03.02.2017 Cuba – second try

Because I had to leave Cuba on my last visit after one week, I came back for another try. This time I came with my mom and I wanted to travel the other part of the island.

We arrived from Cancun on the 27^th of January. The first two nights we stayed in Habana Viejo which was a good choice in order to see the old part of the town and to get the real ‘Habana feeling’ in the night: rum and salsa everywhere.

As we wanted to leave Habana on the 29^th we got to feel how the dividing of the tourists and Cubans is affecting the people’s minds (I got to feel it before, but this time even stronger). We went to take the tourist bus ‘Viazul’, but they told us we are not allowed to buy tickets, we have to take the more expensive collectivo. All Cubans we had asked, said that of course we can take the ‘Viazul’, it´s made for tourists. The next day we took it without any problem from Cienfuegos to Trinidad (well, it´s just a problem to get a free ticket).

We arrived after 3,5 hours in Cienfuegos for 15 CUC each, as a man heard us discussing in the terminal and have had a good day and took just us back to his ‘casa particular’.

Capitolio Habana

Malecón Habana

Habana vieja

25.12.16 Feliz navidad y “Tu estas mi novia”

So we left Marta's house in the morning of the 23^rd, to make a quick stop in Pinar del Rio and Vinales and arrive in time at the beach. As it is Cuba we left semi early and arrived finally around 4 pm in Pinar del Rio. So we decided to stay the night and really leave early the next morning. We asked the two nice old lady's at our 'casa particular' for a place to dance Salsa.

                                                                                                                                 31.12.16

So we went to the club which was located closer to the center. Already at the entrance there were some colorful gay's flirting. I was positively surprised as I wasn't sure to see homosexual people that open in the streets of Cuba. As we entered it fast become clear to us, that this was a gay club. Eduardo looked a bit scared at me and said: “If someone ask: You are my girlfriend!” I was laughing and exited for a night of dancing without guy's trying to flirt with me. Well, I did not thought about crazy, Cuban lesbians. So after the really good shows of the event and some good rum, I ended up saying to Eduardo: “Please, say you are my boyfriend!” But none seemed to care. So after a fight over me in a girls bathroom with 3 toilets I just wanted to end this crazy but as well funny night.

The next morning we enjoyed a good breakfast and left Pinar del Rio a bit hungover to Vinales. There we walked around in the beautiful colonial city center before trying to take a 'Wau-Wau' to Puerto Esperanza, a small village without tourists – as we have been told. Well, as it was Christmas eve there was nearly no public transportation. So after a while of waiting we made our way out of town and had luck with our first hitch hike. So we ended up in front of our 'casa particular' for the night. We got asked what we wanted to have for the Christmas dinner and decided to listen to the locals to have fish and lobster. First we wanted to go to our goal – The beach! But well, there is a reason why there are nearly no tourist: there is no sand at the beach. Anyway we spend a nice Christmas close to the ocean and had a delicious dinner! And for the 25^th we left hitch hiking by horses, trucks, in the back of trucks and vans to arrive at the beautiful beach of Cayo Jutias. It was more local tourists, sand, nature, rum and mojito – so everything we wanted to have for Christmas. In the night we had some troubles and fights about where to go and where to sleep. It was exhausting and after local rice and rum at a small salsa place I woke up with a bad stomach in the night. So as Eduardo believed, we don't have enough time and was short on money and I just felt more exhausted after all the throwing up, we changed the plan and went all the way back to La Habana instead of Maria de la gorda.
As we arrived things got more complicated and I felt just more exhausted. I knew I have to leave Cuba way earlier as planned and as I could not even talk to my family on the 24^th I went to change my flight to the 28^th back to Cancun. So the 27^th we spend in La Habana, which had nice and not so nice parts for me, but an amazing atmosphere. I enjoyed two days with friends at the beach and arrived two hours ago in Germany.
Sometimes we have to follow our inner feelings. But I know I will come back to Cuba.
Overall the people have been very nice and helpful. A lot out of the reason to make some money with us, but as a traveler I´m used to that.

Cuba is a very chilled island who missed around a century, with even more chilled people who want to be just as cool as the 'gringos'. It has a lot to offer and is unique for a lot of things. Nos vemos pronto!

21.12.16 Arriving in an old world

As I decided to go to Cuba, to fulfill myself this big dream, I had no idea what will happen and what a big adventure it would be.
After running to the airport in Cancun yesterday I needed to wait 5 more hours for my plane to leave. Cubana gave us a 200 Pesos voucher for food for the delay. Sandwich, water and a banana is what you get for this an an airport. So we would not arrive before 23 o'clock in La Habana, as I thought. I had no time to book any accommodation, just searched for some directions and planned to just walk around. I knew that will be complicated now. So I asked this girl about a public bus to leave the airport and if she knew a place to stay. “Yeah let's talk as we arrive.” Well, something. But there where these four people: loud, colorful and with a lot of luggage (like a lot of people. I mean some brought packages of toilet paper. I got a bit scared.) Rolling eyes. Waiting longer in the line. So now, these people enter the plane and sit next to me! Of course. Of course they start drinking their own Vodka. “No thanks.” But then it turns out my luck in traveling comes back. “Sure, I can call someone for a place.” “35 Dollar.” “No.” “OK.” And then he called his mom to ask if I can stay there for the night. Turns out Marta, the black colorful woman with the too long nails to handle a phone, is the mother of one of the men. 72. Respect. She can handle Facebook better then I. And green hair and a leggings with a fitting colorful top, well who can, can.
No question, a German girl traveling alone to Cuba without a plan will come home with her. Two offers of a bed for the night in 25 minutes, in a country, where it is illegal to have foreigners in your house without registration. Suerte.
                                                                                                                    22.12.16
As we where standing in the airport waiting for our luggage, I got an idea how Cube is: the airport never saw any renovation and the luggage got searched by hand which took them more then four hours (then our stuff was there and we left. A lot of people where still standing there at 3 in the night.)
Then we where standing a long while in front of the airport, talking to family members. Same thing in front of the house. Hey, Kata wanted to see Cuba, let's go and drive una vuelta when it is dark and I was already falling a sleep 10 times.
But I learned a lot as always:

1. The car in which we where driving around is from 1983. I think top speed was 45 km/h. Sometimes we had to stop to close a door or plug the speaker back in. I was impressed by the spirit that people in Cuba have to keep their rolling museums alive.
2. People here have time. It seems like the bus is waiting and no one has anything to do the next day.
3. Children don't have to sleep at any time in the night. Children running in and in front of the airport. We arrived around 3 in Mantilla, at Martas house and the kids where still there and no one was caring about making them sleep.
4. Everyone seems to know everyone.
   Highlight before I could finally fall in a bed in my own room (!) at 5 am in the morning, was the idea to play trompeta on the street at 4 am. (Fyi: just one woman was screaming something after some minutes.)

As I woke up I asked for the famous hotspots in the parks to check some things for my new freelance job. Well.... turned out some clever people came and blocked the free wifi signal and sell access. 1 Dollar and one hour of really slow internet. Which is expensive here. What is expensive too is beer: 1,50 Dollar a bottle of Heineken. What is cheap is Rum! 3,50-5 Dollar the bottle (Bacardi/Havana/and a lot of nice local brands). So I decided to get holiday and drink rum. We had a nice Cuban meal and went to the ¨internet house¨ in this neighborhood. 1 Dollar as long as you want. There I could work this and the next day. Slow but at least I could finish some things. In the night we heated some water for a hot wash, played domino with 72 year old Marta and had some 1 Dollar local beer and rum.
 

What luck I had to one more meet the right people. With Eduardo, a family friend from Mexico City, I warmed lemons for the first and probably last time in my life. That's what you do when you love rum and the only lemons in the house are frozen in the freezer. One who loves rum, warmes the lemons for it by hand and gently blowing warm air.

“Vamos a calentar lemones”.

And some more things:

5. Just in case you forgot what no American products means: This is the first place in the world where I can't find Coca Cola or Pepsi.
6. There are still people who think this weird gangster style from 1990/2000 is cool.
   
   

   

   Feliz navidad

   

   Different religious cults

   

   Cuban tradition: Domino

09.12.16 ...and suddenly Mexico oO

I guess I owe you guys some explanations :)

So, since 4 weeks I live in Tulum, Mexico. The first days I spend washing cloth (of course by hand), cooking healthy again, buying stuff in the supermarket, going to the beach...

Life works different in Mexico and way different in Tulum.
It was nice to stay at a place again after rushing so much. And then so many of my friends asked me: Why? Why are you rushing so much? Why are you going to Mexico. So here comes the answer: I wanted Tacos. So here I am, in a country who wasn't on the list for this travel. Not traveling, but doing other things.

I started to work in a hotel. They needed a receptionist. Turned out by that the guy meant: right hand, organizer, manager, someone for marketing and a lot more. And again as life goes, now I have a second job, working as a freelancer for a company in Austria as a marketing manager.
So, here is what I do right now. Further plans? Yes! A lot! But nothing decided yet. So thanks for following till here, I will keep you up to date.

Me at the beach in Tulum at the super moon 2016

23.11.16 Paraguay and where am I?

I arrived in Asuncion in the middle of the night. But Romania was very understanding and opened her doors for me. She is a beautiful young woman with a beautiful daughter and even a beautiful job. She might be one of the only organic farmers existing in Paraguay. She told me about her hard work every day and how little it pays. But for her it's a passion and conviction of her profession.

As I arrived earlier as planned there was still another couchsurfer in the morning, Robin form England. We spend the day walking through Asuncion. In the night I cooked for Romina and some friends and we shared the thrill with the presidential elections in the US. Of course no one was amused. The next morning I was meeting with Robin again to go to Caacupe, a pilgrims town with a big cathedral. After we continued to San Bernadino, the very quite “San Tropez” of Paraguay. It was a beautiful day and we for once got to be the attraction at a school dance, as we asked to watch the children practicing.

In the late evening I took a taxi that brought me to the airport. I took a flight and after some cookies and a few hours of sleep I arrived in Panama city. I spend a beautiful day in the Panama Viejo and even made it, very tired already, to the Panama Canal. It was very impressive!

I made it to the airplane taking me to Los Angeles. As I finally made it through all the silly security process, Cosmo was already waiting for me with a car! I met him as he was an Airbnb guest in my home in Gerlingen. He took me with his lovely girlfriend to an In&Out for real American burgers and after to his place t taste some good American beers. We had a good, of course political, talk. So I could just get 2 hours of sleep before taking my Uber to the airport again. And then I finally arrived in Tulum, Mexico.

Escuela J.H. Pestalozzi

17.11.16 Las cataratas

So it´s a while that I was still in Brazil.

In the morning of the 3^rd we left to go slowly to Balneario Camboriu to see some of the beautiful beaches in the area. Our first stop was Porto Belo. A very nice and quite beach. After some more stops we arrived in Balneario Camboriu, where we took another room, for the last time. The next morning they left to travel more up in Brazil and I would spend the day at the beach and walking though town. Around 7pm my night bus to Foz do Iguacu left. Expensive again.
So Saturday the 5^thin morning I arrived in the border town next to the cataratas de Iguazu. At the terminal a Colombian girl asked me for help, as I was speaking Spanish. So I took her to my couchsurfer to ask him for a hostel. We decided to go to the Brazilian side of the waterfalls right away and together. It was just amazing. Breathtaking. I an just recommend everyone to go there. And to go to the Brazilian side first. Cause everyone tells you the Argentinian side is more beautiful. After that day I couldn't believe there is existing such thing as 'more beautiful' for what I've seen. On Sunday I needed to relax, do laundry and we spend some time in the mall with Maria and Dieuner. On Monday I got up early, as it is a long trip with public buses and the Argentinian side should be even bigger.
I spend all day to walk through all the different path getting more impressed by this piece of work from nature. Back to Puerto Iguazú and with another bus to Foz do Iguacu. Shower and running to the bus station for the bus to Paraguay. We weren´t sure what time the last bus was leaving. It turned out if left already. But a guy from Paraguay missed it too. So he found a taxi from Paraguay and explained, that thooe are way cheaper then taking one from Brazil. Stamp, bridge, stamp. I realized some differences even before we entered Paraguay as the driver and the guy just released their seat belts. But this part you already know.

07.11.16 Where am I?

Too much to tell again. In such a short time so many things happened.

Today I woke up in Brazil, went to Argentina, back to Brazil and 2 hours ago I arrived in Ciudad del Este in Paraguay.

So far the people are really nice, but the town looks fucked up after being in Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil. Let´s wait for Asuncion, where to I´m heading right now. I arrived here with a taxi that I shared with a guy from here, as we both missed the last bus from Foz de Iguacu. First difference I noticed was, that right after leaving Brazil being on a bridge of 'no man's land', the taxi driver and the guy just released their seat belts.

At the bus terminal I needed to find money and a bus. The guy at the cheap 'Palma Lomos' booth was very helpful and took care of my luggage as I went to get money for the ticket. I came back and he safed me 1.000 Guarani`s as he didn´t had change. Then insisted I eat my bread in his booth talking about languages.

I start to understand what people meant by 'Paraguay is so cheap'. I payed 600 for a bread in the supermarket and 60.000 for a 7 hours bus ride to Asuncion (6.327 Guarani`s are 1 €). Finally a country I feel richer again. But not all will be that cheap.

But let`s finish the stories about my last days.

So the 2nd we spend all day driving to as far up as we could get in Brazil. So nothing special happened, except crossing a boarder with absolutely no control. Nada. I had to go and ask for a stamp. And I had a little drama in a bank as the ATM said my action was successful, but gave me none of the 350 Reales I asked for.

We arrived around midnight in Florianopolis and decided to not spend the night at the island, as it was dark already. We found a nice and payable hotel and shared a room.

After a good breakfast we drove to the island. The two just laid on the beach and my search for a doctor on an island on a public holiday began. As I woke up that day with an awful pain in my head. Long story short, I booked a flight the night before and I knew it was the cold that I had in Chile 4 weeks ago that finally got bad. 5,5 hours. First bus. Wait. Next bus. Hospital. Wait. Farmacia. Wait. Bus. Walk.

I mean who wants to enjoy the first really warm day in Brazil at a beach, watching the world championship in surfing, when he can have this?!

But I learned something: Going to a public hospital is free. Even for me. The infusion against the pain would have been too. As I thanked the doctor and told her how good that is, she said: 'Well the antibiotics you have to buy, as I can´t give it to foreigners. And you needed to wait.'

I could just lough. Try to wait less in a German hospital – on a public holiday. Or just simply when you have made an appointment weeks before. And no one wants to pay that bill.

As I came walking back the street to the beach, I realized that it might take a while for us to leave the parking close to the beach, as everyone wanted to leave now. I just wanted to lay in a bed and sleep, as I felt like shit and had still this very strong pain (painkiller is just not for me), but my luck didn´t came back the whole day. It took us 4 hours to leave the parking. One more to give up searching a cheap accommodation on the island, so we ended up in the same hotel as the night before.

(I know why this bus was 30.000 cheaper. Except from the old bus with a strong smell, it looks right now as in a public bus in Sri Lanka.) Guess it will be another night without good sleep for me.

Isla Florianopolis

Isla Florianopolis