Cuba
Provincia de Villa Clara

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    • Day 14

      In Search of Che Guevara

      March 15, 2020 in Cuba ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

      After three days in Trinidad, we were really starting to feel at home in the place. The streets that had looked so confusing when we arrived, now felt familiar. My home for the three nights had been the magnificent casa particulaire owned by Carlos and Jenny Amenidides. They really had welcomed us and proven to be exceptional hosts.

      We bade our final farewell after breakfast and walked our luggage back to the waiting bus. Our destination for the day was the famous city of Santa Clara - the place where the image of Che Guevera is everywhere. But before we could begin the day;'s ride we had a tortuous bus transfer up high into the mountains.

      Anyone who thinks that Cuba is all flat, has no idea what they are talking about. The driver had to use all his skill to negotiate the narrow roads and the tight switchbacks. At times the gradients were so steep that I was worried that the bus would not be able to struggle to the top of the next climb. The roof of the bus regularly bashed on the low overhanging branches.

      At one spectacular vantage point we stopped to climb to the top of a viewing platform where we could see all the way back to Trinidad and the Caribbean Sea beyond. It was an ideal spot for another group photo.

      Then it was back in the bus for another 30 minutes of serious climbing. I was certainly glad we didn't have to ride THAT section ! Eventually the bus stopped and we were told to get ready to ride. I looked ahead at the next section of road and noted that it went straight uphill. Lee had told us that the day's ride would be a DOWNHILL ride, but once again he had lied.

      For the next two hours we alternated between long fast descents and steep climbs. Although the climbs were not long, some of them were very steep. I am happy to admit that one two occasions I got off and walked to the top.

      The scenery that we were riding through was probably the prettiest of the ride so far. Not only did we have regular views down to the lowlands, but we passed through a succession of small villages where the locals greeted us cheerfully as we passed by. Numerous horse drawn carts carried all sorts of goods back and forth.

      The road itself was sometimes unsealed and sometimes bitumen. The poor condition of the road reminded me of some of the mountain roads we had ridden in Bhutan.

      At one point I could hear happy singing coming from a small house and I stopped to listen. It did not take long to realise that it was a church gathering. The people sang and clapped with obvious joy and the harmonies were beautiful. Several young children wandered in and out, waving and smiling at me. It really was a wonderful glimpse of local life.

      I stopped outside the church for 20 minutes or so until the rest of the riders joined me and we continued together. As we descended, the heat that we had experienced each afternoon steadily built up. Apparently there has been very little rain and this shows in the dry and dusty conditions we have seen everywhere.

      Eventually we reached the sizeable city of Manicuragua, where I met a T intersection. I thought it would be good to film some of the street life. In the process I did not notice that our riders had stopped by the side of the road. I kept going through the town, before finally realising that I was alone. It was a slightly scary feeling and I had to turn around and retrace my route until I found the rest of the group.

      A short distance later we finished the ride and loaded the bikes into the bus. We then had a short drive to Santa Clara, the famous location where Che Guevara successfully waged a guerrilla war against the Battista regime. The image of Che is now everywhere and a huge mausoleum has been built in the revolution square to house his remains. This has become a place of pilgrimage for those who think that Che was some sort of superhuman.

      We visited the memorial where we had to walk in silence past his remains, before finally checking into our lovely hotel. It has been another long day.

      I should also add that word of the outside world is slowly reaching us. I can assure you that we are all well and healthy and have plenty of food and toilet paper. The biggest worry is that our flights and travel plans over the next couple of weeks may be impacted. Interesting times indeed.

      Pictures to follow .
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    • Day 3

      Day 3 - Outside the Window

      January 14, 2023 in Cuba ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

      With all the craziness, I forgot to show you what's outside the windows. Here are a few pics from my balconies.

      It's chilly with a wind here today. Not much sun. Too windy for the beach. Even the water is rough. It might be an indoor day if it doesn't clear by lunch.

      Enjoy the views
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    • Day 4

      Day 4 The Beach

      January 15, 2023 in Cuba ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

      Today, the water was still a little rough. Water at the beach was still churning up brown. Not the beautiful blue I saw earlier.

      In spots, it's very rocky. It looks like volcanic rock, not regular rock. I stuck my toes in, but I didn't venture far as I couldn't see the bottom. I would recommend water shoes.

      I found some large shells and what looked like a dried up starfish. Very cool. My fav is the creamy fussy shell. Although not fussy at all.

      There are what I call l tiki huts for shade. You can play volleyball, participate in beach activities, and rent the peddle boats or small sails.
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    • Day 5

      Day - 5 Sun, Sun, and More Sun

      January 16, 2023 in Cuba ⋅ 🌙 21 °C

      Was up early to book dinner reservations. You have to be at the desk for 9 am, then wait in line to book restaurants. I chose French for tonight and Cuban for Tuesday. Look at me stepping out of my food comfort zone. No worries, I have my meds on standby

      Breakfast at the buffet today and had the good omelet chef. Plus, the waitress remembered cold milk without me asking. Wrinkle, it was whole milk watered down to make it cold. Whatever. A glass of milk will taste soooo good when I get home.

      Whenever I travel, milk and bananas are always hard to find. I remember milk from the cupboard when my sister and I were in Italy. But we had cold Danon desert. Hmm, desert seems to be a theme when I travel

      Dinner tonight was good, but I wouldn't say it was a French menu. Took a tip from the table next to me and ordered lobster pasta. Apparently, the Filet was tough, and they were out of chicken.

      The pasta was excellent, and I finished with chocolate cake. I forgot to take a pasta pic for you, I was so hungry eating late. I captured desert, though

      I'm heading back to my room for the evening. It's not as cold here tonight. Tomorrow is supposed to be mid 20s. Woohoo!
      Nite all xo
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    • Day 6

      Day 6 - Wandering

      January 17, 2023 in Cuba ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

      Today was another super sun day. I met a great couple from Calgary, the Lushs. Lovely couple invited me to help finish their bottle of rum before they flew home today.

      Did a little more exploring. Found the spa, the infinity pool, and the Fiesta rooms with Bali beds. The spa also has a pool with large cushioned loungers. Guess where in headed tomorrowRead more

    • Day 8

      Hotel Los Caneyes Santa Clara

      March 5 in Cuba ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

      Heute hat es bei Ankunft mal geregnet. Die Anlage ist im Stil eines Afrikanischen Dorfes gestaltet, jeder Bungalow besitzt 5 Einfache Zimmer. Aber zumindest mit Safe und Internet.
      Das Buffet war bisher das beste Essen was wir auf unserer Rundreise hatten.Read more

    • Day 105

      Santa Clara (Kuba)

      January 4, 2019 in Cuba ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

      Santa Clara ist vor allem bekannt für das Grab und die Geschichte von Che Guevara, wobei sich hier natürlich alles um die Revolution und die Herren Che Guevara und Fidel Castro dreht.

      Wir hatten eine wundervolle Unterkunft hier und eine alkoholreiche Nacht, gutes Essen und viel Musik. Die Größe der Stadt ist vergleichbar mit Havana, hat aber wesentlich mehr Geschichte.

      Nun geht es aver wirklich an den Strand nach Varadero, um die Seele baumeln zu lassen. Allerdings genieße ich schon die letzten 8 Tage die Ruhe ohne Internet und Informationen, das wird sich auf Kuba wohl nicht so schnell ändern.
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    • Day 13

      Rückfahrt nach Havanna

      December 31, 2019 in Cuba ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

      Auf der A1 Nationale .... fast alleine. Mitunter ein Reisebus, ein Oldtimer, ein Pferdewagen, Fußgänger und Radfahrer. Keine Linien für die drei Spuren, kein Mittelstreifen, mitunter kreuzen schmale Straßen die Autobahn und wenden auf dieser ist auch normal.Read more

    • Day 138

      Santa Clara

      January 1, 2020 in Cuba ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

      In Santa Clara angekommen, checkten wir in unserem Casa ein und machten uns auf den Weg in ein vom Gastgeber empfohlenes Restaurant, wo wir unser Mittagessen genossen. Wir staunten nicht schlecht als uns der Kellner die Rechnung überreichte. Für drei Speisen und etliche Getränke zahlten wir umgerechnet 16 Franken! 😁🙈 Am Nachmittag schlenderten wir ein bisschen durch die Stadt und genossen vom Hausberg (Loma del Capiro) von Santa Clara den Ausblick auf die Stadt.

      Am nächsten Morgen besuchten wir die letzte Ruhestätte des bekannten Revolutionsführers Che Guevara und seinen Kämpfern. Im Museo Histórico de la Revolution bekamen wir einen kleinen Einblick über Che’s Leben, anhand von Artefakten und persönlichen Gegenständen. Dies war für uns auch der Hauptgrund für den Stopp in Santa Clara. Die Stadt selbst ist aus unserer Sicht kein Besuch wert.

      Am Nachmittag gehts weiter per Taxi in das hochgelobte Trinidad. Wir sind gespannt 😁
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    • Day 13

      Dag 13

      August 7, 2022 in Cuba ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

      De ochtend begint vandaag ietsjes later, we hoeven pas om 8.45 bij de bus te zijn met onze bagage. We rijden door het gebied waar plantages van suikerriet zijn geweest. Ook gaan we omhoog in een klokkentoren om dit te zien.
      Vervolgens rijden we naar onze eindbestemming van vandaag, Santa Clara. We gaan met een tuk tuk naar het plein van revolutie en het bijbehorende museum en grafkamer. Hier is bijvoorbeeld Che Gavara opgeslagen. Het is vrij klein en ben blij dat ik geen held hiervoor hoef te betalen. We vervolgend de wel naar het ontspoorde trein waarbij een machine is gebruikt.
      Ik slaap vannacht op de kamer met Carmen. We hebben 2 bedden, televisie en zelfs champagne. Alleen gaan wij die niet drinken, want weten niet hoe oud en duur die fles is. Na rustig te zijn gestationeerd hebben we met Roy en Isabel een drankje gedaan om het terras. De cocktails waren erg goedkoop, dit terwijl wij aan het mooie groote plan van Santa Clara zaten.
      Na even te hebben gedronken lopen we weer terug naar onze casa waar wij even lekker rustig tv zitten te kijken. Hebben helaas niet veel keuze, want er zijn maar 5 cubaanse zenders. Er is blijkbaar een grote brand in Matanzas, want daar gaat het nieuws voor 90% over.
      Gio had gezegd dat wij erg luxe zouden gaan eten vandaag, maar arriveren bij een onbeperkt buffet restaurant. Iedereen had iets beters verwacht dan dit, maar helaas. Er is hier niet veel keuze in eten en het is ook niet echt van goede kwaliteit. Gelukkig gaan we morgen naar een all inclusive resort en zal het eten daar wel wat beter zijn. Iedereen die daar vandaag gaat/ging eten wou natuurlijk een stukje taart en ijs. Alleen nog een beetje ijs is over wanneer ik wilt beginnen met de toetsjes ronde.
      Na het eten gaan we naar een bar, hier krijgen wij een eigen ruimte om in te drinken en dansen. Helaas is er niet veel keuze, vele cocktails zijn niet beschikbaar. Er is of te weinig alcohol in de bar of ze willen misschien wel de alcohol bewaren voor de cubanen die er zijn. Zelf ben ik rond kwart voor 12 terug naar de casa gegaan. Iedereen was voor 1 uur 'thuis', omdat het niet meer echt heel leuk was.
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    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Provincia de Villa Clara

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