December 16-18
Hello everyone!
Cuba has been a strategically important island for over 500
years, ever since Christopher Columbus landed there in the late fifteenth
century. The southern towns on the island in particular ooze influence from
different European immigrants.
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| The main church in Trinidad |
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| A boat on the Caribbean Sea at Cienfuegos |
The southern shores of Cuba also have some pretty incredible
stretches of coastline and lovely beaches. The one beach that we visited wasn’t
one of these picturesque panoramas, though the water, which contained some
lovely striped fish, was a wonderful temperature to swim in.
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| Lots of little fish swim in the Bay of Pigs |
Our stopping point was in the BahÃa de Cochinos – the Bay of Pigs. This was the site of the
American invasion in April 1961, which was an unmitigated disaster. Nothing went
right for the Americans here: from the aerial attack missing its targets to the
internal rebellion against Castro and co. not materialising, the attack
stumbled from one problem to the next.
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| Over 50 years on, Americans can swim here without fear |
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| Reminders of Cuban nationalism are omnipresent |
It all came to a head when the US troops landed in the Bay
of Pigs at an area called Playa Girón. The Cubans were ready for them, killing
114 soldiers and capturing almost 1200 more. The Kennedy administration’s
refusal to provide air cover or a stronger response rendered them helpless.
These troops were later exchanged for baby food and medicine worth over $50
million. I would have liked to spend more time in such a historically important
area but the flipside of being on a tour is not having complete control of your
destinations.
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Further down the coast, these divers could look for the
wreckage of the two US supply ships which were sunk |
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| Che Guevara was an important part of the Bay of Pigs defensive effort |
The Bay of Pigs was a stop before reaching the two colonial
towns where we spent a few days. The first, after a long drive from Vinales
which had to almost go back to Havana due to the nature of the road network,
was Cienfuegos. This place is a little bit different as, unlike most of the
country, it has a strong French influence.
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| The main boulevard in Cienfuegos - also a Wi-Fi hotspot |
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| A smaller version of the Arc de Triomphe |
The buildings have more of a French architectural feel to
them, though like most Cuban towns with a Spanish influence it still has a main
square and a boulevard (malecon) on the seafront. In 1819, a Frenchman invited
40 families from his homeland and the United States to increase the white
population on the island. It was later named Cienfuegos after a popular Cuban
governor.
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| The town was originally named Fernandina de Jagua |
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| Like Havana, Cienfuegos has a malecon stretching along the water |
We didn’t really spend enough time in Cienfuegos to explore
the different Gallic vibe, though the town itself was pretty. It was the place
where I spent my birthday, and our group leader had organised a home-made cake
to be brought out at our restaurant. Knowing how hard it can be for locals to
get ingredients, it was a lovely touch and a surprisingly good cake – one thing
I haven’t really seen here is chocolate so to have a decent chocolate cake was
appreciated a lot!
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| These cars look like they belong in the 1950s! |
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| I did share! |
Cienfuegos was the home to an idolised Cuban musician called
Benny Moré, and from Cienfuegos we headed east to one of Cuban music’s
spiritual homes: Trinidad. While the former had French influence, the latter is
almost a living museum to Spanish design.
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More's group was called Banda Gigante - you don't
need a Spanish degree to translate that |
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| A moody sky over a deserted Trinidadian street |
During the day, the cobblestones are pounded by the
surprisingly large number of tourists taking pictures of the photogenic and
colourful casas, churches and museums. In an interesting juxtaposition, the
throng of tourists with their fancy cameras and phones occasionally has to
disperse to allow a horse and cart or a pack of wandering dogs clear passage.
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| The town itself has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1988 |
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| The steps next to the main square are a popular meeting point |
This town is over 500 years old and is the third oldest
settlement on the island. None of the buildings are from that long ago, with
the fortunes of the area changing when sugar mills were established in the
nineteenth century. At one point the Trinidad region produced a significant
amount of the world’s sugar – the fancy buildings were what they spent their
money on.
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| The Church of the Holy Trinity |
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| Outside of the historic centre, the Trinidad region is lush and green |
These mills are quite a way east of Trinidad – I had
considered hiking to them but there wasn’t enough time and transport to
anywhere from Trinidad was prohibitively expensive without travelling in a
large group. Instead I spent my full day in this area hiking to the west,
specifically through Parque El Cubano. I went with some friends in a 'Yank Tank' - to open my window, the driver stopped the car, opened my door and used a spanner to wind a bolt within it. Brilliant.
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| Some walking assistance has been added... |
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| ...though it's not the easiest walk you'll find |
The park has a rocky trail which leads you past beehives and
through palm fronds to the Javia waterfall. The fresh water has a deep pool,
into which fearless (some would say crazy) people jump into from a height of about
8 metres. The video below shows a Cuban, who was in his sixties, taking the
plunge after deliberating for an eternity.
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| The water was...well, let's say 'fresh' |
The water also goes into a cave. We swam into this cave, the
water seemingly glowing green, and then heard fluttering noises in the top of
the cave. We looked up…and had found the Bat Cave! Maybe. There were many of
them zipping around the roof of the cave, though no sign of the man himself.
After seeing a dead bat in the water, I decided it was time to head back into
the light.
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| The emerald waters near the waterfall |
Back in Trinidad, nightfall brings the musical beast out in
the town. As with most places in Cuba, booming music with reggae beats blares
out of every house and restaurant. I like the music; it just makes you want to
move.
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| This performance is a nightly show at the aforementioned steps |
Dancing isn’t my strength though, so I was happy to watch
locals step and swing their hips to the salsa beat. Much of the town descends
on the steps near the Plaza Mayor to watch bands perform while sipping on
mojitos or large shots of rum. The movement of some of the people was hypnotic.
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The Chachanchara cocktail emanates from Trinidad -
rum, honey, lemon juice and ice |
Cienfuegos and Trinidad have different European influences
but also retain a distinctly Cuban charm to them. Trinidad in particular was a
fun, vibrant town where I could have easily spent more time wandering around
the countryside before enjoying the beats of the music bands.
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| A hog on the spit roast - pork is a very common Cuban food |
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| Sunset over the town of Trinidad |
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| The quiet streets with stories from a bygone era |
Love you all,
Matt
