It was a great night on the beach in La Boca and I rode into the hills north of Trinidad early.  I did find a couple of good roads but they were far too short and my day ended early.  I rode back to Cienfuegos to get off the bike and try the daily grind of Cuban life.

The sound of the cool breeze pushing past the palm trees was broken at 6AM by the barking of the rowing coach.  The kids were back at it early and that meant I would be too.  I put my things together and headed to the mountains to have breakfast at the same fruit stand I had stopped at the day before.  Shortly after leaving I came across another vintage daily driver that caught me eye.

1955 BSA near Manicaragua, Cuba

It had been well “personalized” but it still stood out against the parade of Czech made Java’s and other eastern European bikes.  I continued on looking for a small road near the town of El Nicho.  I passed aging military training facilities and crystal clear streams on my way up the mountain range and back down the southern ridge to the ocean.

Old jets at a military training area near Manicaragua, Cuba

Pools at El Nicho, Cuba

I grew tired of searching for a place to camp along the southern coast and headed back to the marina in Cienfuegos.  Along the way I ran into a group of bicycle riders finishing up their day in a small beach down.  We chatted about their tour of Cuba and one rider named Martin talked about his bike back in South America.

Argentine bicyclist Martin

I arrived in Cienfuegos late in the afternoon and settled into a homestay.  I inquired about upcoming events in town and took in a park that displayed industrial art before calling it an early night.

Back to the grind in Cuba