Adios to Cuba

Adios to Cuba – May 20 – 31, 2011

We couldn’t pass up an opportunity for one more, short road trip before leaving Cuba. This one was a day trip the Cuevas de Bellamar at nearby Matanzas. Debbie got up early to go in to the bus depot so she could tell the driver to stop at Marina Darsena to pick up her little tour group.

A large staircase at the entrance to the caves led deep down into a maze of stalactites and stalagmites. Our English speaking tour guide provided scientific explanations on the beautiful formations we were surrounded by as well as providing some humorous anecdotes.

An underground pool.

The Phantom of the Opera made an appearance.

From the caves we took the bus to downtown Matanzas for lunch where Debbie guided us to a restaurant with the largest selection of hamburger choices that we had seen.

New home construction at Matanzas.

 

 

Classic hamburger, hamburger with egg, hamburger with ham, hamburger with cheese, hamburger with mushroom, hamburger with egg and cheese, hamburger and fries, hamburger with ham, cheese and egg. That’s just a partial list with only a couple of items over two dollars.

 

You can also get beer on tap, served in these pitchers that have a tube in the middle that is filled with ice to keep the beer cold.

 

 The variety of door designs is endless.

 

A few plain with fancy surroundings,

 

 Many have intricate wrought iron work,

 

Stained glass is common,

 

Some have unusual handles,

And some could use a little more paint.

Back at the marina in Varadero reality started to sink in and we finally admitted to ourselves it was time to prepare for saying adios to Cuba and returning to the US. Hurricane season was just around the corner and we did not want to put ourselves in harms’ way unnecessarily.

We bade farewell to our good friends on Ajaya as they left for points south with the intention of heading through the Panama Canal and across the Pacific. Knowing that the probability of seeing them in person again is very low, made for a sad parting indeed.

Ajaya’s arrival in Varadero was a much happier time.

For the last pot luck dinner at the Table of Too Much Knowledge I made a valiant attempt at cooking whole fish A La Addison Chan. Just boil a pot of water, turn off the heat and pop the fish in for ten or fifteen minutes depending on the size. Take the fish out of the water, top it with some sliced ginger and onions in a shallow pan then pour a cup of very hot oil over it. I have probably over simplified the recipe but it sure did taste good when Addison did it.

Debbie helped lighten the boat up for the trip north by relieving us of several pounds of overstocked provisions from the US that she does not have easy access to.

The officials knew that we wanted to be on our way early on May 19th. At 7:00 AM they were at the dock. By 7:20 we had received our despacho from the Ministry of the Interior, were untying our lines and heading back out to sea. Three hours later we were in international waters. By 3:00 PM we had entered the southern edge of the Gulf Stream.

It was nice to have our chart plotter functioning again. Using a digital camera Tom was able to determine that the small card reader had a bent pin that he was able to straighten with a skinny screwdriver. Thanks to Duncan for suggesting that solution.

We sailed much of the first day and used the engine to keep our speed up overnight. With a strong push from the Gulf Stream we were making good time, attaining speeds over the ground as high as 11 knots. We had expected that it would take two full days and nights to reach Lake Worth Inlet, about one quarter of the way up the east coast of Florida, but had our anchor set on the south side of Peanut Island by 6:00 on day two.

 Sunset over the Gulf Stream.

We were able to pick up a wi-fi signal from the anchorage used Skype to make a call to Customs and Border Protection to announce our arrival from Cuba. We were given an arrival confirmation number and were advised to appear in person at a CBP office within 24 hours in order to complete the check in process and obtain a new cruising permit. We had some products of Cuban origin on board and did not know what restrictions would be applied to us as Canadian nationals. The paintings, wooden carvings and other souvenir crafts were deemed acceptable. The two bottles of Havana Club rum were not.

Riverside Marina near Ft. Pierce, Florida was to be Polar Pacer’s home for the summer. We booked flights to Canada and made a list of things “to do” before leaving her in the care of the boatyard.

We hung out in Lake Worth and the anchorage at Manatee Pocket for a few days and did some exploring before before making our way to Ft. Pierce. 

Catching bait on Lake Worth.

Long weekend beach camping on Peanut Island.

We tried to google this fellow ICW boater but came up with nothing.

Manatee Pocket.

     On the hard for hurricane season with the rental car in the garage.

Another Cuban Road Trip

Another Cuban Road Trip – May 13 – 15, 2011

Located in Varadero, we were in a good position for taking another road trip to visit the provinces of Matanzas, Villa Clara, Cienfuegos and Sancti Spiritus.

After picking up a rental car, around sixty-five dollars per day, we headed east through the nearby village of Cardenas, home to many of the Cubans who make the daily commute to Varadero to work in the resorts.

Commuter central.

The autopistas (central highways) in Cuba run the length of the island with roads of varying levels criss-crossing them to join the many communities in the interior and on both coastlines. The rental car came with a good, if badly translated, highway guide that helped us make our way cross country to Trinidad on the south coast. 

 Breakfast at this roadside take out consisted of cheese pizza and a blended juice like drink that they call a batido which my dictionary translates as a milkshake. What we were served did not appear to contain any milk related product but was quite good.

We passed through many villages and areas of open country side with several terrain changes.

A freshly painted playground in a residential area.

 Large hills dotted with palm trees.

We stopped and asked if we could take some photos of a pineapple field and collection facility close to our route of travel. The lady who seemed to be in charge advised us “No. Es militaria.” Apparently this farming operation was a military operation and not a Kodak Moment. The harvested pineapples were sorted into two sets of large crates. The largest ones, destined for the tourist industry, in one set and the smaller ones, intended for local consumption, in the other set. We were allowed to have a look around without taking photos and were offered, as a parting gift, as many of the small pineapples as we wanted.

We were not prepared for transporting fresh produce and limited our gift taking to what we thought we could consume in a few days.

 This gentleman generously stopped his team of oxen when he saw that we were trying to take pictures of them.

We decided to splurge for lunch at the hotel Santa Clara Libre located on the west side of Parque Vidal in downtown Santa Clara. After showing our passports to the receptionist as proof that we were tourists we were allowed to take the elevator to the tenth floor where almost every table had a view looking over the rooftops of the city.

Items for sale in the general store that we parked next to. Prices are in national pesos. (Conversion approximately 25 to one dollar, c/u = each.) Most Cubans earn the equivalent of $20 per month or less.

From our table we could see the monument to Che Guevera in the distance. Finding our way by car was a little trickier.

The monument commemorates Ernesto Che Guevera for his role in the Revolution against dictator Fulgencia Batista. In 1958 Che led the Cuban rebels to victory in the Battle of Santa Clara by derailing n armoured train.

Che and I.

Baseball is undoubtedly one of the favourite sports in Cuba. As we passed through a small village a friendly game was just getting underway. We became the tourist attraction when we stopped for a few minutes to watch the action and share our military pineapples with the audience.

Where they lacked in modern equipment they made up for in enthusiasm.

By this time we were entering the Sierra del Escambray mountains and the Gran Parque Natural Topes de Collantes with its spectacular scenery.

One of many scenic views.

When we reached the outer edge of Trinidad we were approached by several young men who tried to get our business for a casa particular. Even after telling them that we intended to go to place for which we had the address they tried to dissuade us by saying that there was no electricity in that part of town. We stuck to our original plan and found the casa we were looking for complete with functioning electricity. With no other means of advertising we couldn’t really blame them for using what might be viewed as unorthodox tactics.

Our rooms were on the second floor with a rooftop patio for dining …

… and a view of the action on the street below. Note the black, lacy patterned panty hose. They are very popular.

The only way to get around the maze of cobblestoned streets in the old part of town (a UNESCO site) is on foot. It’s important to take your time as the streets are quite steep and you don’t want to wear yourself out too quickly. There is so much to see.

Elaborately decorated cakes are very popular and often displayed out on the street.

 Intricate designs in the haberdashery.

Daschunds are often the domestic dog of choice.

 Trinidad is home to several good museums with inexpensive entry fees of one or two dollars. We did not have time to see them all so we picked Museo de Historia Municipal to take a short tour and climb the very narrow spiral staircase to the tower with a wonderful view overlooking the city.

There are numerous venues for live music at night. All you need to do is listen and follow the sounds. Some are outdoors like the large staged performance we came across at the Casa de la Musica, part of the way up a wide set of stairs on the side of the impressive Iglesia de la Santisma Trinidad .

Our return to Polar Pacer was via the southern coast to the port of Cienfuegos, cross country through a couple of small villages, back to the northern coast at Matanzas and east again to Varadero.

We visited a Canadian boat at the Cienfuegos marina where we had unrestricted access the dock unlike the Varadero marina that does not allow visitors without prior arrangement and foreign identification.

 The Palacio de Valle is a distinctive example of the extensively restored architecture in Cienfuegos.

A brilliant display of roadside colour.

One small village was memorable for its wooden buildings decorated with intricate designs.

There was no detour route around the closed section of main road through the village of Calimete where a local festival was in progress. What better reason to join the party.

Calimete does not normally attract tourists. In fact, it is not even listed in the Rough Guide to Cuba.

Our stay at the Calimete festival was cut short by a rain shower that soon turned into a downpour.

 By the time we reached the next village the streets were flooded.

We were not the only ones caught by the short lived rain storm. This load of rice had to be emptied onto the pavement and dried in the heat of the sun.

 We arrived back at the the Table of Too Much Knowledge in time for cocktail hour.

Back to Havana – May 6 to 8, 2011

We were excited to be joined in Varadero by our friends on Ajaya whom we had not been able to say a proper goodbye to. Hugs over the radio waves are just not a good substitute for the real thing. We were also able to join them for another dose of Havana.

Back on the 8 AM bus with short stops at the new Varadero airport, Matanzas and the DIY pina colada bar. We travelled light with just our backpacks containing a couple of changes of clothing, some toiletries, cameras and a guide book. Oh yes, and as always, a supply of toilet paper.

Dagoberto’s rooms were already occupied but Marie Elena had two available with a shared bath. We dropped off our luggage and headed out on foot.

The Mexican Navy was in town with a tall ship open for tours. We chose to keep moving rather than spend time in a long queue (choice of words for our British travelling companions).

Although we had taken a horse and buggy ride on our first visit we did a repeat. As expected, we saw more than a few things that we had missed on the first go around.

A well restored façade.

A bit of Moorish influence.

 As always, there was usually live music within earshot or signs that it was about to happen.

 Well worn sheet music in use by a member of the full orchestra performing in one of the public squares.

On a corner not connected to any railway tracks that we noticed, several old engines were sitting in various stages of repair. The idle yard person told us that there was no work that he could do until some parts became available. We understood that this equipment is expected to be put back into service.

The population of Cuba is reported to be 1 percent Asian and Marie Elena’s casa is located on the edge of Havana’s Chinatown. Why not Chinese food for dinner?

The fare at the Tien Tan, while very edible, did not resemble any dishes that we would have recognized. I suspect that there were a few ingredient substitutions.

One of these paintings has migrated to our condo storage unit waiting for a wall to be hung on some day.

Markets in the city offer a few conveniences that the village markets do not have.

You can purchase coconut pre-shredded so you do not have to do it yourself at home.

Similarily, cabbage is thinly pre-sliced and sold in convenient meal sized packages.

The Bacardi family and their trademark rum played a major role in Cuban history in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries. The beautiful and outwardly well maintained Edificio Bacardi is an excellent example of Art Deco architecture that was completed in 1930. Lunch on the mezzanine level gave us a leisurely opportunity to enjoy the interior decoration.

A shot of the well restored art deco interior.

From the inside looking out.

In May 2011 the top floor lookout was officially closed but unofficially a couple of CUC’s got us access to a level near the top of the building where the view was breathtaking. It was easier to breath normally with our backs pressed up against the wall.

Edificio Bacardi

Yes, there are jineteros (hustlers) in Havana. But what options do they have when advertising does not exist? One such hustler struck up a conversation with us as we walked down the sidewalk and insisted that we stop for a drink at the bar on the corner. After all, the piano player, Amaranto Fernandez reportedly used to play with the Buena Vista Social Club although the official website does not mention his name in the list of muscians. Who knows?

The gang with Amaranto.

We continue to enjoy the traditional Cuban music from the CD we purchased.

 The troupe of stilt walkers had a change of costume since our last visit.

The Hop-On, Hop-Off bus in Havana provided us with an inexpensive opportunity to see more of the city than what was in easy walking distance of the Capitolio Nacional. For five dollars we could ride all day. The round trip took over two hours without us even hopping off once. There was plenty to see from the top of the double decker bus.

Santaria practitioners. Santeria is an Afro-Cuban religion that is a blend of beliefs rooted in West African and Spanish Catholicism.

Another way to see Havana.

Socialism. Today, tomorrow and always.

For our return to Varadero we tried to arrange for the same classic American car that we hired on our last trip but it wasn’t available. It was either otherwise occupied, broken down or the trip not profitable enough to make it worthwhile for the driver.

A little confusion over the departure time of the bus from the terminal downtown resulted in a bit of a wait and time to enjoy the lovely mosaic and have a bit of late lunch.

Apparently my Spanish speaking abilities had improved as I was able to explain to the non-English speaking driver that we would like to get off the bus at the marina instead of going all the way in ti downtown Varadero.

Relevant Reading: The Rudder – The Magazine for Yachtsmen, December 1949

We found this old American sailing magazine in Havana. Plaza de Armas is a permanent booksellers market where racks of pre-revolutionary books and magazines are on offer.

 Besides a few issues of The Rudder we saw many issues of National Geographic and other magazines from the ‘40’s and ‘50s. 

Our 1949 find contains an article on “Cruising the South Coast of Florida” by Dr. R.L. Walford who, with his crew of one, took the long route from the continental US to Puerto Rico by rounding the western end of Cuba and sailing the southern coast in a deep draft, 40 foot cutter.

Without all of the modern navigation equipment that we use today they had to rely on lead lines to read the water depths (very importance due to the abundance of reefs that surround the island), coastal landmarks like odd shaped hills and sugar mill stacks to identify their position and a fire on shore to identify the coastline during a night passage. To measure their speed when they lost the spinner from their knot log line they threw a stick in the water at the bow and timed how long it took to reach the stern. Professional weather routers did not yet exist and they had to contend with whatever weather they encountered when it happened. It is amazing that they only went aground three times.

At Cochinos Bay (Bay of Pigs) they enlisted the services of a professional crocodile hunter to help them obtain a rare specimen for the National Zoo in Washington, DC. After carrying their live catch on board to Cienfuergos, foiling a near escape in the process, they determined that their passenger was not the species they were looking for and released it back into the sea. Today, Cochinos bay is a tourist attraction where many people go on day trips from their all-inclusive resorts.

Santiago de Cuba was their last port of call before heading for other distant shores. We have visited the harbours of Cienfuegos and Santiago by land. Perhaps another year we will visit them from the sea.

Our friends, Phil and Nikki, purchased a 1955 issue of The Rudder. In it we found an advertisement for sailing charters in the Bahamas.

The offer was being made by none other than Randolph Johnston, the Canadian ex-pat sculptor of Man-O-War Cay who later moved to Little Harbour to establish his foundry. See my Relevant Reading post from December 2009 – Leaving the Bahamas.