The DER below is from the expedition to Cuba that began on January 11, 2017.
Today was full-on Havana. Guides Edgar Perez and Lázaro Diáz took us on a whirlwind tour, starting out with the must-do walk through the old city and its beautifully-restored plazas. They also gave us a glimpse into the everyday life of Cubans “luchando” (struggling to get by) in a city that it is literally falling apart.
Amid this contrast between restored architectural projects and colonial slums, we have seen a city like no other, a beauty that one can only understand by walking the streets, breathing the air, and hearing first-hand the sounds of antique cars and peanut-sellers.
We later met up for lunch in Casa Abel, a 2-year old “paladar,” or privately-run restaurant in the heart of Central Havana. This small establishment opened up contracts for group-dining especially for us. We hand-picked a menu which included stewed lamb and “Chicken Casa Abel,” the house specialty, which was soaked overnight in Havana Club rum.
While one group met with car mechanics and cigar specialists, mine made the 30-minute journey to San Francisco de Paula to visit the former estate of Ernest Hemingway. Given his admiration for Cuban women his wife wisely decided to purchase a home far away from the city streets of Havana. Expert Tatiana Mena gave us an intimate tour of his home and we learned why Hemingway came to love Cuba so much. We continued on to his favorite fishing village Cojímar, with a brief fuel-stop at his bar La Terraza, and a relaxing walk along the breezy coastline.
The group reassembled in the evening for a talk with Architect and Urban Designer Pedro Vasquéz. Pedro explained the origin of the remarkable mélange of architectural styles in Havana. The lack of zoning laws and building ownership has meant that building exteriors are in decay, but the individual apartments, which are privately owned, are well-kept and nicely decorated. We were left with ample conversation and even more questions to ponder, as we dined on traditional Cuban beans, roasted pork, and ropa vieja in the gardens of Hotel Nacional.
Jeff was raised in upstate New York and completed his B.A. in geography at Middlebury College in Vermont. He attained his master’s degree in water resource science at Oregon State University where his research focused on glacier hydrology in the Paci...
Finally… we get the chance to explore our beloved port, Cienfuegos, “the pearl of the South. Cienfuegos is a colonial mid-sized city, with clean streets, architectural gems, and the sea in all directions. After a historical walking tour this morning, we proceeded to the scenic peninsula Punta Gorda for lunch, followed by a performance by La Colmenita Children’s Theater, cocktails on the rooftop of Hotel Union, and our farewell dinner on board Harmony V .
This morning we departed Cienfuegos, our base of operations, to explore one of the most fascinating areas of Cuba, both from a historical and a natural history point of view. One of the highlights of the area is the Playa Giron Museum, a testimony to a crucial historical event in the modern history of Cuba and Cuba-US relations. This area was the stage for the Bay of Pigs Invasion, a failed military invasion of Cuba, authorized by JFK and undertaken by the CIA-trained Brigade 2506, a counter-revolutionary military group made up of mostly Cuban exiles who traveled to the United States after Castro's takeover, on April 17, 1961. Launched from Guatemala and Nicaragua, the invading force was defeated within three days by the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces, under the direct command of Fidel Castro. The failed invasion, hailed as a major David-versus-Goliath victory against Imperialism, helped to strengthen the position of Castro's leadership, made him a national hero, and deepened the rift between the former allies. It also strengthened the relations between Cuba and the Soviet Union. But the historical interest of the area is far from the only attractive thing about it. The Bay of Pigs is located within the Zapata Swamp, one of the most important protected natural areas in Cuba. Within this geographical location are numerous areas designated for environmental preservation, such as Zapata Swamp Natural Reserve and Las Salinas wildlife sanctuary, part of the larger Ciénega de Zapata Biosphere Reserve (IUCN category VI) which in total is over 6,000 km² and the largest protected area, not only in Cuba, but also the Caribbean. The swamp is not only known for its size but also for being the best-preserved wetland in the Antilles, designated as a "Wetland of International Importance" by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in 1971. This protected area is home to over 900 indigenous plant species, 175 species of birds, 31 species of reptiles and over 1000 species of invertebrates. Some of the most notable are local endemics to the area, such as the Zapata wren, Zapata rail, and the Zapata sparrow. The Zapata Swamp is also one of the only habitats of the smallest bird species on our planet: the bee hummingbird. Our explorations of the area began with an early, pre-sunrise departure for the keenest among us, our destination is the Bermejas region of the Zapata Swamp where we met our dedicated local birding guide, Orlando. We managed to see a total of 19 endemic species, including the Cuban bare-legged owl and Cuba tody, in just two hours! Outstanding! After a visit to the Bay of Pigs Museum, we all spent some time at a stunning area of coastline named “Punta Perdiz,” where some relaxed under the shade of palm trees while others took to the crystal-clear waters to explore patches of coral reefs home to dozens of colourful Caribbean reef fish species. After our water activities we travelled on to the picturesque coastal town of Playa Larga, a small fishing village increasingly opening up to tourism, where we had a wonderful lunch of fresh catch-of-the-day before being treated to an update on the conservation status and work in the area by National Park director Frank Medina. In the afternoon, we travelled to the small community of Palpite to visit the Korimakao Community Arts Group. Korimakao, an indigenous word that means “man who carries his house on his back,” was founded in August 1992 in the heart of the Zapata wetland, on the initiative of one of the leaders of Cuba’s 1959 socialist revolution, Faustino Pérez. After a visit to the area by Fidel Castro in 2001, the construction of the Korimakao Centre became one of the highest priority sociocultural projects in the country and is now an important source of local employment. What was initially thought of as a movement that would recruit local talent has begun to draw candidates from all over the country. This fascinating day ended with a visit to the small house of a villager, two blocks down from the centre, named the “Hummingbird House.” Plants and feeders in the garden of this house are an irresistible magnet to the country’s two hummingbird species, the emerald and the bee, as well as many more birds. None of us returned to Harmony V without great looks at possibly Cuba’s greatest natural marvel: the smallest bird in the whole wide world.
