Topes de Collantes to Sancti Spíritus

[et_pb_section][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text]

I feel that Ruth’s blog about looking for lunch in Topes glossed over some aspects of that area, like long walks in the jungle.

We spent four nights in Topes, the longest we have been in any one place. This was due in part to our desire to spend more time with our Catalan friends Albert and Marina, but also because we were delighted to spend time in the mountains. Topes is unlike any of our other stops thus far: at 750 metres it is about five degrees cooler than most of Cuba, leaving us with more energy for activities during the day.

And we were active. Despite Albert’s repeated promises that the next day would be a “soft” day, we were out walking through the jungle in this green and rugged karst landscape for most of each day. Several days we hired a local guide, Yoyo, to lead us on an outing. Yoyo has essentially lived from the jungle his entire life, hunting and collecting the food he needs from the forest. He said that the modest amount we paid him would be used to buy shoes for his kids. We did classic jungle walks with him; when we were off the established trails, Yoyo would lead with his shockingly sharp machete swinging. We saw lots of birds, some gorgeous waterfalls, and a great variety of vegetation.

The day we left Topes was a “hell day” to quote Ruth. While we knew it would be more than 80 kms, the strong headwind was an unpleasant surprise. (Not that it was unusual: the predominant wind is from the East, such that experienced cyclists in Cuba bus to the East and coast West. We were cycling East yesterday.) We did eventually grind out the 92 kms to Sancti Spiritus, with a cold can of TropiCola pulling us through at a critical juncture. Kudos as well to Ruth’s tenacity on what was a too long day.

Sancti Spiritus is a pleasant surprise. The Lonely Planet guide suggests that it is overshadowed by Trinidad and unfairly neglected. We agree. It was established the same year as Trinidad (1519, I believe) and has a similar colonial look. What is missing is the horde of tourists and the associated touts. We are staying here two nights, finally enjoying the soft day that Albert couldn’t deliver.