Travellers’ Tales
Cigars and BiKE RIDES a tale of Cyling After my 900km trip last year in northern Spain, cycling on the Camino, I knew that I had at least one more lengthy bike trip in my legs...
with Ian Inglis
Ian describes the last ‘leg’ of his cycling trip this summer, through Cuba, with his son Brian.
We were well into our trip now and we found ourselves taking a well-earned breather at Santa Clara. Santa Clara is the site of one of the most famous battles of the revolution. Che Guevara and a small number of guerrillas ambushed a troop train with 350 men and ammunition on board, using a bulldozer. The ambush was successful and from Santa Clara preserved Spanish colonial settlement where the massed ranks of a guerrilla force marched the clocks stopped ticking in 1850. Declared a on Havana, with Fidel Castro at its head. The world heritage site by UNESCO in 1988 it has rest is history - and history is very much a part profited from the resulting funds. The ride to Trinidad was pretty uneventful, just bowling of this wonderful country. Santa Clara is a permanent monument to along in our peloton of two. Occasionally I Che Guevara. Everywhere you go there are would take the lead but I was more than happy statues, billboards and museums dedicated to just leaving that to Brian. There is something his memory. He is held very close to the hearts quite mesmeric and rhythmic about rattling of all Cubans, even though he wasn’t Cuban - along km after km with just the sound of he was a medical practitioner from Argentina. nature, connected like an umbilical cord to After 2 nights holed up in Santa Clara, we set Brian’s rear wheel. off on the second phase of the trip. We headed Trinidad was such a delight that we decided 50km west to Remedios, famous for people to spend two nights there. Joining the hoards leaving - sick and tired of pirate invasions in of tourists was nice, having been in some very the 16th century half the population got up remote areas where we saw very few people. We and left for Santa Clara! It is one of the oldest even ventured into an outdoor nightclub and settlements in Cuba and boasts the only town had a few mojitos. Watching the dancers, some of whom were customers, writhing around, square housing two cathedrals. The following day the casa owner gave us a I was amazed at how the human body could 25km ride out towards our next destination of contort. I never realized how hips could move Placetas and we cycled 55km on a wonderfully in such a way. If I hadn’t seen it with my own flat road, into town. Brian was chuffed as the eyes I would not have believed it! A whole driver had covered his bike in bubble wrap extra week’s stay would not have done justice to Trinidad. before placing it on his roof rack. Learning our lesson during the previous part The last part of the trip to Cienfuegos was of the trip, we hit the road at 8am before the some 85km away, which was just too far. So sun was able to do its damage. During the east rather than do the taxi thing again we spotted coast part of the journey we got caught out a a holiday resort some 25km along the way. few times, by leaving a little later, meaning that The journey to Playa Yaguambo was a blast; the big ball of fire in the sky was able to cause bowling along a flat coast road knowing we some hurt! So we headed off on empty streets had only 25km to cover was a great feeling. It making our way to Sancti Spiritus some 55km was rather bizarre when we arrived, suddenly seeing crowds of people on the beach and at the away. One of the many glorious delights of Cuba hotel because it was in the middle of nowhere. is the sublime colonial architecture and the Our little detached chalet was just a few metres main square of Sancti Spiritus is a fine example away from the water’s edge. of this. It seems to me that this is one of the Knowing that we had a big day the following positive aspects of the half century embargo. It day we set off at around 7am for our last day in appears that time has stood still. Would all of the saddle to Cienfuegos. The first 40km was the wonderful buildings exist if the state had relatively straightforward as we were hugging the coast, but as we approached the last 20km continued on its pre-revolution trajectory? The second phase of the trip was going really the ground started to undulate and it was a well. My energy levels were much improved - I little tougher. guess I was getting fitter and that coupled with My sense of Cienfuegos when we cycled the shorter distances made for a happier time through, was one of a well healed city. As with less dependency on Brian. So it was that the guide books say “while much of Cuba we set off, with great expectation and a spring is visibly reeling in the current economic crisis, Cienfuegos seems to positively glitter”. in our pedals, for Trinidad, 55km west. Trinidad is a one of a kind, a perfectly UNESCO status was granted in 2005 and along 20
with the accompanying investment and the fact that it is a major seaport with a natural bay of some 88 sq km Cienfuegos was the richest place we had visited in Cuba. As we entered the city I was somewhat overcome by the enormity of our journey - after some 700 plus kilometres we had made it. We got off our bikes outside our Casa, and I gave Brian a massive hug and a smacker on the cheek. It had been a sheer delight spending a month in his company, and at that moment I just felt a huge wall of gratitude and love towards him. What more can a father ask, than to spend such a huge chunk of time with his son. It was a joy and a privilege. Our time in Cienfuegos ended all too quickly and we headed west on a 13 hour bus journey back to Havana for two nights before home time. Havana is a city of huge contrasts. 2 million live here and everyone seems to be a musician! The sound of music pervades the air. Alongside riches there is deep poverty. Architecturally, it is studded with some real jewels. The old town alone has some 900 buildings of historical importance, ranging from intricate baroque to glitzy art deco. A walk along the 8km malecon (Havana waterfront) is like a walk in a different world, with its rich architecture and amazing nightlife; it appears that the whole of Havana turns up after sunset. On our last night in Havana, we sat for a couple of hours just watching the evening go by and chatting to various people. One young guy, a baker, whose self taught English was almost perfect, told us that he earned 8 dollars per month. Just how people survive in this fantastic country is an amazing feat. I can do no better than quote the guidebook in summing up the Habaneros, “the attraction is the authenticity - they don’t just survive, they duck and dive, scheme and dream, create and debate, but most of all, they live - with a rare passion”. So it was on the 27th of July Brian and I parted company after one of the most memorable times of my life, Brian to Brisbane and Ian to Balquhidder. I am so overjoyed that Brian joined me. It was always my plan to go to Cuba on my own, but I’m so glad the way things turned out. I couldn’t have done it without him.