Cuba Cross Over 2014 - Viñales | Thursday, February 27 - 35km

In the morning we get back on our bicycles and follow a little path which leads us through beautiful landscapes and to “comunidades” (communes) which developed after the revolution. It is a must to stop at Fincas where some of the best tobacco in the world is produced. We get to know locals who plough the tobacco as well as women who select tobacco leaves according to their quality. En route we refuel ourselves at a local restaurant. We will spend the night at the hotel Rancho San Vicente after today’s tour of approx. 50km. (breakfast, lunch, dinner) - Trip Notes

We cycled out after breakfast to Vinales for a walk around the small town. Then to the prehistoric wall mural, which is quite new, where the Germans had a pina colada.

 

  

We cycled up to the lookout then back down to a tobacco drying exhibit followed by lunch very close to the hotel. The sky was filling with dark clouds. I sat by the pool for 30 minutes until it started raining so I went to my cottage and watched Catch Me If you Can on tv.

 

 

 

Buffet dinner was at 730. I had a roast chicken leg (probably leftover) and spaghetti. Fresh fruit papaya and pineapple for dessert. And pinita of course...

Cuba Cross Over 2014 - Puerto Esperanza | Wednesday, February 26 - 45km

Today’s tour heads for Puerto Esperanza. We will set off by taking the same route to Viñales. During the whole tour, plenty of greenery and the beauty of Cuban nature will surround us. From time to time we pass little villages, one of which, San Cayetano, is especially remarkable. Continuing our journey, at noon we will arrive at Puerto Esperanza, located directly at the sea. The city bridge had a very important function in the 1800s: during that time all the gold that was mined in this region was taken across it. Gold digging and trading boomed on those days, the reason why Cuba’s second train line leads to Puerto Esperanza. Nowadays production of tobacco and fishing are the two main industries of the village. Here we will have lunch together at a cozy restaurant. The afternoon is free at your own disposal. You can either relax after the first stage(total 38 km cycling) of your trip, or you can discover the town by foot. Overnight at the Hotel Rancho San Vicente. (breakfast, lunch, dinner) - Trip Notes

The buffet breakfast looked OK. I had a cheese omelette with a piece of bread, fresh papaya and 2 juices. We took the bus at 9 for about 20km then the bikes came off. I fitted my odometer but guessed on the setting for tire size. It may have been a little short so I added a little at the end for good measure as Ricardo thought it would be 50km. The roads were not great, there were a few hills and it was hot! The riding time was 2.5 hrs but we had lots of stops.

We did not go to Esperanza but instead to Cayo Jutias which was a little island they built a road out to. We finished today’s cycling at a restaurant/ beach club. It took ages to get food and I couldn’t eat the fish because it was way too salty. I threw the fish to the nearby dog but even the dog wouldn’t eat the root vegetables which were tasteless. I couldn’t eat the desert because it was too sweet. The dog had gone by then… A great band made the afternoon bearable but could not help the food.

 

 

I had been drinking the Cuban equivalent of Fanta but today tried the pineapple drink “Pinita” which is not dissimilar to Almdudler – as you would guess I am now hooked on it! We had about 1.5 hrs to relax at the beach club after lunch. Most of the gang went down to the beach and sunbaked or swam. I hung round on the terrace.

 

 

We left by bus at 5 and got to the Hotel around 630. After showering, I  recalibrated the odometer guessing on the setting (which I could check online if I could get online!) and we then had dinner at 730. Tonight’s menu was lasagna entrée (passable), roast chicken (edible), candied  papaya and cheese for desert (passed, as in did not even taste). There was a nice band playing.

I went back to my cottage and turned on my Australian phone to check for SMS messages. There was no signal so I did a manual network search. Imagine my surprise to find Cubacel as a “forbidden network”. So my Aussie SIM card will not work in Cuba! Great!!!                                   

Cuba Cross Over 2014 - Havana - Viñales | Tuesday, February 25 - 20km

Today we will make our way to the Viñales Valley. On our journey we will discover the tobacco plantations, fields of crops, and exclusive flora and fauna of unequalled beauty. Once arrived there we will prepare the bicycles for our first bicycle tour and to then continue our trip driving on narrow roads where we can admire the uniqueness of the surrounding landscape. After lunch and approximately 20 km tour, we will arrive at our hotel, which is located in a picturesque “Mogote” valley. Accommodation at the Hotel Rancho San Vincente. (breakfast, lunch, dinner) - Trip Notes

 

Buffet breakfast again but I had just coffee, juice and a roll with butter. I had some success with the internet using a different computer and then checked out of the Hotel on to our bus loaded with bikes on one side, seats on the other.

We drove to Pinar del Rio and visited a cigar factory and then a rum factory followed by lunch at El Patenque. The first good meal - delicious barbecued chicken. We then took a short ride to Hotel Rancho San Vincente which will be home for 3 nights without internet!

 

 

 

 

I changed into bike gear and fitted my pedals on to a very strange bike which has one ring at the front and a “dual drive” system at the rear controlled by a sliding button between level downhill and uphill (which took me a while to work out) and by a twisting handlebar end similar to on motor bikes. Very unusual and took a bit of getting used to. In any event, we had a 20km circuit ride through nice tobacco countryside.

 

 

 

 

We got back to the hotel just after 6pm. Warmish shower and a rest was followed by dinner at 730. Very average… very salty beef.