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Published: December 18th 2015
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The mystery bus tour continued for our 6 hr trip to Santiago de Cuba and a 3 day stop. Trying to stay ahead of the expected bus terminal chaos we decided to head there early only to find we were quickly & efficiently checked in & luggage tagged but our wait time was then prolonged by the inevitable late arrival of our bus.
We also set off not knowing we had accommodation for our arrival or be met at the terminal. Arrangements were thought to be in place but were made completely in Spanish & on arrival no one was waiting to pick us & then only one of our two rooms required was available. Fortunately we were able to phone another contact with room availability.
The trip itself was a juddering bumpy ride for most of the way although the outlook was much better than we had seen to date. We passed through a lot more & larger rural communities, extensive cane fields & the Sierra Maestra mountain range on the distant skyline.
Santiago and surrounds have a large Afro-Cuban population initially brought in as slaves to replace the dying indigenous slaves used in the mines and
on cattle ranches. A slave rebellion in nearby Haiti also brought an influx of French refugees to the area, and spurred the cultivation of coffee and sugar cane.
Walked into town on the evening of our arrival with dark narrow streets and many buildings in various state of disrepair & gave an edgy feel to the place. While not obviously dangerous you needed to be alert as it has a reputation for pimping and various scams.
1st December was the start of a very busy peak season & we were becoming acutely aware that all bookings are in high demand. Our first priority next day was to determine our next stop & lock in some bookings. Baracoa was 6 hrs further east by bus & if so how were we going to get back to Havana which was already 15 hrs by bus from Santiago. Limited flights were available from both cities so we headed to the Cubana Airline office to be 1st in queue for the office opening at 8.15 & to make a return flight from Baracoa if it was available. On arrival we find the place is mobbed with locals wanting to make bookings (they
pay a fraction of the tourist price).
Queuing is a whole new experience in Cuba. As they are always so time consuming you can go away & do other things as long as you ask for the "ultima" being the last person in the queue so you can mark your spot. This queue is standing around outside the office in 32+ degree heat so you can imagine that tempers get a little frayed when you realize ticket sales don't even start till 10.30. Security guards man the front door & only let's in the 1st in queue as one customer leaves.
Martin tried an alternative strategy to try & book online & after several failed attempts with fluky internet connection, an internet connection card about to run out of time & the iPad almost out of power he managed to make a booking about the same time Lynn reached the front of the queue. All up a 3 hr procedure. At the phone coy office a much larger crowd is queuing very early for a 10.30 opening to buy Internet cards & the door guard is carrying a machine gun.
Once all the bookings are done the stress levels recide and we are able to wander around the sights of Santiago. The weather is hot & humid & by the middle of the day the hills of the city are taking a toll on all the old vehicles with fumes building in the busy narrow streets. We needed to retreat for an early beer or an air conditioned museum or gallery. By the end of day it is surprising how many beers you have had with little effect. As in most of Cuba so far decent food is also difficult to find especially for my vegetarian friends.
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