Santiago

We did a few things today - cemetery, museum, wandering around the town, looking at the various art galleries including buying some artwork! - even on our tight budget and watching the sunset from a castle! Pretty good day!

The art work is so cheap compared to western prices. Lots of hideous tourist stuff duplicated everywhere but looking around there are some real gems.

I'll do some art posts.

I just paid the asking price for the art we bought as its so reasonable and it would have been an insult to bargain for it. The Cubans really need the $ and I am very happy to pay what they ask.

A Dr's wage may be $30 a month. So an artist selling to a westerner can do very well. The most expensive painting I have asked about was $1000.

The museum was hot and it was a struggle to understand the guide's accent so I wandered on my own and marge grabbed a seat by a window. It was very interesting though and it had gruesome photos of murdered revolutionaries.

Next was the cemetery where Fidel and other revolutionaries and heros are buried.

They have a changing of the guard every half hour which is pretty impressive - all done to quite loud music.

Fidel Castro and Che are beloved in Cuba and there are photos pictures billboards posters and murials of them everywhere.

At the castle they fire a canon each evening along with some impressive marching!

Then sitting on top of the castle watching the sunset over the ocean was very relaxing.

Went to a night club after dinner. It was like the cuban nightclub for tourists I think. Had a dance, a margarita and went on stage to play percussion then called it a night.

Walked home across town alone - wouldn't be able to do that in many countries!Read more