2019: Cuba

Mar 22, 2019.  Santa Clara

• Early breakfast, goodbye to my wonderful host Pedro and wife, then a ten minute walk to the Viazul bus station.  8 CUC ticket to Santa Clara, leaving at 7:30.

• Drivers are more cautious - because there is so little traffic, hence not much practice?  Not a macho thing?  What’s the hurry?  Used to delays?

• Everybody in shorts, t-shirts and sandals - even in the cities.

• The classic cars all have glossy, strongly colored, often two-toned paint jobs: yellows, greens, blues, black, white.  And lots of glistening chrome trim.  They glow in the sun.

• Every seat on the bus is taken by a (mostly young) tourist, with no one standing.  This seems to happen a lot.

• Passing through Cienfuegos on the southern coast.  It is a stop for giant cruise ships. 

• Ride in a horse-drawn carriage from the bus station to La Casa Colonial (2, but he started with 5).  Got another 100 CUC at the Cadeca.  Now I’m worried I won’t be able to spend it all before I leave.  Of course, I can always buy stuff on my last day in Habana.

• Grabbed a triple-dip dish of ice cream, and paid for it for the first time with the local peso currency.  

• Passed a WiFi park with paintings of the Beatles on the walls.  As usual, I couldn’t connect (you need some sort of contract).  At least WiFi worked - sort of - at the Hostal in Trinidad.  Learned that she solved her connection issues by switching to her iPad.

• Tried to find a restaurant before my tour begins at 1:30, but had to settle with a slice of pizza and a “coke”.  Chatted with an English teacher at the University (one of the best in Cuba).

• Much less music - in bars, shops, homes, buses - than I expected.

• Great tour with guide Dany.  Began with one hour (!) in (mostly) Spanish on history of Santa Clara, from its founding to the amazing exploits of Fidel and Che in taking over the country with a tiny number of volunteers, forcing President Bautista to flee to Spain & Franco.  Then toured the sites where the fighting took place, a meeting with the local historian (who gave me a rum, a coin with Che Guevara on it, and a copy of Che’s medical diploma from Argentina.  I bought a t-shirt of Che for $10), and the mausoleum, the monumento a la toma al tren blindado (where 18 of Che’s guerrillas destroyed a train full of government army regulars, tons of amunition, and the armored train they were riding on with Molotov cocktails and a caterpillar tractor), and the Museum of the Revolution.  It’s really amazing how much they accomplished against far superior numbers, and pretty much never losing a battle.  Che is my new hero.

• Coffee in ice cream treat by my guide Dany at the Parque Vidal.  Some complications- they only took Cuban Pesos (CUP).  I tipped him 5 CUCs, because he was a great guide, and I am a rich gringo.

• Dinner around the corner at Restaurant Florida Center - supposedly the best in Santa Clara (it’s also a hostel).  Got here early, so first nailed a Florida special (rum, sugar, fruit, whatever), next my first Cuban Libre (rum, lime, coke).  Ordered lobster with prawns in tomato sauce, as recommended in Lonely Planet.  Salad first: lettuce (several different delicious kinds, none of which I recognized), tomatoes, onion, cucumber, radishes, carrots, with real oil & vinegar on the table.  Heaven!

• Now 7:15, and only a few other diners - I would have thought the place would be mobbed.  Maybe Santa Clara just doesn’t get much of a tourist trade?

• Felt kinda funny coming into the best restaurant in Santa Clara in my shorts and hiking shoes, but in fact that’s what everyone wears around here.  

• Now 7:15 - the place is starting to fill up.  OMG - the lobster & shrimp just arrived.  Still in heaven.  The big question is: do I stay up later to check out the Santa Clara nightlife?  The other big question: do I have a flight reservation from MEX to PVR when I leave Cuba?

• OK .  Flan consumed: total cost for lobster, shrimp, salad, two drinks, dessert: $20.  

• On to Parque Vidal (not much action) and La Marquesina.  Again, not much action - but it’s early (8:30).  Think I’ll have a mojito with 7-year-old Havana Club rum (3) and think whether I want to stay up later. 

• Setting up a sound system beside the bar, right next to my table.  I may have to move, but it’s a little cold outside.  Strong cigar smoke smell.  Musicians warming up.  Several old guys - everybody in the group looks pretty old - are sitting around as well, obviously friends of the group.  Clarinet, guitar, bongos, bass, castanets, three vocalists.  After a song or two, they passed the castanets off to a guy sitting nearby.  Meanwhile, a guy sat down at my table and went for my rum.  The staff talked to him, but he’s still here.  Another guy showed up, and took over the guitar player’s instrument, who is now just singing.  My table companion just got tossed out.  A guy at the adjacent table is occasionally joining in with singing, clapping, and dancing.  Another guitar player just joined the group.  The principal singer is directing his attentions to the two women at the table on my right, who are nodding and grinning.  A Very cool dude, in black hat, white shirt, bow tie, and white & brown spats just showed up.  This is definitely the place to be.  Just noticed I’m the only guy here in shorts - goddam turisto.  But got a photo of the old classy dude.  Guitar player singing with main singer, is playing a ten string funny-shaped guitar.  Just gave away my last CUPs to the band - probably about 25 cents worth.  Just outside on the sidewalk a couple has started to dance to the music.  The guy two tables down is pretending to play the clarinet.  Guitar player going absolutely wild.

• Music over.  Heading back to Hostal.  Certain amount of begging goes on.  Clearly this country is not out of the woods yet.