My camera tells me how stark is the lighting at Emerald Lake. No matter how brightly the sun and sky glare, the encircling peaks guard against the colour palette. Black rocks and dark trees challenge the depth of brilliant crystals. Dark shadows created by wind drifts entice the eye with shapes and swirls. High clouds chase blue streaks away from the expanse of ice blanketed by snow, barely marked by skiers, snowshoers and walkers. People relish feeling tiny in the midst of the high mountains, the wide lake and the endless sky.... read more

After our ride Friday night in the classic cars, we were ready to learn about one man’s private enterprise to literally capitalize on these flamboyant vehicles. Julio Alvarez greeted us a bit late because he already had some tourists seeing his garage. Full of good humour and passion, he had us listening raptly to his story of passion and strategy. His father was a mechanic who trained his son from an early age; however, he actually wanted him to get a better education. Julio graduated university in Mechanical Engineering and later became a specialist in computer technology, rising to CIO for a part of the government. However, when his and the country’s circumstances were right, he gave up his job and invested all of his money into restoring one classic car. Competing with the government-owned classic ... read more

History came a bit closer today. Our walking tour of Santa Clara first led us to the state government building where Che Guevara strode strongly towards the street. Che was confidently carrying a young toddler in his arms, promising a supportive future. The larger-than-life bronze statue was embellished with small symbolic additions and insertions commemorating his legendary actions. The belt buckle was shaped as marchers in a triumphal parade. On his back was a low-relief figure showing an admiring woman leaning out of a window. Above her was a slot as in a piggy bank, expressing the trust the people had when he was the Minster of Finance after the revolution. One epaulette was a boy riding a goat, representing Che’s youth. Santa Clara is known as Che’s town, in part because he met his second ... read more

This morning, Israel Bravo Vega, introduced us to the Afro-Cuban religion often known as Santeria. In the large forecourt of his home was the local temple; all Santeria temples are in private homes. We were sitting on benches set up as for a congregation or audience. He said that people can come and go as they feel the need, although a number of activities are more organized, such as initiation, spiritual “check-ups”, and dances (soft energy). Music, particularly mamba, salsa and African rhythms, is considered as a form of meditation. Santeria is a syncretic faith that fuses certain African faiths with Christianity. This temple is based on the url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoruba_religion#:~:text=Yoruba%20religion%20is%20the%20basis,make%20up%20the%20Yoruba%20society.Yoruba faith and the url=https://en.wikiped... read more

Around the corner from our hotel was the magnificent Parque Jose Marti, the town square. Our guide, a local historian, Mariloli, told us the story of Cienfuegosas revealed by the buildings around the square. The city was founded in 1819 by rich French inhabitants of Haiti, who were escaping the revolution there. Having money, they built a planned city that adopted the wide straight streets of Napoleonic Paris. The founder of Cienfuegos, called simply “Monsieur”, wanted the customs house built beside the city hall, cathedral, theatre, and his residence; thus, two full blocks were needed for the square, rather than the one block as decreed by Spanish colonial authorities. The nearby bay became an important port for sugar cane. Slavery came with the colonists. Monsieur’s house was beautiful... read more