A Cuban Overview

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Its been a fascinating experience, and as some if you may know we have not had access to WiFi until we returned to Havana for the third time at the end of our tour..local Cubans have the Intranet, most have no access to the wider world. Our group was small but perfectly formed , All very interesting, widely travelled with views to match!! I was the only singleton so to speak and all made me feel very comfortable so thank you guys for your support and enclusion.

The tour was packed with a variety of different places to visit food to taste people to meet and snipits of knowledge was passed on to us by our fab guide Ellie who turned out to be an accomplished musician ,writer, band leader as well as her guiding skills - what a gal.,We were all inspired and encouraged by her to push ourselves , there were always options to pursue if we decided to take it easy!.

cuba is a long island the largest in the Caribbean, with half the square hectares of England and 11 million population. It is in the tropics so has no seasons as such but dry and wet times of the year ,hurricans or not and more or less humidity!!! They grow all sorts from sugar cane coffee, cocao, rice tobacco, a host of tropical fruit and veg. Most of rural cuba is still pretty poor and while some maschinery is used much of the land is ploughed by oxen. There are two currencies here one for the locals and one for the tourists . The state provides much for its people , they have ration books which they can exchange for food and goods at special shops for free, they can top up their supplies at other government shops for a small price and then they can buy other goods at free shops using the second tourist currency. You've guessed it not many have this though there is a black market and some Cubans do shop in these places sporting expensive European clothes and items..The towns and cities have huge concrete hosing blocks left over from the Russian era where people live free of charge , they pay no rent but contribute to the cost of amenities. When Russia collapsed things changed dramatically for the economy, until then the sovients took all that cuba produced so efficiency, quality effectiveness of produce and production was really not in their language . In the 1990s they had a really hard time, and with the American blockade very little was in the shops. Now things are on the up , though Cuba has to compete in the global world for trade. Things are changing and small private businesses are permitted and springing up everywhere. Where once every thing went to the state now cubans can keep a small % for themselves. And they like it!!!! They can buy and sell their homes and cars but these are very expensive items for the average cuban

The state provides excellent health care and education, indeed all education is free up and beyond university. Drs and medics are trained and then must practice two years in " missions" to pay back in kind this usually is in South America, Angola or other similar countries. They don't know when they will go or to where they are just told day s before. Wouldn't suit our youngster's ME thinks!! In return these countries provide goods and services to cuba, like oil, and technical know-how.

And so to the fab american old convertibles and the music . The music is everywhere in the streets in the batrs on the corners , it is wonderful it just makes you feel good. We all had a salsa lesson on the rooftop oif our first casa particulares it was great and so were our teachers.. We were wisked around Havana in bright pink, red ,and orange and yellow cars which tooted at each other and we sang "three little girls sifting in the back seat kissing and a hugging with Fred "- remember that one?!!! One of the cars Al and I used was just a year ypounger than me - oh my lordy!!

We stayed in a mixture of hotels and these casas particulares, which are private homes licensenced by the state. It was a way of getting to know the real people and the food was usually good though not always. The standard of the casas did vary they are still learning and their standards are not ours particularly in the health and safety field, I had live wires running along the shower pole to the head where the water was heated as it came out. Eeekkk, now that's scary!!.

It is a repair and make do society, some things worked some of the time but most things worked not a lot!. This reflects the state if investment in the country , the beautiful old colonial buildings are shabby and some are crumbling, but with the changes in the last couple of years things are improving greatly and renovation is in the air!!

It would be difficult for me to document all that we did at this stage thank goodness for that I hear you say!, so just a short resume to remind me of where we went and what we did.

After leaving Havana when we first arrived we flew directly to Guantanamo in the far east of the county , our aim was to wend our way eastwards taking around 14 days to do so and ending back in Havanna where Al and I had an extra 4 days. Disaster struck early on for me having misplaced my exit visa and left my prescription sun glasses in the first hotel!! What was I thinking not a good start, still havent got the glasses but exited the country ok!

We skirted the area of Guantanamo couldn't take piccies but did stop and see the base from a high vantage point, we visited and stayed at Baracoa, a lovely old town full of atmosphere and stayed in a castille very lovely it was too, we visited a cocao farm and learnt how local. chocolate is made and sampled some. We made trips on boats to islands looking for the yellow snail yes really!! And ate red snappers the size of small whales.Santiago de Cuba the country's second city was our next stop where we visited the barracks now a school and museum, where castro was unsucces at his first attempt at revolution in 1953. This city has a feel all of its own with music to !atch and reflects the afro carabbean mix of peopleThe country's national hero José Marti is buried here.

We moved on to Bayamo And here we made a fairly arduous treck into the Sierra Maestra to see the com pound Castro and Che plotted and developed the plans for the revo!lution. He stayed in the mountains for 11 months and today it is surprising that he and his comrades were not rooted out.. It was well worth the effort and worry as it had been raining and was very muddy and slippery, thsnks to Linda ,Peter, Ron and our local guide, all was well We saw the train which Che blew up and really won the war for the revolution in 1956 and the bull dozer that he used. The train can still be seen where it came to rest .. This took place in Santa Clara in central cuba and there is a museum to the memory of Che which i have to say eas very moving indeed.Everyone talkss about the revolution what cuba was like before and after, it is all very important for them and etched firmly in their culture. Che is an icon and his image is every where. Every town has a revolution square some big others less so but all are passing on the same message

We stayed in the town if Camaquey still in the east, and rrestored partly backinto its former glory, on our way to Trinidad. This town is truely picturesque, cobbled streets hell to walk on but lovely to see. Music was great and I booged with the locals!!

We were making our way westwards stopping at various places on the way the countryside was changing from the rugged mountainous east to the flatish rice growing plains of. central Cuba, We went on back to Havana and then off again to one of my most favouite areas right on the tip of the west Vinales Here we visited a biosphere reserve promoting conservation and home to painters and artists. We had a supurb guided tour through the beautiful fiuekds of the region and learnt how tobacco is grown hasrvested and made into cigars, had to have a puff!!! We went underground to the limestone caves and had our groups final fairwell dins there, as we were all doing diffetenty things and moving on e!elsewhere.,

Well and that was it except Al and I had a further 4 days in Havana staying in sheer heaven!! Did alot of drinking eating swimming and more sightseeing. actually drank loads of mojitos daiquiris and pina coladers throughout, propped up the bar at Hemmingways jaunts and ate at some rather wonderful establishments ho hum !!.

So need to finish now as this will never get published but i haven't said all i wanted to, so much in my head its bursting at the seams!! In Mexico now so will try and blog before homeward bound in a weeks time. Much love

Xxxx

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