SubscribeEntering Cienfuegos Harbor in the early morning I could have been forgiven for mistaking it was just another Latin American country. The terrain, trees and weather all looked overwhelmingly similar. The ship slowly cut through the water and turned east to enter the narrow channel when a sign appeared on the over the port side. No mistake, we were in Cuba.
Archive for the ‘Cuba’ Category
Apr
5
Cayo Santa Maria, CU (202 kms)
It had been well over two weeks since I rode anything other then a city street. I fell into a trance as I flicked the bike though the tree lined curves north of Santa Clara when suddenly something caught my eye. I turned back, took a photo and rode away thinking… only two more months till bike week in Laconia, New Hampshire.
Apr
Apr
5
Holguin, CU (-kms)
Roberto explained to me that there was just one Harley Davidson club in Cuba with bikes scattered around the country. It seemed that if you owned one of these prized possessions you were in. He rode a 1951 purchased new by his grandfather and passed on through the family and from what he said his son was a future member as well.
Apr
9
Playa Maglito, CU (410 kms)
To this point I had been very lucky and had little in the way of water crossings to deal with. This wasn’t a tough one and fortunately the river had come down in recent days. That in mind, I was 15 kms in the jungle and riding alone so I took a little time to look things over.
Apr
3
Playa Carleton Blanco, CU (452 kms)
Sometimes when I visit places I leave with a memory that I didn’t expect. I guess it is why we have to see things for ourselves. Punta de Masi on Cuba’s east coast was as beautiful but I will always remember it as the place where coconut shells and flip flops go to die.
Apr
8
Manzanillo, CU (478 kms)
It was one of the best days of riding I have had in a while but now I sat in a seedy hotel, the only hotel in Manzanillo. I was ordered there by immigration a couple hours earlier for a meeting the next day. My day ended just as bittersweet as the Cuban coffee with which it started.
Apr
11
Cienfuegos, CU (566 Kms)
In an effort to get the bike lighter I have jettisoned much of my gear and politely turned away a lot of gifts. Today I got a pound or so heavier taking on a passenger who rode shotgun for a while but ended the day up front in the tank bag.
Apr
1
Havana, CU (247 kms)
In retrospect I should have given things more thought. I rode the bike downtown, into the historic section of the city and it attracted a lot of attention. There were lots of good people around but Havana’s less reputable saw an opportunity to ply their trade. Fortunately for me the skies opened up and no one likes to work in the rain.
Apr
3
N 22’07.192 W084’09.100 (448 kms)
I don’t know much about Che Guevera but from what I can tell he liked to camp. He spent a lot of time in the bush and why, I suspect only Fidel or Raul could say for certain. But as I relaxed under the stars in western Cuba enjoying a cigar I got a bit of insight as to why.