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.

Gooooood Morning said the church bells loud and clear at 6:30 yesterday. It was not a gentle reminder to get up, it was a persistent 50-gong alarm clock. No issue for most of us because we were getting ready for breakfast anyway.

Barb and I volunteered to deliver breakfast leftovers to early birds in the town square. We napkin-wrapped four meat and cheese sandwiches and two donuts and found a two-man garbage collection team only too happy to take it all off our hands. We have wasted no time implementing Pebbles’ suggestion of passing along leftovers. It’s satisfying to give the food to people living so close to the edge. So far the recipients have seemed pleased, surprised, and grateful.

Yesterday morning was spent driving to Trinidad. Being the dry season (winter) the countryside on this side of the island is brown. Our ride was on a road about a lane and a half wide with no center line or shoulders. A dirt and grass strip along both sides the road offered room for horse-drawn vehicles of various kinds. We passed fields, produce stands, grazing pastures, and a lot of small communities with dirt roads.

We arrived in Trinidad in time for a 1:00 o’clock lunch in a private room at a lovely restaurant. Having already enjoyed chicken, pulled beef, pork, and fish, everyone at my table decided to have pizza. It did not disappoint. Each lunch and dinner has been a three course meal, so our pizza was preceded by a rum-based drink, in this case a mojito, an appetizer, and bread. The pizza was served as the main course. THEN dessert. Each pizza eater got a whole pie, so we boxed up the leftovers to pass along. In this case our local guide, Vladimir, took all the pizza to a friend.

After checking into our hotel, Hotel La Calesa, we were turned loose to enjoy the afternoon on our own. For our little group, that meant checking out a few of the handicraft shops and walking to one of the historic squares in town. Dan was charmed by a vender selling two-dolls-in-one. One doll is the obvious one. If you flip her upside down a new doll wearing a different outfit appears. When I said in my best Spanish that this doll was for my son’s daughter, she was so pleased and told me about her children and grandchildren. I caught about ten percent of what she was saying but enjoyed her enthusiasm for the subject.

Today we explored Trinidad, Cuba’s best-preserved colonial city and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A guided walking tour gave us an opportunity to view the Old Cathedral and other landmarks with a stop along the way at a rationing store, or bodega, to see the process of buying certain local staples. A ration card is provided to every Cuban family and guarantees they get their fair share of these items at a reduced price. Customers can also buy Cuban-produced food products, staples like rice and oil, at the going rate at bodegas. A pound of rice was seven CUP. (125 CUP or 340 CUP = $1.00) The bodega currently offers nine items that can only be purchased with a ration card and 13 non-rationed items.

We toured Palacio Cantero, the city’s history museum, which is actually a restored neoclassical mansion which overlooks a beautiful plaza. After hearing about the previous owner’s dodgy reputation and eventual return to Spain, we toured the rooms which are furnished in period pieces, many of which were imported from France, England, and Spain. A knowledgeable guide talked us through the mansion’s rooms explaining the purpose of each as well as where each item came from. It is a testament to how comfortably the ultra-wealthy lived in Cuba’s prime.

Next to the last stop: the Yudit Vidal Faife Art Gallery. It is situated in Yudit’s modest three-story home. She was charming, welcoming, and enthusiastic about her art and the work she does in the community. Her most unusual paintings are done on unvarnished canvas after she has integrated beautiful needlework into the design. Embroidery, cross stitch, and crochet add an unexpected twist to the paintings.

Our last stop of the day was at a ceramic studio where we observed a pottery demonstration and shopped in their large showroom. We bought a windchime.

Hotel
A 12-room boutique hotel ideally located near one of the squares. Its accent color was bright green.

… OK, OK, Here’s the Rest of the Story …

In April 1961, the United States orchestrated an invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs. The invasion, carried out by Cuban exiles trained and supported by the CIA, aimed to overthrow Castro’s government.
It was a humiliating defeat for the United States and further heightened tensions between the two countries all the while solidifying Cuba’s commitment to socialism and its alliance with the Soviet Union.

Things got worse in 1962 when the U.S. discovered that the Soviet Union had installed nuclear missiles on Cuban soil that were capable of striking targets across the U.S. The Cuban Missile Crisis lasted for 13 tense days ending with the removal of the missiles on the part of Russia and a pledge from the United States not to invade the island and to remove U.S. missiles in Turkey.

Over the course of the following 40 years the Soviet Union, Cuba’s primary ally, collapsed; the U.S. established permanent trade embargos against Cuba (but allowed food and medicine);
and Russia’s last military base closed.

In 2008 Fidel Castro announced his retirement, his brother Raul took over as president,
and Cuba reestablished ties with Russia.

 Miguel Diaz-Canel has been president since October 2019.

Out of the meat, cheese, and bread left on my plate at breakfast I made a sandwich and wrapped it in a napkin. Out the door I went looking for the first hungry person I saw. It took all of a second to catch the eye of an elderly man. I approached with my sandwich which he gratefully accepted. He offered me a coin with Che’s image on it in exchange and then showed me his large, impressive Che tattoo. After I wished him a nice day and turned to leave, he asked if I had any soap or shampoo. I asked him to wait while I ran upstairs for some we had saved from other hotels. Anyway, up I trudged two flights of irregular stairs to get the toiletries and back down only to be asked for medicine for his earache and, well, maybe some small money. When I said I had no medicine and no money on me he suggested I run back upstairs. The man at the hotel door was keeping an eye on me and came over to disentangle me from my new friend’s requests. It was actually a fun interaction and a nice start to a great day.

Today was customs and culture day in one of Cuba’s initial seven communities, founded by Spanish colonists in the early 1500s. No surprise: its UNESCO-listed meandering pastel-colored alleyways ooze history but also offer a glance into modern life. We enjoyed five fun experiences.

1. The Unbak Ballet welcomed us to sit in on a warmup session. Their campus is large and impressive in spite of needing some attention in the (expensive) upkeep department. Ballet shoes and costumes are made on site, and we visited the workrooms where they improvise with what is available, not what is standard in the world of dance.

2. One of my two favorite activities of the day was a huge buffet lunch and tour of Rancho Zaragozano, an 84-acre dairy farm that also has 22 sheep, two horses, a hawk, ducks, cats, peacocks, and a dog or two. The family of six (architect dad, cardiologist mom, dentist son, veterinarian son, pregnant girlfriend of veterinarian son, and sister of the dad) share a home built by relatives in the 1930s. We feasted on pork cooked on the spit, toured the house and grounds, and heard about life on a modern-day dairy farm. Modern day in Cuba means milking by hand at 4:00 AM, taking the milk to the collection spot by horse-drawn cart, using two 1930s windmills, and bringing in extra income to cover the costs of running a farm.

3. Martha Jiménez, a renowned Camaguey artist, is known for painting and sculpting women. Not wispy women who would be welcome on a fashion-forward runway, but fun, sturdy gals who have found their voices. We visited her studio, enjoyed seeing her work, and chose a picture of a chubby threesome to take home.

4. A visit to Larios Gallery gave us my other favorite activity of the day: a peppy musical performance by students of Jose White Conservatory. Two cellos, two bases, and eight violins were played skillfully by a group of musicians who looked like they ranged in age from their 20s to their 60s. They had us spellbound with the first note.

5. A very common form of transportation is the cycle rickshaw. Some are pedal power and others are electric. After piling into them two by two we toured the highlights of Old Camaguey and enjoyed the charming atmosphere created by the impressive squares and twisting, turning streets.

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... Seriously ? …

The symbol of the city is a clay pot or tinajón. Seriously.
They are everywhere, some as small as a hand, some large enough for two people to stand in.
Most are decorative, but others serve the practical purpose of collecting rainwater and keeping it fresh.

Camagüey, known for its intricate street layout, was reputedly designed this way
to confuse and deter pirates and invaders.

Cuba is shaped like an alligator swimming east.

… Famous Cubans …

Gloria Estefan, Jose Canseco, Desi Arnaz, Marco Rubio, The Office’s Oscar Nunez,
Eva Mendes, Andy Garcia, and Pitbull (a rapper George, a rapper) are Cuban.

Jeff Bezos, Ted Cruz, and Cameron Diez have Cuban fathers.