A nice day once again, with the ever present breeze to keep the air moving. Wednesday was set as another resort day, with a trip into Varadero for a look around. Thursday had been booked as a road trip day across the island so a quiet day in front of that seemed prudent.

Wednesday started with an obligatory trip to the pool for a refreshing splash around amid the grass huts and palm trees. It was cool, as the overnight temperature dips to the high teens (teehee). After our swim we met with Ernesto to secure our excursion plans for Friday and to convert a few dollars. Ernesto was a big help in arranging our tours and just for asking questions!

At about 11:00 am we grabbed a ride on the double decker hop-on hop-off bus (5 CUC for the day). We got seats at the top and wove our way towards Varadero. We had no particular destination in mind so we jumped ship at Plaza America... basically a beachside mall with real palm trees. Janie and Eileen surfed for deals while the kids and I looked at stores filled with tourist knick-knacks and scoped out the tiny lizards that frequented the entrances. Spent a couple of hours just snooping around!

Instead of catching the bus back, I nabbed a bright red 56 Chevy gone taxi cab and we all piled in for a cruise home. Cabbie was all of 19 (maybe) and didn't have very much English in his vocabulary. Great kid though, and got us home safe and sound! Couldn't help but think of uncle Mike while sitting in the classic... He'd have a real blast just "car watching". These cars, residue from the American presence prior to the revolution in 1959, seem to exist as a metaphor for the Cuban people and life in the Cold War / post-Cold War eras. They have survived and in many ways repurposed themselves as a matter of existence. The United States continues to ignore this southern island and its people.

Back at the ranch I hunkered down for a siesta, I think Eileen did as well, and Janie headed for the beach with the kids for the balance of the afternoon. Monica and I also did a suppertime swim with a much warmer dip than we had in the morning. The remainder of the day was rest and relaxation with supper being great and with musical accompaniment, cocktails at the bar, and a glass of red wine/Cristal before turning in. Good night!