Some Impressions of Cuba

Cuba is a fascinating country, full of contrasts. Unless you spend your time in an all-inclusive hotel, you will be educated about the history and culture of this country.
We were driven in our coach over many miles of roads and there are no advertisements. But plenty of reminders to support the revolution which took place  in 1957.  Fidel and Che and the humble people kicked Batista out and Cuba ceased to be a playground for America!
What is good? The medical system is good with 3 tiers, local then regional doctor then hospital. Don't worry if you fall ill in Cuba, you will be well looked after. There are no signs that they will dismantle their NHS!
The education system is great with the kids in school uniform. Maroon shorts or skirts for the youngest, then yellow and blue for the oldest. All with white shirts and long white socks. Education is compulsory but I don't know what happens when the parents have no money for the uniform.
To get into University you must pass mathematics, Spanish grammar, and Cuban  history. Almost certainly the history will be how wonderful the revolution has been for Cuba. How would an English school leaver cope with equivalent exams. We don't teach grammar, even science students are weak with maths and I doubt we do history that helps with understanding  current affairs. It is stated that children should be educated in the spirit of Che.
I am amazed at the idolising of Che. There is silence in his mausoleum as you file through. The museum contains every bit of memorabilia they could find. His lab coat (what happened to mine?), books he read....he helped to bring about the revolution, he was very handsome and he was assassinated by the CIA - what more do you need!
What is bad. It is a verdant country but they import 45% of their food. They need an agricultural revolution.
Transport is almost non-existent. Vehicles are required to pick up hitch hikers, except that they are not really hitch hikers as they will pay. A yellow suited government official is there to see that this happens, otherwise the country would be at a standstill. They have recognised the need for investment from overseas, at last. People can now sell their house or car directly to another person without going through the state. Changes are occurring but slowly.
There are two pesos. One for Cubans and the CUC for tourists. 24 pesos to one CUC. Prices in CUC are a bit cheaper than in England for meals in restaurants. At food outlets for Cubans, a hot dog would cost about 15 pence, very cheap. With the ration book and shopping at the one outlet you are allowed to use, you can just about buy enough food to stay alive. If you want any luxuries, like soap (yes, soap is a luxury, not used by kitchen staff!) you need CUC or you hope tourists will give away the excess from their hotel.
There are beautiful beaches and some lovely scenery (Viñales). The people are friendly, there is music everywhere and then there is Rum!
Viva el mojito!

Trinidad

The City of Trinidad is 500 years old. It has somehow avoided being raised to the ground during the various wars and revolutions that have taken place. Many of the buildings are simple, not spectacular, but when restored and painted the lovely pastel colours that the Cubans use so well, give a character to this City. The cathedral is a fine building and there is a lovely plaza nearby. There are areas that are clearly very poor but it is never the desperate poverty of a 3rd world country.
The square near the cathedral hosts live music every night. There are some tables and chairs but most people sit on the steps, of which there are about 30 some 30m wide. At least 200 people might be listening and watching a few couples dance wonderful salsa.
There is little street lighting but we felt safe to walk around at night, the only danger is the condition of the pavements! Music comes from every bar and restaurant and lifts the energy level of the people.
Food is notoriously poor in Cuba. Some of the set meals we had were boring with no imagination and cooked by someone who does not care about food. Fill up on brown rice and beans. In Trinidad we found a good restaurant and others in our party were equally pleased with their restaurant choice. Were these the private ones whereas the state owned ones were the boring ones. Maybe?
Ours was Sol y Son. We ate there each of the three nights we were in Trinidad and it could stand alongside good restaurants in Nottingham. On the first night we asked for a wine list and the waiter beckoned for us to follow him. He took us to a very large cupboard (a wine cellar really), opened the double doors and there we had an array of bottles with the price marked so we could choose one that suited our palate and our pocket. Mostly Chilean imports. That was so much better than a simple list!

Inglaterra 1 Cuba 0

We were wandering along the road near our hotel and saw some guys setting up a table tennis table. So in walks Cheryl with me running after, in the hope we would not end up being sold as part of the white slave trade (revenge). They handed over the bats and C and I had a little game. Then the champion took C's bat and indicated that he wanted to play me. He made lots of shrugs of the shoulders, adjusting his shirt, all mind games, but he did have an excellent serve, tossing the ball high and hitting the ball with a sharp action. However there was not much spin on the ball because the bats were rubbish. I got more spin in general play and dunked him a few times. Reluctantly cutting a long story short I beat him 11-8. I am hoping that I beat not just the best of the four but maybe champion of the street, maybe Trinidad itself or the whole of Cuba! This game may be given full international status and so there is a title to defend when any reader goes to Cuba.
I thought one game was enough and that he could brood for years how some old guy from England, dressed in his best shirt, whipped him! To soften the blow I gave them 10 CUC to buy better bats as they were expecting school kids in the morning.
I suspect they might drink the 10 CUC in beer while wondering where to get table tennis bats!

Cienfuegos - twice

We had a walking tour of Cienfuegos which has some splendid buildings and is very clean. We came across a big band playing swing jazz. An old man with a walking stick danced with great rhythm and exaggerated hip movement (No it was not me!).
Our guide Osvaldo was pleased to see the rebuilding of the central square, so good work is being done all over Cuba, but is it enough?
After a relaxing drink in a good hotel we drove out to the Biological Gardens and took a tour with the local guide, Roger. He certainly knew everything about the trees, flowers and large buds that yielded a white sticky stuff that he used as chewing gum when a child! This was an excellent tour and back on the bus, Osvaldo offered us Cienfuegos for lunch or on to Trinidad - we chose Trinidad, only to find that the bus took a couple of turns and we were heading back to Cienfuegos! The excuse/reason was that the driver had to have a proper lunch! So we were dumped in Cienfuegos for a second time and wandered as a group looking for a drink and a snack. We chose a place that did pizza and the proprietor welcomed us in good English. The beer was cold and pizza piping hot and we were happy. Faced with some hours in the coach we made this the loo stop. Knowing his "fussy" the English were, our host treated us by finding a piece of soap so we could wash our hands. I felt the soap might have been locked in the safe! It was certainly not available to the kitchen staff!
This is a bit of a criticism of Osvaldo, misjudging what he had to offer us, but overall he was an excellent guide and we will give him top marks in any survey.
A couple more hours travel and we were in Trinidad and the Iberostar hotel which was the best of the tour, even better than the one in Havana. It had wifi, although weak. It just about managed emails but nothing so large as The Times to download!
Rob and Isobel (200 entries in Trip Advisor) has researched and told us of the Sol y Son Restaurant on Simon Bolivar Calle. We went there for the three nights we were in Trinidad. An imaginative menu with beautifully cooked food, excellent mojitos, and a wine store you are allowed to explore to choose. Go there if you can!
THERE IS GOOD FOOD IN CUBA.