22 07.6N 080 27.2W CIENFUEGOS

Around the world with the Aqualunies
Jonathan & Gabrielle Lyne
Sun 14 Apr 2019 15:58
12 APRIL, 2019 CIENFUGOS, MARINA JAGUA

We entered this amazing natural harbour mid afternoon.  We entered a smallish channel and then it opened up into the most enormous lake/loch larger than Mahon harbour in the Med.   It was quite shallow in parts and so we followed the well buoyed markers skirting around an island.  Dropped anchor off Marina Jagua.  The architecture and feeling of past prosperity was so different from Santiago.  The marina is just off what was the old Spanish/French colonial yacht club, now a restaurant.  The architecture is quite Baroque.   We then were met by the port authorities and to the dingy in to go to immigration, customs and garda .  Yes, all over again if you enter any port in Cuba by private boat you have to go through the whole rigmarole of re-entering the country.  We were given a set of ‘Rules’  1. anchor light on at  night, 2. no visitors allowed on the yacht, 3. Do not take the dingy anywhere only into the marina etc. etc.  The water was too shallow for us to go into the marina so we along with some other yachts anchored off within site of the marina so that they could keep an eye on us and the yacht to make sure that nobody unauthorised boarded.

We took the dingy ashore that evening along side the marina pontoon outside the old yacht club where there are now charter yachts such as ‘Dream Yacht Charter’ which have an arrangement with the government it was easier than taking the dingy on to the beach inside the marina, we were told off, we had to go to the beach so that the dingy could be kept an eye on by the guards even though we locked the dingy onto the pontoon.  The guards on the pontoon for the charter yachts agreed it was a ridiculous rule, but they were in fear of there job if we left the dingy there.  We went for super at ‘Camilla's’ not good!!  tinned veg except for one fresh whole carrot which was not cleaned before it was over steamed.  The smell was of sewage from the lake, I think they open all the sewage pipes at night!!

13th APRIL, 2019  We got up and organised took a ‘taxi’ into town and had a wonderful time looking around, the architecture was beautiful and it was obviously a wealthy town in the early 1800s The central plaza, Parque José Marti, is a beautiful square surrounded by what were important buildings, now all being done up as it is a UNESCO sigh.  The theatre ‘Terry’  is straight out of Pollocks old theatres.  It was under renovation so sadly did not get such good photos of the inside and we could not go upstairs.  The ceiling frescos, seating, theatre boxes and stage which is slightly slopped so that the audience can see the back of the stage.  Sarah Bernhardt performed there as did many other famous actors.  I took photos so will post them on line when we go onto wifi.

In the evening we went to the cultural centre of Benny Moore, a famous local singer born in 1919,  we listen to various musical artists, the two hour perfomance finished at 7 pm we then went on to dinner to  ‘DONNA NORA’   a restaurant recommended by friends, in an old Art Nouveau restaurant, the food was excellent, we had a table on a small balcony looking over the boulevard. We then went on to a music festival which was within walking distance of the marina having strolled down the Maleçon, along the sea front where you stroll and people watch.

The town compared to other places we have been in so far in Cuba appears to becoming quite prosperous again, people are well dressed, their houses neat and well kept with little front gardens and many out on Saturday morning shopping and strolling.  Music wherever you go on street corners, all very Spanish/Cuban.