Cuba: A Little for the Locals

The girls wake up early again, and I hear them working out on the roof. We have this beautiful little terrace we haven’t put to use yet. I guess I should say I haven put to use yet. I know I should be working out with them, but this is my vacation, and if I don’t have to work, I´m sleeping in late. I was up by 10am… that was my late wake up -___-
I take my shower and try to do what I can wit second day curls. I didn’t bring enough product for this trip, so for the remainder of it, it’ll probably be tied up somehow. Olivia´s main purpose for this trip was to go to the tobacco fields and the rum factory. Since we couldn’t arrange a trip to Vinales, yet another city, we found an alternative. Alexis, our cab driver, stopped by a hotel so we can buy day passes at a hotel, since we wouldn’t be able to buy tickets at the spot we were headed to. Partagas Cigar Factory was pretty close to our casa particular, and since we did a lot bullshitting around the house, we arrived an hour before it closed at 1pm. I was a little upset I had to leave my DSLR in a room packed away with my bag, but at least we were able to take pictures with our cellphones. (I hate taking pictures with my cellphone) Our tour guide was a super sassy and a beautiful cuban dressed in khaki, she puffed on a cigar while she spoke and gave us the run down of how cigars are made. When we arrived on the second floor, you could see their office spaces. Tables after tables, after tables. Workers, all busy making their section of their cigar. The workers were amused by the tourist as well, and kept looking at us, some of the guys were pretty damn cute, and they kept smiling at us, flirting.  Cubans are hustlers man. When we walked outside, there were so many factory workers who were off duty, who chilling in front of the factory, asking tourists if they wanted to buy boxes of their cigars instead of getting it at the gift shop. I personally wanted my box sealed for travel, so I opted out of that option. I decided to get 3 bottles of rum as well, one for my boss, one for my dad, and the other for my aunt. I purchased some cigars, but I didn’t get anything too crazy.   I already ran out of money and had to change some more American cash at the hotel. The bell hop who was helping me kept saying I was beautiful and he wouldn’t be against finding someone like me to marry his 25 year old son. I knew it was for papers, I said thank you and walked away.   We roamed a lot.. the bottom of my dress was ruined and it didn’t bother me that much. The streets are filthy and my toes were worse. We walked aimlessly into Chinatown and entered a Chinese restaurant. I ordered a dish filled with fish and lobster. It was sooo good, the amount was a little too generous compared to the small portions I’ve been getting used to.
The waiter was pretty cute, and was helpful. Cuban men so far have been so handsome. I’m one to give a compliment to a woman, but I have yet to see someone who stood out too much.
When I went to the restroom, Alejandro, our waiter, told me I was beautiful, asked if I had boyfriend and if I wanted to be friends. I asked how would that even work. You guys barely have internet. He told me he had Facebook, and we could be friends long distance. He asked if I have heard of a certain song and when I responded no, the television that was over us started to play some music. He told me to sit down and watch the video. Even though I understood it, I asked him to explain it to me. The video was about two friends, who became lovers, and lived across the map from each other. They went off even 20 years and up, just being friends apart. I smiled, and he slipped me his house phone number, which I wont be able to use, and his full name so I can find him on Facebook. His other coworkers, 2 pretty girls just looked on by and asked me my name for him. Hmm… maybe he’s done this before.  We walked some more, and i switch lenses so I can get some detailed shots of the people and the architecture. Even though some things were old and dusty, everything, absolutely everything had some kind of history to it. Tonight we were supposed to have dinner at La Floridita, but we walked in right now instead. The place was packed, this is definitely a tourist spot, we could barely move. When Krys and Julian found a table, the Chilean couple next to me gladly let me have their spare chair. I loved the live band that was playing. I wish there was enough space to dance.    While walking towards our casa particular, we bumped into a few kids playing soccer in the street. Oli started with them, and because i had a few toys in my bag I started to give them away. I didn’t have much, but they were all shoving and trying to get their own. When we got to our casa, we grabbed the rest of the toys we had, and Olivia had a bunch. We walked three blocks up to where we saw them, and when they saw us they ran to us. They were so excited, and trying to grab everything they possibly could, Olivia gave away, coloring books, markers, crayons, nerf footballs, toy cars, paddle balls and candies. These boys were not about sharing. A little old abuela came walking towards us with a baby girl in hand and another little girl in hand. She asked if we had anything took give her for the girls. We all felt so bad, we’ve already given everything away. Krys wanted to stop by a candy store, and see if she could buy a whole bunch of candies for them, but there wasn’t one close.    We went to hang out by The Malecon. While they all disputed what their plans were for the next day, I was busy playing with my camera making light trails with the fort-castle in the background. They wanted to go to the beach in the morning and I was perfectly fine staying in by myself. They all kept making plans and I just followed along with them, which is fine for the most part, but I know the next vacation I take will be a solo one. I wont have to please anyone but myself. I can roam the street I want to, plan my day the way I want to, eat where I want to, wake up and go to sleep when I want to. The girls stayed walking el malecon, enjoying the night.  . I went home, took a wonderful shower and washed the pollution out of my hair. I stayed in a towel and just chilled in the balcony, with my wet hair, feet up, with a wonderful view, a great breeze, the quiet, all while drawing a commission piece for a client. About an hour later they came by, I threw the keys down for them and stayed up a little with them. I was having horrible back pains, sharp pains that would startle me ever time I turned.
Since have any candles, Tanya went into the kitchen, grabbed two forks and stuck newspaper on top of them, shoved them in the cake and lit the paper on fire.
What the hell… I was ready for the place to burn down… but it ended up working either way. We sang happy birthday and the birthday girl made her wish. I had the worst sleep that night, I was on the verge of crying from all the pain my back was giving me, every time I tossed and turned the pain never seemed to go away, I just wanted someone to hug me so tight, so my back would crack. I thought about someone but I tried my best to let it pass.