TRINIDAD

On the road to Trinidad (1951 Chevrolet) we passed our Norwegian friends – bicycling! – with the bus following behind like the “kits and capes” truck. Cuba is a very good place for bicycling – much of it is flat and there is little traffic. And it’s not too hard to avoid the potholes… On arrival the owner of our casa particular was waiting for us at the entrance to the town and led us in on his motor-bike. There is a lot of poaching of tourists between casas particulares and the touts can be troublesome. Trinidad is indeed a pretty town – also undergoing its own restoration programme. Lots of 18th century buildings… but full of tourists. The Casa de la Trova we found rather sleepy, but the Casa de la Música – with an open-air stage on the wide steps climbing up beside the church – was more lively. Having done our tourist duty the first day, on the second Magda headed for the beach while I went on a hike in a nearby park – Topes de Collantes. The group consisted of a Swiss woman and a young Danish couple. The guide was reasonably well-informed but weak on birds, so my bird-book came in handy. We saw the Cuban trogon – Cuba’s national bird because of its red, white and blue colouring (Magda’s photo from a later day) – a Cuban tody and lots of North American warblers. And of course the Cuban emerald humming-bird. We bathed in a natural pool below a waterfall – the water was surprisingly cold. The region (and much of the island – like Jamaica lying just south) is mainly limestone and there were some interesting formations. Afterwards we had lunch in a restaurant in the park. The menu – as everywhere in Cuba – offered chicken, pork and fish… Trinidad was the centre of the Cuban sugar industry in the 18th century, and production continued during the 19th and 20th centuries even though it lost its pride of place to Cienfuegos (next blog). Just outside is the so-called valley of the sugar mills where you can take a ride in a tourist steam train – but we didn’t have time! We saw the slightly more modest house of the owner of the House of 100 doors – apparently he went there only to work.

SANCTI SPIRITUS

Our next destination was the 18th century town of Trinidad on the south coast, but we stopped on the way in Sancti Spiritus, less known but also with some splendid architecture, especially around the main square. A horse and trap took us into the town centre where the owners of the casa particular which we had booked passed us onto their sister-in-law. We are getting quite used to this sort of arrangement! Our first step was to have lunch in a large restaurant on the little “square” – a rough trapezium – that was the original town centre, with a pretty blue church! Nearby an 18th century bridge crosses the river, approached by cobbled streets. The next door table contained a bus-load of elderly Norwegians (the bus was outside, with flag!) and we had trouble convincing the waiters that we spoke Spanish – always a bad sign! Outside we returned to sight-seeing, visiting the “House of 100 doors” – now a cultural museum. It was a large corner-house belonging to a 19th century sugar baron! We later saw one of his other houses in Trinidad where the mill was located. It was full of a collection of beautiful furniture and artefacts and had the typical lay-out of Cuban houses: from the street you enter the Sala – a drawing room to receive guests and visitors in a formal atmosphere. Behind the Sala, separated by a wall in smart houses like this, but in many cases just by two sofas or rows of chairs back-to-back, is the Saleta, for the family and more intimate friends – it now often contains the television (when there is one!). Behind this again there is a courtyard taking up about half the width of the house, and looking onto it the 2 to 4 bedrooms, usually leading off a gallery but also, at least in old houses, interconnected. At the back is the kitchen – and possibly a dining room. In this case there was a music room with old instruments, including a piano carried on the backs of servants from the port at Trinidad 60 km away. When it arrived the daughter of the house went into a pet and refused to play it – we were told this story by our guide and the revolutionary reasoning is not hard to fathom! After the revolution the house was requisitioned by the state, but the owners apparently accepted the inevitable and gave it up with good grace because they were allowed to keep a couple of rooms on the second floor at the back, where the descendants still live! And the 100 doors? Well, I didn’t count them, but all the internal doors are double and double! Each doorway contains a pair of full-length doors for privacy, and also a pair of screen-like half-height doors to allow air to circulate when extreme privacy is not required. In the evening we went out for our mojito in the hotel on the square where there was live music – and bumped into the Norwegians again. The next day we visited a magnificent library, built around 1910 by a society of worthies.

CAMAGÜEY

What a pleasure to reach Camagüey and return to the delightful, friendly Cuba of the tourist brochures! Our casa was on the first floor of a 19th century house in the city centre and served excellent dinners. It also had a magnificent roof-top terrace for sun-downers. Street scenes in the centre: The city is about as far from the sea as you can get in the island and is famed for its dance group and “orchestra”. We went to a show in the modernised 19th century theatre. The event started with the award of a long service and good conduct medal or equivalent to the oldest employee – an electrician. The orchestra turned out to be a wind band nearly fifty strong – a dozen clarinets and as many flutes, a long row of brass – including saxophones, a strong percussion section, and – inevitably – a double-bass! The conductor was also the artistic director of the dance group and responsible for the musical arrangements. He directed the whole with great gusto! On Sunday we set out to find the Casa de la Trova for a musical lunch – and found ourselves in a party! A charming gentleman celebrating his 70th birthday. He made us very much at home and chatted with us although he had about 20 guests to attend to. People kept arriving with more and more food and drink – as the Casa is a State “business”, no one minded. Before long we found ourselves dancing, and Magda’s lesson in Holguín paid dividends as we counted 1, 2, 3,… 5, 6, 7,…! At 3 o’clock the Casa de la Trova closed and the whole party moved 100 m down the street to the Arts and Culture Association, where the live music (and the beer and rum) continued until 5.00 p.m. Then there was a break – which we used to have a shower and supper – before we stalwarts (down to a group of about 10) reassembled in a bar on the main street at 7.00 p.m. and danced till 9. At that point we bowed out, but the others were set to go back to the Casa de la Trova where the music was due to start again at 10.00!

GUARDALAVACA AND HOLGUÍN

From Santiago our first hop back westwards took us to the resort of Guardalavaca on the north coast. A beautiful sand beach attracted the eye of the authorities looking to develop a resort. So the inhabitants of the little fishing village were re-housed half a mile inland in rather dull little flats, trading their traditional beachside huts with gardens for the benefits of plumbing and other mod. cons. – whether they liked it or not! Our casa particular was on the 4th floor of the block behind the car!! The beach strip was then used to build three large “all-inclusive” hotels for (mainly Canadian) tourists. The beach was crowded outside the hotels, but it was possible to find quieter spots at either end, especially to the east where the fishermen’s huts still hang on, although they are threatened by the construction of another hotel. We went for lunch there in a Paladar which had its licence withdrawn because it competed with a state-run restaurant. The restaurant has since closed but they have not renewed the licence of the paladar! We were briefed to tell any passing inspectors that we were friends of the owners and had brought our own beer! We also visited a major archaeological site – a pre-Hispanic Taino indian burial site with over 50 burials, excavated and preserved about 30 years ago. The period of the burials actually included the Spanish settlement of the island with a small number of European, African and mixed race individuals. Nearby was a mock-up of a Taino village populated with life-sized papier-maché inhabitants! Magda was delighted to find one group doing a circle dance!! From the tourism mecca we travelled to the distinctly un-touristy city of Holguín. We were surprised to find beggars, as mentioned previously, and the whole city was slightly sleazy and unhelpful. Service in the restaurants was distinctly soviet, in marked contrast to the rest of the island. We even had trouble leaving as the bus broke down on the way and we waited an hour and a half for it to arrive. The problem was a loose drain screw on the sump. They managed to find some oil, but no container to put it in to take out to the bus! When that was solved the bus had to go to the workshop for a check-up. I must say that the lady in the bus station kept us well-informed, but with the uncomfortable proviso that we were waiting out on the street in the sun. They had to close the bus station for its programmed monthly fumigation – at 11.00 on a Saturday morning!!! The only plus point in Holguín was that Magda took a salsa class there.

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.

HOW THE COUNTRY WORKS!!!

We arrived at Santiago at 2 o’clock in the morning thanks to the vagaries of Viazul. Our patient hosts in our Casa Particular sent a taxi to meet us and let us into our room… Breakfast time seemed to come very soon! This house has been in the family for over 100 years, despite the Revolution. Our hostess runs it with the help of her husband, and their daughter and son in law who are both biologists at the university. They only let one room but it makes a huge difference to their standard of living. They have a tame Cuban parrot!

Casas Particulares were first authorised about 15 years ago, but really opened up after Raul Castro took over from 2006. Along with other tourism services – principally private restaurants (Paladares = “Palates”!) and private taxis – they are authorised to service the tourism industry, paying a licence and taxes for the privilege. There are also private “buses” for Cubans…

Our hosts explained to us the food ticket system: every family has what they call a “chequera” (cheque-book) entitling them to a miniscule quantity of basic food and household supplies – rice, chicken, milk powder, soap – from the state shops at subsidised prices. Everything else has to be bought at realistic prices at semi-private shops (where the state is a partner in the business) or (illegally) directly from producers – often by barter. In their case for example they could get 200 grams of chicken per month for a two adults! It was not the last time we heard such complaints. Everything seems to be in short supply except for eggs: we had 2 for breakfast every day and frequently saw people carrying trays in the streets! It must be said that Cuba is not particularly cheap for tourists. There is an extraordinary double currency system. When it was introduced the idea was that tourists would buy everything at 25 times the price paid by Cubans – what cost them one Peso would cost the tourist one Convertible Unit of Currency worth 1 dollar or 25 pesos. Tourists are not allowed to hold Cuban pesos, nor Cubans to use CUC’s, which they must exchange if they receive them in their businesses. Inevitably the system could not be strictly maintained and will shortly be abandoned through unification of the currencies. That will probably drive up the cost of living further. It must be said that although a lot of people live on very little, we saw few signs of abject misery. In the only place with a profusion of beggars, Holguín, the beggars were clearly professional, being chivvied by a very seedy looking Mafioso type!

Taxis!

CUBA JAN 2015

Havana is a magnificent city, one of the greatest architectural gems of Spanish colonization. It has further had the benefit of being virtually untouched over the last 55 years, when so much fine old architecture has been torn down all around the world. The downside is that this abandonment has caused much of the city to look rather tatty;

however the opening up of the island to tourism has generated a huge inflow of funds, a large portion of which is earmarked for the restoration of the city. Work has already been going on for some years and large parts of Old Havana are now restored to their former splendour.

In what remains unrestored, work is proceeding apace – the Capitol is sheathed in scaffolding.

The plan is then to work outwards into Havana Centro. The famous Malecón (seafront) is a particularly high profile area which is receiving attention. We were warmly welcomed to our “casa particular” (private sector hostel) on arrival, then set out to explore the city. We took in the Museum of the Revolution – ex-presidential palace – which contains the Granma, in which Fidel sailed from Mexico to start the revolution. It is an interesting historical record, although a grain or two of salt is needed occasionally. It also records with glee the failed Bay of Pigs invasion of 1961! – of which more later. We visited the cathedral

and went for the first of several mojitos in the Hotel Inglaterra. In the morning we went to look for the bus station to buy tickets for our trip to Santiago the next day. In most of Cuba this is not even possible, but here in the capital there is a system… We finally found the station (a long way from where our hostess said it would be!) of Viazul buses – the only line which tourists are allowed to use. There was a long queue for the only desk selling tickets to individuals; here at least commercial customers are served at a different desk, which is not the case elsewhere. We reserved our passage to Santiago de Cuba – but were issued with a voucher instead of tickets and advised to arrive one hour before departure next day so that they could print the tickets! The classic car taxis continue to be a feature of the city - most of them have had the engine changed in the interests of fuel economy!

Magda found dozens of little old ladies, dogs and cats to photograph, and I bagged her dancing with one of them!