20.2.09

Cuba 7

Leaving tomorrow. Not getting back to Waterloo until Sunday, but one step at a time. Today was another day at the beach. I am staying out of the water tomorrow if I can. Piercings are not agreeing with the salt water, nor is my skin, though it certainly not as bad as it has been. My shins are getting better though. I plan to sleep a lot tomorrow so that I don't have to spend my whole day waiting to leave.

Very little exciting happened today. Beach, food, the show. (Which was pretty good, even if it was just fast ballet danced to Latin music.)

I am not excited for all the shit I have to do when I get back. It will seriously impede my making up for lost hang-outs.

19.2.09

Cuba 6

Three more sleeps 'til Waterloo. We leave the day after tomorrow. Not sure how I feel about that. I'm not bored with this place yet, so I will be a little sad to leave it, but I feel like when Saturday night rolls around I will be ready to go. There are only so many days in a row you can spend in agony (I'm exaggerating) on the beach and then read for the afternoon. I suspect that will be my next couple of days, as it was my day today. It was nice to just sit and read for a while. Alone time is important when I am spending time with my family. (I guess it's important always.)

I kind of wonder, after seeing and hearing about how these people live, if the people who work at the the resort don't resent the guests. I know that, in their position, almost anyone from our culture would hate everyone that they served. I guess there is just a completely different mindset here. Either that or they are just really good fakers.

I am finally getting a bit of a tan, now that my burns are fading a bit. I will get a bit of sun tomorrow, stay inside for the afternoon and hopefully my burns will be okay by Saturday so that I can actually get a bit of sun. I will also have some braids, which is kind of exciting. I'll have something to show for the trip, I guess, because I certainly won't have a tan.

I am kind of excited to go home with gifts. They are silly and cute and people may like them. I will find some random coral or shells or something tomorrow too. I am still debating whether or not I want to keep the banana knife, but I bought it as a gift. Hopefully the recipient will think it is as neat as I do.

18.2.09

Cuba 5

I have been waiting for this day. My skin is killing me, I am all sticky from being covered in aloe vera, and I have sunburns in ridiculous places. (The fronts of my shins and the tops of my feet, for example.) I am in a pretty substantial amount of pain. Looks like it is going to be a tame day at the beach tomorrow.

So all this is because of the ride on the catamaran today and sitting out on the nets like an idiot instead of under the canopy with the sane people. But, despite some mild skin-melting, today was pretty spectacular. Left first thing in the morning for the catamaran, which went for about 40 minutes to an awesome (living) reef, where we snorkelled for about an hour. Some pretty exciting fish and some awesome coral. After that, more boat ride to the place with the dolphins, which we swam with. Pretty neat. Dolphins might be one of the cutest animals ever. Dolphin kisses for all. It was very cute. Lots of good pictures. It was, to be honest, a little hokey though. I can deal with that. Then back to the resort and wasting time and all that. I came in because I was really sleepy, but I really wanted to call home while I was sitting by myself. I am missing Waterloo quite a lot. All kinds of things that we have been doing just make me think "I wish So-And-So were here with me" I ended up not calling because it is late and expensive. Hopefully I will make the same decision in the next few nights. $3.50 a minute is a lot.

17.2.09

Cuba 4

The silly shows that are put on every night are very silly. But funny. But silly. Anyway, miserable weather today, but it's the first time it's happened, so I guess I can't complain. It wasn't even rainy, it was just windy, so it ws cold and we couldn't swim at the beach. (Which is probably for hte better, as far as my piercings are concerned.) I actually contemplated paying for internet today, just because I had nothing better to do. I ended up taking a nap and then reading. Maybe later in the week I will internet it up.

We did hit the market in Guardalavaca (which I learned the name of today) and it was kind of neat. It was just kind of hokey and silly. You know how it is. All the same stuff at each stand, all really touristy, but some of the stuff was neat. Clavés are neat. Anyway, I don't understand how I can still be tired. I've been sleeping like 10 hours a night, and I slept for like 3 hours this afternoon. If I lie down right now, I will pass out. I guess I have been doing more and getting more tired than I realize. It's a good way to get fat, living like this. Doing nothing but getting up, eating, maybe swimming a little, more eating, then sleeping. Ah well. Better carry on the cycle. I'll worry about being healthy again when I get home. (That's a lie. I will start worrying about it starting now, and eat less. Buffet meals are killer.)

16.2.09

Cuba 3

Better day today. We spent almost the entire day at the beach. As a result I have some minor sunburns and a tiny tan. (The bottom parts of my ass cheeks are burned. That's what happens when I forget that my bathing suit doesn't cover me as well as I'm used to.) We decided on a trip today, which I am really fracking pumped for. We are going on a catamaran to swim with dolphins and snorkel on a living reef, not a dead one like the one at the beach. There will also be lobster. This is on Wednesday, so we have a day to waste before then. Probably will spend much of it at the market in Guadala-something-or-other. Maybe I will be able to waste a bit of my spending money.

Another thing from yesterday, now that I remember, I have been "hit on" by more guys in the last couple of days that most of the rest of my life. A bartender told me that I have beautiful eyes and always makes a distinct effort to serve me at the bar. (Not sure if that qualifies.) Some guy offered me a smoke out of the blue at the ship bar, (I call it that because the supports for the roof are decorated to look like masts,) and a couple of guys were VERY obviously checking me out at the beach today. (The kind of checking out where there is eye contact.) So I feel flattered.

Anyway, not a lot of crazy excitemend today. Beach, snorkelling, LOTS of fish, (that swim all over you when you give them bread,) and a silly dance show at night. I am missing home, and periodically I think about how long until I go back. I was right though. Calling would be really expensive, and there is no guarantee of a conversation if I go online. I guess I will just have to hold out.

15.2.09

Cuba 2

Today has been ridiculous.

Start at the beginning. Snorkelling was fantastic. I intend to do it again as often as possible. SO MANY COLOURFUL FISH! ...We spent most of the day at the beach, swimming and snorkelling and stuff. By that I mean that I snorkelled and everyone else ignored me. Not the point. I think the salt water might be messing with my piercings though. The one is getting much grosser. I guess I will have to deal with it when I get back, because it is sure as hell not going to stop me from swimming. The food in this place is mediocre, but food is food. Whatever. We also are trying to work out our one tour for the week, and figure out what to do. Everyone wants to do a different one, and no one wants to pay as much as any of them cost.

Cuba 1

[For the record, I wrote these by hand in Cuba and am just posting them here for the benefit of anyone who wants to know a bit about my trip. That's why they all have old dates on them.]

So, Valentine's Day, Cuba, first internationsal travel and first plane flight ever. Big day. I was up crazy early this morning because I was excited, so I spent most of my morning talking to people via text and wasting time. Talking to people was kind of nice before I left.

Plane rides are bearable, but they are SCARY AS HELL. Taking off and landing I was white-knuckled the whole time. (Good ice-wine mid-flight though.) I have only seen the resort in the dark so far, but it seems gorgeous. The beach is big and lovely. Plan to hit that first thing after breakfast tomorrow.

We got in at the resort at about 22:45 or so, by the time we got in at the airport and took a coach for an hour to the resort itself. Not bad time, I guess, but it sure makes for a long day. We got in and settled in our rooms and then went to the all-night bar, because it is the only place that you can get food after 22:00. I learned there that a daquiri is apparently just a cup full of run with some sugar and a lime. I did not enjoy it.

Mom was cute and tucked little heart chocolates into our luggage before we left, so when we got settled in, it was cute.

Well, it's now almost 02:00 and I am exhausted. Maybe my tiredness will make up for the ridiculously hard and uncomfortable bed. Here's hoping.