Cuban Blog Day #20 Pretend You're One of Them

I spent one last day in Playa Giron.  Eva wanted to do the cenote dive, and I wanted one more day on a beach before we made our way to the big city. I went back to the all inclusive in a $5 CUC taxi and paid the $15 CUC for all I could drink and eat for the entire day. It was a beautiful day, and I lay in the beach chairs, read magazines and jumped into the turquoise water every now and again.  The perfect hangover cure.

The chef became friendly with me and before I knew it, I was getting chair side service with Cuba Libres delivered to me every five minutes or so.  He informed me that there would be a bus soon for the hotel guests to go back to Playa Giron. I decided to try my luck and see if I could take it back.

When it arrived I got on like all the other guests. When we passed by my casa, I asked if he could drop me off there.  It was no problem.  I sat out in the Adirondackchairs in the front of the casa and wrote and watched the world pass by.  Soon I joined Dimitri’s daughter-in-law in their back patio and had a wine and coke concoction she made.  I chatted with the whole family and played with the little boy, Jonathan.

For our last dinner in Playa Giron the Germans came over and Dimitri served us fresh barracuda caught that day by him and his son. I’d only had it once before at a restaurant in Utila, Hondurasand loved it.  Dimitri told me it was actually illegal. I thought he was joking until he explained to me that it is poisonous.  Barracuda will apparently eat anything and because of this they sometimes eat poisonous things and then become poisonous themselves.  He told me not to worry though, because before they ever serve it, they first give it to a chicken and wait an hour. If the chicken doesn’t kick the bucket, they serve it up. Lucky me! I enjoyed it very much and had more than my fair share as the Germans are not fond of seafood. Pity.

We chatted around the kitchen table and arranged plans for Dimitri to take us to Havana the next day. It was cheaper than a bus because we were splitting it, and we could go when we wanted to.  We wanted to get there early so as to have a full day there when we arrived.  Due to an oversight on my departure day- I had thought I was flying out on a Tuesday rather than a Monday, thus giving me only two days in Havana, instead of the 3-4 I was hoping for. I was not too disappointed by this fact as I am never too fond of big cities and prefer quiet beach towns like the one we were about to leave.  It was also nearing the end of my trip and as much as I hate that it happens, it always does, I start winding down, losing my zest to go go go and it often alters my plans anyhow. Does this happen to anyone else on long trips?

Traveling Tip # 23  Pretend you’re one of them-  as a solo traveler it is often much easier to blend in with the flocks of other tourists.  This comes in handy when hotel busses come to get guests and you need a ride back to town.

Cuban Blog Day #20 Pretend You're One of Them

I spent one last day in Playa Giron.  Eva wanted to do the cenote dive, and I wanted one more day on a beach before we made our way to the big city. I went back to the all inclusive in a $5 CUC taxi and paid the $15 CUC for all I could drink and eat for the entire day. It was a beautiful day, and I lay in the beach chairs, read magazines and jumped into the turquoise water every now and again.  The perfect hangover cure.

The chef became friendly with me and before I knew it, I was getting chair side service with Cuba Libres delivered to me every five minutes or so.  He informed me that there would be a bus soon for the hotel guests to go back to Playa Giron. I decided to try my luck and see if I could take it back.

When it arrived I got on like all the other guests. When we passed by my casa, I asked if he could drop me off there.  It was no problem.  I sat out in the Adirondack chairs in the front of the casa and wrote and watched the world pass by.  Soon I joined Dimitri’s daughter-in-law in their back patio and had a wine and coke concoction she made.  I chatted with the whole family and played with the little boy, Jonathan.

For our last dinner in Playa Giron the Germans came over and Dimitri served us fresh barracuda caught that day by him and his son. I’d only had it once before at a restaurant in Utila, Honduras and loved it.  Dimitri told me it was actually illegal. I thought he was joking until he explained to me that it is poisonous.  Barracuda will apparently eat anything and because of this they sometimes eat poisonous things and then become poisonous themselves.  He told me not to worry though, because before they ever serve it, they first give it to a chicken and wait an hour. If the chicken doesn’t kick the bucket, they serve it up. Lucky me! I enjoyed it very much and had more than my fair share as the Germans are not fond of seafood. Pity.

We chatted around the kitchen table and arranged plans for Dimitri to take us to Havana the next day. It was cheaper than a bus because we were splitting it, and we could go when we wanted to.  We wanted to get there early so as to have a full day there when we arrived.  Due to an oversight on my departure day- I had thought I was flying out on a Tuesday rather than a Monday, thus giving me only two days in Havana, instead of the 3-4 I was hoping for. I was not too disappointed by this fact as I am never too fond of big cities and prefer quiet beach towns like the one we were about to leave.  It was also nearing the end of my trip and as much as I hate that it happens, it always does, I start winding down, losing my zest to go go go and it often alters my plans anyhow. Does this happen to anyone else on long trips?

Traveling Tip # 23  Pretend you’re one of them-  as a solo traveler it is often much easier to blend in with the flocks of other tourists.  This comes in handy when hotel busses come to get guests and you need a ride back to town.

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. 

Cuban Blgo Day #17 Arrive Early

  I had arranged with my taxi driver the day before for my ride to El Nicho waterfall and onto the town of Trinidad.  It was necessary to take a taxi in order to get to the waterfall which was pretty much on the way to Trinidad.  The driver was a bit enamored of me, and I took this into consideration when he arrived on time, told me to sit shotgun and stopped for me to get a pizza and water for breakfast.  He was the first driver to arrive on time and not change the price on me.  He tried flattering me by telling me if I stayed in Cubafor three more months no one would be able to tell I wasn’t Cubana. I took it to mean my Spanish was good, though I’m not sure that’s what he meant.

After a wonderful day diving, it was time to get moving again.

We drove for about an hour along the coast in the early morning. I could get used to these views every morning I thought to myself as we made our way south.  This was a little backward in my planning, but made sense as far as the Viazul bus route I would eventually be taking from Trinidad.

I arrived at El Nicho a bit before 8 am.  The park was empty and no one was at the gate, so I walked right through without paying an entrance fee.  The trail was well marked and soon I was at the most beautiful, wide, massive waterfall I’d ever seen.  It was so impressive I stood just staring at it as water sprayed me. 

I walked a bit more along the trail and came to the most extraordinary all natural pool I’ve ever seen. It was a bit chilly that early in the morning, but I didn’t care. I stripped down to my bikini and got in. (Re: travel motto- You never regret a swim.) The pool had a much smaller fall falling into it and had three or four smaller pools. I swam all around taking in the view from every vantage point. 

I got out and sat on a bench near the pool thankful for my early arrival and the solitude it gave me. I wrote in my journal surrounded by the sounds of the water falling. It would have been perfect were it not for the mosquitoes, the first I’d really encountered my whole trip.

I walked along the trails veering off here and there to see where one might lead. It was beautiful and starting to warm up.  I walked back to the entrance and found out there were more trails across the street. I walked down those and discovered even more giant falls. At one point I was at the top of one looking down to the crashing water below.  El Nicho was certainly another highlight of my trip.

I returned to my taxi driver who had been waiting, and we continued on to Trinidad about an hour more.  I found a casaacross from the casa my driver recommended when la dueña wouldn’t go down in price from $25 CUC to $20. This casa was on Trip Advisor and was by far the best and cleanest of all. It did however lack a bit of the personal touch I’d grown fond of along the way.  It even had little soaps and shampoos, a treat I had forgotten about during my time in Cuba. I kept them to give away. I got the casa for $20 CUC including breakfast, much to the chagrin of the Germans I would meet a bit later.

After settling in my room, I went walking, first to find a cadeca to exchange money for the third time of my trip. I was happy to realize I was keeping on track with my money, even staying a bit under what I had anticipated per week, even with diving, my biggest expense of the trip. Then, I got lunch, I splurged a bit, perhaps due to the realization that I was under my expected budget, and ordered the lobster, which of course was hardly a splurge compared to American prices at $12 CUC.  I shared my meal with a very friendly bird who quite enjoyed the cucumbers from my cucumber and tomato salad.

I walked around the city a bit after lunch, bought a bottle of rum and some Tukola and headed back to my casa to sit on the rooftop and write postcards.  Soon the Germans, Eva and Niels exited their room. They were quite friendly and told me of their day at the tobacco factory.  We ended up discussing our plans for the next few days. They too were heading to Playa Girón and Eva was looking for a dive buddy.  Perfect.

Their plan for the evening was to check out the cave bar that I’d heard about since planning this trip. They invited me along. We went to a couple other bars along the way just checking out the scene in Trinidad, including one bar where we had our own private rooftop balcony with a great view of the city. Then we headed for the cave bar, Disco Ayala.

Words cannot describe what my eyes saw. It was beyond anything I could have imagined and then some.  It was the biggest cave I’ve ever been in and makes me debate whether I should call it a ‘cave bar’ or a ‘bar cave.’  It was 3-4 stories high in some places, so dark in others that you’d need a flashlight if it weren’t for all the blinking disco lights.  We sat at a table and never once forgot we were in a cave due to the dripping of water on us from above, even though by all other accounts we were most certainly in a disco with loud music, live dancers and flashing lights.  It was, quite simply, out of this world!  Another highlight. That’s three in a row- Diving, El Nicho and the cave bar or bar cave!

 

 

I encourage readers to check out this site to view pictures of this awesome bar. It was just too dark for my camera to get any good pictures.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2640400/Fire-walkers-three-bars-five-dancefloors-Disco-Ayala-Trinidad-Cuba-housed-inside-NATURAL-CAVE.html-

 

Traveling tip #19 Arrive Early

 

This has happened to me a few other times before on other trips, though you can never exactly plan on it, but sometimes, when you arrive early enough (read, so early the place isn’t exactly open) you just might gain free entrance to whatever it is you’re hoping to visit that day.  It happened for me at El Nicho and as a shoestring traveler, any money saved is appreciated.