The cockerill here decided to wake us up at 5 am (5:00) and then the rain started. A quick check and I was fine with a small puddle inside the tent by the door. Thank goodness it had stopped when I got up.

Breakfast at 7.15 am (7:15) and by 8 am (8:00) we were all packed and away.

After this morning's rain, slip sliding around as the Russian truck with us all loaded aboard climbed up the muddy single lane road out of Hacienda Codina.

Just out of Trinidad at 9.30 am (9:30) swapped back into the coach and a toilet stop. While it was a holiday being Christmas Day, eventually found a Casas de cambio (money exchange) for some in Trinidad. While I had done my budget and realised that it will be tight towards the end of the trip, Ralph came back from the money exchange and said that they may take one of my 2 preloaded currency Master Cards. I had expected to go to a bank with an ATM outside to withdraw some money later in the trip. So I quickly dashed in without my passport. The teller looked at my 2 Master Card debit frequent flyers cards but didn't like the look of them. Then I pulled out my Visa card and all smiles. A mad dash back out to the bus to get my passport and after waiting for the terminal connection was able to withdraw some more money to well and truly last me for the rest of the trip. Lesson is take at the moment a Visa preloaded money card to Cuba, not Master Card. My Visa card was a credit one and I had not loaded it as a debit card. Let's see how much it is after the conversion etc.