Playa Giron

Hostal Mario Garcia - a 45 minute drive and we're at Playa Giron, our taxi driven by one of last nights dance stars Alan. Last night was a bit special. Over the previous two days we'd found ourselves introduced to most of the family at Casa el Paraiso run by the lovely Marieta. It was a reunion of the Miami and Cuban branches of the family and we'd been laughing and joking with them when they arrived. They were so happy to be together and there was a lot of love flowing and we happened to be there so a load came our way. Just the son, a newly qualified policeman working in Miami, spoke English. Even the aunts and uncles who had lived in Miami for 20 years didn't speak much English and our Spanish is rubbish, so how we managed to communicate remains a mystery. 

A traditional Cuban band played with the standard lineup - congas, double base, two guitars (one normal, one Cuban style) and percussion. We arrived and immediately got pulled in to dance on a wonderful evening of laughter, dancing, singing, tears and speeches. 

The Cubans really are a wonderfully welcoming people, especially out here in the country away from the main tourist route. It wasn't just us they included in their celebrations but other tourists walking along the beach and hearing the music would come for a closer look and be called and beckoned in. 

Alan led the dancing with his gyrating hips and prevocative moves and he had the whole family launghing and at times shrieking and hiding their faces behind their hands at his moves. You had to be there . . .

This evening I am sitting out on the front porch of the casa in one of the metal rocking chairs, which seem to occupy ever front porch in Cuba, and watching the world go by. The world here is mainly Cuban although many of the casas on the street have rooms for rent. Three men opposite are looking at and discussing the workings of a three wheeled motorbike truck as bikes, tricycles, cars, dogs, people and chickens pass by at various speeds, all in the range of slow - it's a dirt road and no one seems in a hurry.

We've had a classic Caribbean beach day here at Playa Giron, lazing, swimming, snorkelling and chatting to the other tourists. The locals set up an ad hoc 'restaurant' under the trees using their horsecart as the table and were cooking fish lunches on an open fire with rice and banana crisps for around £4 a portion, depending on how many fish you wanted - one was easily enough.

The beach area is dominated by a large, fairly ugly hotel complex that was probably built by/for the Russians. Rows of square, concrete, empty 'cabins' seem to cover acres and acres of land but get past these and you arrive at a pleasant enough palm strewn beach with a few rideable waves breaking on the front of the reef and swimming and snorkelling in the lagoon behind. And so we whiled away the day . . .this evening we are eating at the casa - more fish fried and served with rice, a bean soup, salad and some root veggie fries. The Cubans bring everything out in one go, fish, rice, soup, veggies, salad, etc, which is a bit odd as it all starts to cool down as you eat your soup. Portions are huge and we can survive on one meal between the two of us if only we could explain this so they consistently understand. The Americans will love the lack of portion control when they get here and mess the place up, etc, etc.