To those of you who I revealed our travel plans to, whose eyes shot wide open and mouths dropped to the ground (as if you got a pinch on the bum); the ones who were too polite to question us or call us crazy, even if that was what you wanted to say. You know who you are! Last night (23rd September) might go a little way to explaining our motives. When at home and working, you never seem to have the time or you are too tired to enjoy the simple things in life. More to the point, you forget [View Full Entry]

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During the three weeks we spent in Havana, James and I walked virtually the length and breadth of the city - somedays exploring on foot for over five hours (all the football matches are really paying off and my knee has been holding up nicely). Apart from the fact that it costs nothing, walking is the ONLY way to truly get to know a place; to scratch under the surface and glimpse at snippets of daily life behind the gloss of tourism. It's funny how routines can be monotonous, boring and tiresome when they are your own, yet fascinating and insightful [View Full Entry]

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If you are blind, use a wheelchair, or are unsteady on your feet and heading to Havana, TURN BACK NOW! Havana may be one of the most beautiful cities in the world but its footpaths are like an army assualt course, and a very dangerous one at that. A mine field would be no hassle to us anymore. The first few days in Havana were spent looking at our feet and warning each other..."Mind that hole", "Careful there", "God that´s dangerous", "Hole!", "Careful", "Dog poo", "Watch Out", "Good god", "Hole", "Poo"...and I could go on. Some holes even had rusty bars [View Full Entry]

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Those of you who know my father will know that he is a self-made professor of history. On learning that Jess and I were headed to Cuba, he produces an old letter from a haphazard filing system in the back room where all the old photos, letters, poems, songs and all sorts of other things are kept. The letter was dated 7th January 1949 with an address in Havana, and was written by Ellen McGrath De Galban, a cousin, to my grandmother. So Jess and I were to become detectives for a day in Cuba. Dirty work but someone's got to [View Full Entry]

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Cinemas are pretty popular in Havana and there are a good number dotted around the place. The Charlie Chaplin cinema is in Vedado on Calle 23 between 10 and 12, and just around the corner from where we are staying. It has an arty feel - a few stunning black and white photographs of classic Cuban cinematography graced minimal white walls in the foyer and the boho crowd wouldn't have looked out of place in New York or London with their ethnic scarfs and bangles and manbags and slanted haircuts. Fairly unassuming from the outside, we were stunned when we walked [View Full Entry]

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It is impossible to close your ears to the vibrant sounds of the city. Habana Vieja (Old Havana) dances to a rhythmic beat. Starting early, it continues until well after dark. Every street, every plaza, every cafe is filled with lively music and singing. The city´s signature soundtrack is hypnotic; without realising I have found myself walking along in time. Stop for even a moment, and spontaneously your feet tap or hips wiggle or head bops. Its addictive - from street to street you are pulled in by talented musicians playing a range of instruments, from pianos to guitars, drums to [View Full Entry]

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You might be wondering about the distinct lack of photographs in this blog. Well, our camera was swiped. And on our first day too! James and I are fairly seasoned travellers, having backpacked previously in places like Venezuela, Peru, Argentina, Tanzania and Rwanda. never before have we had anything stolen abroad. So you could say we were due. Kick number one: I put my bag on the arm of a chair in a cafe. (In my defense, the chair was right up against a wall, it was never left unattended and James sat opposite me.) Enter the two cunning thieves, a [View Full Entry]

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Hola! So we’re all packed up, the to-do lists have been ticked off and we’ve double triple checked our passports. Tomorrow we will wake up in Europe and fall asleep in Cuba ready to begin the One Way Supertramp tour through Central and South America. The goodbyes, the phone calls, the cards…sometimes it’s not till you leave and you have to say goodbye that you realise that it is too easy to take for granted what people mean to you. To our friends and family, thanks for all your support. One question we’ve been asked a lot these past few weeks [View Full Entry]

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