Castles in the Snow

Limoux, France
Tuesday 17 April 2012

Snowballs at Montsegur

What great packing snow! Look out! It’s a snowball fight! Atticus and Roman are the snowball making machines, and we are trying to keep pace. Luckily the small boys’ aim is not very accurate and neither is ours, so the wet, melting blobs are missing their mark more times than hitting us. Nevertheless, this is the most fun we have had all day.

We hadn’t counted on snow in mid-April in the south of France. It has been cold and rainy, but not cold enough for snow in Limoux, where we are staying for two weeks. But Limoux is close to the Pyrenees and we have driven up a road that announced “col overt”, to the foot of a single tower of stone with the ruins of Montségur castle perched on top at 1,208 M. Ray and I remembered climbing the steep hill to Montségur castle ten years ago, after a hard day of bicycling the surrounding hills. A climb is not on the agenda today. The paths are covered in snow and we are not prepared. One car parked beside ours disgorged an older couple, dressed for the weather, with sturdy hiking boots and walking sticks, ready for their climb to the top. We can only wish them a good walk and resume our snowball game. It doesn’t matter, we are having fun.

Ray and I arrived at Toulouse Airport the previous Thursday afternoon, collected our rental car and drove 1 ½ hours to Limoux, where we had rented a house the next 9 days. “Les Lauriers”, a four bedroom house owned by a BC Canada couple, proved to be more than adequate. Saturday brought our daughter Erica, her husband, Andrew and their two boys. The previous two days had been cool and rainy but Saturday promised better weather. That turned out to be merely a teaser.

Puivert Castle

Sunday dawned cold and rainy, once again, but we were determined to explore some of the region. Erica found a reference in one of our guide books to an interesting cave that would be good to explore, no matter what the weather. We drove off, up the scenic roads to the foothills of the Pyrenees, stopping at a turnout to enjoy the view, now partially shrouded in rain clouds. We came to the turnoff for Puivert Castle, one of the series of Cathar strongholds in the 12th and 13^th C. The Cathars were considered to be heretics and a threat to the church in Rome. Their fate was to be eliminated in siege after siege in the 13^th C. All that remains are the ruins of numerous castles, perched on the highest hills in the region. We decided a visit to Puivert was the perfect driving break. We turned off onto a rock filled road snaking up the hill to an ominously empty parking lot. A sign pointed the way to a rough path, used by horse, heading towards the base of Puivert Castle. All that was at the entrance was a red motorcycle and a sign “beware of dogs”.  Two large Husky dogs announced our arrival. We made sure the two boys didn’t decide to find out if the dogs were friendly. A sign on a closed entrance booth told us the castle was not open for viewing 1 May.

 We had no option but to return to the car and head downhill, searching for what turned out to be a non-existent sign to the promised cave exploration.  I spied signs pointing the way to Montségur, not too far away. Away we went, following more scenic roads through the foothills of the Pyrenees to the wintery wonderland surrounding Monségur.

 It started to rain again soon after leaving Monségur. We had entertained thoughts of stopping in Mirepoix, reputed to be one of most beautiful towns in France, for hot chocolate, but no one relished the idea of racing from a warm car through cold rain to a café. Instead, we kept going and didn’t stop until we returned to the house, where hot chocolate was brewed in short order. Our wet gloves and shoes were laid by heaters to dry and we laid plans for our next adventure.

Mellow Matanzas, Beach time in Varadero

Varadero, Cuba

Sunday 19 February 2012

We are getting lazy at the end of our trip. Yes, the tourist buses, Viazul and Transtur, are comfortable but a taxi is more convenient. You don’t have to take a taxi to and from the bus station, which is almost always beyond walking distance and you can specify the time you leave. It is often only a few dollars more to take a taxi and that is what we have been doing the last few times. The taxi driver who offered his services to take us to our Casa Particular in Ciego de Avila also offered to drive us to Santa Clara for $15 CUC each. We accepted and had a comfortable ride straight to our chosen Casa. We haven’t taken the bus since. Matanzas isn’t on the direct Viazul bus line. The choice was taking a bus to Varadero and making a connection on another bus to Matanzas. We choice the taxi again and cut 1-2 hours off the trip.

Matanzas bridge

Matanzas is a relatively small town with fewer sights on the ‘must see’ list. The city curves around Matanzas Bay and is split by two rivers. Matanzas is called ‘The city of Bridges’ because of the 21 bridges over the rivers. There are a few lovely Colonial buildings around the central Parque Libertad. It didn’t take long for us to find them all, walking from our very good Casa Particular in the block next to the park. Our room in Hostal Alma on the second floor of an old Colonial house had comfortable patio furniture in which to rest after our walks and was thankfully sheltered from the traffic noise that echoed between the buildings on either side of the narrow street. We ate breakfast at Casa Alma and our dinners next door at Hostal Azul, run by the son and family of Hostal Alma. We totally agree with the recommendation given by Lonely Planet for the dinners prepared by a genial woman trained as a chef in Varadero. In fact, our dinners prepared at the various Casa Particulars we chose in Cuba were better than the meals we ate at any of the resorts.

After missing out on snorkelling trips in both Playa Santa Lucia and Villa Don Lino, we tried again. We booked a taxi to take us to Playa Coral, on the coast half way between Matanzas and Varadero. This is the best spot for snorkelling from Varadero as well and wave after wave of tour bus arrived bringing tourists for a snorkel excursion. We were rather concerned at the number of people in the water, but we didn’t need to be. We hired a guide to lead the two of us through the corals that begin right at the shoreline and avoided the areas where the large groups were swimming behind their leader in a long curved line. The corals were grey and uninteresting but the water was clear and the fish were there in profusion. The guide made sure we saw lots of fish by feeding them small bits of banana from a plastic water bottle. The fish loved it and so did we. Once the tour groups had finished their ½ hour in the water, they were on their way again and we had the beach almost to ourselves. We had our own masks and snorkels and had the use of flippers for the duration of our stay. All the groups come in the morning before the afternoon winds pick up making the waves over the shallow corals a bit dangerous. We had our second swim on our own before it got too windy and discovered more of the area.

One of the hazards of moving from place to place is leaving belongings behind. We did that twice on this trip and both times we were lucky. I didn’t discover that my favourite travel night gown had been left in the room we vacated when we changed rooms at the Playa Santa Lucia Resort. Inquiries the next morning led to the chamber maid who had found it and locked it in safekeeping waiting for the owner to retrieve it. She was as happy to return it to me as I was to get it back.

The second time was the discovery that our masks and snorkels had been left hanging on an arm of our Palapa sunshade at Playa Coral. We were planning to take the bus from Matanzas to Varadero the next morning but it was time again for a taxi ride. We stopped in to Playa Coral on the way and were met by the beach staff who all knew exactly why we were back so soon. Sure enough they had discovered our masks and snorkels and locked them up for the night. Again, our belongings were returned to us in perfect condition. These incidentsjust confirmed our belief in the honesty of the Cuban people.

Pina Coladas on the beach

Varadero does have the best beach we visited in Cuba. The white sand beach stretches for about 20 km along a thin island connected by a causeway to the mainland on the north coast east of Havana. The waters off Varadero Beach are clear and warm and perfect for swimming. Included in our three day package was a ticket for the Varadero Beach Tour bus which we made use of on Saturday afternoon. We stayed on for the whole two hour circuit which takes you past all the resorts on the peninsula. There are more than 50 resorts from simple ones like ours to super deluxe ones. It is a big development.

We had chosen Sun Beach Hotel in Varadero, a moderate sized resort in Varadero town, mostly because of the price. We had considered two other more expensive options but neither had rooms available for our last weekend in Cuba. The resort suited our purpose. It had a nice, small pool area, which we didn’t use, and a good section of beach across the street from the resort. Our room was fine and most of the food edible, although hardly gourmet. We ate one night in the spearate dining room where you reserve and choose from their Italian menu. The service was good and it was nice to be served but it wasn't much better than the regular buffet selections. All of the three resorts we visited seem to have the same dining room buffet setup and the same menus. At least we have learned which foods to choose and which to avoid, to go easy on the drinks, not to load too much food on our plate and to forgo second helpings. That is the only way we have a hope of returning home without gaining lots of unneeded weight. Lonely Planet said that 25% of the tourists in Cuba in 2009 were from Canada. The percentage is much higher at the resorts. We have met people from all over Canada and have enjoyed talking to them.

Would we come to Cuba again? Yes we would. We preferred the simple Casa Particular accommodation and food over the resorts, but the resorts give the best access to the beaches. For us, the combination of meeting the people, enjoying the culture, hiking in the hills and swimming in the oceans was possible only by making our own way around the island. We are glad we chose the independent route.

On the road to Ciego de Avila

Ciego De Avila, Cuba

Sunday 14 February 2012

Long bus trips can be an opportunity to meet fellow travellers, trade travel stories and get recommendations for towns and Casa Particulars. The 6 hour bus ride from Holguin to Ciego de Avila passed a lot more pleasantly and quickly as we got to know an American man from Colorado and a Canadian woman who has lived in Australia for the past 25 years. Both were doing bicycle trips and of course we are always interested in their experiences bicycling on Cuban roads. The woman was travelling to Santa Clara to join a two week tour run by a Canadian company from Prince Edward Island.

The American was ending a month of solo travelling by bicycle, with occasional bus trips to bridge the longer gaps. When he admitted that he had bicycled the infamous La Farola (the lighthouse)road, 55 km of steep hills from the Atlantic coast in the south to Baracoa, we knew he was a hard core bicyclist. He said the hardest part was that the uphill is in two stages and the 10 km of relative flatness in the middle made him forget there was still a steep pitch to come. He said he took day trips out of Baracoa with pitches so steep he had to sit far back on the bike to avoid going over the handlebars. As you all know, I like downhills, not climbs, and downhills where braking is required are very disappointing. We even discussed the American

Medical coverage (he doesn’t like the power wielded by Insurance companies) and politics. He thinks Romney will win the Republican nomination. He hopes the fact that many of the far right wing of the Republican Party think Romney is a bit too liberal will give Obama an advantage.

As often happens, the Casa Particular we phoned and reserved was full but we were sent to a friend, who had a nice private apartment opening onto a patio for us. It suited us well for our short one night stay. Saturday night is music and dancing night on the Pedestrian shopping street in Ciego. We walked down to see equipment being set up for later in the evening but decided going to bed early was the better option. We saved more wanderings for the next morning.

The tourist train

Sunday was family day, first shopping on the pedestrian streets and later, visiting the City Park, built at one end of an artificial lake. There were rides for the children, pedal boats to take on the lake and a train to take a scenic tour around the park and into the downtown area. The train was a highlight. Every seat was occupied by families and the line-ups were long to get on at the stops about town.

Cuba has an unusual two tier money system. Government and non-tourist industry workers are paid in Moneda National Pesos (MN). In 1993, Cuba legalized the American Dollar, and later introduced the Convertible Peso (CUC) to take the place of the now banned American Dollar. Roughly equivalent to $1 US or $1 CAD, $1 CUC is equal to 25 MN. Restaurants and Hotels frequented by tourists price everything in CUC. Smaller, less touristy towns deal in MN and hardly ever use the CUC. If you want to buy a bun in a bakery or fruit from a street stand, you have to pay in MN. A meal in an MN restaurant is far less expensive than a tourist restaurant. Workers in tourist establishments are happy to get CUCs for tips and salary. It allows them to use the greater buying power of the CUC and shop in stores with far greater selection than MN stores.

Sometimes an establishment will give you the equivalent price in CUC and sometimes they may not want your business. It gets somewhat confusing. I had a pedicure from a lady in her private home. She quoted me about 10 MN. I didn’t have any MN so I offered $1 CUC. We both got a good deal. Our tourist bus stopped for a short break in a small town, right beside a bakery. Ray almost didn’t get the cookies he had chosen as the clerk didn’t want CUC. She finally relented and accepted his tourist money. The solution would have been to exchange $10 CUC into MN at the bank. We didn’t do that, but after a few transactions, we now have a little change to spend in MN stores.

Last Looks: Baracoa, Santiago, Don Lino

Villa Don Lino, near Guadalavaca, Cuba

Friday 10 February 2012

Did I say we were going to visit the Fort in Baracoa? Well, it didn’t look that interesting so we skipped it and hired a bici-taxi to drive us to the baseball stadium from which we could walk to Playa Blanca. For $4 CUC return our driver suggested he would wait for us to return 2 ½ hours later. We thought that was too long and said we would be back in 1 1/2 hours. I thought that would give us plenty of time but we didn’t realize how far the beach was or how interesting the walk would be. We had barely enough time to get to the beach, take a few photos and hurry back.

We walked about 1 km on the black sand before taking a path to a rickety wooden bridge over the Rio Miel (Honey River) where fishermen were casting nets and dangling lines to catch their supper. At the end of a small village was the only sign pointing to Playa Blanca and a guardhouse where we paid $4 CUC to enter a protected park area. A rutted road led past limestone caves in the low hills, the site of several archaeological digs. From the end of the road a narrow path through the woods led us finally to the beach, a small crescent of yellow sand with a small entrance into the sea guarded by jagged volcanic rocks. Waves were pounding the shore, making even the thought of swimming a life threatening experience. This was a picnic and sun bathing beach, not a place to swim. We followed the village path all the way back to the baseball field instead of walking the beach to find our driver happily waiting for us. For him, earning $4 CUC was a very profitable day and for us, it was worth the price and the pleasant walk.

Bara Rhumba Group

We had been told that the music groups usually took Monday night off. Happily, this turned out to be false. A big banner in front of the town Cultural Center advertised a performance at 8:30 PM by the Bara-Rhumba Folklórica group. We were there in plenty of time to get seats in the front row. We needn’t have bothered being there early. We were the only people in the audience. The group of drummers, percussionists and girl singer did two numbers to their small (us) but appreciative audience and took a break to drum up more customers. About 20 minutes later several more people had come and the performance really started. We were treated to an African inspired dance and song performance by two women and three men, accompanied by the beat of the drums and maracas. The men and women twirled around each other in various dance routines and the men breathed fire, rolled on broken glass and wielded a machete in a faux eye gouging. Shades of Haitian Voo-doo and African rhythms abounded.

There were more people out and about than Sunday night. Recorded music could be heard in one club and a traditional Cuban band play in the Casa de la Trova. It was a great way to say good-bye to a small, but lively town.

We arrived in Santiago de Cuba on the afternoon bus to find that our Casa Particular was full. Jesus assured us that there was another room for us nearby. He arranged for us to stay with the mother of his wife, Marisol, who lived right next door. We were not sure at first that the room shown us was suitable. Grandmother Ursula was making up the bed in what appeared to be the only bedroom in the apartment, right between the living room and kitchen. Not all the Casa Particulars are in large, old Colonial style houses. Some are adaptations of people’s simple homes, as this one was. It was clean and the bed was comfortable. We had dinner prepared by Marisol in her home next door and enjoyed breakfast served by Lily in her kitchen. We never see where Ursula and her daughter Lily slept but suspected there was another bedroom on the roof terrace, reached by stairs from the kitchen.

Santiago has a reputation for a lively musical scene that was just begging to be explored. Ray was still recovering from stomach problems during our previous stay so we had not gone to sample the fun. We were both feeling well this time so out we went to the center of town after dinner. We found a small group making a live performance DVD in the tiny in Libreria la Escalera. Several guitarists, drummers and percussionists were squeezed into the niche at the foot of the rear staircase for which this book store cum souvenir cum music shop is named. They managed to produce some very good music. When they took an extended break, we wandered around the corner to listen to a group playing in the Casa de Son. An extremely small audience, which almost doubled when we arrived, enjoyed their music. A young man in the audience sketched Ray’s portrait while we watched the show. It was quite flattering but not good enough for us to bring it home as a souvenir. There were more clubs about to start their evening entertainment but we had an early rise ahead of us to get the bus to Holguin.

The advantage of an elastic itinerary is that we can change our minds as we go. We did just that. After talking to a Scottish woman who had visited Gibara, on the coast northwest of Holguin, we decided to change our plans. Gibara sounded interesting but too much like Baracoa. The beaches had proved to be difficult to access and were too windy and rocky to chance swimming, just like our experience in Baracoa. We changed our plans, had Jesus cancel our reservation in Gibara and phone his Casa Particular friend in Guadalavaca, the original resort area on a long stretch of beach 54 km northeast of Holguin. Jesus told us his friend’s Casa was across the street from the Police station and 500 M from the beach. We were willing to give it a try.


The only practical way of getting to Guadalavaca, if you are not on a package tour, is to hire a taxi to drive you there. Taxi drivers are always at the bus stop offering their services to tourists wanting to go to the beach and we found a helpful English speaking man, Rafael, to drive us in his friend’s taxi. An hour later we were in Guadalavaca, looking at a forlorn apartment complex in the middle of nowhere, where Jesus’s friend lived. We made an instant decision to try a Casa recommended by Rafael. It was infinitely better but was full. Rafael said he knew of another Casa but it was back in that desolate apartment complex. The quality of Casas was getting worse, not better and it was time for an upgrade.

The big resorts in Guadalavaca were either way too expensive for our budget or not recommended. A “Top Choice” in Lonely Planet was Villa Don Lino, a small complex of 36 cabañas on its own beach west of the big resorts. Rafael phoned for us and was told there was a room available. Off we went, back about 15 km on the road to Holguin, and then another 15 km on a spur road through the village of Rafael Freyre and out to the coast.

The resort is in the midst of expansion, building more units, and has been converted to all-inclusive. The price was better than we had hoped so here we are for the next few days. There is a pool and most of the other amenities of larger resorts but on a smaller, quieter scale. The beach is still suffering from Hurricane Ike in 2008 but Ray and I managed a good swim this morning. We tried out our snorkels and masks and managed to see a few fish and some new growth on small corals near shore. The water was clear and pleasant swimming anyway. It is a good place to just relax and enjoy the sea and sun.

About 1 ½ km away from Don Lino is another beach, Playa Blanca. We took two of the bikes provided at Don Lino and pedalled over to discover an almost deserted white sand beach just waiting for us. The swimming was excellent, just a sandy bottom and no big breakers to contend with. We had our snorkels with us but there were no fish or corals to interest us. It made for a good morning; swimming, reading and watching some locals fish.

Columbus Monument

On our way back to Don Lino we detoured to see a monument commemorating the first landing in Cuba of Christopher Columbus on 28 October 1492. Baracoa also claimed that Columbus landed on their shore as well. They even have a wooden cross that has been carbon dated to the late 1400s. It was originally thought the cross was brought by Columbus from Spain but the wood is native to Cuba, so it must have been made by the Spaniards in Cuba. Columbus was a busy mariner is all the landings attributed to him are true.

Baracoa, Wild and Wonderful

Baracoa, Cuba

Saturday 4 February 2012

Coast alonf the Malecon

Founded in 1511, Baracoa, at the SE tip of Cuba, is the oldest town in Cuba. Isolated on a wild rocky coast with volcanic mountains as a backdrop, it was semi-abandoned in the mid-16th C. The only new inhabitants until the early 19th C, when French planters escaping rebellions in Haiti arrived, were revolutionaries sent as prisoners to Baracoa after each insurrection. Until the 1960s the only access was by sea. In 1964 a 70 km road, called, La Farola, was built by Castro over the steep mountains as a reward for support during the revolution.

We arrived in a tourist bus on Friday from Santiago. We have been delayed on bus rides with flat tires and engine trouble but we have never been delayed before because of an altercation with a goat. It is common to see small herds of goats or cows wander across the road with now herdsman in sight. Drivers are very careful to let them pass unharmed because there is no such thing as a hit and run of an animal in Cuba. The driver could be liable for a heavy fine or even jail. We were on a straight stretch of road about 40 minutes out of Baracoa when a Nanny goat and two kids beetled across the road in front of us. The driver had no chance to avoid them. The Nanny hit the front bumper on the driver’s side. We were sure it was killed but it got up and ran to the woods on the side of the road with the two kids in tow. The driver stopped the bus and got out to discover the only damage was a cracked plastic light cover. He asked nearby locals who owned the goats then turned around and returned to the small town we had just left about 10 minutes before. The driver reported the accident to the police and then had us wait in town while he ferried three officers back to the scene of the accident. Left in town, we passengers fortified ourselves with ice cream cones and cookies from the local bakery. Finally the driver returned and we continued on to Baracoa, arriving about one hour later than expected. The moral is watch out for those unpredictable animals on the road.

At first glance Baracoa has more than the usual complement of unpainted or derelict buildings, but renovations are going on everywhere. The church is undergoing a major overhaul and existing homes are being painted, repaired and expanding. The competition for tourists has all the Casa Particulares are adding terraces and extra rooms. Several are including Paladars, private dining rooms, to their homes. A farmer’s market has been added in a field near the center of town. It is a bustling, growing town.

A long Malecón with a wide promenade borders the sea for almost the whole length of the town. There is no beach, just large sharply pointed volcanic rocks, making swimming dangerous along this stretch. It was very windy the first few days after we arrived so waves crashed against the rocks and cascaded over the sea wall onto sidewalk. Boys were out in force flying their kites. Santiago is not the only town that has caught the kite bug. Hurricane Ike in 2008 caused extensive damage to Baracoa, especially to the houses bordering the Malecón, but most have been rebuilt by the time we visited.

We thought the road to La Belen, out of Camagüey was the worst road in Cuba. We were wrong. The along the coast to Alejandro de Humboldt National Park, 40 Km NW of Baracoa was worse. It took 1 ½ hrs for 8 tourists travelling in a van and 4 more of us in a taxi to slalom around the deep potholes in the road. We were on a day excursion to visit this Unesco status park. Yes, another Unesco site to tick off on our list. Humboldt is 594 sq km of pristine forest and 2641 hectares of lagoon and mangroves with the most diverse plant habitat in entire Caribbean. The vegetation is dense and lush and the high, misty mountains are never dry. It was worth the bumpy ride. The four of us in the taxi parked at the start of a trail while the minivan proceeded ahead. The road was flooded ahead and too difficult for the car to negotiate. We were told to wait for the van to return and bring the rest of us to our actual starting point, but a tractor pulling a cart offered us a lift instead. Little did we know that the water flooding the road we crossed with the tractor was just the last of several times we would have to cross that same stream.

We were headed for the Balcón de Ibería, with spectacular views of the hills around us. Carlo our guide led us on a muddy path up a hill and over a narrow ridge. We even had a few showers during the day to make sure the path remained muddy. Thankfully tropical showers never last very long and we had our rain jackets with us. I just used my rain jacket to cover my camera as the rain wasn’t heavy enough to soak me. Along the route Carlo identified several of the trees and flowers and pointed out Trogons, hummingbirds, Caribbean Parrots, and turkey vultures for us, just some of the extensive bird population in the reserve. Carlo made sure we were walking with care, especially on the sections covered with a red clay mixture of iron and nickel. On the steepest downhill pitch our way was blocked by a German woman who had slipped and badly injured a leg. She was walking with another woman and a guide, who had to leave them on the trail to go ahead and bring back a horse to carry the injured woman out. It made our entire group more cautious than ever but we all made it down without incident.

Fording the stream

At the bottom of our trail we found there was a stream with no bridge crossing it. In the dry season the river can be crossed on stepping stones but it the stones were now well covered with water. We followed the Kiwi tradition of just wading in with our boots on. It worked and it did wash off most of the accumulated mud from the trail. We forded that stream eight times on the way back. My boots are just now, two days later, dry again. We passed a small waterfall that could only be reached by wading upstream, but there was the possibility of a swim in the deeper pools near the falls. All but two young German boys opted to have a break to eat the lunch snack we had brought with us instead of visiting the falls and swimming. A local man had cucurucho for sale, $0.50 CUC each. Ray and I bought one and shared this local delicacy. It is a sugary treat made of coconut, honey and guava, wrapped in a banana leaf cone. There were also fresh coconuts with the top sliced off so we could drink the milk and scoop out the soft pulp. When the boys had finished their swim we continued on. We were offered a ride in an ox cart the rest of the way but after one rough crossing, we all got out and walked until we reached the worst of the flooding. That section we rode in the minivan back to the taxi.

There was one more stop on the way back to Baracoa. Playa Maguana, a nice yellow sand beach was half way back to town. We all decided there was too much surf for safe swimming and stayed at a little beach bar, happily sipping on fresh mango juice laced with rum, a reward for our hike.

Saturday night is time for all the Baracoans to dress in their finest dancing outfits and join the street party in the center of town. Several streets had been turned into a pedestrian way with vendors selling snacks and drinks and music blaring out at several different intersections. We headed to the tables and chairs set outside the Casa de la Trova where a live band entertained the crowd. We stayed for an hour or so watching the festivities before heading back to our Casa. We returned Sunday night for more music as well. A different band played at Casa de la Trova and the crowds were smaller, but it was still fun.

The best museum in town was the Archaeological Museum La Cueva del Paraiso. The museum is located in several small natural caves at the base of the hills backing the town of Baracoa. We followed the road straight up the hill from our Casa to see the collection of artefacts from pre-Columbian Taino culture. The Taino people lived in this area and were there to welcome Christopher Columbus when he landed in this area in 1492. They no longer exist as those that survived brutal repression and slavery succumbed diseases brought by the explorers. We climbed just barely safe stairs and ladders to see skeletons uncovered in small niches in the caves. A young boy guided us to the upper most lookout with the best view of the town and shore. I am not sure we would have attempted the last ladder to the high platform ourselves without the boy going first. The route up would never have passed safety regulations in North America. We bought some of the chocolate bars made from local cocoa beans the boy was selling and had them for our dessert that night. Delicious.

We ended our exploring of the town with a walk to a black sand beach at the southern end of town. The waves were too high for swimming, promising a dangerous undertow, but the walk on the beach was fun. The town baseball stadium, partially damaged in one of the hurricanes, was right beside the beach. A local team, not yet a national contender, was playing a Sunday game. We watched while errors by the opposing team allowed the batters to score three runs.

There is still a small fort to visit and a walk to nearby Playa Blanca to occupy our last day, for tomorrow, Tuesday, we head back to Santiago and the next day travel to Gibara on the coast north of Holguin.

Santiago Wanderings

Santiago de Cuba

Thursday 02 February 2012


Casa Bacardi, now a museum

 You take the good with the bad in Santiago. The good side includes many historical buildings to visit and friendly, helpful people. We walked our feet off discovering more and more places to visit. The bad includes more pollution from motorcycles and black-smoke-belching ancient buses and trucks, too many derelict buildings next to freshly renovated ones, and too many touts, especially in the main tourist areas, offering their taxi, guide services, selling souvenirs or just looking for a handout. We walked the relatively vehicle free back streets to avoid the worst pollution and politely refused all entreaties for services or money, although our smiles got a little strained at times. Our strolls down the quieter residential streets taught us that behind most of even the shabbier houses lived a family ready with a friendly Hola and coping as best they could in a country where the basic necessities we expect are not always available.

The loosening of regulations regarding private enterprise is making a difference. Even the permission to operate a small produce stand has meant an increase in personal income. At least one house on every block has a booth in their doorway offering slices of pizza or ice cream. You can always pick out the Casa Particulars on a street. They are the house with a fresh coat of paint and repairs to the exterior. The right to own their own homes means that instead of waiting for the government to fix their houses, those who can afford to buy their residence can start repairs themselves, and they are doing just that.

One of our walks took us past large plazas crowded with people merely sitting, chatting with neighbours and enjoying the scene. We walked into several of the galleries showcasing local talent and had a personal tour given by the caretaker of the Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asuncíon, which is undergoing a massive five year restoration. We found our way to the Cuartel Moncado, once Military Barracks and the site of a disastrous July 26, 1953 attack by Fidel Castro and his troops attempting to oust the hated Batista. The complex is now a school with a small museum detailing the details of the failed attack and its aftermath.

Food is always on our minds. Lunch is usually a ham sandwich in a small restaurant, as the snack choice is not very large. Dinner is another matter. We usually have at least one dinner at our Casa Particular and the meal is always excellent. We also like to sample the local restaurants and often follow the recommendations of the Lonely Planet. They are usually reliable. We had one very good meal at El Barracón, a restaurant featuring food flavoured by the Afro-culture influence. Another night we arranged to have dinner at another Casa Particular noted for its food. We were not disappointed. Our fish in a tasty tomato and pepper sauce was one of the best we have eaten so far.

Ray at Castillo del Morro

At the entrance to Santiago Harbour stands San Pedro Fort, AKA Castillo de San Pedro de la Roca del Morro, AKA Castillo El Morro. Pirates were continually attacking Santiago when the same architect who built two of the forts at the mouth of Havana harbour was commissioned in 1587 to build another fort to protect Santiago. Money was tight and work didn’t start on the new fort until 17 years after the architect’s death and it took 60 years for the project to finish. By that time the pirate threat had abated and the fortifications never had to withstand serious attacks. Instead, it was used as a notorious military prison from the 1800s until the late 1960s, when restoration of the original building began. Today the large stone structure perched on a 60 M high cliff has Unesco status and houses a museum highlighting its association with the Pirates of the Caribbean and Cuba’s role in the 1898 Spanish-Cuban-American War.

We hired Jesus Jr., from our Casa, to drive us out to the fort, 10 km from the center of Santiago. Did you know that James Hawkins, an English pirate, was marooned on one of the Antilles islands for almost four years after being banished by his captain and was the inspiration for Robinson Crusoe? It was the most interesting fort we have visited so far in Cuba. We spent almost two hours visiting the exhibitions and roaming the many levels of terraces, each with its own view of the seas and the harbour.

On a good note, we found two non-Canadian tourists who needed to extend their visa and were more than happy to buy our stamps from us. They don’t need to line up to get the stamps in the bank and we got our $50 CUC back. All’s well that ends well.

The Kite Runners of Santiago

Santiago de Cuba

Wednesday 1 February 2012

Gossiping with neighbours

This is just like the Kite Runners. There is a young man on the room of the house across the street from us directing his homemade kite to do battle with another kite. There are similar scenes being played out from the roof tops of houses all around our neighbourhood. We were seated at a table on the roof terrace at our Casa Particular in Santiago and had just started our pre-dinner game of Farkle when I noticed all the activity in the sky. Below us women are gossiping on the street, but the young people are flying kites. Our neighbour tangled with a friends kite and both kites tumbled to the street. The reeled in, retrieved their kites and started the game again. Several more kites looked ready to challenge our neighbour but no one else was successful tonight. We will have to wait for the next inning tomorrow.

We left Camagüey a day later than we had expected. Both of us came down with stomach flu. I woke up early our last day at Playa Santa Lucia with a sore stomach. I ate very little for the rest of the day and managed to survive our ride back to our Casa Particular in Camagüey after lunch. Ray started to feel ill about dinner time so we both skipped the evening meal and stayed in. That didn’t work. Ray was violently ill later that evening. I was getting better the next day but Ray was very tired and still not feeling 100%. It must have been something we ate or drank at Playa Santa Lucia but who knows. It seems lots of Cuban resort guests have had problems this year. At least we didn’t have to endure a plane trip back to Canada being violently ill.

We decided a 7-8 hour ride in a bus was not a good idea and rescheduled for the following day. We spent Sunday taking a few more photos around Camagüey and just reading and resting. Ray was well enough Monday to brave the bus, so off we went. It was a long but relatively comfortable ride, arriving in Santiago de Cuba about 8:30 PM. A taxi driver from our chosen Casa was waiting for us in his ancient red jeep and the soup served us by our Host Jesus and his wife Marisol was just what we needed.

Lonely Planet said Canadians get a Visa for up to three months but we were told in Cancun when we flew to Cuba that we only had 30 days and would have to renew in Cuba. Most tourists don’t stay longer than 30 days in Cuba so are never bothered with renewals of Visas. One Canadian couple we met at the beach told us they stay for two months every year, never renew their Visa and have had no problems leaving Cuba. No one could confirm if this was true or not so we decided not to take a chance. According to what was written on the back of our Visa card, we had to renew before The 2nd of February.

Jose, our taxi driver was ready for us at 9 AM the next morning to make the Visa run. The instructions were to buy stamps at a particular Bank for $25 CUC each and bring them to the immigration office. That part was easy. The line up wasn’t even very long. Next, Jose drove us to the immigration office listed in Lonely Planet, in the suburbs of Santiago. That wasn’t the correct office. The helpful clerk wrote out the correct office and located it for us on our map of Santiago. Back we went to the center of town and to an office near the port. We got talking to another couple from Fredericton NB in line to renew their Visas. They were accompanied by a Cuban friend who was helping with any language problems. They took their turn with the immigration officer just before us. They were told they didn’t need to renew at all! We didn’t either! We had both spent $50 CUC for nothing. The stamps are not refundable so we are out money unless we can sell them to a non-Canadian tourist who needs to renew. Welcome to confusing Cuba.

Anyway, we are still taking it easy. I am recovered but Ray needs another day before we tackle anything more challenging.