One final adventure
Inevitably we had a number of adventures catching busses and getting about generally, including a delayed flight that threw our schedule and pre-booked hotels into temporary chaos, but the best was the cab that failed to appear at three in the morning to get us to the airport when leaving. As time ticked by the hotel staff roamed the streets looking for a replacement. It’s a long drive and everyone appreciated the urgency.
|
At last a cab is found. Off we set; but as we are travelling through a deserted ex-industrial area; there is a loud bang. The cab’s front near side tyre has blown out. The driver is beside himself. Our bags are thrown from the boot and lie in the middle of a wide intersection; the jack and spare are uncovered. Ten minutes he says; just ten. He is so panicked he hurts his hand jacking the car. He is so charged with adrenaline he needs help to get the spare onto the wheel bolts and to thread the wheel nuts. He keeps dropping them. I help again. Ten minutes later our bags are back in the boot. He can shave five minutes on the trip if we are fast. We complete the rest of the journey at 100Kmph plus, ignoring all the red lights. I tell him to take his time going back. I'm hoping his adrenaline has subdued and he gets back safely. We give him an extra $5. He smiles broadly. |
We made the flight. Phew!
And so we left Cuba; a unique place caught in a strange time warp; at least for the present.