Saturday, November 1, 2003

Cuba & Mexico 2003






John's First GREETINGS FROM CASA ANTIGUA, CUBAN B&B. THIS KEYBOARD KEEPSGOING TO CAPS ON ME, SO I´M NOT GOING TOFIGHT IT. TUESDAY NIGHT ´GOT NO SLEEP, DIDN´TSTART PACKING ´TIL ABOUTMIDNIGHT. FLIGHT LEFT AT 6 A.M., FORDALLAS, WHERE I MET UPWITH MARY (YOUNGER SISTER--EARLY 50THBDAY TRIP FOR HER). FLIGHT ON TO CANCUN SMOOTH. IN CANCUN AIRPORT MET NATASHA, FROMWHIDBY ISLAND. QUIT HERCURATING JOB AT UW BURKE MUSEUM TORETURN TO CUBA. SHE´SORGANIZED A LEGAL TRIP TO BRING MEDICALSUPPLIES HERE. ´HASA CONNCECTION FOR GETTING APPROVAL--NOBIG DEAL. SO, IF YOUWANT TO COME WITH ME TO CUBA NEXT YEAR,PUT IN YOURRESERVATION NOW. SPACE MAY BE LIMITED! AND, WITHOUT DOUBT, I WANT TO RETURN. OUR FIRST TWO DAYSHAVE BEEN DELIGHTFUL. THURSDAY A.M. WECOT A TAXI TO PLAYASDEL ESTE, THINKING THE BEACH WOULD BE AGOOD PLACE TO NAP. ´DIDN´T GET MUCH SLEEP, BUT WE HAD AGOOD TIME. THE WATERWAS PERFECT, WITH ENOUGH WAVES TO DO AMINI BODY SURF. MARYGOT A MASSAGE. WE HAD OUR FIRSTMOJITAS--RUM WITH LIME,SODA WATER, SUGAR AND MINT. ´BECAME A TEAM WITH CARLOS, OUR TAXIDRIVER. HE DROPPED USBACK AT THE B&B, THEN PICKED US UP ANDTOOK US TO ANINTIMATE DINNER, WHERE 84 Y.O. ANGELASERANADED US. SINCEPROMISING HER THAT WE´LL SEND HER A COPYOF THE PHOTO WETOOK, WE´VE GOTTEN ADDRESSES FROM ABOUTHALF A DOZEN OTHERFRIENDLY CUBAS. AFTER DINNER CARLOS TOOK US IN TOANTIQUA HAVANA, TO FINDSOME LIVE MUSIC, MARY JOINED THE BAND,BANGING RHYTHM ON AHUIDO. LEAD SINGER, DAVID, BEFRIENDEDUS AND THIS EVENINGTOOK US FOR DINNER TO ¨LA MULATA DESABOR¨, WHERE WE HADDELICIOUS CHICKEN AND RICE, SANG SONGSAND DANCED WITH DAVIDAND THE OWNER OF THE LITTLE RESTAURANT,JUSTINA. EARLIIER TODAY WE WALKED AROUND OLDHAVANA, MORE LIVE MUSICDURING LUNCH (WE´VE PURCHASED CDS FROM 3BANDS SO FAR,SIGNATURES ON ALL). WHILE HORACIO ISN´T HERE AT CASA ANTIGUA(SEEWWW.ESCAPEARTIST.COM/EFAM/40/CUBA.HTML)HIS 19 Y.O. BALARINATURNED ACTRISS DAUGHTER, DEANNA, HASTREATED US ADMIRABLY. IT´S A LOVELY OLD COLONIAL HOME. ´TIRED. ´NEED TO GET DEANNA TO TURN OFFTHE COMPUTER, SOI´LL SIGN OFF. TOMORROW WE RENT A CARAND HEAD FORTRINIDAD, ON THE SOUTH SHORE OF THEISLAND,A WORLD HERITAGESITE. ´SORRY. NO SPELL CHECK. IF I FOUND IT,IT WOULD BE FORSPANISH. HASTA PRONTO, JOHN

Cuba photo highlights: http://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/Cuba2003
Cancun highlight pics: http://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/Cancun2003
Oaxaca pics: http://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/Oaxaca2003
Pacific Coast pics: http://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/PuertoAngelToZihuatanejo2003
Subject:
John's second

Greetings from Trinidad, World Heritage
site, lovely old
colonial city near the central coast of
Cuba. Mary and I
just returned from a snorkeling trial
and 320 degree sunset
(From noon--north--on a clock to 10
p.m.--color almost all
around). Water perfect, techniques
ready for a 10 minute
catamaran ride out to the reef in the
morning.

We're still sticky from our swim, but
when we checked in to
the internet cafe we realized if we go
back and shower first
all machines may be taken and closing
time coming on (close
early Sunday nights).

The capable young Deanna at the B&B in
Havana made a
mistake. She suggested we copy our
passports, leave them
with her to avoid a possible misfortune
traveling. She
referred us to Mercedes here in
Trinidad. But, on
presenting photocopies to Mercedes last
night, she said the
gov't here can take away her casa
particular (B&B) license
for accepting guests w/o actual
passport. After much drama
and phone calls to Deanna, it was
finally arranged to send
the passports today with a bus driver.
It worked, we're
good with Mercedes. Nice house, near
the center of the old
city, great food, pleasant conversation
(lots of laughs--her
response to my efforts last night to
convince her that
passports weren’t needed--she told me not
to get "bravo" with her).

After the great dinner, Mary and I went
looking for Saturday
night action, with her light sticks made
in to bracelets
(neon, shine for a few hours). Did that
ever bring us
action (being norteamericanos already
making us attractive).
After giving most of the light sticks
to kids, Mary gave
one to a dancer she admired, whereupon
we were invited to
join their group--some are professional
dancers. We did
some bar hoping and rum drinking and had
a lively time. We
keep remarking on the physical beauty of
so many Cubans.
Some beg, some hustle ("jiniteros"), but
most are simply
friendly. We just gave a parking
attendant a ride in to
town from the beach (we'll meet up with
him here a little
later, so he can take us to a private
home for $8 lobster
dinners!). He commented that almost all
visitors from the
States are very likeable, more so that
European visitors. I
told him when the blockage ends, U.S.
visitors will be more
like the Europeans. Those of us willing
to run the blockade
or go to the trouble of meeting it's
requirements are "mas
buena gente".

My legal visit next year is taking
shape: I'll gather and
bring bike reflectors. We got in after
dark last night.
Lots of bikes and horse-drawn carts on
the edge of the
narrow, shoulderless road (More than
elsewhere in Latin
America--the embargo has helped make
auto ownership a rare
luxury for Cubans). Very few with
reflectors. So, you can
come with me if you bring your quota of
reflectors. Mary's
bringing medical supplies and vitamins,
so you can meet her
requirements instead.

Time to get cleaned up to go eat
lobster!

Stay tuned...

John




Subject:
Hasta la vista, Cuba


Internet cafe, Cancun. Early morning
flight from Havana.

´Just hit the wrong key and lost a few
paragraphs! Here
goes again.

After last posting in Trinidad, Miguel
took us to a private
home where Mary and I were treated to
the lobster of our
life. Photo proof can be emailed, on
request, after my
return 11/24.

On to the dance performance of some of
our young friends
from the night before. The evening
ended when the disco
scene and yet another request to buy a
beer suddenly took
the pleasure out of it (and led to
analysis at breakfast the
next morning about
¨jiniterismo¨--hustling, Cuban style).
And, then there are the jiniteros in our
lives at home...

´Back to Playa Ancon, accompanied by
Miguel, parking
attendant and lobster meal finder who,
on his day off,
wanted to spend it with us. Snorkeling
was great. The
friendly young skipper jumped in and
showed us some of the
best spots on the reef.

Miguel found a massage for Mary on the
beach. The day was
going great ´til we got back to the
rental car and
discovered we'd lost the only key.
Fruitless search. ´Got
a ride in to town in a 50´s Chevy, had
to push to jump start
it when it died.

Fortunately there is a CubaCar agency in
Trinidad. $15 for
the lost key, $50 for the personal
delivery across the
island (4-5 hours one way), that same
night. ´Last 2 times
I needed a locksmith to get me back in
to my pickup it cost
me $55 and only moments of the
locksmiths´ time. Those of
you who know how I relish making ¨deals¨
can imagine how
ecstatic I was with the outcome of this
misadventure!

Before breakfast Tuesday we made a run
up to the cloud
forest, ´took along Karren, from
Holland, on a 3 week visit
alone to Cuba. She's a mega trekker,
´been many places
around the world.

Then on to Cienfuegos. Javier, part of
the young dance
crowd, had returned there and asked us
to look him up. We
didn't intend to, but he was sitting in
the plaza and
spotted us as we rolled in to town. On
to the photogenic
central plaza, where Juan talked me in
to buying a box of
cigars. We inquired about places to
stay close to
snorkeling and about hot springs. Juan
knew of both and
Javier good-naturedly went along with
Juan's addition to the
magical tour.

On the way out to the hot springs,
beyond the natural water
plant, the sunset was lovely. Árrived
about dark, to a
couple of fountains of about 102 degree
F. Nice.

Before the hot springs we did find a
casa particular at
Playa Luna. Not fancy, but adequate.
We awoke to another
incredible sky, walked the beach for
about an hour, finding
broken coral at water's edge. After
breakfast we returned
to the beach, rented a paddle boat for
$2/hour and made our
way out to the reef for another couple
hours of snorkeling.
For awhile I followed a school of about
150 blue fish, with
a few other coloreds going along ´cause
it was the thing to
do.

We decided to return to Havana, rather
that stretch to
include a quick visit to Viñales,
reportedly featured in the
current National Geographic. We didn't
have Wednesday night
reserved back at Casa Antigua, but knew
they would find us
another casa particular if they were
full, which was the
case. Half a block away is Casa Diana,
an even lovelier old
home, where Antonio (former police stunt
cyclist) and Diana
were charming and attentive.

During our first 3 days in Havana I was
taken by the
paintings of Mary Gil, in an open
market. We returned
Thursday and bought several, vistas of
old crumbling
buildings in Antigua Havana. While
waiting out a rainstorm,
listening to yet another live combo
(Makes about 6 we got
signed CDs from), the weather let up
enough to catch a
bicycle taxi out along the Malicon, to
take photos of the
places Mary Gil paints.

Wednesday evening, while briefly at the
historic Hotel
Nacional for internet access, we saw
billing for a show the
next night (our last) including several
of the aging
maestros featured in Buena Vista Social
Club. Our stay in
Cuba culminated in a photo of Mary and
the energetic Teresa
Garcia Catlura, the grand dame of Cuban
music!

Óff to the airport to pick up Mom and
older sister Donna.
The Westin Club Regina is welcome
luxury. And, can we make
use of the free laundry machines!

Hasta pronto,

John

Subject:
Hasta la vista Cancun (John's 4th)


In an internet cafe on the zocalo
(central plaza in Oaxaca,
southern highlands of Mexico. 'Bid Mom,
Mary and Donna
farewell a few hours ago, in the Cancun
airport. The rest
of my travels will include checking out
other Mexican
timeshare exchanges, here in Oaxaca, as
well as Acapulco and
Zihuatanejo.

Mom and older sister, Donna, joined Mary
and me at the
Westin Club Regina in Cancun a week ago.
Very nice, the 4
of us were quite comfortable. While
warm, we had a breeze
all the time.

The ocean was a couple of minutes from
our room. 'Brilliant
blue water, white sand. Ideal
temperature, significant
breakers. After some misdirections,
'found the barrier
reef. Necessitated walking down the
beach and through Club
Med. The uniform tan sunbathers are out
late morning to
mid-day. Snorkeling was great. Mary
and I both followed a
turtle yesterday.

Spectacular sunrises and sunsets.

Monday, with a weather system hanging
around much of the day
(So far, in Cuba and Cancun, we're seen
some huge downpours,
but they didn't last long), we took the
ferry to Isla
Mujeres, visited Villa Vera, another
timeshare exchange
option. Very nice. When the sheets of
rain fell, we
managed to take cover. Shopped--beaded
bracelets and bags
from Mayan street vendors. My
bargaining edge isn't as
sharp as in years past, when I relished
20 minutes of
bartering to get a better price than
most tourists.

http://picasaweb.google.com/wrinkles45/IslaMujeres

This cafe is about to close, so I´ll
wrap up for now, take
in some of the live music here at the
zocalo. The fresh
mountain air is delightful.

John



Subject:
From Oaxaca (#5)


Fancy this: me, shopping, and having
fun. Embroidered
dresses, blouses, shirts, runners,
baskets, paintings on
bark, turquoise bracelet, a few pottery
pieces--and a bag to
carry all the new stuff.

The timeshare was very nice, smaller
than the place we had
at Cancun, but still about the size of
an average studio
apartment. 'Decided to take in a
countryside market today
and stay a 3rd night. The timeshare
isn't available, so
I've moved to a bunk at a youth hostel,
at about 5% of the
retail price of the timeshare! 'More
opportunity to meet
fellow travelers (already had a nice
chat with Sean, a
young Brit) and better fits my flight
back in to youthful
backpacker.

The Sunday market at Tlacolula did not
disappoint. 'Mixture
of food, crafts and modern stuff. As
is the case
elsewhere, the indigenous vendors did
NOT want their
pictures taken. So, I resorted to shots
from the hip.
'Miss the 35 mm with the telephoto
lens, but not the
bulkiness. And, the bad misses just get
erased from the
digital.

'Dinner at a sidewalk cafe on the
zocalo--menu del dia for
35 pesos (about $3), complete with
stroll by live music,
tips appreciated.

'Have my ticket purchased for a van to
the Pacific Coast at
7 in the morning. 'Will miss the fresh
mountain air and the
colonial architecture. Oaxaca is a
delight.

Later,

John




Subject:
Fun in Acapulco


Greetings from Zihuatanejo ('Haven't
laid eyes on Tim
Robbins or Morgan Freeman yet). I did
follow Elvis' path to
watch the clavadistas in Acapulco (all
these cinematic
references, I must be feeling movie
deprived).

The Oaxaca hostel was pleasant.
'Surprisingly quiet, for 6
guys in 3 bunks.

The 6 hour trip down to Puerto Angel
from Oaxaca was smooth,
if twisty, starting in a 5000' valley,
climbing over the
Sierra Madre del Sur before dropping to
sea level.
'Surprised at stands of long needle pine
that haven't been
cut down, even close to the road.

'Stayed at a small hotel perched on a
hill in Pto. Angel,
catching some breeze (No refreshing
rains here, like we got
daily in Cancun). I live in just swim
trunks here on the
beach. Even a slow walk leaves me
drenched with sweat.

So, head for the water. 'Went
snorkeling on a couple of
beaches, not much coral, but lots of
fish. 'Startled to see
a big manta ray (stealth bomber-looking)
at close range.
Maybe I should read up on fish
temperaments. I am more
confident snorkeling near waves breaking
on rocky shores.

After having no luck finding volleyball
so far, I joined a
lively game at sunset on the beach in
Pto. Angel.

Despite only one night at Pto. Angel
(I've decided to dub
myself "the efficient tourist"), I also
fit in a walk the
length of nude beach Zipolite on Tuesday
morning. Further
refined my ability to shoot pictures
from the hip, the
Indian market technique. But I had a
feeling the buff
bathers took me for the voyeur that I
was.

While I had an empty seat next to me
most of the trip to
Acapulco and the first class bus was air
conditioned, it was
a long trip. Topes--speed bumps--are
incessant on Mexican
highways.

When I arrived at Villa Vera, the
timeshare in Acapulco, at
about 1 a.m., my air conditioned room
was waiting for me.
Quite the resort, including several
pools, a cascading water
fall that does a nice shoulder massage,
and a spa, including
a 15 head shower (now does make me feel
important!).

'Befriended the taxi driver that took me
to watch the cliff
divers. 'Turned out he has a "cousin"
in the jewelry
business. He ended up giving me a tour,
including a vista
of Michael Jackson's and Madonna's
villas in the
"diamantina" neighborhood.

Word is the bay has been cleaned up at
Acapulco. Having
spotted some rocks on my morning beach
walk, I returned with
snorkel and fins in the afternoon.
Visibility wasn't great,
but I saw lots of fish, including
another manta ray, with
bright white spots all over its
back.

November 20: Dia de la Revolucion. Not
the day to drive
through towns along Mexican highways
that don't have back
streets. Our bus was held up a total of
two hours in two
towns this morning while the locals
relished parading down
the highway.

Dining on the beach, in Zihuatanejo, a nice Canadian
couple invited me to
join them. They are going to Oaxaca
soon, so I made them
scan my digital photos and gave them
some leads. I had a
start when suddenly my fanny pack, full
of all the valuable
and invaluable--wallet, airline ticket,
camera--was missing.
'Had somehow flipped it on to the sand
a few feet away.
Phew!

All for now,

John

"Summing up Cuba and Mexico, 11/03"


Home again. 'First pot of Mexican coffee--good. Kilo purchased in Zihua for 60 pesos (Exchange now at about 11 pesos on the dollar--works out to about US $2.45/pound).

Trip up the coast was rather uneventful. After some indecision, I didn't mention the cigars on my customs declaration form. 'Right move. We went through Customs in LA as a drove. So much for Homeland Security (No, let's not go there now).

The Ugly, Bad, and Good ('Saw one new release movie while traveling--Clint's Mystic River. 'Stayed awake).

What I could have done without:

-The feeding frenzy when we gave out baseballs, caps, toys, lotions, etc;
-The pushy, uncharming jiniteros (hustlers);
-The high priced meal in Havana, "all-inclusive", but the unrequested cigar they brought added $7 to the tab, and my stomach was majorly upset the next morning;
-Going the long way to Trinidad, on the direction of the gal we gave a lift to--got her dropped off a lot closer to home;
-Mercedes "cow" because we brought only copies of our passports;
-Searching for the lost car key;
-Saying "good bye" (and "good bye" and "good bye"...) to new found friends;
-Pockets of trash (much more so in Mexico than Cuba);
-The heat and humidity, except Oaxaca (5000' elevation)--profuse sweating, even if walking slowly, in the shade;
-The topes (speed bumps) in Mexico, the hours and delays on bus rides;
-Failing to buy more coffee.

Highlights:

-With increasing "senior moments", I worried I might have lost much of my Spanish; Cubans speak fast; but, in conversing with me, they slowed down and I was quite fluent;
-Engaging Cubans (and, less frequently, Mexicans);
-Meeting fellow travelers;
-Live music, every other street corner and small bar (signed cd's to recollect);
-Original art--steals;
-Cuban cigars to pass out--steals;
-George W and his mafia not catching me;
-Huipilas, dresses, shirts, baskets, ceramic--steals;
-Sunrises, sunsets--day after day;
-The digital camera, capturing so much, including market color/character;
-Snorkeling: Cuba (Playa Ancon, Playa Rancho Luna) and Mexico (Club Med, Akumal, (Puerto Angel, Playa Estacachuite, Acapulco, Zihuatanejo);
-Sun/color, without sunburn;
-Weight loss and less than a full day feeling ill;
-Club Regina hotels and villas: exquisite, friendly staffs, AC, the incredible trading value of our Whistler timeshare weeks (to follow in another email soon, when I have more time--my summary, offer to sublet, invitation to invest yourself...).

Looking at my desk, I'm thinking of going back on the road. 'Didn't make it to Club Regina's Cabo and Puerto Vallarta sites, both splendid. Mary and I are serious about returning to Cuba, taking medical supplies and bike/cart reflectors. We'll want to limit group size. Your early reservation will increase the chances you can come along!

John