Maybe the biggest disappointment so far....

bathrooms in Cuba - made wierdly for voyeurs
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When I was planning my trip, Cuba was a country that made me tingle with excitement. The prospect of sipping mojitos in a salsa bar on the streets of Havana was my inspiration. What I discovered however was the most complicated country ever, hordes of Cubans whose sole intention is to obtain your money either by sleeping with you, befriending you and making you pay for meals etc or by some other cunning method. Most people, by the way that this occurs to are sickening( mostly Italian, may I add which makes me ashamed of my race)tourists whose sole intention is to come to Cuba in search of a prostitute.

Monument to Che
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I fell in love with Havana. I love the character of the crumbling houses and the old bodegas, the old men puffing on a cigar whilst playing dominos in the park, the clapped out American cars that look like they have been shipped in from a film set and the sensual energy of the people that makes you just stare at them. For me , Havana is a whirlwind of emotions that you can´t help getting caught up in. I compare it to Naples because every street has a blackened, antiquated row of colonial houses on it with washing dripping from the balcony and an old lady shouting out to her friends from the the door. Children play on the streets and neighbours gather around the steps of their front door. I loved this atmosphere and you will too once you get to know the place.

Phrases such as ´you are a big mango and I want to eat you including your seeds and everything´still leave me slightly bemused.

My friend Soosan in an old American car
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I say this because I got to Havana and I was disappointed. No matter how latin you look, Cubans recognise their own. Cubans are unique in the way that they speak and behave. This is why when you first get to Havana you will actually be bombarded with offers of a drink ( which you will then pay for) a night of passion (which you will then pay for) or a night of dancing ( which you will then pay for). The Cubans you meet on the streets, in clubs or bars will try to extort money or a marriage certificate out of you.

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I don´t say this in an offensive way. I understand why so many Cubans are desperate to leave and need money. The government pays workers a maximum of thirty dollars a month in Cuban Pesos. Unfortunately, food and other goods can generally only be bought in Convertible Pesos. One Convertible Peso is worth about twenty four pesos. Confused as to why a country pays in one currency but sells in another ? Me too , along with the rest of Cuba! To give you an example, a liter of milk costs about six Convertibles. You can therefore imagine how difficult it is to get by on such a low wage in such an expensive country. Cubans don´t live, they survive on rations.

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I did however meet some amazing people whilst I was there and this is why I would recommend staying in a Casa Particular. These are houses that the government has authorised to rent rooms to tourists. The benefit is that they are much cheaper than hotels and you get genuine and sincere contact with a Cuban family. Food in Cuba is an absolute let down in a restaurant but most Casas cook for you and I have developed a love for lomo ahumado (smoked meat) and congri ( rice and beans). What I love about Cubans is their ability to invite you into their house which automatically makes you one of them. You will experience a stream of neighbours walking in and out of the house to chat for a few minutes. It´s that complete openness and solidarity that made my stay a lot better. Cubans are the most poetic people I have met as everyone talks about love and has a metaphor or two up their sleaves. Phrases such as ´you are a big mango and I want to eat you including your seeds and everything´still leave me slightly bemused.

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My highlights were visiting the Che Guevara monument in Santa Clara and walking through the streets of Havana Vieja. I also visited Cienfuegos but the truth is that there was nothing that really captured my attention. The beaches in Havana , such as Playa del Este were beautiful and I would recommend Marina Hemmingway for diving and other water sports. The diving in Havana was not great as there isn´t much by way of coral, but nonetheless, it was fun.

One thing that you have to do in Havana is drink a Daquiri at Hotel Inglaterra and Floridita. They ooze seduction and vibes of a bygone era. Although Hemmingway is probably spinning in his grave at the thought of so many tourists arriving at his favourite bar to drink his favourite drink without really knowing who he is.

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I think that I felt disillusioned by the realisation that socialism in Cuba is not working and in fact is ridiculously unworkable. But the sad fact is that Cubans are forced to make it work. You cannot criticise the government as this is a crime. You cannot leave the country except under limited circumstances and you certainly cannot believe in any other outlandish notions of governing such as democracy. I found that difficult to comprehend and saddening when the friend of one of the family I was staying with told me how much he would have loved to travel to the places that I have been to but this is just an impossible fantasy for most on this socialist outpost in the Caribbean. Those that defend Cuba´s political ´choice ´ in my opinion simply haven´t talked to enough Cubans or do not appreciate how fundamental a person´s liberty is.

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Unfortunately, I am leaving my adopted continent tomorrow since my flight was canceled last night. The good thing about that is that we were brought to a five star hotel and I have literally been making the place bankrupt by taking advantage of as much of the services as possible. The bad news for you is that I will now be back tomorrow. I can´t wait to see you all and I can´t wait for you all to have to sit there and listen to me blabber on about my travel. The phrase ´oh I remember this one time that I was in...´will actually make you want to hit me with a very hard object.

The old american car
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I have loved every second of my trip and to anyway who has been reading my blog so far, I hope it inspires you to travel to the places I have seen, I am now in grey old England , missing the Carribean heat.