October 4 - 6 Cuban Holiday

October 4 Sunday 

Surfer
Walked to the ocean this morning, rocks, broken sea wall and waves kept us out but not a lone surfer. Is it really a good idea to surf where you could easily end up on the rocks? 

When we got back we knew we were in Cuba, the hotel had been inundated by Cuban families and single males.  We made sure we were on time for lunch.  Even without a crowd they run out of plates and bowls and finding a spoon is akin to finding gold! Eating ice cream with a fork is frustrating, but the yogurt isn't a problem, it's thin enough to drink. We've resorted to keeping a spoon in our room but I keep forgetting it.  This morning there was pudding and pizza on the breakfast menu, last night we saw bananas for the first time - for dinner, really? They serve strawberry ice cream at lunch and dinner every single day and all sorts of cold pasta salads at every meal. Coffee is out of a machine, Rudy says it's good - when you can find a coffee cup! Lunch and dinner there's a chef cooking fish and meats as you wait. Pretty inefficient, I bypass him and get something already cooked. That spot is almost hidden by the line of people and you have to know it's  there or you could easily miss it. On the other side of the dining room there's another station that appears to only have croissants set out but there's pizza and made to order pasta.

 




Buffet

Gerry got on the Internet, a frustrating experience but worth it to know the ATM didn't take any money out of his account. 

So we had made reservations for the restaurant but when we got there he said we didn't. He locked the door and disappeared. I found him on the phone in the dining room and after a while he came back said OK, give him 10 minutes. He locked the door again so we had to wait in the hot hallway.  Finally got in, we were the only ones there. He opened a bottle of wine (which was terrible, buffet wine was better) and then were served tuna on burnt toast, shrimp and something on burnt toast and a pile of something with potatoes and nothing to put it on like crackers or burnt toast. There was no menu, you eat what they give you: fish, spaghetti with red sauce, mashed potatoes, yellow rice, a wee bit of cabbage.  Fish, as in the cafeteria was over cooked, potatoes were stone cold. We waited for dessert he waited for us to leave, he won. Went to the cafeteria for dessert. Rudy's getting a cold, probably from his seat mate on the plane who insisted she only had allergies.

October 5 Monday 

Hotel is quiet again, locals have gone home.  Ellen has a million bites, Rudy a few, Gerry one, me none. Sunwing guy came back, we exchanged some money and Ellen and Rudy tried to book a tour but they didn't have the minimum number so they'll have to try tomorrow. Visited the souvenir shop, prices weren't bad, went to the little grocery store and most things weren't bad in price except Pringles, 4.40 CUC. Slow day, played cards, Gerry tried to find boaters to talk to and failed.

Pizza for breakfast and lunch today and of course strawberry ice cream as usual. Meat is hit and miss, today they had excellent ham.

October 6 Tuesday 

Booked a Parisien show at the Hotel National in Havana for tonight, and Ellen booked the same tour that Sunwing had offered but wasn't running. Tour agent Maydales said they will go for sure no matter the number.  

At 5:45 the maid walked into our room followed by a man with a mysterious canister. She mimicked bug bites, pointed to the guy and said to close the balcony door.  So there we were, trapped on the balcony and of course Gerry wasn't exactly dressed. I yelled over the balcony that they were fumigating and Ellen had to scramble to get dressed having just come out of the shower. Rudy had the presence of mind to ask how long. She either said 4 - 5 minutes or 45 minutes! Since we were trapped on the balcony they decided to be as well. Now that's friendship. 
Dead center is the fogging van
There was so much fog in there you couldn't see more than a foot inside. After a while I was getting bored and Gerry was getting thirsty so he held his breath jumped into the room to grab my iPad so I could type this up and then back in to get the important stuff - his rum. After 45 minutes I ran in to open the hall door and Rudy did the same. So tell me why they couldn't have warned us? A note on the door, a phone call?  OMG a little van just went by, back doors and all windows open, spewing out insecticide or it was on fire. Hope the driver gets danger pay, the whole vehicle was smokey. Is it safe to use my toothbrush can't wash it with the tap water. I know, sanitize it with rum!

 


Instead of a taxi Maydales arranged for her husband Walter to take us to the 10 o'clock show at the Hotel National for the same price, 40 CUC return. Show was a cabaret, a spectacle with wild costumes and half naked women. My favourite was the couple simply dressed in black doing a tango like number. There was a drum act but he didn't sing babaloo, disappointing.