We've left Havana now for the last time (shame) and have headed south east to the town of Cienfuegos which is on the coast. A very nice, old Spanish colonial town, which after the disrepair of old Havana, seems very well cared for.
After a short walk around town, we visited the Tomas Terry theatre and then took some pictures from a roof top bar.
We then headed to the prestigious Yacht Club for lunch overlooking the marina.
After my first choice for lunch (tuna) wasn't available, I settled for a Prawn baguette, which despite my initial reservations was absolutely delicious.
After lunch we boarded a tour boat for a trip around the bay. There wasn't very much to look at apart from the odd jelly fish or two.
Once the "cruise" ended I felt the need to pay a quick visit to the loo and from there on things went badly downhill. Eventually we decided to let the coach continue its journey to Trinidad with the intention of following on by taxi as soon as I felt able to. I'm not going to go into detail but 3 hours later and I'm in an ambulance on my way to hospital.
At this point I must mention Michael who Alex had called to help Ian source a taxi. Michael came with us to hospital, helped Ian with translations and was just fantastic.
Out of my huge respect for the people who work in this hospital I don't wish to run it down in anyway but suffice it to say that the conditions in the A&E Dept were "grim". I was quickly assessed in A&E and put on the first of various drips, whilst Ian was whisked off to a much better part of the hospital and fed/watered by the chef.
After about 4 hours Ian was allowed back to A&E and although the various tests, including cholera, had come back negative my blood pressure was still too low and I wasn't allowed to leave. So Ian managed to get me transferred to a private room and whilst it was not remotely like we would expect in the UK, in comparison to A&E it was a palace. Barbara the night nurse didn't speak any English and my brain had ceased to function quite a while ago but we managed somehow to communicate. Ian was allowed to stay in a small bed beside me and somehow we got through the night. The following morning my temperature was still too high so I couldn't leave, but Nurse Barbara offered me a shower before explaining that actually there wasn't any hot water!! Bless her though, she managed to produce a small bucket of hot water and a towel about 12" square and luckily that bought my temperature down enough for me to be discharged. The 5 mins quoted for preparing the bill turned into 1 1/2 hours as Barbara wrote everything in draft, then neat, then read it over with a colleague then passed it onto accounts who re-wrote everything. Then when it came to pay someone talking on the phone had to be cut off so that the Credit Card could be put through.
Cuba is world renowned for its leading research into cures for cancer and aids amongst others and despite its relatively poor economic state it still manages to offer ophthalmic services to countries worse off than itself. Whilst I wish I hadn't had to experience Cuban healthcare first hand, I am so grateful for the care I was given despite the most difficult conditions in which they have to work.