Three weeks in Cuba - February/March 2006
Las Yagrumas
We spent our first two weeks at Las Yagrumas Hotel on the outskirts of a country town, San Antonio de Los Baños. The hotel, basic but clean with hard mattresses and pillows, is built around a nice big pool that Alan and I enjoyed in the heat of the day. We shared the hotel, first with a rowdy international bicycle-racing group, and then with the even rowdier Cuban baseball team who were there preparing for the upcoming World Baseball Classic. Unfortunately, about a third of them succumbed to the intestinal malady that struck most of our tour group along with some of the hotel staff. We hope it doesn't affect their chances!
We braved a cold Valentine's night to hear Brisas del Palmar, by far the best entertainment we had. Rosell Lamoru, the lead vocal,even dedicated a song just to Mom.
Every night there was entertainment of some sort: little ballerinas and other local dance groups, opera students, children's bands - all of them using microphones turned way loud. Only once were we reduced to playing bingo. (Carol, does this mean we have to put Mom in a home now?)
Even though the hotel was far from Havana, Mom's friends Mercedes and Jesus and Aline with their families managed to get out for a visit.
We all had a trip down the beautiful Ariguanabo River in a tin-tub boat that had to stop occasionally to clear its propeller of weeds. These were introduced by the Russians to feed an introduced fish; the fish didn't thrive, but the weeds are doing just fine. On cliffs along the river, we saw long grey sacs of honey from one of the many bee species in the area. The river cuts through jungle rich with philodendron vines, royal palms, and almond trees.
Just to prove that the bingo hadn't affected her brain, Mom usually won our afternoon Scrabble game.
San Antonio and area
Mom, Molly, Alan, and I took a horse and buggy ride through San Antonio, which was much like Honduras, but without the garbage or traffic.
At the workshops of two local artists, I saw huge rental piñatas made of reclaimed materials and amazing leatherwork, including this model film projector running a Charlie Chaplin movie.
We visited a local demonstration garden that this man, Rafael, has reclaimed from a garbage dump. He has brought in all the plants mentioned in the writings of José Marti, so he calls it the José Marti Bosque. He uses the garden to educate children about living in harmony with the environment.
The fertile land around San Antonio produces plums, oranges, grapefruit, mangoes, avocados, red and black beans, tobacco, and coffee. Some private farms are now producing ornamental plants and flowers for market as well.
Havana
Mom's friend, Eliseo, was our guide for trips into Havana.
Stormy seas breaching the Malecon.
I visited the beautiful Capitolio, built during the 1920s and now used as a conference center and art gallery.
Downtown Havana has a range of transportation, but it's far from sufficient for the local population. Here, and all over the country, officials called 'amarillos' stop vehicles that have blue government licence plates to ensure that they pick up as many people waiting for transport as they can hold. Tour buses, too, when empty must go to the local bus station and pick up Cubans for return trips.
The "American Interest" building broadcasts a tickertape of propaganda, so the Cuban government has erected flags in front of it to block the view.
Havana market place.
Havana streets.
The Christopher Columbus cemetery dates from 1871 and is full of fascinating monuments and history.
Viñales
Alan and I did a day trip out of Las Yagrumas to the beautiful Viñales valley. The trip included a visit to a tobacco factory and a short boat ride through a cave.
El Tropico
Our last week was on the beach at El Tropico, Mom's old stamping ground. It is much changed from when she first went there. She had room number 16, the same one she used to have.
El Tropico is a beautiful spot and much quieter than Las Yagrumas was.
Some of the same old staff still work at El Tropico. They really enjoyed seeing the photos Mom brought of her previous visits.
Marta
Yolanda
Mom's old friend, Maria, came to visit along with Mercedes. Aline and Jesus came to Tropico, too, despite the overly-restrictive security at this resort. Even our tour guides from Las Yagrumas, Terry and Val Rilkoff, had trouble getting in for a visit.
Fritz made good use of his bike all through our time in Cuba.
Hershey and Santa Cruz
From El Tropico we took this little train on a tour of the country-side and to the towns of Hershey and Santa Cruz.
Hershey is to be declared a heritage site and restored. In the meantime, the layed-off sugar mill workers are being offered further education. The mill itself will be replaced by a chocolate, pasta, and tile factory.
Hershey contrasts North American-style housing and Cuban-style housing.
This English steam roller was used to lay out the roads in Hershey and, before that, to build the Panama Canal.
The Hershey gardens
A school assembly
Adios, Cuba.
For downloadable photos, please see the Pbase site
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