Jack's Blog

Posted by Jack McWilliams at 12:03 PM | Permalink Like it? Digg It | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Feb 3rd

Today I must sign off, as we head back in the States to research and interview on the homeland, take a hot shower and visit an ATM.

Just when it was getting exciting. Don't worry, we'll be back soon with more great stuff for the next leg. A few cliffhangers for you...

The Saltwater Cowboy and Captain Chavez survived deserted islands and open seas to appear out of nowhere in Mexico. Will they survive Spring Break Cancun 2007?

Castro is back on his feet, to everyone's surprise. Will he survive to see the brothers? Will he don his cowboy hat one last time?

Jack and Ed discovered the first person in Havana who remembers their father. Will this lead them down a path of wonder, or will it, like many things in Cuba, be a confusing dead end.

I'd tell you if I knew, but this is real time folks. Or at least as soon as I can find an internet connection to update the blog.

Hope you enjoyed,
-Ed

Posted by Ed McWilliams at 7:44 PM | Permalink Like it? Digg It | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Fidel, the superman. He was just seen walking around with Venezuala’s Chavez, which makes me both happy and uncertain. Happy, because it means our project is still alive. Uncertain because all of my information was so certain that he was on his deathbed. This makes me question everything. Things in Cuba are strange and complex like this. We had a better lead than most, yet a week later, this dude is marching along with Chavez and drinking orange juice.

I suppose you can chalk it up to his superman complex—I’m starting to believe he just might be.

Castro up and talking in new Cuban video

Posted by Ed McWilliams at 7:40 PM | Permalink Like it? Digg It | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Mexico – we arrived in Isla Mujeres today, wandered through town, and found CAPTAIN CHAVEZ! You thought we had killed him off, you thought he was doomed on that deserted island in Belize, you thought he would never make it to Isla and back into the story but you, like us, were wrong!!!!

The Saltwater Cowboy looks pretty damn good.

We have a new crew member, Tom, who sailed with Capitan Chavez up from Belize, successfully, a 45 hour trip. This leg of the adventure is almost over, but next season, you will find out if the Saltwater Cowboy is really up to the test.

I am excited. Until then, Captain Chavez has decided to charter her out for day sails during Spring Break. Perhaps he has found his calling. Instead of Captain Chavez we will have to call him, Captain Cancun. [shout it like "Captain Caveman" to truly understand]

Posted by Ed McWilliams at 7:33 PM | Permalink Like it? Digg It | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I found this in a biography of Fidel by Claudia Furiati:

“Al pasar por Houston (Texas), Fidel se encontró con Raúl Castro, que le esperaba para mantener una conversación privada. Era inminente una crisis en el Caribe. Un grupo de expedicionarios había sido capturado al desembarcar en las costas de Panamá con el plan de provocar una rebelión, y entre ellos había varios cubanos.”

That’s all it says about Texas, just one sentence in the life of Fidel. Hopefully we can prove that it deserves at least three or four sentences, perhaps even a full paragraph. That would make me happy.

Posted by Ed McWilliams at 7:31 PM | Permalink Like it? Digg It | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fidel has had three surgeries, and instead of following what the doctor told him, he decided to go his own way. The surgery would be life threatening to a man in his twenties, not to mention an 80 year old man who has lived a life of unparalleled stress. He believes he is a god, and does not need to do what the doctors say. The main doctor is currently under house arrest, and will likely be the fall guy if Fidel goes down.

Word is that he is confined to a bed, with tubes in him. He is not in a coma, but cannot communicate, as the wounds did not heal. He will die any day, perhaps any hour.

He had a surgery to remove a section of intestine, and had a replacement from China. It did not work. The second replacement, the one he currently has, is from Spain, and was the result of the recent surgery by the Spanish doctor. However, many people who have this surgery, need to have a piece of the intestine outside of the abdominal wall connecting to a bag which collects waste matter. Fidel refused this, believing he is different than the normal human, and that was his mistake.

When he is gone…

Continue reading "The God Beard" »

Posted by Ed McWilliams at 2:19 PM | Permalink Like it? Digg It | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)