Category Archives: Dispatches

Ferry to Casa Blanca

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If you are walking down the “malecon” (coastal road fronting the sea wall)  in Havana toward the harbour and Bahia of La Habana, your eyes will be drawn to the lighthouse (faro) standing proud on the cliff edge protecting one of Cuba’s spectacular natural harbours, the bay of Havana!  The lighthouse stands on the end of a promontory strongly fortified with huge walls and battlements, built by the Spanish Conquistadors to defend the city against pirates and other bounty seeking invaders. Opposite stands the old city of Havana, once a jewel of the Caribbean!

A road tunnel now links Havana to the other side of the bay, but locals who live in Casa Blanca (a community on the other side) make the crossing to and fro on the ferry to get to work and school. If you like boat trips then the ferry to Casa Blanca will be one you’ll enjoy, and once there you can walk up the hill to the statue of Blanco Cristo (White Christ) and enjoy the view.

The ferry has a vauge time table…. It starts running around 6.30 to 7am and stops around 9.30 to 10pm and the crossing takes about 5 minutes.

Once you have located the pier, which is opposite the new Russian Orthodox Church you will need to go through the police check point and join the queue which is undercover on the pier. The police will want to look inside your bags and require men to empty their pockets and maybe even do a body search!!!  All a bit strict for a short ferry crossing you might think??

Well NO! In fact two or three ferries have been hijacked and sailed with all their passengers to foreign shores, namely the USA, where all Cubans are welcomed with open arms and helped to settle in! Another victory for the capitalists!!

The story of one famous hijack is worth repeating!

One day as the ferry left Casa Blanca to cross the bay a whole bunch of people boarded in party spirit.  Through the police check with their crates of beer, bottles of rum, pots of food and snacks, tambores, maracas, guitaras, singing,  dancing, laughing & joking. Men, women, children, adolescents, babies etc a big family outing!  You get the picture!! An outing with a surprise! Half way across the bay the ferry turned left and headed out to sea, party still in full swing!! This change of route was noticed by the security police on the pier who notified the coast guard. The coast guard was not quick off the mark as they thought something on the lines of..“well the ferry has hardly any fuel they won’t get far!” How wrong they were! This had been well planned. The crates of beer were full but the bottles were full of fuel not beer and so the ferry partied on to Miami!!!

So if you still want to chance the crossing, join the queue in the line marked Casa Blanca and when the ferry appears pay your peso to the official and jump on board!

The price you pay for the ferry is one peso moneda nacional MN (not tourist money CUC) and before you start thinking this is very cheap, please remember that an average Cuban monthly salary is $20 to $40 US so that is only 500 to 1,000 pesos MN.

Once on the ferry find a safe place to stand and hang on! Bicycles and other small cargo are allowed at no extra cost provided there is space. The journey is pretty smooth and eventless normally but you might want to take note of where they keep the life jackets!

Exit the ferry and the ferry terminal at Casa Blanca and ahead of you a road leads up through a small park onto a road that leads to the statue of Jesus Blanco. For the last few months he has been encased in scaffolding but there is a view point worth reaching and the walk up takes about 10 to 15 minutes from the pier.

Proceedure for the return ferry is exactly the same but if you don’t fancy it or are in a hurry you can always catch a taxi and return by the tunnel. If you have lots of time to spare then why not head up to the lighthouse or visit the old fort which is open to visitors for aprox. 10CUC

It’s a lovely view over the old city and the bay is cleaner now than it used to be before the iron curtain fell and cut of the plentifull trade from this once thriving port!

If you fancy a trip to Cuba and want some company why not join one of our small group tours. No more than 8 in a group with a dedicated tour leader throughout. Read more on our tours pages.

For a short tour try “Cuban Snapshot”
https://encompasstours.com/tours/a-cuban-snapshot-7-days/

If you have more time then “Mi Cubita” covers two weeks
https://encompasstours.com/tours/mi-cubita-cuba14-days/

Read more about Cuba in our news posts.

San Lazaro

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Cuba’s Favourite Saint

Catholicism came to Cuba with the original Spanish Conquistadors in the 16th century and despite efforts to ban religions of all kinds following the revolution of 1959, it remains outwardly the dominant religion of the day. The churches have all reopened and been repaired, the pope has visited twice giving Cubans his blessing, and people are able to freely practice their chosen religion without fear of persecution.

“Santaria” is the name given to the Cuban form of the African religions brought over with the slaves from West Africa. Cuban life is steeped in the beliefs of Santaria which has always managed to survive underground practiced by people in the worst conditions imaginable who gained from it their strength to survive. Although it is now recognised as a religion in its own right and openly practised it is so ingrained into the beliefs and culture of the island that it adopts and transforms the Catholic saints and embodies them with its own deities, and vice versa in a sort of symbiotic relationship!!

The saint most celebrated in Cuba is San Lazaro! He was the poorest of the poor. He ate the scraps from under the tables and even the dogs licked his sores, so the stories tell us. He was famously raised from the dead by Jesus and himself became a saint.

Who can not feel sorry for San Lazaro? He is the saint for whom so many Cubans feel a great sense of empathy.

San Lazaro has a dedicated following in Cuba his Sanatrian self is “Babalu Aye” (ref Rough Guide to Cuba)

December 17th is his saint day and the preceding day, December 16th, is the day of peregrination. The devotees begin their dedications and demonstrations of self sacrifice in Santiago de las Vegas and culminate their 5 to 6 kilometre journey at the Sanctuary of his name adjacent to and in the grounds of the old Hospital on the out skirts of El Rincon, a suburb of Havana.

They are a conspicuous procession, dressed in dirty old clothes or tunics made from old sacks for the occasion. Barefoot or with special rope shoes if not on their knees, some even spread-eagle themselves on the ground face down on the earth. They might carry wooden crosses or other burdens and slowly painfully make their procession to the feet of their saint. On reaching the Sanctuary they make their pledges and promises in return for cures received or hoped for, for themselves, for relatives or friends. Many also renew their promises to fulfil pre existing devotional pacts with San Lazaro for favours done and cures received.

On the streets of Havana there are many devotees who walk the streets carrying small statues of San Lazaro and collecting money for Cuba’s favourite saint!

Join us on one of our tours!

If you have only one week try “A Cuban Snapshot”
https://encompasstours.com/tours/a-cuban-snapshot-7-days/

For those with more time to spare try “Mi Cubita”
https://encompasstours.com/tours/mi-cubita-cuba14-days/

Maceo Cubas Titan!

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As a visitor arriving in Cuba your spending money will be the Cuban Convertible Peso or CUC, a currency invented for tourists!

It’s quite unlikely that you will become very familiar with Cuba’s National Money, but it’s well worth taking 3 or 4 CUC to a “casa de cambio” (money exchange) and getting a variety of denominations of Moneda Nacional. Take a look at the portraits on the back of the notes, and you will find a catalogue of heroes and men who have been key forces in the history of Cuba’s struggle for freedom and equality, which continues today.

Take a five peso note…. Its greenish!
On the back is a likeness of a man few people outside of Cuba will be familiar with, but he is considered to be one of the most note worthy guerrilla leaders of the 19th century, and his name is Jose Antonio de la Caridad Meaco y Grajales or Antonio Maceo!
Known as the Bronze Titan “El Titan De Bronce” by Cubans or by the Spanish “el Leon Mayor” the Great Lion he was very aptly named resembling in his stature and leadership qualities, both of these nick names!

Born in the east of Cuba many of the monuments and visual tributes to his achievements are displayed in Santiago de Cuba.

He was born to Mariana Grajales, a mestizo from the Dominican Republic, the first child with her second husband Marco Maceo. Mariana is considered the mother of all Cubans for her remarkable patriotism, determination and bravery on the battle field supporting her husband and sons during the struggles with the Mambi rebels against the Spanish colonialists during the wars of the 19th century.

Antonio Maceo, his father and brothers first took up arms in 1868 in support of the revolt triggered in part by landowner Carlos de Cespedes who freed his slaves in return for their support in an independence struggle against Spain, the famous “Cry of Yara”. Maceo was quickly promoted in the armed struggle for his bravery and intelligence in planning and executing strategic attacks and his obvious leadership qualities. Indeed the army was known as “Maceos Liberation Army”


He famously refused to surrender arms in protest to the signing of the “Pact of Zanjon” after the Ten Year War of 1868 this episode being known as the Baragua Protest!
Maceo had to flee Cuba to save his life from pursuit by Spanish determined to assassinate him and he was resident in Coast Rica when Jose Marti approached him to participate in the war of 1895. After much discussion and planning he returned to Cuba to lead the liberation forces once more.
He adopted Maximo Gomez strategy of using the machete as a ferocious and deadly weapon against the Spanish sword to great effect. The cruel reconcentration of the rural communities into camps similar in degradation and inhumane conditions encouraged many peasants to join the liberation army rather than starve under the Spanish.
Death came in battle in 1896, shot twice in the chest and the head by a Spanish battalion who had no idea of his identity. By his side young Panchito, (son of the famous Maximo Gomez) who had stayed with him in a fatal attempt to protect his general was hacked to death with machetes and left to rot. They had no idea who they had killed!

Maceo fought in more than 500 battles and recovered from more than 25 injuries.
He was a member of the freemasons and believed completely in “God reason and virtue” which he displayed in his actions throughout his life.
He once commented in a letter to a friend “That (country) which attempts to seize Cuba, will gather the dust of its ground soaked in blood, if he does not perish in fight.”

If you would like to visit Cuba and discover for yourself this enchanted island that inspires such patriotic feelings join us on one of our tours!
A Cuban Snapshot   https://encompasstours.com/tours/a-cuban-snapshot-7-days/

Mi Cubita   https://encompasstours.com/tours/cuba/mi-cubita-cuba14-days/     

See our news posts for more articles on all things Cuban!

Valle de los Ingenios

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A steam train adventure in Trinidad, Cuba!

One of the most delightful excursions on our tour to Trinidad is the day we take the train to Manaca Iznaga and old sugar plantation!

We all gather at the tiny rural station of Trinidad which looks as though it has been out of use for half a decade. We are  awaiting the arrival of this amazing old steam train which announces itself loud and clear as it approaches! Steam billowing out of the smokestack and smoke from the furnace.  Everyone is eager with anticipation not believing that this puffing monster is going to take us to our destination and back again!

All aboard!

We get onto the old fashioned carriages and take or seats for the trip. After a short delay we chug out of Trinidad under steam, and with several blasts of the whistle, children, bicycles, grazing horses and dogs flee from the train’s path.

The speed is leisurely and we have a superb view of the rural landscape, passing through rough grazing land and small holdings.  A good pair of binoculars at the ready and bird watches will not be disappointed!

The train comes to a stop in the middle of a small bridge and a wide hose is fed into the  stream below to fill us up with water. This takes a little time as the hose looks as old as the train and several holes make it somewhat leaky!!!  Time to chat and look out the windows.

We are off again and continue uninterrupted until we arrive at Manaca Iznaga station.

The colonial house is now a visitor’s centre and the tower is a vivid landmark and reminder of the unhappy people enslaved to work this land, once producing the best sugar in the world. The bell that rang out the hours of work is no longer in the tower but stands on the ground at the entrance to the house. For a peso or two you can climb the tower on its rickety step ladder and the views from the top are awe inspiring.

Down below there are local ladies selling their beautiful pulled thread and embroidered white table clothes and napkins traditional to this region, plus many other knick knacks from further afield. If you are in need of refreshment or toilets these are available in the house, where you may also find an opportunity to sample freshly squeeze sugar cane juice, in the back courtyard.

Once more we return to the train and continue to another colonial house where lunch or other light snacks can be purchased. A typical musical group plays recognisable tunes by well loved Cuban composers and horses are available for a short ride if you are not hungry. Chickens wander around ever hopeful for crumbs and everyone relaxes in the shaded verandas  out of the blazing sun. What a fabulous way to spend the day and see the countryside.

Our return journey is direct to Trinidad with the no scheduled stops ….

Trains and railways have been a crucial part of Cuba’s history and key to the success of the revolution in 1959. If you are a train enthusiast then the train museum in Havana will be on your list of visits and you might fit in the Hershey train from Casa Blanca to Matanzas if you have a free day! It’s a sad reality that the train system in Cuba has been more or less abandoned due to lack of government interest, but thanks to tourism some of these old machines have been revived and continue to earn their keep!

Why not book a tour with encompass tours and se Cuba for yourself?

“Cuban SnapShot”  tour available in October 2012
https://encompasstours.com/tours/a-cuban-snapshot-7-days/

“Mi Cubita” tour available in December 2012
https://encompasstours.com/tours/cuba/mi-cubita-cuba14-days/

Humboldt’s Cuban Footprint

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Alejandro von Humboldt in Cuba (“the last man who knew everything”)

Alexander von Humboldt (born in Berlin Sept. 14, 1769 — died in Berlin May 6, 1859) visited Cuba for only a few months on two occasions during his many years exploring and researching South America with Aimé Bonpland, a French born botanist. His short visits have left a large footprint on the island, and his writing there have shaped and influenced many thinkers, leaders and scientists the world over.

If you are in old Havana you can visit a house where he stayed in Calle de los Oficios. It has a bronze plaque dedicated to his memory to the left of the main entrance, and another one with his portrait in relief. There is not a lot to see in the small museum house but, it is more than anything a tribute to a man who was an energetic and tireless collector, thinker, scientist, botanist, humanist, educator, philanthropist, explorer and more! He funded much of his own expeditions and died somewhat hard up due to his philanthropic activities, always keen to help young penniless students in the fields he love and made such significant contributions to.

He was undoubtedly the influence for the works of Charles Darwin who described him in a letter to a friend as “greatest scientific traveller who ever lived” Simon Bolivar who was responsible for the liberation of so many Spanish colonies, said of him “Alexander von Humboldt has done more for America than all its conquerors, he is the true discoverer of America.

While in Cuba Humboldt undertook scientific and social research with collaboration of Cuban landowner and thinker Francisco Arrango y Parreño. He visited regions around Havana as far as Trinidad and Matanzas. They conducted a survey of the city and surroundings and on his second visit he completed a mineralogical survey too.  He and his companion Aimé Bonpland made an extensive collection of Cuba’s flora and fauna, and in honour of Humboldt’s achievements and research carried out on behalf of Cuba a national park in the department of Baracoa has been dedicated to his name “The Alejandro Humboldt National Park”

Humboldt’s theory of life and the world was that “Nature herself is sublimely eloquent. The stars as they sparkle in firmament fill us with delight and ecstasy, and yet they all move in orbit marked out with mathematical precision”. He spent a large number of years writing up his findings and his theories of the sciences and the unity of the world we live in. He wrote an essay on the island of Cuba that was banned by the Spanish who felt threatened by it! It was called “Ensayo Politico sobre la isla de Cuba” and pointed great criticism at the inhumane  practice of slavery and all the injustices and corruption of thinking around its practice!

 

Humboldt was considered by Cubans as the second discoverer of the island and we can be thankful that the practice of slavery in Cuba was soon abolished. Carlos Manuel de Céspedes a landowner and lawyer declared all his slaves free men October 10, 1868 and became the catalyst for liberation from Spain and freedom for slaves in Cuba

If you would like to see Cuba and its beautiful flora and fauna, explore the old cities and rural towns, join us on a tour!

Learn more about Humboldt on BBC Radio 4 podcast with Melvyn Bragg http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/iots/all#playepisode59

Why not book yourself onto one of our tours this year?

7 days tour “Cuban Snapshot”
https://encompasstours.com/tours/a-cuban-snapshot-7-days/

14 days tour “Mi Cubita”
https://encompasstours.com/tours/mi-cubita-cuba13-days/