Let Me Tell You A Story
Havana grocery shopping. |
In Cuba a couple of years ago seven friends and I hired a bus and a guide for a couple of weeks to take us from Havana around the island. One morning I felt lousy, and when we hit a rough and endless road, I went from lousy to miserable. There’s nothing like a Cuban backroad to churn your stomach into a slushy volcano. I took over the back seat and stretched out. At least I wouldn’t die sitting up. When we did find a small town, there were no restrooms for weary tourists with engorged bladders and, in my case, a Vesuvius stomach.
Bougainvillea and Moorish Architecture A Never-Fail Combination |
Juni, our guide who had been a professor at the university and became a guide so she could support her family (bless Castro), turned out to be one resourceful and spirited girl. She had the bus driver stop in town, found a house and negotiated with the owner until her eight tourists could use the bathroom. Yay, Juni!
Inside the house the living room was small and pink with a large TV, a couch and tons of doilies. If I didn’t get into that bathroom immediately, I was going hurl all over that pink room and those doilies, so I dashed in, and barely noticing that this room was a baby blue, hurled into the porcelain bowl. Problem solved. But not quite. When I pushed the lever, nothing happened. Being mechanically inclined (cue laughter) I removed the doily and miscellaneous objects from the back of the toilet, lifted the lid and discovered. . . this water closet had no water.
Havana Open Book Market (double entendre fun) |
I stuck my head out the door, avoiding the glares from the engorged seven, and yelled, “Juni, I need a bucket of water!” Being a Cubana, she immediately translated that to mean, el baño no funciona and came to my rescue.
Moral of this story: hire a university professor as a tour guide.
Did You Know. . .
J.H. Moncrieff says
Ugh, I feel your pain. Being sick when you're away from home is the worst, but I normally don't throw up. My body has *ahem* other ways of getting rid of the problem, which is even more embarrassing.
If that had happened to me, I think I WOULD have died of embarrassment.
Kate Larkindale says
It's so awful when you get sick in a place you don't know. Sounds like your guide was worth her weight in gold.
Tamara Narayan says
Oh, that's terrible. I got extremely sick in the middle of an out-of-town job interview, but at least I was in my own hotel room and had working plumbing. It took a few days to recover, but I completely the interview and got the job.
Nicola says
Uh-oh! At least you can laugh about it now, Lee. And thank goodness Juni was there to help. I have been splayed out on the back seat of a bus myself – in the US!!! The other seats were filled with year 10 students from my school. Bless them, they were adorable and looked after me. To this day, they don't know it was the copious amounts of Margaritas I consumed the night before (it was my 30th birthday):) Just so I am not judged – I was not on duty and was a paying holiday maker on this trip 🙂 My goodness, that was 18 years ago. Time has flown by. I hope all is well with you, Lee. Take care.
Heather R. Holden says
Oh, gosh, how awful! Glad your tour guide was fantastic, at the very least!
Arlee Bird says
I can imagine the discomfort since I've felt that way but fortunately never in such a situation. My wife likes for us to keep water jugs stored in the garage for such a situation as needing it to flush the toilet. Something that never occurred to me. Maybe it's because she's from Ecuador and maybe they had that problem before. Water jugs are probably a good emergency thing to have on hand.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
Sherry Ellis says
I'm glad you managed not to hurl over the pink doilies. But what a nasty experience for you!
Tyrean Martinson says
Ohhh, I feel for you with that experience. I had a bad moment in a McDonalds in Paris. No toilet paper discovered a little late. No one spoke English in the restroom and my three years of high school French failed me. Finally, someone found a translator and helped me out. I thought I would die of embarassment.
I'm glad you had a wonderful tour guide!
emaginette says
I'm not sure how to respond, but I feel lucky that my trips didn't need a bucket…. Yet. 🙂
Anna from elements of emaginette
DMS says
So glad you had such a great guide who could not only find a bathroom for you- but help you fix the toilet problem. 🙂 Must have been very stressful at the time. 🙂
~Jess
Sheena-kay Graham says
Glad you had help Lee. That's quite a tale.
Denise Covey says
Hah, that's a travel tale with a sticky end. Finding a functioning toilet is always high on my travel agenda, LOL! I envy you your Cuba travels, all the same. My trip hasn't come off yet.
Shooting Stars Mag says
Oh gosh, that would be awful. It's also awful how little Cubans make.
Susan Gourley/Kelley says
The story is funny now but not at the time!!! Needing a bathroom is not a laughing matter. LOL
Sandra Cox says
Ouch! Some other countries facilities just aren't what we are used to are they?
Natalie Aguirre says
Such a fun story! Reminds me of some of my experiences in China.
LM Preston says
Can I just say, I love the book trailer! Oh my goodness your travel story. Love it.
Jemi Fraser says
Ick!!! You poor thing! Being sick like that on vacation is tough enough – add in the other elements and you DO have a great story. Too bad you had to live it though!
Sarah Foster says
Yikes! Good thing your guide was so resourceful.
Donna K. Weaver says
Oh, my goodness! Your stories are the best!
Jacqui Murray says
What a great story. Problem-solving is an important skill!
Debbie D. says
It's never fun to be sick when you're travelling! Thank goodness your guide was smart and resourceful. ☺
Debbie @ The Doglady's Den
Liz A. says
Your tour guide sounds like a treasure.
Yolanda Renée says
OMG, do I have a story for you. LOL Can't share it here, still too embarrassed by it. 🙂
Don't we all have at least one!
Chrys Fey says
Tour guide of the year!
Nana Prah says
What an interesting story and a resourceful guide.
Shady Del Knight says
Hi, Cheryl!
Thank you for sharing the kind of story to which all of us can relate. I remember feeling poorly in the middle of a cub scout sightseeing bus trip around Washigton, D.C. Trust me, you don't want to be in the middle of climbing the stairs of the Washington Monument when your stomach, bladder and/or bowels start acting up. Bad as it was for you that day, you would have been in an even worse predicament if you had developed a volcanic stomach in the midst of running level 5 white rapids or in the middle of a skydive. 🙂 I admire your resourcefulness that day as well as that of your guide.
Have a great week, dear friend C-Lee!
C. Lee McKenzie says
You've put the situation into perspective, Shady! I won't think of it as the worst scenario anymore! Thanks.
Elephant's Child says
Juni must have been elevated to hero status in your eyes. With reason.
Sigh on those wages. And sadly I suspect in some parts of the world they are even lower.
C. Lee McKenzie says
I'm sure you're right about the low wages in other parts of the world.
Birgit says
That must have been one of the worst experiences since it is bad enough when we are in our own country. I am not surprised by the prof working as a tour guide. My hubby and I were watching this show about restoring cars in Cuba-it was a reality based show and we learned how much the average person makes and how little highly educated people actually make.
C. Lee McKenzie says
It's hard for us to imagine living on the wages the Cubans get.
Pat Hatt says
Damn, that would sure stink. Having to go and ready to get to the brink. Only been there once, held it so long my kidneys hurt and then I said screw it and let it fly lol Wow, that is really low wage.
C. Lee McKenzie says
Agony! However, I discovered mind over matter can help.
Kelly Hashway/Ashelyn Drake says
I love the open book market!
C. Lee McKenzie says
There are readers just waiting for U.S. books!
DEZMOND says
oh, Lawd, people take in tourists to poop and pee in their house??? :)))
C. Lee McKenzie says
Money talks, as you know, DEZ.
Yvonne Ventresca says
Yikes! Thank goodness for your guide!
C. Lee McKenzie says
She saved my bacon that day.
sage says
Great story and sorry you had to endure it. In Mongolia, the guide I had was actually an internal medicine doctor–because his english was nearly perfect, he found he made a lot more money as a guide!
C. Lee McKenzie says
It seems Juni's situation is not unique in this world. According to doctors I've talked to, many have or will leave medicine in U.S. or they'll join HMOs. They can't survive as a solo operation anymore.
Juneta Key says
Poor you, but thank God for the guide.
Juneta @ Writer's Gambit
C. Lee McKenzie says
I was full of self-sympathy at the time.
H.R. Sinclair, Southpaw says
Being sick and not having a toilet around would be agony.
C. Lee McKenzie says
I was thinking at the time that being in a forest or a jungle would be much better than a bustling city.
Beverly Stowe McClure says
An adorable picture of the doggie. Poor thing.
Beverly Stowe McClure says
Oh, I can sympathize with you. Glad it turned out all right.
C. Lee McKenzie says
I always appreciate sympathy! Thanks.
Karen Walker says
Weren't you lucky to have Juni. I've been in that situation traveling and it ain't pretty.
C. Lee McKenzie says
I'm sure all travelers can tell a tale or two about the time they were sick in a strange land. At least we never forget those experiences.
Bish Denham says
Heehee. Well, at least you didn't hurl all over the floor or the sofa or somebody's lap. We had a university guide inn 1970 when my senior class when to Caracas, Venezuela. Very interesting…
C. Lee McKenzie says
I'd really never been so embarassed or uncomfortable. I think being a guide takes a lot of talent and creativity.
Hilary Melton-Butcher says
Hi Lee – well done for sharing with us – and can quite easily relate … though tales will not be told! Yes I bet you were glad for your guide … a saviour indeed ….
Well their wages are rising, but the costs … not an easy life – cheers Hilary
C. Lee McKenzie says
Their food supply was so low and now I understand with the influx of US visitors, even worse.
Alex J. Cavanaugh says
Nothing worse than being in foreign country and feeling sick. Glad Juni was your guide.
C. Lee McKenzie says
I was totally in her debt!