Settling In
Our first landfall in Cuba was Puerto de Vita. The marina was comfortable and a great place to start our adventure. The beaches are beautiful and the old cars are everywhere. Even though we were warned that things normally taken for granted (Wifi, beef, dairy, toilet paper, etc) would be hard to get, the reality is still shocking. Anita is still shocked that there are no toilet seats. She said it is still better than Turkey were there were no toilets!
We took a taxi ride to Holquin City which was wild. Victor the driver, flew us past 30 miles of rural Cuban countryside filled with horse drawn carts, and people walking or hitchhiking. We stayed in a particular ( Cuban for bed and breakfast) which was owned by Morelos Solis, a physician that gave up her career to rent rooms. The breakfast she served was spectacular, and when we left it felt like saying goodbye to family.
Cuba finishes a 9 day State of Mourning for Fidel Castro today. Many places are closed and there were no festivals, events or even music allowed. We are having a great time despite the social limitations. Anita planned a road trip to Santiago de Cuba on the southern shore. Half way through the journey we found out that Fidel’s funeral procession was heading there for the final stop. Sine we would not be able to experience the real Santiago, which is rich in music and dance, we decided to go back to the marina.
SummerSalt sailed out of Puerto de Vita Friday morning after the inspection dogs took one more sniff around. We tipped the Marina manager, Yaney, $25, which turns out to be one months salary for her. Encounters like this really puts our lives in the US in perspective.
The plan was to sail to Cato Guillermo, the next international marina, which allows us to go ashore, in two stops since it was a 140 mile trek. The first stop was a rusting old sugar cane commercial port that did not look very inviting. So, we went right back out at sunset and smiled all night and most of the next day. Along the way when I was below resting and Anita was manning the boat, she passed close to a rust bucket ship carrying 80-100 men on deck. When they saw a beautiful woman at the helm of a sailboat and an American flag, they frantically starting waving and tried to get her to come back. It was like a modern day mermaid story.
We arrived in Guillermo at 3:00 pm. This is an active resort area with several all inclusive hotels filled with Canadians. Kiteboarder’s are everywhere and there is a lot to do. We plan to stay here for several days and enjoy the beaches and land attractions.
In the two weeks since arriving, we have not had any news from the US. It is rather refreshing to be distant from all of the stuff that seems to steer your life when you are in the middle of it all. There are definitely some good life lessons to be learned in this unique country.
Steve and Anita
