CUBA--A Trip Back In Time

We traveled over 400 miles in two weeks leaving Santiago De Cuba  riding to Contra Maestra, to Bayamo - Manzanillo and Niquero, then for several days along the coast back to Santiago.  We used the book Bicycling Cuba, 50 Detailed Ride Routes by Wally and Barbara Smith and found it to be extremely helpful.      Warm people, warm breezes, warm sea.  Welcome to the 50's.  Cars and trucks of this vintage ply the streets and back roads belching their blue black exhaust.  Old stake trucks crammed with people roar past us with shouts of encouragement as we weave our way up the steep hills.  Political signs dot the highway in leiu of the absent advertsing billboards. Many residents in the city have roof gardens and farm animals, like rural families, to aid in their day-to-day existence.  As pigs are brought to market on the back of a bike, the sugar cane hand cut, brought to market by horse cart and the fields turned by oxen teams, one wonders why the better produce ends up at the all-inclusive tourist resorts and not on the tables of the Cuban people.

2004

Warm People, warm sea

We are one bicycle among 100's.  Bicycles are an accepted means of transportation -- not a recreational toy.   People did not think much of our "great" distances.  They did them daily on heavy single speed bikes.  Navigating in the cities is challenging since street signs sport old names, new names or, in most cases, are not there.  Road conditions vary in the extreme: smooth, well-paved to dirt and gravel with pot holes to swallow a truck tire.  Courtesy to the bicyclist is given when drafting a tractor-taxi, but not when going the wrong way on a city street!      Two economies exist: the local peso economy and the dollar economy.  The local population has little or no access to the dollar economy since they are paid in pesos.  The dollar buys most of the desirable products: creams, detergent, toilet paper, bottled water, televisions, radios, much of the clothing, etc.  The Peso buys most of the essential products: rice, beans, sugar, flour, street food, local beverages, some fruits and vegetables. Transportation by air conditioned, enclosed buses is purchased by a dollar, the local transport of cart or truck bed is by peso.  Tourists  spend most of their time in the dollar economy.          The things you take for granted at home: toilet paper, toilet seats, flush toilets, hot water, napkins, paper towels, menus, working air conditioners are few and far between or non-existent.  Where did the 21st century go?  Cuba is a country without the means to repair cars, trucks, buildings, plumbing, electrical systems, telephones, roads, or airplanes.  Fishing ports, factories, airports: everything guarded, but why?  Three television channels spout propaganda and restricted news programs.  One newspaper, delivered weekly, likewise constrained.  Libraries and book stores filled with books,  tiles none newer than 1960. Cuba is a country in waiting.  Waiting for the bus, the truck, the doctor, in line for the grocery store, retail store.  Never so much humanity with so little to share; waiting, waiting for everything.

There is pride of a country that has shed slavery and blended skin colors and cultures.  There is no poverty of spirit.  Curious, sharing, caring and sometimes wondering "do you like our country?"  We were asked to share a meal, to come visit a home, to just stand and talk about the events of the world.  Cubans have time and they give it feely.  We were met one morning and escorted for many miles on our jouney and shown a local monument, just because Antonio (bike coach) wanted to ride with us.  We want to thank Ruby, Antonio, Frank and Hector, Odekia to name a few of the special people who extended their friendship and made Cuba a place we regreted to leave and to which we would readily return!

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