Havana, Cuba: Day 1

I'm not sure how I feel about waking up in a hostile Communist country, but at least the beaches are nice even if the government isn't. I hitchhiked from the airport to my hotel. I will be staying at Ambos Mundos while in Havana. The hotel holds special significance to the trip because it is where Hemingway wrote his portrayal of the Spanish Civil War, For Whom the Bell Tolls. The cost for staying is $87 per night(www.tripadvisor.com).

As soon as I was registered and my room was in order, I walked down to the beach to the Malecon for some free fishing. I bought a fishing pole and some bait from a bait and tackle store for $24. It wasn't long before I found myself empathizing with Santiago's character from The Old Man and the Sea. Fishing, it seems, has a great deal to do with luck. Perhaps I too have become salao. No wonder it took Santiago 84 days to get a fish to bite. Just when I had lost all hope, something tugged on my line, and five minutes later, I was holding a seven pound Spanish mackerel.

I made the most of my fish that night by roasting it over an open flame. It proved to be a satisfying meal. I went back to my room at Ambos Mundos at 9:00 that night and went to bed. I didn't want to be caught out past curfew by any communist policemen.