Cuba – The Colonial Coast

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.

The main church in Trinidad

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.

Lots of little fish swim in the Bay of Pigs

Our stopping point was in the Bahía 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.

Over 50 years on, Americans can swim here without fear

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.

Further down the coast, these divers could look for the
wreckage of the two US supply ships which were sunk

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.

The main boulevard in Cienfuegos - also a Wi-Fi hotspot

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.

The town was originally named Fernandina de Jagua

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!

These cars look like they belong in the 1950s!

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.

More's group was called Banda Gigante - you don't
need a Spanish degree to translate that

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.

The town itself has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1988

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.

The Church of the Holy Trinity

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.

Some walking assistance has been added...

...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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A hog on the spit roast - pork is a very common Cuban food

Sunset over the town of Trinidad

The quiet streets with stories from a bygone era

Love you all,

Matt