Highlights of Cuba

Vinales valley

 Not going to bore you with blog after blog of this great trip to Cuba. Just to share a few highlights.
We did a day trip to Vinales - strange rounded hills, boats through caves and passing great sights on the road of hitchhiking Cubans desperate for lifts, revolutionary signs and boards extolling the virtues of reading and working. Surprisingly good lunches provided despite all the talk of Cuba being a no-go area for good food and always music and cars to see!

Lunch with Chris and Peter

 

The Prehistoric paintings by Gonzales

 The Louis Cristal cruise around the isalnd , taking in a one day stop at Montego Bay , Jamaica for lack of a suitable Cuban port and the taking on of the odd American or two. The passenger numbers were low meaning a lot of willing , if slightly under-trained staff always happy to serve.

Entertainment on board was generally good with some great acrobats

Our favourite bar area

Our trip to Biran was a eye-opener. We visited Castro`s family farm, now a museum, and were amazed at the obviously wealth of the family. His father had a private railway to take them around the farm but shared Fidel Castro`s views and provided a school for farm labourers kids. When the revolution came the Castro farm was the first to be asset stripped as it was too big for new regulations and 90% of it was given away. This caused a rift with Castro`s mum ad one of his sisters moved to the USA and never spoke to the family again!

The Castro Farm

When Castro`s father died he left no key for the safe. Thought to contain  money it was blown open to reveal - nothing!

Home town of Fidel and Raoul Castro the current leader. A new leader has been selected already- not a Castro as the children have shown little interest in politics. Raoul was elected not because of some hereditary link but as another leading figure of the revolution.

The revolution is shown everywhere. People I spoke to were still committed to its ideals and keen that the country did not change so much that it lost sight of the revolutions core values. Despite their lack of luxuries and affluent lifestyles they were proud of their country and its commitments to equality with the usual distrust of politicians but reality that the best paid get only around twice as much as the lowest paid - low as those wages are!

Ashamed to say I`d not realised quite how adored Che was here. Loads of monuments / images of him everywhere and granted Cuban citizenship by birth when his body was flown back to Cuba eventually after his assassination by the CIA in Bolivia.

Museum of the Revolution in Havana - in Batista`s old palace. Needs a radical overhaul but interesting in its simplicity.

Scorn for western leaders in the museum

Revolution Square in Havana with buildings adorned with images of Che and Fidel

Doorway in Havana.

Sugar Valley near Trinidad where over a hundrd sugar mills ahve closed down

Trinidad - breathtaking

Visited the famous Trova club and had musicians perform just for us

Visited the Canchanchara too and sampled it`s unique drink - and were entertained again with us joining in this time.

The best things about Cuba - just watching everyday life. Cubans are so chilled and friendly. The welcome is amazing and very little scamming goes on - far less than I`ve experienced elsewhere.

In the heat of Holguin I found a set of steps by the church and watched the world go by.

A bread seller risks the traffic

More cars!

Loved the headlight detail on this old Plymouth - my favourite!

Local bus service

Mos bizarre thing? Our water show in a rooftop Havana hotel swimming pool in full costume!

Montego Bay was lovely, hot but costly and gave a sense of unease unlike anything we encountered in Cuba.

Hassles were rare but this informative, but unrequested guide proved difficult to "lose" in Cienfuegos until we sacrificed an ill Peter to be escorted back to the ship whilst we did a runner!

Musician with an ever so slightly out of tune violin

Free cocktails at the Blue Palace as compensation after one of our guides had let us down

Lovely meal here at one of the best paladars in Havana - restaurants that started in a locals house. This one seats over 100!

Living in a crumbling palace

Biggest regret - that the Capitolia building was under refurbishment for the iconic photos.

If you are thinking of going to Cuba go soon. Things are changing. Raoul Castro is even trying to take the American cars off the road because of the undoubted pollution they bring. One of our guides said there might be another revolution if he tries! Soon the tourist led CUC will go and all will use the Cuban peso - with the locals worried about what this might mean for prices. Currently they are paid in Cuban pesos (24 in a CUC) and buy their food rations with this but have to convert to cucs to buy luxuries and extras - such as exist in Cuba at the same prices as the tourists. Cheap to us but so expensive for them! Definitely one of my favourite holidays ever and I`d go back anytime!