| After picking up the bicycle on Thursday, I | | | | it with regular transportation options and do |
| finally took my first ride on Friday | | | | more walking, getting some exercise at the |
| afternoon through the beautiful residential | | | | same time.In the evening my friend Pedro and |
| area of Vedado. We had had a tropical | | | | I decided to catch the "GuaGua" again and we |
| downpour in the early afternoon, so the | | | | took a "Camello" (a very large bus with 2 |
| streets were a bit wet and it was about 4 pm | | | | humps, pulled by a truck engine) from around |
| or so by the time I got out. Of course, by | | | | the Capitolio to the other side of Havana Bay |
| that time, rush hour traffic had already | | | | to the old fortress of "El Morro" which was |
| started and there were thousands of people in | | | | built in th 16th century. The Camello was so |
| the street, waiting for buses. The bicycle | | | | full that one of my feet couldn't touch the |
| was a pretty new mountain bike, but it seems | | | | ground and the hydraulic doors coulnd't close |
| that all the gears and derailleurs were | | | | because people were hanging out the door. |
| totally screwed up and I constantly had | | | | Certainly an experience.....Every day at 9 pm |
| problems with the chain. 2 of the 3 | | | | they have a ceremony at the fortress where |
| chainrings in the front didn''t work at all | | | | they have a few men dressed up in old |
| and I had a pretty hard time getting along | | | | (colonial?) uniforms and they shoot off 2 |
| with the bike.But even more so than the | | | | cannon balls across the bay to commemorate La |
| technical difficulties, the stares I got from | | | | Habana's military past. El Morro and Las |
| all the locals were a really unnerving | | | | Cabanas is an interesting area with a museum |
| experience, especially since there were so | | | | and numerous stores selling tourist |
| many people in the street. You don't see too | | | | merchandise. After the ceremony we caught |
| many modern bicycles on the street, and even | | | | another, much less overstuffed, GuaGua back |
| fewer are ridden by women. Of course the guys | | | | to the western side of La Habana and we had |
| whistle at you at every turn, which, as I am | | | | another very affordable dinner in the Barrio |
| told, is totally part of the culture and not | | | | Chino.This time my intestinal system was okay |
| a threatening gesture. Nevertheless, I did | | | | and I caught a good night's sleep to rest up |
| feel rather unnverved with this | | | | for the weekend.Susanne Pacher is the |
| experience.Bicycles in general are basic | | | | publisher of a website called Travel and |
| means of transportation here, not | | | | Transitions( Travel and Transitions deals |
| recreational vehicles. And considering that | | | | with unconventional travel and is chock full |
| even a very basic new bike at maybe $100 or | | | | of advice, tips, real life travel |
| so is worth 5, 6 or even 10 months of state | | | | experiences, interviews with travellers and |
| salary, it's not surprising that they tell | | | | travel experts, insights and reflections, |
| you never to let the bicycle out of your | | | | cross-cultural issues, contests and many |
| sight. And riding through the streets I | | | | other features. You will also find stories |
| almost felt as if I was surrounded by a group | | | | about life and the transitions that we face |
| of lions that were ready to pounce to capture | | | | as we go through our own personal life-long |
| their prey.So as a result I decided, I'd | | | | journeys.Submit your own travel stories in |
| rather not attract that much attention to | | | | our first travel story contest( and have a |
| myself and I decided to hand the bike back to | | | | chance to win an amazing adventure cruise on |
| the owner. The last thing I wanted is for the | | | | the Amazon River. |
| bicycle to get stolen, so I decided I'll wing | | | | |