The plan is to start the day with a quick visit to the orchid farm and waterfall. When we stop at the parking area just down from the orchid farm, the parking attendant points out our flat tyre. The previous day's potholes 'het hulle tol geeis'. With Jeneen waiting at the car, the rest of us quickly go and have a look at the orchid farm. Not as many orchids as we had hoped, but a nice tranquil garden. Back at the car they had some difficulties with the tyre since they couldn't find the key to take the tyre off! Finally they found it in the front of the car. We all learn a lesson to always check for the tyre key when renting a car in future! We decide to skip the 2km walk to the waterfall and on the parking attendant's advice, we head off the garage 8 kms down the road. After filling the car with petrol at the garage, we get directed to a house next to the garage. Puntures are definitely not something strange in this part of the world! The guys at the 'Punctura' are definitely professionals - they take the tyre off the rim, put it in water and then go ob to patch the 2 identified punctures. We pay the 14CUC to have the punctures fixed and take the road to Varadero.

We go for a stroll along the beach looking for a place to eat and after walking from Calle 13 (where our casa is) to around Calle 44. We have lunch in the Lonely Planet suggested restaurant with an old car inside. Afew games of cards and Inge and I go off looking for new memory cards. We find a place, but since the price is 45CUC (R400) for a 4Gig card, we decide to take a chance and hope we find some later on in the trip.

Natika decides to stay in to try and fend off her cold and Inge, Jeneen and I decide to go and explore the Varadero nightlife. After walking down the street looking for Cafe Benny (which we conclude no longer exists) we take a taxi and the driver drops us on the much livelier side of town. The evening starts with some Mojito (with muche limone) and a show of some local singing. A number of tourists get called onto stage and I can't believe they would volunteer to embarres themselves as they did! One of the girls on stage looked like the lookalike of Baby's sister in Dirty Dancing - singing in the final show in the movie!
A very funny encounter with the guy at the table next to us. He starts talking to me but can obviously not speak any English. He continuous to pull out his dictionary but I then realise it is a Spanish-Russian dictionary - of which I obviously couldn't understand either! His white shoes is the nail in the coffin of the conversation! Later in the evening Inge has a conversation with the Russian with him speaking Russian and her speaking Afrikaans!
Jeneen returns with her Cuban guy and I fend off the 60 year old Finlandia before taking the taxi home.