Baseball in Cuba

[Ryan]

Again, this year we got a baseball game organised on the Saturday after the festival. Punch Joe and Hamlet dong a lot of the organising on the Cuban side.

Nino was a huge help this year organising some of the internationals and great to see him playing this year.

Ajay put up a video on YouTube.

Some "Highlights"

1:22 Arnaldo Ovalles (director of El Laguito) making a hit that would have been an infield home-run, until

1:35 Rob Fox rugby tackles him on third base. Some of the Cubans got a little upset but how were

we supposed to know you couldn't do that. You can see Punch Joe doing a little "calming-down".

2:22 Armando with his "Hi Ladies"

7:49 Nino getting a hit then doing a dance not realising he had to run until a member of the opposing team (Arnaldo again) politely informed him.

8:30 Stuart Fox's red sox, with his milk bottle legs sticking out of them. He can run like a fish though.

10:10 Yours truly getting a triple off my only ball of the day, even with my cross grip. Should have made it home..

Most of the rest of the video is the lot of us standing around, getting drunk, smoking cigars, wondering what the hell was going on.

In the end it seems we won this year, apparently 17-16, of course only with lots of help from the opposition and a huge amount of cheating and dirty play..

Great fun again, lunch in El Aljibe after the game. Great to see more internationals there this year.

So it stands a 1:1. Playoff next year. Pres, we'll need a big hitter...

Days like this are what the festival week is about. I know Nino would agree. I spread myself too thinly this year and came out the worse for wear for it.

It'll be more days like this next year.

Great fun and great people.

[CaptainQuintero]

Looks like a grat time, I thought mini-hamlet was going to do some real damage! I watched the video yesterday, I love how Ajay is giggling through 90% of it then cuts his own batting out!

[CanuckSARTech]

Pres, we'll need a big hitter...

I'll loan him my stacked bats.

[JohnnyC]

I'll loan him my stacked bats.

Keith, I think we need to send a Canadian Team in for the playoff next year.

[Nino]

7:49 Nino getting a hit then doing a dance not realising he had to run until a member of the opposing team (Arnaldo again) politely informed him.

the video is the lot of us standing around, getting drunk, smoking cigars, wondering what the hell was going on.

Andy : So I guess I was doing everything "by the book" - stand 'round, get drunk and wonder

So it stands a 1:1. Playoff next year. Pres, we'll need a big hitter...

Days like this are what the festival week is about. I know Nino would agree. I spread myself too thinly this year and came out the worse for wear for it.

It'll be more days like this next year.

Great fun and great people.

It was the best day of the whole week and even the Swiss are hooked now, they absolutely loved it and will repeat, I mean everyone who took part loved it and considered it the best day as they were only used to the official events, not to sharing and taking part in real fun.

Thank you again, Andy for all the work you put in !