8) Mantanzas, Soroa and Pinar del Rio

The next morning (29.04.) we drove from Varadero to Mantanzas - the capital of the district. There are not many tourists in the city and we quickly drawed the attention from those few people to us who are eager to get some money from tourists. Other than that, the people in Mantanzas were very friendly and we saw a lot of real Cuban life. Snacks and bread were super cheap here and almost everywhere people only wanted the "moneda national" instead of the tourist "CUC". Still, the houses were largely worn down giving this city a ruin like atmosphere... especially at the river bank. We visited a large mosaic picture of Che Guevara before we continued from Mantanzas all along the highway past Havanna to Soroa. On the way we picked up a hitchhiking engineer... but only because the highway police asked us to. Ofcourse he quickly wanted to sale us accomodation... but other than that he was very friendly :) In Soroa we parked our car at Hotel Villa Soroa. We walked past the Orchid garden and were eager to climb some hill... but this way turned out to be a dead end. So we drove down to the waterfall entrance. There we visited the waterfall first which was nice but not impressive. Then we climbed the hill which offered amazing views over the country :D
As it was late afternoon we continued on our way... the plan was to go to Playa Maria la Gorda... but we already expected not to make it this far that day... so we stopped in Pinar del Rio. This is the worst town when it comes to touts we have seen in all Cuba. Every young guy tried to tell some lies that we couldn't go this street or that the next crossing was closed due to a festival or repairs or whatever and that they would offer to guide us the way. Near the bus station it was almost scary when people shouted and approached our car... we closed windows, locked the door and slowly continued. Finally we stayed at the casa particulares "Casa Colonial" where we could also park our car in their courtyard. At the casa we met two german guys from Hamburg. Everyone - even the house owners - wanted to bring us to some restaurant to receive commission... that was really annoying. After some dinner at the main street we met the Germans again and enjoyed some Mojitos together. The bar was then closed by soldiers and we were asked to stay by the owners. As it felt rather uncomfortable we left shortly after and went for sleep.

old fire department in Mantanzas

Soroa's waterfall

The way up hill... sometimes quite some stairs were missing^^

great view from up hill...

... looking over the region

interesting caterpillars near the top

7) Varadero

At the evening (25.04.) we arrived in Varadero and pushed by the setting sun we chose a Casa Particulares with friendly owner (Calle 47). We took a walk along the beach during sunset before we enjoyed dinner and some Mojitos around Calle 60, which becomes very lively during the evening. The next day we enjoyed beach to the fullest again^^  The beach from Calle 50 down to 10 is gently filled with locals and you don't see the tourist filled beaches that Varadero is infamous for (starting Calle 60 up). We were very positively surprised. The beach was amazing with the water and sand almost as good as on Cayo Coco. The beach also has sufficient palm trees for natural shade available unlike the beaches at Cayo Santa Maria. However, Varadero beach is best for sunsets. When looking towards the sea the sun rises from the right, passes behind you where the palm trees provide shade from the strong midday sun and finally the sun sets at your left and gets lost in the sea. Considering this and the small but close Varadero town, it is one of the most convenient beaches I've seen. That's why we decided to stay a little longer^^ At this Saturday evening we went for Calle 60 again and then wanted to check Discoteca Havanna Club. But before entering we changed our minds... there were not many people entering and the cover fee was rather expensive. So we decided to have some more Mojitos instead :) The next day (27.04.) we visited Playa Coral southwest of Varadero as it is renowned for good snorkeling. There is no beach at this "playa" but you can enter the sea via a small bridge and ladder. The snorkeling was not spectacular but a nice difference to our usual beach days^^ Some small fish and tiny corals could be seen. Afterwards we checked out from our Casa Particulares and were shocked to find out that we were bitten and hunter by bed bugs there in the morning. We changed to Hotel Pullman where we had reserved the day before. It is a simple but clean hotel with a nice location. After cleaning our clothes from the bedbugs we continued to enjoy Varadero's awesome beach :) At the evening we were looking for some better restaurant but somehow didn't find the place. Some Canadians adviced us a "great and cheap" restaurant, which turned out to be way overpriced. But nearby we found an ok price and very delicious place (Avenida 2, Calle 59). Afterwards we enjoyed some drinks and live music at The Beatles bar. The last day we explored the northeast of Varadero - the hotel zone. Our search for internet access was unsuccsesful in all Varadero, even in the hotel zone. The beach here was great too, but it was rather boring compared to the beach downtown. This time we found a great place for dinner: Dante. Italian food is delicious in Cuba as their own food is very boring... however, Dante's place was the best food we had during this holiday, although the portions were rather small. Lasagne! :)

Varadero's great beach

photosession during these amazing sunsets...

:D

... more ...

That's how sunsets should look like from a beach^^

simply beautiful :)

The beach at northeast Varadero

I love this view when laying in the sand and hearing the sea :D

6) Santa Clara - the Che Guevara city

From Remedios we drove to Santa Clara - the famous Che Guevara city. We parked our car near Iglesia del Carmen and walked to the city center. We first tried Hostal Florida that has best recommendations in Lonely Planet and Tripadvisor. The hostel was full, but they we could park our car in front of their place and advised us another hostel one which was good. We then went for a sightseeing tour through Santa Clara. We started with the memorial for the Battle of Santa Clara. In this battle about 300 rebels led by Che Guevara managed to conquer Santa Clara which was defended by several thousand of Batista's gunmen. The rebels captured an armored trained filled with weapons and ammunition what diminished the faith of Batista's army. This battle was a crucial step for the Rebels in winning against Batista's army in Cuba gaining Che Guevara a lot of fame. However, we learned at the museum that Che Guevara was not even part of the 300 Rebels but was waiting outside the city until his friends captured the city... so far for him being a such a great hero.... on the way back from the museum we escaped the heat into a bar where we enjoyed some cold mojitos :) the bar was great as big bikes and rocker-like people were visiting it next to us^^ Refreshed we made our way to the Che Guevara memorial. On the way we saw a lot of great street art, while the memorial itself was not spectacular. The ad for Chavez was rather funny^^ After all the sightseeing we went for dinner at Hostal Florida, where I tried grilled lobster and Franzi some fish... both was delicious if pricey. For nightlife we tried the Club Mejunje. A true Cuban experience! Filled with locals youths the club offered cheap drinks and live music. We liked it a lot :)
The next day (25.04.) we visited a cigar factory which was very informative. Cubans earn in avarage about 25 USD a month! Afterwards we left Santa Clara for Varadero.

street views of Santa Clara

No parking... why?

cute old cars in the streets of Santa Clara

Cuban "Apple store"...

and Cuban "McDunalds" :D

 

Mojitos... one of Cuba's famous cocktails

Funny street art near around Santa Clara's city center

Santa Clara's colorful city life on our way to the Che Guevara memorial

Che Guevara memorial and advertisement for Chavez/Venezuela

anti USA street art on the way back from Che Guevara memorial

5) Caibarien, Cayo Santa Maria, Remedios

In Caibarien we drove to Hotel Islazul Brisas del Mar. The simple hotel had a very socialistic appearance and unfriendly staff, but offered clean air-con rooms overlooking the sea for cheap money. We decided to stay for 2 nights and explore Cayo Santa Maria from here. After the long drive we went to a nearby bar. Friendly atmosphere but almost empty. Obviously, foreign tourist are not seen often here. The next morning (23.04.) we enjoyed a short morning swim at the Hotels beach. The beach and water was disappointing compared to the beach we saw the day before. Next, we visited Caibariens charming little center and got some local pizza for lunch. We also bought some after sun lotion and I got new sunglasses^^ Then we drove to Cayo Santa Maria along the 48km! causeway. We parked near the 5*Resort Hotel Melia Las Dunas and enjoyed their beach. Although it is for guests only, no one noticed that we were no guests^^ The water was just as crystal clear and turquoise as on Cayo Coco... however, the beach was less great as it missed palm trees and appeared rather more like a desert. The resort looked really nice and we used the internet connection there that is so limited in Cuba. Then we drove back to Caibarien, walked from our hotel to the city and got some dinner and beers...
The next day (24.04.) we visited Remedios on our way to Santa Clara. The city is very charming and relaxed. Especially the center square around the main church "Iglesias de San Juan Batista". Cuban life in the small city appears authentic and laid back.

Beach in front of Hotel Brisas del Mar in Caibarien

Cadillac in Caibarien's city center

Cayo Santa Maria's great beach

Sunset from Cayo Santa Maria's causeway

City center of Remedios

Colorful and laid back bar in Remedios' center

Around Iglesias de San Juan Batista

4) Cayo Coco in the archipelago Jardines del Rey

From Sancti Spiritus we drove past Moron on the large island Caya Coco which is also known as Jardines del Rey - the name of the archipelago. The island is connected to the mainland by a massive 17km causeway across the sea. We enjoyed the view of the palm trees and the sea on our way to the island. We drove straight towards the beach, parked our car where the locals parked and then went to the beach. We quickly recognized that we had found the only place that was not occupied by an all-inclusive resort. But the large beach was awesome with fine sand palm-fringed. The water was crystal clear and turquoise... just like in the holiday prospects. After a swim and some sunbathing we started looking for a hotel to stay. Unfortunately, the resorts were the only ones available. We decided to spend the money for a night in the cheapest, the Colonial Hotel Cayo Coco (~100 USD a night). The 4* hotel surely was not worth 4 stars but rather 3 and the restaurant 2... but we enjoyed the close location to the beach and ate and drank a lot^^ After dinner we were swimming while the sun set. Later, we watched the daily entertainment show by the hotel while getting drunk. In the morning (22.04.) we went straight for the beach again. After lunch we had to leave our room and 4pm we had to leave the resort area. We used up the time at the beach and then decided to visit the famous Hemmingway beach Playa Pilar at the neighboring island Cayo Guillermo. It is supposed to be one of the greatest beaches in the Caribbean. Indeed, it was a great beach... with the finest pouder-like sand we saw on Cuba... but it was not extraordinarily superior to the beach before as this was already spectacular. We left Cayo Coco when the sun set and drove to Caibarien... we made the mistake again to drive long hours after sun set, which was exhausting. We even tried to stop in a town on a way but simply failed to find a hotel to stay in. So we continued until we arrived Caibarien at night.

on the way to Cayo Coco... I love to see these old cars again and again^^

Sunset at the beach of the Colonial Hotel Cayo Coco

View from the beach bar at Colonial Hotel Cayo Coco
beautiful crystal clear and turquoise water

great beach with funny sand castles

scenic Playa Pilar

photosession at Playa Pilar...

... could't stop taking pictures of that fine beach and turquoise water

Franzi writing...

Martin and Franzi in Cuba '14!

Sunset from Cayo Coco's causeway on our way back

3) Trinidad and Sancti Spiritus

From Playa Ancon we drove to Trinidad. A colorful and cute city with scenic cobblestone streets. The sun was burning and so we first went for a drink to the local La Bodeguita del medio - probably a branch from the famous one in Havana, where we also listened to some life salsa music. From there, we walked to the beautiful Plaza Mayor with the Church of the holy Trinity, which is Trinidad's landmark together with the nearby Convento de San Francisco de Asis. We bought postcards, enjoyed lunch in one of the restaurants around the small streets and walked through some shopping vendors. Although the city is very touristic, we were lucky to have it almost for us. From Trinidad we drove to Sancti Spiritus and stopped a few times on the way because of the nice scenery.

Trinidad's landmark: Church of the holy Trinity
(left, behind, the second landmark: Convento de San Francisco de Asís)

Trinidad's colorful Plaza Mayor
(left behind again: Convento de San Francisco de Asís)

I with an old American car that is so typical for Cuba in Trinidad's cobblestone streets
La Bodeguita del medio is found in the background (yellow sign)

great landscape when leaving Trinidad towards Sancti Spiritus

In Sancti Spiritus it took us a while to find a place to stay. There are less than 10 casa particulares in town as it is not on many tourist routes. We were lucky to walk in the Hostal Santa Elena. Although the hostal was fully booked, the very friendly German speaking owners invited us for a coffee and had a chat with us while they phoned other hostals whether they had rooms available. So we ended up in Hostal Paraiso, which was very pleasant as well. Especially as we were allowed to park our car in front of Hotel Rijo opposite of a church. Not that there are any unsafe places in Cuba, but that one appeared super safe :P At the evening we walked through the city center and recognized many people moving together in the same direction. So we simply followed. On the way we saw funny horse cars that were pimped with sound blasters and neon lights! We then came to a plaza/park filled with people and recognized that they were having a concert. They even mimicked Lady Gaga^^ During this fest we also learned the differences between the tourist money (CUC - the cuban convertible peso) and the local money (CUP - the cuban peso). Easy to be mistaken although you better do not fall into this trap considering an exchange value of 1:25... still, many Cubans love to cheat tourist in this issue. But Sancti Spiritus was different... off the tourist track people are not used to scam and explained us that they have to give us a lot of exchange for our money. So we enjoyed the music, the people, some cocktails and burger like sandwiches for dinner :)
The next morning (21.04.) we explored this lovely city. It is probably the most real Cuban life to see on our trip. Franzi tried to get some medicine against sunburn in the local pharmacy... most cashiers didn't want to serve us until the last explained us rather unfriendly that they do not have anything like this. This is socialistic life... sellers are unfriendly as customers only cause them work... they are paid to be there... anything they do for a customer is only because the seller is willing to help. No wonder that this perverted thinking paralyzes the economy. But other then the sellers at the pharmacy, the people in Sancti Spiritus were very friendly. After exploring the city center we drove towards Cayo Coco - beach time :)

Festival in Sancti Spiritus

Sancti Spiritus' main square under construction...

I love the old traditional means of transport and the street views in Cuba :)

2) Playa Larga, Cienfuegos and Playa Ancon

We drove from Havana towards Playa Larga with just a short stop when Franzi was annoyed by sitting all the time. Playa larga was nice for a first swim, but we were a bit disappointed by the grayish beach. First I thought about diving here, but the water was not very clear. At a restaurant I tried a local crab dish. Not bad, but not great either. The owner of the restaurant then told us where we could stay this night. A cozy casa particulares. A walk at the evening made us aware of the nearby swamp that is a source for many mosquitoes^^ The next morning (19.04.) we drove along the coast including Playa Giron towards Cienfuegos. It appears that most beaches at the southern coastline are not too pretty. In Cienfuegos we parked our car at Parque Jose Marti. Quickly a local came and wanted money for watching our car... we told him that parking was free and went to the city. Cienfuegos is a charming little city. We walked the Paseo El Prado down to the Palacio de Valle. On the way we came across Palacio Azul. 

next to Paseo El Prado

Franzi in front of Palacio Azul

Palacio de Valle

Next to Parque Jose Marti - great graffiti are to be found everywhere in Cuba

 As Cienfuegos was rather small, we decided to continue to La Boca to search for a place to stay near Playa Ancon. When the sun set during our drive, we recognized how difficult driving at night in Cuba is. No street lights, no reflector signs and in the villages bikes and pedestrians are almost invisible. But worst have been the crabs that cross the streets after sunset. They are huge... up to the size of a football! The shells are hard and we were told that they penetrate the wires of your car if you are unlucky. Thus, this became an adventure drive to La Boca^^ In La Boca we found a nice casa particulares. They had a huge dog that Franzi was afraid of... but the owner and I helped to keep the dog in place. The pink room was funny, the lady super friendly. The next morning (20.04.) we received a massive breakfast before we visited Playa Ancon. Probably the best beach at the southern coastline.

beautiful Salamander next to our breakfast dish in La Boca

Playa Ancon