Croft's Wanderings

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Jose Marti y Che!

Jose Marti was a Cuban intellectual and poet. He lived from 1853 to 1895 and was considered the symbol of Cuba's fight for independence from Spain, a battle that ended in victory for Cuba in 1899. He died on the field of battle and the Spanish buried his body instead of burning it (their usual custom) as they were afraid his ashes would get into their throats and choke them. His image and statues are everywhere in Cuba. He is a national hero!

Jet Lag

I can't believe how hard I have been hit by jet lag! Going to Cuba was not bad. We went to bed around 11 pm and got up at 3 to catch a 6 am flight. I managed to sleep for several of the nine hour flight before arriving in Cuba at 6 pm Cuba time or 3 pm body clock time. We checked in, had dinner and went to bed fairly early. The next day was no problem, I had adjusted. Probably due to all the sleep I managed to get.

Coming home was different. We left Cuba at 6 pm and I hardly slept at all on the flight. We arrived in Vancouver at midnight Vancouver time but 3 am body clock time. It was another two or three hours before we got checked in, ordered a pizza and got to sleep. It was now after 2 am Vancouver time but almost 6 am body clock time!

We slept for a very few hours until Brooks called our room, anxious to get home. They had bought a house and the deal went through while we were in Cuba. His agent and lawyer were anxiously awaiting his signature!

I am still suffering and finding it hard to sleep.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

I Went A Little Overboard

I made many posts tonight so be sure to go on to the second page when you read them.

Havana Pit Stop

Brooks, "That's a lot of CUC's for ten mojitos!"
LindaLee, "I can text my mom from here!"

Lennon, Not Lenin

John Lennon is probably more popular in Habana than Vladimir Ilyich Lenin! There is a statue of him in a downtown park and we all stopped for a chat with him.

He said to me, "Imagine", "You may say that I’m a dreamer,But I’m not the only one, I hope someday you’ll join us. And the world will live as one.

Street Scenes

These are taken outside our B&B

B&B

This is our B&B in downtown Havana. It is the home of a friend of Roly's who is a cancer specialist in the Havana Hospital. She travels all over the world to teach Cuba's methods. She is the one in the white smock as she just arrived home from work. It is a beautiful house!

Our rooms were actually in another house across the street. The bottom photo is taken just outside our bedroom door. We got two nice bedrooms with private baths for 30 CUC each (about $35)!

The top photo is the doctor's house. The ground floor is rented out, the middle floor is hers and her new husband's and the top floor is her ex husband and his new wife. The government only gives you ONE house. If you split, you split the house as well (literally)!

Her ex added his own outside stairs so he no longer has to go through her house.