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Morning stuck by the pool in 30oC & very strong UV, whilst wife & other sun lovers were working at keeping their dermotologists in work for the next 30yrs
The other day when I entered a shooting competition. Sad fact, during basic training in RN, I won a shooting badge for marksmanship now I need glasses for driving. This was first time I used them for shooting. Obviously reasonable well tuned as I came 3rd out of 30. So bored from sitting under the sun shade & thinking I could do better, I tried to find the range.
Wandered around the edges of the hotel but failed to come across it but did see one of the gardeners toiling in the full sun. He was trimming the border edges of the grass with a full size machete, some finesse! Stopped & had a chat. His name was Ramon (after those famous cigars?) & he asked if I was staying on my own? I told him I was wife my wife on our anniversary. 'Wait here' he said & disappeared into a nearby hut & came out with a corsage of tropical flowers, he just gave them to me & asked for nothing in return. 2011 March Cuba 224.jpg
I took them straight to my Dearest & then took them to the room so they might last a little longer, then returned to try & find Ramon. He'd moved into the shade of the outdoor resturant, taking a brief pause in a long day. I gave him a tip & a cold tin of Bucanero. I wondered how this worked as a business stratagey? I assume not everyone thought of returning to give him a tip. One of the problems is that staying in an all inclusive, they make a point that you don't need to carry any cash but you should try to keep a supply of 1's & 3's to dish out along the way. I saw another gentleman come up & gave him a tip for some earlier gift but I expect that was the only beer he got that day. Hope so, 'Drunken garden runs amok in hotel with machete' could have taken the edge off the gesture
After lunch I saw Frank & Lynn & arranged to meet up at 1530. Wife & I went to the room to rest. Just before 1500, the wife left to return to the vigours of tanning her tan & was going to the see the doctor en-route to pick up our bills for our insurance. After 10mins or so I heard some shouts from outside & looking outside I saw a tropical squall was heading for the hotel. The black sky approached & the wind was whipping fronds from the palm trees & matteresses from the sunbeds. Then the tiles started to come off the outside resturant. These weren't real tiles but painted sheets of tarred felt? About 3'x1' hurtling through the air. I took the only action that seemed necessary & whipped out my videocam.
2011 March Cuba 272.jpg
Does this sound a little heartless? I have learnt over the yrs that it's usally best if one of you stays still instead of you both running around trying to find each other. She knew I was in the room & she knew I would be in the foyer @1530. Having filmed more tiles departing from the roof & the staff running around trying to get the matteresses & gear inside, I waited for my wife to return. I knew there hadn't been time for her to get outside, she would have been at the doctors when this blew up. My wife although not well travelled is a sensible person (well apart from taking a chance on a young foriegn sailor of course) & I knew she wouldn't be so foolish as to go out into the chaos.
After 10mins it was geting near to my appointment with Lynn & Frank. We had already missed our previous smoking appt (& that was due to the wife too!), I knew everyone would be inside by now & the foyer would be packing out. Wanting to get seats I left & managed to grab the last four, one for the wife, who would have to join us now there was no sun.2011 March Cuba 227.jpg
I ordered the beers & started one of the nicely aged stix I had brought with me, a Hoyo d Monterrey Piramide LE2003. This was a truely good maduro & I gave it a full 92. It was well accompanied by three Cystals, which was the most I had drunk in one session so far (yeah I know
). Frank & Lynn arrived on time & we chatted & waited for Trish. I had my mobile as did she so I knew she would call if she wanted too. After 45mins I guessed she must have gone back to the room & decided not to join us because we were smoking. I went to the desk & used the internal phone ot call the room, no answer. I tried the mobile no answer. I am a bit miffed by now a determined to finish my cigar in peace. It took over 1 1/2hrs & then I made my excuses & said I'd better go & sort things out. 2011 March Cuba 231.jpg
Back at the room, found the wife there as expected. I was feeling good if a little irritated. I asked her why she didn't answer the phone or pick up my messages - zip. 'What's wrong?' I asked, 'Nothing.' OK husbands out there, you have heard this before right?
She was dressed in the hotel white Dressing gown, sitting up on the bed, with her legs drawn up, hugging them with her arms & rocking slightly. Years of medical training rushed to the fore (not to mention of marriage) & I realised not all was well in the garden of Eden today.
So I mentioned I had waited when the squall started for her to return, not long enough of course, she reckoned she had returned before 1500. 'Ah' I said parrying with male logic, 'I have the scene on the video & there's a clock on the screen'. Opps! Never bring logic into an emotional female stituation.
To cut a long story slightly shorter, I had a shower so I didnt stink of that lovely cigar any more & hugging her, gently coxed the full story out over the next couple of hours. Madam had seen the storm coming & decided to go outside before visiting the doctor because she had left a bag out there. It wasn't her handbag so could only contian a book & some sunscreen. Whilst doing this, she had been hit by a flying 6' 4" thick matteress in the head; which caused problems for several days as she has had whip lash yrs ago. Now realising she shouldn't be out there, she took the quickest way back in, which meant going up the central outside stairway to the foyer where we were (so closs & yet...). Just as she gets half way up a glass top table is picked up by the wind & flung over the balcony & lands just feet in front of her, glass smashing to thousands of pieces. She turned around went back to our room another way.
So there you have it, staying with her in our room all weekend she was sick, not smoking on romantic days, corsage only this morning, yes all these brownie points lost because I hadn't gone out & found her, just because I wanted to smoke a cigar with people we'd only just met.
Hindsight, that perfect science of course would have predicted nothing less. I guess I was putting too much on my wife, she has never been at sea (gets sick o the Gosport ferry), let alone seen the force & damage a good blow can do. And this was just a squall, the real wind over in less than an hr. The hotel are going to have to make serious changes before the hurricane season in Sept/Oct. The loose tiles left on the roof were not removed before we left, although the other visible damage was cleared up. The least breeze would have blown the tiles lying on the roof & possible injured staff or customers. The glass tables were still out on the patio the following day (although less of them as several had been damaged).
I had enquired about the swimming with dolphins excurion, it was 105CUC & there was place tomorow. I asked if there was a refund if the dolphins didn't show, turns out they are in a pen & you get in the pen with them for 15mins.
I had once had a real opportunity to swim with dolphins, naturally, in the Indian Ocean. Whilst visiting islands in the Chagos Archepligo, I was in a RM rigid raider, as we headed back to the ship at the end of a wonderful day. Suddenly half a dozen dolphins skipped & danced in front of us, easily matching our speed. I can't tell you how much I wanted to 'accidentally' fall in' & join them for a few moments but we had the most miserable Commander with us & I'd just knew he'd have me on a charge so I just watched their ariel ballet as we zoomed of full thottle into the sunset. The Acting Commander (actually a Lt-Cdr) got busted himself & reduced in rank at the end of his time there, for fiddling his expenses by swapping his club class ticket Singapore to London & keeping the cash. Shame.
I had another opportunity when in Perth, Western Australia. Monkey Mi was just a day trip North but too much on my budget & of course being wild, they might not have showed after all (I don't always have the greatest of luck when travelling).
That night we had our first meal in a speciality resturant, the Italian. It looked charming, if over lit &
the wife was a little warmer than than my Red Snapper, which had an uncooked center but I didn't send back as the wife always hates me sending anything back, even if it is raw. So I just gave the waitress a fixed grin when she collected my mostly uneaten fish. She didn't bother to ask 'was everything ok?'
Wife wasn't up to the show so we retired early. I had already decided 90% not to go on the Dolphin trip but of course what heartless ba#tard would leave his wife for a whole day, after what she had just been through, after being apart for for less than 2hrs? I consoled myself with the fact that the squall would have reduced diving visibilty for a couple of days. Hey ho, tomorrow's another day in paradise!
The other day when I entered a shooting competition. Sad fact, during basic training in RN, I won a shooting badge for marksmanship now I need glasses for driving. This was first time I used them for shooting. Obviously reasonable well tuned as I came 3rd out of 30. So bored from sitting under the sun shade & thinking I could do better, I tried to find the range.
Wandered around the edges of the hotel but failed to come across it but did see one of the gardeners toiling in the full sun. He was trimming the border edges of the grass with a full size machete, some finesse! Stopped & had a chat. His name was Ramon (after those famous cigars?) & he asked if I was staying on my own? I told him I was wife my wife on our anniversary. 'Wait here' he said & disappeared into a nearby hut & came out with a corsage of tropical flowers, he just gave them to me & asked for nothing in return. 2011 March Cuba 224.jpg
I took them straight to my Dearest & then took them to the room so they might last a little longer, then returned to try & find Ramon. He'd moved into the shade of the outdoor resturant, taking a brief pause in a long day. I gave him a tip & a cold tin of Bucanero. I wondered how this worked as a business stratagey? I assume not everyone thought of returning to give him a tip. One of the problems is that staying in an all inclusive, they make a point that you don't need to carry any cash but you should try to keep a supply of 1's & 3's to dish out along the way. I saw another gentleman come up & gave him a tip for some earlier gift but I expect that was the only beer he got that day. Hope so, 'Drunken garden runs amok in hotel with machete' could have taken the edge off the gesture
After lunch I saw Frank & Lynn & arranged to meet up at 1530. Wife & I went to the room to rest. Just before 1500, the wife left to return to the vigours of tanning her tan & was going to the see the doctor en-route to pick up our bills for our insurance. After 10mins or so I heard some shouts from outside & looking outside I saw a tropical squall was heading for the hotel. The black sky approached & the wind was whipping fronds from the palm trees & matteresses from the sunbeds. Then the tiles started to come off the outside resturant. These weren't real tiles but painted sheets of tarred felt? About 3'x1' hurtling through the air. I took the only action that seemed necessary & whipped out my videocam.
2011 March Cuba 272.jpg
Does this sound a little heartless? I have learnt over the yrs that it's usally best if one of you stays still instead of you both running around trying to find each other. She knew I was in the room & she knew I would be in the foyer @1530. Having filmed more tiles departing from the roof & the staff running around trying to get the matteresses & gear inside, I waited for my wife to return. I knew there hadn't been time for her to get outside, she would have been at the doctors when this blew up. My wife although not well travelled is a sensible person (well apart from taking a chance on a young foriegn sailor of course) & I knew she wouldn't be so foolish as to go out into the chaos.
After 10mins it was geting near to my appointment with Lynn & Frank. We had already missed our previous smoking appt (& that was due to the wife too!), I knew everyone would be inside by now & the foyer would be packing out. Wanting to get seats I left & managed to grab the last four, one for the wife, who would have to join us now there was no sun.2011 March Cuba 227.jpg
I ordered the beers & started one of the nicely aged stix I had brought with me, a Hoyo d Monterrey Piramide LE2003. This was a truely good maduro & I gave it a full 92. It was well accompanied by three Cystals, which was the most I had drunk in one session so far (yeah I know
). Frank & Lynn arrived on time & we chatted & waited for Trish. I had my mobile as did she so I knew she would call if she wanted too. After 45mins I guessed she must have gone back to the room & decided not to join us because we were smoking. I went to the desk & used the internal phone ot call the room, no answer. I tried the mobile no answer. I am a bit miffed by now a determined to finish my cigar in peace. It took over 1 1/2hrs & then I made my excuses & said I'd better go & sort things out. 2011 March Cuba 231.jpgBack at the room, found the wife there as expected. I was feeling good if a little irritated. I asked her why she didn't answer the phone or pick up my messages - zip. 'What's wrong?' I asked, 'Nothing.' OK husbands out there, you have heard this before right?
She was dressed in the hotel white Dressing gown, sitting up on the bed, with her legs drawn up, hugging them with her arms & rocking slightly. Years of medical training rushed to the fore (not to mention of marriage) & I realised not all was well in the garden of Eden today.
So I mentioned I had waited when the squall started for her to return, not long enough of course, she reckoned she had returned before 1500. 'Ah' I said parrying with male logic, 'I have the scene on the video & there's a clock on the screen'. Opps! Never bring logic into an emotional female stituation.
To cut a long story slightly shorter, I had a shower so I didnt stink of that lovely cigar any more & hugging her, gently coxed the full story out over the next couple of hours. Madam had seen the storm coming & decided to go outside before visiting the doctor because she had left a bag out there. It wasn't her handbag so could only contian a book & some sunscreen. Whilst doing this, she had been hit by a flying 6' 4" thick matteress in the head; which caused problems for several days as she has had whip lash yrs ago. Now realising she shouldn't be out there, she took the quickest way back in, which meant going up the central outside stairway to the foyer where we were (so closs & yet...). Just as she gets half way up a glass top table is picked up by the wind & flung over the balcony & lands just feet in front of her, glass smashing to thousands of pieces. She turned around went back to our room another way.
So there you have it, staying with her in our room all weekend she was sick, not smoking on romantic days, corsage only this morning, yes all these brownie points lost because I hadn't gone out & found her, just because I wanted to smoke a cigar with people we'd only just met.
Hindsight, that perfect science of course would have predicted nothing less. I guess I was putting too much on my wife, she has never been at sea (gets sick o the Gosport ferry), let alone seen the force & damage a good blow can do. And this was just a squall, the real wind over in less than an hr. The hotel are going to have to make serious changes before the hurricane season in Sept/Oct. The loose tiles left on the roof were not removed before we left, although the other visible damage was cleared up. The least breeze would have blown the tiles lying on the roof & possible injured staff or customers. The glass tables were still out on the patio the following day (although less of them as several had been damaged).
I had enquired about the swimming with dolphins excurion, it was 105CUC & there was place tomorow. I asked if there was a refund if the dolphins didn't show, turns out they are in a pen & you get in the pen with them for 15mins.
I had once had a real opportunity to swim with dolphins, naturally, in the Indian Ocean. Whilst visiting islands in the Chagos Archepligo, I was in a RM rigid raider, as we headed back to the ship at the end of a wonderful day. Suddenly half a dozen dolphins skipped & danced in front of us, easily matching our speed. I can't tell you how much I wanted to 'accidentally' fall in' & join them for a few moments but we had the most miserable Commander with us & I'd just knew he'd have me on a charge so I just watched their ariel ballet as we zoomed of full thottle into the sunset. The Acting Commander (actually a Lt-Cdr) got busted himself & reduced in rank at the end of his time there, for fiddling his expenses by swapping his club class ticket Singapore to London & keeping the cash. Shame.
I had another opportunity when in Perth, Western Australia. Monkey Mi was just a day trip North but too much on my budget & of course being wild, they might not have showed after all (I don't always have the greatest of luck when travelling).
That night we had our first meal in a speciality resturant, the Italian. It looked charming, if over lit &
the wife was a little warmer than than my Red Snapper, which had an uncooked center but I didn't send back as the wife always hates me sending anything back, even if it is raw. So I just gave the waitress a fixed grin when she collected my mostly uneaten fish. She didn't bother to ask 'was everything ok?'
Wife wasn't up to the show so we retired early. I had already decided 90% not to go on the Dolphin trip but of course what heartless ba#tard would leave his wife for a whole day, after what she had just been through, after being apart for for less than 2hrs? I consoled myself with the fact that the squall would have reduced diving visibilty for a couple of days. Hey ho, tomorrow's another day in paradise!
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