I had a wonderful stay with Elio and Elana. Even met their daughter and his momma this morning. I suggested they needed a book for guests to sign so they started one.
After pictures and bike rides, I headed out of town. They had all agreed that the mountain route was not possible by bike, so I decided to do the back roads to the coast road. What an adventure that turned out to be. It looked so simple on my app. Just follow the blue line. Not! Very confusing back in the orchards on the dirt road. And people telling me not to go the way my app wanted to send me. And me not understanding their directions.
Ola! I did manage to get out on the coast road eventually but my route took me 6 miles longer than if I'd stayed on main roads:). And it was a lot more fun!! When I got to the turnoff for the mountains, I decided to go for it. So I turned up. There was a town about 5 miles up and I figured I could get a casa particulare there then head on. Well, it's quite primitive up here. The woman at the store where I bought water said there was no place to stay and that I could not take a bicycle into the mountains. Not possible. As I was preparing to leave someone comes and tells me to stop. A young man has offered a place. For $20 with meals. So I followed him home. This is a true Cuban experience!! He's sold me his bed! He's going to his grandparents for the night.
I'm sitting at the table watching Momma clean the rice for dinner. He just gave me a bracelet that he made. How do these miracles happen to me? I couldn't have orchestrated this. And tomorrow I'll ride back down and take the coast road. I came up that hill just for this and it was worth it!!!
There are banana, mango, and coconut trees in the back yard. It's lovely and rustic.
The bathroom is the most primitive I've been in. Washing in a bucket. Flushing with water from a bucket. Wiping with newspaper and putting it on the basket. This is probably how many people live here.
Daniel, the young man, is quite a horticulturist. The plants around the yard are all his doing. And there are potted plants and hanging plants everywhere! He wants to work in a museum for plants. He does little log gardens and sells them in the market. His girlfriend, Yumi, does nails. What an artist she is! She showed me samples of her artistry and I was flabbergasted at her talent and creativity.
Tonight for dinner we had rice, beans, some pork, and yucca, fritters, and a salad. I skipped the salad but everything else and it was delicious! After dinner Daniel and Yumi gave me dancing demonstration.
Later we went to the girlfriend's house and through the help of Google Translate and Yumi's bright mind and some English we had a lot of laughs! What an extra special evening this has been!!!!! I'm blessed, that's for sure. Best $20 I've ever spent. And Daniel will make good use of the money. I know that. So kind!
Live YOUR dream,
BagLady
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