Cuba Caribbean Flair - Cuba on 2 Wheels 2014 - El Cobre - Santiago de Cuba | Thursday, March 20 - 0km

After breakfast we will travel by bus to the starting point of today’s bike tours of Cuba which involve a 25 kilometre cycle to El Cobre. The pilgrimage church Caridad del Cobre was built at the beginning of the 17th Century for the Holy Virgin, who was the patron saint of the slaves working in the mines. El Cobre’s dramatic location and history are fascinating. You will spend the afternoon in the centre of Santiago, where you might like to visit the "26th July" Museum. You will be transferred back to Santiago where we will have lunch at a local restaurant. Accommodation at Hotel Villa Gaviota. (incl. breakfast, lunch) - Trip Notes

My Cuban visa expires before my departure so I decided to try to extend it in Cuba's second largest city Santiago_de_Cuba. The Immigration office was apparently close to the hotel but, after going round in circles for an hour following directions from different people, I was back where I started and ended up paying a guy 1CUC to walk me there! At least there was some interesting street art. 

 

  

I finally got there and waited for another hour until the office opened at 1030 only to be told I needed to buy a 25CUC stamp from Bank Central de Cuba in Parq Cespedes! I was supposed to meet Ramon for lunch near the Bank anyway so I walked in and took a ticket at 1130 with 50 people ahead of me. After half an hour two Italian ladies who were at the immigration office came into the Bank, spoke to the ticket lady and got their stamps “under the counter” in 5 minutes! I asked the ticket lady for the same treatment and she ignored me and waved me off. I walked out at 1215 to meet Ramon and Herbert and ordered spaghetti with tuna. Before the food came, I went back to the Bank around 1pm and my number came up in 5 minutes so I purchased the stamp and headed back to my pasta! Very annoyed....

Jordan turned up with news that the bus needed to be towed back to Holguin but he arranged a new bus and driver Giancarlo. We went in the new bus to the MONCADA BARRACKS museum for a tour and then to EL COBRE to visit the Church we were supposed to cycle to this morning, It was a very hot afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

We bussed back to the hotel to take things off the first bus and to say goodbye to Jordan. I walked back into town to get some money. The Cadeca was closed, bank lines were huge but I found an ATM that worked. I also found a great restaurant at Plaza de Dolores which was buzzing with the music festival in full swing. I partook of a Cuba libre and a huge serve of breaded shrimp for under 10CUC and bought a tub of ice cream which I ate along the way back to the hotel.