the horse and the bull

IMGP0454.JPG, originally uploaded by jill y.

Still can't believe this photo came from me- it's one of my favorite photos ever. Click on it to see it large.

I used to love these 20 years ago

Washing Grains from the Body Shop.

I adored them. The little cardboard tube with spice container top to shake them out. The little paste in my palm and the smooth soft effect left on my face and the soaplessness of it all.

Walking down Burrard yesterday, the "competition" had a big window display of rice washing grains. I went in. After inquiring about animal testing policies and useless ingredients I returned to my first love and bought a container or beloved washing grains. The instructions are to apply to a damp face and use circular motions. This lovely fine dust smells very slightly of lemons and sort of creams when it hits water. The result after 2 days is by skin is luminous and my pours are tighter and oddly my skin looks youthful.

Is it the washing grains or my memory?



If my favorite cosmetic company made these I would not have strayed, but what's a girl to do? But now I search the internet in hopes of making my own because at $32 a container- this love affair is doomed.

transportation Cuban style

transportation Cuban style, originally uploaded by jill y.

sticky & sweet

click on image to enlarge

Joyero...

Joyero..., originally uploaded by jill y.

every day I put more and more up

6- The view from the Bacardi Building, towards Florida, originally uploaded by jill y.

You can watch for more photos and look at what's up here.

if only I know now what I knew then

stalker

Oh my..

2 of my favorite bloggers are coming to town.

Mightygirl and Dooce will be in Vancouver.

Their blogging names make them sound like superheroes. I can imagine the floodlights. The film noir setting and finger wave curls and handbags. And Heather and Maggie in wonderwoman outfits with gold wristbands and red caps flapping in the wind.

I'll be the stranger in the fedora and trench coat asking if they want to buy a vowel. And you can just call me "More Kisses Please".

No, but seriously. What do you say to 2 people that you read about their lives via the Internet. So nice to meet you finally?

Oh whatever. I'm a goof. I'll take them some of my favorite soap and call it a freaky day.

on the move again..

02- 04 June- Scottsdale, Arizona
17- 20 June- Chicago, Illinois- CANCELLED and too bad for the Art Deco. The date with my camera will have to be postponed.

shortness of trip would suggest these are NOT leisure tours- but I do hope to catch some Art Deco in Chicago.

cross these off my list

I can cross off a few things from my list of 100 things to do before I die.

#16- pay someone's rent for 1 month- I have another candidate for this- but while a Cuban doesn't technically pay rent, I gave a Cuban couple 40 Convertible Pesos which is the equivalent of almost 1000 Cuban Peso.

#45- Inspire someone- Sonia says she is inspired to go to Cuba after hearing of my trip

#54- Visit Cuba before it's too late- it's never too late, but I'm glad I went.

keeping it alive

keeping it alive, originally uploaded by jill y.

it's a lonely planet

it is a lonely planet, originally uploaded by jill y.

I saw him sitting in the heavily tourist area of Havana Veija. He was a street beggar and maybe an alcoholic. His pants were soiled and I'm not even too sure if he grasped the fact that he was on hundreds of Lonely Planet Guide Books all around the world.

I wonder if they got a signed release or if he was paid?

I'm back. I'm working on my photos in bunches of 40 or so. It will take a while to get 800 photos up but you can keep an eye on them here.

modes of transportation

For all the different ways to get around in Cuba, I think I have tried it save for one or 2 (horse cart and shared taxi). I have done the freaky and life threatening Hersey Electric Train. I have taking a trip in the equally freaky and life threatening old belching 1940 Ford car's that clearly outnumber any other type of vehicle on the road. I took the horse drawn carriage ride, which was very lovely and advantagous to taking photos along the Malecon.

And today, I needed to go to Vedado and looked for a taxi. I saw a motorcyle with a sidecar and a little sign that said "taxi". Oh great fun!! So- off we went. I asked for a little tour and near the Plaza de la Revolution, we got a flat tire which I helped to change.

All part of the adventure.

Grateful for the help, the driver waited for me to get my posters and drove me back to where I started, the Hotel Floridita, all for 10 pesos.

Today, is my last day in Havana, save for tomorrow morning before I go. I am tanned, relaxed, tired of the humidity and pollution, grateful and looking forward to being home. I bought 3 year old rum and plan on having mohito's in the park on Sunday!

xox
Jill

the water is warm

I have left Havana on a overnight tour. What a wonderful way to travel. Really, it is just too hot to not go comfortable in an air conditioned coach while you jump off and see the best parts with a local telling you all that is signifigant.

Quite note to say I am on the beach on the south coast of Cuba outside Trinidad. I have dipped my toes in the Caribeean Sea. In case you want to look, I´m at Hotel Ancon.

More later..

Havana - Obispo Street

Havana - Obispo Street, originally uploaded by Macnabbs.

I walk down Obispo everyday. My Casa is on this street.

day tripper

I ususally find the idea of organized tours hideous and cheesy and remind me of school trips where I was scolded for breaking away from the pack- like that time we went to a ghost town and I was facinated with the inside of the building and the contents. What did those scraps of paper on the floor SAY?? I was reprimanded and sent back to the bus to wait for all the others. It was dangerous to go inside the building and shame on me. I still do it. I wander down the side street for the unexpected and of course, I still want to go inside the abandoned building and see what's what.

But I relented and took 2 day trips. Look, I'll just be straight up. Cuba's transportation system is a bit..ahem..troubling. They have been running Ford's from the 1930's and 40's on tractor motors. I saw a rigged up radiator from a 1 litre bottle and a tube duct taped to the outside of the fender!! So, it's not surprising that the electric train from 1910 was about to bounce off the tracks or stop working in the middle of nowhere.

I have made attempts to find my own way. The train station was a sea of madness with no oasis in sight. It was about 80 degrees humidity inside and I quickly became discourgaed to only sit on the curb with my water bottle and wonder if I should bother. But I did and I have to say the 2 days I spent travelling in airconditioned luxury as we wizzed past people trying to sell bricks of homemade cheese and bbq'd chicken in the middle of nowhere was, alternately guilt ridden and confortable.

I spent one day visiting Pinar Del Rio and and cigar factory- where I wandered down the street and took a rather captivating photo of an old farmer. Vinales valley and horse back riding on a ranch, hiking in old caves with a boat trip in the underground stream and walking through Vinbales itself- where I was left behind by the tour bus for lagging behind- shame on me!! (They came back and got me.)

The next day I went to Las Terrasas- which is an eco village and a national park. We had lunch of roast pork, rice, beans, cucumber, tomatoes, taro chips, coffee and custard in a beautiful old hotel with trees growing through the middle of it. We visited the ruins of a coffee plantation and I picked limes and mangoes growing on trees. I took a "canopy tour" where you get in a harness and get attached to a cable and zip down a line through a valley. It was nothing short of amazing!!

Tommorrow, I am taking an overnight trip to Santa Clara, Trinidad, Cienfugos and Santi Cristi. I leave at 6am Tuesday and will get back late Wednesday- which leaves me with Thursday as my last day in Havana and I fly home on Friday.

I have also found the mother of all Cuban souveniers. No it is not cheap cigars or rum. I found a place that sells hand screened Cuabn independant movie posters for about 12 apeice. The art is amazing and startling and freaking wonderful. Some of them are very 60's looking and one was in an Art Nouveau styling. I bought 5 but I will go back and buy more and keep my fingers crossed that they are not confinscated at the airport.

So Mom, if you are reading this.. that is what I did with my birthday money.. bought day trips outside of Havana and bought beautiful old movie posters.

By far- I have to say that this trip to Cuba has been the most relaxing and enjoyable holiday I have ever had. Better than Prague. Better than Paris. Better than 6 months in Europe. I have never felt so relaxed or at ease in so long. Maybe it is because no matter where I go, what I see or who I meet- there is no North America- McDonald's, Starbucks, Levis, or Coca Cola and oddly no Americans or Canadians either. Most people I meet are from South America, Mexico or Italy. Lovely bunch.

Love,

Jill

I have just discovered the tourist office a few feet from my Casa!!

Tomorrow I am on a full day tour of the valley of Vinales, that includes caves, mountains and a tobacco farm.

Sunday I will be off on another tour of the Cuban wilderness and countryside.

Mom- Happy Mother's Day if I don't have a chance to contact you.


xoxox

checked off

-visited the Revolution Square
-knocked on the grave of La Milagrossa
-taken a ride in a 1950 Buick (likely with a tractor engine)
-drank a Mijoto
-got lost in Vedado
-rode the only electric train in Cuba
-haggled and had a trip on a bici-taxi
-walked Calle 23
-did not drink in one of Hemigway's many drinking spots
-had a coffee with a local in a peso bar
-washed my clothes by hand
-cut the legs off my pants
-cut the sleeves off my top
-got a sunburn
-got shortchanged
-ate the local cuisine of grilled fish, rice and beans, cabbage and papaya juice
and
-bought a souveneir that was not Che related

bird song

Someone, every day, opens the window and steps out onto a ledge that overhangs the street of the green building across the street from my Casa. They hang a little rusty bird cage on a nail. A pretty little songbird flutters inside, but outside. Fresh air and a cool breeze is readily available. Someone gives the little bird a bit of food and water everyday. No need to fight, for this little bird. It can sit on it's perch and sing, happily, as long as the day is bright.

I see this birdcage every day and see an ornate antique cage. It's rusted bars contrasting against the tranquile tourqoise green. The little bird inside must be teased relentlessly with the freedom just on the other side. The other birds that swoop, flutter and perch at will, wherever they please.

Today I met a couple in their 60's. They asked me if I was Norweigan or Dutch. We had a friendly conversation and I asked them where they were from and they laughed and told me they were from Havana. With shared English skills we chatted and strolled and they told me their story over lunch. They told me of life in Cuba. Of their careers as an accountant and a secretary. He told me of how he lost his job for making a remark in the street against the goverment and how it was overheard. The told me of the ration card and the average salary. I was startled to learn that I had without a thought, spent a months salary in a day wandering around Havana.

I bought them lunch and slipped 40 Peso Convertables into his pocket. I told them I was very lucky to have such a good job and with opportunity. I told them I was lucky to be so free to travel and see this beautiful city that reminded me so much of places like Paris, Barcelona, New Orleans and a bit of Marrakesh thrown in. I told him I was grateful that no one cared whether or not I liked the goverment or voted. I told them the day of conversation, of sharing and their company was a great gift.

They walked me back to my casa and I pointed out the little birdcage hanging from a nail high up on a wall and I saw that they too have the cool breeze and fresh air available to them, that they are provided with food and shelter, but they too are caged and not free as they should be to sing their heart's song. Alberto and Teresita, still, manage to be heard.

I am privledged and happy, I hope, to count myself among their friends.

Hershey Train

HersheyTrain, originally uploaded by BikeTrip.