June 8

We woke up around 8.30 and went for breakfast. Breakfast was delicious with an array of fresh fruit, cereal, omelettes, sausages and many other things beside. We then headed back to the rooms to get changed into our swimming costumes for a snorkelling trip. We walked to the quay and on our way we saw a snake. We got quite close to it but Matt is terrified of snakes so we carried on. We later found out that it was a Cuban Wood snake and completely harmless. We boarded the boat with flippers and masks and set off. The sea was an amazing light blue and I was told off for not bringing my camera. After 30 minutes we stopped over a reef and the man threw some bread into the water and schools of fish tussled for it in a dramatic frenzy. We dived in to the water and were greeted by an amazing view. There were thousands of fish swimming around the coral. We swam around for about an hour and saw some amazing things including a school of angel fish, four barracudas and many other species of different shapes, colours and sizes. While on the boat we met a honeymoon couple who lived in Leeds and they had travelled around South America for a year, during which time she had got 142 mosquito bites on her bottom (compared to my 80 all over my body).

 By the way Didi has decided to write more so anything written in italics is written by Didi.

Didi adds – Max’s stories are very boring because they’re mostly about food but never about what it tastes like! And he did not write the bit about the bottom – actually Daddy did (but it was true).

For the rest of the day we swam and relaxed on the beach and Didi watched Sponge Bob in Spanish.

Ursula

Guess which hand...

Is it the second hand...?

June 9

We woke up at about 7:30 and had a delicious breakfast. For the morning we relaxed on the beach and at about 11 I retreated to my room to read and watch the football I stayed in the room till about 6:00 when we went on a walk. While I was relaxing didi met an Italian girl and they played for the rest of the afternoon speaking in a made up language while playing Didi found a conch shell. We went on a lovely walk along the beach and everywhere you stepped thousands of hermit crabs ran away from you. We reached the end of the beach to find a mangrove swamp blocking our way. My mum and dad asked a sailor where the path was but he didn’t know so we all waded through the water. I arrived first and walked around the long stretch of beach and there were no other footprints at all. I felt lonely as I walked around the beach. When I got to the other end of the beach there was a deserted camp. I walked around further and got to a sign that read welcome. And there in front of me was water. I was terrified I ran back to the beach as quickly as I could. I reached the end and there they stood. I was very relieved to see them .After that we had a swim and headed back to our cabin.

Late afternoon wade

June 10

We got up and went for a quick swim before breakfast. We boarded the boat on time and were the only passengers. We arrived on the mainland at about ten o’clock to be picked up by mike in his blue Plymouth. We drove to our casa in Vinales which was a lovely house at the edge of town. They had two children and Didi immediately settled with the young girl. They communicated in international sign language. We decided to go on a walk but Didi stayed at home. We went on a lovely walk through the forest and we then saw how cigars were made, we continued to walk down the path which took us up a mountain through the middle by cave down in to the valley and round the other side. We went back to the casa and had a lovely evening and we all slept very well.

Sorry we haven't had internet access in Cuba...(captions are done by drunk matt)

4 June

We left our house at 7.25am. Our taxi driver was from Kashmir and had 9 children. Our flight departed at 11.15. On the flight at lunch we were meant to have sausages and mash but they gave us beef with an herb crust which Didi refused to eat. We arrived in Cuba at 4pm local time which is 5 hours behind British time. It was 4 times hotter than London! We were waved to the front of the passport queue because we were children. It took a long time to get through baggage but mummy went on to get us a taxi. The taxi was quite small and stuffy but the scenery was amazing. The architecture was fantastic and slightly falling to bits. It was tropical and very humid and I don’t think I have seen as many old American cars ever in my life as in Cuba. We arrived at the hotel at 6pm. The hotel is quite famous in Cuba and Al Capone (who was a mafia boss) stayed here. We then went up to our rooms and relaxed for an hour before going downstairs to the bar. I was staying with daddy and Didi was sharing with Polly. We went down to the bar and we ordered drinks and a pizza for me and Didi. Then Alex and Patricia arrived. They are friends and they live in Guatemala. Patricia is from Guyana and Alex is from England. They are currently on holiday in Cuba. After finishing our drinks (the children had cola and the adults had mhitoes) we went on a walk down the seafront. Alex and Patricia recommended a restaurant which they had visited but not eaten at as they thought it looked good. By that time it was nearly 9 o’clock which was 2am in English time and I was falling asleep. The restaurant actually looked better than it was as the adults said the food was not very nice but I wouldn’t know as I didn’t try it. We then took a cab to the hotel and went to bed at around 3am English time!

 Alex and Patricia

Our Hotel which was the hotel in Our Man in Havana

5 June

We got up late and went down to breakfast which was quite nice – it was a buffet with fruit and many other things (like cereal juice cake and omelettes). After that we went swimming in the pool which was built in the 1950s in the shape of a kidney. While we were swimming  daddy saw a pink Chevrolet from the 1950s which turned out to be a taxi so he asked if we could go on a tour of Havana. The first thing we did on the tour was go along the seafront before we stopped by some amazing trees. They were fig trees and they were a national treasure because they were very old and big. We then saw the town square were the revolution began, a military base, a fort, John Lennon’s memorial and Che’s Guevara’s house. We also went to the old train station and while we at the old train station the taxi driver bought us ice creams. Daddy told the taxi driver about his Mustang and so the taxi driver let him drive the taxi! We had lunch by the pool and the tennis was on the TV. After that we went for a siesta and then we went out for supper at Los Nados which the taxi driver had recommended us. The first impressions weren’t great because the stairs looked uninviting but it was amazing! The décor was unusual but brilliant because it was dark with dark wood and a big fish tank,  some old lovely lights and brown leather seats. We sat down and ordered our food. It was delicious and a main course was the equivalent of £3. However the portions were massive and no one could finish. After a lovely meal we headed home to get some sleep.

Me and Didi with the Pink Panther

Some random people...



Too Che

THe Pink Panther and some Cuban missiles...

This is where a James Bond waas filmed

6 June

This morning we got up early to catch the bus but we were delayed by Polly locking herself in the bathroom. Daddy rescued her with a safety pin by picking the lock. We then went down to breakfast and were out of breakfast at 7.30 to catch the bus to Vinales.  The bus was Chinese and comfortable. We then visited a rum factory which sold rum and pringles (which we bought) and strawberry biscuits which Didi didn’t like. We then arrived in Vinales which is a small beautiful village. Our hotel overlooked one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen. It was a Jurassic valley which was very green with big rock formations rising out of the valley floor. We then went swimming in the pool overlooking the valley where we had lunch.

A jurassic park

A jurassic pool

Trusty steed Thomas...

Didi samples local lolly pop additives

 

After lunch we ordered a taxi to the Indian Caves which was driven by a man called Mikael. He had a blue 1955 Plymouth. He used to be a lawyer but gave it up because taxi drivers earn more money (lawyers earn 20 pesos per month which is about £15!).  The Indian Caves were breath taking as they were huge holes in the limestone. You walked through a series of tunnels before reaching an underwater lake. Then a boat arrived and took us a couple of kilometres through the mountain and then out into the open.  We got out of the boat and I spotted a water buffalo. I was admiring it when a man asked if I would like to ride it. The water buffalo’s name was Thomas and Didi and I rode him around the compound.

We then went back to the hotel and in the swimming pool Didi met a lady called Sabina. She was Chinese and studied in Oxford and  lived in London.  We then had supper with Sabina Alex and Patricia and the food was horrible! Then bed…

7 June 

We woke up early and took the bus to Cayo Levisa. When we arrived we went to a café and Polly checked in. There was a 30 minute ferry ride to the island. When we landed we walked through a mangrove swamp to get to the other side. At the other side the view took our breath away. A white beach unspoilt with the Caribbean sea such a light blue. It was amazing. We drank pineapple juices as they finished the final preparations for the rooms. Our rooms were far away from the restaurant (which was a wooden shack) which meant no noise from the generator. They were behind the sea front rooms. We spent the rest of the day relaxing on the beach. We went in for dinner at about 8pm. The dinner was delicious. You asked the chef what you would like and he would cook it in front of you. You then collected numerous foods from the buffet which included fresh fruit, bread, black bean soup and rice. Then we went to bed and I slept with mummy and Didi slept in daddy’s cabin.

Ferry serious...

Paradise!

GooooooooooooooooooooooALLLL!!!!!

We leave tomorrow at 7:25 in the morning to go to cuba. If you don't already know we our currently re- building our house so we have taken pictures of the house now and we will take pictures of the house when we get back so you can see the progress. Here they are;

 parents room

the walkway

max's room

Max's room

 max's bathroom

Didi's bedroom window

Hotel Sevilla

CUBA (part 1)

From June the 4th to June the 11th

We will leave Gatwick at 11.15 am with Virgin and will arrive in Havana at 4.00 pm (Cuban time) we will then check in at the beautiful 3 1/2 star hotel Sevilla. We will stay there 3 nights before visiting the wonderful beach hotel Cayo Levisa where we will stay for 2 nights.We will then stay at the small Villa Cristal hotel in Vinales. We leave on 11th of June and we fly to Lima in Peru.

 Cayo Levisa hotel

This blog will take you through our journey through Cuba,Peru and Costa rica.Posts will come from Max,Didi,Polly and Matt.Our journey is 5 weeks long so after the closing date the blog will be closed.We will depart on June the 4 th and arrive back on July the 9 th.