I left Guantanamo around 6:00 a.m. It's pleasant to ride in the morning. There's a lot going on. People get up early to go to work. I met a Cuban man on a bicycle. He asked me if I was carrying spare parts for my bike. I told him yes, but I couldn't give them to him right now because I still had two weeks left in Cuba. He asked for my phone number, and I gave him my Fast123 business card. He didn't know how to reach me.
In the parks in the evening, I see Cubans with smartphones chatting with friends via video messaging. Some people have tablets and computers, but clearly not all Cubans have the luxury of internet access. Network access remains quite limited. You can buy access cards for 2 Canadian dollars per hour. That's quite expensive for a population like this. Today is my birthday, and on the road, I see a sign reminding me that I'm not 42 anymore.
I'm driving on a motorway for the first time, it's pleasant.
A beautiful day of cycling; I covered 85 km quite easily today. I was lucky on the coast! Santiago de Cuba is a big city. Life is intense. Lots of buses and cars. It's not ideal for cycling. I can see Revolution Square.
It's a beautiful city. It's hot!
A storm is brewing on the horizon...
A lovely evening discovering new places.
A man rents bicycles to children. Parents pay 5 cents, much to the children's delight.
I use the services of a resourceful internet provider. The connection isn't very good.
What a great find in the streets after seeing a cat attack a dog! It was hilarious!
A beautiful day. Tomorrow I'm going to travel along the coast.
Be happy when you're cycling uphill, because sooner or later you'll be going back down it.
David Beauchesne
