I wake up early and go through a normal morning routine, including eating lots of fruit in the hotel breakfast buffet. The NYAC guys are in front in the van when we go out, but there isn't room for us, so we take a cab ride again. It's not very expensive, about seven or eight dollars to get across town.
At the venue I make sure my bout is still scheduled for 10am, and find out on what strip. I warm up and stretch, and fence a bit with Nat again, and Eric Hansen. I lose one and win one warmup bout against Hansen, which makes me feel good. I'm more nervous than I expect to be.
My bout is called at 10:10. I get on strip, and go through the normal weapon check. Strittmatter does indeed use a French grip. The bout starts, and he does coupé like a madman. I quickly get two touches ahead. This photo is him trying to argue I shouldn't be given a touch because the fencing was "confused." Maybe I'm just a better infighter than he.
After being up 3-1, I get overconfident and let him slide along to 6-6, then 9-9 in the first period.
Then at the end of time in the first period, I see there are only 5 seconds left, and relax and step back. He pushes and hits my hand, which I've retracted almost to my shoulder. Damn! He's up by 1 at the end of the first period.
We stay even as the score creeps up to 12-11 with 15 seconds left in the second period. Again I relax, and he presses, scoring 2 touches before time expires. This can't be happening!
Nat, having just been eliminated, is sitting behind my strip during the final break, so I ask him for advice. He suggests something that makes sense and I go out to apply it. I get one touch, bringing the score to 14-12 against me.
Then on an action where his point isn't anywhere near me, Strittmatter scores a touch. I'm sure it isn't a valid touch, but the referee awards it anyway and the bout ends.
I pack up and go back for a shower and some lunch, and some more walking around in Havana. We walk through the "flea market" section near the Plaza de Armas. There are a hundred or more vendors, each with their own weird homemade stuff, oil-on-canvas art, carven wood things, a lot of musical instruments, and a lot of clay objects. We buy a wide selection of Cuba trinkets, including a hat with a flag sewn on it and a variety of clay Castro and Che figurines. By now Mary has a pretty good sense of direction in town, and I don't, which is a remarkable reversal of roles.
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