On The Road Again

We had a bit of a shock this morning when it became apparent there was no water available for a shower.  According to the owner some pipe had been left open which drained the water supply and thus no water to our room.  We made the best of it with an extra helping of deoderant and got ready for the day.  A rooftop breakfast brought the news of a Trump victory back home.

On our way out of Trinidad, we returned to the main square to climb a bell tower to take photos from a higher perch.  A couple of street bands were already out performing in hopes of receiving tips or selling their CD’s.  We spent some time photographing the area before boarding our bus for our daylong journey west.

As we passed along a coastal highway the Caribbean ocean stretched out on our left.  I’ve been told the water is beautiful here with a budding dive business in various parts of the country.  We had a long drive ahead of us since we were traveling from the south central part of the country to the western most city.  We were promised some stops along the way to help break of the trip.

Our first stop came when we came across an area on the highway being used to dry rice.  They spread rice across one lane of the road which allows traffic to pass by on the other.  Men with wide shovels rake it back and forth to aid in the drying.  It is my understanding this is a common occurrence across Latin America.

Our next stop was at a horse wash (there are more horses than cars in the country) – a big water hole where the horses were ridden in and washed off.  Several people seemed to be taking advantage of the water to clean their horses.  Across the road, a Cuban family invited us in to see their home.  It was very spartan with a couple of small bedrooms and what made do for a kitchen.  It was very basic.  The average family only has $12 of disposable income a month, so there’s not a lot of luxury living going on.

Our final ‘real’ stop was where the Bay of Pigs incident started.  This CIA backed mission to try to overthrow Castro was not one of our finest moments.  The bay is quite beautiful with fishing boats lining the shore.  The restaurant where we stopped was elevated with nice views of the bay and a gentle cooling breeze.  For $8 we had a grilled lobster dinner with all the fixings (rice, beans, veggies, bread).  You really can’t beat that with a stick!

We had several more hours on the bus before reaching our home for the next several nights in Pinar del Rio.  The hotel appears to be a fairly large resort with a swimming pool and outdoor bar.  The rooms were big but the bed looked more like a super-sized twin.  The pillows were about 2 inches thick but we had a nice bathroom and air conditioning.  We were tired enough it really didn’t matter.

Tomorrow: Off to the Caves

Introduction to Planning – Cuban Style

After a fairly restful night, we awoke to the reality that is Cuba.  We were scheduled to start our bus trip this morning.  One slight problem – no bus.  Our Cuban tour guide, Tony, had spent most of the evening and this morning trying to get our bus to Santa Clara to pick us up.  Plans were made, then changed until we finally were told to be ready to leave around noon.  This is Cuban time.

Our little hiccup meant we had some time to wonder around Santa Clara.  Our hotel was located right on the square which gave us a host of photo opportunities.  All forms of transportation, horse drawn carts, motorcycles, bicycle taxis, classic cars and somewhat modern cars circled around and around delivering people and looking for new fares.  There also appeared to be a lot of sitting on park benches, perhaps for those that are unemployed, underemployed or retired.  Clothing choices mirrored other Caribbean islands – short skirts, shorts, t-shirts, etc.  The Cubans love ‘booty’ and it was definitely on full display.

After getting the shots we wanted, we decided to wonder more or less as a group to a church down a side street.   The brightly colored buildings in need of repairs and paint made for nice backgrounds as people roamed the streets.  A doorway beckoned us inside where we found a big open courtyard that serves as a bar and concert space at night.  Four dancers were practicing for some kind of performance maybe later at the bar.  I was mesmerized by their rhythmic moves to Latin beats and sat for several minutes photographing their athletic performance.

Back on the street, we saw several businesses selling different kinds of goods, from the appliance store to shoe and clothing stores to a used book stand.  According to our guide, economic reforms were ushered in under Raul Castro’s Presidency. Cubans are now able to own stores, farmland and houses and also able to travel outside their country. 

We made a couple of quick stops on our way out of town, first to the site where Che Guavara blew up the railroad tracks as part of the revolution.  They also have the bulldozer he used in the rebels’ efforts.  Next was the mausoleum where Che and his follow fighters are buried from the Bolivian uprising.  Che is revered in Cuba and you see his image everywhere. 

We grabbed a quick pizza lunch (we found pizza everywhere) we finally were ready to start our journey through Cienfuego to our evening destination of Trinidad.  Our journey took us over the hills where the rebels led their revolution against the Batista government in 1958.  This area grows crops of all kinds including sugar cane, tobacco, bananas, coffee and various fruits. The land was lush and green with livestock grazing in fields.

We arrived in Trinidad around dusk, wondering through the cobblestone streets they are known for, looking for our evening accommodations. The narrow streets are lined with hostels – rooms for rent in peoples’ homes.  Ours was really quite nice although the mattress and pillows left a lot to be desired.   A rooftop bar beckoned us for our free drink and I imbibed my first Cuban mojito.  The owner appears to be quite the entrepreneur with WiFi available for purchase along with the well-stocked bar.

For dinner, we bused to the main square which is lined with restaurants, shops and bars.  This is a very old city dating back to Columbus’ time.   Colonial era mansions surrounded the square repurposed as museums during the modern era. Live music attracted a large crowd that spilled into the streets, bars and restaurants.

The elections were held today in the US and I received updates all evening.   It looked like it was going to be a late night for the vote counters before a winner would be declared.  I’m glad I’m out of the country for this one!

Tomorrow: Our Journey Resumes