Money, money, money

Money is not so funny is Cuba, unless you mean funny as in strange. There are two currencies, the Cuban national peso and the Convertible peso, known as the CUC. Some things can only be paid for in CUC, some only in Cuban national peso and some in a combination. We have got the basic idea, but are not at the point where we really know what to expect.

We went into a chocolate cafe in Baracoa and ordered the first four things on the menu. We got four desserts and it needed to be paid for in Cuban national peso. Our guide helped us change CUC to Cuban national peso and the grand total was about 35 cents. One night we went out and had a grand dinner with shrimp and pork, chicken, rice, beans, salad, soup, coffee and mohitos and it cost $20 each. The next night we went out for dinner and had a more simple meal of beer, salad, chicken, pork, rice and bean and it cost $2 each.The following night we went out and have a simple but nice meal and they wanted a combination of Cuban national pesos and CUC. We ended up paying about $5 per person.

We have travelled from Bayamo through Guantanamjo (a very sad town) to Sandiago de Cuba. (The boys have not got over the fact that they can get a bottle of rum in a club for $4.50 or at a store for $3.50) Charles put his head on the bus seat in front and fell asleep. Josh was loaded into the excess luggage rack where he fell asleep. Even the Irish backpackers were impressed with their efforts. They had been out the night before and learnt how to party in the style of young Cubans. Apparently this means, no talking just dancing, touching and drinking. Josh told the girls that he has a girlfriend and is not allowed to do dancing or touching, so that just left him with drinking. At the end of the night, Charles tried slapping Josh and throwing a bucket of water over him. That didn´t work. He rounded up a group of Cubans to carry him home. That didn´t work. He then paid for a bici taxi (bicycle taxi) loaded him across the seats, got someone to walk alongside to carry his legs and got him to the hotel. The next problem is that the hotel has no elevator only a marble spiral staircase and local Cubans are not allowed in the hotel, not even to carry in a drunk Australian. Charles convined the porters to carry him to the room and drop him on the bed.