I’ve tried to write this post about seven times, and each time it just got longer and longer.
My husband and I had just over a week in Cuba at the end of January. We didn’t stay in the resort area, Varadero. We didn’t take the girls either. Someone has to look after the chickens :). We were with a small tour of 15 people, with G Adventures. Havana. Santa Clara. Trinidad. Cienfuegos. Havana. Except for our first and last night, we stayed in “casa particulares” or bed and breakfasts everywhere. We had one day going by catamaran out to Cayo Blanco off Trinidad for beach time and snorkelling over the coral. We had 2 hours on a public beach near Cienfuegos. Otherwise, we were exploring towns, visiting monuments, or at one point hiking a short trail to “El Nicho”, a beautiful waterfall in a national park.
I wanted to tell you about all the things the pictures don’t show – the fields, the livestock, the fencing, all the horses and oxen used for transportation and load carrying. The people selling stuff along the highways, or hitching rides. The sounds – all day, all night. The music, the cheerfulness, the endurance. How wonky the supply and demand in grocery stores is, how much Che is honoured, how much more Jose Marti is revered. You see? I’m starting to do it again. If pictures are worth a thousand words, may these suffice to stand in for the several thousand I’ve written and erased.
Sailors Small Farm 
great slide show! As I sit here freezing and thinking about the cold, muddy weekend we just spent at the farm, I could almost feel the warmth of the Cuban sunshine through your pics.
Glad to hear you two got away from it all – I’m envious. and good for you for getting off of the beaten path. Makes for a more interesting vacation, better memories/stories and provides greater perspective on the people and the country.
Less relaxing though :). Yes, I’m as fond of lolling about with a book and a drink as anyone, but I couldn’t do it for a whole week – I wanted to see how Cuba came out of the Special Period, my husband is fascinated by their political history, so a tour was pretty much a given. And yes, the warmth was lovely. I still have a tan :).
What an adventure! Loved the slide show…going back for another look. And how did the chickens (and their carers) cope in your absence?
Well, the chickens and the carers were still healthy and alive when we returned, the house was standing and the dishes had been washed. What more can one ask for?
Wow. Just wow. Inspiring.
I think you described what ancient folklore calls a “vacation”. From the root VAC…as in vaca…as in cow. Well, guess we are not going anywhere.