25th November 2008 (61km pre lunch!)

We set off from the hotel and battled along a very flat VERY long road into Trinidad. I was really really struggling, and worried I'd over-done it yesterday - then realised my tyre was flat! Swapped bikes with Claude again ("I recognise that elephant") and caught up with Caz - who had another altercation with her bike, so then she went onto Claude's, I was back on mine and he had hers! The road actually was not flat at all, but was a really slow climb up from sea level, finishing in a big hill to the first stop. We climbed steps to a peak and admired stunning views while buying souvenirs.






Back on bikes, and the next leg wasn't too bad; but then there was (drumroll please!) THE HILL. This thing leered up at you and seemed to taunt you with 'you think you're gonna get up me? ha! type jeers. It was terrifying riding towards it, looking at it, and wondering how in the hell you were going to get over the blinking thing; kind of mentally setting you up for failure before you had started.... I was just about to quit (not walk - just pause for breath!) when a voice said "keep going" behind me, and we talked each other the whole way up there. Can't remember the lady's name now. It was the only time we talked the whole week I think - but we got each other up that hill! There was a hypothetical mug of tea and a galaxy bar waiting for me and a margarita waiting for her - that was how we did it! Getting over the top was amazing! We cycled back into Trinidad, waving to the school children and everyone else as we went. Then a 15 minute walk to the restaurant. Lunch was really lovely, great food, excellent band good company! Jules, Maggie, Sarah, Frankie, Caz and I then wandered around the market. Jules got told she wasn't normal and was Cuban it's a long story and you had to be there - but we were in hysterics for ages! and Maggie, Frankie and Caz got told the air would come out the tyres if they got on a bike! bloody cheek! It rained while walking round the market which we really could have done with when climbing the monster hill in searing heat instead! hey ho. We got the 4pm bus and at the end of the ride Hector (the fastest bus driver in the west!) put "Guantanemaro" on the CD player and we all sang along and got our maracas out (bought that afternoon!)It was great!





When we got back to the hotel we jumped in the sea and watched the sunset which was just amazing. Then out and showered for dinner and briefing we had a briefing every evening and every morning from Claude, and he became famed for saying 'stay in the shade'! Later we had drinks at the bar (a few too many!) and watched the magician who had me totally perplexed!

24th November 2008 (101km)

Blimey oh riley we only did it! 101km! Set off at 8 am, first stop 14km in at the petrol station. I managed to touch one bike with my leg and did a total domino effect with about 8 others! Whoops! The next leg was also 14km -really hilly (up!) and my chain fell off. Gay (from Action for Charity) fixed it back on for me. Then a water stop at the top of the hill.




Simply amazing views, and a lovely long downhill into flat for the the next leg which I did with Caz. By lunch it was scorching hot and we had done 50km. Lunch was great in a little cabin place; rice, beef and a green banana mash which tasted like truly amazing mashed potato!

Look! the chefs' were hanging out the back of the cabin while they served us!

By this point I had consulted Dr Sarah and been told to stop drinking so much water, and have more salt as I have a bad headache that nothing was touching! SO I switched to dioralyte to drink and am plastering my dinner in salt!

We had our last stop at 16.45, and had another 13km to go to the hotel. Claude told us in no uncertain terms that if anyone didn't make it by sunset (5.30ish) they'd have to go on the bus (known by us as the bus of shame!) Well i wasn't going on that bloody bus for anything or anyone, it was as if someone had stuck a rocket up my backside! Going through Trinidad and the surrounding villages was amazing, all the people came out to see us and we were all cycling like fury into the sun as it set, through these pretty little villages, gorgeous mountains, stunning sunset, and with the village children shouting 'Ola!' to us. It was very emotional! (Cycling and crying is possible but probably not advisable)

Near the end I saw a sign for a hotel and took the turning, then got told by those behind not to turn as no one had been marking it - so I lost my stride completely and turned around. About 15/20 minutes later one of the police escort bikes (Oh yes, we had a police escort. we are VERY important people!) came down beside us, sirens blazing, and told us to turn around! I wouldn't have minded so much if Gwen who was here last week as well (from Women for Women) hadn't gone the wrong way with us! When we finally got to the hotel we had completed 101km, (62 miles) and burnt 2462 calories! We had a fab dinner, lovely hotel although Claude later told us the way we were heading (in the wrong direction) lead to the five star hotel! Dinner, then drinks at the bar with the posse, then bed. The posse was now very firmly established: Sarah, Maggie, Julie, Frankie, Caz and myself) Wahey! Tomorrow 50km pre-lunch, then a tour of Trinidad, then a dip in the pool!
I wish I had taken more photos on this day. The ride down into the sunset and through Trinidad was just stunning - but I was so worried about the time and getting on the bus that I didn't want to stop to take pictures!

23rd Novemeber 2008

Heck. We did it! Day one. 63km, (41 miles) Mainly off road and very flat. We did it in legs of 12-15km each. After the first stop my bike died - chain jammed (-yes, Cuban B.O.D!) so I rode Claude's bike until the next stop. (Claude was one of the team from classic tours who had organised the whole event) The third leg - until lunch - was good, I really got going and was one of the first to arrive. Lunch was a picnic of cheese and ham sandwiches. Then the next leg was via the muddy puddles (lakes!) I went through a couple but mainly walked around in an effort to keep my shoes alive until the end of the week. We stopped for water by the hospital, and the next leg we were back on tarmac and Caz ad I did really well - until we turned the corner and were heading straight into the wind; a really STRONG wind! No available bushed for peeing at the next stop so I had to hold on - and hence sprinted a lot of the last 11km leg until I found a suitable spot! Then I rode with Olive until we got to the coaches that were going to transfer us to our hotel. We went through several small villages and all the people were very friendly. I saw dogs on the roof at one place! Lots of horse-drawn traps around. We got on the coach and then drove for an hour or so to Cienfeugos. We had 15 minutes to explore the square, then back on the coach to the hotel. The hotel has to be seen to be believed. Stalinist Russian concrete, primary-coloured monstrosity of a building, but with fantastic views. Just had a shower and the towel rail fell off in my hand - at least it was hot water.
on route....


It was really off road in places!

Waiting for the off....


Caz in action!

Frankie looking for the sudocreme!





more pictures to follow......






This is the road to big major hospital in the region!....


...and this is the hospital


Olive feeling very proud (and muddy!) for having gone straight through all the puddles!




On the coach to Cienfeugos...

Mags and Jules

Sarah, Frankie, Mags and Jules

22nd November 2008

Finally made it to Havana, and got greeted by Fern (Brittan) and all the girls from week one cheering as we went down to the baggage claim. (Fern Brittan has done several women for women cycle rides - Cuba was her fourth (I think) - and they had completed the event the week previous to us arriving. They were waiting in departures at Havana as we came through arrivals, and you are separated from each other by a perspex partition (friendly!) They all cheered as we came through, which seeing as we had endured a hellishly long journey and were all scared to death with the anticipation of everything was enough to make you well up! I asked Fern how her bum was (of all the things to ask a public figure when you run into one! - but she said it was fine) and Maggie forgot that Fern wasn't her best friend! Maggie ran up to Fern and greeted her (through the perspex) very enthusiastically saying Hi Fern, how are you? How was it? And totally forgot the reason she knew Fern was via a one-way medium known as TV - and that therefore Fern didn't know her at all!

We stayed at the Occidental Mirimar Hotel where we will also be staying for the last two nights of the trip. Had a buffet dinner - fish and rice, and then to bed. Slept until about 2am local time (7am UK) then dozed on and off. (Caz and I spent half the week waking at 2am!)

Currently on the coach waiting to go to the bay of pigs.

Later.....

I am sitting on the steps to the pool, and have just watched some of the girls enjoy a salsa lesson while sipping a rum punch. Lovely! Got the bikes fitted today, I have bar ends and Ali's handle bar bag, and Allie the elephant also now in place! All seems good to me. Caz isn't so sure, but then she didn't train on the bike of doom! Look at the state of this handwriting...that'll be the rum then!......







When I went to upload the photos from this day, I realised I mentioned nothing in my journal about the museum. Or the hotel. The hotel was affectionately christened (maybe by those on the trip more used to 5* accommodation than myself!) as communist Butlins. It consisted of very basic cabin - style accommodation (If you were lucky you got a living room as well as a bedroom, and if you were really lucky you got hot running water!) The pool and restaurant / bar area were all together centrally. Next to the hotel was the museum commemorating the bay of pigs invasion - of which the Cubans are very (rightly) proud, so we visited with guide Enyo during the day, while waiting to get fitted for our bikes. I should mention, these photos (I am not very good at thei blogging malarkey yet) are the wrong way round - the pool you can see taken from a high window is in Havana at the Mirimar hotel, working your way up to the coach trip to the Bay of Pigs, then the bike. The shots below show the museum and 'communist butlins' hotel. I have to say I thought the hotel was fine - if this was as basic as it was going to get we'd be just fine! More pics can be seen here thanks to the wonders of the web!