three assorted Cuban moments
1) At a bank in Santiago, the teller wouldn't accept our 100 dollar note, as it had a slight tear in it. Then the manager turned up, with a roll of cellotape, and taped up the note. The teller then accepted the note. The manager was clearly a dangerous enterpreneur who was shot shortly after we left the bank.
2) The clientele at the local coffee shop consists of people who look like they've stepped out of roles as extras in weird cult films. We met a man who walked around town in a suit, waistcoat, tie, and straw hat, carrying a large congo drum. He told us to get married. Then we met a miniature woman, about 4 ft tall, who spoke no recognisable language, but who smoked a pipe about half the size of her face, which eclipsed her nose. She showed us photos of her in the coffee shop, and made unintelligible friendly gestures.
3) We're in with the Cuban gay mafia.
And there's nothing subtle about being gay in Cuba. First we stayed at Marlon's house. Marlon has dyed auburn hair, shaved legs, lots of gold jewelry, and wears pink hotpants and a crop top, and speaks Spanish with a camp Italian lilt. Then he put us onto his friend Willy in Baracoa. Willy has bleached blond hair, wears white hotpants, a tight black t-shirt, lots of gold jewelry, and speaks Spanish with a camp Italianate lilt. Willy's now put us onto his friend Consuelo in Trinidad. I can't wait.
2) The clientele at the local coffee shop consists of people who look like they've stepped out of roles as extras in weird cult films. We met a man who walked around town in a suit, waistcoat, tie, and straw hat, carrying a large congo drum. He told us to get married. Then we met a miniature woman, about 4 ft tall, who spoke no recognisable language, but who smoked a pipe about half the size of her face, which eclipsed her nose. She showed us photos of her in the coffee shop, and made unintelligible friendly gestures.
3) We're in with the Cuban gay mafia.
And there's nothing subtle about being gay in Cuba. First we stayed at Marlon's house. Marlon has dyed auburn hair, shaved legs, lots of gold jewelry, and wears pink hotpants and a crop top, and speaks Spanish with a camp Italian lilt. Then he put us onto his friend Willy in Baracoa. Willy has bleached blond hair, wears white hotpants, a tight black t-shirt, lots of gold jewelry, and speaks Spanish with a camp Italianate lilt. Willy's now put us onto his friend Consuelo in Trinidad. I can't wait.