I was going to sore enough the next day but if I got sand were the saddle was going to rub (we were both in shorts which didn't help), I'd be pretty raw.
The countryside was beautiful & amazingly peaceful. Until the last 10mins back near the farm, we never saw another soul. The lake was 10km long ( I never thought of a 10km long lake on a tropical island but it's easy to keep forgetting Cuba is 750miles long). SAM_2315.jpg
We finally left the horses in the shade & went into the farm. We were shown into an open sided hut where the farmer immediately made us mojitos to his own recipe. One thing that puts me off mojitos is all the granulated sugar in the bottom, which isn't going to dissolve in the ice, he used mostly honey. Only put in a sprig of mint in instead of a bush like most of the hotels & then crushed it well. Whilst we started the drinks, he rolled me a fine cigar, using leaf that he said he supplies to the factory that make Montes. I have seen a few cigars rolled & he wasn't up to Party standards but it looked better than a Rebola!
He used a little honey to put on the cap, which I tasted & I drew on the totally green stick. As I looked towards the sun setting over the mogotes, with mojito in one hand, a fine smoke in the other & my good lady next to me, life could be better! SAM_2319.jpgSAM_2322.jpgSAM_2324.jpg
I was offered & gladly took a roll of 10 cigars, that in true Blue Peter tradition, he had prepared earlier, for 20cuc.
My wife took a little video, and then thinking she had switched it off, tried to get up. Wow! Her knees buckled & she sat down rather quickly (captured on video ha! ha!), the farmer & horseman were greatly amused. I enquired whether we would have to tie her to the horse to get back? But she managed, just.
We had to walk swiftly back from the stables as we had booked dinner with Marilyn for 1900 & it was after that when we got back. Luckily she hadn't cooked everything & we were able to have a refreshing shower.
SAM_2305.jpg
I had lobster & Trish had pork. Excellent presentation & far too much for us to finish.
We hadn't managed to get up from the table before my wife's Salsa instructor arrived to give her a private lesson. My wife has had lessons before so wasn't a being but it had been a while. Within the hour he had her twisting & turning every which way as they tried to avoid the furniture in the front room.
Unfortunately the day had reached its peak. We had been up early, travelled far, done & seen a lot & in all the excitement my wife hadn't taken her anti-hypotension pills. All the dancing just after eating was too much & she had to excuse herself & go & lie down.
This was a shame as we had hoped to go out that night to see the local group the Valle Sun, who perform live on Tues nights. Still I spent the evening with the family watching Brazilian Soaps, drinking Bucanero Beer, whilst my wife caught up on her sleep. SAM_2303.jpg
Last edited by Simon Bolivar; 22-03-2011 at 11:30 PM.
The taxi dropped us off for 10CUC, this seemed to be the agreed price for tourists almost anywhere across the city.
We joined the ticket queue inside the Bus Station but after 20mins it hadn't got any smaller, turned out there was no ticket seller, they had sold out of tickets & we were all standing there like lemons. We had told our driver we were going to Vinales & he came in suggesting he take up for 80CUC, (bus would have been 12) I said we'd only go if there was another couple to split with. This was a try at keeping the cost down but really I knew if no one else wanted to go, we'd have to take it on our own. I had booked the Casa & confirmed from our hotel we were coming, we couldn't change our itinerary by a single day as it was already so tight. Although there were people trying to go all over the island, the very couple in front of us had spoken to a driver outside & said they wanted to go to Vinales as well (less likely than Pinar del Rio which is much bigger). Soon we were jammed packed an aging Lada with oil & diesel fumes making me drowsy. The only thing that kept me awake was the fear they would make the driver drowsy too, guess he had been weaned on them over the yrs!
The bus was going to take 3 hrs 15 & we managed it in 2hrs+, arriving at 1100. It was a long drive in cramped & 'warm' conditions. We thought the couple were Germans, as they had German guide books & had flown from Munich but turned out to be Czech?s. They are travelling the whole country, just staying in local casas.
We had arranged for our landlady to pick us up from the bus stop by 1250 but I thought I would be able to find the place with a rough sketch I had been given. Despite finding the right road, the number didn't appear to exist so we asked several people but no one knew Marilyn or her casa. This was a little worrying as you would expect them to know such near neighbors. In the end a lady called Debra let us rest on her shaded veranda (it was very warm buy this stage) & after a few failed attempts to get through on Marilyn's mobile she took me back to the bus stop so Marilyn would find me, whilst my wife rested with a fresh lemon drink.
At the bus stop lots of ladies were keen to offer me a bed for the night. They all looked at my papers & spoke to each other but no one could think where Casa Marilyn was. After many strange looks & approaches, all genuinely helpful, a lady strolled up who was introduced to me as Marilyn. She had turned up early, I thought she was just being particularly punctual but it was to make sure her friends didn't lure me away to their own casa's!
As we walked back to Debra?s, Marilyn explained she had to kick a couple out this morning who wanted to stay longer but as we had a long standing arrangement & as I had confirmed, she found a place for them across the road. We met them later, which was a little embarrassing.
Anyway back at Marilyn?s we quickly unpacked had a light lunch & I asked if we could go horse riding. I had read on trip Advisor that a tour was available to caves, lakes & a tobacco farm. So even at this short notice Marilyn made a call & half an hr later there was a young girl turn up, to escort us to the stables, just a km down the road.
I estimated 2km at least but we made it by 1500. The main tour with caves was 4hrs but as I hadn't ridden a horse for nearly 40yrs & my wife never had, I thought 3hrs would be long enough. No time for the caves then, awe shucks, ok just the lake & the farm then.
ffice" />I must give all credit to my wife, she gamely got on the horse & managed to hold on as we went up & down the steepest paths I have ever tackled on a horse. By the time we got to the lake my knees were aching & I gladly got into the lake but didn't go swimming as planned. I thought I was going to sore enough the next day but if I got sand were the saddle was going to rub (we were both in shorts which didn't help), I'd be pretty raw.
The countryside was beautiful & amazingly peaceful. Until the last 10mins back near the farm, we never saw another soul. The lake was 10km long ( I never thought of a 10km long lake on a tropical island but it's easy to keep forgetting Cuba is 750miles long).
We finally left the horses in the shade & went into the farm. We were shown into an open sided hut where the farmer immediately made us mojitos to his own recipe. One thing that puts me off mojitos is all the granulated sugar in the bottom, which isn't going to dissolve in the ice, he used mostly honey. Only put in a sprig of mint in instead of a bush like most of the hotels & then crushed it well. Whilst we started the drinks, he rolled me a fine cigar, using leaf that he said he supplies to the factory that make Montes. I have seen a few cigars rolled & he wasn't up to Party standards but it looked better than a Rebola!
He used a little honey to put on the cap, which I tasted & I drew on the totally green stick. As I looked towards the sun setting over the mogotes, with mojito in one hand, a fine smoke in the other & my good lady next to me, life could be better! SAM_2319.jpgSAM_2322.jpgSAM_2324.jpg
I was offered & gladly took a roll of 10 cigars, that in true Blue Peter tradition, he had prepared earlier, for 20cuc.
My wife took a little video, and then thinking she had switched it off, tried to get up. Wow! Her knees buckled & she sat down rather quickly (captured on video ha! ha!), the farmer & horseman were greatly amused. I enquired whether we would have to tie her to the horse to get back? But she managed, just.
We had to walk swiftly back from the stables as we had booked dinner with Marilyn for 1900 & it was after that when we got back. Luckily she hadn't cooked everything & we were able to have a refreshing shower.
SAM_2305.jpg
I had lobster & Trish had pork. Excellent presentation & far too much for us to finish.
We hadn't managed to get up from the table before my wife's Salsa instructor arrived to give her a private lesson. My wife has had lessons before so wasn't a being but it had been a while. Within the hour he had her twisting & turning every which way as they tried to avoid the furniture in the front room.
Unfortunately the day had reached its peak. We had been up early, travelled far, done & seen a lot & in all the excitement my wife hadn't taken her anti-hypotension pills. All the dancing just after eating was too much & she had to excuse herself & go & lie down.
This was a shame as we had hoped to go out that night to see the local group the Valle Sun, who perform live on Tues nights. Still I spent the evening with the family watching Brazilian Soaps, drinking Bucanero Beer, whilst my wife caught up on her sleep.
Last edited by Simon Bolivar; 22-03-2011 at 11:30 PM.
Shame as I don't think I 'll do it better next time but I will try again at home. Got to tidy up now & hope the chopper makes it through the Scotch mist tomorrow.
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