Farewell to Cuba

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Hi everyone,

My last day in Havana today. I will be sad to say goodbye to Cuba as I have lots of fond memories now etched into the eclectic landscape of my mind.

I caught up with Laura my friend from the UK again here and we have been hanging out and having lots of fun.

We have been having dinner at the Hotel Sevilla which has the most amazing view of the city from its resturant on the 9th Floor. You can really imagine Frank Sinatra singing a few songs around the grand piano here. It is beautiful inside and out and it has an internet cafe as well which is where I am now and its about 2 mins from my hotel...bonus! I have a few pics to show you so you can see how beautiful it is. If I ever come back to Havana I will stay here.

On Friday night we had a nice merlot from Chile a couple of pina coladas and then headed out to cut some salsa moves on the dance floor. We wandered across the road to where some music was blasting only to be told we could not enter the club as we were not of arabic decent. I didn't think I would ever experience discrimination in cuba but there you go. Laura has blonde hair so we couldn't even bullshit our way in the door. So we asked some policemen where would be a good place to go and ended up at a venue not too far away which was $10 to get in and included one free drink and salsa lessons...can't go wrong with this and later headed over to Casa de la Musica (there is one in every city here).

We had an abosoloute ball and big fat hangovers yesterday after getting home when everyone else was probably getting up! I just can't keep up the pace any more however am giving it a good go!!

So we took it easy for most of yesterday, managed to go to China town for a "sort of" chinese meal. Do you believe that ham and cheese was on the menu here...there is just no way to get away from ham and bloody cheese in Cuba!

In the afternoon we were both really tired so decided to take a little tour of the city by horse and carriage which was so much fun. We saw heaps of great spots that we hadn't come across including a bar where Hemmingway used to frequent where the drinks are 3 times the price of anywhere else.

We had a couple of crystal beers in the back and bought the two tourguides who happened to be brothers a couple of bucanaro beers which they finished off in no time and then finished the second half of ours as well cos we were struggling from the night before.

So as well as descriptions of all the major sights we were chatted up the whole way and they wanted a kiss for their trouble. We paid $20 for the hour and I said that if they wanted a kiss they had to pay for that and it would cost way more than they could afford so too bad so sad. I can get very cheeky especially after a couple of drinks as most of you would know. Anyway we had heaps of fun.

Last night we headed to the most famous cabaret show in Cuba...Tropicana it has been runnings for about 50 years and it was nothing short of amazing. The colours, the music and the acrobatics were top class. I have some fantastic photos which I hope I can post in Mexico. Women and men with the best bums I have ever seen I am definitely starting salsa lessons when I get home with the hope that my bum could some day look like that as well!!

Off to Mexico city this afternoon and I will be taking it easy tonight. I have managed to fit all my stuff into my backpack and two other bags without too much of a struggle which has been good.

There is only a couple of things I really want to see in Mexico city and I am so looking forward to getting home and sleeping in my wonderful bed and taking Spencer for heaps of walks that is if he remembers who I am by the time I get home.

I can't wait to catch up with you all and show you all of my photos. This truly has been an amazing journey for me, one where I have also learnt so much about myself and other people and one which will stay with me for the rest of my life. I am so glad that I have been able to share it with you all and I hope you have enjoyed reading about my experiences and seeing my photos (except for Cuba so far).

I hope to post one more journal from Mexico and all of my photos if not I will post them when I get home.

love to you all and see you soon

Sim xxx

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