08.20 I had a hard time waking up today. Christer said good morning, no reaction! Then he tried to pull my pillow but I kept sleeping. It took some shaking before I returned to the awake world. Now I sit here, awake, showered and ready for a new day in Camagüey, Cuba.

09.31 After a tasteful and well balanced breakfast, we´ll now prepare for this day. We´ve got a basic plan to follow. First, however, Christer will confirm the forthcoming accommodations by phone. As we have already noted, it is somewhat awkward that we must acknowledge already booked places all the time in this country. They are, on the other hand, mostly really good and therefore worth it.

10.12 It went excellent to confirm the bookings and also to arrange with transportation to them. Fortunately, they speak good English at both of our next accomodations. Now we have packed our umbrellas in case if there is rain. We've also made a monetary plan for the last few days here in Cuba. This does not mean that everything will be like this but it is important to have a plan.

10.21 We have left "Los Vitrales" behind us and have started walking in the same direction as yesterday.

10.30 We have once again reached the Parque Ignacio Agramonte with its cafe, equestrian statue and church. Now we just pass by here. We are heading to a square that Rafael recommended yesterday. It is called Plaza Carmen and is outside the map in our guide book but we've got good instructions on how to get there.

Christer is ready to leave Los Vitrales green garden.

Beautiful rooms at Casa Hospedaje Colonial Los Vitrales.

You can have a small private business in socialist Cuba.

11.10 We have just sat down in front of a church at the Plaza Carmen. The church is called Iglesia de Nuesta Señora de Carmen. Here in the square are various statues of people who are engage in a bit of everything. It is a quiet and comfortable place, worth a visit just as Rafael affirmed. Before we got here, we talked with an elderly couple. They talked to us and asked us to come. They both sat along the street on the way to the Plaza Carmen. They had been married for 58 years and the man told us how positive it was with cultural encounters and that we come to visit Cuba and Camagüey. They wanted to read a bit for us. The man read about the Bible's importance in the Jehovah's Witnesses Watchtower magazine. They even wondered if the people of Sweden were familiar with Jesus. For a millisecond I was tempted to tell them that we still worship the Norse gods. I refrained.

11.16 The oldies pointed out their house before we left, hoping we would come back to visit another time.

11.35 Now, we walked to Plaza San Juan de Dios. Here we sit down in a restaurant for some refreshing juice. Previously a deaf-mute man tried get in touch with me. He showed a list of different countries. I think he wanted me to point out Sweden. It was however not on the list. Before the man we saw a mother who had a good solution to a problem. How should you keep track of the two daughters and still get to clean the house in peace and quiet? The solution was as simple as it is ingenious. The daughters were allowed to play on the window sill in the barred window.

12.38 We left the squares, streets and people there. Once in our room we found out that we had a sweat stain each on our backs. The stains stretched from the necks down to the waists. We have showered and are doing some planning before there will be some walking in a UNESCO listed area.

13.27 After a bit of relaxation and cooling down, we are now ready to return to the mildly vibrant street life.

13.49 The accommodation has been left behind us again. Just as we were going out, we saw a small white-haired lady sitting in an armchair. She seemed to be older than time itself. Having almost reached the goal of our excursion, we talked to a young man. He told us about the surroundings and what there was to see in the cathedral and the area that adjacent to it. When we said we were from Sweden he said, Volvo, Ibrahimovic and Uppsala. Now it will be lunch at the restaurant La Isabela. The menu resembles a movie clap and the chairs are director's chairs. This venue was previously a cinema. My chair belongs to Andrei Tarkovsky and at the table next to us is Akira Kurosawa’s chair.

On our way to the pretty square Plaza Carmen.

Christer together with two old members of Jehovah´s Witnesses.

Peter is talking about something interesting.

Plaza Carmen, a peaceful place on a Sunday.

Children are playing in the window when their mother is cleaning.

15.22 The pizzas arrived and were eaten. I wonder in how many countries we had pizza in on our travels. We paid for the food and walked on through the city. Pretty soon we met the guy we met earlier. He said "loose way walking?" Had we gone astray? I thought he said "loose weight walking" were we out walking to lose weight? We wandered on to maybe lose more weight or? Back home we were met by a locked gate and a locked door with a note. On that we could read that the family was in the green house on the front. Front of what we thought? We wondered which green house. Just as we were wondering a guy came from a green house across the street. He let us in and now that we are back in our room, we will plan more for the rest of the day.

17.05 We can not lie here and gather dust. We go out to the patio instead. It is a pond there and in it are some fishes.

17.18 We take it easy, enjoying life and read in our books.

18.40 The reading on the patio went just fine. Now we are back and prepare for a dinner at the Gran Hotel. It offers a view of the city and the sunset. There was one more thing Rafael recommended yesterday. Now it is so that people plan things and God decides. Outside is a thunderstorm and the sky is overcast. The curtain has gone down for a sunset view. We skip the viewing until tomorrow morning. Instead, we are thinking about what, when and where we eat the evening meal.

18.55 A moment ago there was a short power failure. The rain and the thunder is coming and going.

19.37 The rain showers are increasingly rare. This is the end of the waiting. Now we bring our umbrellas and head out. We need food.

Plaza San Juan de Dios, Camagüey.

Peter and a deaf and mute man try communicating.

Plaza de Los Trabajadores, the workers square.

Christer in the cinema-themed environment at La Isabela.

Peter is sitting in the director´s chair waiting for pizza.

19.59 We went out in the evening darkness which was lit by lightning in the tropical sky. As so often in the tropics, it flashes between the clouds a lot. We're out to get us something to eat. In the first restaurant called 1514, a guy blocked the entrance to the restaurant. The waitress asked us to come back in fifteen minutes. All this happened despite the fact that there was free tables inside. We will not return. Instead, we are now at the restaurant part of the hotel Railway or in the original language Hotel Camino de Hierro.

20.40 While we wait for the food a young Italian couple has come into the restaurant. First the guy picked up a wine glass found a spot and took the glass to the bar. He then replaced some wine bottles in a wine rack. Finally, he looked through the menu and announced that the food on offer was not of his liking. They got up and left.

21.32 The food at the Railway Hotel was good. The staff were service minded but looked tired and gloomy. Now we have on returning to our home at Los Vitrales, ordered breakfast and transportation to the bus station tomorrow.

22.54 There was no evening sun but we indulge ourselves an evening beer. I hope that there will be no evening spill.

The shopping street Calle Maceo is quiet on a Sunday.

Antonio Maceo (1845-1896), Cuban independence hero.

Dinner at Hotel Camino de Hierro.

Monday 4th of August

08.23 The last Monday on this trip has arrived. Today the last week begins. It is less than two days since we came to Camagüey but it feels like we've been here longer. We have experienced this feeling before. How can this be? Do we act intensively? Is it the repeated elements with walking, sweating, showering several times a day that gives a sense that everything is going on longer than it does?

09.38 Now we have eaten breakfast with two English girls. They work as teachers just like we do. Their names, unlike ours are Anne and Claire and they are from London and Canterbury. We have realized that much is the same with our work and how the media monitors schools in Sweden and the UK. In addition they have seen and will see about the same things that we have done and will do here in Cuba.

11.03 Now we have paid our host Rafael. We have oh so slowly walked to a square. We will not be around here for long. The sun has just broken out from behind the clouds. It fries us mercilessly here on the old familiar Plaza Ignacio Agramonte. We are moving away from the sun now.

11.11 We left the scorching square and took refuge in the Café Ciudad. Here we will have coffee and sandwich.

11.27 When you have plenty of time the food and drinks usually come quickly. When you have a deadline to meet, it is tough. We have not been served coffee or sandwiches yet. We will be picked up at 12.00 at the accommodation so this is starting to feel stressful.

11.49 In the end we got what we ordered. We are now back at Los Vitrales. We skip the Gran Hotel and the view from there. The restaurant is not open at this time. Now we wait for our booked taxi. We have incidentally met a beggar who asked for money and soap.

Plaza Ignacio Agramonte, a very hot spot this day.

We have checked out and head for the bus terminal in Camagüey.

12.04 We went quickly and smoothly to the bus station. It was the same car and driver as on the reversed journey. Now we are at the Viazul office. I'm sitting in a red artificial leather armchair and Christer is standing next to it. In a couch of the same colour and material as the chair I sit in is a small boy with flashing lights on the sides of the shoes. We wonder if we will meet some old acquaintances on the upcoming trip.

12.13 It takes time to check in. A man that might be the young boy's dad is booking tickets for himself, his wife Iniana and perhaps the son.

12.48 We waited in the waiting room before we went out and left our backpacks in a luggage room. When we got out we literally needed a handle. The door we walked out through missed one. Now we have talked to a Belgian couple about whether to leave a tip to the baggage people or not. The man has a shirt and shorts from Fjällräven. He was very pleased with the fabric.

13.36 The bus from Viazul is in place, significantly delayed. Soon the journey to the next destination begins.

13.57 We are leaving Camagüey and are far from alone on board. However, there are no acquaintances among the fellow passengers. It is fascinating to travel around Cuba with these buses. They transports almost exclusively foreign tourists and the departures are not too many. Therefore, we occasionally recognize some of the passengers.

14.15 The bus has now stopped to fill up with fuel. A small sign here at the gas station says that you shall turn off the engine and do not smoke or talk on the phone. The engine of the bus is running. The petrol station offers both alcohol and sweets.

16.04 We have been greeted Bienvenidos, welcome, bienvenue and willkommen to Las Tunas. In this moment we are at the bus station in the city and the greeting is on the station building. This is not where we want to stay. About 75 minutes remains to the final destination.

A long boring wait at Camagüey bus terminal.

Finally we are on the bus.

We make a short stop in Las Tunas.

17.26 We are heading into today's final destination, Holguín. Will someone pick us up?

17.31 Yes, we were expected. Holguín has no big bus terminal. The bus stopped along the roadside and it was crowded with people everywhere. I might have forgotten my brain on the bus. First, I missed that my backpack was about to be unloaded. Then I missed giving the luggage patch to the man that brought out the luggage. Finally, I did not leave the backpack to the man who waited for us.

17.42 The man we thought was a taxi driver turned out to be our next host. The gray-haired gentleman in spectacles who just stood waiting by the taxi was the driver. Our host has given us information that Holguín is currently preparing for this year's carnival.

18.07 Now we are in our room at Casa Villa Fuentes. Here, we have been promised an evening snack on the patio. We once again stay with people who rent out parts of their home, this time it's the family Fuentes. José is the name of the man who brought us here.

18.23 Here we sit on the host couple's patio. We have got mango juice, sweet Cuban coffee and cheese- and ham sandwich. We are joined by the host couple's German shepherd female dog. In a golden cage sits a gray-black bird and it is chirping quiet. When we registered ourselves, we saw that a previous guest was Lord Byron. It was not the poet but an American in the honey business who usually live here who calls himself that.

18.45 It was a quiet walk into the city center. All the streets look about the same here and it is difficult to find the right street. Now I stand guard while Christer is in a store and buy beverages.

Peter inside our room at Villa Fuentes.

Peter received some company during the coffee break.

Christer and the most hairy member of the family Fuentes.

Casa Villa Fuentes, Holguín.

Typical street in Holguín.

19.15 The purchase of groceries went just fine. On the way home we saw a restaurant that looked promising. We wonder if we are welcome there. Welcome or not we do need to shower and freshen up first.

19.56 Christer has shut down our Soviet air-conditioning system of the brand БК-1500. Now we go out to eat. We hope we will find the restaurant in the dark.

20.22 El Aldabón is the name of tonight's Italian restaurant. We knocked on the door and were let in. Here the prices are in the currency (national peso) that Cubans pay with but we can also pay with the tourist currency convertible pesos (CUC).

21.15 There were some knockings on the door during the meal. Not all were allowed to come in. One of those it was opened for got a bag of something, take away? We listened to instrumental Christmas music, Joy to the World and Silent night during the meal. Now I have ordered espresso.

21.34 The food was very good, the service excellent and the price almost ridiculously cheap. Cuba is a cheap tourist destination but become even cheaper when you are a little outside the places where most tourists moves.

21.51 Home sweet home. It may be that I just put the trip last laundry in the wash. Well, washing and laundry. The clothes are placed in the basin. It is supplied with water and detergent. Everything is allowed to soak. Then it is rinsed and hung out to dry. On the way home we saw a man with poor balance. He wobbled a bit on the sidewalk, pulled to the left. Sometimes he swerved out into the street but straightened it all. One time he went straight for a motorcycle cop. The police drove on and the man wobbled on, each to his own. We think he might have had too much rum.

Sovietbuilt technology making our room cooler.

Dinner at the small hidden restaurant El Aldabón.

Tuesday 5th of August

08.26 We have slept well and cool. All thanks to БК-1500. Today it will be a little different. We will go with the afternoon bus. We remain in Holguín during the day and may keep the room until we leave. The bus we will go with has already started its long journey.

09.34 Now it's time for me to go home. It can not continue like this. I'm far too lazy and spoiled. I just have to sit down by the table and be served breakfast. No, I should go home and take care of these things on my own. The breakfast was, as always here on Cuba, just fine.

09.50 Today is one of those interesting days. We have before us 4-5 hours to take care of and use before we prepare for the bus ride. How do we fill the time with something useful and what are we going to fill it with?

10.34 There are many people on the go. We like them are out strolling along the streets. The first place we got to was the Céspedes Park (Parque Céspedes). The locals are, as so often, really conservative and still call the square/park after its old name, San Jose. Here is in all cases the church Iglesia San Jose. At the square we were met by ABBA music, Chiquitita at a high volume and fences around the square. The fence is similar to a construction mesh. The entire square/park seem to be under construction.

10.55 Now we have continued to centrally located Calixto Garcia Park (Parque Calixto Garcia). Here we have a bench break and have been addressed by the locals. A well-dressed lady has asked for a peso. A simpler dressed gentleman asked if we were from the United States? Christer enlightened the man of our origin. The man smiled, nodded and walked on.

Breakfast at Casa Villa Fuentes, a good start of this day.

Christer is starting the walk around Holguín.

Peter in the hot sun on Calle Agramonte.

Iglesia San José.

11.09 We also walked on towards new goals. We stopped at a park called Parque Peralta and the bench break object is green. Here are some men mixing the cement/concrete. The dry goods have been poured in a heap and it will soon be supplied with water. Our plan to go to an exchange office has faltered. It is a 75 meters queue at the office. OK, yet another local guy want to talk to us. I understand nada. Now he switched to English. Now it is easier to understand. He has shown some souvenirs that he wants to sell or he might want to have some money to his mother. It's hard to get anything out of what he says.

11.55 We decided to continue our walk after a man with an iron in his hand passed us. We returned to the Calixto Garcia square. We once again saw again and once again heard the man who asked if we were from the United States. He remembered that we were from Sweden, seemed very happy about it and celebrated the music group ABBA. After that I went shopping at the supermarket. The most dramatic event that occurred there were at checkout. The man before me had to replace a note that the cashier thought was too worn. More dramatic things took place outside the store. Christer talked to a man about the Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme. The man thought that Olof Palme had been good and knew that he had been murdered after a visit to a cinema. They also talked about the Swedish economy and how differently hard it is to learn languages. French went well to learn. It was more difficult with German and Chinese. Finnish was considered impossible. During the conversation, Christer was offered pineapple seeds and home made chocolates. Now we are home again for a little while.

12.13 We are really grateful that we get to keep this room at no extra charge until our departure at four o'clock. It would never have worked in a hotel. Right now, we realize that service and flexibility many times is superior when renting private rooms.

Every day life at the pedestrian street Calle Libertad, also called Bulevar.

We are having a break in the Calixto Garcia park.

The San Isidoro cathedral close to Parque Peralta.

Here is a statue of the popular Calixto Garcia. He is an independence hero born in Holguín.

12.42 We have calculated how much more Cuban currency we will spend. Additionally, we have been thinking about how to get hoild of that money. In the first place we should visit an ATM. Secondly, it will be exchange. Thirdly, we repeat the procedure in the next town instead.

13.18 The ATM at Parque Céspedes was generous. It gave us money, receipt and the ATM cards back. There was a limit of 40 notes. Now it will be lunch at the restaurant Don Rico.

14.21 It was a good lunch at a good price, pasta and beer for two people plus coffee for one person for around US$8. It also included the tip. It is very important to leave a tip at Cuba since small coins in tourist currency might be gold for an ordinary Cuban who would otherwise use national peso for their purchases. We came back home to Villa Fuentes in good time and was told that the taxi is here around 15.00. Everything was fine and we were happy. When Christer turned off the air conditioning, he got an electric shock. The Soviet technology has its flaws after all. In addition, our refrigerator door does not open. It can not only be good. The door goes up a few centimeters but then it stops.

14.55 It took joined forces to get the beverages out from the refrigerator. I opened the door as much as possible and Christer fished out the nectar packages. We had plans to shower before the bus trip. The problem is just that there is no water. Why did we think that everything was fine earlier?

Different types of vehicles around Parque Céspedes.

Today´s lunch will be at Don Rico.

Christer is heading back after a nice lunch.

15.17 We said goodbye to our hosts, José and Edelmi Fuentes. Now we are at the bus station. However, we can not check in yet but we are welcome to do so at 16:00. There was some discussions about taking a taxi instead of the bus as we got here. Reluctance and existing bus tickets were no arguments that convinced the taxi guys.

15.58 Our English travel colleagues Anne and Claire came into the waiting room. They had been staying in the city as well and went on a hill excursion here in Holguín this morning. Now they hope to collect the tickets they reported interest in yesterday evening when they came here. Another English girl of Indian origin is also here in the same matter.

16.05 Now we've got our tickets and we´ve been told that the bus should be here around 17.25. Anne and Claire have also received tickets.

16.56 Departure time is approaching. It's boring here in our little waiting room. I have got rid of unnecessary liquid. In the doorway on his way out of the toilet, I met the toilet lady. She looked determined and got a coin from me.

17.03 The ticket is divided into origen (departure), destino (destination) and precio (price). They in turn are divided into three rows and three to five columns. Figures on and holes in the ticket says everything needed be known, destino, 610. Origen, 600, precio, 1100. There is also a hole in one A and a 5. This means the month and date.

17.19 The wait is over and the backpacks are in place in the boot. The bus host closes windows and corrects seats. A little further in front of us in the bus are Anne and Claire. The big question, however, is, where is the thin haired Frenchman with his family? Has he/they abandoned us?

17.44 The bus toilet is something extra. The door is moody, it will not be closed, opened or kept closed. The light is weak. But it's oh so generous with scents it offers. There is nothing it withholds. A poor Asian has just forced himself inside.

18.42 The bus is standing still with a running engine at the bus station in Bayamo. The British woman with Indian heritage has just come out of the toilet. She noted that no one should be trapped inside. Here in Bayamo, there are those who drive a horse and carriage, actually 40% of the inhabitants, according to some odd statistics. The Cuban independence had its cradle in the city. Fidel Castro gave his last public speech here in 2006. In addition, Bayamo is the capital of the region Granma, which name is taken from the boat as we saw in Havana.

19.51 The darkness has fallen. We travel through towns and countryside in the south of Cuba. When will we reach our goal?

Surprisingly we met our English travel colleagues again in the waiting room at Holguín bus station.

The last bus trip with Viazul takes us to Santiago de Cuba.

Our nice room at Hostal Las Terrazas Martin y Gisel.

21.27 We said bye, see you later to Anne and Claire. We left the bus station and took aim on a man with a note which said Kristel. We must wait for another trip if Christer want see his name spelled correctly. He has now been called Katrin, Chistor and Kristel. A gentleman said to me, my friend, I have a taxi for you. I replied that my friend already arranged with a taxi. In a fast pace we went to Casa Hostal Las Terrazas Martin y Gisel. Here we were received and were brought to room 2, we made orders for dinner and our passports were taken into custody. Now let's take a shower each before dinner. We have come to the final destination on this trip, Santiago de Cuba.

21.55 Mot much running water. It only sprinkled but we were humid and I guess it is OK. Now it's off to the roof terrace.

23.01 It was a good dinner again tonight. Now we are waiting to get back the passports. We are sitting in the room where we came in. I guess it could be called the lobby. The entrance door is open and we think we see someone behind it.

23.15 It was the guy who received us standing there in the doorway. He came in and said, but hey, there you are. We thanked him for the food and asked about the passports. He went into another room and a man sitting in there shouting at us. We went in there and he excused himself so much. Things had messed up a bit, could we get the passports tomorrow instead? They even asked when we wanted breakfast and we said that 09.00 will be good. We expressed the desire for breakfast to a lady in the kitchen. Now it will be washing. I had not quite right in my guess about the laundry yesterday.