Baracoa

Arrived here on saturday, it's a five hour bus-trip from Santiago. Not too long, and a beautiful road past Guantanamo first and then up through the mountains (or hills that I'd rather call them), to this small city in the north-east. Five hundred years ago this was the first place Columbus arrived in Cuba, and therefore it also for a short while was the Cuban capital.

Today it's a bit rusty and could need a lot of paint. Among some other things. Still it has the charm and calm of a village, which is it with it's 12,000 inhabitants, and you very soon recognize people around town. The area is full of Cocoa and Coco-trees, and the people are quite proud of their chocolate. Of course there is both an ice-cream and chocolate-factory here.

The main thing attracting tourists to this remote place, is the nature surrounding it. We went to the fantastic Playa Maguana on monday, a wonderful day and the first this far without a ton of sweat. It was just us (me, Merete, Kirsten and Yuri), an entire pig-family and the people working there. Fresh giant shrimps from the river nearby for lunch, mojito with a taste of mint, and the entire day in the nice waves. It was just great!

The day after, on tuesday, we decided to get on top of El Yunque, a very special mountain that is the symbol of Baracoa. It's a ten kilometre walk to the top, that rises 560 metres above sea level. Sure, for Norwegians that doesn't sound too difficult, but in the heat here it was no easy task. So really proud that we managed to get to the top!

In the evening, after dinner and some sleep, we went out for a beer with Kirsten and Yuri, a dutch couple living in our house that we've met several times throughout Cuba. Just me and Merete also walked to the park on saturday, but then it was all quiet. I learned the day after it was because one of the leaders from the revolution, the third commandant, died on saturday. But this monday it didnt't turn out quite so quiet, we didn't return to our house until half past three. Drinking rhum, talking and dancing turned this into a very nice night.

I should have been exhausted when finally in bed, but couldn't sleep. So after breakfast I returned to bed and spent half the day sleeping. Actually nice with a day doing as little as possible.

Spent yesterday going to Yumuri, a small village thirty kilometres from Baracoa. Luckily there was a finnish couple sharing the taxi with us so didn't turn out too expensive. Regretted a little that we didn't rather just go back to Playa Maguana.

Spent the evening reading and relaxing at home. And eating way too much for supper, as usual in this house. But it was strange to be just me and Merete for supper, the past four nights we've been eating with Kirsten and Yuri, but they left that morning.

Casa de William has been very nice to stay in, and his wife (as well as himself), are excellent cooks. For example the first night we ate the most delicious lobster.

After five nights here we're on the bus now back to Santiago. Will get some supper there, before catching the night-bus at ten to Havana. Luckily my last way-too-long-busride-from-hell in a long time. Neither Jamaica nor the Dominican republic are big enough for that to be possible.


-- Post From My iPhone