Bound for Cienfuegos
By 9am we are filled with breakfast and loading the bus to head for Cienfuegos, about 140 miles southeast of Havana. As we stepped out of the hotel and looked towards the Cuban capitol, there was the most beautiful rainbow framing the capitol. I made an effort with my limited photographic skills, but I'm not sure I have the know-how to really capture those moments.
The drive was uneventful. Leaving Havana, we saw the stamp of ugly that the Soviet designers had left with their multistory apartment buildings as we drove along the coast. Passing the site of the Pan American games held in 1991 it reflected on a proud moment for the Cubans, just as they were losing their Soviet economic support. Driving out of Havana had an 8 lane highway that narrowed to 6 lanes for a considerable distance. It was not as wide and separated as a US interstate and a little bumpy at times but a good road. Traffic was very light and every mile or two you would see a horse drawn farm cart slowly moving down the highway. We passed through different regions with cattle grazing land or sugar cane or citrus orchards. An easy ride, just a little long. A little over half way to Cienfuegos while the road was straight for long stretches, we started seeing large steel multi-pronged rusting hulks alongside the road. It turns out these were used by the Cubans during the Bay of Pigs invasion to pull across the roads as blockades to stop US airplanes from landing on the highways. All of this was an indication that the Bay of Pigs was just a right turn and a few miles away. We didn’t go. Perhaps the next time.
While we were rolling down the road, our guides gave us some insights on some of the social and cultural aspects of Cuba. Race is not a major problem. Although some lighter skinned people may have a wider acceptance, Cuba has been a big melting pot of the races and the streets around Cuba will demonstrate that mix. Gay rights have not really been tackled. Raul Castro’s daughter is a big activist in gay rights so some change may be coming. Gender change surgery is not covered under the Cuban health plan. Marriage is becoming less of the norm with many more single parent children. The birth rate is 1.69 per woman and is a little higher in the rural areas, which means the population is aging without enough replacement. Unemployment is 1.9% for women. Men retire at 65 and women retire at 60. Income is very low, averaging around 42 CUCs per month. Families live together to pool income but the CUCs go a long way because there is no rent, rations provide basic necessities for a very low cost, and health care and education is free. Birth control is practiced primarily with prophylactics. Abortion is not used as birth control and requires much counseling before it is permitted. Prostitution was a major problem during the "Special Period" but is now under much better control. The government provides education to special needs children and there is much effort expended to mainstream them. The fishing industry is small, most of the chicken is imported. interestingly enough from the US. with the less desirable dark meat being shipped and all for cash. The percent of Cubans owning automobiles is very low with walking and ride sharing being the order of the day. The high starch diet makes for a little plumpness in the Cuban population but the walking takes it off, so there is not very much morbid obesity. Education is mandatory through the 9th grade and a high % go on for higher education. The literacy rate and average level of higher education makes for a well-educated nation. Natural resources are a little skinny with some copper, nickel and oil and gas. I saw very little harvestable timber; however, I did see more later in the trip as we drove into the mountains.
Our destination, Cienfuegos is a beautiful little port city with a population of approximately 164,000. It was settled in 1819 by settlers from Haiti and Louisiana. The beautiful French architecture and many streets with French names demonstrates its French heritage. The lands around Cienfuegos were fertile for agricultural purposes and with the labor of slaves a large amount of sugar cane was grown with coffee being grown in the higher altitudes. During the Cuban Revolution, there was an uprising and Batista bombed the city. And if you are looking for high winds, Hurricane Dennis hit Cienfuegos in 2005 with winds gusting to 177 mph. It survived.
We arrive at the Hotel La Union, just one block from Parque Jose Marti, which was to serve as ground central for a lot of our later activities. The hotel, originally built in 1869, was spotless, had a nice lobby, a beautiful swimming pool in the courtyard and very adequate rooms. Our room on the second floor, faced out to the street which was later to be the site of some late night celebrations by the local residents.
Lunch was at a local paladar. This was one example of a paladar in a local home that really was in their living room with the entire family being involved in the preparation and serving. Very good food.
Our first and only activity for the day was a late afternoon performance by the Cantores de Cienfuegos. Cantores is a large choral group with a wide range of musical presentation. Led by a young lady named Honey, they were excellent. All acapella, the members of the group must undergo a tough selection process and some had been with the group over 20 years. After their performance, they introduced themselves, took questions and hung around for some conversation. The Cantores are headed for a tour in the USA in 2016 and will be in Missoula, MT in July. A nice place to be in July with some great entertainment.
Dinner was at the waterfront paladar, the Villa Lagarro. Situated on the tip of Punta Gorda it was supposed to have great views. Unfortunately, we got there after dark so our view was limited but the food was good.
Back to the hotel to enjoy a few hours of fun and cheer of the local revelers celebrating below our hotel window. Mary, far from being an electrical engineer, has plugged her 120V sound machine into the 240V outlet only to find out that components burn up when over juiced with electrons. No more sound machine, she is down to earplugs. I on the other hand seem to be able to overwhelm any outside noise with loud snoring, of which I am certain I have been wrongfully accused of.
Bound for Cienfuegos
Saturday, November 28, 2015
Cienfuegos, Cuba
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