Cuba libre is what you would call a chicklit and as such probably not made for consumption by the other gender. As I was hiking in Capilla del Monte, it was raining and besided the book was one of the two books the hostel had ( in Dutch!) I decided to go against the first warning and read it. And because it’s set in Cuba and I like Cuba.

It’s basically a long stretched story about a girl not willing to confront the death of her sister a long time ago and with a real bunch of mental problems to say the least following a couple to Havana, to study Spanish and live differently.

It has lot’s of mentions to love, relations and babies in it. And about feelings too, long long pages of it. So to the authors credit I enjoyed reading this book. The characters are nice, it’s written pretty good and just an enjoyable fast read. If you can bound me to a book which has more than one reference in it about raising children then you’ve done a good job I’d gather.

Even The Republic sometimes takes time to read. In South-America reading in English involves reading books simply because they are lingering around the hostel or second-hand bookstore, not because The Republic actually wants to read them..

I care about mountaineering about the same amount as raising pigs, so this book was not the first one to pick up. A bunch of people bounced up the second highest peak in the Himalaya didn’t seem much for a story

But to the credit of the author I really enjoyed this one and finished it quickly. A group from different expeditions and countries is climbing one of the most challenging peaks in the world. A place where many people have died before. It succesfully details the climbers, their mentality, the risks they take and the lifes they live. Strong reaccount of a climb, the accidents and what happens to the human body on such high peaks.

Even The Republic sometimes takes time to read. In South-America reading in English involves reading books simply because they are lingering around the hostel or second-hand bookstore, not because The Republic actually wants to read them..

Wat je toch al niet hoort!

Klik hier om de embedded video te bekijken.

Een foto zegt een hoop..

On our last days Miriam decides to try diving again, while I snorkle around and finding myself having about enough lack of air than I generally like to have.

Also Sinterklaas entered town in a parade of motors, nomands, children en zwarte pieten.

And we hitchhike to the westside of the island which takes us fours rides from Marie Pampoen but still is pretty fast with the last ride taking us also for a ride within the national park we were heading to ( which surprises the park ranger – almost nobody hitches on the island ) .

On the way back via Westpunt we meet a german guy who is sightseeing as well, but alone and takes us from Westpunt across the other road on the island via other sights all the way back to our host in Willemstad – more than a hour drive. Again we can practise our german more than our spanish, which we think is pretty funny.

Our hosts in Marie Pampoen are by the way two very cool Belgian – both diving instructors – where we feel very welcome and have a lot of fun cooking and talking. Too bad Kevin is a bit ill and it rains lots, but still very nice to be welcomed here, the CS-community here is not too big.

Apart from the boulevard, the overly luxurous Rennaissance project there is more to Oranjestad.