The 1000 Day Holiday

During our last errand before departure from Ukiah we spotted the locals setting up for the 10th annual Chili Cookoff. We had to stay. Events of this calibre only happen once a year.

Chili gets taken very seriously in these parts. Most of the town was in attendance. 33 stalls were competing for the grand title.

The full spectrum of chili had to be tasted. Beef, Vegetarian, Elk, Bison, not spicy right through to 95% hot chilli. We even were bribed to vote for a stall with beer vouchers. Unfortunately the voting was rigged and they closed the voting early, so our bribed votes were wasted.

While we were discussing the chili in front of the New Age church stand,25 stalls done, our bellies full, I mentioned that we should drink the Kool-Aid and try it out.

Alex and his friend both gave me a very funny look and asked why I said to drink the Kool-aid.

It turns out Jim Jones (Peoples temple) was based in Ukiah and had a church and many local followers.

So the next morning on the way out of town, we stopped in for some pictures.

I ended up in Cuba on a whim, and I’m pretty happy I did.

I managed to spot Raul Castro. But couldn’t find Fidel in Vinegar anywhere.

I learned not to ask for chili sauce as the first response I got was “This is not Mexico” in Spanish.

Food wise, Cuba gets a bad rap. Salt is pretty much the only “spice”. I only once found mustard and pickles in a small ham sandwich street shop. That guy is going to be rich!

The answer is to eat mainly on the streets, and take your own chili sauce.

Eat as much street pizza, ice cream and lobster as possible.

• $1 for 40 Scoops of Ice cream (5 scoops for 3 pesos, 25 pesos to a dollar)
• $1 for 25 soft serve ice creams.
• $0.20 for a standard street cheese pizza
• $0.28 for a street pizza w Ham
• $0.80 for the premium Street pizza that put me into food coma.
• $8 for Lamb shanks that were amazing
• $8 for a meal including a whole lobster tail.
• $15 for a lobster tail, w a pianist accompanying us for our finale dinner.

In 16 Days, I would estimate I ate 8 litres of ice cream, 18 – 20 pizzas a couple of cute little lambs and a few  super tasty lobsters.

There’s something cool about the illegal taxis, they often sound like diesel trucks, often including the black smoke out the back. But when they deliver you in style. So cool.

As for the fashion in Cuba. It must say D&G in shiny letters, and be as skin tight as possible.

Cuba really has a great city life. Because there is only Government tour agencies, and they’re in the hotels, the entire city is actually lived in. (unlike Antigua, Guatemala). Grannies sitting on the steps, kids playing bottle-top baseball in the streets. Oldies dozing in the plazas, domino games getting serious on the money. Its funky!