Trinidad to Varadero
 
Gosh time flies when were having so much fun. Good points in Trinidad? As with all of Cuba the people are fabulous. Our hotel, Iberostar Trinidad is beautiful. 40 rooms, very pretty lobby and reputedly the best restaurant in Trinidad. Its much smaller and quieter (during the day) than our Havana Iberostar but as fabulous as that was, it was definitely a transit stop for most. The breakfast buffet in Trinidad is tranquility personified. When the pictures finally get posted on here you'll see the beautiful famous pineapple lighting centrepiece in the restaurant. It really was a sight to see. Our room was lovely and the double glazing looked good but as the Fiesta got to the square outside our bedroom at 2am the noise was indescribable. It was as if they were partying actually in our room! As you'll hear me complain repeatedly throughout our stay in Cuba, getting wifi is bad. So the best time, Peter found was in the computer lounge at 3 A.M. when everyone else, me included, had pillows over their heads trying to sleep.
Onwards, farewell Trinidad and the central south coast. Today we are back with Francisco and Daniel and driving north to Varadero. It'll be a long tiring day but wow the sights! We head into the Escambray mountains for a visit to a coffee plantation, one of many in the area and enjoy a perfect cup of Espresso with a display by the local parrots who are squawking non stop in the trees surrounding us. I do get some super snaps before we return to our car and drive towards Santa Clara the town that, in 1958 Che Guevara and his band of Guerillas won the final battle against the dictator Batista which marked the end of Batistas' reign. Ches' mausoleum is in the centre of town at the Plaza de la Revolucion - his remains were finally laid to rest, 30 years after his death by the C.I.A. in Bolivia in 1967 he was just 39 years old- the stunning monuments and museum were opened on the 30th anniversary of the battle of Santa Clara in December 1988. Now Cubas famous adopted son looks across the town for all Cubans and the world to come and pay homage to a hero of the revolution. Everywhere you travel in this amazing country, Che Guevaras face looks at you, from house walls, T.shirts and monuments such is the presence of the man.


After one more hotel buffet lunch its an amazing sight we witness as we join the 3 lane motorway. We get use to seeing flashing headlights as a warning from Taxi to Taxi to an impending Police speed patrol, but the vision of at least 500 head of White large horned Steers coming towards us on the opposite carriageway with an entourage of Gauchos very reminiscent of Rawhide (for those of you who remember that Cowboy programme and the hero, Rowdy Yates from the early 60s) it was just an unbelievable thing to see. I still have thoughts that cattle herding on this scale just couldnt happen on any motorway in England, there isnt enough room!