View from the Inside: Cuba
Written by Debbie Heffernan, Sales Consultant at Voyages Jules Verne who recently travelled to Cuba.
" There is no doubt Cuba is a stunning destination.
Havana's streets are filled with countless vintage cars and there are no advertisements, apart from political exhortations giving Cuba's capital a wonderful air of nostalgia. Easily walkable, the cobbled plazas and the narrow, shaded streets of Old Havana exude colonial charm. The fountain at the heart of Old Havana's largest plaza is an exact replica of the 17th century original. More modern sites here include a brew-pub, a boutique, and intimate museums and galleries. Beyond Old Havana, lies the modern city which features many wonderful sites such as a replica of Washington D.C's Capitol from which all distances are measured in Cuba. Also Parque Central an attractive park featuring a statue of Jose Marti a national hero, Plaza de la Revolucion, a vast square surrounded by government buildings and Paseo de Marti sloping from Parque Central to the Malecon (Havana's seafront boulevard) is a tree lined boulevard known as Prado. This is a great place to meet locals and the area is full of school kids at play during the day.
Just a few hours west of Havana is the province of Pinar del Rio, a region of impressive limestone "mogotes" (hills). The landscape of Valle de Vinales is a designated UNESCO World Cultural site and is particularly striking as the mogotes rise almost vertically out of the flat ground. The valley is devoted to agriculture mainly in growing tobacco where traditional techniques are still in use today. The best view of the Valley was obtained from our hotel the Los Jazmines. The highlight for me was the visit to Indian's Cave which is part of the Santo Tomas cave system. Deep inside this huge cavern, lit by artificial lighting is awash with stalactites and stalagmites, and underground rivers. After walking a floodlit trail, you board a motorized boat that takes you along one of the underground rivers. Watch out for the different formations printed into the stalactites and stalagmites: the silhouette of an aborigine chief smoking a pipe, an amazing crocodile’s head and a bottle of champagne, are some of them. A surprising addition was the stunning site of the Mural de la Prehistoria - a mural painted on the side of a mogote.
We continued our journey to Soroa where we visited the famous "Orquideario" (hillside orchid garden). It’s a very pleasant way to spend a couple of hours wondering through the grounds.
Directly across the road from the orchid garden is an old water mill and a lovely walk (approx 250m) to a series of small waterfalls. Here you can also spot Cuba's national bird, the tocorora.
Our next destination was Cienfuegos also referred to as "Pearl of the South". The striking French influence architecture can be witnessed at first sight. The group enjoyed a boat trip around the bay which is one of the largest in Cuba.
Our journey then continued to Trinidad which can be described in my view as the most picturesque town that we visited. Trinidad has a time-warp charm with it's maze of cobbled-stone streets, red tiled roofed houses and wrought iron railings with their open door policy which we were lucky enough to experience. A highlight here was a visit to the romantic museum with it's beautiful architectural details include a carved cedar ceiling and half moon stained-glass window. I would definitely recommend a visit to "la Canchánchara". This is a tavern in Trinidad where there was a live band playing and the drink of choice "la Canchánchara" this is a drink of the region made from lemon juice, honey and aged Havana Club brand rum served in glazed pottery. Another highlight was a visit to "Casa de la Trova" where traditional music was played.
Our stop en route to Santa Clara was Sancti Spiritus. There are few tourists in the city in comparison to the others we visited which is why I liked it. The city has a pedestrianised area with a small handicrafts market amongst the colonial buildings. We continued to Santa Clara, possibly the most important town in the history of Cuba. Santa Clara was made famous by the battle between Che Guevara's guerrillas and Batista's army. There is an imposing memorial consisting of a Mausoleum where Che and 29 other combatants who died during the Bolivian campaign are now buried. There is also a museum outlining his life from childhood in Argentina, through the Cuban revolution and his career in Cuban government. We also visited the main square, Parque Vidal, where damage from the fighting is still evident.
One of the area’s interesting sights was a visit to a local sugar factory museum located near Remedios, one of the oldest towns in Cuba. Upon arrival we received a complimentary drink made from sugar cane and watched a short film about the history of sugar production in Cuba. We were then taken around the sugar factory where we were shown the development of the methods used to extract the sugar from the cane from the oldest to the more modern industrial methods. Just a short stroll away we boarded a traditional steam train (new for 2012). The train travelled at a relaxed pace of approx 30mph for about 15 minutes to the outskirts of Remedios. The train carriages are open however covered by a roof. We explored Remadios which included a visit to the main church, Iglesia De San Juan Bautista just off the main square. Our guide explained the culture of the town as it's split into two distinct districts of El Carmen & San Salvador. Every year at the Parrandas festival held in the 10 days leading up to Christmas the two sides compete to produce the best festival floats.
Our last stop en route back to Havana was Varadero, the most famous beach resort in Cuba and one of the largest in the Caribbean. It is also known as “blue beach” because of its clear, calm waters. The beach (which are public), Varadero's main attraction, is the 'backyard' of all hotels in Varadero.
What Cuba lacks in polish it more than makes up for in captivating history, laid back charm and swinging salsa rhythms."
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