Moving South

Bad trip, 11 hour night flight with a child screaming for three hours of it, poor kid. But what a fillip Cape Town is, walked my legs off exploring the V&A waterfront and orienting myself. Fortunately I have booked a B&B  within 5 mins of everything downtown. Tonight I found Long Street, whatever you want to eat, drink or party with on a Saturday night this is the place, say no more.
There are definite parallels to be drawn with Cuba but the food is infinitely more tasty.  Humour aside, there are as many panhandlers here and they are more persistent, I personally don't  mind, my stay in Cuba did help educate me to identify between  the scammers and the needy I hope.
I have been warned by many friends about being careful over here, I have taken all the obvious steps of keeping my cash in a front trouser pocket, not wearing designer shades and not being an ostentatious tourist but to be honest I have never felt threatened and everyone I have met has been so friendly and polite including the people needing change.

More Cornwall

I have read about the special light here in the southwest of Cornwall, I always thought it was a load of high-brow codswallop but after experiencing rain, mist, rainbows and sunshire in differing amounts you could say I am beginning to see the light or maybe even get the picture.

Cornwall has been a delight, St Ives is a little too twee for me, I imagine it is mad in season, it was good to see The Lost Gardens of Helligan after watching their resurection on TV in the early 90s and Falmouth and its Maritime Museum took a full day of rain dodging. 
People here are so friendly not at all what I have come to expect, this could be subject to another visit when the weather is a little kinder.

St Ives in the rain with the tide out.

Looking West across Carrick Roads from St Mawes Castle

Close up

A UK tour

What a good call abandoning the lakes was, I left in a snow storm on Thursday and three hours later I was in Gwytherin in beautiful sunshine, as ever it was good to be home.
A relaxed start on Saturday and a six and a half hour drive later saw me at Clowance House Country Club just south of Camborne in Cornwall, another cozy retreat when the weather gets bad.
Today the sun was shining and at one point the temperature climbed over 10C, I love this part of the UK not only picturesque but lovely country pubs and loads of farm shops etc, new potatoes and daffs are on sale here already, maybe a move south is a possibility?
I avoided Lands End on the advice of a local and went instead to Cape Cornwall, it pays to listen, there is also a golf course here that rambles all over the hillside, it looks a lot of fun, wish I had brought my golf bats with me.

Cape Cornwall from the 12th tee at Cape golf course

Lands End from Cape Cornwall

Obligatory snap of St. Michael's Mount

Early finish.

Early start today, Dock Museum in Barrow-in-Furness also explored the town, that is another long term itch scratched, visited the Motor Museum in Backbarrow.  I tried a couple of walking venues but last night's snow made the back roads too dodgy and the forecast is not too good so I am calling it a day tomorrow, back to Gwytherin for laundry, read the post etc before driving to Cornwall on Saturday. Wimp I hear you say but a live  warm wimp.

Waterworld

Forget the Lake District or Lakeland it should be renamed Waterworld, the lakes are FTB, rivers are torrents and all the low lying fields are flooded. I headed for the coast in the sunshine today, not for the beaches with the temperature at 4C and winds gusting up to 50km/h. I had not realised how industrial this area was. I really enjoyed exploring Maryport, Workington and Whitehaven, places I had always wondered about after seeing them in the atlas and reading about in naval histories, enjoyable but flippin' cold.
I got back to my cosy accommodation just as the snow started, there is a dry window forecast for tomorrow, here's hoping.

Whitehaven in the sun.

Whitehaven in the sun and wind, Brrrr.

Another day.

Mr and Mrs Drake came for breakfast this morning before I headed of exploring in the sunshine with all my hats, gloves and coats.
Ayra Force was amazing especially after all the rain up here and there are loads of walking trails around the place, just avoid the £5.00 National Trust on the main road - free parking up the side road on level with the waterfall itself.

Made the most of the good weather by going higher up to places that become inaccessible in bad weather.

                                     

A Retrospective View of Cuba

Life is tough.

Another busy beach in Baracoa.

Street market Havana, the wheels on his cart are old bearings!

My first opinion of Havana was it was a dirty, smelly, noisy, decaying city, after 5 days of exploring the place I had no reason to change my view but by then I had met the funny,happy, friendly people and it put a whole different slant on the experience - and that is what Cuba is away from the all-inclusive resorts, an experience.
I traveled by bus and stayed in Casas particular (the Cuban equivalent of B&Bs) and spoke to the real Cuban people and I am glad I went when I did because the day I landed back in the UK Barrack Obama announced that after more than 50 years the US was restoring diplomatic relations with Cuba, it won't be too long before Cuba is just a suburb of Miami.
I think that this is what the majority of Cubans have been waiting for, the declared national wage is around $5000 a year but the people at the bottom of the ladder are on something like $60 a year, I saw litter bins being picked through up to four times an hour for anything that could be reused or sold and in the towns and cities there are many people who live by collecting and selling aluminium cans, plastic bottles etc.
I stayed in Casas particular where the husband and wife both had university degrees and had had good jobs but they made more renting out one room on an occasional basis to tourists.

Not just American classics available.

If you want to see the real Cuba before it disappears go soon, but don't get me wrong besides the lovely beaches, wonderful hills, caves and waterfalls the main attraction for me is the people. They are amazing and I had many involved conversations where words formed less than 25% of what we were trying to communicate with each other but whether it was trying to book a bus, order a meal or just talk about our families it just worked without shouting in English - lovely people.

1950s American cars used as taxis, I bet they all get bought by enthusiasts before 2020

The view from my casa in Havana.

Travelling again

Two weeks travelling in the UK in January. I must be mad.
Had a fun trip up here to the Seasons at Whitbarrow Village yesterday, gale force winds blowing people all over the motorway then I went off piste through the lakes to get here, in some places I would have been better off with a dinghy, it is worrying when the water is over the tops of the wheels, (good door seals thank God).
Today I took the bit between my teeth and attempted a walk from Keswick up to Latrigg stone circle. What a mistake. The temperature was 4C and whichever way I faced the wind was blowing directly at me, within 5 minutes I had brainfreeze so discretion being the better part of valour I bought a Sunday paper and retreated to my lovely warm lodge for the rest of the day.