tiramisu: our trip to cuba, part three

cienfuegos is the city i liked best. it's known as the southern pearl and easy to understand why. the beautiful and protected bay it sits on with charming wooden houses, the malecon, and historic downtown made it a wonderful city to explore and enjoy. warning: post is slightly long!

punta gorda
we stayed at casa angel e isabel in the punta gorda neighbourhood which is situated right on the bay. rosalina, a friend who helped isabel with the casa, was wonderful. we would find our just washed clothing gathered and folded when we returned from our outings at the end of the day, she always had time to chat, and would ruffle kai's hair every single morning. the resident rooster? well, he was a surprise and we were not very fond of him since he liked to wake us up much too early.

i chose to stay in the punta gorda, the peninsula of cienfuegos because of the beautiful bay. unfortunately the water wasn't inviting at all so the image i had of my little guy jumping into it while his dad and i enjoyed a mojito on the patio never occurred. however, the locals didn't mind. the park at the very tip of the peninsula with a bar, garden, and small beach was enjoyed by families with young children, teenagers, and adults. they swam, played volleyball, strolled and ate ice cream. kai finally discovered what was inside those white paper cones we'd see the locals eating at bus stops. we thought it might be full of sweets but it was nuts. a kind woman sitting next to the elderly vendor bought one for kai with her local money since our tourist money wasn't excepted (yes, there are two currencies in cuba!).

at the other end of the peninsula is this grandiose rose coloured restaurant, palacio de valle which offered lovely views of the peninsula. and further beyond the palacio was the malecon, made for strolling and socializing. and in-between were lovely pastel coloured homes and more grand buildings.

downtown
i loved the wide boulevard, el paseo del prado, with its public space down the middle for people to gather, drink their morning coffee/eat their pizza, or just watch life pass by.

it was on the prado, that first day we arrived when it began to rain that we took cover in the big bang cafeteria for food and drink and to wait out the rain. we returned four days later on our last day for dinner. the food was simple and good and very cheap - everything we ordered was one dollar or less! for fifty cents we ate the best caramel flan! one night as we were strolling down el prado, the waitress noticed us and enthusiastically waved and gave us a big smile. she was so sweet.

the local pawns at paladar ache were a favourite! actually kai may have quietly shed some tears the second time we went because they were out of prawns. paladar ache is one of the surviving paladors from the 1990s and we are so happy that it's doors are open. the servers were lovely and friendly. highly recommended.

i enjoyed the familiarity each morning brought us as we walked or took a bike cab into the historic town centre - a UNESCO world heritage site since 2005 - and surrounding area. it was great way to observe day to day cuban life. after breakfast at the casa, we ventured into the city for our daily coffee at café ven. we ran into the same woman who stopped and chatted with me each time; she often spoke of her grandchildren and i spoke of how much i was enjoying cuba... all in spanish! i understood quite a bit of spanish and was able to piece together what i couldn't. there was always a line up at the bread shop - one morning the bread was sold out and a line formed anyway to wait for the afternoon stock. actually there were line ups everywhere - at the phone shop to buy minutes, at the bank, at the general store. we meant a friendly german living in cuba who told us he hires a local to stand in line for him because it can take hours! men and women eating pizza for breakfast on the go (pizza for breakfast!). the smell of old american cars alongside vendors selling fresh baked cake with frilly pink icing, flowers or fruits and vegetables.

going into town on horse :) if it weren't for kai, we would never have opted for a taxi horse!

our favourite hangout was hotel la union - if money wasn't a concern we would have stayed here. it houses the most gorgeous pool - an oasis from the constant stimulation outside. the public spaces within the colonial style hotel are magnificent and a perfect place to chill.

the parque josé martí is the historic center's hub. it's a plaza with a statue of jose marti and a gazebo at its center, a little arc of triumph, boys playing soccer in the plaza with no shoes, men playing dominos, and restored historical buildings surrounding the plaza.

the teatro tomas terry from the 1800s has been wonderfully maintained outside and in. it was built in the late 1800s adorned with marble and ceiling frescoes. the classic cathedral with its stained glass windows is huge and white and sits next to a billboard of che guevara. we spent quite a bit of time at the building housing the palatino where we drank mojitos and socialized with the locals.

rancho luna
the only beach in cienfuegos is 17km away. playa rancho luna is a long expanse of white sand. it was lovely to swim in, warm and calm. the trees along the beach made the whole setting picturesque. it's here that we tried the pizza that we witnessed cubans eat for breakfast and lunch - it was okay but not a favourite.

el nicho
el nicho is a small protected area of the sierra del escambray mountain range. we walked the nature trails, swam in the natural pools with crystal clear water, and explored the caves. it was such a beautiful spot.

the road to el nicho passes through cuban villages and through amazing forests with some gorgeous views. the road has lots of twists and curves in it. our driver, pedro, who'd given us a ride once before, owns an ancient soviet lada held together by rubber bands and duct tape but it got us to where we needed to go. thankfully!

pedro is super nice. i knew intuitively that he was a really kind man. he's an older man who cares about how he looks - he'd take out his pocket comb to swipe through his hair often and he bought us bananas and cookies. it seemed everyone knew him. pedro would honk his horn and wave to this person and that one. while my boys and i explored el nicho, pedro whiled away the time with his mistress that came along for the ride. neither of them wanted to swim but we found them refreshing and a nice break from the heat.

while in the mountains, he introduced us to a rustic farm-to-table paladar which we never would have found on our own. we ate a wonderfully delicious feast. all the veggies and animals grown right there on the property along with a cute pregnant cat.

if you are in cienfuegos hire pedro - 53416227 - and give him a big hug and hello from us :)

pedro

the revolución propaganda is everywhere. it's an element to remind people of the revolution, it's principles and keeping the new generation connected with the revolutionary ideals. billboards, graffiti and posters are only reserved for revolution propaganda - there are no advertisements anywhere in cuba.