Cuba 9th July

HAVANA

Yesterday i went to the Canadian / Australian Embassy as soon as it opened at 8:30, i walked in with the guards making me empty all my pockets and do a thorough search for any weapons or anything dangerous. After that i walked into the building, spoke to the lady at reception, she told me to "take a seat and someone will be with you shortly". I sat there for 20 minutes then was asked to step inside the interview room on the left of reception, where i spoke to Maribel through the glass window, like in a bank. I explained my whole situation to her, how i had lost my wallet 5 days ago in Varadero but still had a spare travel card, the following day got a bus to Trinidad and spent 3 nights there whilst going to the police station to get a writing report on the lost wallet, how i had been living of $100 cash for the last 5 days, buying salads to eat and drinking tap water with water purifying tablets that i had, because i couldn't afford to buy bottles of water. 

I was sitting in this interview room talking to Maribel with 3 peso in my pocket. 

I explained to her how i had got the bus from Trinidad to Havana yesterday, spending basically my last 30 peso i had on accommodation. She then said to me that there was something we could do to get money. Somehow do a transaction trough Canada. We then went ahead and tried using my travel card, with out any luck. I explained that the visa card i had lost in the wallet wasn't yet cancelled and that i could put money on it and try that, i then said "i can't log on to my internet banking to do that from Cuban internet tho, because ANZ won't allow it so it doesn't log on". She said "well lucky we have an internet connection from Canada then". So that was super lucky. I was sent out for one of the guards to take me around to the cafe area where they had a huge pool, with many rooms around it. It looked like a really expensive hotel. I walked into the cafe area, the guy in there had MTV playing on a big flatscreen tv (which you can't even get in Cuba) with a big stereo system, it all seemed a little strange for an embassy haha but it was pretty cool. I used one of the computers, transferred the money and went back inside the main building with the guard. I filled out a form with all the card details on it, Maribel then faxed it to the head office in Ottawa, Canada. I then waited 2 hours in reception for her to come out and say that she hasn't heard back yet, she had called them but they were having troubles with the system and it was down. so i thought great, if i don't get money ill be on the street tonight with nothing to eat. The Embassy closes from 12:30 - 1:30 for lunch so she suggested i go and get something to eat. I was feeling confident that i would be able to get money somehow so i spent 2 peso on lunch i brought i packet of biscuits and a donut, i didn't need water because the Embassy had free water in reception, so i took advantage of that. By this time with my food shopping i was just looking for the most filling thing for the cheapest price, i wasn't worried about what it taste like. After buying them i started walking back towards the embassy, i sat on a little bench eating my biscuits. I returned after lunch with 1 peso to my name and still no news from Canada, she called again. After about an hour Maribel came out to reception, "the system is still down and won't be back up and going until tomorrow" she said, explaining that she had been working there for a long time, only ever seeing this once before, i thought to myself yeah this would be right, just my luck. All kind of thoughts were going through my head about what to do. When i woke this moring, before leaving to go to the Embassy i got out my little protection stone that mum had given me and also my little love charm from nan, both were to keep me safe and to have the thoughts that they are there for me and thinking about me. I kissed them both before walking out and put them back in my bag, hoping it would bring some luck. I was sitting there thinking to myself please help me, please something go right. Maribel told me to wait out in reception while she tried to work something else out. We could have had my parents transfer money but that wouldn't have worked before the day was out. All those hours i had been sitting in reception, i had been studying a map of British Columbia, Canada. I had been working out where myself, Wild, Thom and Shaun could go in Jan, when we are thinking of doing a snowboard trip. I had been looking at this map for seriously hours, studying every single town on it, then suddenly i noticed a town on there i hadn't looked at yet haha it was called Hope. I was thinking surely this is a sign, i had looked at this map and all the towns on it for hours, not noticing this town till now. Maribel called me back into the meeting room, her boss had said in cases of emergencies they had another way of manually processing it through Canada somehow, which they had never done before. By now it was 4pm and they had all the staff helping, trying to get something to work. I gave all my details of the card, email ext. I was waiting as they were all out the back trying to process it, when i heard a loud applause….. I knew straight away that it had worked, they came from out the back, all smiling, i think i even had a happy tear in my eye secretly, because i was so excited. I couldn't stop thanking them and smiling. I felt like breakdancing to Original Don. I suddenly felt the big RELIEF of the tone of weights been taking off my shoulders. I had been stressing all day everyday, not eating properly drinking Cuban tap water and felt empty and weak for the last five days. I can't believe i was down to having 1 peso in my pocket. I can honestly say i felt happy again. I didn't realise how much drama it would have been loosing a wallet in Cuba. If it wasn't for these people at the Embassy i would have been stuck in Cuba with no money at all. I got the cash, left the Embassy with a big smile and headed back to collect my bags from where i had stayed the night before. She didn't have a room for me but her friend across the road did so i slept here last night and again tonight, i fly out to Cancun tomorrow.

 

Just another chapter in my book. 

I went for a nice walk this morning feeling so fresh and happy, i decided i was going to go to a florist i had seen nearby, to buy some flowers for the lady's at the Embassy who helped me yesterday, so i could show some appreciation of what they had done for me. When i arrived i got searched and everything, i then went inside, the lady at reception seen the flowers and went straight out the back to tell everyone. About 5 of them all came out so surprised at what i had done, saying "omg the are beautiful" "you didn't have to do that" "aren't you a gentleman". I think maybe i went red, but it felt really good to give something in return. They put the flowers in a vase on the counter at reception. I wanted a photo with them but for security reason there are no photos inside so Meribel came out the front with me, i got one of the guards to take a photo of us. I don't think i will forget this one. It's been a long 5 days, i am glad to put it all behind me!!!!!!!!!

I think that is enough said for Cuba….