I spent the last afternoon in Santaigo in a little bar watching the locals and staff have a Friday afternoon jam session. Priceless, music, chat and discussions on how to play the music.

I had no preconceptions of what Cuba would be like. It has been a fantastically enjoyable time. Half the reason I came was to get here before Fidel goes and the other half intrigued to know what it was like as I knew very little about the country. It is too easy to browse the Internet for images of places you want to go to and accommodation. Therefore, too easy to do your holiday before you get there, also being open to disappointments if it does not live up to expectations. Something I do not do. Half the fun is not knowing what to expect.

Cuba itself on initial impressions is an eclectic mix of cultures and people. However, after a short while you realise that it is an accurate reflection of its short (500 years) past. The Spanish language and lack of an indigenous population (they killed them all), the introduction of sugar and the commercial exploitation by Britain with the associated slave trade that went with it, the obvious wealth and glamour of the early part of the 20th century, the soviet assistance it received in the 60s 70s and 80s, and now the tourist wealth that is coming in.

So, side by side you may have Cuban European and Cuban African faces, Ladas, and 1950s US cars, Spanish colonial and art nouveau architecture, sometimes dour communist utilitarian infrastructure, and Infotur/transtur the ever helpful national tourist agency. All with a common language………..but 2 currencies, one for nationals and one for tourists. A tropical climate that gets light an dark at roughly the same time every day of the year. A changing landscape of tropical lush green hills, flat open land to parched barren grassland, beautiful, white sands and turquoise sea.And it is big, bigger than you think 2000KM in my trusty hire car will vouch for that.

It may sound odd but it all works in harmony, and Cuba gets along very nicely.

One thing for sure is that they are a very friendly people. I was never refused a photograph of anyone or anything, even being asked to take photographs of people. They were always willing to help me out be it accommodation or directions. All this despite or because of the obvious gap in earnings. A doctor here will earn around £14 a month. Yes that is correct. Wages have not increased in 50 years. Hence the reason for no widespread car ownership and many many people hitching lifts. The latter I obliged on numerous occasions, despite the odd machette.

As for the future, there is a degree of openness, with farmers markets and Casa Particulares (B&B). However, a lot of it is outside Cuba’s control. US policy to Cuba will play a very big part with 250 million people right on the doorstep. If Cuba is given the green light by the US government, just watch it change. In addition, the influence of the far east. My fabulous hire car was a Geely, made in China, as are all the Infotur/transtur coaches.

My advice, get here in the next 2 years

Hopefully I may have even tempted 1 or 2 of you to contemplate coming here. You can have it all organised for you and stop in 5 star hotels and laze of the white sandy beaches, or you can do it yourself (my preferred choice) or a mix of the 2. I can vouch for the Casa Particulares (B&B), a fantastic network of wonderful houses and hosts, with some of the best food on offer. If you need any specific details or questions just contact me.

I hope you have enjoyed the blog and the addition of more photographs this time. A huge thanks must go to Alie for organising the new website and for buying me a new camera for Christmas, its been really quite enjoyable trying to portray what it has been like. Far from a chor, after all I’ve been doing theses blogs in various forms for 10 years now so it has become part of the holiday itself.The internet access has been slow but well organised, with PCs in all cities and an easy token based system to buy the access cards.

Until the next time folks. Wherever and whenever that may be. After all there is still so much more to see, and explore and touch and taste and smell, and drink, and photograph, and … .
So, my advice ……. Just travel.

First stop was the 1234M peak called Gran Piedra about 20KM out of town. I would guess that 1200M of that was drivable, in my trusty hire car anyway, including hitch hikers. Just the last few steps to climb. Weirdly, the mountain became greener as I climbed, with numerous ferns at the top. Most if the time it is covered in mist/cloud so it was great to have an unobscured view. Both inland and out to sea, all the way along the coast from Santiago to Guantanamo.

Also at the top because of the climate was a former French coffee plantation. 1KM down yet another undulating dirt track. It still has the drying pans and the mill. The only sounds to accompany me were the lizards scuttling amongst the undergrowth and the buzz of a hummingbird. Not a breath of wind at all. True tranquility.

The afternoon was also spent rather lazily on the beach and in the sea, with lunch of very fresh cooked fish bought to me, marvellous.

Churches, castles and a small island occupied me next. All part of the history and culture of the city. The iguanas were a bit of a surprise at the castle, well disguised and rather large, close up. Still it is very very warm, so why not bask in the sun along with everybody else. All they need are shorts, tee shirt and flip flops and they would fit in very well. There was a very good history of pirates who raided area, 3 of the 5 were from Britain. Sadly no Kiera though. However, our sea faring, marauding exploits abroad are well documented.

I also managed to get to a small little island in the bay. Even more photogenic than the rest of Cuba, it took about 30 minutes to walk round the island., Views of the El Morro castle, Santiago city and the Sierra Maestra hills I drove through the other day. A very satisfying trip indeed.

The city itself is more vibrant than other cities in Cuba I have visited. Lots more going on, more street stalls, more traffic, more people. But the same warm welcome from everyone, and the chance to chill out in one of the tree lined parks with the rest of the inhabitants. Everywhere you turn there seems to be architecture to interest me. From Spanish colonial to early 20th century, just great. Throw in some live Cuban salsa bands, a cool refreshing drink and some grilled fish and banana chips, and you get the picture.

More to see tomorrow, thanks to an extra map that is far more accurate than the one in the guidebook. I have got to the stage of the trip where you start to question the authenticity of the guidebook, as you seem to know more than the editor of the guidebook.

Really starting to get into the groove now.

The first day from Trinidad to Camaguey, went without a hitch, just under 4 hours, that was exactly what people said it would take. Managed to successfully negotiate a number of town ring roads without issue despite the continued lack of signage. However, as so many people line the roads around town, I just kept asking every KM or so just to make sure. Got to Camaguey just after lunch and found the Casa I had booked the previous night. This was not helped by the small inaccurate town guidebook map and a number of Casa touts trying to get me to go elsewhere. All sorted soon enough.

Thus, I had time time to wander around this seemingly lazy town, with its varied architecture, churches, squares and parks. It finally rained just as I was heading back to the Casa. The thunderstorm lasted for a couple of hours with torrential rain all that time. I sheltered in the hospital porch along with a number of locals who seemed to take it in their stride and just relax until it was over. Once it had finished I had a super meal at the Casa before heading into town for some more open air music, town square full of people for the free concert, an odd rock ballad group by the name of Waldo.

Now, the second day turned in to one of those special days. It should have taken only 6 hours to get from Camaguey to Santiago, and as I had an early start, I made super progress and was within an hour of Santaigo by lunch time. In the town of Baire I had some water and a pizza, cheese and chorizo with crunchy bits in. I have no idea what the crunchy bits were, best not ask.

Got back to the car and then looked at the map. There was a small yellow road that seemed to wind through the mountains and come out just before Santiago. I had time on my side, fully refreshed, nearly a full tank of fuel and some cigars for good measure. Decision made.

As soon as I got off the main road I picked up a hitch hiker and he gave me the impression that the road was not too good in theses parts, and it was true, down to 20kph with very potholed roads, and gravel and mud, when the tarmac became patchy, then more patchy, then just gravel, and dirt. Dropped my hitch hiker off and he seemed to be trying to tell me something but I ignored him. After asking another bystander he pointed me in the direction of Dos Palmas, my destination before Santiago. By this time the road was getting more of a farm track through the hills by the minute. I am sure this was once a road, but sadly now just dirt. I did question myself for all of a millisecond as the tyre tracks ran out and all there were were footprints, however, instinct and the travel gods told me to carry on. Sure enough an hour later at 5 to 10 kph the tyre tracks reappeared, all be it very big wide ones (Er … very much like a ZIL). Despite all this, some luckily dry fords with the added pleasure of 100m of concrete, oh the pleasure. Some more steep ascents and descents and some more hitch hikers I got to Dos Palmas. Eventually arriving in Santiago some 9 hours after I departed Camaguey. Car all in one piece no bit fallen off, missing, dented etc. What a star. Thank you travel gods, you have smiled on me once again.

Fell fast asleep at 9:30 ish. I wonder why?
I now realise what the first hitch hiker was trying to tell me. What ever you do, do not go that way as it is only for the big lorries.

The joys of having a hire car really does mean you can go where you want. I doubt many (sane) people have ever been this route.

PS Santiago temperature today, 32 and lots of humidity to go with it.

Firstly there was the hills and the two fantastic water falls I walked to. When I left that morning I had no idea where I was going or what I was going to do in the hills just that I was going and something would turn up. And it did. There is a lookout tower and cafe once you reach the summit of the first hill. Where I got the photograph of the go anywhere ZIL lorry. In there the helpful cafe owner advised me if I had only one day, to do two waterfall walks, Vegas Grande and Coburni. What a spot on result that was. He advised me where the turning was and where to park the car. (all in Spanish I may add, I am learning quickly). I returned later and had a fantastic ham sandwich and coffee. And gave him a good tip that he really seemed to appreciate.

I started the first walk and headed off down a track and found some local farmers picking coffee beans, followed them for a while before descending steeply to the waterfall. A fantastic spot for just watching a listening. The walk back in the humid conditions was hard going. However, I met up with one of the farmers I had met earlier and he invited me in for coffee. Not ordinary coffee obviously. But some of his own he had processed, from picking, drying to roasting etc. All done on a wood fire. What is a bit of carbon between friends anyway. He did make a special point of washing the glass tumbler he gave me the coffee in, so it inspired confidence. Not bad at all and very refreshing.

The second walk was even more down hill and more arduous climbing out. However, it was well worth it. As with all the other people there I went for a swim. Not the warmest of water being a mountain waterfall, but it is in the tropics so it was not too cold. Another steep climb back up. This time just some warm water left in the car for refreshment. I was well chuffed with the day if a exhausted.

The second day it was off into the Valle de los Ingenios. This is where Trinidad made all it wealth. Sugar cane, and lost of it. There is a very touristy 64 metre tower that used to operate as the work bell and a lookout on on the workers in the fields. Great views of the valley and you certainly could keep an eye on what was going on. I then headed off following some odd looking road signs that seemed to indicate they were points of historic interest. One was a let down and was a small overgrown garden of two heroes of the 1950s revolution. However, I picked up elderly hitch hiker on the way back and he showed me to another far more authentic, 400 tear old sugar farm with the tower, the glorious mansion, the slave quarters and the sugar distillery, all in a great deal of decay. But that added to it all, you could still get a real feel for the place. Just the sound of nature with wind rustling the bananas trees nearby and the scurry of the odd lizard here and there, the sound of birds and the buzz of thebees that seem to have taken up home in various parts of the old broken building. My hitch hiker and I spent about an hour just wandering around the grounds finding odd bits here and there and trying to work out what they or it may have been. The only other people there were a group of English ladies on a painting holiday, all with hats, chairs and eisels. Chatted to the lady running the holiday and she said that it was a super site that no one seems to come to.

Trinidad in the evening has been fabulous. Live acts every night doing 1 hour sets. All the locals doing their salsa thing. Even concrete boy here was tapping his foot. I think all Cubans are born with rhythm as even the most innocuous couple seemed to just get it right and look professional. One of my bizarre thoughts was that what would you get if you were half Dutch and half Cuban? Possibly the tallest people on the planet with a fabulous sense of rythm and timing. Concrete boy here still cannot grasp that concept.

It is great to just wander around and take it all in, chatting to, or just saying hello to the locals, who, as I have said before, live life on the doorstep or through the open door and window. By far the friendliest response was from people in the downtown area of Trinidad, be it; people working their fruit and veg store, taxi drivers readying themselves for work, families picking their children up from school or workmen making seats from string. It is certainly away from the UNESCO tourist centre however beautiful that is, but just as engaging.

I have yet to discover the reason, but many people in Trinidad seem to own small birds, keeping them in small wooden cages and carrying them around with them wherever they go. Also, lots of dogs who just laze on their owners window sill or door step.

The Casa I am staying at is run by the sister of the daughter of the mother who runs another Casa I was recommended to by two Norwegians I met in Vinales. Such is the tentacle like reach of the Casa network. They always seem to know someone who can help and you will never be without a room for the night. Their reach even extends to other cities in Cuba, so I have a list of contacts for the other cities I am due to stop in. A telephone call the night before is all that is needed.

As for the internet connection and the update of this website. A netbook, photoshop and a USB stick is all that I need. Every town has the national telephone office where there are telephone kiosks and always a few internet computers. You just buy your 1 hour access card, log on and there you have it. Just in case you have been wondering how this was all being bought to you.

I appear to one of few tourists on their own, lots of tour groups on the ubiquitous Transtur Cuban tourist buses, and a few groups of twos and threes. Many French, German and Scandinavian amongst them.
Treated myself this afternoon to some salsa music and a few drinks of rum, honey and lime. A marvellous way to spend the warm afternoon.

Sugar plays a very big part in Cuba’s history, as it does for ther UK. Introduced by the Spanish originally, a good thing, as they found the climate and terrain just right for growing the sugar cane they needed. However, It was the English that commercialised it, on the back (literally) of slave labour from Africa, China and India, a bad thing. I am one of those people who is not proud of “all the pink bit’s ours”, or just invading a country and not exactly treating the native inhabitants with either, dignity or respect. Most European nations are just as guilty I hasten to add. Enough ranting. I went to the sugar museum that explains all this and the industrialisation of the process thanks to the steam engine.

I decided to have a bit more beach time so headed to Caibarien and the Cayo off the coast, accessed by a 30KM raised road and bridges (36 of them, I counted each one). After a bit of incorrect signage, not my map reading, I eventually found the beach. A tad windy so no swimming, just some more sun ……………. and nothing else, no thinking, no doing, just nothing. Very enjoyable.

As you well know Cuba is equatorial, therefore, it gets roughly 12 hours of sun (sorry) light and dark, therefore, it gets dark around 6PM every night. So I was on my way back by 4:30PM and stopped at the coastal town of Caibarien. A town built purely for the local sugar industry, with multi coloured old sugar warehouses, for street after street.

The 3 hour drive from Remedios to Cienfuegos was off route. I took the wrong turn on the Santa Clara ring road but turned it to my advantage by taking the very scenic route through the countryside. Less, green, less humid, less dense vegetation and very much drier that Vinales. Mountains to the one side and partly farmed, partly open land either side of the deserted road, bar for the odd horse and cart (and dog) and bicycle.

Busy and prosperous Cienfuegos is a huge change from rural Remedios. The obvious availability of more money, the pedestrianised street, the freshly painted buildings and the general smart appearance and a very good restaurant I frequented.

I am starting to get to know Cuba a bit more now. Firstly, the very hospitable and honest people, The Casa owners who give you the run of their home and will do anything for you, the people who give you directions or just want to help if you look a bit lost. Despite the dual currency, one for nations and one for foreigners, very rarely have I been overcharged or given the wrong change. The complete lack of advertising. A very pleasant change from the vivid colours and brightness of any westernised culture. Loosely associated with this is the function over form format for a vast range of goods and services, It is state run after all. It is friendly, not wasteful and everyone seems to look out for each other. Like living in a commune (ism)? As citizen Smith once said ….. .. … …… You can fill in the blanks

My last day in Vinales was spent partly on the back of a horse doing a trek around the fertile valley. So fertile in actual fact that if “old jose he had a farm” on it he would have chickens, pigs and at this point it differs slightly to the original you may remember. He would also have pineapple, guava, mango, coffee, orange, banana, sweet potato, avocado and tobacco. Hooray for humidity. Field upon field of the most fantastic crops. My Spanish is improving slightly and I understood that the farmer’s tobacco crop is sown in November and December, they grow to about 1.3M then harvested in May and taken to the drying house. The various leaves at differing heights of the plant being put to differing uses. The government takes 90 % and the farmer can keep the rest. He processes this himself, organically fermenting the leaves with honey and whatever else he has around. Then rolling his own cigars (I have it on video). And very nice they are too. By all accounts Vinales has the best soil and climate for growing tobacco and some of the finest cigars are made from crops in this region.

The 8 hour drive (with stops on route) was a real in-site into Cuban life. For a start the roads are virtually empty, a 3 lane motorway with no one on it. I.E. not many people have enough money to own a car. However, whilst on this motorway you may encounter 1 American 18 wheeler, a few Russian lorries, chickens, dogs, lots and lots of people hitching lifts, particularly around bridges and also in the outside lane trying to sell you things, horse and cart (with and against the direction of travel) bicycles (ditto), police, cattle (across the carriageway) and the odd local cowboy and dog with and without his cattle (across, with and against the direction of travel) . All in all a variety of life I think you can agree. Basically, it is a poor country that survives a great deal on tourism since the demise of the Soviet Union. The average Cuban must use all of their ingenuity to make sure they can make a living, even if it includes selling bread in the outside lane of the only major motorway. This was confirmed by an hour long chat in English with a surprisingly fluent speaking baker in Santa Clara this morning. The disparity and levels of wealth are becoming more and more apparent. What I pay for one night in a casa particular would be more than 2 months wages for the baker I chatted to. A sobering thought indeed. The redistribution of wealth may not be what it could. More investigation and observation is required.

Santa Clara itself is a small provicial city half way down the island. A main square that comes to life on a Saturday evening, with everyone dressed up and all age ranges from 3 to 90. All enjoying themselves and passing the time of day, with only a very minimal quantitiy of alcohol, around. I suspect the latter is a luxury and cannot readily be afforded, but makes a nice change to see a large urban collection of people not driven by alcohol. The town has lots of early 20th century architecture in various forms of decay and a fantastic casa particular with a 19th century colonial feel to it. And the food is as good as always, locally caught fish last night. Last night I also managed to blagg my way in to a live theatre performance by an contemporary dance company, got one of the last seats available. Fantatic evenings entertainement. The charity theatre Santa Clara, built in 1884 and given a once over in the 1980s. A superb location. It topped off a very long but enjoyable day.

With the assistance of yet another hitch hiker (or two) I then headed to the coast to Cayo Jutias. About an hours journey through undulating terrain and more dense tropical pines, palms, with the odd goat, pig and horse by the road side for good measure. Cayo Jutias is the type beach you see in all the Caribbean photographs. Long stretches of white sand turquoise shallow sea and lots of sunshine. Just magic, sat in the sun or going for a swim in the warm sea or a snorkel looking at all the fish swimming on the sea bed. It all had to be done. Wandering along its length with feet just in the water certainly relaxed me even more. Hardly anyone around so you almost had the place to yourself if wanted.

I am starting to get a glimpse of life for the everyday Cuban. Lack of available wealth is becoming apparent. Not a country with vast car ownership, long hitch hiking queues, trying to sell what you grow or what the state allows you to sell for yourself. Therefore, tourist provide a great source of income, in all forms, be they hire cars, accommodation or tips out and about (more of the latter tomorrow). Having chatted to a few fellow travels already it is apparent that the Casa Particular (B&B) are the best place to stop. The owners are constantly trying to out do each other with the quality and quantity of food. All that money you pay goes in at the local level helping to keep the small towns thriving. Long may it continue.

Well, after three days in Havana it is time to get the hire car and head west to Pinar Del Rio. Eventually left at 10:30 with a little saloon car that has done 75000 KM and has a very lived in look. There were so many marks on the hire car paperwork it looked like someone had scribbled on it. Anyway, the 6 hour journey along the coast road was great. Hardly anyone else on the road, hence the profusion of people hitching lifts, so I happily obliged. For a start; they know where they are going so can give you directions as there are few road signs giving any assistance; they know when the road gets really bumpy (they are normally rough anyway) so you can slow down in time and they know the best places to take photographs. The latter included a field of tobacco and the associated drying house. To be honest I had no idea what a tobacco plant/tree looked like. The small villages you pass through on the way are far removed from the frenetic pace of Havana. A slow rural pace, with bicycles, horse and cart, and my favourite, indestructible Russian built lorries. People just getting on with their life, selling their produce, or just traveling and shopping.

The landscape transformed from the urban landscape to a tropical (we are in Cancer after all) wonder. Palms, pines, bananas, open grassland, rice fields and the further I got to Vinales, even more palms, denser vegetation and a gently undulating terrain that got harsher as we got nearer the Mogote hills, huge limestone hills rising steeply from the valley floor, with palm trees clinging to the rock face. The latter being a very odd concept for me to see. In addition the earth has changed colour from dark brown through purple to the familiar rich red.

My accommodation in Vinales, that was arranged by the very helpful Luis at Casa 1932 (Havana B&B) is just magic, a self contained bungalow as all the houses are in Vinales, very tasty food in huge quantities, more than enough for 3, let alone 1. But, hey… . someone’s has cooked me food, so it would be rude not to. And for all you foodies and “knit your own, organic free range sandals” brigade, all of the food is local including the meat (as everyone seems to own chickens), the climate is suitable to grow anything (and they do) so it normally comes from their garden or someone else’s, the chances of them using pesticide are very remote indeed, so my breakfast, of banana, guava, pineapple, and mango and fried eggs and tomato was very very local and very organic.

The poorer, and to be honest dirtier, part on central Havana does have life in every crevice, from barbers, fruit sellers, cafes, cobblers and the smell of the odd cigar and the the many bakeries. Metal carts rattling down the pot holed roads, kids playing football and neighbours just passing the time of day from their doorsteps or from the open doors and windows of their houses, that are there for all to see.

The current wealthier part of town does have the obviously (wealth then) early 20th century feel. Art deco and art nouveau, but with that decayed look. Some have been restored very well but for every 1 restored there are 10 that have not been. Also greenery and tree lined streets. A very pleasant place to aimlessly wander with the added benefit of the police looking after you (see above).

The cliche of old 1950s American cars has to be balanced with the vast numbers of Ladas, that normally goes unmentioned, but as a frequent passenger, it is the 1974 go anywhere, last for ever vehicle, it should not go unmentioned.

Managed, by a bit of persistence on my part to get a tour around a cigar factor this morning, the aroma and noise was terrific. It appears that Havana is very much lined up for the tour groups of which there are many but not for the lone traveller. A number of the big museums or tourist sites are being refurbished at present. Cuba certainly knows where the tourist money is. I on the other hand have been spending it at the local shops and with the taxi drivers and cafe owners, who, so I have been told, only have a little freedom to do what they want and every peso counts, so a coffee here and a cake there all puts a little more money into the local economy.

Off to get a hire car tomorrow for more adventures to the west. Pinar Del Rio to be exact.