Sancti Spiritus, Santa Clara, Cienfuegos and Trinidad

MAY 4
We continue our journey north with stops along the way, traveling through more pastoral scenery --- sugar cane fields, oxen pulling plows, tractors, cattle grazing and banana stands like the one below.
















In the afternoon heat and humidity, we walk into the low-key, charming town of Sancti Spiritus over the bridge spanning the Rio Yayabo.





Church of Espiritu Santo (Holy Spirit) where we find an unusual representation of Christ described as "Cristo de Humilidad."



















Mercado Agropecuario - the local farmers' market with lots of sweet potatoes and garlic, some peppers, rice and beans.
























We've seen these unique marquees in every town. This one belongs to a beauty shop or belleza, a place to renew or "renacer."
















A busy street filled with shoppers. Some religious articles for sale.



















Jim is talking to students at the local elementary school and asking if he can take their picture. They look as if they're trying to escape, don't they?














                                                                        This is a road sign you won't see in California!















We reach the town of Santa Clara where we finally catch up with Cuba's most illustrious hero at the Mausoleum of Ernesto "Che" Guevara. The museum includes personal artifacts, pages from his diaries and many photos taken throughout his life. Born in Argentina of wealthy parents, he was a doctor who developed a passion for helping those with less and eventually joined the Revolution where his charismatic leadership helped pave the way for the end of Batista's dictatorship in 1959. The Cubans revere him to this day. There are quotations and photos of him all over Cuba on billboards, posters, buildings, leaflets, t-shirts, coffee mugs, key chains, hats --- you name it, and there he is with his trademark beret and a cigar in his mouth. (You'll see more of him below.)





















A welcome sight at the end of a long day of travel, the hotel in Cienfuegos where the pool almost meets the ocean.







Cienfuegos is the only French Colonial town in Cuba. However, the Palacio de Valle, built by a sugar baron, has an eclectic mixture of mostly Moorish and Venetian architecture. We enjoy the surroundings at dinner here.














MAY 5
On our way to Trinidad we are stopped by a migration of crabs who had laid their eggs at a nearby beach and are returning to their homes on the other side of the road. We waited quite a while for an opening until our driver, Rigoberto, saw his chance and sped past them accompanied by the screams of his passengers.















Our first stop in Trinidad is to see the trains that once carried sugar cane from the rich, fertile Valle de los Ingenios, the source of Trinidad's great wealth. Some sugar cane is still grown here, but it is more famous now as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (as is the city of Trinidad.)






What's the big attraction here?















       A car! And not just any car. Even the ladies are interested in this beauty.














Walking the streets of Trinidad, we encounter musicians (no surprise) as well as celebrity residents. Notice that the gentleman with the rooster and cigar is featured on the front of a calendar to his right. We give him two pesos for the photo.






















The Catedral and Plaza Mayor, the graceful, peaceful town square, ringed by beautiful buildings.











Thanks to the generosity of Jim Collopy who gave us baseball hats from his collection, we're able to make these two youngsters very happy. (Getting the one on the left to stay still for the picture is quite a challenge.) They're ready for the big leagues, though their heads need to grow a bit more. Cubans are crazy about baseball.





Four boys playing a Cuban version of marbles.


















An artist's studio and gallery where the main themes are Che and vintage cars.



















This column illustrates syncretism, the mixture of Catholicism and African religions that exists throughout Cuba. From the top, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Virgin of Charity and a black doll on the table.






Trinidad is known for its fabric arts. This young lady is embroidering a tablecloth.






We pause for refreshments and entertainment.













The verdant La Valle de Los Ingenios.






The hacienda of Manaca Iznaga where we eat lunch serenaded by another of the hundreds (thousands?) of Cuban musical groups.



















This painting is a good way to understand how sugar cane is harvested.














The bell tower built by the plantation's owner in order to watch over the slaves.






Jose Marti Square In Cienfuegos. The grand Teatro Tomas Terry, built between 1887 and 1889, has featured performances by Enrico Caruso and Anna Pavlova as well as many Cuban musical groups through the years.








               
 Cathedral de la Purisima Concepcion.















Paper mache art is popular, and here is our favorite - an interpretation of the legend of Nuestra de Caridad (Our Lady of Charity):

400 years ago three men in a boat were caught in a storm near Santiago de Cuba. They saw a vision of the Virgin Mary who guided them to safety. They found an image of her on the beach, and a church was ultimately built in her honor. This is the shrine that Pope Benedict recently visited.













Icons of modern times join forces in these artist's renditions: Che and John Lennon (the words across the painting are "you may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one") and Che and Marilyn smoking cigars.










We're on our way to dinner at a Paladar, a family home which has opened it's doors to guests.


The meal is beyond our expectations and the family, gracious and generous.






It's Laury's birthday, and she's given flowers by our hosts' grandson and serenaded by yet another outstanding musical group whose CD we buy. We're getting quite a collection.


A full moon over Palacio de Valle. Perfect end to the day.