gosh, it was such a blue day today. so stoked to be back home. yes, i had a great time traveling and seeing some amazing places, but hawaii is home for me. jumped in the truck to go surf and battery was dead. then a tire was wearing out too so spent $300 to change both. took 4 hours of waiting so instead of sitting on a chair in the waiting room, i waited somewhere else.

i waited on the ocean. it was blue on blue! felt so good to be in the sea!

little by little, Cuba is getting connected to the world. how do i know? because i was walking around and seen spots where people would gather and be on their smart phones. so i walk up to see what’s going on and was soon approached by guys selling wifi cards. welcome to the black market!

if you go to a hotel, a 1 hour wifi card will cost you $10. if you’re a typical tourist buying one in the black market, you will pay $5. for me, i know how to bargain like a local so i paid only $2.

scratch off the back and enter into iPhone. this is how i uploaded my blogs. i bought 3 cards and that’s it. 3 hours of internet in 4.5 days? that’s my recored of least internet in the past 15 years! i loved the freedom!!!

walked into a store and saw something new. Winter Jack? wow, might have to try some!
well, south swell continues. waves going off! trade winds back. north shore starting to get crowded with contest pros. i’m so jet lagged it’s not even funny. hopefully my body, mind, and soul will get back to normal soon. good night.

South swells continue…
OMG! Lucky me!

do you know who this guy is? everywhere i looked, i seen this guys face on tshirts, buildings, posters, and pretty much everywhere. heard he’s some kind of revolutionist. super famous guy and very popular. and now, he’s not Fidel Castro.

this is the hotel Ernest Hemingway stayed in back in the 1940’s. i went to the very room he always stayed in when he visited Havana. he wrote 3 of his many books in that room and it was very inspirational.

this is the best way to experience and enjoy Cuban life. i seriously felt like smoking a cigar. haha.

it was a very long trip back to hawaii. really loved seeing the beautiful colors of the ocean.

then arriving at LAX airport, i started to get depressed. back to reality.

i really lucked out on flights this time. and traveling on standby teaches me how to be very patient. not just patient in traveling, but patient in everyday life. everything happens for a reason and if you live like that, you will have a better life.

if you go to Cuba, you have to bring back Cuban cigars. it’s illegal to import or sell in the US so the only way to get them into the states is to bring them back yourself. very expensive and the best in the world. no, i don’t smoke, but i have friends that do. these are the very same super long Montecristo “A” Fidel Castro use to smoke.
ok, before you americans go to Cuba, understand that it is still illegal to travel there as a tourist. i have the ultimate best way in and out of Cuba. legally of course. i’ll let you know later but here is my advice for now. “go there asap. drop everything and plan your next trip there. it will change so fast and if you miss the deep history and pure culture now, you will never see something like it ever again in your lifetime.” it was one of the best and deepest trips of my life!