El final de Cuba y la empieza de Panama

Hey!

I am not sure if anyone has read my last post but I am just going to launch into the end of the Cuba chapter!
So we had our day in the Valley with yoan which was great as I said, and then that night we went to "The Club" - the only club in Vinales. It was a bit of a culture shock to what we had seen in Habana... it was outside and there was a random show going down with crazy ladies dressed in what looked like granny's knitted toilet rollholder stuff (you know the stuff!). I figured it was probably their attempt at their version of a night in Tropicana, which we couldn't afford so we couldn't complain about a cheap taster. Afterwards a little more salsa and then onto the regeton (which is more like what we would listen to at home) with a few very old english songs chucked in along the way...

Apparently you canny get away from the old Salsa! Yoan and a friend of his - Ishbel took it upon themselves to teach us the latin american way - apparently it's all about the rythmo hips y los ojos! I prefer the english way - all about the beer and farting but hey when in Cuba do as the cubans do...

The next day we had the BEST day of our trip so far. We got a guide to take us on horses into a different part of the valley. The horses were hilarious and wanted to trot the whole time which was rather bouncy and uncomfortable for the old derrier! Anyway we made our way into the valley to a tobacco farm where we met a rather dashing tobacco farmer. He told us all about making cigars and gave us drinks in coconuts (yet more rum!). Apparently the government give every farmer the same amount of seeds and after 9 whole months of long hard work they take 90% away and leave the rest for the farmer to sell. Justice? I don't think so. But when you ask questions about why there are certain rules and ways everyone just answers with a simple "this is cuba" - so we stopped asking why!

Whilst in this farm (basically a wooden hut) drinking our ron and smoking our cigars another guide turned up with two honeymooners from Israel. The four of us our rum, cigars and our two guides made our way from the farm to the caves.

Who would have thought not even a year ago I was scared of horses and here I was drinking rum and smoking a cigar on one?! How cuban!

Anyway the caves - they were huge and we trekked (slight over exageration) inside them with two torches for 14km where inside the cave were two natural pools. And yes we swam in them... totally crazy it was pitch black and the water freezing but what an experience!!

When we had finished rubbing "mud with minerals" all over our body and chilling out in the pitch black pool off we went back to our caballos (horses). Flo and I asked our guide if we could gallop... little did we know the two of us would be galloping off into the sunset with no guide and just the wind beneath our feet. It was amazing I felt like I was in some sort of film - the sun set and within what felt like seconds we were galloping around in the moonlight - luckily the horses knew where we were going! If I was ever going to "find myself" as one does on their gap yah - this would have been it - but afraid to say I didnt find much! But totally amazing and when sitting on the porch that night in a rocking chair with my mojito and cigarette I thought if time could stop right now....

Our final day was more relaxing and we made our way to a hotel in vinales to use their pool. That night we partied the night away and during the random show they held that night (an african themed something) I got dragged up on stage... slightly embarrasing but all part of the experencia. Met some crazy travellers and it was a nice break from the strenuous salsa as they didnt have one rythmic bone in their bodies!

So bye bye cuba... what a GREAT time we had. It was really sad to have to go and we could only hope that the fun would continue. That was until we hit the outskirts of Panama. Oh dear... what a shithole?! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! Not much to say really - ate in the skankiest food place (one could not call it a restaurant!) for $5 and decided to make our way to the Panama Canal as that was supposed to be amazing. Hum.... the "highlight" of Panama. Well i'll tell ya if thats the highlight all I can say is adios Panama hello Costa Rica. We are going to make our way out of here asap... tomorrow morning and lets just pray that "things can only get better".

Hope all is well with everyone at home!
Lots of Love xxxx
ps. am going to try and get photos going on facebook xxx