Cuban Blog Day #19 We're Gonna Need a Bigger Cup

More diving!  I ate breakfast at the casa and then caught the dive bus with the Germans to the dive shop.  There were way more people than I expected, and at first I was nervous about the ratio of divers to instructors, but it turned out a few people were just snorkeling.

This was my first shore dive, and I didn’t know what to expect. The bus pulled up along the coast and we geared up. Then, we simply jumped off a cement platform into the water.  Eva hadn’t dived in a few years, so she went with a different group. I was sad we wouldn’t be dive buddies. I was much more comfortable on this dive. We went through several tunnels, saw another wreck and some awesome schools of fish.

Back on land, we loaded up into the bus and headed to our second dive, my first cenote. I’d only heard about cenotes about a year prior. A friend had dived a few in Mexicoand couldn’t sing their praises enough.  We drove up along the coast a ways, but then we took a right turn away from the coast and into what looked like a forest. I was very confused. I’d thought we’d enter the cave through the ocean somehow.  We drove through the woods for a bit longer before we came to a curious stop.  I did not know where exactly they thought we’d be getting into water.  They pointed toward the left, and I walked toward it. I could see a tiny opening with a ladder and climbed down.  There was an even smaller opening from which I would soon learn I would be jumping into the water. I questioned my desire to actually do this for a moment as fear got the better of me.

We all suited up and one by one jumped directly forward into the water and waited for our Dive Master to join us and give us whatever instructions we needed to dive in a cave.  Soon, we turned our flashlights on and descended.

We immediately had to pass through a very tiny, narrow opening; perhaps the scariest part of the whole thing for me. Once through, the cave opened up to a vastness I would never have believed existed while I was above ground. I began to wonder if the whole world was like this, so deceiving in its greatness and ready to be discovered.  I have to admit, I felt a bit like a great explorer, it was aided ever so slightly by the knowledge that very few people explore caves the way I was finally getting to do.

We swam slowly through the cave looking up and down, shining our flashlights here and there.  Niels and another fun diver had to wait for us up top, and they had jumped in and were swimming around a bit at the opening of the cave. It was great to be able to look back and see their feet dangling 100 or so feet above us. Great perspective of where we actually were.

I’d feared I’d be more claustrophobic than I was. The cave was so enormous that I couldn’t see from one side to the other, nor could I see the ceiling. Our Dive Master would point out various cave drawings or stalagmites which would remind me that I was indeed inside a cave. The cold helped with that too.

At one point, we surfaced into a tiny pocket of air, the roof just above our heads.  The whole bunch of us were simply in awe. This was the first cenote dive for all of us, and it was clear that we were beyond impressed.  Our dive master explained that we would be returning the way we came, and we descended again.

Upon our return, from the opening of the cave above, the sun was shining down into the water. You could see each individual ray penetrating the water, glowing. It went all the way down to the depths of the cave, bright, strong.  It was the most magnificent thing I’ve ever seen. We lingered there for a long while, thankful to be underwater so that our speechlessness did not matter. I did not want to leave.

Back above water, the Austrian couple and the Hungarian women I’d dived with and I could not tell the others enough about our dived. I hugged Niels, so thrilled that I had accomplished this goal. We rode the bus back to the dive shop with permanent smiles on our faces.

We met Eva at the shop and Neils convinced the Austrian couple, who had a rental car, to come with us, and therefore drive us to the all inclusive resort we’d heard about from other travelers. We all piled into the car and drove the 15 or so miles to the resort.

It was $15 CUC for all you could eat and drink. We took full advantage of this, first eating a big lunch of the usual and then finding a spot by the crystal clear water.  We drank cocktails of Havana Club and Tu Kola out of tiny plastic cups. We took turns diving from the cement platforms into the green blue water.  We enjoyed each other’s company.

Near four pm a worker came and told us they would all be leaving, but we could stay as long as we liked.  They advised us to fill up on drinks. We didn’t need to be told.  We filled all the water bottles we had and each of us took as many cups as we could and gathered them at our spot by the sea. We stayed another hour or so enjoying our private paradise.

We drove back and planned to meet later that night at one of only two bars in the town. After showering and eating another meal with Dimitri, I headed to meet the others where we continued our shenanigans late into the night. It was a perfect day!

 

Traveling Tip #22 Bring a Bigger Cup

 

At the resort where the dive shop is located and where we borrowed ice and cups the first day we arrived, I noticed several Cubans with their own, giant 7/11 type cups. I soon realized the purpose of these cups at our resort. The bigger the cup, the less frequently you have to go to the bar to refill. 

Cuban Blog Day #19 We're Gonna Need a Bigger Cup

More diving!  I ate breakfast at the casa and then caught the dive bus with the Germans to the dive shop.  There were way more people than I expected, and at first I was nervous about the ratio of divers to instructors, but it turned out a few people were just snorkeling.

This was my first shore dive, and I didn’t know what to expect. The bus pulled up along the coast and we geared up. Then, we simply jumped off a cement platform into the water.  Eva hadn’t dived in a few years, so she went with a different group. I was sad we wouldn’t be dive buddies. I was much more comfortable on this dive. We went through several tunnels, saw another wreck and some awesome schools of fish.

Back on land, we loaded up into the bus and headed to our second dive, my first cenote. I’d only heard about cenotes about a year prior. A friend had dived a few in Mexico and couldn’t sing their praises enough.  We drove up along the coast a ways, but then we took a right turn away from the coast and into what looked like a forest. I was very confused. I’d thought we’d enter the cave through the ocean somehow.  We drove through the woods for a bit longer before we came to a curious stop.  I did not know where exactly they thought we’d be getting into water.  They pointed toward the left, and I walked toward it. I could see a tiny opening with a ladder and climbed down.  There was an even smaller opening from which I would soon learn I would be jumping into the water. I questioned my desire to actually do this for a moment as fear got the better of me.

We all suited up and one by one jumped directly forward into the water and waited for our Dive Master to join us and give us whatever instructions we needed to dive in a cave.  Soon, we turned our flashlights on and descended.

We immediately had to pass through a very tiny, narrow opening; perhaps the scariest part of the whole thing for me. Once through, the cave opened up to a vastness I would never have believed existed while I was above ground. I began to wonder if the whole world was like this, so deceiving in its greatness and ready to be discovered.  I have to admit, I felt a bit like a great explorer, it was aided ever so slightly by the knowledge that very few people explore caves the way I was finally getting to do.

We swam slowly through the cave looking up and down, shining our flashlights here and there.  Niels and another fun diver had to wait for us up top, and they had jumped in and were swimming around a bit at the opening of the cave. It was great to be able to look back and see their feet dangling 100 or so feet above us. Great perspective of where we actually were.

I’d feared I’d be more claustrophobic than I was. The cave was so enormous that I couldn’t see from one side to the other, nor could I see the ceiling. Our Dive Master would point out various cave drawings or stalagmites which would remind me that I was indeed inside a cave. The cold helped with that too.

At one point, we surfaced into a tiny pocket of air, the roof just above our heads.  The whole bunch of us were simply in awe. This was the first cenote dive for all of us, and it was clear that we were beyond impressed.  Our dive master explained that we would be returning the way we came, and we descended again.

Upon our return, from the opening of the cave above, the sun was shining down into the water. You could see each individual ray penetrating the water, glowing. It went all the way down to the depths of the cave, bright, strong.  It was the most magnificent thing I’ve ever seen. We lingered there for a long while, thankful to be underwater so that our speechlessness did not matter. I did not want to leave.

Back above water, the Austrian couple and the Hungarian women I’d dived with and I could not tell the others enough about our dived. I hugged Niels, so thrilled that I had accomplished this goal. We rode the bus back to the dive shop with permanent smiles on our faces.

We met Eva at the shop and Neils convinced the Austrian couple, who had a rental car, to come with us, and therefore drive us to the all inclusive resort we’d heard about from other travelers. We all piled into the car and drove the 15 or so miles to the resort.

It was $15 CUC for all you could eat and drink. We took full advantage of this, first eating a big lunch of the usual and then finding a spot by the crystal clear water.  We drank cocktails of Havana Club and Tu Kola out of tiny plastic cups. We took turns diving from the cement platforms into the green blue water.  We enjoyed each other’s company.

Near four pm a worker came and told us they would all be leaving, but we could stay as long as we liked.  They advised us to fill up on drinks. We didn’t need to be told.  We filled all the water bottles we had and each of us took as many cups as we could and gathered them at our spot by the sea. We stayed another hour or so enjoying our private paradise.

We drove back and planned to meet later that night at one of only two bars in the town. After showering and eating another meal with Dimitri, I headed to meet the others where we continued our shenanigans late into the night. It was a perfect day!

 

Traveling Tip #22 Bring a Bigger Cup

 

At the resort where the dive shop is located and where we borrowed ice and cups the first day we arrived, I noticed several Cubans with their own, giant 7/11 type cups. I soon realized the purpose of these cups at our resort. The bigger the cup, the less frequently you have to go to the bar to refill. 

Cuban Blog Day #18 Explore First and Check Out Che's Eyes

I had planned to take the same taxi driver on to Playa Girón. When a taxi showed up, I was disappointed, yet not surprised, to find a different driver and two passengers already in the car.  I asked if it would be cheaper and explained the deal I had made with the driver the day before, but he didn’t go down in price. That made it easy to tell him to take a hike and wait around to take the bus with the Germans.  I was actually happy to be on a comfortable, nearly empty bus where I could easily nap my hangover away.  It was, as always, good to be moving again.  I had recently realized just how soon my trip would be over, and it was a relief to be getting closer and closer to Havana as I made my way up.

Playa Girón is a two hour bus ride from Trinidad.  It is a tiny beach town on the east bank of the Bay of Pigs and is famous for diving. When we arrived, the Germans had a car waiting to take them to their casa. They dropped me at another around the corner from where the Germans would be staying.  I negotiated my casa with Demitri, the owner of Hostal Moya.  I secured the room for $20 CUC with breakfast, again much to the Germans’ chagrin as they were paying $10 CUC more. They made me promise to teach them how to bargain the rest of the trip.

I met up with the Germans, and we walked around the ghost town that is Playa Girón.  Several abandoned buildings and no people in sight made us wonder why the guide book had even mentioned Playa Girón.  We found the one ‘resort’ hotel and secured our dive trip for the next day.  We ate lunch at one of only two restaurants in town when we were told the hotel restaurant was for guests only.  We paid in peso national which made the total bill for all of us about $6 US. Then we bought a bottle of rum and Tucola. Again, I paid in peso national. This time, I was asked if I wanted any of the Che coins. I traded and got four more coins, grateful for the offer.  They would make great gifts upon returning.  As the man was handing the coins to me, he held up one coin and told me that it was dated 1990 and it was a hard one to find because in it, Che’s eyes are closed.  No one was able to tell me what the significance of this is, nor could a google search, but it is true. The coins before 1990 all have Che’s eyes closed, while those after 1990 depict him with open eyes. If anyone knows anything about this please leave me a message. I’m quite curious.

Not knowing what else to do in this little deserted town, we made our way back to the ‘beach.’ It was quite ugly with a giant concrete wave breaking wall so big that you could not see beyond it.  We sat under a thatched umbrella and made cocktails.  A couple strolled by and joined us for a bit. They told us there was another, nicer beach a ways up. I felt like a rookie. Why hadn’t we explored a bit more before settling down on a subpar beach?

We headed back to my casawhere we had an excellent dinner of swordfish and lively conversation with Dimitri about all his travels in the navy. I was grateful to be able to understand everything and wondered how different this trip would be if I didn’t speak Spanish. I went to bed early in anticipation for the dives the next day.

 

Traveling tip #20

Always, always explore before you settle down into a place. Of course this is often easier said than done, especially when you’re hung over and tired and just want a place to sit around. 

Traveling tip #21

When in Cuba, collect both the Che peso coins as well as the bill. 

Cuban Blog Day #18 Explore First and Check Out Che's Eyes

I had planned to take the same taxi driver on to Playa Girón. When a taxi showed up, I was disappointed, yet not surprised, to find a different driver and two passengers already in the car.  I asked if it would be cheaper and explained the deal I had made with the driver the day before, but he didn’t go down in price. That made it easy to tell him to take a hike and wait around to take the bus with the Germans.  I was actually happy to be on a comfortable, nearly empty bus where I could easily nap my hangover away.  It was, as always, good to be moving again.  I had recently realized just how soon my trip would be over, and it was a relief to be getting closer and closer to Havana as I made my way up.

Playa Girón is a two hour bus ride from Trinidad.  It is a tiny beach town on the east bank of the Bay of Pigs and is famous for diving. When we arrived, the Germans had a car waiting to take them to their casa. They dropped me at another around the corner from where the Germans would be staying.  I negotiated my casa with Demitri, the owner of Hostal Moya.  I secured the room for $20 CUC with breakfast, again much to the Germans’ chagrin as they were paying $10 CUC more. They made me promise to teach them how to bargain the rest of the trip.

I met up with the Germans, and we walked around the ghost town that is Playa Girón.  Several abandoned buildings and no people in sight made us wonder why the guide book had even mentioned Playa Girón.  We found the one ‘resort’ hotel and secured our dive trip for the next day.  We ate lunch at one of only two restaurants in town when we were told the hotel restaurant was for guests only.  We paid in peso national which made the total bill for all of us about $6 US. Then we bought a bottle of rum and Tucola. Again, I paid in peso national. This time, I was asked if I wanted any of the Che coins. I traded and got four more coins, grateful for the offer.  They would make great gifts upon returning.  As the man was handing the coins to me, he held up one coin and told me that it was dated 1990 and it was a hard one to find because in it, Che’s eyes are closed.  No one was able to tell me what the significance of this is, nor could a google search, but it is true. The coins before 1990 all have Che’s eyes closed, while those after 1990 depict him with open eyes. If anyone knows anything about this please leave me a message. I’m quite curious.

Not knowing what else to do in this little deserted town, we made our way back to the ‘beach.’ It was quite ugly with a giant concrete wave breaking wall so big that you could not see beyond it.  We sat under a thatched umbrella and made cocktails.  A couple strolled by and joined us for a bit. They told us there was another, nicer beach a ways up. I felt like a rookie. Why hadn’t we explored a bit more before settling down on a subpar beach?

We headed back to my casa where we had an excellent dinner of swordfish and lively conversation with Dimitri about all his travels in the navy. I was grateful to be able to understand everything and wondered how different this trip would be if I didn’t speak Spanish. I went to bed early in anticipation for the dives the next day.

 

Traveling tip #20

Always, always explore before you settle down into a place. Of course this is often easier said than done, especially when you’re hung over and tired and just want a place to sit around. 

Traveling tip #21

When in Cuba, collect both the Che peso coins as well as the bill.