After two lovely and memorable days, today was a rather routine, even dee you double-ell. I’m near the End of the End to End, and I want to finish things and get on with the rest of my life, assuming there is one. My lovely casa in Soroa supplied a stylish fruit-based breakfast (pic), sculpted…
Category: End to Ends
Cuba 22: Las Terrazas to Soroa
A very short riding day, as planned – in fact I spent more time having breakfast than I did cycling. My fabulous little casa did me proud, serving up lots of fresh local mango juice (the surplus of which I diverted into my water bottles), omelette, bread, local honey and local coffee. Then, a local…
Cuba 21: San Antonio de los Baños to Las Terrazas
An easy day in prospect – a holiday, almost – but first I had to escape my horrible accommodation. This involved retrieving my bike from the cluttered downstairs reception area. In the dark. This was also the living space of the hosts, who were snoring on a makeshift bed. The battered old wooden door to…
Cuba 20: Guanabo to San Antonio de los Baños
Knowing that I’d be in Havana later on, to sit out the spare days between the end of my trip and my flight home, I decided to bypass the capital today and head on to the Comedy Capital of Cuba, San Antonio de los Baños. (I was told by various locals that you’re not allowed…
Cuba 19: Matanzas to Guanabo
I felt like a posh, rich westerner at my business-hotel breakfast, tortilla, bacon, eggs, fresh fruit, proper coffee and all (pic). Then I saw myself in the mirror, and felt like a scruffy cycle tourist again. Another sunny morning, another tailwind. I headed on the coast road along a ridge: at last, scenery that didn’t…
Cuba 18: Australia to Matanzas
Yet another day of easy, fast, pleasant cycling, though the main roads are getting noticeably busier now we’re nearing Havana, with the traffic all going much faster than me (pic). There were the usual refreshment stops en route, notably at the untouristed Jovellanos, where I pushed round for half an hour enjoying the obscure-small-town vibe….
Cuba 17: Playa Girón to Australia
The best breakfast so far: the casa is apparently renowned for its grub. Ham’n’cheese omelette, orange juice, coffee, fresh fruit (pineapple, papaya, banana, melon), a bowl of shredded coconut, a plate of guava puree, pancakes, cakes, rolls, sausage, cheese, tomato… a snip at $5. However, in a country where doctors earn about $60 a month,…
Cuba 16: Cienfuegos to Playa Girón
After two weeks I’m beginning to get a bit of ennui. The days are becoming samey, and I’m feeling adrift. I woke from a nightmare at two in the morning, and panicked when unable to find the light switch in my pitch-black, unfamiliar room. I laid awake till six, when I managed to retrieve my…
Cuba 15: Trinidad to Cienfuegos
How many Cuban bureaucrats does it take to change a light bulb? Makes no difference, we don’t have a light bulb… Anyway, I spent the morning at the visa office, extending my stay, and the officials were all helpful enough. First, I had to get special stamps to pay with, involving a trip to Bandec…
Cuba 14: Trinidad
A day off. Or rather, a short bike trip to the seaside and back for lunch, and an afternoon lounging round Trinidad, while I waited for the visa office to reopen tomorrow morning. I didn’t care much for Playa Ancón, a tourist beach (pic) by a hotel. Guards wanted $1 for me to use the…