Another week of #weekend-engagement, and today I'm going to tell you about the activities I've been up to this weekend.
The first week was pretty calm, and I managed to accomplish the tasks I had. I planned the week to be quiet because I knew the weekend would be eventful. I fulfilled some commitments and not much more.
But weekends can never be that peaceful, especially when I plan for them to be. My partner always has other plans in store.
In this case, I knew I had to attend some meetings related to Estilo Viajero, so I was supposed to travel from Friday afternoon, possibly until Sunday.
The only good thing about the trip was that I wouldn't be alone. This time I would be traveling with my partner, so I wouldn't get bored. Not only for the obvious reasons, but also because my partner, being from Syria, doesn't know much about the island. And coincidentally, they hadn't been able to travel with us before because they suffered from rhabdomyolysis, which prevented them from moving around much while we were launching Estilo Viajero.
Rhabdomyolysis is a condition in which muscle cells break down abnormally, releasing a protein called myoglobin into the bloodstream. This myoglobin can damage the kidneys and, in severe cases, lead to dangerous complications such as kidney failureand. The patient is advised to exert as little effort as possible to allow the muscles to recover. It's a disease that requires a minimum of 15-21 days of rest. It's horrible.
Well, on Friday, I packed lightly and waited for the transportation we had hired. Like everything in Cuba, the gentleman arrived late, with a one-hour delay (which I hate), and especially at this moment because I wanted to arrive in Varadero before sunset to show my girlfriend the Varadero Boulevard. She loves murals, and the ones there are something different.
We couldn't make it on time, so we stayed at the hotel, enjoying some cocktails with the people we had the meeting with. In fact, they have been good friends of my parents for many years and now have become our partners.
The next day, my partner asked me to have breakfast at Caffeccino, a Starbucks-style café that has gained immense popularity since Covid ended.
Although it's not a cheap place, it's worth going at least once because it offers a different experience. Just remember, you'll never, ever find it empty.
We had breakfast there, and personally, I love starting the day like this – with a decent breakfast and my partner. The beauty of simplicity and companionship. The little details of life.
The meeting wasn't until after lunch, so we had a few hours for my partner to see the murals. And well, now you'll see some.
We walked a bit, and I won't lie, you have to walk several streets, and it's a bit uncomfortable because there's no shade. But the good morning weather in Varadero and the great company made the exercise bearable.
The Boulevard was still quite empty. During this time, Cubans don't usually enjoy this destination. Neither do I – there's no way I'm getting into the water, but I do enjoy the other attractions in Varadero.
Now we walked a bit along the Boulevard.
I bought some snacks to refuel after the exercise.
We kept walking.
And we saw more murals ...
And more ...
Then I went to the meeting, and my clever partner didn't want to accompany me. They preferred to keep exploring Varadero. Totally understandable, it was their first time there. If it were me, I would have done the same. Oh, the envy!
Can you imagine being in a meeting room and looking out the window to see the sea and sand, tourists having a blast, waiters passing by with cocktails, pizzas, all kinds of food, and there you are on the other side of the glass, stuck in a room with graphs, charts, and projections? Well, that was my situation.
But hey, I wasn't alone. Part of my team joined me a few hours earlier. In this situation, we either suffer together or have fun together. My team wanted to kill me, and even I wanted to kill myself, but working in the tourism sector has its pros and cons, just like this situation.
The meeting finally ended around 4 PM. My team had to head back to Havana with the private tour we had planned, and I still had to visit some allied businesses we have in the area.
Oh, and find my partner.
First things first, where would my partner be? Well, they were at the beginning of Varadero, and our hotel was at the end. How on earth did they manage to walk so much? Well, I hopped on the EStil Viajero bus and got off at the start of the peninsula, almost reaching Santa Marta.
Santa Marta is the neighboring town of Varadero.
To make the journey back, I wasn't going to walk, I was exhausted. So, we hopped on an electric tricycle that took us back to the hotel. It cost us quite a lot, damn electric revolution!
We had dinner at the hotel buffet, and now I'm writing this post at the hotel bar while enjoying the baseball game between Matanzas and Las Tunas. Matanzas is totally crushing their opponent.
I'm in Matanzas, so you can imagine the madness going on in this hotel right now. The whole place is buzzing, everyone glued to the game. It's quite a beautiful feeling.
I couldn't take a bath in this beauty
Tomorrow morning, we'll head back to Havana to bid farewell to our partners. Funny how they arrived through Varadero, but my return flight is from Havana. I hope the meeting ends early so I can catch my team's baseball game.
Afterwards, we'll meet up with my friends for another beer-filled Sunday at PaZillo, the last one before heading back to school.
Have you ever been in a situation like this? Being on vacation and having to work? Or worse going to a tourist spot and not being able to enjoy it because of work? Does that happen to you too?
When you're traveling, do you prefer staying at the hotel or exploring the city you're in? Speaking of murals, did you come across any that caught your eye? Is there a mural that you liked so much that you still remember it? Or perhaps your city has some famous murals?
Feel free to comment on anything you like. It's a pleasure to respond and interact. I hope your weekend was as good as mine.
Remember to live life to the fullest, and I'll catch you in the next #weekend-engagement.
About the author:
I'm Daniel, a Cuban medical student and a car enthusiast. I love living each day to the fullest and sharing it on Hive. If you follow me, you'll find articles about the history of the cars I love, interesting facts about my country, my experiences, the sports I enjoy, and the movies I watch in my free time. If you want to interact more, you can find me sharing on Inleo. So, if any of this interests you, I invite you to read my previous articles and follow me to not miss out on future posts and to continue interacting.
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