"Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans"

From bad to worse!

Last time I wrote, I was in Cuba. I have actually a lot to say about Cuba, but for now I will keep to the essential travelstory. After Arriving in Cuba and finding my Casa Particular (home stay). I had a couple of days in Havana. Did not do much, but on day I had a personal guide (friend of my havana family) who drove me to the most interesting places in town for 20 dollars. Very nice guy. It was so hot in Habana thad I could only walk around couple of hours before becoming soaked in sweat (and it is not even high season). It was easier to stay home with the airconditioning on. Well basicly it was on all the time...apart from when the electricity was out (I`ll get more into that later).
Apart from the Old town of Havana, I did not like the city one bit. Hot, dirty, and ppl. hassling me all the time. "hello my friend where are you from" is a very common start and when ppl. begin like that, they always want your money one way or the other. I learned that the hard way! Im not going into that now...too embarrassing really. Might tell you one day if you ask nicely and promise not to laugh.
So my advise to that kind of hassel is to say "no gracias" politely and walk on...if that does not work then say "no moleste" which is a polite way of saying: "Get out of my face you fucking asshole!" I have some more advise, pointers, and usless information for you later.
After Havana I went for 4 days to a town called Trinidad (about 5 hours busdrive from Havana) and, I must say, it is my kind of a town. It is the third oldest colonial town in Cuba and has got lots of beautiful buildings. There I spent my time roaming the streets, sitting at bars with a cold beer,a book and listening to live Cuban music...sweet. first real time thad I have had to really relax and enjoy myself. The beach is also wery close. I went one day, even if I am not much of a beach person. I took a Coco Taxi which is like a motorcycle taxi. There I found a guy with a sailboat who wanted to take my to the reef for snorkeling for 9 dollars an hour. I jumped at it (together with a french guy) and even though the one hour included the 20 min trip there and 20 min. trip back, it was worth it. After I opend a couple of beers at the beach bar before returning to Trinidad. I stayed at a very nice place in Trinidad close to the center and used every opportunity to go to the Casa De La Musica and listening to some great original Cuban Son music. If you are in cube for a short time then go to Trinidad. The town and it`s surroundings has the essential essence of Cuba.
Now here is where the real trouble starts!
After Trinidad I had two more nights in Havana and then I got on a plane bound for Quito, Ecuador. After couple of hours in Panama airport, I was off to Quito where my friend Fredy was waiting for my at the airport. It was not a long flight and it was a happy man who stepped of the plane at the brand new airport in Quito. I was looking forward to meet my friend Fredy and everything was just dandy when suddenly dissaster struck! As I came to the passport check, this is roughly how it went:
Girl: Passport please
Me: There you go (big smile)
Girl: You are from Iceland?
Me: Yes...Islandia
Girl: And your visa?
Me: What! I don`t need a Visa.
Girl: Yes you do, new rules, you are not allowed to enter the country.
Me: WHAT! It must be a mistake
Girl: Here is a list of countries who need a Visa.
(I quickly looked throug the list)
Afganistan
Albania
Irac
Iran
Israel
Iceland!!!!
Me: Shit Fuck fuck shit O MY GOD!!!! fuck (and so on)
Girl: We`ll have to send you back to Havana or Panama.
Me: WHAT! (I said that a lot) can`t you do anything? arrange it here or something (here I was beginning to panic).
Girl: No sorry, you have to hurry the plane is about to leave.
Me: Fuck!
So that resulted in me now stuck here in Panama City waiting to go to the Ecuadorian embassy to get a Visa and try again.
But wait...I`m not finished:
The night I came to Panama City (which incidentally is the Panamas Independence day) I got sick and ended up in hospital at 5:00 in the morning. It turned out to be a bacteria infection and I was also severely dehydrated (had drunk a lot of weater but it just went straight through me)and had to get a drop. Holy crap, that neadle hurts. It was not until late yesterday that I was feeling better and now I`m fine, just have to take some antibiotics for a couple of more days.
All this crap, has reeked havok on my budget (Cuba was also very expensive). So now it seams like I`m coming home allready in February...maybe even sooner.
Well, now I`m going to bed and to morrow I go to the embassy with my fingers crossed and hope for the best. Wish me luck!

p.s. George W. Bush says Hi!

posted by Nonni @ 3:29 f.h.