WEATHER

Just as the weather seems to be a hot topic of conversation back in Scotland, it is also the case here in Cuba.
However, the chat does not concern the blanket of snow currently covering Caledonia, but the hurricane which devastated Cuba in September 08.
Winds of up to 140 mph wreaked havoc across the entire island, leaving scars in the shape of ripped off roofs visible to this day.
The weather - or rather the hurricane - is what we mainly hear about when Marbel Pilotes Hernandez, a member of the Executive Bureau of the Provincial Party in Pinar del Rio, welcomes the SSP delegation to the area.
The province is the most western in Cuba with a population of 731,000.
Two of its main industries are agriculture and tobacco, which makes it easy to understand why the people of this area share the Scottish fascination with the weather.
Joining Marbel Hernandez is Nestor Rodriguez Maury, a member of the Provincial Committee of the Communist Party.
He says through an interpreter: "We have seen on our news how the weather is affecting the UK.
"We had a similar severe weather experience with the hurricane.“
He is far too polite to point out that the current Scottish experience is merely an inconvenience and that it has not left our country devastated, but it's one we are aware of.
Marbel Hernandez continues: "Over 113,000 homes were damaged and 30,000 were completely destroyed.
"Naturally our agriculture was severely affected but we are recovering."
Other interesting nuggets of info we learn about the province include the fact it has one doctor for every 215 people and 100 per cent of its students finish their studies.
Following the welcome we head off into central Pinar del Rio, for a tour of the area.
The day concludes with us (well some of us. Okay me and Steve) drinking ridiculously cheap rum until 4am before Alison chases us off to bed.
Like the hurricane, there is a heavy price to pay afterwards.