CIENFUEGOS CUBA

5/8/18: I’m not sure who named the tranquil seaside city, Cienfuegos, but I was told it was named after the guy who discovered the place. Who would name a kid, “100 Fires,” but maybe that was why he had to leave home.

Cienfuegos is very different from Havana. On the southern coast, the French spirit of the city is very visible. It was originally founded by French settlers from Louisiana, and the neoclassical architecture is well preserved. Enough of that!  Time to get to the serious business of the tour, the Cienfuegos Tobacco Factory.

I don’t know if there is something akin to a Tobacco Saint, but Cuban cigars are very revered. So, watching the production of the coveted cigar, at the Anastacio Cardenas Tobacco Factory, was a truly unique (as well as hot and humid) experience. I think the secret of tobacco is in the Cuban soil. We were introduced to the process including the  step by step intricate rolling of the wrapper, filler and binder as the leaves were wrapped.  By the way, a cigar leaf feels like silk. Now I don’t have to learn something new for at least another week.

Of course, we were allowed time to browse the shops and rum and cigar stores before ending the tour. More colorful old cars up and down the streets.

5/9/18:  Santiago De Cuba, Cuba

No, I did it right. The first is the name of the City, and the last is still—Cuba—-the island only 90 miles away from Miami. Santiago De Cuba has a 6000 mile-high mountain range.  Did you know there are mountains in Cuba?  I did not! It is a city that has a fascinating history, including the famed San Juan Hill, a 17th-century fortress, where a decisive battle was won during the Spanish-American War in 1898. The Americans, including Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders, and African-American Buffalo Soldiers helped the Cubans end Spanish rule of Cuba at this spot where the Spanish surrendered.

The city has a rich heritage of music, art and literature, and many famous people have come from this place including Desi Arnez  (Lucille Ball’s Cuban husband). His name wasn’t mentioned in the brochure, because I guess the other musicians were more mentionable, but I didn’t recognize any of them, so I wrote my own history.  Emilio Bacardi Moreau is also buried there—the famous rum guy.

More rum. More shopping, and a history tour in the plaza.  It was very hot and humid in the sun, so I slipped away from the group and entered an art museum. They asked me where I was from and I said, “America,” and, then, beaming they gave me the run of the place. Cubans really like Americans.  I think Teddy Roosevelt did that for us. I’m sure it was not Vice President, Nixon, who dismissed Castro when he came for a visit. Ike had gone golfing and left Castro to Nixon. He just didn’t like the guy, who had come to discuss relations with the U.S., and Nixon was sure he wouldn’t last more than a few months.  So Castro went to Russia….and the rest is history.

But back to the museum.  I walked up 40 steps to the gallery. I think every place in Cuba has 40 steps, and after perusing the paintings, I realized that they all were done by Cuban artists.
A lovely young attendant followed me, and, trying to be helpful, read to me from a lengthy plaque on the wall. Unfortunately, it was in Spanish, so I didn’t understand one word, but I thanked her and walked another 40 steps back to my sweaty tour.

5/10/18: A day at sea.  Time to pack up. Sailing back to Miami.
5/11/18:  Off to the Miami airport. Goodbye to Josh and Barbara. Another adventure with American Airlines. A four hour delay. Changing planes for the last flight out of Dallas. Changing gates five times, but I  made it!

Home at last. Glad I went. One of the best adventures ever!—Until the next one.

Esther Blumenfeld