CUBA - HISTORY & CIENFUEGOS

To fully appreciate Cuba, one should know a little history before visiting.  I became a US citizen only a few years ago, so I am particularly interested in the US and Cuba past relationship.  After my little history write up below, you’ll find our experience in the first city we visited; Cienfuegos and the Laguna Guanaroca.

Fulgencio Batista Zaldivar was the elected President of Cuba from 1940-1944 and the US backed this dictator from 1952-1959 before being overthrown during the Cuban Revolution.  During this time, Batista worked to increase his personal fortune.  So much so that when he fled with 40 cabinet ministers and family members to the Dominican Republic on January 1^st, 1959; he took with him a fortune worth 300 million dollars.  Critics accused Batista and his supporters of taking as much as $700 million in fine art and cash as ministers and cabinet members also fled into exile.

Batista murdered 20,000 Cubans in seven years and turned Democratic Cuba into a complete police state, destroying every individual liberty and stealing hundreds of millions of dollars from the Cuban people.  He "completely failed to advance the economic welfare of the Cuban people". 

During this time, in a manner that antagonized the Cuban people, the U.S. government used its influence to advance the interests of and increase the profits of the private American companies, which "dominated the island's economy".  As by the late 1950s, U.S. financial interests owned 90% of Cuban mines, 80% of its public utilities, 50% of its railways, 40% of its sugar production and 25% of its bank deposits—some $1 billion in total.

Finally, in March 1958, the U.S. announced it would stop selling arms to the Cuban government.  Soon after, the U.S. imposed an arms embargo.  The U.S. then imposed further embargos.

As relations between Cuba and the United States deteriorated rapidly after the Cuban Revolution and the resulting expropriation and nationalization of businesses, the island became cut off from its traditional market by an embargo and a travel ban was imposed on U.S. citizens visiting Cuba. The tourist industry declined to record low levels within two years of Castro's accession to power.  Today, tourism generates over 2 million arrivals per year and is one of the main sources of revenue for the island.

 After the Cuban Missile Crisis in October, 1962, travel restrictions were imposed by President Kennedy.  The current regulation does not prohibit travel by U.S. citizens to Cuba per se, but it makes it illegal for U.S. citizens to have transactions (spend money or receive gifts) in Cuba under most circumstances without a US government Office of Foreign Assets Control issued license.  On July 25, 2011, OFAC (United States Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control)  declared that the "people to people" relaxation of restrictions on travel conceded by the Obama administration should not be mistakenly interpreted as promoting tourism.  In January 2015, the Administration lightened restrictions on U.S. citizen travel to Cuba. While restrictions on travel for missionary work and education have been loosened, visits for tourism remain banned.

We decided to file form CG3300 to apply for travel in Cuban for “people to people”  purposes.  The US Coast guard approved our visit.  So off we sailed from Cayman Brac to Cienfuegos, Cuba.  Along the way, two stowaways decided to land on our boat for the night.  Our stowaways were two different little land birds which had no reason to be 50 miles from the nearest land.  We figured they were lost.  We gave them water and food but in reality, they just wanted shelter and sleep for the night.  After many landings and searching our boat for the best place to perch for the night, they both opted to stay under our dodger, one on the port side and the other starboard.  They puffed up their feathers to stay warm and didn’t budge for 12 hours !  Just after sunrise, they said thanks and off they went.  We were just glad to have helped them.

Our first landing was the city of Cienfuegos on the south coast of Cuba.  

I DANCED THE SALSA WITH HIM

THIS MAN WAS VERY ENTERTAINING DURING LUNCH TIME

BEAUTIFUL ARCHITECTURE IN THE CITY CENTER

DOWNTOWN SQUARE

THE CITY OF CIENFUEGOS.  OUR BOAT WAS ANCHORED IN THE BAY ON THE TOP RIGHT

We met Rebecca & Dov who were also in the anchorage on their m/v Blue Compass.  We got along famously with them and traveled all throughout Cuba with them.  They also had bikes so since they are quite the bird watchers, we biked to the nearby bird sanctuary at Laguna Guanaroca.

We hiked along the paths finding exquisite birds such as the Cuban Tody.

CUBAN TODY

There were guides at the laguna to take us to see more birds.  We weren't going to go at first but we are sure glad we did.  Rebecca really wanted to see the elusive Cuban Trogon, which is the Cuban National Bird.  She asked her guide if he could possibly find one.  He started listening and eventually heard one.  We left the canoes along the shore in the mangroves and bushwhacked until we saw a couple of Cuban Trogons.  WOW !   

CUBAN TROGON.  CUBA'S NATIONAL BIRD

OUR GUIDES BUSHWHACKED WITHOUT ANY SHOES ON

THEIR PAY IS $10 / MONTH TO GUIDE TOURISTS ON THE LAGOON

REBECCA ENJOYING THE FLAMINGOS

THANK YOU REBECCA & DOV FOR YOUR BEAUTIFUL PHOTOGRAPHY

                                      INFORMATION FOR CRUISERS:

Checking In:  We checked in at Cienfuegos.  We had to dock at the marina.  A Doctor came aboard to check our temperatures and did some paper work.  Then, Customs and Immigration came on board and did the usual paper work.  That's it !  We were told that immigration gives  Canadians 3 months, US citizens 1 month and Europeans 2 months to stay in the country.  Of course, you can apply for an extension. 

COASTWISE CLEARANCE:  We had to inform the officers that we were leaving Cienfuegos for Cayo Largo.  Every time a boat leaves for another destination in the country, you must advise the authorities.

Checking out of the country:  We checked out of Cuba at Cayo Largo.  Two customs officials and a drug sniffing dog came aboard.

Taxis vs Buses:  We found taking taxis off the beaten path (away from tourists areas), the taxis are less expensive and sometimes even cheaper than taking the buses, especially if you share the taxi ride.  In Cienfuegos, on the street by the Club Nautico, there was a man dressed in a white shirt with a tag around his neck.  He is a delightful man who can arrange taxi rides for you.  We used him to get to Havana.  Also, at the marina, you can talk to some of the men who also have connections with taxi drivers. All, at a very good price.

Vegetable & Fruit Market & Eggs:  It's located in the downtown area of Cienfuegos. Go early for best choices.  A lady tried to sell us 'her special eggs' at a very big price. Just go to the egg market on the on the main pedestrian drag downtown.  You can't miss the place, it only sells eggs.

CUBA - TRINIDAD

We went in style to Trinidad with our friends, Rebecca & Dov on m/v Blue Compass.  We wanted to spend an entire day and have dinner in Trinidad however our taxi driver did not want to drive back in the dark.  His excuse was that the crabs are coming down the mountain at this time of year and crossing the road to lay their eggs along the seashore.  He did not want to crush the crabs and have crab meat all over his car.  I really thought this was a lame excuse until I saw all the crab guts squished in the pavement on our way to Trinidad.  And, some of the crabs were already crossing the road, way before sunset, so we had to dodge those !!!!

 OUR RIDE FROM CIENFUEGOS TO TRINIDAD

 There is no progress in Cuba.  Work is done as it was 75 years ago.  There are no farm machines and labor is done mostly manually.  Cubans have to rely on themselves to build or repair whatever they have.   We once saw a man mow is lawn which he obviously built with parts he found here and there.

TYPICAL MODE OF TRANSPORTATION

CUBA'S WILD WEST

I am going to quote what our friends Dov & Rebecca wrote in their blog because honestly, I could not have written any better and it reflects what I feel and what I’ve experienced.  Thank you Rebecca & Dov for allowing me to quote you.

“There is no equality of experience, there is little similarity in lifestyle, and the key thing, there is a huge gap in aspirations.  The Cubans cannot pull themselves up from being poor.  It is simply not possible in the Castro Bros.  worker’s paradise socialist/communist dictatorship.  But, and this is very sad, if they befriend a foreign tourist, maybe the foreign tourist will help them.  And that is exactly what happens.  The tourists who become friendly with a few locals, eventually start to donate things to them.  We met one tourist who brings 3 or 4 bicycles with him every time he returns to the resort and he gives them to his ‘friends’ in the Marea Del Portillo.  We met another who gave a Cuban enough money to rebuild his home after a hurricane some years ago 0 enough money means the equivalent of about $300.  (actually back then it was still forbidden for Cubans to have foreign money, so the tourist brought an air compressor from Canada, which the Cuban traded for lumber and other building material.  Nowadays money would be fine….the government is allowing Cubans to great tourists as ‘fair game’.

There is an interesting corollary to all this.  Cubans have a reputation of being very nice, and treating tourists very well.  This is completely true (and really nice !), but as we sadly found out, this only occurs where there is an expectation of getting money (or equivalent) in return.  When we were in non-touristed towns, we were ignored.  When we were in touristed towns, we were given lots of attention.  As we understood more and more of the system, we realized that Cubans were giving attention to the tourists in the hope of finding a tourist who would become their ‘Sugar Daddy’.  In effect, Cubans have become sophisticated beggars, without even realizing it.  And they are doing this with the Castro Bros. approval.  Then years ago, it was essentially forbidden to talk to tourists.  Now it is perfectly fine.  It’s all very very sad.”

That being said, I felt the need to give as much as I could, whether they ask for something or not or if they just wanted to trade.  Their government allows them to have so little.  However, sadly, I know our encounter will not develop into a relationship.  But that’s ok, I understand.

 CENTRAL PARK

 OFF THE BEATEN PATH

THE NEIGHBORHOOD

 TOURIST RESTAURANT.  NOTICE HOW MUCH MORE BEAUTIFUL THIS BUILDING IS COMPARED TO PEOPLE'S HOMES

 NOTICE THE PROPAGANDA BILLBOARD BEHIND THE SCHOOL CHILDREN

 I TOOK THIS PICTURE NOT BECAUSE OF HIT BUTT CRACK BUT THIS PLACE IS FOR MEN TO UNITE AND PLAY CHEST

CAYMAN BRAC

Caymanians call Grand Cayman Island, simply “Cayman”.  They call Cayman Brac, just “Brac” and obviously call Little Cayman Island, “Little”.  Cayman is pronounced Cay Mon. 
Brac is only 14 miles long with a bluff in the middle and very impressive cliffs on the East end.  Brac is a world away from Grand Cayman.  The amount of vacationers in Brac is far less than in Grand Cayman.  It is a very peaceful island with few cars. 

All the Cayman Islands are known for their excellent scuba diving because of the clear water, reefs and deep walls.  To my knowledge, this island does not have any sandy natural beaches.  There are a few public beaches but mostly the entrances to the water are rocky. 

We should have called Port Authority upon arrival, but we forgot.  Instead, we just went into the channel on the south side and picked up a mooring buoy.  We previously studied our Frank Virgintino’s guide that’s about 10 years old.  He said that we can get behind the reef on the South side in 6 feet of water.  This should have been a piece of cake for Alpenglow since she only has a 4.5 foot draft.  The channel is extremely narrow and windy and even with good visibility, we skimmed the ground, not once but twice, our depth sounder said it was 4.2 feet.  Our guide was definitely out of date.  We should have known that topography can change over the years. 

Lucky for us, it was very easy to glide over the sandy bottom.  If we had notified Port Authority of our arrival, they would have told us not to go inside the reef.  Turns out, ignorance was bliss because it was so much calmer inside the reef.  We ended up anchoring in a very sweet narrow spot between a dock used by the Brac Scuba Shack boat and the reef.

Here’s a picture of a map Tim drew if you are interested in anchoring inside the reef.  We hold no responsibility if you run aground !  Make sure you go at high tide.




There was a Cuban refugee boat anchored near us with fifteen men and one woman on board.  They recently arrived and were on their way to Guanaja, one of the Bay islands of Honduras.  During their stay, they were not allowed off their boat.  Immigration officers parked their cars and watched them 24/7.  We were curious and asked the officers about the Cubans.  They told us that they periodically advised them of the weather and told them when they must leave.  Some people fed them, however, they weren’t supposed to but the officers looked the other way.  The officers we talked to said that they would make sure that they do not starve and will help them if they get sick.  This is a very common occurrence in Brac.

THEIR BOAT WAS NO MORE THAN 30 FEET LONG

Sometimes we complain about having bikes on board since they take a lot of space.  But, when we get to islands where we can bike, we are very pleased to have them.  We find that we experience so much more by biking.  Besides, there are no buses on this island.  If islanders don’t have a vehicle, they mostly hitchhike.

We biked by the ‘National Trust Brac Parrot Reserve’.  It did not disappoint us.  We saw 18 parrots in one tree on one occasion and saw several others on different days.  Sorry, no pictures because the lighting was lousy. 

As we were biking further northeast, we spotted art outside someone’s house.  One piece was of a toilet he used to hold his garbage.  If the lid was up, the garbage men knew he had garbage, if it were down, there was none.  There was a Welcome sign so we entered the gate to investigate.  From the corner of my eye, I could see a man in his workshop putting on his pants.  He was a tall, skinny man with long blond hair sporting work clothes.  He introduced himself as “FOOTS” because of his size 16 feet. 


You can tell that Foots loved having visitors.  He brought us around to see all his sculptures which all told a story.  He welcomed us inside his house and offered me to pick jewelry that he made of the local caymanite stone he found, or of conch and whelk shells he collected.  He must have had hundreds of pieces !  I picked a few and he insisted I choose more.  If they weren’t polished to his liking, he’d bring them to his workshop and polish them for me. 

CAYMANITE STONE, CONCH & WELK SHELLS

CAYMANITE STONE IN IT'S RAW FORM

Foots is clearly a hippy, in his early 60s and loves the artists of his time; AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, ZZ top, The Eagles, Alice Cooper, Guns & Roses…  He told us to climb up to his ‘Stairway to Heaven’, turn on his CD and walk out to his roof to enjoy the view while listening to Led Zeppelin. His view up high is of the ocean and shoreline; he has no neighbors in sight.    I could just imagine him getting stoned, playing music full blast and watching the stars from his Stairway to heaven. 

STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN 

VIEW FROM THE ROOF OF FOOT'S HOUSE FROM HIS STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN

Foots’  real name is Ron Kynes.  He is the creator of “The Lost City of Atlantis” where he built sculptures and sunk them into the ocean to create an artificial reef.  http://www.atlantiscaymanbrac.com/artist.html

FOOTS TRUCK

FOOTS AT WORK

ONE OF FOOTS SCULPTURES

COOKIE MONSTER WITH ASIAN SEA BEANS AND WELK SHELLS

SHARK TANK IN PROGRESS

After our visit with Foots, we biked to the end of the road.  At the most Eastern point of the island is a huge bluff and a rocky shoreline.  It’s quite spectacular, especially at the tip where huge boulders have fallen and caves have been dug out by pounding waves.  You can walk pretty far if the waves aren’t breaking over your path.

OUR LUNCH SPOT UNDER THE ROCKS ON THE LEFT

We spotted some rock climbers and as we were watching them, they invited us to climb up and have a chat with them.  John Byrnes, who lives part time in Fort Collins, Colorado and part time in Brac, bolted all the approximately 70 routes on Brac, along with other climbers.  He’s the unofficial climbing ambassador at Brac.  He wrote a free guide book of all his routes which you can get online. 

With him were Becky and Jeff from Colorado Springs !  Go figure, we bump into rock climbers from Colorado in Brac.  We became friends instantly, talking about the rock climbing we did and the places we’ve been.  Becky & Jeff invited us to their rental house for dinner the next day.  Being originally from Louisiana, Becky cooked up a feast of stuffed Chicken, Shrimp Jambalaya, salad, beans, oh my, there was so much absolutely delicious food, what a treat !  We will visit them this summer and hopefully catch Jeff playing his trumpet at the Wild Goose bar.

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:  BECKY, OWNER OF KY.CLIMB, JOHN, CLIMBING GUIDE, JEFF & TIM

West End Point is a perfect spot to just hang out and enjoy the stunning sunsets.  We often brought snacks and happy hour drinks or just rested from our day’s explorations.  On the way back, twice, we spotted a very large White Owl which I think is a Barn owl.

Booby Point did not disappoint.  We saw several brown boobies in all the different stages of life as it was nesting season.  An egg, a booby just out of its shell, an infant, a chick still with white feathers, a teenager, Moms & Dads.  Brown boobies may have 1 to 2 eggs however they will only feed one….the strongest one. 

A NEW BORN HIDING UNDER IT'S PARENT.  YOU CAN SEE THE ADULT'S YELLOW FOOT TO THE RIGHT OF THE CHICK

A JUVENILE

A TEENAGER

ADULT

One thing during our travels we never heard before was a Traffic Controller on VHF 16.  Every time he saw any kind of vessel, whether close or far, passing by Brac, whether they were stopping at the island or not, he’d hail them.  He was extremely polite, asking simply for their location, where they were going, welcoming them to the island or saying good bye or simply wishing them fair seas. 
In talking with one of the immigration officers one day, turns out the traffic controller was his cousin (it is a very small island after all).  He is an older man who simply loves boats.  Years ago, he built a tall ladder so he could see the ships, today he has more sophisticated ways to spot boats.  He does this only out of pleasure, a hobby you could say.

Not one but many menu items had some delicacies that are not so popular back home:

The Agricultural Festival was very much a family oriented affair.  No alcohol was served and oh boy, were we disappointed, we were hoping for a beer tent after all that riding in the heat.  I especially enjoyed the exhibit on growing fruits and vegetables organically.  I learned a thing or two.  There was a large area of animals that had won prizes for ‘Best Cock’, ‘Best Rabbit’,  ect ect… there were pigs, cows, birds and chickens.  One chicken went for $50CI !  That must have been one very special chicken indeed !

We broke down and had turtle meat stew for lunch.  We convinced ourselves that it came from the turtle farm in Grand Cayman rather than poaching.  No, it did not taste like chicken but indeed, it was delicious.

PRIZED CHICKENS

CHELLO MELLO FRUIT

  

BEAUTIFUL DISPLAY OF LOCAL FRUIT AND VEGETABLES

ACKEE FRUIT WHEN RIPE

HAND MADE BASKETS, HATS AND MORE

THIS COCK COSTS $50CI OR $75US

CRUISERS & TRAVELERS INFORMATION

CHECKING IN:

You are supposed to call the Port Authorities on VHF 16 as you are approaching the island.  Oops, we forgot and oh, it was no big deal.   After taking a buoy we called customs to let them know we had arrived on the south side (the north side had rough seas).  They asked us to dinghy to the dock near Brac Beach Resort to process us.  They didn’t ask us but we knew that they would have wanted our spear gun and pole spear so we just brought them along. 

Immigration gave us new visa cards.  We said we still had those that were given to us while in Grand Cayman.  He said that they should have taken them from us.  He went off to make a phone call, came back and simply said that he will take the old cards and we should fill out new ones.  By doing that, he gave us another 30 free days of stay in the Caymans, SCORED !!!! 

GOING TO LITTLE CAYMAN from BRAC:  We asked if we had to check out or in if we wanted to go to Little Cayman Island.  Little Cayman is considered to be part of the same jurisdiction as Cayman Brac, so no formalities are required.

CHECKING OUT:  If you are leaving Cayman Brac to go to Grand Cayman or another country, you must leave immediately after you check out.  You can only check out of Brac or Grand Cayman.  There are no officials on Little Cayman.

BUOYS:  The Buoys outside the reef are government owned and free to anyone who wants to use them.  Boat dive operators also use these buoys.  Buoys inside the reef are private.

DINGHY DOCKS:  On the south side, you can use either the concrete dock at Brac Reef Resort, or the concrete dock next to the launch ramp, west of the wooden Brac Scuba Shack dock.

GROCERIES:  There are a few grocery stores on the North side of the island.

LAUNDRY:  I never saw any Laundromats or laundry services.

BANK:  Yes, there is a bank and its ATM dispenses US dollars.

CAVEs:  Best cave:  On top of the bluff road, rather than turn towards the lighthouse, go the opposite direction.  At the Mosquito Research and Control Unit turn right.  Not long after that look left, there’s a sign called “CAVE” and a green fence.  Go thru the fence.  Don’t forget light flashes/head lamps.

Another good cave is Pete’s Cave.  It’s near Spot Bay on the North side; just take Pete’s road to the end and walk up.  You can also drive over the bluff to get to the cave however I’m not sure how.

NIM things:  Visit NIM’s things at his house on North East Bay Road, near the end of the road across from the ocean.  He’s a 79 year old man who lived all his life on Brac.  He has many stories you’ll never forget.  Be warned, he’ll talk your ear off !  He has an OPEN or CLOSED sign outside his house.

FOOTS:  His house is on the seashore’s South East side of the island.  You can’t miss it.  Look for driveway arch that says “Led Zeppelin”.

ROCK CLIMBING GUIDE:  CLIMB.KY  or 936-Brac.  If you aren’t a rock climber, no worries, they have all the gear and will help you rappel 100 feet down the cliff.

BECKY & JEFF’s RENTAL HOUSE:  I must mention this house for rent because it is quite beautiful and inexpensive.  It has 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, full kitchen, A/C, laundry facilities ect ect…The most spectacular part about this house is the view.  There is a large deck on the ocean side with a pool and dining table for 6.  Keep in mind, there is no beach here as it’s rocky shoreline but when the seas are calm, you can walk over the rocks into the water.  It is on the far South East side of the island.  And the cost was only $60us a night.  Amazing !  Look it up, it’s called BACH@BRAC. 

MUSEUM:  You’ll find the museum on the North side.  Surprisingly good with loads of information and pictures about the hurricane that hit the island in 1932.