My ear kept me awake most of my last night in Santiago de Cuba (2 February). My ear was completely blocked and felt like a piece of glass was walking around inside. I was on anti-biotics and pain-killers from Australia. Most Cuban pharmacies have closed due to lack of stock from the embargo. I visited one and it had only a few bottles of cough syrup. Ridiculous. Cubans have to go to the local hospital to get drugs and even then they are administered on a priority basis. Olives and peas kept my mind off my ear last night. So great to eat something green since the cruise.
Our 6hr drive to Camaguey began with a huge stroke of luck at the best hotel in Bayamo which was our scheduled toilet break. A gift shop in the foyer had 15 bottles of Sav Blanc for $USD5 each. Jackpot. I collected 5 and my brother another 2. From that moment onwards my ear did not matter. I had what I needed. We headed inland from the coast with very flat landscape with many sugarcane plantations. It is amazing how many horse-drawn carriages you will see all over Cuba. Not surprising given most people earn $12USD per month – how on earth is anyone going to afford a car. You also see many bicycles. Anyone with a motor bike keeps it in their living room so it does not get stolen off the street outside. The Cuba of today is a relic of the past. Even some of the local city guides we had agreed that this is a country that has had its life support system turned off. We arrived into Camaguey around 530pm so with a free day tomorrow it was time to simply rest up.
Bundy and I slept in until 830am the next morning (4 February) and I went for a run. The swelling in my ear had reduced and I could partly hear again. I returned to an unwell Bundy. Dizziness that sounded like Vertigo. I googled the symptoms and they matched Bundy’s so I googled the “Epley Maneuver” which resets the calcium crystals in the middle ear that cause the disorientation and dizziness in the first place. This only partly worked. Something else was wrong. Lucky for Bundy, Benny walked into our building at the right time and took Bundy to visit a local International Surgery. I used this time to discover and photograph Camaguey since it was overcast with periodic light rain.
Camaguey (Pop 278,716. Elev 95m) was founded in 1514 by Spanish colonists under Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar. The city streets were purposely designed into a confusing maze of winding alleys and dead ends to disorient and trap invaders. The city contains over 30 churches, mainly Catholic, reflecting Baroque, Neoclassical, and Art Deco styles. The city centre is a mini architectural version of Havana and for this reason was UNESCO protected in 2008. Unlike Havana the buildings in the centre are well-kept and freshly painted. They are assembled around several “plazas” making it easy to find and visit them. Buildings and roads outside the centre are run down, unkept and decaying as I found out during my run. The city is famous for Ignacio Agramonte, born here in 1841 and inspired the revolt against the Spanish. Another notable figure is the physician, Carlos J. Finlay who first proved that the mosquito was the source of yellow fever. Camaguey was also used by Castro as a base during the revolution because of its central location. For me, Camaguey had more soul and character than Havana. It did not feel “abandoned” like Havana. It had some life and presence. I spent 3.5hrs walking the centre and visited the following plazas and sights: Parque Casino Campestre, Auditorium Ivan Hidalgo Funes, Parque Enrique Jose Varona, San Juan de Dios Plaza, Museo & Iglesia, Iglesia de San Francisco, Parque Ignacio Agramonte, Catedral de Nuestra Senora de la Cendelaria, Casa Natal de Carlos J Finlay, Plaza del Carmen, Iglesia del Carmen, Casa Natal de Enrique Jose Varona, Plaza de los Trabajadores, Casa Natal de Ignacio Agramonte, Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de la Merced, Plaza del Gallo, Iglesia de La Soledad, Teatro Avellaneda, Independence Square. The highlight was having a coffee in an original 18th Century building in the plaza dedicated to Ignacio Agramonte – you will see an image of this below. The lowlight worth mentioning here was Independence Square – do not bother going there – it is far away and very bland and isolated. My finale highlight was finding a store near our hostel that sold $3USD wine and ice cream !!!
It rained all night and when we woke at 630am. Brekkie at 7am and off at 8am. Bundy was still under the weather but not as bad as yesterday. It rained for most of our drive making it easy for him to sleep and for me to blog. More flat territory and semi-rural. It took us 2hrs to get to our stop at Ciego de Avila where we visited a costume jewellery workshop and gallery. I also managed a visit to the town square to capture it on photo and film for you. This place was special because it was the first time we found ice cream and yoghurt. We opted for the later since it was sealed and still cold whereas the ice-cream was out of an unsealed container. The town is also famous for its BBQ pork rolls which we picked up for lunch. A welcome break. Enjoy this stop for yourself…
The rest of the drive to Trinidad is very scenic. There is a mountain chain and valley close to Trinidad that makes the scenery. I spoke too soon regarding the yogurt – even though it was sealed, it passed straight through me and the van had to make an emergency stop so I could fertilise the countryside. About 19km out from Trinidad we made another stop at Manaca Iznaga, an old sugar growing and milling community started in the late 1700’s and closed after the Revolution. Now it is a tourist trap selling mainly linen clothing and table cloths. The Cuban tourist sellers hassle big-time. No matter where we were in Cuba they come up to you shoving product in your face. Amigo Amigo Amigo. It is both sad and annoying at the same time. If you were to engage with each one of them you would never see any attractions. No eye contact, ignore, no talking and never stop – keep walking. About 8km from Trinidad we enjoyed spectacular views of the Topes de Collantes Mountain Ranges overlooking Trinidad.
We arrived into Trinidad early at 230pm with ample time to walk the historic centre. As you will see in the images below, this was our favourite city/town/location by a long shot. Classic Spanish Colonial buildings, cobblestone streets, arts and crafts on every corner and plenty of other tourists. This place was well-kept with a definite buzz of life about it. Nothing abandoned. Nothing silent. It is a very artisan town with artists and crafts people everywhere. People painting. People sculpting. People making fans. And this is the place to buy Cuban cigars. Best selection. Best prices. The main square is gorgeous. I went off on my own and visited the following places: Plaza de los tres Palmitos, Ruben Martinez Villena (Pedestrian Mall 3 Pins) to San Francisco de Asis Convento & Viewpoint, Museo Nacional de la Lucha Contra Bandidos, Simon Fernando Hernandez Echerri (Pedestrian Mall 2 Pins) to Plaza Mayor & Viewpoint, Museo de Arquitectura de Trinidad, Iglesia de la Santisima Trinidad, Museo Romantico, Simon Bolivar (Pedestrian Mall 3 Pins) to Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de la Candelaria de la Popa & Viewpoint of Old Town.
Trinidad (Pop 77,927. Elev 80m) was founded in1514 by Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988, because of its historical importance as a center of the sugar trade in the 18th and 19th centuries. Trinidad is one of the best-preserved cities in the Caribbean from the time when the sugar trade was the main industry in the region.
What a day the next day 6 February. Probably the best on the trip. I started out at 630am running my way out of town at 15C with spectacular mountain scenery before me. At 9am we drove to the Salta de Javira Waterfall. Just 8km out of town and 2.1km there and back on foot. Easy trek. 115m up and 42m down. The waterfall itself is not big but the pool it fills is large and flows into a cave system full of bats. From here it was off to the most popular beach in Cuba. Ancon Beach. Very long and with white sand. Lovely green-blue water and surrounded by a coral reef. See for yourself…
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