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Monday Dec. 27 - I woke up today at 5:45 AM and got Bob up because I was nervous about the heat on todays 911 meter climb to Topes de Los Collantes. The climb was quite steep with 16 % grade and I had to walk 4 km because my bike did not have low enough gears (lowest 24 "). I also woke up Jim and Shoshona to jion us. They all left at 8 AM, and I followed them at 8:25 AM after writing my diary. I caught up with them 3 hours later at a beautiful lookout called "Mirador". This was the 911 Meter highpoint of the day. After half an hour rest we did the last 1 1/2 hours to Topas de Los Collantes. We ate a very nice meal consisting of spaghetti, tomato soup, salad, beets, and bread. We were serenaded by a very nice guitar acoustical band. He wrote down the words for us to the classic salsa song that Roy Cooder made famous in the Film "Buena Vista Social Club" . Las Palabras: "De Alto Sedro voy para Macane, llega a cueto voy para Mallory". I then went and got a haircut at the German huge "Curhotel" (health spa hotel). The haircut was beautiful and only 3 dollars. I only said one word to the lady barber "bajito" ( a little shorter) and she cut it perfectly the way I get it styled in Seattle. The Cuban people are very smart. I also bought a real nice dress shirt with a label called "energy" in the hotel shop for 8 1/2 dollars. Dinner in the evening was a huge buffet and boy was I dressed for it with my new haircut and shirt. I slept after dinner for an hour and then Gretchen and Emily came over and helped us write funny postcards to friends. Those ladies from NYC are an absolute riot. Gretchen even bought me mango juice. Now its midnight and time to sleep for the long downhill tomorrow to Santa Clara.
