Cuba – Day 10 (Last Full Day)

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My final post from Cuba!!

It’s our final full day here today, so one of our last chances to soak up the sun, eat at the Troughery, and try out a themed restaurant. Tomorrow, we’re off to the airport at about lunch-time on an overnight flight – and hopefully in Blighty for Lunch on Friday.

We slipped easily into yesterday’s routine – some of us did the Gym whilst others did the Tech. With our bodies and Blogs now beach-ready, it was off for Breakfast (that turned out to be better than previous visits in every sense and where it was also less busy). My omelette was perfect and we all had a full set of cutlery too! A miracle! When I’d recovered from the shock, it was off to the area near the pool for a bit of ‘last-day lizarding’.

Some Feat! – The View from Lounger no. 247

Whoosh!, it was lunchtime and we headed off to the Port Royal Beach Grill for lunch.

The Port Royal Beach Grill – Best for Lunch!

We started the packing straight after lunch (always the least-enjoyable part of  holiday!) and we cracked the majority of it. unusualy, we seem to be going back with much less, but I’m sure Cuba will benefit from an extra sink for one of its kitchens!

We were now ready for our final visit to one of the themed restaurants. Tonight, it’s the Oriental Restaurant called ‘Bamboo’. After the previous two nights where the eateries have all been a bit disappointing, we were hoping tonight – our last evening meal – would be memorable for all the RIGHT reasons.

And rather surprisingly, it WAS! Great hospitality and easily the tastiest food we’ve eaten since we’ve been out here!

So it was the perfect end to the holiday with our great friends Ralph and Karen – we’ve had a great time (although for us, the food’s been mostly disappointing). The weather, in spite of the daily warning of rain, never really materialised in any great quantity, and that’s helped with the mosquito-count. I think we’re both ready for ‘normality’ now – and a mosquito-free Northamptonshire!!

15 Things we’ve learned about Cuba
– The State owns (or has a 51% interest in) most things
– It even owns all the cows!
– Kill a cow and you will be punished more severely than if you killed a colleague
– Chickens are rare – so is chicken as a dish, and most of it is imported
– A typical Cuban dish consists of rice and vegetable
– There are two currencies. One for Tourists and one for Nationals (and even our Guide found it frustrating)
– In Havana, there is big business in being the owner of a car from the 50s – and becoming a taxi-driver
– The first letter of a Cuban number-plate denotes the owner’s job (mostly) – d = Diplomat, f = armed forces, p = privately owned
– Potholes are a feature of the roads – and the pavements. H and S would have a busy time
– The taxis vary enormously in their road-worthiness. Some have working dashboards, some don’t. Seatbelts in the back are not guaranteed – and nor is air-con
– It’s a poor country but there are no obvious signs of begging
– The State owns all five TV stations, and they’re all broadly similar in content
– There’s no equivalent of ‘Private Eye’ magazine. Criticism of the State is considered ‘inappropriate’
– Most of Cuba’s tourism comes from East Germany, then it’s Canada
– Perhaps most importantly of all, everyone has a job, even if it’s not your preferred choice!

Hola Cuba! Kettering here we come – I have a hankering for beans on toast!