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April 6
Happy birthday to me! Carmen our host gave me a Cuba key ring and there was a card from the Beatons, after breakfast it was off to Baracoa, our last day in the bus with Ivan. We stopped at Guantanamo for coffee then it was a scenic drive to Baracoa over a big mountain range, 5 hours drive all up. After checking into our casa with Miriam and family about 2, we set off on an orientation tour by local van, which turned out to be a surprise birthday BBQ for me!! Wow! The van arrived at a lovely river, where there was a roast suckling pig on a spit and a small group of musicians singing happy birthday! Lunch was amazing, pork, black bean dish, rice, salad, plantain chips and bread, served in bamboo plates. And a pink birthday cake! And Naturally there was rum - Cuba libres (white rum and coke). We had a really fantastic afternoon, swimming in the river, learning to play Cuban instruments and face painting with the kit Mark gave me for my birthday for a laugh. What a way to celebrate!
April 7
Today we had a group excursion
to a coconut farm with a local guide, Ben, learned about local fruits, vegetables and herbs. Went by row boat up the Toa River and walked along the beach to another coconut farm. Witnessed a 90 year old man climbing up a coconut tree to chop down coconuts! After a swim in river and in the surf, we headed back to town for late lunch and a nap. Went up to El Castillo hotel for a drink late afternoon and the view over the town. Baracoa is like a 50s movie set in a wild west town, long wide streets with horses and carts, but quiet by comparison to other Cuban cities we have visited. It is set in a spectacular setting on a peninsula surrounded by mountains and the sea, at the very eastern end of Cuba. Dinner at our home stay, very tasty bean soup and lobster, one each! - with the usual piles of accompaniments! Met our group after tea and shared a bottle of rum with coke(6 CUCS total, the coke costing the same as the rum!) down at the malecon. A local Cuban tradition, but we never saw any drunk people during our time in
Cuba. April 8Last day at Baracoa. Went on another excursion with Ben, picked up by hsame jeep and old American car, first to a cocoa plantation - learnt about how chocolate is made. Baracoa is all about chocolate, every morning we got thick hot chocolate for breakfast at the casa. We visited a rural primary school, small classes with 2 teachers. Every village has a primary school so younger students don't have to travel. Then a scenic drive to a local river, where we were rowed up the canyon to a swimming hole. Earlier at the nearby village we had ordered lunch from the locals - this duly arrived by foot, by man carrying a very large plastic bucket, crockery and cutlery included! Delicious fresh smoked red snapper in coconut sauce, with salad, rice, beans and plantain chips! Called into Manglito Beach for swimming on the way back, water so warm and clear, I stayed in for about an hour while Blu rested under a tree! Our trip back to base was fun, sitting on the back of the jeep with Scarlet, no health and safety here! At night we went to dinner at a terrace top restaurant, with a
chef who looked like Ainsley Harry, had fish and prawns Baracoa style, in coconut sauce, yum!
April 9
Last morning in Baracoa, walked around town and the seafront, the Christobal Colon ( Christopher Columbus) monument was quite impressive, he sure got around! Said farewell to our lovely host Miriam and flew back on a 2 hour flight to Havana, landed in the rain, our taxi was an ancient beaten up Russian truck with steel seats, where we all squashed in, Blu piled high with luggage! Next: final days in Cuba..
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