I am walking through the sleepy streets of Havana this morning. I meet a very fit 68-year-old man. He once worked in Canada on a fishing boat. A nice guy, I give him 1 CUC, because I saw him rummaging through the trash. He explains to me that it is often the law of the strongest in Cuba.
I wander through the beautiful streets.
How to find coffee in Cuba? It's easy, you have to find people who are holding a small cup of coffee. There is no question of serving coffee in disposable cups in Cuba. The cups are washed after each use.
I even saw the sign announcing the upcoming arrival of the Hunchback of Notre Dame. I have a delicious burger and a small juice for 50 cents CAD.
I hit the road around 10:00, the traffic is heavy, to leave the city. I then take a road that runs along the sea. I watch children playing baseball and volleyball.
I eat another burger for dinner, but this one has a more questionable taste. The meat is pink and tight... I leave half of it on my plate. The landscape is sometimes beautiful and sometimes asphalt.
I arrive in a small village called Mariel, I take the opportunity to stop at La Pochera to go see "el pochero" that is to say the one who repairs the tires. He repairs two punctures for 1 CUC (1$ USD). It's very economical...
No! I haven't had any flat tires since the second part of the trip. It's just that the inner tubes had holes from the other trip. In Quebec, we don't repair them, we throw them away. In Cuba, we repair them!!! I love it!!! The landscape is starting to change, the mountains are appearing on the horizon.
I drink a great 4 Cup yogurt (20 cents CAD). It is so delicious.
I finally arrive in Cabañas, a very nice little village. It's very small, I'm lucky to find a place to sleep. I meet Carlos who tells me that he has a house and that he rents rooms. I have a little doubt because he was waiting for the bus and he approached me first. Usually, these people are touts who bring tourists to the rooms to rent and get a commission of 5 CUC. I ask Carlos the price of the room before moving. He tells me that it's 25 CUC. I tell him that I want to pay 20 CUC. He tells me no problem... When we arrived on site, it was a situation we had already seen. The real owner of the house did not really agree with the negotiated price. Carlos was therefore a tout!
He tries to get his commission but the discussion between the two gets heated. Luis, the real owner, asks me if I want breakfast for 5 Cuc, I tell him that I prefer to eat in the street for almost nothing. He offers me dinner too for that price. I accept. He asks me to pay the 5 Cuc on the spot, I then understand that it is to pay Carlos' commission. I give 5 Cuc to Luis, then he gives it to Carlos. The story ends well...everyone likes to have their piece of the cake. Speaking of cake, there is a huge one in the other house right next door, because there is a children's party.
This is the central park. Usually there is a statue in the center of the park, but here in Cabañas there is a quadruple lamppost. Each to their own!
I buy matches. I had trouble making myself understood.
The village church.
The life of dogs.
I did 81 km today.
Watch my bike ride on Strava
The weather is nice and life is good. Here is my secret for this trip. I turn water into Gatorade with powder that I bought at Super C before leaving for Cuba. In July, I was running on 4.5 liters of 7up per day, because it was so hot. On this trip I take at least one liter of Gatorade, 1.5 liters of 7up and I drink some refreshments sold on the road.
There is no Internet in the village, don't worry I'm alive. I have a good dinner. Pork, rice, soup, potatoes and tomatoes. It feels good! I take the opportunity to feed the dog and the cat, they are starving. Life is hard. I think of Fastou my cat who is very well fed in Sherbrooke. I have a nice little evening. I took out my new mask received for Christmas by my dad. It made the children of the neighborhood happy.
A lovely evening with Luis and his wife.
Let's enjoy the present moment!
David Beauchesne