So the heat didn't happen...

We knew that the weather was going to be bad when everyone we talked with mentioned the 'cold front' and pointed to the pile of sweaters that they had at the ready. The diagnosis was confirmed when the guy delivering breakfast greated me with a cheery

"Good morning; it is a terrible day"

And it really hit home when our Hyundai AtoZ (why do we always end up in Hyundai's redundant micro-car? could it be that we're cheap) was plowing through two foot floods in the backwaters en route to Santa Clara (home of bits of the remains of Che)

But ultimately it didn't matter. Booking an all-inclusive was a hideous and horrible mistake. It felt like a bizarre version of The Biggest Loser ranch; where each of the massive people struggled to gain as much weight as possible by piling on the buffet then laying stock still and slurping Pina Colada until it was time to eat again. Just horrible.

Still we got out and about. We climbed through bat and cockroach infested caves, bounced through mangrove swamps on a jet-ski, drove to strange and wonderful places, took recommendations on lunch, photographed people at home and marveled at how all life in Havana seems to take place on a balcony... at least until night falls.

So not the warmed bone marrow that we'd been promised; but not a disaster either. Now who's up for a swish villa in September?