Code Pink Journals CodePINK Journals

Work 4 Peace,Hold All Life Sacred,Eliminate Violence! I am on my mobile version of the door-to-door, going town-to-town holding readings/gatherings/discussions of my book "But What Can I Do?" This is my often neglected blog mostly about my travels since 9/11 as I engage in dialogue and actions. It is steaming with my opinions, insights, analyses toward that end of holding all life sacred, dismantling the empire and eliminating violence while creating the society we want ALL to thrive in

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Day 10:



I get up this morning just before 6 after stressing all night about how I’m going to be able to make this trip happen: if no one else shows up, do I try to bargain with my last pesos? I’m still going to be here for another 4 days, 5 counting today, so I really can’t afford this trip….grrrr but I so want to see Pinares de Mayari. I hear it is the most beautiful place in Cuba.

But I’ve been to many beautiful places already but I keep thinking, what if I can never come back? I do have an emergency 50 dollar bill usa, do I try to bargain with that and hope there will be no emergency or nothing else I need to pay for before I leave? Lots of people are asking me if I have u.s. money – the dollar is climbing in value here. Perhaps Cuba is not as strong as I’m hoping. 

Oh decisions decisions. I think by the time I shower and prepare my backpack and dress, I’ve decided if no one else shows up, I will try to first bargain for today, and then if not, I’ll still have four days to figure out how to get there.

I get to our agreed meeting place by the outdoor market at 6:50 and he is not there. I entertain the thought that maybe he will not show up. At 7:00am, I decide to wait 10 minutes and if he’s not here, I’ll leave.

7:10 he is not here. I’m relieved and disappointed both. But there are several things I need to do today: first I can go eat breakfast! Then I told the nurse I’d be back so she can wrap my big toe and cut the toenail that is digging into my big toe; I need to change the last of my Canadian money; I need look and see if I can replace my water bottle that smashed this morning – I will not buy plastic water bottles; I need to talk with public relations about losing 45 or 50 minutes of my 60 minute internet card last night.

And I need to go to the hotel’s ecotur business to see if there’s a tour already to Pinares de Mayari or if they’ll schedule one for me to join.

But first I need to go run on the beach and complete my stretches. My skin has been erupting and mostly where the sun is turning me brown. I don’t know if I’m getting bitten or I’m suffering from the heat and humidity. Whatever, it is not that uncomfortable and I spend a lot of time in the ocean or in the shower.
I will return to the marketplace after I exercise, eat, and finish my chores – and write of course. Maybe someone will tell me what happened to the taxi driver this morning. I’m betting everyone knows everyone here.