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