I'm back in Mexico and about to embark on the Copper Canyon. It's four times bigger than the Grand Canyon and is one of the first things I researched for this trip two and half years ago. I can't believe I'm finally about to experience it! I'm staying at the Plaza Inn, Los Mochis. After doing a reccie of the area I realised it's basically Parramatta Road -- lots of car dealerships and outdated shops. I find I'm buying bits and pieces, like fruit and water, so I can practice my Spanish. I get a few laughs but not in a [View Full Entry]

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I'm in SF until 19 August. It's great to see Matt again but treading water in SF has made me miserable. I can't wait to get back on track. [View Full Entry]

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I woke up at 5.30am and had asked for breakfast at 6.00am. I think Julia and Pena got drunk on the champagne last night because they were pretty rowdy and they didn't get up until 6.30am, the time my taxi was booked for. Julia wrapped up a tomales for me to snack on. I'd never been up at 6.30am in Santiago, it was definitely the best time of the day with the temperature just right. I literally spent all day in airports - from 6.45am to 8.00pm - Santiago de Cuba to Havana to Cancun to Mexico City. I was so [View Full Entry]

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I wanted to take a photo of my dead rat on the way to class but it was gone. I guess that's good timing seeing as it's my last day and I don't need its help with directions anymore. Today's class was another practical. Racquel took Amelia, Nana and I to the Cemetary. It's magnificant and has a changing of the guard of Jose Marti's grave every 30 minutes. It's pretty impressive. A lot of famous Cubans are buried there including Jose Marti, members of the Bacardi family (before the rest of the family pissed off to Puerto Rico after the [View Full Entry]

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Today we had a practical lesson and was really enjoyable. On Monday I told Clara how much I enjoyed a soup I tried in Colombia called 'Ajiaco'. She said they had a version of that soup in Cuba and we'd go to the markets and make the soup together. We went to the local markets where Cubans get their ration of vegetables from and found what we needed. Then the three of us sat around Raquel's dining table peeling corn, potatoes, plantains, etc. The process took three hours before we actually sat down for the meal. Of course the two male [View Full Entry]

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No class for me today as I went on a tour to the legendary Sierra Maestra mountains! I booked myself on an English speaking tour and I was told it would be me and two English speakers. They were a couple from Norway and very friendly. The rest of the group was made up of a dozen tourists from Barcelona. I've never seen so much jewellery worn on a tour. I thought it was in bad taste to flash so much gold around considering the poverty in Cuba. Obviously being robbed isn't a concern for them or maybe they're just too [View Full Entry]

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No class today as Clara has a medical appointment. I spent the afternoon at the Hotel Santiago swimming pool. Paula wanted to go to the beach but it would've taken forty minutes to get there and then only one of us could go swimming at a time so there would be one of us watching the bags at all times. Where's the fun in that? Instead I swam, drank lemon daiquiris and talked to another student, Melissa, and her Cuban 'boyfriend', Pedro. Melissa is 28yo and from Switzerland. She's in Santiago for four weeks Spanish college and then two weeks in [View Full Entry]

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Ask me about my day. I dare you to. Apparently today was another historical day so half of Cuba shut up shop early. Do these people ever work? The streets were packed by this stage and noisy kisses were being blown my way every ten minutes by sleazy Cuban men. It got to the point where I told every one of them to "fuck off". They probably didn't understand me with their limited English but it made me feel a hell of a lot better. I swear if I'm harrassed by one more Cuban man I will punch him in the [View Full Entry]

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I had my first dive in Cuba! Two reef dives lasting an hour each. The water was saltier than I've experienced and stung the hell out of my eyes. Some the fish I saw were amazing, one looked like it was made of mother of pearl and another looked like an RHI lightshow. I've never seen so many lizards as I have in Cuba. Bucanero had large iguanas walking around the dining tables, like how you'd see cats and dogs wandering around in Balinese and Thai restaurants. Some were quite big. Tiny lizards often scatter up the walls in my bedroom [View Full Entry]

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It's 2am and I just got home from Carnival. Katrin, Paula and I went with some Cuban guys to an outdoor concert to see two Cuban Reggaeton and Salsa groups perform. When we got to Raquel's they warned us not to wear any jewellery or to bring a purse because there are lots of bag snatchers. So of course I was on guard for the rest of the night, to the point of paranoia. When we finally got to the venue, it was chockers. I've never seen so many people squashed together for a concert. And the dancing -- Aussie guys [View Full Entry]

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