Vetting Veradaro

On to Veradero

This morning, we  headed out for walk to the University of Havana. Out of curiosity, we scoped out a “supermarket” on the way.  There are hardly any shops in Havana and the idea of a food store was intriguing.  This one had beer, pop, rum, cigars, plus large bags of frozen French fries, bags of marshmallows and an empty meat counter. And, that’s it.

At the university, we met two enterprising students, who told us about their faculties (History and Computers) and their historic school;we told them about Trudeau’s friendship with Castro.  As we expected, in the end, they hoped for some money.  And, we were glad to support them.  There is something about the boundless optimism of Cubans,  that makes you want the country to work and the people to succeed.

Later, we set off on the next leg of our trip- to Varadero.  Our bus was an hour and a half late, which made me anxious.  But, once we got going, the countryside with its waving palm trees let me slide into a Cuban contentedness.  Until, about half an hour into our journey, when the bus broke down!  The driver and a young male traveler jumped out and we were up and running in 10 minutes. All in a Cuban day.

We arrived at our all-inclusive resort just before dinner.  None of Havana’s grittiness here.  In fact, no grit at all.  Just sandy beaches.  It is all very lavish.  I don’t really feel like I am in Cuba anymore.  It’s a cruise without the Norwalk virus, says Doug.  Even with cloudy skies the beach looks inviting.

Internet is pricey, but we will try and squeeze in another post tomorrow.  Thanks for hanging in for this spotty blogging.  And, thanks for worrying about us in the storm.