The nightmare of our holiday arrangements took a new turn this morning when we tried to get transferred to our new location. The weather was really hot today.
She established that the transfer car had been sent to the wrong hotel and diverted it us eventually, an hour late.
The journey to Pinos Del Rio was a three-hour affair but at least our new car had space for our luggage in the boot, and we could sit in relative comfort in the back.
The driver stopped halfway for ten minutes at one of the typical roadside communities where an extended family offered us drink, snacks and tourist gismos in a coral of shaded kiosks.
I got us both lemonades and then got some crisps as Louise could not decide. We eventually arrived at the area of Vinalis and our next stopping place of Rancho de San Vicente which was in the middle of nowhere and turned out to be a park of chalets with no English spoken and few facilities.
They had no map of the area nor any information that would be useful in finding the attractions. I was further upset by being hot and bothered and so I had a shower to cool off and then got dressed ready for lunch.
I used the reception to make use of the safe deposit box and was told by the manager that our breakfast was due separately which I could not accept.
We had a very poor lunch, small and lacking quality and variety and then Louise set off to try and find us something to do.
She arranged with reception for the hire of a taxi for $10 to take us through Vinalis to the site of the rock murals and we waited for the taxi to take us.
We first saw the Cuevo de Vinalis, where you could walk through the hill starting at the cavernous disco and emerging at a cafe and theme centre where black men were dressed up as escaped slaves!
On by car to see a number of old views of the valley and its activities. It is there that the large tobacco plants are grown that are rolled into the Havana cigars and we saw tobacco sheds etc.
Amongst the vantage-points were the Hotels Los Jasmines and La Ermita, both of which were served with more facilities and would have been much better than our accommodation by far.
At Jasmines, we took advantage of a tour desk to book places on a day trip the following day much to the annoyance of our driver who would have liked us to do something with him.
Back via Vinalis where we had a look around the town square and saw the pictures in the exhibition and the inside of their church. Once back, Louise got around me and made love to me.
Then to the restaurant where we had a better meal to the accompaniment of a duo. The man played the guitar and sang, and the girl sang the lead and was a wow on the maracas as well!
Sometime lingering to hear them but eventually tired and back to our room for bed.
The air conditioning was very noisy and the night started hot and uncomfortable, but we slept anyway.
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The nightmare of our holiday arrangements took a new turn this morning when we tried to get transferred to our new location.
We were up quite early and to breakfast in good time.
The weather was really hot today as we walked to and from the buildings.
I checked us out and held on to the keys, telling the receptionist that we were waiting for our transfer who should be directed straight to our house.
Come the time to go, we had packed up our bags and were ready and a very small taxi arrived and was most concerned to hear of our destination and called over another and then the taxi supervisor who arrived from nowhere.
I knew that this was not our transfer, but just ordinary taxis put onto us by the reception.
I tried to get the driver to radio and call our tour organiser but he was getting nowhere and so I got Louise to go to reception and do the same thing.
She established that the transfer car had been sent to the wrong hotel and diverted it us eventually, an hour late.
I felt sorry for the other taxi driver who had tried to help us and so gave him $2 for his trouble.
I then tipped $1 each to the swimming pool man and a workman who helped us carry our bags to reception where we waited and eventually found our driver.
The journey to Pinos Del Rio was a three-hour affair but at least our new car had space for our luggage in the boot, and we could sit in relative comfort in the back.
The driver stopped halfway for ten minutes at one of the typical roadside communities where an extended family offered us drink, snacks and tourist gismos in a coral of shaded kiosks.
I got us both lemonades and then got some crisps as Louise could not decide.
She really wanted a ham and cheese sandwich but there seemed to be no such thing on offer.
I did not rise to the bait and just got the things that I wanted and then we took the opportunity to use the primitive toilets before carrying on.
We eventually arrived at the area of Vinalis and our next stopping place of Rancho de San Vicente which was in the middle of nowhere and turned out to be a park of chalets with no English spoken and few facilities.
They had no map of the area nor any information that would be useful in finding the attractions.
We holed up in our cabin on a day that was still very hot and, with Louise in her underwear, I started to fancy some sex but all she was interested in was some food!
There was nobody else in the restaurant and it was only 1.00pm so I thought that this was early and did not like being rejected and so was upset.
I was further upset by being in the middle of nowhere and hot and bothered and so I had a shower to cool off and then got dressed ready for lunch.
I used the reception to make use of the safe deposit box and was told by the manager that our breakfast was due separately which I could not accept.
We had a very poor lunch, small and lacking quality and variety and then Louise set off to try and find us something to do.
She arranged with reception for the hire of a taxi for $10 to take us through Vinalis to the site of the rock murals and we waited for the taxi to take us.
It was a very confusing trip; the driver spoke very little English and we could not understand the sites too well but we managed.
We first saw the Cuevo de Vinalis, where you could walk through the hill starting at the cavernous disco and emerging at a cafe and theme centre where black men were dressed up as escaped slaves!
On by car to see a number of old views of the valley and its activities.
It is there that the large tobacco plants are grown that are rolled into the Havana cigars and we saw tobacco sheds etc.
Amongst the vantage-points were the Hotels Los Jasmines and La Ermita, both of which were served with more facilities and would have been much better than our accommodation by far.
At Jasmines, we took advantage of a tour desk to book places on a day trip the following day much to the annoyance of our driver who would have liked us to do something with him.
Back via Vinalis where we had a look around the town square and saw the pictures in the exhibition and the inside of their church.
Once back, Louise got around me and made love to me as, up until then, I had been remote and not wanting to have sex with Louise if she did not want it for me.
We had the door open and the wooden shutters open as well for the breeze and, but for the fact that we were at the end of the row, anyone could have seen us!
Thus satisfied, I rejoined the debate with the manager but came of worse.
I showed him the itinerary, which said that breakfast was included but he wanted to take it away and we had a great battle over it as he could not give me a proper copy.
He even pursued me back to our lodge! To the restaurant where we had a better meal to the accompaniment of a duo.
The man played the guitar and sang, and the girl sang the lead and was a wow on the maracas as well!
Sometime lingering to hear them but eventually tired and back to our room for bed.
All day we had been plagued by a party of cyclists who arrived in strength and took all of the facilities and time.
They enjoyed their dinner and the music and joined in with the duo.
The air conditioning was very noisy and the night started hot and uncomfortable but we slept anyway