Author Archives: hocktales

My fellow tour mates embarrassed themselves severely over the guava jam and hostess Spam, insisting that this morning’s breakfast was free on the itinerary. Barbara, organiser extraordinaire, had told us nothing of the sort. I knew who I trusted and which side of my squishy sandwich roll was margarined. (And to make a Meadow LeaContinue reading “Day 22 – The Red Heart of Santa Clara”

Trinidad beckoned. Barbara led three of us around the small town’s centre. Highlights included a small square with a statue of Marti and a gaggle of wifi users (a regular sight -Marti might as well have had a wifi symbol emblazoned on his head), a huge queue of employers at the bank trying to payContinue reading “Day 21 – Sugary Sweet Trinidad”

The morning was pretty rough. I lost my room keys and my phone about 20 times before breakfast in the last minute flurry of the final pack, dumping clothes over them and leaving them in the door. Classic move. Possibly (definitely) not helped by a few Havana Rituals (new discovery) the night before. I threwContinue reading “Day 20 – Hogwashed at the Bay of Pigs”

Casa Isabelita. Now known to me as the House of Pancakes. After an incident with the shower curtain (that rod was attached with a wing and a prayer truly- so not my fault), I met Yvonne and Kim in the dining room of the main house. Yvonne, from Switzerland, and Kim from the UK wereContinue reading “Day 19 – Getting Tabac to Nature at Vinales”

Urban roosters rudely awoke me from my slumber at about 4am, a trend that continued every day for the entire trip through Cuba. I am not an avian admirer. I love to eat them but suffer a terrible phobia of those knobbly clawed feathered beasts of death. To mangle the words of the Soup Nazi,Continue reading “Day 18 – The Havanas and the Havana Nots”

Have you ever heard of Interjet? No? Aussies – this is our Jetstar. Instructions state to be there three hours before an international flight, presumably so you can enjoy the pre-flight entertainment of sitting on your rucksack for an hour in the queue with no sign of Interjet staff or even logos on screens. TheContinue reading “Day 17 – The Revolutionary Road to Havana”

It was an early departure of 6am to beat the crowds at Chichen Itza. No breakfast. Unacceptable. Random HockTales readers may think I am obsessed with eating or should just harden up, but I just can’t. Not eating or eating junk first thing will only result in headaches, nausea, dizziness and generally feeling like dumpsterContinue reading “Day 16 – Playing Chichen Itza and Playa del Carmen”

It was time to say hasta luego to my sidekick, my constant companion, my travel amigo, the precious – the Zapateco rug. Intrepid was responsible for organising my upcoming flight to Havana. Details from Tanya, my guide, were sketchy but I was fairly sure it didn’t include a business class seat for a 3kg wovenContinue reading “Day 15 – Magic Carpets and Magic Roundabouts in Merida”

The hotel at Mérida – the María Jose – was great except for my swipe card that refused to work every single time. Naturally, I was located at the very back of the rabbit’s warren of the hotel, necessitating a labyrinthine walk back to the front desk a couple of times a day until IContinue reading “Day 14 – The Quest for the Lost Temples at Uxmal”

The Intrepid hotel was unexpectedly swish. Toiletries worth stealing and a coffee maker! Whoa! I cranked that baby to full black as I performed my usual prepack and repack to check out of the hotel and head down for the in house breakfast. (Turned out I left my shampoo behind. Crap.) I know I couldContinue reading “Day 13 – Indiana Jo and the Tomb of King Pakal”