We finally found the Cuban music and the other foreign tourists: they’re both in Trinidad. We were a little concerned about Trinidad, as it has a reputation for aggressive touts. (The slang expression for them is jineteros or “riders”. Our host in Trinidad was surprised and amused that we knew this term.) Although there are indeed more touts here, they continue to be low key and pleasant. ...
As in so many other respects, Cuba is an unusual destination in regards to money. When we were last here, 20 years ago, there were two currencies. The convertible peso, or CUC, equivalent to a U.S. dollar, was the currency used by foreigners for most purchases. The national peso, or CUP, was worth much less, but could only be used by foreigners for minor purchases, ...
We are staying in Cienfuegos, the “Paris of Cuba” or “the Jewel of the South.” Like all things Cuban this jewel could use a little polishing, but it’s a lovely place to explore. Cienfuegos was founded in 1819 by Don Louis D’Clouet, a French emigré from Louisiana. He invited 40 French families from Louisiana, Bordeaux and Philadelphia to join him with a mission to increase the ...
Albert’s photo of a pygmy owl. It’s all about the birds. Our ride to Cienfuegos from Playa Girón was a bit longer than I like, at 83kms. The problem is the midday heat rather than the distance. We were expecting a fairly boring ride but the first thirty kms from Playa Girón were on a beautiful road through the forest. We saw or heard many ...
The sun comes up at 7:15 and the temperature is about 18 degrees, cool and perfect. I sit in a rocking chair in front of our casa particular in Playa Girón and watch the day begin. People are already gathering at the intersection waiting for a ride to wherever they need to go. Filipe, our host, is standing at the front gate, smoking and talking ...
Gordon: In April, 1961, a group of mostly Cuban-Americans attempted an invasion of Cuba with the goal of regime change. I was always of the impression that this was the ill conceived and poorly executed effort of a ragtag group. However, we have been staying in communities on the Bay of Pigs for the past few days, and it has been startling to learn that ...
Gordon: Yesterday we completed our bike ride across Cuba, arriving in Playa Larga at the head of the Bay of Pigs. (That name may be familiar to some, but more about that in another blog.) Crossing Cuba from north to south isn’t much of an achievement; our route was about 135 kms spread over two days. Playa Larga is located in the Cienaga de Zapata, ...
February 3-Carbonera to Jovellanos - 61kms - Finca Luna We have become increasingly dependent on technology, but Cuba is breaking us from this. It’s a two part intervention. First, even though we now technically have a SIM card and access to wifi at our accommodation, it seems that more often than not we have no connection at all. Second, even if we had good wifi ...
Ruth: The last time we travelled to Cuba, about 20 years ago, we had our bikes, a guidebook and a paper map. With no other options we lived in the moment, rolling into towns where we would be guided by locals to accommodation. There were no smart phones, translation apps or satellite gps. The tracks we made were the prints made by our tires or ...
Map of Cuba January 28, 2023: Off to Cuba Ruth: On Monday we head to Cuba for 5 weeks of cycling. Cuba is longer than Vancouver Island at 1250 kms and covers 109,884 km2 . In five weeks we will concentrate on the central region of the country. Travelling these days carries no guarantees. We are hopeful that our bikes and luggage will arrive with us ...