The Travels of Running Tide - Cienfuegos, Cuba

Cienfuegos, Cuba

The Travels of Running Tide

Mick Norman

Thu 24 Apr 2014 20:41

What can we say, Cuba is wonderful. We arrived a few days ago now in Cienfuegos from Montego Bay, Jamaica. The crossing was variable with calms and big blows. We made the crossing in a little over two days to arrive late on the Friday afternoon. The Customs and Immigration people have been really friendly even the drugs dog who gave the boat a good sniffing was friendly too.

We had a surprise when we got here as Paul from Port Antonio was there, he had been heading for Havana had pulled into Cienfuegos for lack of wind.

After an evening in Cienfuegos we Paul, Norm and myself sorted a classic American Taxi to take us the 80 kms to Trinidad de Cuba. This has UNESCO World Heritage status and is a living museum. Full of grand houses built on the profits of slavery and sugar. The people are so friendly and don’t pester you. There is no begging or serious hassle. When you consider that the average wage in Cuba is $25 a month, yes a month, this is surprising. Even the C&I officials who are notorious in many countries in these parts for putting their hands out were very straight and professional.

There is little traffic and that there is moves around at a reasonable pace. We have and particularly Norm have been going into raptures over the old cars and motorcycles. In Trinidad there was music everywhere. From local bands playing salsa to the Yesterday Club which we stumbled on playing Beatles and Pink Floyd tribute stuff. We stayed two nights in Trinidad at a Casa Particulare, small family run hotel for $20 per room. You can just wander the streets of Trinidad just soaking up the atmosphere in the main areas and out into the suburbs. No hassles, no threats. You feel that walking around even at night would be at little risk. On our second day we took a horse and trap down to the local beach a stoney affair for the locals who are happy to stand for hours in the water up to their waists just cooling off.

Stuff in the shops is variable but there is plenty around just that the locals are strapped.

We arrived back in Cienfuegos yesterday and headed off for our look around the city in the daylight. A few bars and restaurants got us to the evening stumbling around in the back streets and then another house and trap back to the marina via the back roads. The authorities don’t allow them on the main roads. Paul had a bit of bad luck and lost his camera. Stolen maybe or just lost we are not sure. It was a shame as he had all the photos from his voyage on it and he hadn’t backed it up.

We have moved on to Habana now by road (leaving RT tied up alongside in Cienguegos) and are staying in a casa particulare in the old town. Old Habana is atmospheric and a photographer paradise. Everywhere you looks are grand building preserved or in various states of decay. The general feeling is that buildings are being brought up to scratch now rather than left to rot away. American cars are everywhere used primarily as taxis, city tours or for grand wedding displays. Cycle rickshaws, electric trikes and the standard yellow taxi make up the mix of public transport along with the occasional bus.

Apart from the occasional museum our main preoccupation is people watching. Restaurants are plentiful but the food regrettably is variable. The cooking doesn’t seem too bad, just that the quality of the ingredients is somewhat lacking. We went off to see Hemmingway Marina a few miles to the west of Habana central just in case we have to pull in there. Our plans are to give it a miss and head straight for the States but a lot depends on which way the winds blow us.