And we’re off again, this time to Cienfuegos. But not before I had given away three bars of soap, two shampoos, two granola bars, and breakfast leftovers. One lady gave me a hug!

During the drive we saw in the distance the mountains used by counter-government groups in the early 1960s. The landscape was incredibly rocky in places. We drove past small farms, horses tethered along side the road, forested areas, small farms, areas overrun with scrub brush, and very modest single-story stucco homes. Fence lines integrated wooden posts with existing trees, sometimes with cactus planted between the posts and trees. The ocean was often visible on the left side of the bus.

Cienfuegos differs from the other cities that we have visited in that it was not colonized by the Spanish, in fact it was not colonized at all. Spain recruited the French of Louisiana and France to settle the area in the 1800s. The town square is gorgeous with large, impressive buildings, a bandstand, statues, and green space. One of the impressive buildings is the Teatro Tomas Terry built in the Italian style and adorned with Carrara marble. It is still in use today. We were able to go inside the beautiful theater to enjoy the frescoes on the ceiling, peek into the private boxes, and visit the intermission rooms.

We also visited the Palacio Municipal across the square from the theatre. A classically trained five-piece ensemble known as Concerto Sur gave us a wonderful private concert before inviting us to dance with them and ask questions. The men wore black slacks and matching maroon guayabera, and the women wore black heals and matching black dresses. I mention their outfits because they were in total contrast to the other ensemble that we loved so much who were dressed super casual in whatever suited their fancy; three men performed wearing baseball caps (CrossFit, Police, LA).

Once back on the bus, we enjoyed the ride to Playa Larga at the head of the historic Bay of Pigs where the disastrous invasion, referred to by some as a perfect failure, took place in April 1961. We had a delicious family style lunch (octopus, chicken, beans and rice, custard) at a family-run privately-owned business. While we enjoyed lunch a naturalist spoke about the wildlife at nearby Cienaga de Zapata National Park. He explained that while the entire population of Cuba has suffered during the American embargo, most especially the poor, wildlife has rebounded and in some cases flourished. Cuba has healthy coral beds, the largest wetlands in the Caribbean, gorgeous snails known for their colorful shells, and 400 species of birds, 299 of which pass through the Bay of Pigs area.

By the way, this is how the Bay of Pigs came by this strange name: Feral pigs had the run of the place back in the day, so the bay with all the pigs became the Bay of Pigs. Fun fact: Bacon-centered businesses sprang up due to the abundance of pigs.

After a short walk on the beach we continued to Havana and checked into our hotel for the final two nights.

… Worth Mentioning … 

All toilet tissue, no matter how soiled, goes into a receptacle near the toilet, not in the toilet itself.

Some toilets flushed and others had to be flushed with a bucket of water
provided by an attendant (tip please) at the public restrooms.

There are two state-owned bus companies.
All buses are imported from China.
We used the number painted on the side of the bus to tell ours apart
from the others that looked identical.

The first car arrived in country from France in 1898. Two more came in 1899.
American cars dominated the market from the time they arrived in 1900 until the embargo in 1960.
100,000 cars were imported a year during Cuba’s boom days.
No spare parts for American models were allowed in country after 1960 with the exception of a very short period during the Obama administration. The fact that so many old cars are still running is a testament to the ingenuity of their very proud owners.

We have used tap water to bathe and wash hands only, never for drinking or brushing our teeth.
We only requested ice at restaurants when Pebbles gave us the OK.

Tourist hotels and some private establishments have generators in order to guarantee power during blackouts. Often they are not turned on until the hotel has confirmation that a group is on its way.

All young men in Cuba must do two years of public service.
Young women can volunteer to serve.

American and Russian vaccines for Covid 19 were not available here, so Cuba created their own.

Cuba is home to the cha cha cha.