From Baracoa we took a bus to Santiago de Cuba A bit about buses in Cuba, which are of two types - local buses (on which tourists can't travel) and luxury air-conditioned buses (mainly for tourists but locals can also use them, provided they can afford it). The four-hour journey from Baracoa to Santiago took five hours (Cuban standard time!) as the driver decided to do his personal shopping on the way. But since the buses were comfortable and air-conditioned, we were not complaining (even though terrible Mark Anthony music was blaring from the TV).
Santiago de Cuba is the country’s second largest city and one of the original seven settlements founded by conquistador Diego Velazquez. The city played an important role during the Cuban revolution. It was here that Castro and his rebels made an attack on the Moncada Barracks on July 26, 1953. They were ill-prepared and the attempt was crushed leading to many deaths and arrests. Castro henceforth called his movement the July 26th movement and it was from the Ayuntamiento (town hall) from Santiago that Castro proclaimed victory for the Cuban revolution on 1st January, 1959 leading to the overthrow of the Batista dictatorship.
The Moncado barracks have now been converted partly into a museum (on the revolution) and partly into a school (which I thought was a great touch). Some of the original bullet-holes, from the 1953 attempt, have been restored based on a photograph of the original bullet holes which Castro had.
Because of his illness, Fidel stepped down from active politics in 2008 and his brother Raul became president. Raul has introduced creeping reforms – one of which allowed individuals to set up restaurants or bed and breakfasts (called Casa Particolares) in their homes. Most of our stays in Cuba were in such Casa Particolares which were great occasions to interact with Cuban families.
One of the 'lack of freedom' problems that the ordinary Cuban faces is access to the internet. Only government-run internet cafes offer internet and there the costs are prohibitive. So the ordinary Cuban, sadly, is deprived of something we take for granted (even on our phones). If you walk down any street, you’ll see everyone sitting in their porches or on their swings or rocking chairs, watching the world go by. Or they are glued to their TV sets. In the evening, as you pass one house after the other, you can literally follow the TV programme as everyone seems to be watching the same channel (with some sort of soap opera).
On our first evening, we walked to the main square in town – parque Cespedes - which has a lovely church on one end, a museum on the other – Santiago’s swishest hotel ‘casa grande‘ is also on this square. Lo and behold, there was an open air music performance that was happening on this square (what’s new you ask?). A rather picturesque setting for the lively performance. We then made our way to the – you’ve guessed it – casa de la trova. This one was slightly more sophisticated than the one in Baracoa and there was even a professional dancing couple who swayed to the music of the band and encouraged others to join in. The motley crowd consisted of Russian tourists with Cuban prostitutes, and group of Eastern Europeans who performed what can only be termed as a flash-mob-dance - they came on the dance floor for exactly two minutes and then disappeared as quietly as they had come.
One on of our excursions we were driven in a lovely 1954 Chevrolet – I couldn’t help myself and asked the driver if I could drive the beauty. The gears, brakes, and clutch were a bit stiff but I felt like a King driving the car on the streets of Santiago. That’s one more item ticked off the bucket list.
Santiago has a lovely cemetery - Cemeterio de Santa Ifigenia – where many eminent Cubans are buried. There is an elaborate tomb for Jose Marti who is Cuba’s national hero. We was responsible for bringing together the Second war of Independence from the Spanish in the 1890s. Sadly, Marti died in 1895 and did not live to see Cuba gain independence in 1898. There is a simple changing-of-the-guard ceremony every half hour. The tomb is full of symbolism and is built in such a way that the Sun always falls on his tomb. Another famous Cuban who’s buried in the cemetery is Company Segundo, a musician, who became due to the film Beuna Vista Social Club.
The Bacardi family also have their family tomb in this cemetery – this family managed the Bacardi Rum brand and the distilling factory in Cuba before moving to Peurto Rico in the 1930s. The old Bacardi factory now, of course, does not distill Bacardi but churns out Santiago de Cuba Rum and Varadero Rum.
There was also an interesting ‘Museo de Ron’ (Rum Museum) where, unfortunately, all signs were in Spanish so I wasn’t much wiser after my visit there (despite the free tastings inside me!).
About 10 kilometres from Santiago city centre is the Castillo del Morro construction of which was commenced in 1638 (this Castillo was rebuilt in 1664 after the pirate Henry Morgan destroyed it. Every evening at the Castillo there is a flag-lowering ceremony (canonazo) in which people in period costume lower the Cuban flag and fire a cannon into the sea signifying the end of the day.
My only complaint with Santiago was the weather. Temperatures touched 35° which made sightseeing quite a chore.
Next stops Camaguey and Trinidad.
Santiago de Cuba is the country’s second largest city and one of the original seven settlements founded by conquistador Diego Velazquez. The city played an important role during the Cuban revolution. It was here that Castro and his rebels made an attack on the Moncada Barracks on July 26, 1953. They were ill-prepared and the attempt was crushed leading to many deaths and arrests. Castro henceforth called his movement the July 26th movement and it was from the Ayuntamiento (town hall) from Santiago that Castro proclaimed victory for the Cuban revolution on 1st January, 1959 leading to the overthrow of the Batista dictatorship.
The Moncado barracks have now been converted partly into a museum (on the revolution) and partly into a school (which I thought was a great touch). Some of the original bullet-holes, from the 1953 attempt, have been restored based on a photograph of the original bullet holes which Castro had.
Because of his illness, Fidel stepped down from active politics in 2008 and his brother Raul became president. Raul has introduced creeping reforms – one of which allowed individuals to set up restaurants or bed and breakfasts (called Casa Particolares) in their homes. Most of our stays in Cuba were in such Casa Particolares which were great occasions to interact with Cuban families.
One of the 'lack of freedom' problems that the ordinary Cuban faces is access to the internet. Only government-run internet cafes offer internet and there the costs are prohibitive. So the ordinary Cuban, sadly, is deprived of something we take for granted (even on our phones). If you walk down any street, you’ll see everyone sitting in their porches or on their swings or rocking chairs, watching the world go by. Or they are glued to their TV sets. In the evening, as you pass one house after the other, you can literally follow the TV programme as everyone seems to be watching the same channel (with some sort of soap opera).
On our first evening, we walked to the main square in town – parque Cespedes - which has a lovely church on one end, a museum on the other – Santiago’s swishest hotel ‘casa grande‘ is also on this square. Lo and behold, there was an open air music performance that was happening on this square (what’s new you ask?). A rather picturesque setting for the lively performance. We then made our way to the – you’ve guessed it – casa de la trova. This one was slightly more sophisticated than the one in Baracoa and there was even a professional dancing couple who swayed to the music of the band and encouraged others to join in. The motley crowd consisted of Russian tourists with Cuban prostitutes, and group of Eastern Europeans who performed what can only be termed as a flash-mob-dance - they came on the dance floor for exactly two minutes and then disappeared as quietly as they had come.
One on of our excursions we were driven in a lovely 1954 Chevrolet – I couldn’t help myself and asked the driver if I could drive the beauty. The gears, brakes, and clutch were a bit stiff but I felt like a King driving the car on the streets of Santiago. That’s one more item ticked off the bucket list.
Santiago has a lovely cemetery - Cemeterio de Santa Ifigenia – where many eminent Cubans are buried. There is an elaborate tomb for Jose Marti who is Cuba’s national hero. We was responsible for bringing together the Second war of Independence from the Spanish in the 1890s. Sadly, Marti died in 1895 and did not live to see Cuba gain independence in 1898. There is a simple changing-of-the-guard ceremony every half hour. The tomb is full of symbolism and is built in such a way that the Sun always falls on his tomb. Another famous Cuban who’s buried in the cemetery is Company Segundo, a musician, who became due to the film Beuna Vista Social Club.
The Bacardi family also have their family tomb in this cemetery – this family managed the Bacardi Rum brand and the distilling factory in Cuba before moving to Peurto Rico in the 1930s. The old Bacardi factory now, of course, does not distill Bacardi but churns out Santiago de Cuba Rum and Varadero Rum.
There was also an interesting ‘Museo de Ron’ (Rum Museum) where, unfortunately, all signs were in Spanish so I wasn’t much wiser after my visit there (despite the free tastings inside me!).
About 10 kilometres from Santiago city centre is the Castillo del Morro construction of which was commenced in 1638 (this Castillo was rebuilt in 1664 after the pirate Henry Morgan destroyed it. Every evening at the Castillo there is a flag-lowering ceremony (canonazo) in which people in period costume lower the Cuban flag and fire a cannon into the sea signifying the end of the day.
My only complaint with Santiago was the weather. Temperatures touched 35° which made sightseeing quite a chore.
Next stops Camaguey and Trinidad.
