The bus trip back to Havana has two parts: Baracoa to Santiago de Cuba, and Santiago to Havana. The one Baracoa - Santiago de Cuba bus departs on time at 2pm. Today the two drivers are in their 50’s. When all Viazul ticked passengers are settled, eight people, mostly women, rush on with the bus drivers. Detours and unofficial stops are certain. One of the women, probably in her late 20’s, is apparently paying for her travel in “personal services”. One bus driver and she disappear to the back of the bus for quite some time. He returns to his relief driver seat looking rumpled, untucked and satisfied. She gets off the bus at the next small village. Despite the subsequent pick-ups and drop-offs the bus arrives in Santiago close to the scheduled time of 7pm. We wait for a couple of buses to depart the terminal then check our luggage for our 00:30 am departure to Havana then take a taxi to the historic district for dinner at El Holandes. A live band is playing across the street at Casa de Queso so after dinner we sit on the terrace and listen until we need to head back to the bus terminal. The 00:30 bus is surprisingly full of Viazul ticketed passengers, yet after an hour or so quiet with everyone trying to get some sleep. The few empty seats are filled in subsequent stops and the bus arrives full in Havana at 4:30pm.

By Happy Hour we reunite with Charlie & Saundra at Casa Parciculare Angelita for the first of many travel story exchanges and glasses of rum. Casa Parciculare Angelita (Havana / Vedado) is memorable for Pancho and Ponchita, wood statues of a white-haired couple seated in the entryway of the house. This is the work of our host, a retired sculptor. Our room on the first floor is clean, spacious. The bed is ok, as is the shower. 35 CUC per room / night. For our final dinner in Havana I’ve been wanting to try Restaurante El Balcon, an independent paladare located in Nuevo Vedado, which should be fairly close to the casa, recommended in the Real Havana guide. Jerry asks our hosts about it, they’ve never heard of it, and shows them the address. They recommend taking a taxi. We hail one, give him the address & name of the restaurant and we head in the general direction I believe its located. Once in the general vicinity, the taxi driver asks people on the street for directions, none have heard of it but they provide assistance in finding the correct street. The third man the taxi driver asks says the restaurant is closed; no longer in business. However his restaurant is open! On the other side of the street is not one, not two, but three tour buses. The menu validates that this is not our kind of place, even if those prices were in our budget. The taxi driver enthusiastically recommends a second restaurant in the area; we go there. The menu selection is limited with prices just a high as the first place. No gracias. He then tells us he’ll take us to his favorite place, La Roca. Turns out this is not just his favorite place for dinner, its a favorite of the neighborhood (including our casa hosts as it turns out). The menu confirms why; lots of choices at reasonable prices. Charlie & Saundra share the surf & turf platter, we share the pollo asado platter. Generous portions, plenty for two or three people, and good. It’s late by the time we mile & half back to the casa. It's been a long long day, time for bed. Tomorrow we fly back to Cancun.