Blogs from Cuba, Central America Caribbean - page 2

Trinidad was again another great place to visit when in Cuba! Cobbled streets, vibrant colours, a short hop away from the beach, brilliant restaurants and even a cave nightclub. We enjoyed the few days that we had left on our holiday in Trinidad. No cars are allowed in the inner city, so walking around the cobbled streets is a pleasure! A very popular restaurant that often has a line out the front is La Botija, we went there twice and I recommend going there at least once. Palacio Cantero, the very obvious iconic tower of Trinidad has a nice view point and is also a museum. We also enjoyed the experience of being in a natural cave nightclub just on the north of the town. As you walk up the hill, various little alcohol stands pave ... read more

So I've finally gotten around to doing my blogs, one and a half years later! Thinking back, we were very lucky to have squeezed in a two week trip to Cuba as a global pandemic was forming. A few weeks later and most of the world shut down! So after a while of not doing this blog, my memory is a bit hazy. Our first two nights were spent in Havana, a nice city with a mixture of less than glamorous buildings in dire need of a make over (on the outside but nice on the inside), history and colourful 1950's American cars. Most people will splash out for a city tour in one of these cars but we opted to join the one of the Free walking tours of the city which we tend to ... 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