The Pearl of the South

I picked Cienfuegos as our pre-trip for several reasons:

1.  It is not too far from Havana.  I didn’t want to go any place that we would need an internal flight (such as Santiago de Cuba).

2.  It is a UNESCO World Heritage sight, and you can’t go wrong with that!

3.  It is know as “the Pearl of the South” for its architecture and setting along a beautiful bay with mountains in the distance.

I had arranged a tour of the city through Carribean Pearl Tours, and after breakfast we were met by our charming, enthusiastic guide.  I am not going to give his name, because he did share his anti-government feelings with us, but we really enjoyed his guiding and his personality.  I will note that he was named by his father after a famous American, so this way I can remember his name in case you want to use him as a guide when you travel to Cienfuegos.

Once our guide found out that we were there for a government conference, invited by the government, he was quite interested to talk politics.  I noted that Charlie is famous in America (well, famous among a very targeted subsection that cares immensely about American politics), and our guide promised to Google him.  Our guide also very much wants to be a public speaker, Charlie’s job fascinated him (mine to a lesser extent).

He asked us about politics right away, asking if we supported the Revolution.  I choose my words carefully, noting that we support the Cuban people and wish for better relations and more openings between the US and Cuba.  Turns out he is not a fan of the government, saying that while the revolution had brought hope to the people, it was a promise that had long faded, as you don’t know which of your neighbors is spying on you.

One last political note before getting to the tour itself.  Later, I asked if he ever catches lobster, and he said that the government will arrest you and jail you for 10-15 years for catching lobster.  It underscores that, even though there is more openness now than in past decades, the government still wants Cubans to be dependent on the government, and they are afraid of anyone not being reliant on the government.  Keep that in mind, all you newly-minted fans of socialism.

We drove along the Prado, the wide tree-lined main street with many buildings reminiscent of New Orleans (the French built much of Cienfuegos even under Spanish control), then along the Malecon, where we got our first views of the bay.  Columbus found the bay in 1494, and it was coveted because the passage in is so narrow that only one ship can go through at a time, making it easier to defend.  

Our first stop was at Palacio de Valle, which sits near the water.  The palace, built in the early 1900s, is reminiscent of architecture in Seville, Spain.  It’s a beautiful building, undergoing renovation.  Each room is different, and there are nice views from up top.  We sat in the shade up on the roof for a while, talking more politics with our guide. 

We walked through the Punta Gorda neighborhood, which is a small spit of land that extends into the bay, ending at a small park.  On the way, we passed by many old, beautiful homes. The views are stunning all along, with the capstone being the view from the point.  Far across the bay to the east are jagged mountains (our guide told me the name, but I can’t remember). 

Our guide pointed out a nuclear reactor that was being built by Soviet engineers, but never finished as the Soviet Union collapsed.  Given Soviet engineering at Chernobyl, apparently the locals are not too upset!

Our taxi, a 1959 Chevrolet large enough for six people to squeeze into, picked us up again after Punta Gorda.  We doubled back toward town, stopping to see the beautiful yacht club (Lucy and Carol decided it would be a great location for a destination wedding!), and then they drove us past the stadium for the local baseball team (the Elephants – there is a big statue of an Elephant outside the stadium).  I should have asked for a photo stop, but getting out and back into the car was a bit of a hassle each time.

Back in the main part of Cienfuegos, we walked along the Prado, as our guide talked about every day life in the city, both before and after the revolution.  We stopped by the statue of the famous Benny More, known as “the Barbarian of Rhythm.”  I’ve never heard of him, but want to learn, uh, More about him (and listen to some of his music).

For lunch, we went to a restaurant on the bay, Brisas del la Mar.  I had the local Cienfuegos speciality, white fish (of some sort) smothered in cheese, tomato, peppers and shrimp.  It was delicious – but it also seemed like for every fork-ful I took, the food somehow regenerated itself.  I ate a ton, and could only finish half.  Carol had the ropa vieja, which I strongly considered ordering, but instead chose the fish dish.

Our guide joined us for lunch, and we were serenaded for a while by three guitar players.  We had nice views of the bay.

After lunch, we went to Parque Jose Marti, which is the large main square just a block from our hotel.  The town hall, with a dome based on the Duomo of Florence, the Catedral de la Purisima Concepcion, the Teatro Terry, and other famous building ring the square.  The amazing part was, had this square been in the US or Europe, every parking space would have been taken, there would have been ice cream carts and other vendors, and the square would have been packed on a delightful Sunday afternoon.

The buildings were closed around the park were all closed, as it was a Sunday, so it was time to head back to the hotel.