A trip kept in the drawer for many years because the destination... didn't convince us, yet it turned out to be a fantastic trip from every point of view! Cuba is a beautiful country, to be visited in full and not just its stunning seaside spots! We had a guide, Tamara (from Cubatour), truly outstanding, who made us part of the whole history of the country; we certainly have her to thank for the positive outcome of the trip.
August 8, 2011, Day 1: Rome - Havana Meeting at Rome Fiumicino airport at 7:45; this year too we're a large group, 33 with lots of young people who will surely make our trip more cheerful. Arrival in Madrid, and here we discover that our flight is delayed, but after a
August 9, 2011, Day 2: Havana Waking up in Cuba in this not-bad hotel, as well as the breakfast buffet, informational meeting with Eddy, the person in charge of Borbone Viaggi in Cuba who informs us about our trip…Tamara arrives right away and with her we begin our city tour. We drive through Miramar where there are many important residences and many embassies, we take 5th Avenue and arrive at the Vedado neighborhood (Forbidden), a neighborhood that has an eclectic style…like the Cuban people. We arrive at the legendary Plaza de la Revolución, which is one of the most important public places in Cuba's recent history; here, besides hosting Fidel's rallies, in 1998 the mass celebrated by John Paul II took place.
We make our first stop on Cuban soil in this enormous square that can hold more than a million and a half people, photos especially toward the building that houses the Ministry of the Interior where there is the image of the legendary Che. We then cross the university hill and arrive at the Malecón which, with its 8 kilometers of seafront, is beautiful with once-magnificent buildings overlooking it….but which would need a good restoration.
Here they are preparing the floats for the Carnival that is celebrated during this period, we cross El Prado avenue that leads to the old city and make a stop at the Capitolio, it's very hot, we cross the historic streets of the colonial city, we pass by the various buildings of the city and Tamara explains in detail everything we are seeing, we pass by the ophthalmology hospital and she tells us that here they perform a great many surgeries, sometimes the doctors go to Bolivia or Venezuela to operate at the government's expense.
Next visit to the Rum Museum, where the Havana Club Foundation is located, they explain the process by which sugarcane becomes rum and we can do nothing but end with a tasting of 7-year rum in a beautiful wooden bar, here you breathe an atmosphere of other times, of course a group of musicians immediately arrives and delights us with their music and there's even someone dancing. Next stop at the San Jose market on San Pedro, we begin to see Cuban handicrafts and we immediately realize that………..there isn't much! Everywhere parade the super-colorful American cars from the 50s and they are truly fantastic, wonderfully maintained with their gleaming chrome! A very slow lunch stop in a bar…….enlivened here too by live music.
Next walk in Old Havana, we start from the Old Square, beautiful with an arcade where super-colorful buildings overlook, almost all restored or under restoration, there are lovely inner courtyards and there's even some Western shop full of designer brands…..Cuba is beginning to open up. We continue the walk and arrive, in an atrocious heat, at San Francisco de Assisi square where the church and convent have been practically deconsecrated but have become museums, we saw a renovated hotel where they are trying to maintain the Franciscan characteristics, in fact the staff wear the habit as their uniform. We arrive at the beautiful Plaza de Armas, where there is a central park, the floor of the square is made of wood, here is the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales which we don't have time to visit, we'll do it later in about ten days when we pass through Havana again.
In the center of this delightful square there is a garden of palm trees under which there are several stalls selling books, magazines and old newspapers. To the side of the square is the Small Temple with its immense ceiba tree, a sacred tree for Cubans, under which the first stone of the city of Havana is said to have been laid in 1519. We then arrive at the delightful Cathedral Square where there is the church of San Cristobal, under the arcades of the building that houses the restaurant El Patio (where we will have dinner tonight) there is a big black woman dressed in a white lace dress, a red flower on her also-white turban and a cigar in her mouth who does not go unnoticed and seems to be reading cards for a girl. At a run we go to visit a cigar shop………………first purchases and by now the Museum of the Revolution is closed….it will be visited on the last day of the trip.
The sky has turned dark as we head to the hotel, a brief but very intense rain begins! At 8 the bus takes us back to the cathedral square to go and have dinner at the restaurant El Patio which overlooks the square that, illuminated, is even more beautiful. They have reserved a room for us on the first floor overlooking the square and we have a group that will enliven our dinner which will turn out to be one of the best of the whole trip, their songs truly moved us especially when they played the song > Dinner was simple and tasty, I start with a mojito then prawns with pineapple, a plate of rice and beans, papaya meat, fried bananas and apple cream cake.
Having left there we visited the nearby Bodeguita del Medio on Calle Empedrado, a bar frequented by Hemingway and Neruda and today it is a mandatory stop on the Havana bar circuit, it is full of people and the walls are full of writings and thoughts of the various figures who have visited it.
August 10, 2011, Day 3: Bay of Pigs After the usual abundant breakfast, departure for Santa Clara quite early, at 8:30. Along the way our wonderful guide Tamara tells us about the life of commander Che Guevara, which was short, but intense, truly like a novel, both his private life and that of the guerrilla, even reading us the beautiful farewell letter that the commander wrote to Fidel when he left Cuba; in response to this letter it seems that Fidel chose the words of the song > which would become the soundtrack of our trip.
At 12:20 we arrive in Santa Clara directly at the Mausoleum square where they are setting up the stage for the celebrations of Fidel's 85th birthday who has decided to celebrate it here (….but then he won't be there….who knows……) First visit to the museum full of photos, objects and also the ashes of some friends of Che, then we entered the actual cemetery where there is Che's tomb and where Fidel lit an eternal flame in 1997, when the remains were brought back from Bolivia. Here it is forbidden to photograph and to carry anything with you. Subsequent purchases of photos, newspapers depicting the commander, and above all photos under the statue where the farewell letter that Che wrote to Fidel has been imprinted. It is very hot……and we decided to resume the journey toward the Bay of Pigs without stopping for lunch. Tamara shows us on board the film in Spanish > with English subtitles…….
And after a while everyone, or almost everyone, falls asleep. But at a certain point the second driver is taken by a very strong colic and is taken to the PRONTO INTERVENTO DE SALUD station which is located inside a wooden hut, with a truly UNIQUE nurse, all dressed in white with a little white cap, white shoes and black fishnet stockings, truly a sight, they then called an ambulance because they couldn't intervene there and the driver needed hospital care, but here in Cuba hospitals are not lacking, healthcare really works! We are arriving at the Bay of Pigs, where there is the first Biosphere park in Central America, here there is tourism focused on nature, on birdwatching, there are crocodile farms and then there is the bay where in 1961 a group of right-wing Cuban dissidents landed who were backed by the Americans.
Having arrived at Playa Larga, a very very simple hotel directly on the beach with an enormous area in which the little houses assigned to us are scattered, for the most part very far from the central body………and then not too clean but with various species of animals inside, frogs, lizards, little worms and even a mega spider. After numerous room changes, well-deserved relaxation on the beach…the water is truly boiling, not warm. Dinner begins with a Cuba Libre and there is also the possibility of eating crab, which will be not bad at all. The place isn't great…..but after dinner a salsa breaks out with a truly unusual entertainer, many of the group also let loose in dancing before going to bed.
August 11, 2011, Day 4: Bay of Pigs, Cienfuegos, Trinidad Waking up in this ugly hotel…..with no water, a very sad breakfast, and Yuri truly set upon by mosquitoes or misquitos that literally devoured him! Departure heading to Cienfuegos, a town founded by the French also called Pearl of the South, it is a seafaring city that in 2005 obtained inclusion among the UNESCO World Heritage sites. It's insanely hot and we stop in the main square which is truly very nice and well kept, buildings all renovated and super-colorful overlook it: the seat of government, the Terry Theater (inaugurated with Aida where Caruso also sang) and the Ferrier Theater, a Christian church, a short walk along the boulevard full of shops…but it's really very hot and soon we get back on the bus to cool down a little.
Next stop to visit the beautiful Valle Palace in Moorish style with Venetian Gothic elements (having been designed by a Venetian architect) before the revolution it was a disreputable casino now transformed into a restaurant with a beautiful lady with a turban playing the piano. For lunch we have the bag that they prepared for us at the hotel where we had full board…..so we won't stop and will continue on our route toward Trinidad where we arrive around 15:00, the town known as museum city, it is truly full of charm and has preserved intact its houses, streets and squares as they were centuries ago; it has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage city.
Tourist walk on foot and immediately the cocktail at the "Canchánchara" venue which is the name of a typical local drink based on rum, honey and lemon, not bad at all, where we also found a nice percussionist and a cigar seller who made a cigar for Jacopo inserting his tobacco inside.; visit to the Romantic Museum which is located on the beautiful Plaza Mayor. We visited the home of this very wealthy landowner who had 12 children and 20 slaves who lived together in this house, but he owned at least a million slaves! he had furnished this house with furniture and furnishings from Europe in an enchanting way, even the Limoges spittoons…… From the windows of the house the view extends to the Caribbean over the red roofs of Trinidad, it is truly a beautiful panorama.
We continue the walk through the cobblestone alleys of the town and take a turn through the small market where the first timid purchases of wooden dolls begin. Accommodation at the Hotel Brisas Trinidad del Mar (4*) which is located on the Ancon peninsula right next to a beautiful Caribbean beach, truly a nice resort! As soon as the check-in formalities are finished, as every afternoon the sky has clouded over and a downpour came down that made us retreat into a bar….after all we are in all inclusive and pizza, fries, drinks fit just right after a meager lunch on the bus. Meanwhile the weather has cleared again and in no time at all we all find ourselves swimming in the wonderful Caribbean waters…with a temperature of at least 40°, how wonderful, the beach is beautiful.
Buffet dinner in the usual mega resort context, but with some special dishes….we even ate oxtail…….Following show with a very well-trained and pleasant dance troupe who also involved Rossana and Claudio on stage for a group dance.
August 12, 2011, Day 5: Trinidad Waking up in the Caribbean, sunrise at around 7:00, beautiful! Self-service breakfast….very showy, but of little substance. Departure at 8:00 for Topes de Collante. To visit the Nicho. Actually we left 20 minutes late…..and then we had to wait an hour for the trucks that had left because of our delay! After a good wait… the arrival of the trucks that will take us into the mountains along an uphill road full of curves, after about an hour of struggling, puffs of smog in truly wonderful nature, the plants are truly lush and very green, we admire many species….. finally we arrive at the entrance of the park, the naturalist guide isn't there and…we fall back on lunch at the restaurant, we'll do the visit later. A simple and quick meal based on chicken enlivened as always by a musical group that at the end of the performance always proposes we buy the CD.
Finally the naturalist guide arrives and we begin the route taking a truly fantastic path, immediately we encounter the high fall of the waterfall and the spectacle is truly unusual, wet but beautiful. Photos galore and continuation of the walk to reach a point where you can swim…the temperature, however, is not that of the Caribbean, and only a few swim which is surely invigorating with whirlpool included. Continuation to the mirador, the highest point from which you admire a beautiful panorama and descent: beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, it feels like being in an enchanted natural world! Return to base with the usual trucks that on the descent naturally pick up more speed…..it feels like being on a roller coaster. Return to the hotel…and immediately a swim in the beautiful hotel beach with very hot water.
Tonight we decided to go eat lobster in Trinidad in a private house that can accommodate all 33 of us. Along the way we witnessed a mass suicide of large crabs crossing the paved road………there are so many of them. Lobster dinner in the courtyard of a very well-furnished house with mahogany furniture, the whole family was at work for our dinner. After the exquisite and cheap dinner (13 cuc, less than 10 euros) we moved to the > which is in the center of Trinidad on a staircase, where in the evening Cubans gather to hear music and…dance, there are lots and lots of people and the atmosphere is truly joyful and fun. At midnight the bus is waiting for us and we have to return to the hotel……Today there was no rain, we had it close by, but we didn't meet it. Stop at the bar before going to the room……this all inclusive is truly terrible……every moment is good for an aperitif!
August 13, 2011, Day 6: Trinidad, Camaguey We leave this beautiful place after a nice walk on the beach which at this time of morning is even more beautiful. Departure for Camaguey. Along the way a stop at a ceramics shop and some bulky purchases wrapped in straw bags. Someone brought out t-shirts to give as gifts and was set upon! We should have brought more…… We met a procession of people….today is Fidel's birthday and they are going to celebrate. Arrival in Sancti Spiritus, we take a nice walk to see this pretty little town. Purchase of group musical instruments. Lunch stop at a restaurant > which is located in the locality Fiume Azzurro near Ciego d'Avila, I specify the address because it turned out to be the best restaurant of the trip, we ate a truly fantastic grilled pork, and not only that, boiled pumpkin, rice and beans, potato soup and mango juice.
Along the way our guide stops at a peasant's house and buys a crate full of mangoes….little gifts for the child who was there selling them. Arrival in Camaguey, which is called the city of churches because there are more than 20 of them. Our hotel is the Gran Hotel, which is right on the pedestrian island of the city, it is a building from the early twentieth century and has been recently renovated trying to preserve it as much as possible as it was at the time, in fact there is still an elevator with a little man who closes the gate and stops it at the desired floor. Very sober dark furniture with brass, a very austere reception, small rooms, but well furnished with period furniture and a very nice art deco chandelier, there is an inner courtyard where the corridors overlook and on the 5th floor there is the panoramic restaurant with bar and 360° view over the city.
Walking tour of the city which appears like a labyrinth due to its complicated urban structure, it is the city of squares and baroque churches, with a dense web of narrow streets that get lost among little squares and winding alleys. Visit to the Cathedral Square where we can admire some statues made by a modern artist depicting still-living citizens, and near one of them that represents a gentleman reading the newspaper on a bench….there is the original himself who, in exchange for a few Cuc, gladly lets himself be photographed. There were encounters with beautiful children. We also visited an art gallery of two local artists who produce very different works from each other.
On one side stands out a painting depicting a boy who looks just like Yuri, in fact he is the son of one of the artists! Dinner at the restaurant La Campana de Toledo, again in the patio of an 1800s house, where they served us a meat dish, here we tasted Malta, which is a non-alcoholic beer….very sweet. A pleasant walk back to the Hotel, we encountered many music spots and private parties.
August 14, 2011, Day 7: Camaguey, Santa Lucia After breakfast in the panoramic restaurant, furnished with great care, a walk through the city, in fact the departure appointment is at 9:30, and some of us take the opportunity to visit some churches and also a beautiful panoramic bell tower reached by 126 steps. We also entered a grocery store where we saw products imported from America on sale despite the embargo, in fact small spaces are opening up, there are also Italian products such as pasta and tomato.
Quick arrival in Santa Lucia, accommodation at the Hotel Brisas Santa Lucia (4 *) they will give us the rooms at 16:00, meanwhile they have put on our all-inclusive bracelets, so we can eat, drink and above all swim in this beautiful and very hot water………………while we were enjoying this marvel of a beach….it seemed like being on a prank show, the guide was waving her arms, they made us get out of the water to………. change hotels…………………….due to an electricity problem! Most are not convinced of this and with spreading discontent, we hand back the bracelets and the towels and they change hotels, we will go to the one next door called Gran Club Santa Lucia………..
the discontent continues because this hotel seems worse than the first………anyway we don't lose heart and first of all we have lunch at the buffet…then back to the beach, the water is very beautiful and the temperature better than Trinidad, a little less hot even though there is seaweed on the bottom. Anyway the beach is truly beautiful, very white with numerous palm trees and straw umbrellas that create the right shade, the bar is directly on the beach and it is very easy to sip various cocktails. People begin to go out with various boats, canoes, pedal boats and also catamarans. At 16:00 they give us the rooms which are simple, but clean and spacious and all very close to each other, we return to the beach to enjoy this marvel and the climate here is also better, it's not very hot because it's breezy.
Self-service dinner, buffet full of many good things, fish, lamb, pork and last but not least, Tamara had the mango bought yesterday on the road brought to our tables which is truly super! This guide is truly spoiling us, tonight we all stuffed ourselves with this delicious fruit. Very….lively entertainment that also involved our little Francesco.
August 15, 2011, Day 8: Santa Lucia, Bayamo, Santiago de Cuba Today is Ferragosto, tonight most were woken up by greeting messages at outrageous hours…..they don't take the time zone into account! Abundant breakfast based on freshly fried bombs and donuts….we leave this pretty resort, which turned out to be very very pleasant….there were even pink flamingos in the fountains, this area in fact is part of a nature reserve very rich in various animal species. Departure for Bayamo, rough road.
Along the route, as indeed in other areas of Cuba, we encounter bus stops where there are real mobs, from this one understands that public transport is problematic, in fact it seems that the vehicles are not sufficient for the necessary transport and there exist government figures dressed in yellow or light blue who stop cars asking the destination and forcing them to pick up some people heading to the same area, our bus is exempt from these requests because it transports foreigners…… This is the world of Cuba, where there is truly particular attention to what is education, healthcare and above all culture. Here all shows (cinema, theaters) are offered free on certain days of the week for Cubans, the people actually have the opportunity to enjoy many forms of culture for free….and whoever is interested can take advantage of this situation.
The cars have license plates of different colors, yellow is the private vehicle, white is a state vehicle of high officials, also blue and brown ones are state, green ones are the army's, orange ones are of foreign companies, dark red ones are rental cars and black ones are of the diplomatic service, they have letters and numbers and below the city of registration. We cross stretches of sugarcane plantations and at noon we arrive in the town of Bayamo, first stop at the Casa de la Trova where a very sweet musical group awaits us, made up of not-very-young people but with a unique charm who gave us beautiful interpretations of the usual Cuban music……….of course they welcomed us with a delicious fruit cocktail. Moreover there was also a gentleman who took pains to impart the basic notions to be able to dance and here we all got carried away by the music and tried to dance following him..
Not bad as a Ferragosto…..we continue strolling in the center of the town where we truly discover how Cubans live….after some searching we stopped at a cart where we bought 6 sandwiches filled with a nice freshly made fish fry….paying one Cuc, that is 75 cents for 6 delicious sandwiches……these are Cuban prices! We get back on the bus and…………our guide always reserves interesting things for us……..now she is dictating the words of our favorite song Hasta siempre comandante…..she had us write it down, so we can sing it together with the groups we meet daily.
Aprendimos a quererte desde la histórica altura donde el sol de tu bravura le puso un cerco a la muerte. Aquí se queda la clara, la entrañable transparencia, de tu querida presencia Comandante Che Guevara. Tu mano gloriosa y fuerte sobre la historia dispara cuando todo Santa Clara se despierta para verte. Aquí se queda la clara, la entrañable transparencia, de tu querida presencia Comandante Che Guevara. Vienes quemando la brisa con soles de primavera para plantar la bandera con la luz de tu sonrisa. Aquí se queda la clara, la entrañable transparencia, de tu querida presencia Comandante Che Guevara. Tu amor revolucionario te conduce a nueva empresa donde esperan la firmeza de tu brazo libertario. Aquí se queda la clara, la entrañable transparencia, de tu querida presencia Comandante Che Guevara.
Seguiremos adelante como junto a ti seguimos y con Fidel te decimos: hasta siempre Comandante. Aquí se queda la clara, la entrañable transparencia, de tu querida presencia Comandante Che Guevara. (Carlos Puebla, 1965)
Along the route visit to the Santuario de la Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre (Our Lady of Copper), it is located in the village of Cobre, about 20 km northwest of Santiago, on top of a panoramic hill, in front of the ancient copper mines. Continuation to Santiago. Accommodation at the Hotel Melia Santiago (5*)., the hotel is very nice with various artistic forms both inside and outside, where there is also a beautiful pool and a series of shops. On the 15th floor there is a panoramic bar and from the balcony of our room there is an enormous terrace full of futuristic artworks. A pharaonic dinner with the music of a pianist, fish cooked to order, prawns, calamari, cod, salmon and various fish fillets not better identified.
Also as regards the meat corner there are several types always cooked on the spot on the griddle! Pizza made on the spot, not bad at all, a big general feast and after dinner on the 15th floor where the group of musicians followed us onto the terrace………the usual beautiful music, two dancers delighted us by dancing salsa and more with great skill, they also involved some of ours, always our very good Giorgia and also Sandro tried his hand at the Cuban style….not bad! Return to the room a bit laborious, the key didn't work and the attendant didn't come to the rescue immediately! Anyway our days are always full of music, music follows us everywhere always with pleasant performers, after their playing there is always the usual request for a CD ………………..…and the usual tip.
August 16, 2011, Day 9: Santiago de Cuba Breakfast always with the piano in the background and beginning of the visit to the city of Santiago: after Havana, it is the most important city in the country and is the only one that can boast the official title of "Hero City of the Republic of Cuba", but also the reputation of "Rebel City" and "Cradle City of the Revolution". First of all we visit the Moncada Barracks, a barracks of Batista's army that was attacked on July 26, 1953 by the first nucleus of revolutionary fighters under the command of Fidel Castro. We entered right through entrance no. 3 where the revolutionaries entered and the bullet marks are still visible. Today the building is called 26 JULY and is used as a school. To visit the historic center, the reference point is the characteristic cathedral square, the Plaza Central Carlos Manuel de Céspedes.
Around this square are the most famous buildings, we decide to go visit the house of Diego Velasquez which is considered the oldest house in all of South America. House furnished in precious Cuban wood with very elegant furnishings. We find ourselves at the bar of the Casagrande hotel which has an excellent position right on the main square and from there we continue and visit the Casa de la Trova, where music is played every evening and we decide to book for tonight after dinner. We continue the walk and encounter a bookstore that also sells records and used books, very unusual, as soon as we enter they immediately turn on the radio to let us listen to music……Jacopo and Yuri are fascinated by the shop and make their purchases, books and records. We continue the visits with the Morro castle, enchanting position on the bay of Santiago, it's very hot……..
anyway from the terrace of the castle you enjoy a spectacular view both of the Caribbean bay and of the heights of the Sierra Maestra. Our super guide also gives us the explanation and makes us understand above all the differences that exist between Pirates, Filibusters, Buccaneers and Corsairs….. It's very hot but we can't help but take photos from the highest terrace, we return calmly to the bus, with purchases along the way at the various stalls we encounter on the route. Now we move to the pier where a Catamaran will take us to the other shore for lunch at the best restaurant in Santiago…….so at least the guide tells us. Actually not all, the kids decide to wander around Santiago, we get on the Catamaran that will take us right in front of the Morro Castle, on a small island in the bay of Santiago. Abundant and good food, lobster, prawns and calamari and also fried bananas.
Truly the food on this trip has been truly excellent….and also very varied, it has happened to us very often to eat very good fish, but we have also eaten excellent pork! Relaxation in the hotel pool, dinner at the usual excellent buffet and an organized evening at the Casa de la Trova. Here there is a group playing live, the atmosphere is very cheerful, there is a lot of dancing and there are several Cuban female acquaintances (but also male) who are here not only to dance, but above all for solicitation!!!! Quite comical little scenes follow one after another with our men grappling with certain young ladies….all documented by photos! Unfortunately we had to leave at 11:15 and we had to interrupt this beautiful atmosphere, but tomorrow morning we have to go to the airport for the flight that will take us back to Havana.
Anyway the Cuban people truly live for music, which is for everyone a dominant part of their life, the joy, the cheerfulness they experience they manage to transmit to others too and the climate they manage to create is engaging, this has happened to us almost every day where we found someone making music….and I must say it happened really very often! Tamara didn't accompany us tonight because she will want to meet her husband who is also a guide and arrives tonight in Santiago…..
August 17, 2011, Day 10: Santiago de Cuba - Havana Transfer to Santiago airport at 7:30, our drivers will leave us this morning, they were truly two excellent people! Flight Santiago de Cuba – Havana., surely a new experience….both at boarding and then at the checks…..practically first they asked us for the extra baggage….then they insisted on the fact that we couldn't carry by hand the ceramics we had bought in Trinidad………someone was forced to ship their items, including Niccolò's Bongos……..it was all a way to try to get tips. We board a Soviet plane that at first glance appears very dated…….and as soon as it starts up, it feels like being in the Po Valley, a fog is released from the air conditioning vents, creating a glacial temperature, the only positive note the flight was much shorter than we thought, in less than two hours we landed in Havana.
Luggage ok, including the fragile ones and we head immediately out of the city to do the Hemingway route. Visit to the Finca Vigia which was the villa that the writer had bought on a panoramic hill, from there you can see as far as the sea, here he lived with his woman (the one who would later leave him!) and he would stay there for the last 20 years of his life. Beautiful house, now a museum house, furnished truly with taste, full of books, hunting trophies, immersed in a beautiful garden with spectacular trees, even a pool, here we also find exhibited his boat > the name he would have wanted to give to the daughter he never had, this boat he shared with his beloved captain friend and at his death he left it to him as an inheritance, but due to a promise made in life by both that they would not use it alone, it was donated to the museum.
Anyway the Nobel had chosen a really nice place! He had a truly particular way of living, in the morning he wrote and then the rest of the day he enjoyed this paradise, he really liked to drink and it seems that when he fell ill with an illness (liver cirrhosis) that no longer allowed him to fully enjoy the pleasures of life……….he decided to end it by shooting himself in 1960, when he was 61 years old. We return toward the old city to visit in the Hotel Ambos Mundos the room where Hemingway stayed before buying the Finca Vigia which happened in 1939. Here in this room it seems he wrote >. A simple room that has been enriched with photos of his 4 wives and the other women he fell in love with, including the nineteen-year-old Italian countess. We push on to the panoramic terrace of the hotel to have lunch….but it's scorching hot and we retreat to an air-conditioned little room.
There are some of the group who cannot help but have lunch with a full menu……..on this trip you really eat considerable quantities, as had never happened to our group! Visit to the museum of the Captains which is located in the nearby Plaza de Armas in an imposing baroque building built in sea stone, it has a nice two-level patio with a statue of Christopher Columbus, a beautiful building rich in furniture and furnishings mostly from Europe. From here you can glimpse on the tower of the Real Fuerza the famous Giraldilla, a bronze weather vane depicting Donna Ines de Bobadilla looking toward the sea awaiting her husband's return, her figure has become famous throughout the world because it appears on the label of Havana Club rum. Next stop at the bar that Hemingway loved to frequent to taste the best Daiquiri in Havana, the FLORIDITA.
The atmosphere is very colorful, it is very crowded and there is beautiful music made by a group of beautiful girls! The cocktails included in the price are served to us with sweet potato fritters. Transfer to the usual Occidental Miramar (4*) and for dinner tonight we have a restaurant named > where chicken is cooked with a secret recipe, we ate a lot…………...
August 18, 2011, Day 11: Havana, Pinar del Rio, Vinales After breakfast departure for Pinar del Rio, the westernmost of the provinces and cradle of the most famous tobacco in the World. Stop at a service area where there are the pregnant palms with a nice belly on the trunk,…..which are found only here! On arrival visit to the tobacco factory F. Donatien, where they show us all the phases of tobacco processing, where the prized Cuban cigars of various brands are made. We also make a quick visit to the square of this small town where a series of very beautiful buildings overlook, but which would need a serious renovation. Next visit to the Fabrica de Bebidas Casa Garay which is a historic factory that, thanks to a very secret recipe, produces a distillate of sugarcane and Guayaba which is a typical Cuban fruit.
We cross a fantastic nature with rock formations unique in the world, this valley precisely because of its geological peculiarities was declared in 1999 a UNESCO World Heritage site, these are mountains with smooth walls and rounded peaks called Mogotes, considered the oldest rock formations of Cuba. Visit to the Casa del Veguero, to learn about tobacco cultivation, we buy cigars made by him artisanally……but maybe they aren't great.
We also visit the hut where coffee is dried, then we move for lunch to the restaurant Palenque de los Cimarrones which is located right next to a cave > here they welcomed us with Afro-Cuban music with some hints of santeria, in the show there is also a fire-eater who truly enchanted Francesco because besides extinguishing the lit torch with his mouth, he extinguished it by putting it in the front of his pants…… Guido and Claudio bought an enormous helmet of very good and very large bananas, paying only 1 Cuc for them. Visit to this limestone cave which is very evocative with its rock formations, a short stop in the little square of Vinales, there are stalls selling the usual things, but there are truly characteristic Cubans, here there are many particular houses, renovated where tourists……………..less numerous than us can stay.
Now we move to go see the murals, from afar we see it and we immediately realize that it integrates very well with the surrounding landscape.. The Mural of Prehistory is a large (modern) rock painting that represents the geological and biological evolution of man, it was made in the 60s by a group of young people, led by the artist Leovigildo Gonzales, who was a pupil of Diego Rivera, the place is enchanting, at the base there is a lawn of very intense green in which there are horses, and also a bull whose horns have been cut and which can be ridden….of course we don't miss anything and the rides begin, we also take a nice group photo! In this area nature is truly unique in the world, these mountain formations rise individually with straight walls and rounded peaks, a plain dotted with palms and other trees with many different crops, in this period however tobacco is missing as it has alr
eady been harvested, but everything is so beautiful that it has been declared a UNESCO National Monument and the best observation point (360-degree belvedere) is on the terrace of the hotel where we will stay, Hotel Los Jazminez.. The sunset over this valley is beautiful……good dinner in which we taste a type of meat called > which is a sliced braised beef. Show by an Afro-Cuban group similar to the one we already listened to today, anyway they are very engaging…..and it was Claudio's turn to try to extinguish the torch in his pants.
Before going down to dinner there was a small mishap that happened in the room of the Cianfrini family, all the rooms they assigned us have a panoramic balcony overlooking the valley, they were there enjoying the panorama and closed the window to keep the mosquitoes out……..but inadvertently the metal locking bar of the door came down…….so they were locked out…and in the hotel there is no copy of the key!!!! The attendant after many attempts and adventures and in front of a large audience….freed them, breaking the WINDOW
August 19, 2011, Day 12: Vinales, Las Terrazas, Havana A wonderful dawn over this enchanted valley, what we saw this morning first in the mist then brightened by the sun will remain an unforgettable spectacle! Photos galore!. Departure toward the province of Havana; along the way we stop to visit the Las Terrazas Community, an ecological project from the 60s undertaken by the government to reforest
August 20, 2011, 13th day: Havana, Varadero After breakfast, departure for Varadero; today will be Tamara's last day; at the beach we don't need a guide… what can we say, she has surely been the best guide we have ever met in all our travels, truly a Super guide. She is a sunny person, extremely well prepared, likeable, and she always solved the slightest problem for us, trying to anticipate all our wishes… and on top of that she informed us about everything concerning Cuba! She allowed us to enter into the philosophy of the Cuban people and to deeply understand the political and economic situation of this small, fascinating country. At the moment of farewell, Tamara read the little letter that Francesco had written to her and could not hold back her tears; all of us were truly moved by this goodbye……..we hope anyway to be able to meet her again………maybe in Italy.
We checked in at the Iberostar Tainos hotel (4*) and in an instant we were all on the beach………………and paradise presented itself to us, a white expanse like talcum powder with crystal-clear water in every shade from green to turquoise: what a wonder! We take advantage of it, since it's lunchtime, to taste the paella just made by the chef near the beach: definitely a fine dish! We continue the beach life on this marvel of a beach; at 4 p.m. they give us our rooms, very large and nice. Within the group a malaise different from other years begins to spread; this year the virus that got us struck the airways with fever and cough; who knows whether it's because of the air conditioning. Evening of great feasting at the self-service, where there was every good thing, excellent prawns washed down with sparkling wine!
August 21, 2011, 14th day: Varadero Waking up in this stretch of paradise, but why do they say Varadero looks like Rimini????? Either we have been particularly lucky to find such a wonderful stretch of sea….or I don't know, but this seems anything but Rimini; on the contrary, I must say that a beach and water like this is truly unique. A day dedicated to swimming, interspersed with a few cocktails and a few snacks. This morning Franchino went diving, while Antonietta and Pio went snorkeling at the coral reef and came back very satisfied.
August 22, 2011, day 15: Varadero, Cayo Largo Flight to Cayo Largo in the afternoon, so we spend the morning still on this wonderful beach. We arrive at the airport and realize that we practically have a private flight to Cayo Largo……a 40-seat plane, and there are 38 of us. After only 30 minutes of flying we have landed in paradise! We arrive at the Sol Cayo Largo village (4*) very well set in this wild island that bears the marks of some hurricane that passed through here…..by the way, there's Irene threatening our Cuba, but everyone tells us it won't be in our area, but in Guantanamo it did damage, knocked down a few houses, and now it seems to be in the Barbados. The village consists of very nice little houses, the rooms are tastefully furnished and very spacious with a large terrace, which however is better not to open, given the massive presence of Mosquitos…..
Buffet dinner as usual very well stocked, there are so many things offered, besides meat and fish cooked to order, there's also a pasta corner. Entertainment with very skilled dancers.
August 23, 2011, day 16: Cayo Largo Meeting with the Cubatur representative, Emir, who proposes all the possible excursions that can be done in this paradise. We decide to immediately take the shuttle (a cute little train) that will take us to the most beautiful beach in Cuba! Playa Sirena is truly a piece of paradise, an immense stretch of fine sand with young palm trees and a……………pool of transparent water! We practically stay soaking for at least 4 hours, getting out of the water only to go see the dolphins that are in the lagoon behind and wait for tourists to swim with them.
They propose that we observe the turtles, indeed adopt them and help them enter the water. At 6 pm everyone ready in front of the lobby where we find two attendants with a box full of about seventy very lively little turtles that were just waiting to be adopted by us. For 3 cuc we receive a little ticket that will allow us to release one with the name we decide to give it.
All in single file we reach a stretch of beach where, after being distributed and photographed, these cute little creatures all together we let them go toward the sea: a wonderful spectacle! Someone tries to make it easier for them by tracing paths on the beach, the waves bring them back, forward in the general chaos, finally all in the water, they will return here in 25 years…!!!PAOLA Let's say that after a not easy decision we came to the conclusion that tomorrow morning we'll do the boat excursion….it's hard to get 33 people to agree…….
August 24, 2011, day 17: Cayo Largo At 8:30 we leave for the boat excursion, at the Cayo Largo marina they divide us into two boats and the first stop is at Cayo Yguana, a small islet where we disembarked on foot, inhabited undisturbed by numerous iguanas that wander among the tourists as if they were kittens, there's one that is truly remarkably large…and anyway it makes quite an impression to walk alongside these little creatures, someone strokes them……. Next stop at the pools for a swim in a beautiful area, which really looks like a pool. Third stop at the coral reef where we went snorkeling among an infinity of brightly colored fish and beautiful multicolored coral vegetation (the purple one is truly beautiful!) Back on board we enjoyed the best lobster of this trip cooked by the boat captain for only 10 cuc………….
We had ourselves dropped off again at Playa Sirena and did the soaking again like yesterday (this time with a hat….given yesterday's sunstroke!) In the afternoon we also got to know the beautiful beach of the village, this one is truly a spectacle too, a fantastic sea!
Appointment at 10 pm to go in search of a turtle laying its eggs. Many women in the group and a few men accept the proposal, others prefer the buxom and skilled dancers of the village show. Everyone on the bus, standing, they warn us once we've left that we don't know how long we'll have to wait (on the bus!!) Luckily the wait lasted only half an hour, so all in line in the dark we set off on the beach under an incredibly starry sky, a bit skeptical, in search of the "mama". Here she is in her hole, a specimen of about 20 years, 100/150 kg, laying her round shiny eggs. With a thin red light these turtle guardians let us see and even touch them. She calmly does her work, amid photos, filming and voices not always low, she is measured, catalogued and a ring with a code is put on her.
With her flippers and with strength she covers her treasure, she is tired, she rests then resumes her work of covering. Toward midnight she tries to return to her sea, our noises, our lights disorient her, but in a few minutes she resumes her journey toward the deep sea!!!! It was truly a unique and exciting experience in a fantastic setting. PAOLA
We learn the departure time, 4:15 pm, with 7 Cuc we can keep the room until just before leaving, most decide to keep it. In the morning we enjoy the wonderful beach of the hotel, the sea has fantastic colors, we have fun giving bread to the fish that come in great numbers. Lunch at the panoramic buffet complete with fried fish and fries.
From here you enjoy a breathtaking panorama that at this hour has truly postcard colors: it will be hard to remember this sea! Transfer to the airport and just in time to arrive in Havana at the usual Hotel Occidental Miramar, pick up luggage (left here before going to the sea……what a great convenience!) ….immediately ready and tonight we have a big surprise, we have booked the show at the Parisienne inside the National hotel and Tamara, our great Guide, will accompany us…….we are all very happy to see her again, but Francesco is beside himself…….we go to the National hotel, this famous 5-star that in the 1950s was famous for having hosted the biggest mobsters, including Italians, and also other famous people, today what remains are the photos that have been arranged in a room called precisely the room of the famous.
Dinner in this hotel, very impressive but little substance….anyway with a remarkable variety of desserts. We have a bit of time before the show begins to visit the hotel and the wonderful panoramic garden from which you enjoy a fantastic view of the sea. At 10 the show begins….spectacular due to the presence of numerous and very colorful dancers and especially female dancers dressed in truly particular costumes. Some didn't appreciate it, but most greatly appreciated the presence of beautiful, very colorful dancers who popped up from everywhere…..anyway truly very good, they danced nonstop for 2 hours
August 26, 2011, day 19: La Habana, Rome The last day of vacation in Cuba has arrived….a beautiful vacation! We decide to take the hotel shuttle that takes us to the Craft Palace, first stop for last purchases; here the setting is very nice, a small building with a lovely courtyard, but with unapproachable prices and nothing special in the way of objects. We decide to go to the San Jose market on San Pedro and we have ourselves accompanied by two horse-drawn carriages……..last purchases and from here we move on foot into the real Havana, on Sant'Ignazio street, where we can observe how Cubans live, scenes of families appear to us from the windows with beautiful children in the doorways. The destination is the Bar Dos Hermanos which seems to be the place where Cubans go, not very touristy, here we try to cool down a bit, it's very hot….and they propose the best mojito in Havana…….
From here we take the yellow Coco Taxis to get to the Floridita where we are supposed to meet up with the guys who went to visit the Museum of the Revolution: Jacopo has a fever! One by one they are all getting sick…….Walk along the Obispo, which is the most commercial street in Havana, purchase of very cute little dolls, stop at a restaurant Europa where we are welcomed by a musical group that after doing their performance offers us their CD….I don't know how many I've bought, today I can't take it anymore! Walk to the Cathedral square, passing in front of the always crowded Bodeguita del Medio….we decide to take a beautiful taxi (a limousine) to return to the hotel. This wonderful vacation is over, it must be said that Cuba surprised all of us favorably, perhaps we didn't expect it to be so beautiful, varied, rich in unique natural beauties, in beautiful colorful cities, in music.
A country that recalls the revolution in every corner……. a people proud of their dignity who await a better future that we all wish for them, in any case a great cheerful and creative people! The organization of the trip was truly excellent, carefully arranged in every detail, we ate very well, a lot, we drank even more, numerous and colorful cocktails, as for CUBATOUR we must acknowledge that it did everything, through our Super Guide TAMARA, to make our Cuban stay truly fantastic and unforgettable! and anyway we miss the music, we miss >………..
3 photographs · click to open them full screen
0 reader comments