SANTIAGO DE CUBA

Santiago de Cuba is proudly known as the Rebel City. It was a focus of sedition from before the first Independence War (1868-78) through the subsequent wars until independence was achieved (and at once scuppered by the USA) in 1898. It again became a focus of revolution against Batista: the first blow struck by Fidel in 1953 was a failed attack on the Moncada Barracks in Santiago. His ultimately successful campaign from 1957 to 1959 was run from the Sierra Maestra 100 km west of the city. I went on a visit to his command post in the jungle, La Comandancia de la Plata. It is now quite accessible by vehicle to the area and then a 4 km walk along a good path, but at that time it was 40 km from the nearest road. Batista never found it although he tried hard. From there the revolutionaries ventured out to attack the army, carry out sabotage, and win hearts and minds – and more men! After being ambushed when they landed from the Granma, Fidel’s force of 82 was reduced to a bare dozen, to take on Batista’s entire armed forces. The centre is a classic grid of narrow streets, but higher up is the splendid Plaza with the cathedral, the house of the principal settler of Cuba, Diego de Velasco, and the iconic Hotel Casagranda – frequented by Graham Greene among others. Round the corner is the Casa de la Trova

where we went to listen to music – and dance salsa! We made many instant friends and learnt a bit of the famous Cuban rhythm. We went to the bus station to book our next journey and hired a bici-taxi

to take us home. The driver took us on a scenic tour (avoiding the hills) to see the cemetery, with the graves of José Martí – where the guard is changed every hour – and Compay Segundo!

We had seen the memorial to Martí in Havana, and I have since been reading his biography.

I won’t repeat it here, look him up in Wikipedia – it is worth reading! He was the philosopher of independence and died in battle in 1895 – a man of words but also of action who would later be an inspiration to Fidel.