Vinales

Breakfast is normally included with a night’s stay in Cuba and our hotel was no exception.  However, the big challenge was finding a plate and flatware when you arrived.  We watched the breakfast procession and there seemed to be an ebb and flow to both the plates and the food.  We were lucky and got both with few difficulties.

We boarded our bus for the trek to the Vinales region.  This took us over lush hills before descending to the ocean.  Tobacco is grown in this region in Cuba.  The conditions of the soil and weather make for some of the best tobacco in the world.  Tobacco drying barns dotted the countryside with their thatched roofs.  Oxen drawn carts worked the fields.  Tobacco is planted in September so it was only about 10 inches tall now but it will reach high into the sky by the time it is harvested.

Limestone dominates this region which makes for lots of caves in the cliffs and also underground.  We were to tour one of these caves this morning.  This is a very popular tourist destination and there were already several buses in the parking lot.  Once inside, we did have a little space to take some photos.  There were several smaller chambers we wondered through before reaching our water exit on boats that also gave a very short tour of the caves.  They were interesting but I don’t think they’ll be the highlight of our trip.

Along with tourists comes tourist restaurants which is where we ended up for lunch.  This sprawling diner had several outdoor eating areas butted up against the cliffs.  They served a set menu of grilled chicken, rice and beans, sweet potatoes (not like the ones we have at home but a sweeter white potato) and fruit.  There’s a notable lack of dessert in this country.

We stayed around this area after our meal to see what might happen along to photograph.  Old taxis (classic ‘50s cars) came at regular intervals with horse drawn carriages, bicyclists and trucks mixed in.  There’s also a large population of vultures in this country and we had a chance take some upclose shots of them. 

This region is also known for jutting rock formations called majotes.  They resembled pipe organs reaching into the sky.  We stopped several places to photograph them with the final stop also serving as our sunset shooting destination.  We hiked up a hill which gave us great views over a valley with the mogotes (flat topped hills) off in the distance.  This too was a popular tourist spot with lots of people gathered for the sunset. 

We ate dinner at a place right on the hill.  Men were gathered around a Weber type grill cooking chickens for the dinner crowd.  They also had the typical fish and ropa vieja, a shredded meat dish that could almost be the national dish of Cuba.  Included in our $10 meal was three kinds of rice, beans, sweet potatoes, fruit and salad.  It was delicious and quite a bargain.

Tomorrow: A visit to a cigar factory

The Adventure Begins

I’ll skip the boring, taking several planes, close gate connections part of our first day of the trip and go straight to landing in Santa Clara, Cuba.  Preparing to land, we had a good view of what rural Cuba looks like from the air.  There’s lots of fields that are under cultivation, some even with irrigation.  Roads crisscross the landscape and they even appear to be paved.  It was also apparent this is a tropical region with the occasional palm tree dotting the countryside. 

The airport was not really any different than any other small developing country we’ve visited. Being in the Caribbean, we were not surprised to find a mid-afternoon rain had descended upon us.    Our first surprise of the trip came in the form of 50’s era cabs they had hired to transport us to our hotel, The Santa Clara Libre.  Our cab encountered a street under repair with wet cement filling hole in the concrete.  Somehow our driver didn’t recognize the hazard and drove directly into one of drying ruts which meant we were stuck.  Words were exchanged between our driver and the person in charge of the repairs.  A group of teenage boys came to our rescue and pushed us out of our dilemma. 

The hotel was somewhat what I expected, clean but very Spartan.  Our private bathroom was also plain but would work.  We took a few minutes to freshen up before heading down the street to exchange the Euros we brought into CUCs, the currency for the tourists.  We brought euros because the Cubans impose a 10% penalty when exchanging US dollars.  This is a cash only economy with US credits serving as nothing more than plastic bookmarks. 

We walked down street for a group dinner.  The small diner had a nice variety of foods from ropa vieja, the shredded beef dish I expect to see almost everywhere, to pasta and even pizza.  Cerveza (beer) rounded out our meal.  I can’t wait to see what an entire day brings us!

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

A New Day for Cuba

Travelers have new options when thinking about visiting Cuba since the lifting of some of the travel restrictions that have been in place for decades.  While you still must qualify under one of the many Visa restrictions - most frequently a People to People exchange, one can now travel to Cuba making all your own travel arrangements.  In the past, to visit directly from the USA you would have to use a guided tour company which  planned all your daily activities along with your housing (usually in  Cubans' homes called Casa Particulars).  Our other option entailed traveling first to a foreign country (Canada, Mexico, Caymans, etc.) and then flying into Cuba.

The other big game changer is daily flights into Cuba from the USA by several major airlines.  Many of these flights into cities around Cuba started this fall with Havana being the last to come online sometime in December.  Daily scheduled charter flights have been available out of Miami for some time but I believe you still had to be part of a guided tour to fly directly into the country.

Everything fell into place for us to book a trip with our immediate family for the week of Thanksgiving to Havana.  We rented an apartment (through Boutique Homes) in Old Town Havana that sleeps five with a rooftop deck.  However, we still had to use a charter flight.  Small obstacles for such an amazing opportunity to travel before Cuba becomes a huge tourist destination.

Another opportunity came up to travel with a local photography group the first part of November to Cuba also.  Well, this seemed like a great way to get to see a little more of the country while still enjoying our family holiday.  Sign me up!

Thus, we find ourselves in  final stages  planning and packing for our trip that departs next week for a total of 18 days in sunny Cuba.  I'll update our travels as WiFi hotspots allow, playing catch-up when needed.  I hope this inspires others to make a visit to one of the newest (and most photogenic) destinations within a short flight from Florida.

Next: Hello Cuba