Billy's Telling

An invasive North American accent, which I could hear clearly across the beach, from 60 metres away, told her female companion that she was in a bad mood! I thought to myself, I actually haven't heard that expression for a long long time. Come to think of it, who's choice is it that you are in a bad mood? Nobody else's but yours. You are the only person in control of how the mood effects your day, being, existence! What the fuck is a bad mood anyway? It's like people getting offended? Grow up! If something or someone happens to annoy you, it's completely in your control to NOT get in a bad mood, especially if it's a small thing or things, like I had the other day. I actually can't remember when I let a bad mood adversely affect my day, it's somewhat juvenile actually. Get a fucking life woman, you are on a Caribbean island, on the beach in a bikini, get over yourself, how bad can life be right now? I went to the immigration office to get my tourist visa...

The revelation of being grateful.. Stamps for renewal done, with the security guard asking me this time if I had my passport (funny guy), lovely sunny beach day in Varadero, and noticeably less ( not fewer, for, well, we now know who), rubbish on the beach. Has the global average temperature just dropped too? One drop can, and does start a river which can flow 4000km to the sea, so if we all do a small bit...so please do. I saw some more small fish getting filleted on the beach, there were a few which had already been done. One small sandwich for the kids at school tomorrow perhaps? I really shouldn't be so quick to judge, maybe 5 small fish can feed 1000 people, apparently it's happened before somewhere? Didn't see any loaves however. But all in all a much less frustrating day, although the check out chick in the supermarket did try and steal from me, but am not gonna go there, cos so caught her out, fucking rubbish. Luckily I'm sharp at maths...it's all the addin...

The Pelican Brief...includes profanity, so if you are easily offended do not read, and shame! It's funny how things swing in roundabouts, up and downs, it's the way life goes, no matter who you are, or how fantastic you think your current position is, the universe can change that in a heart beat. Yesterday was an amazing day for me, I felt great, was in a good space and was content. I think that's an underestimated word when one is doing this sort of thing. Content. It's quite a difficult place to find when things are constantly a challenge. Yesterday I can quite safely say I was content, then today things changed. Not drastically, but enough to take me away from being content. I guess one really has to revel and appreciate those contented times. No matter where one is. Today started ok, but I have been constantly disappointed and saddened continuously by how we as humans behave and how the world in general has set out its stall. I went for a walk this morning at arou...

Varadero I have mentioned before that there are two rules in Cuba, one for locals and one for tourists. There are two prices also, the same as the above applies. It seems that there is this idea that making money is on a fast track when tourists are involved. It's a bit of a piss take. I don't blame people when they have come from a suppressed place and have now found a way to tap into a venue stream which wasn't previously available. There needs to be some sort of long term vision around this stuff as tourists will spread the word when they cotton on, and this can have a negative affect in a few ways, one being that there becomes a cautious behavioral pattern towards locals, where there once was trust and pity, is replaced by belligerence and anger. That will then replicate itself back towards the tourists, and so on. Varadero is the exact epitome of all the above. It's a destination designed for tourists. Big beachfront hotels, shops which actually are shops and have...

Tailwind, tailwind!! Today was an absolute pleasure and if I hadn't of only left around 11am would have done far more than the 124km I managed and that included some phaffing around a large dam, looking for some camping spots. It's amazing how a slight tailwind can elevate the spirits and course one into exploration. As I write this I actually have no idea where I am at all. After the off road, following my nose( remember I have no mapping now as my other phone broke), searching for a camping spot near a dam, I found a road and just had an educated guess which way to turn, but I still don't know which road I took, I just know I'm heading North West, which is ok. It's an island, how bad can it get? I stopped in at a town called Viana after about 75 kms and needed to eat. I got told by a lady at a cafeteria that the bar down the road had food, ( I'm not joking, one cannot take anything here for granted. Food, water, etc)so I rolled up to this bar which was essen...

Heading somewhere, anywhere will do! I have to admit I was a to sad to say cheers to my hostess at Casa Mimi in Trinidad. She was a funny lady and always tried to help me with speaking better Spanish and I tried to help her with better English, if I could. She was always walking around giggling and telling me stuff and laughing away, but she knew I had no idea what she was on about, mostly. If anyone ever heads that way, give me a shout and I'll let you know where her place is, really is great with a roof terrace, really central and right next door to a really cheap and good restaurant. I headed out of town with a good feeling about being on the road again, and my idea was to go to Sanctions Spiritus, as I mentioned previously. I got 17km out of town and my attention was suddenly drawn to a really tall tower, which looked amazing and just there in the middle of nowhere, so I veered off left to go and check it out. I am always open to following signs and this turned out to be exa...

So I was sitting on the roof terrace, drinking beer and watching the sun go down on my last evening in Trinidad, I was messing around and taking some shots with my camera phone and playing with the light and filters, as one does. During the sunset, a whole flock of like racing pigeons were flying around near me, and I actually managed to get them all in a sunset shot, by chance, nah, not really, I was just very patient. After the sun set but it was still light enough to see the birds flying around I started wondering about how amazing it is that they do that. They don't seem to follow one leader or a front bird, they literally wing it, but how? They swoop and change direction and all seem to still stick in a tight bunch and don't veer off in different directions, unlike my army troop did when we were learning to march in basics. These birds, although get divided into separate groups occasionally are well cool in their flying formations. I started imagining in my head that they ...

I have to say I didn't warm to Cienfuegos and the energy it gave off. The street where I stayed was right off the main square where the statue of Jose Marti was and all the nice looking ornamental buildings, like window dressing. The outskirts of the city were like shanty towns and although there were some magnificent buildings, all were in ruin and dilapidated, it's such a weird thing to see. This island, in its pomp, as I mentioned before, must have been out of this world gorgeous. In the town there were lots of touts and beggars and it took me back to the feeling I have in South Africa where everyone is looking for a hand out and a foothold without trying to better themselves. A cripple in a wheelchair who harassed me so much the previous day, wanting my shorts that were hanging over a bench in the park ( like how was he going to use those as much as I was)? So eventually today I had just bought some biscuits for my trip and passed him again with his hand out, so I gave him ...

Refreshed and Rolling.. After I put my best foot forward to get myself tanned from head to toe and get rid of the ridiculously fluorescent bits which adorned my torso in a typical cyclist pattern, not a good look in anyone's books, the result was spectacular, that being red. I'll tell you this much for free, if you want to feel less floppy around the edges, don't go on diet or over exert, just get brown, works a treat! That's my story and I'm sticking to it! It was a good thing then that I had not ever turned off the air on in the room I had rented in Playa Larga, and on my return, it did a good job soothing the continuous warm all over throb which was emanating forth non stop. What also aided the sunburn was the ice cold beers I had in my freezer, and mixed with some lemon cold drink, proceeded to sit on the deck over looking the inlet and tried my hand at some poetry. I guess like anything written, this kind of prose is completely subjective, and am not sure I fe...

Today was an interesting and far more upbeat day in Playa Larga in comparison to yesterday. I have to tell you that it is considered winter here at present, but it's over 30 degrees every day, it only drops down to about 25 late afternoon, and today I even managed to see some lightening after sunset, but no rain yet. What? Winter? I am led to believe that this is not tourist season down here where I am, but it hasn't seemed to stop the Western Europeans from coming. Having said that, German winter currently is probably a lot worse than this is. I seem to also be the only solo traveler on the island. It does seem people come in twos, whether partners or just friends. In the place I am currently sitting having dinner there are two tables of four and four tables of two....and one of three, my new neighbors, who I haven't yet met. Today I met a man called Miguel who has a taxi business, taking people anywhere they want to go, Havana, Santa Clara, Santiago De Cuba. It's cal...