| "Funny, gracious, generous, tactile and slow to anger, | | | | by bicycle taxis but Trinidad is the heart and soul of |
| the Cuban people are the Irish of the Americas; a small | | | | Cuba and Cuban art - both music and painting etc. |
| nation with a big personality, and plenty of rum-fueled | | | | The final night before arriving back in Havana was |
| backs-to-the-walls boisterousness to go with it. Take | | | | spent in the town Santa Clara where Che Guevara. |
| the time to get to know them on their own turf and | | | | He is one of the most revered figures in their history |
| you're halfway to understanding what this most | | | | and surprisingly not even Cuban-born. Cubans are very |
| confounding and contradictory of Caribbean countries | | | | fixated with all things revolutionary - whether it is the |
| is all about." | | | | fights they had centuries ago against the Spanish or |
| So starts the Lonely Planet Cuba book and I can | | | | whether it is in the ones in the 1950's as Fidel struggled |
| concur. It is a country that is hard to understand for | | | | twice and lost and then succeeded to win over the |
| someone like me who comes from a capitalistic and | | | | country. These battle stories all portray glory times for |
| democratic country. Most companies and shops a | | | | them. |
| tourist would come into contact with are owned and | | | | People have been quite delightful to us; we never felt |
| run by the government. Because of this system, there | | | | like someone was coming for our bags although we |
| is no real impetus for anyone to sell more or try harder | | | | were frequently asked for soap as well as our actual |
| or step out of line or perform better. Life will go on; the | | | | shirts. Not sure why they would think we carry soap in |
| government will take care of everyone and so it goes. | | | | our purse or why we might carry an extra shirt. |
| Slightly different from here. One story told to us was | | | | Old Havana is an amazing place to walk around. Most |
| about kitchen utilities and went as follows: the | | | | buildings have iron grates over the doors/windows so |
| government has a full list of all appliances owned by | | | | if the wooden door/window is open beyond you can |
| everyone. The government will decide when it is time | | | | see right into the home - and I mean 3 feet away |
| for a new one. Then they come along with a truck, | | | | from you. These people do not have frontage on their |
| leave you a new one and take away the old one. | | | | property if you know what I mean. One of their |
| Havana is an amazing city and has a nice feel to it. | | | | favourite past-times is sitting or leaning out said door |
| You hear music coming from every doorway. It is hard | | | | window to watch their neighbours - and strangers - |
| to know what people are lined up for because the | | | | pass by. So there I was with my camera and it all |
| doorways where they are standing do not look at all | | | | works out. Their skin colour is a bit of everything as |
| like shops. Living there, it must be a real art to figure | | | | there were slaves brought here from Africa to work |
| out where you go to buy anything | | | | the sugar plantations and Spanish who procreated |
| The old capital city of Santiago de Cuba at the south | | | | with everyone. There is even a Chinatown part of |
| eastern tip is a bit of a rabbit warren and everything | | | | Havana which we walked through but, oddly, we did |
| feels much more compressed than Havana. The | | | | not see one Asian person. |
| Spanish idea of building plazas is ever present here | | | | Finally, let's talk about cars, yes cars. Here in Cuba, |
| and it is a delight to see the locals sitting around arguing | | | | cars are fascinating for no discernible reason. Tourists |
| about baseball or dominoes. You should note that the | | | | become obsessed with them. The Bay of Pigs incident |
| Moors occupied Spain for over 400 years - so as you | | | | was circa 1962 and after that, the importing of |
| wander around, there is a strong Moorish architectural | | | | American cars (along with everything else American) |
| influence mixed in with their own local style. | | | | stopped. The best looking ones are owned by the |
| Peregrine rented a catamaran for our group for the | | | | government and are used as taxis. So our passion |
| day. We cruised for about 90 minutes. jumped off with | | | | was with taking pictures of them and riding in them. |
| snorkel gear on and swam around the reef. Amazing | | | | One of my favourite moments of the whole trip was |
| colours. Then we motored around to the other side of | | | | riding at dusk in the back seat of a 1955 PINK |
| the island and had lunch and lounged for a couple of | | | | CADILLAC CONVERTIBLE along the Atlantic |
| hours. A highlight of the 2 weeks. | | | | shoreline on this wide street called the Malecon. What |
| A walking tour of the old city of Trinidad - a UNESCO | | | | a trip! What a way to live! So cool. |
| World Heritage site since 1988 - was next. Trinidad is | | | | It is a jumble of colours and of ages, Cuba at its best. |
| not quite as colourful as Camaguey where we toured | | | | |