Today at dance class my Ahmed was booked so I had a new instructor, Abelardo, who couldn’t remember my name so called me Baby.  (no one puts Baby in a corner – Patrick Swayze in Dirty Dancing). For the second hour we did Casino de Rueda with all of us, it’s a circular dance where a caller decides the moves and you switch partners all the time.  The guys were performing, sliding into the middle like into home plate, shouting and singing, it was lots of fun. Back on our patio with a beer to recuperate, then lunch at a great paladar named 304 O’Reilly (pronounced oh rrelly), and a…

Back at the dance studio, another 2 hours of casino (Cuban salsa, named after the dance halls where it originated in the 1950s).  I’m starting to get it, and got a bunch of thumbs up, Eso!s (that’s it!) and Agua!s (water?? or also good, or that’s it, apparently) and even a few I love you Lynn!s from Ahmed. Back at the casa again, we sat on the deck for a bit of sun.  It was kind of cool and cloudy for the first couple of days after the tornado, but now it’s perfect sunny weather. We had lunch at a cheap corner bar, with a great salsa band, and locals…

In the mornings we had breakfast on the patio.  Rooms are 35 CUC per night, plus 5 CUC for a hearty breakfast. We walked a few blocks to Casa del Son for our lessons.  I’m with Ahmed, and two of the others and their instructors, all in the same room.  So fun, the instructors are all great, very well trained.  I had to make several adjustments to my LA salsa style.  After that we went back to the casa to regroup, went for a nice outdoor lunch, and stopped in the Revolution Museum and Granma memorial (the Granma was the yacht that was used by Fidel Castro to transport 82…

I’ve been to Cuba and Havana twice before, 10 years ago and 3 years ago.  I found it to be a strange place, with reliable disorganization, some really bad food, and dancing everywhere.  When asked about returning, I said well it’s not my favourite place….but this time it’s a dance trip! My connecting flight to Toronto was delayed, then the flight to Havana was delayed a couple of hours, so I arrived with two friends around 3:30 am at the airport.  After waiting for bags and changing money (Cuban pesos aren’t sold outside of Cuba) we found a handsome cabbie who drove us through strangely dark streets and fallen trees. …