USA & Cuba 2009 - Cuba

15 Days in Cuba


Havana, Baracoa, Santiago de Cuba, Camagüey, Trinidad and Santa Clara

Thanks to Cuban Adventures for a wonderful time. See www.cubagrouptour.com for details. I would highly recommend them if you are looking for a company to show you the real Cuba. (And thanks to them for some of the text here in my site!)

Special thanks to Natalia our tour guide, and all of the wonderful people I travelled with. Special thanks and loads of love to my "roomy" Patmarie... it was an honour sharing this time with you.
 

Havana

One of the oldest cities in the Western Hemisphere, Havana was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982.

Only in Havana do you find vintage American cars running off Russian Lada engines, ration shops juxtaposed against gleaming colonial palaces, and revolutionary slogans on every flat surface.

Hemingway’s favourite eating-place in Havana, El Floridita, is located on the edge of Central Park. This is where he spent much time sipping on daiquiris – and some people believe that this drink is his invention. (So of course, I just HAD to try one there!)

Havana

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Baracoa

We flew from Havana to Baracoa... and stepped back in time about 50 years to a quiet, cobble-street village.

Baracoa was the very first capital of Cuba, founded by Diego Velazquez in 1511.

Located in the north-eastern tip of Cuba, the town had no means of transportation until 1960, when the first road, Carretera de La Farola, was built. To this day, it is still the only road to Baracoa and is considered one of the best engineering works in Cuba. In the bars, local musicians still sing the nostalgic song “A Baracoa me voy, aunque no halla carretera” – I’m going to Baracoa, although there is no highway. (See http://www.imeem.com/people/AzWie1/music/zKm9rcO4/rey-cabrera-a-baracoa-me-voy/)

Baracoa is a place where rivers flow gently to white-sand beaches and waterfalls crash through lush nature reserves.

It is where Christopher Columbus first stepped foot in Cuba. He fell in love with its untouched beauty and described it as “The most beautiful place in the world.”

Sadly, once it was realised that Santiago de Cuba would be a better place to locate the capital, Baracoa became forgotten.

Baracoa

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Santiago de Cuba

A spectacular drive through the lush mountains of eastern Cuba, along the coast, then past the region’s most controversial leasehold of Guantanamo Bay, brought us to Cuba’s second largest city, Santiago de Cuba.

The city has a strong Afro-Cuban history. It is known as the “cradle of the Revolution” and is the sight of many Revolutionary events such as the historic July 26, 1953 attack on the Moncada barracks and Fidel's victorious march into the Plaza de la Revolucion on January 1, 1959.

Santiago de Cuba is home to a strong music scene, and has its own form of salsa called "Son".


Santaigo

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Camagüey

About 18km from Santiago we stopped at El Sanctuario de Nuestra Señora de la Caridad del Cobre to see theblack virgin del Cobre. She was proclaimed the protectress of Cuba in 1916 and was blessed by the Pope in 1998. She is dressed in yellow and wears a crown encrusted with diamonds, emeralds and rubies.Ernest Hemingway - whose fisherman in The Old Man and the Sea made a promise to visit the shrine if he could only land his marlin - donated his Nobel Prize for Literature to the shrine.

We then continued on to Camagüey, Cuba's third largest city. It lies about half way between Santiago de Cuba and Havana.

Camaguey was designed in the 17th century to disorientate potential invaders such as pirates and plunderers, so the street layout is a jumble of narrow alleys where no two streets are parallel. There are large parks, various private art galleries, and a thriving market garden. This is also a university town and has a rich cultural tradition.

Camagüey

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Trinidad

The beautiful colonial city of Trinidad is home to numerous churches and many beautiful colonial buildings. It is a delightful combination of lovely, cobblestone streets, pastel coloured houses with elaborate wrought-iron grills, as well as majestic palaces and plazas.

Nearby are the lovely Valle de los Ingenios (Valley of Sugarmills) and Playa Ancón which consists of long stretches of unspoiled, white sand beaches.

The music in Trinidad is probably the most accessible and intense in all of Cuba, with many music dance performances every day of the week, all amongst the enchanting setting of old colonial buildings and the cobblestone streets.

Cuba - what a beautiful country! Only a few words are needed to sum up my experience there: gorgeous scenery, gorgeous people, gorgeous seafood and music, music, music, music, music everywhere, and lots of dancing. Oh, and did I mention music!

Guest Book

6/24/2009 7:39:17 PM - 002075455368
You didn't mention me!!! I was Brilliant!!!! Andy xxxxx

Trinidad

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Santa Clara - Memorial to Che Guevara

On the way from Trinidad to Havana, we stopped in Santa Clara which is home to a mausoleum which houses the remains of Che Guevara and sixteen of his fellow combatants killed in 1967 during the Bolivia campaign.

There is also a museum containing artifacts and photos from the various campaigns and battles fought by Che.

A dedicated revolutionary, and Fidel’s right hand man, Che was responsible for winning some of the most decisive battles of the Revolution, many of which occurred in this province. It is no wonder then that when his bones were recovered from the jungles of Bolivia where he was killed, a memorial was built here in Santa Clara to house his remains and those of the people who died with him.

An eternal flame burns in the sanctum and over it all stands this giant statue of Che, poised in readiness for battle.

Che Memorial

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Our Last Night in Havana

Thank you SO much to everyone for a fabulous holiday.

Cuba Farewell Dinner

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Andy L

Sorry...  I forgot to mention how brilliant Andy L was (or maybe still is??) xxx

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1/29/2012 7:54:16 PM