Sunday and another lazy day at the pool side is called for. I read Akenfield (click for link) and for anyone wishing to know more about rural life in days gone by this book is ideal. The sense of community and pride that those in this book had, seems lost for now but I suspect this will return one day. Even my pet lizard though it was worth popping out of his bamboo home to have a look at.
In between chapters a swim in the pool was called for to cool down a bit. You meet all sorts on holiday, especially in the pool and it’s strange how you get into conversation with people who you can relate to being in the health business. On this occasion we had a conversation with a neurosurgeon who taught medical students how to cut up dead bodies and his wife who informed us all about her urinary tract infection. Mmmm, they were going home later that day so perhaps it was just as well. Out of the pool and some local beer next, not the sort of thing I would normally drink but in this environment it was most refreshing.
For our evening meal we went into the big hall for a buffet and barbeque as there was a show on and very good it was to, with dancers, a Cuban band called Conclave, who also appeared later on in the week as evening cabaret in the main restaurant and from whom I bought a CD (as you do when on holiday!), more singers and a magician. A very entertaining night and then back to the room before the mosquito’s swarmed.
Monday after breakfast I entered the pool for my first swim and was mulling over whether to discuss Health and Safety with the fellow who was sucking the leaves and other debris from the pool. The electric cable that his machine was attached to trailed from somewhere in the distance, across the shrubbery and through the water in the pool. A bit scary but also in a way it was quite refreshing that the Cubans don’t have to put up with some of the constraints on normal life that we do! After a lazy day it was back to the room to get ready for the evening. The room suddenly became quite dark and from our balcony I saw that the sky had become very cloudy. Then our first encounter with the rain began – see the video link below.
I was woken up early on the Tuesday morning by the sound of vomit splashing on the tiled floors as the lady in my life failed to make the bathroom in time. It seemed something she had eaten the previous night had not been quite right and so she was proper poorly. We spent all day in the room with meals of toast and crisps being the only ones that could be faced. Sadly we watched television for most of the day as with limited channel availability CNN and The Weather Channel were as exciting as it got. However, it was interesting to watch the coverage of what they termed “historic floods” caused by very heavy rain across America, mostly ignored by the British media I believe.
Also of interest were the reports by the fantastically named Wolf Blitzer, (only in America!), about politics and realising how paranoid the Americans are about oil and the worrying fact it was likely to reach four dollars a gallon – trying living here Wolf! Also of interest were reports about the Congressional Black Caucus (BNP members see this link re. membership criteria). We also watched another reporter by the name of Thomas Buffenburger with his plastic face which seemed to epitomise all other media-savvy Americans. It was quite scary and reminded me of The Stepford Wives with regard to how false they are and how they were falling over themselves to make positive comments about Barack Obama in the run-up to the elections in America. It became increasingly apparent that however democratic and free and wonderful the Americans think themselves to be, their society actually seems to be bigoted, insular and racist in private, but not in public and at the time I thought how unlikely it was as a result, that a black man would become president. Oh well, I can’t be right all the time. I also remember thinking at the time whether the British media would cover this presidential election to any great degree and again it appears that the answer sadly is yes they would.
Wednesday arrived and we were back to the routine we had adopted since here although were particular about the food we selected for our meals. After lunch we decided to go for a stroll along the beach and saw there were major storms heading our way from Florida.
We headed back for the relative safety of our pool-side spot and being undercover could comfortably sit and watch the rain begin.
This time it was accompanied by rather loud and startling thunder and lightning as can be seen from the video below!
The next day was Thursday and whilst at lunch I saw proof that the Russians were still major players in Cuba and despite there being a dress code for dinner, completely ignored it and were rude and abusive to the staff and this was deemed acceptable. Consequently they have replaced the Germans and their beach towels as my number one holiday dislike.
Later that evening we were hoping for a relaxing time sitting in the bar drinking until a rather larger crab appeared from under the sofa.
Not sure that this picture does it justice with regard to the size of it but hopefully it can be seen as large enough not to want under your chair!
Friday was much of the same but the wildlife on this occasion was turtle-like.
Saturday was a lazy day again as was Sunday and we left Varadero at 4.30pm for the airport and the long flight home.
Monday morning we fought the depression of being back in Britain and stopped at the motorway service station for some fish and chips to remind us that some things were still good here. It didn’t help the depression – all the workers at the service station were foreign. An old couple on the table next to us were having difficulty communicating with the manager regarding a query they had with their bill and I felt very sorry for them. Was I glad to get home? After 29 hours awake I guess it was ok but it just further emphasised the deteriorating conditions we endure here.
