101 (ISH) AMENDMENTS THAT COULD/SHOULD BE MADE TO THE AVERAGE CUBAN GUIDEBOOK
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First of all seriously there are parts of Cuba and huge parts of its capital Havana that really are not for for everyone. If you want to be a tourist of course go to Cuba, they need people to visit, but as a tourist keep to the huge Spanish/Latin American owned all inclusive resorts all around the coast and keep your eyes firmly shut all the way off your plane to the resort. Then it will be easier to imagine the luxury that you would be existing in to be almost any of the other Caribbean islands, Spain or its islands or Greece/Turkey.
Don't forget though there are high winds, hurricanes, tropical storms, lots of rain and thunder and lightning, flooding and power cuts. Even in the all inclusive resorts! Oh yeah as well as all year sunshine!
There is tremendous poverty and terrific pollution and in order for most people to accept either or both of these negative points you have to be a traveler and not a tourist!! These two negatives are balanced with an unbelievable greenness and people with an amazingly happy disposition.
Manana they say in Spanish territory around the world, it literally means "tomorrow". The Cubans say Manana, manana for which there is no literal translation! It's certainly not "tomorrow, tomorrow" more like "Maybe, maybe not". Closest is probably "This is Cuba - be Cuban!"
I wrote copious notes while I was away, probably hoping to make them all Facebook status's or do the story live on blogger. This immediately created another problem... Internet access. For example it was my last night that I got a site specific internet card from the hotel that I was staying in. Although the books all say there are opportunities to get on the internet from all major hotels I had to pass two large hotels, one where you had to be resident, the other that suffered from the same fate as The Presidente where I stayed to get to another hotel about quarter of a mile away to buy a card at 25% more expensive. First time there was a power cut, the second - no internet available. Then a full half hour of my hour's card to get rejected three times by Facebook!! (This) Blogger was non existent and my gmail account was the easiest thing and only consistent thing I could access. Facebook got better but was never brilliant - forcing me on Facebook to say that Latin America and Facebook should never really be mentioned in the same sentence.
Anyway don't worry all those notes will be revealed bit by bit right here over the next (lots of) posts. Pictures will keep cropping up probably forever!! Here, here and Facebook!!
Some of the first notes involved the extremely long flight direct from Paris, Charles de Gaulle to Havanna but the first one I am going to relate is one filled with irony and now I look back is so funny!!
A slightly older 'Jumbo' (incidentally I always feel so much happier with 4 engines flying that far!!) with only central video screens and not seat back but there the first film was to be 'Pirates of the Caribbean - On Stranger Tides (4)'. I hadn't seen it and really looking forward to it. Many of you know of the link between Captain Jack Sparrow and myself and after all I was going to the Caribbean!!!
Channel #1 for the sound headphones on here we go............ English language film, dubbed in to Spanish with English subtitles.
No worries, channel #2 English language film, dubbed in to French with English subtitles!!
Serves me right I guess for flying to a Spanish speaking destination on the French national carrier, Air France!! Quite a surprise to me though to be in the third section of people language wise - that was a first! Now also it may become quite obvious that all the time I was away and until my return flight from Paris to Manchester I was never in the majority language group!! Unlike almost every part of the world very little English is spoken by the ordinary Cuban and poorly even in the hotels, where often French, Italian or German are more popular.
As for Pirates, well on the way back seat back DVD's I was able to watch it again in English!! My favourite beer on the island was called Bucanero, which means of course Pirate!!!
The first 10 pictures of 3768 have been published around and about and are here to brighten up this post in an album that will be added to daily (ish!)
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