troubles of a backpacker in Cuba.........

and finally after days of searching I find a computer that works.............

Have been encountering a few troubles here:
- electricity
- buses
- money
-weather

Power troubles in the country
To all that think the electrical Supply problem is bad at home, well folks be grateful........... over here in some places ur almost guaranteed it going off a few times in the evening. Simply dont have the capacity and then about 7ish as it gets dark everyone turns on light and starts cooking etc and BANG the flickering starts, and she disappears altogether. One benefit of the total darkness is great views of the stars. But not great if ur trying to find ur way home and not too sure..............

Locals are obviously used to it, its only gone a min or so and next thing u see all these battery powered light up and running. It can be lethal on the roads though as none of the cyclists (and there are lots) have lights nor go the horse/oxen and carts (but at least u can hear them coming!)

The scary thing is though, that is National Year of Energy Conservation here and the are talking of cutting off the Gas, which most people cook with so power sit will be worse!!!

As a final note, these damn power cuts aint nice as uv spent 20 mins typing and just b4 u get a chance to press "send" ya loose power.........

rip of of Bus transport
While the local transport is good value they really screw the tourists getting around the country. Granted they are fine Air Con buses, but they know to charge (eg 3 hour journey cost price of a nights accommodation!).

We are getting smart, for yesterdays trip managed to sort a taxi for only $3 more than the bus would have cost. Though we´d done well getting the taxi -more space, took only 6 hours compared to the bus 11 hours inlc transfer. Then surprise, surprisee as he collected us in the morningthee told us that there were another 3 to be squeezed in besides us. (even though we were half expecting something like that to happen..........)

Money
Fidel and his boys are making some money from us changing money. With the worsening in US/Cubann relations they now change a 12% commission on those takingmoneyy out of Credit Cards. Anyone on the way here, bring plenty of cash and in EUROs. We have just taken out a few hundred this morning and between myself and Moya have paid the equivalent of nearly more that 6 people monthlyy salary!!!!

thats about it for the rambling, gotta get to the beach while the sun is out