Blogs from Este, Cuba, Central America Caribbean - page 5

The alarm went off at 0500 and, as promised, we were collected at 0530 - although not by the car or driver that we were expecting. The driver was a young bloke - about 25 or so - and the car was a Moskovitch 1500, similar to a Lada. It had no seatbelts but the mandatory loud car radio blasting CubaPop. We collected Gino and Isabella and headed for the hills - literally. About 30 minutes in we were stopped at a Police checkpoint. Our driver signalled to us to be quiet, took his license out of the glovebox and stepped out of the car to talk to the cop. Moments later he reappeared, rubbed his rosary beads hanging from the rearview mirror and drive off. Impersonating a taxi driver and chauffeuring tourists is illegal in ... read more

We were up early for a hot shower - a luxury in Cuba - and were on the streets just before 0800 to walk to the Moncada Barracks. Lonely Planet said that the gates opened at 0900 and this was confirmed by the security guards at the gate when we arrived at 0830. We filled in time circulating the barracks and walking through Parque Historico Abel Santamaria featuring a fountain sculpture of Moncada participant Abel Santamaria and Jose Marti. We returned to the entrance just before 0900 to be told that the new opening time was 0930 so we bought a few drinks and waited - you simply can’t rush things in Cuba. Entrance to the Moncada Museum was CUC2 each, CUC1 for the camera and CUC5 for the video camera. We enquired and were provided ... read more

"Holguin!" bellowed the bus driver. Off the bus and negotiated the fare to our next casa. Once more a crazy taxi ride, this time one man is teaching another to drive! Part of the lesson includes the skill of turning off the engine when going downhill to save petrol. It's a green car. We pulled up at a group of three storey communist style apartment blocks, square concrete cubes stacked together. The sun was going down, the area looked really dodgy and I thought the next few minutes would be crucial as we waited for our host to arrive on his bicycle. All turned out ok - Holguin was one of the safest cities so far in Cuba and the owner was a gent. Top chef too. Rise and shine Sunday morning to explore the city. ... read more

These pictures were taken by a host of ours in Santiago, Dr Pedro A Lobaina Delfino. Please do not reproduce them without permission. He was in Baracoa shortly after the second hurricane, Ike, hit to help his mother and her neighbours.... read more

So I just spent 2 days in Santiago de Cuba...didn't like it from the moment I arrived at 6:30 in the morning after a freezing 15 hour bus ride with the craziest soundtrack ever (courtesy of the very flirtacious bus driver). At least the music he played provided some comic relief...think BeeGees, Michael Jackson, weird electronic reggae, very sad boleros, and of course plenty of salsa. The upside of Santiago was the family i stayed with. They were wonderful and their casa was just beautiful. I ended up spending most of my time with them in their home...practicing my spanish and taking turns informally interviewing each other about our respective countries/cultures. I was sick (sore throat and cough) and just didn't feel like dealing with the very aggressive jineteros (gigilos and prostitutes) who were everywhere throughout ... read more