Day 2 in Cuba was greeted by a beautiful sunrise. 

We then learned about the experience of incredible frustration. Charly had advised to not hire a car in advance but of course when he tried to source a hire car this morning there were none available. He and I set off on what ended up being a 4 hour saga with mum and Jacqueline staying at the hotel expecting us to be only gone for 30 minutes. In the end I sent Charly back to the hotel to find them while I waited for the car. It was quite touching to know that even at my age she had started to worry about me – thought I may have been kidnapped for ransom?? They eventually returned in a bright blue 1937 Ford convertible – built the year before mum was bornJ.

Eventually after multiple suggestions of “no worries I have a car for you” and “I will go now and get your car” (3 times), the man returned after a mysterious absence of over 90 minutes and gave me the car that had been parked out the front for the previous 4 hours!!!!!! We had to pay for the car in cash, which pretty much consumed all of our cash. We soon discovered there was no access to Visa today anywhere in the city, even from the Banks, and no suggestion of when that may change - so that will no doubt play out over the next few days!!

We eventually got on the road after midday. The ladies held their breath as I zipped around the chaotic city streets on the wrong side of the road – I have to admit I was pretty happy to get out alive whilst only turning the windscreen wipers on 3 times. So off we set on a belated road trip to Pinar del Rio.

It was about 200km west of Havana and is a very poor agricultural area which is famous for its rugged scenery and tobacco growing. Just before our destination of the town of Venales we stopped off at a local farmers home – Peter Goers (the aussie man mum and Cath met in Petra last year) is a regular Cuba visitor and had one day randomly stopped at his farm to say hi – they are now friends.

With no English and no warning the amazing farmer named Osbel took us for an amazing tour of his small tobacco farm.

before then inviting us into his home and making us some hand rolled cigars from the tobacco leaves in his drying hut.

They say a picture tells a thousand words!

Ah Stephen I have her on a string - you are so much yesterday's man!!!!

Osbel also showed us his coffee plants and the way they make coffee – unfortunately his wife was not home to make us a cup! We promised to return for dinner on the way back to Havana

On to Venales for a lunch of (you guessed it) ice cream and some roadside bananas, more failed attempts at cash from an ATM (the bank was closed) and a trip through a limestone cave just out of town.

Back to Osbel’s farm for dinner. Smoking a cigar must have increased mum’s appetite - she was hungry so ordered a whole chicken and then proceeded to eat it with her hands.

There was the most ridiculous amount of food for us, prepared by Osbel’s sister, as we sat on the porch overlooking the farmland. They seemed so excited we stopped in. All pretty amazing. We got to meet Osbel’s wife – Clarabel – no joke!

It was a long haul back to Havana – got back about 8.30pm and had to quickly dress in our finest for the Tropicana Show. It is an iconic Havana cultural event that has been running since 1939 – the year after mum was born) so I got us front row seats. It was a true spectacle made more bearable by the bottle of Havana Club rum given to each group.

I had enough rum to allow me to get up and dance with one of the well dressed young ladies.

Matt – you will be pleased to know we have found Jacqueline’s new favourite drink – she giggled happily all the way home (well after midnight).

We are off on a road trip to Cienfuegos for 1 night and then Trinidad for 2 nights before we come back to Havana for our final night. Not sure if or when we will next have internet access to post again.