Return to Havana

We left Trinidad  and drove through the countryside,  lush green countryside with mountains which is the main area of sugar cane cultivation.we stopped at an old hacienda where there was a tower to survey the surrounding countryside. I climbed to the top to see the views. However we had to run the gauntlet of the stalls, but they were selling beautiful embroidery,  some with coloured embroidery and some with drawn threadwork and whitework, called margarita stitch. I stopped to talk but don't really need more. One person suggested I give away some clothes to make room. I said I had already done that!
Our main stop today was the Che Guevara mausoleum, where we saw the tombs of the revolutionaries and the flame. He is a national hero and the aspiration is for children in school to be like him, following high principles. I remember reading the New Society magazine when I was a grammar school and being inspired by the story. The famous portrait was on the cover. I have resisted making a Che purchase, it seems a bit materialistic and not in keeping with his anti imperialist philosophy. On the  coach we have watched a documentary about his life,  we have also seen one about the special period when the Russians withdrew and the Americans blockaded Cuba and the story of how they returned to being a rural economy producing their own food in an environmentally friendly way. I would have liked to have seen more of this. They also reduced drastically their dependence on oil. This is certainly a nation that has coped with adversity.
We stopped for lunch at Santa Clara in a hotel and I managed to get a quick look around the town square  with its theatre and grand buildings. I also managed to check in for my flight and got a bit excited about an upgrade, only to find it was only available on the second leg from Schipol, not much to gain there!
We had one stop in the afternoon in a cafe that had some amusing sayings displayed. Andy gave us a rose and chocolate, because yesterday was World women's day. I said no one had given me roses and chocolates since Albert died.
Then we had some  music and had to learn the words of Guanatamera, we have heard this throughout Mexico and Cuba, but apparently it is significant for Cubans  and was made famous by Pete Seeger- didn't know that!
We are now arriving back in Havana to visit Revolution Square and the National  hotel, then a group meal. Looks like I have to give thanks to our driver in Spanish. This time tomorrow I should be awaiting take off.
We went out to eat again as Andy had not been around yesterday evening. We arrived st the restaurant and had to wait outside. Any tried to sort out the reservation but we ended up sitting on separate tables. I had been volunteered yo give a vote of thanks in Spanish to Jorge  our driver. Some went on to a show afterwards. I went around the local streets in search of a hot chocolate but failed completely. Similarly I failed to find tea at the airport on Saturday.
On Saturday I visited the Museum of two capes, which focussed on Cuban European history. It is a beautiful modern museum using a lot of technology.  I then had coffee and waited for Allison, we finished our holiday with a vintage card ride in a 1949 Chevrolet.
Then it was off to the airport for the long trip home.

On to Trinidad our last stop.

This wasn't a very long journey, and we stopped at a lovely rural restaurant en route. It as quute a hot day so the group opted to leave the walk until later in the afternoon. That was ok but it meant the museums were closed by the time we had done that. I went out and found the bank and had a walk around the newer part near to our house. I also called at the tourist office  and discovered one of the optional tours offered was not available as it was too distant. Will have to feed that back. This time I am in the house with the Australian woman, Mary. There doesn't seem to be anyone living here which is strange and the lady in charge is the daughter in law of the owner who lives along the  road. At least there is a drinks fridge on the ground floor where you can buy water and juices. My room is quite small and there's not much space around the two beds.  This time the decor is green.  The bathroom is the same. It overlooks the street but it wasn't too noisy last night. It's just a little side street with houses and a pizza place on the corner.  Later I saw a group of young people sitting on the corner of the street. I was asked for shampoo so I returned to get one of my bags of goodies. She seemed very pleased.
The house also has a roof terrace and you can see the sea in the distance,  it's a bit far to walk, but the coach will take us tomorrow.
We met at 4pm and walked to the historical centre. I'm a bit shocked at the amount of handholding some people need. They seem unable to read a map and terrified of getting lost. Later in the evening Alison and I both got a bit confused and walked around the block sorting out road names and being helped by a local.  We eventually thought we were ok and parted company at the pizza place on the corner only to find it was the wrong one. So I had to head further down the street with the little card in my hand checking the addresses. I had confused the house number with the previous night's accommodation.
Our historical walk took us to the old centre where we saw the Spanish houses, the museums and galleries  and the churches.  There are a lot of restaurants and music venues. Apparently Trinidad was vacated when Cienfuegos was developed, and later preserved under UNESCO protection as a historical monument.
Alison and I wandered through the market where I picked up some embroidery and later, after an internet visit to the square, I visited the bookshop and picked up some poetry and history books then found a bar where I had tea and a biscuit and Alison had a cocktail before returning back home. I finished the day with a fruit juice and Pringles on the terrace and an early night.
Contrary to my expectations there was no noise last night, until this morning when the calls of various delivery people could be heard through the shutters, and the trotting of the horses and carts. I discovered my shower head had no fixing, so it was an army style shower but at least the water was hot. Our host provided a lovely breakfast on the terrace and chatted away.  It would have been pretty hopeless without Spanish. I left at about 9am and visited the square, then the museum, which provided some history and displayed scenes of a period house. Next I went to the archaeological museum where I got further background information.  It amazes me that we all went through similar early development, but that the process of being conquered completely alters and depresses what comes later. In this museum, I spent a while talking to a local embroiderer. They do a style of whitework and drawn threadwork here. I shared my work and the lady was most interested.  I had a coffee stop although the cappuccino on the outside menu was not available,  perhaps to tempt you inside!
Opposite was a lovely little shop, so I tried on a couple of crocheted items and bought both. This precipitated another trip to the bank. When I arrived there was a huge queue by the door. So I asked if the ATMs were working  and was told, yes. However the first one cancelled my transaction and the sign by the machine indicated there might be a technical fault with the banking system. I was just going through alternative options in my mind when someone used the neighbouring machine successfully. So I followed suit and eureka, I now have cash.
Then I retraced my steps to the historic centre and on to explore the less touristy areas in the barrios, which was very interesting with great views.  Here I gave away all my excess goods from my rucksack, making for some happy faces amongst the mothers and children.  So many things are not available here, money is in short supply and choice is just not available. I wound my way back to the centre, although many streets were not on the map. I have found an ice cream parlour for lunch and have had a great cappuccino, yoghurt and biscuit and fruit juice for under £3. I am now experiencing the Cuban lack of respect for your personal space. There has clearly been a delivery and as my chair is  in the middle of the shortest route from the delivery to the store cupboard, the delivery is past my chair, very closely! And the lady who mopped the floor has just emptied the bucket immediately behind my chair too. I would not complain, but if I did, I think they would fail to understand my perspective. All very amusing if you take the flexible view.
I now have a couple of hours before we go to the beach. By that time, I can accept being with the group again, I think! Then we have a final meal. I had thought about a ride in the carriages but the tour company is against animal exploitation and I don't think the horses look in good  condition.
Managed to fit in a back massage for 9 CUC, about £7 which was finished off with some kind of vibrator whivh made my feet tickle. ! Then we all went to Ancon beach. Alison and I found a sunbed under an umbrella and I went in search of an ice cream. The beach bar had none but sent me towards the hotel. This turned out to be Butlins, Cuba or something called Club Amigo. It was apparent that it had all kinds of activities, several restaurants and was full of sun seekers of all ages. The building looked to be from the Russian era, concrete, utilitarian but now painted yellow and blue. However I got good ice cream, and used their facilities and returned to the beach for a swim and some relaxation.
In the evening we had a group meal at a seafood restaurant but with a new guide as ours had to return home for family reasons. He was great fun and had everyone in stitches on the way back as he taught us how to do Cuban dances on the coach, highly illegal I am sure.
This morning we had another lovely breakfast and our host gave us a little gift and there were lots of farewell hugs. The people here are very friendly. While we were awaiting the bus I asked a couple of chaps about the bird they had hung up on the post in a cage. The others wanted to know and so I asked. It was just taking in the sun.
I walked along to the street market and chatted to some chaps painting and selling. They were all quite cheeky and I had various offers of having my house painted or a Chico to take me to the beach! He asked me to take a photo. I said I'm off to Havana and UK tomorrow. Am not sure what would have happened if I had stayed a further night!

Cienfuengos

Photos to be added later. We left Vinales at  7am and even had breakfast,  something we were not expecting. We drove back through the countryside and through Havana to head towards Cienfuegos and the Bay of Pigs. We passed horses and carts, children on their way to school,  men driving oxen in the field. We passed sugar plantations, hence the abundance of cheap rum.
Our guide has got the measure of us and is now making more stops.  At our first stop I decided a coffee was in order and learnt more about the queuing system. Having found who was Ultima, the last in line, I was let in in front of him, as he obviously realised I was short of time, or he was being polite. There was no cafe con leche, so I had a cafe solo, which was very small, but knew I was fine to go to the loo while waiting, and yes, when I returned I was presented with my coffee.  At our second stop I couldn't be bothered with trying again so decided to stick with water,  but did have a look at the books and got a bit of advice  about titles and authors from Andy. I also had a chat about petrol prices with Jorge our driver.  It is between 90 and 150 per litre, expensive for here but similar to UK if my calculations are correct. At this stop I saw the old cars used as taxis and realise this would be a very relaxed way to see the island.
Our guide has been telling us about the island, it's dangerous creatures ( the crocodile, mosquito and Americans!), and the birdlife and the areas that are protected. The Bay of Pigs where we are about to visit is part of the National park. We have just stopped for lunch at a very pleasant  restaurant which catered very well for groups. We had a very tasty toasted sandwich, filled with just about everything,  with fruit juice and a great cappuccino, for under 10 CUC, so about £6.
About 30  minutes further on we stopped at the Playa Giron on the Bay of Pigs for about an hour, the location of the American invasion in 1961.  It is a beautiful tranquil beach although our visit was accompanied by pop music from the local bar. We swam in the turquoise sea, with a white sandy beach, perfect for swimming. What a welcome break this was on a long day of travelling.

Travelling on we passed through many rural communities and a lot of people using animal transport.  The countryside was quite flat but with many tree and the houses looked well built and maintained although there were some  buildings that looked a bit like camps with allotments.  As we approached Cienfuegos I saw a sign saying Forever Fidel. And more were evident in the town.
Cienfuegos is a more modern town built in a neoclassical style with a grid system. Apparently the French from Lousianna were invited to populate and develop town in the 19th century and investors were exempt from taxes. It has a central square and a Malecon, a pedestrian shopping precinct and a pleasant open feeling. We spent a bit of time in the square.

  There was a book festival on and I went and listened to the children performing whilst the others were queuing for the loo.  I got there first, but it was primitive, with no running water,  just a bucket to flush and a lady to mop the floor in between, so very slow. I looked into the local events, chatted with a couple of local people, one who gave me a card to his gallery. I also watched a bit of the children's concert.

The other told me about his experiences of spending time in Glasgow and trying to understand the English! I told him I had the same problem which he thought was very funny. He recommended a waterfall to visit which is one of our optional activities.
From here we walked through the town, stopping to look at local statues and landmarks,  then our guide took us to an ornate building, now a hotel and restaurant with a terrace overlooking the sea. It was very pleasant at sunset but obviously a tourist trap. Our cocktails had little evidence of alcohol and were expensive and I didn't get my change.
By this time it was too late to go to our casas, so we went straight to the restaurant that Andy had booked. This was not ideal given that we had been travelling since 7am and had sat in the sand and swam in the sea, but we had no choice. The restaurant was fine, but as found elsewhere there is not the choice that is offered! I had a shrimp platter in rum with rice which was pleasant, but when I asked for the fried ice cream, they said the chef who did that had left. They had no hot chocolate on offer. Andy said they just accept the lack of choice and availability.


Finally we arrived at our casa and met our hosts. I am with two other in what appears to be a large house with a roof terrace, where breakfast is served tomorrow.  My room is completely OTT with ornaments, flowers, silk pillows and bedspread, ornate everything, but also has fridge, iron, hairdryer, everything I need and more for one night. Apparently the hotels here are more expensive and the company policy is to support local people and the community.

Tomorrow we have a couple of hours of free time, which will be good as yesterday was pretty full on and a long day.  Our trip on to Trinidad is not far and we will be there two nights.

This morning we had another great breakfast on the terrace. But I think  she forgot the juice. We went off to explore the city, looking at the old colonial buildings, visiting an artisan market and a number of art galleries. We also visited the theatre a late 19th century building with a sloping stage which looked like something from the wild West. It was being renovated which was just as well as there were large holes in the ceiling. When I went to walk in the woman jumped right out in front of me and said to my face, that it was 5 pesos.

We explored the street market before returning to the casa, where I bought a necklace and earrings.
We then collected our belongings, said farewell and headed for the coach, but our instructions were wrong so we ended  up in the wrong place.  But a look round the corner revealed where the coach was. We weren't the last!

Vinales

Photos to be added later. After lunch we left Havana to head to Vinales. We left the city via the seafront and then passed through lush countryside. I missed some of this as I dozed off.
We stopped an route at Soroa to see an orchid garden. Here we had to ask for loos only to discover that those in  the garden were closed and we had to visit a local hotel. Here we bought our internet cards with the hope of some communication. I and others parted from the garden guide who was very loud and slow. The garden was pretty but unremarkable  and the orchid  collection was small. I have seen better in  Costa Rica , but I managed a small sketch of something quite attractive. 

The next part of our journey took us into a mountainous area with beautiful landscapes. We stopped at a viewpoint for a drink with the valley and mountains stretched before us.

 Then in a short time arrived in Vinales, a small town of around 20,000  inhabitants and a grid system of streets, comprising one main commercial street and  two more residential streets running parallel. The town is surrounded by farms, mainly tobacco producing. The main street turned out to be full of bars and restaurants, and a main income is tourism. Many of the houses are turned into casas offering self contained accommodation for tourism, something that has been government funded but also raises taxes. These are simple but well appointed. Ours was in a separate block with three double rooms and a veranda with rocking chairs, and we ate breakfast on the patio of the family home.  Everything was very professionally organised. Our host was called Ria and had a little boy of about four who chatted away about his bike and riding a horse!

On the first evening I went out for a drink in the tapas bar with Alison, good white wine and olives. We had both had enough of being organised in a group  by this time. Alison managed to connect to the internet but not me! We returned home via the patisserie  where I had a small muffin and hot chocolate.  I am generally having two proper meals and a snack per day which is sufficient in this climate and when travelling about.
Monday's programme is a walk and I opted not to join the salsa and Spanish lessons. Have done those! Alison agrees. I am sure our guide wants everyone to participate  but it's my holiday and I will do the things I enjoy. He is a bit controlling,.
Our group of five had a wonderful spread at breakfast. Juice, fruit, pancakes and jelly, eggs, cheese, ham and bread! The eggs were  very tasty and fresh. The following morning we saw a bag hanging on the patio with a chicken in, I expect ready for a future meal.
We met our guide for our walk at 9am and were handed over to Abel, our local guide. In the plaza, where internet was still not available to me, the local dogs and tour groups were gathering. We went on a walk about, around the ,local fields and farms where we saw a lot of horse riding by both locals and tourists,  and visited various stages of the tobacco farming.

In the first barn, we saw the leaves  at various stages of the drying process and  in  the second we saw how a cigar is made. There was an opportunity to try and buy but I did neither.  Albert would have been in his element. All of the work in hand done and the farms appear not to have much mechanisation

We walked through the little settlements and saw many pretty little houses including one with a reed roof and veranda. We stopped at a little cafe where rum based drinks were the main offer with no coffee and drinks without alcohol, the same price! However it was possible to buy a plastic container of roasted coffee beans or even to pick a few marijuana leaves off a bush in the field.

At the end of the walk we returned to the town and Alison and I had a salad lunch, I ordered an Americano in the absence of a cappuccino and paid more for the milk than for the coffee.  Sometimes only black coffee is available.
This afternoon I walked to the end of the town to visit the botanical gardens; it was a small but friendly setup and had been founded by two sisters and is now run as a charity.  There was a short guided tour, an offer of fresh fruit and an opportunity to sit in the cafe which I availed myself of and drank a guanabana juice, a local fruit which tasted a bit like lychee. I didn't find any painting inspiration, so explored the rest of the town, the bookshops, markets and tourist shops.  There was little choice  of items to purchase, Che Guevara  memorabilia and hat's, wooden goods and fridge magnets, all rather uninspiring.  I had another attempt at communications and got my tablet to connect.

When I returned to the casa, I got ready for dinner, where we went  to Finca Paraiso, which had been established in the  crisis, and had increased gaining world heritage status for its organic production and community work.we had splendid fresh food with views of the sunset over the mountains.

Passage to Havanna

I will have to add my photos later as due to the lack of WiFi and not being able to log on with my phone, I cannot upload my photos.

I arrived at the airport by minibus travelling with Julie, our guide Victor and an unknown English companion who failed to acknowledge us or say good morning. The journey to Cancun took about an hour and here I bid farewell to Julie who now has a very long journey back to Australia with several stops. Victor came into the terminal to check in for his return flight to Mexico City and I saw him again later at the gate. I joined the queue for check in which was quite long. I got the first taste of Cuban queuing as had been described to me. There were piles of luggage and in some places an individual later joined by a whole family. I couldn't  believe the piles of luggage, they looked like someone was moving house but I had heard that the Cubans take a lot back with them as it is not available there.  Finally I got through check in, then got held up at security as I hadn't quite finished my water.  She kindly asked me to finish it before allowing me through.
I passed a couple of hours having coffee, changing my pesos for euros, which I will then change again in Cuba, and making the most of the final internet access to update a few things. In Cuba we have to use the tourist currency and although I was advised to get local currency, I gather it is not really legal as it is for the locals. Many things in Cuba are controlled.

We had an interesting customs form on the plane which said we had to sing and hand it in to immigration. I knew Cuba was musical, but that seemed a bit extreme. I think it meant sign, but as always I can't see how official forms get published with such errors on them. But it makes for a chuckle whilst travelling.
It was a short flight, about 40 minutes and my Australian neighbour on the aircraft was interesting and took a Kids and Kayaks card. She was a writer in the fashion business who appeared to travel the world.
Entry into Cuba was a bit slow, with a dubious queuing system for the immigration, and a long wait for cases. The lady who met me was charming but took me to another queue to change my money.  Eventually I was in the taxi, on my way to the hotel  or hostel as I discovered later. We went along new roads and past a mixture of 60s style concrete buildings from the Russian era and smaller buildings, plus some modem supermarkets. We arrived in old Havana where we saw older colonial buildings along the seafront. We pulled up in a side street and went up to the first floor,  where I was given a warm welcome. There was a corridor with a few rooms and mine was at the end. It is perfectly comfortable and well appointed and even has a fridge, hair dryer and complementary drinks. I later found that some members of the group are staying in different places. These are termed hostels or guest houses and are very simple and homely. I also was later to discover the complexities of email and internet access here.

I settled in and went to reception where I was recommended a restaurant and a table booked for me by the hostel owner. I later found this had been done for everyone. I had fish with rice and corn and a pineapple drink then went to the Museo de Bellas Artes, where I did a quick trot around the Cuban section. There was an interesting array of avant garde, religious and some very dark scenes. From here I headed to the square where I almost got wifi,  then went round the block and almost got Wi-Fi again. It was interesting seeing the buildings the old cars and also a sign saying 'cigars welcome.  I later bought two internet cards for a couple of dollars an hour. Only to find that whatever I did, I couldnt get my phone to logon, although my tablet will. So I am know rewriting everything in my tablet blog app and will collect e mailed photos from a companion or take one or two on my tablet.

I returned in time for our meeting with Andy ( actually Rogier), our tour guide who tells us he wants to be our friend not our guide. There is a group of 12 including the four of us from the Mexico tour. I went out with Alison from the previous tour for a walk around and a drink. We went to the historical area and saw lots of groups playing and some Cuban dancing then had some refreshments in a little cafe.

I slept early but woke later when someone put on the corridor light,  then heard air conditioning units, voices and what sounded like someone dying of consumption. It turned out to be the Canadian couple who have arrived with colds, and later one went to hospital for an x-ray  and has bronchitis.  It's amazing how selfish some people can be. I am keeping my  distance and using my nasal spray when we are in the coach.
We had a good family style breakfast all freshly cooked then went off for a long walk. We could have done with a coffee break, but he's a bit of a non stop guide giving us 10 minutes here and there to take photos and not stopping til we had lunch in the cathedral square. We walked along the Malecon, visited the Plaza des Armas, where I identified the museum of Cuban European relations as a possible for my final day. Also Alison and I plan a drive in an old car ending up in the Hemingway bar. We walked along the street of the shopkeepers admiring lovely colonial buildings, saw the hotel Los Ambos Mundos, where Hemingway lived and visited the Camera obscura for views of the city. 

Our guide is highly organised,  a bit full on and talks a lot, but I am sure we can modify him to meet our needs!

Playa del Carmen

Our first whole day in Playa del Carmen involved a trip out to Tulum, another Mayan site. As we headed out there We heard about all the big resorts that have been built, the workers villages and the distorting effect on their lives and the balance of community.  Also, much of the money that is earned does not go to the community, but out of the country because of foreign investment. In the past, because access was difficult, transportation costs were high, but despite transportation improvements, there is still price fixing, probably because of the perceived wealth in the resorts. Here people come to spend time, not really in Mexico but in an enclave. Not my scene at all. We paid 100 pesos for a grotty coffee, about £4.

The ruins were interesting but full of tourists, who looked like they were just taking a day off sunbathing, mostly ill clad for walking and posing ridiculously for their photos,  after all the other stunning things we have scene, this was not the best, although the cliff top site was quite spectacular.

This was followed by a visit to a cenote, a spring of clear blue water where we could swim, and I did. It was glorious, there were turtles sitting in the rocks around and little fishes brushing past. I had a chill in a hammock before we returned.

We stopped off at Wal-Mart for a bit of shopping and said farewell to our driver. I picked up cinnamon  sticks, chillie and some stationery to take to Cuba. Then we dropped it off at the hotel so we could get lunch, returning to 100% Natural. Then we did a bit more exploring, found some little galleries and went to the bank.

We deliberated over a tour for tomorrow then had a bit of time out. I had my legs defuzzed for about 20$ and later we met up for a drink. The place was heaving, loud music and lots of restaurants are on every street and people encouraging you into their establishment. We went into the shopping mall where a group were singing and found a little tapas bar.

On our way back we saw a taxi driver and enquired about a trip to a cenote. He was very helpful, so we have him booked for tomorrow, much more flexible and cheaper than an organised tour, and we don' want to be organised any more!

Well I received a couple of Whattsapp messages and he arrived at the appointed time and place.  We drove out towards Tulum and turned off down a track where there were signs to various cenotes and other Mayan facilities, however when we arrived the place he had taken us didn't offer what we were looking for. We could only go on an organised tour through tunnels which was quite expensive and couldn't stay after the one hour. He explained that the water was very cold anyway. However we did see some flowering orchids!

 It appears there are hundred of these sites and for this one access had been restricted to protect it, the nearby one was also going to be expensive, so he took us back to one called the Cenote Azul. This turned out to be just right with a number of pools to swim in with an entrance fee of 100 pesos, it had somewhere to change, 5 pesos and a little kiosk selling various refreshments.

We spent several hours there relaxing and got chatting to an English couple from Suffolk. There were quite well travelled and knew Cuba very well so I picked up a few tips. They were also interested in my Nicaraguan project and took my information.  They had managed to get a local bus there, something we had been unable to find out about, which made our fare look pretty expensive,  but we had had a comfortable journey and had no problem about getting back. I was in charge of the valuables, so wore Julie'splastic wallet under my costume. She very unkindly said it looked liked had a colostomy bag, but it did have a blue cord round my neck and better than losing our phones and money.

We returned to the hotel before 4pm and after organising myself for tomorrow's  departure I went for a cup of tea then had a further walk along the beach in the other direction. There were a lot of toasting bodies, some very loud chaps, drinking and playing music on a ghetto blaster and a lot of expensive hotels and apartments that could really have been anywhere in the world. 

I returned to get ready for our final meal. I may have difficulty with all electronic communication next week in Cuba!

Fun meal!