Its pouring down here while I sit catching up on email and updating my blog after a fantastic nine days in Cuba. Currently on the east coast of the Mexican Yucatan peninsula in a place called Playa Del Carmen. On arrival at Cancun airport yesterday afternoon it felt like a regular day in London…torrential downpour and at times the bus to Playa was forced to pull over on the side of the road. Well it is rainy season and if it carries on like this then the tan will slowly fade. Shame I hear you say! Heavy lightning and rain that just kept coming down in buckets.

Playa Del Carmen was a sleepy fishing village up until twenty years ago but the influx of tourists recently has made it one of the fastest growing cities in the world. Fellow travellers had told me to avoid Cancun, an hour drive up north, due to its reputation for being the Spring Break capital for young Americans seeking sun, s*x and sea. Well its not much different here with Biff, Chuck, Veronica and the lot running around giving high fives and bull horns. What up dude!! Anyhow its easy to ignore and just get on with enjoying your holiday. Plenty of Italians too flooding the local souvenier shops and parading on the beach. Of course after hurting my neck recently I struggle to look at anything in a bikini or bare flesh. Lost concentration for a while….the internet cafe/bar/restaurant is showing the local football derby with Americas leading 2-0 after just scoring…all I heard for the last two minutes from the commentator was GOL!!,GOOOOOOLLLLLLLLL!!!, GOLLLLLOOOOOGGGOLLLOOOOOO!!!! …they really do get excited down here. He may have had a heart attack if the director had not told him to chill. Earlier I had the chance to see Manchester United lift the English Premiership trophy. Long overdue but right back in the place where it really belongs. All the cash in the world cannot buy you football titles, you boys on the Kings Road! And surprise, surprise…its an all South African Super 14 final. Go the Bulls!

The rain seems to be moving over now (sun shining on the computer screen) so maybe I can fit in some beachtime before the sun goes down…plenty of beach volleyball courts, beach soccer and watersports available. Have a new speedo with Zorro imprinted on it (great deal at one of the shops) that I am dying to try out! Also considering purchasing a mexican wrestling outfit. Time to replace my fading gimp suit which has become rather worn out with all the diving..was getting rather tired of the apple in my mouth anyway. May burn the outfit on this trip and spread the ashes at sea. Will try be strong! I digress…. the plan is too get out of here asap…some ruins near Tulum and Coba which can be explored in a day.

So on to Cuba and will try keep this blog reasonably short (there are two parts) but if you take long to read then grab a beer/biltong/glass of wine/a coffee and for any antipodean readers out there..the closest sheep, and sit back.

Day 1- Cuba can only be described as amazing. My initial concerns over visa requirements were squashed when it became evident that you only needed to fill in a tourist visa provided by your airline. So 17USD at the airport and all sweet via Mexicana Airlines.The flight went well and we landed at a very misty and rain soaked Jose Marti International Airport. As soon as I arrived at the airport and once customs & immigration (unlike the US, these guys did not even question my reasons for visiting) had been cleared, it was like a new world had opened up. The rain was also coming down in buckets but this soon cleared after the taxi made its way down to the Havana suburb of Vedado.  Even looking out of the windows of the cab it was fascinating to see the day to day workings of Havana. Still could not believe I was here in the flesh. Made a decision to stay in casa particulares while in Cuba. These are basically “private houses” run by a family or normally an old lady whereby a room (maximum of two) is rented to foreigners. The Cuban government then taxes the casas an exhorbitant amount in order to make sure that no person starts profiting more than another. In this way the government controls what every citizen earns. They can provide food at an extra cost and have to regoster you within 24 hours of arrival with the local police. So with my printed reservation form in hand and armed with a medium vocabulary of Spanish, I requested the driver to get me to Calle 13, 1405 Vedado. Sounds easy enough but he inititially struggled and when we found the place it looked nothing like the photo on the website. I rang the doorbell and a friendly lady came down….the only thing was that she could not speak a word of English! That is when the phrase “Habla un poquito Espanol” started to become a common phrase for me when travelling around Cuba….it means “I only speak a little Spanish”. No problem. She sat me down , got on the phone and then explained to me (or at least I think I understood) that her friend had accomodation for me. Now being new to this game of Cuban bedsitting, the aim was to remain patient. A few minutes later and another old lady arrived. Her name was Bilma and she turned out to be a really lovely woman, around 70 years old, who tried her best to make me feel comfortable in her home. We walked a block down the road and entered a lobby of a block of flats….first rule: never judge a book by its cover. Through a passageway and her flat was on the first floor…..really nice setup and not what I expected when initially arriving at the flat door. Was greeted by her very old sausage dog…..the thing was on its last legs..poor thing. Hey at least she has a great doorstopper for the future if it gets stuffed after it kicks the bucket. May even make a great rolling pin! Not sure how these dogs evolved (long body and short feet) but I was soon to find out that these dogs are very popular in Havana.

Was then shown to a double bedroom with a mini fridge with some water for me, a huge wardrobe and a private bathroom. Almost like staying at a hotel but with your host being cook, porter and chambermaid. Bilma had no grasp of English so it was touch and go regarding the Spanish. We finally agreed to the fact that it was only 4pm and it was good for me to get acquainted with Havana. So with my trusty Cuban handbook in my backpack, it was off to explore the streets of Cuba and find out what made this place buzz. The city is split into four distinct areas- Vedado, Playa, Central Havana and Old Havana. Vedado is a very leafy suburb and I took to exploring the area by foot. Plenty of informal baseball games going on down every street (its the number 1 sport in the country and they are obsessed with it) and the people were extremely friendly once you greeted them with buenos dias/tardes/noches, depending on what time of the day it was. Heaps of old vintage cars still being maintained and driven by their owners in all sorts of colours from brown, black,purple to beige. Feels like you are back in the 50´s with all the Buicks, Chryslers and Bel Airs driving past leaving a plume of smoke. After a two hour walk I settled down to a cold Bucanearo (5.4%) beer made in Cuba. Had found a quaint restaurant called Restaurante 1830 which looked out across the ocean and I caught my first Cuban sunset. Bliss and it felt good to be in Cuba.

Day 2- Early start after having a coffee with Bilma and discussing world politics. No, the Spanish from my side and the zero English from her side was not making much sense, so I resorted to what words I knew and some hand signals. It all worked out and my first job today was to head to the bank. The problem with travelling around Cuba is that they dont accept Visa cards issued by American banks- no problem for me, but the main issue is that foreign debit cards on the Maestro/Switch network are not accepted by any of the cash machines. Its restricted to local bank cards. My wallet contained sufficient Cuban pesos for around four days but after that I would be stuffed unless I found a bank that would allow me to draw cash on my visa card. There is a bank in the foyer of the Hotel Libre in Central Havana and I headed there. To my immense joy they allowed me to draw on my card but also hit me with 12.5% commission- nice one; must send the Cuban government a christmas card at the end of the year. So for anyone wishing to travel to Cuba…..make sure you have enough foreign money in your pocket and avoid bringing over USD, they burn you with the same commission as the credit cards!

Put that little issue behind me and headed out on to the bustling streets. One thing that dawned on me was the immense size of Havana as a city. Its rated up there with Paris and London and afterwalking around 8 kilometers along the shore and the inner streets, I can understand why.Old buildings battered by the sea spray looking like they are on their last legs but still full with people. Kids playing in the street and improvising with pieces of wood and any kind of means to make a ball and start a game of baseball.  Nobody really bothered when I stopped to take photos. The heat was sweltering and I often had to take shade in small cafes where the locals are only to happy to talk and ask where you come from. Secret is also to drink loads of water to prevent dehydration. The sun is really fierce over here.Their is a real warmness to the locals that makes the trip so enjoyable. Amazing restaurants with samba bands playing very catchy salsa music. Plenty of horse drawn carts, old American school buses intermingled with new Audis, Mercedes etc. Headed to the local craft market where the artwork is superb along with various handmade wooden souveniers.  Passed people chilling outside thier front doors while catching the breeze. Others swimming in the sea or jogging down the huge promenade…reminds me of Cape Town in certain parts. A short visit to the House of Havanna Rum and then headed back to the casa after a great seafood meal on the beachfront.Talking about food…its pretty bland at times and normally consists of ham (jamon) and cheese (queso)…gets tiring after a few days. Bilma and dog were once again waiting for me. A short chat and the head hit the pillow with a big thud…this heat is a killer!

Day 3- More walking around Central and Old Havana taking in the forts, cathedrals and plazas. Took some time out to sort out where to head next. With the size of the country and my limited time of 8 days, it was decided to head to the Pinar Del Rio province and see the countryside as well as do some diving. The guidebook and apparently divers worldwide rate the crystal clear waters off Cuba as one of the best. Handed some washing to Bilma before heading out and was reprimanded about not having matching socks..ha ha…its like living with your grandmother! All the same she has been very sweet, the room has been just what I needed and she has gone out of her way to make me feel comfortable.

Today is once again stinking hot! Have my running shoes on and they are starting to melt. Its a Saturday and the sity is flooded with foreigners off the cruise boats docked in the harbour. Eventually found sunscream after my friends at US customs had taken mine off me. The only option for me is the local factor 4 product. Well here comes skin cancer! Taken loads of photos of all the cars,propaganda (they do love George Bush here) and the amazing architetcure. Early night for me and back to the casa where I ended up watching Cuba v Venezuela for the silver medal in the Pan America games. Cuba ended up winning 3-1 for those interested. Out of Havana tomorrow and heading west to Vinales.