Letter from the Indies- Cienfuegos to Cayo Largo, Cuba

by Andrea and Ian Treleaven on 5 May 2009 Andrea and Ian Treleaven continue with their intriguing story of cruising in Cuban waters and mingling with the Cuban people on their yacht Cape Finnisterre, accompanied by their visiting friends, Pip and Geoff.

My most lasting memory of Cienfuegos is the contrast between beautiful buildings and people still living in a time warp. Arriving in Marina Jagua on Punta Gorda, we are met by stately old buildings that were once the waterfront ‘weekenders’ of the rich of the pre-revolution era.

A Frenchman from Louisiana founded the city in 1819 and

he encouraged others to join him from Bordeaux, which means the architecture has a wonderful French flavour. The centre is only ten minutes away and our transport is horse and cart. “Clip clop, clip clop” we canter down the wide tree lined Main Avenue passing classic cars and more heritage housing.

This place is so very different to Santiago de Cuba we wonder if we are still in Cuba? But there are reminders; shops are depleted of goods and people queue for bread and their quota of eggs.

Finding the run-down 50’s style ice cream parlour, we observe the locals queued down the street. However

tourists take priority and don’t have to wait. I guess we are paying more. Don’t expect 50 flavours - there are only three on offer with one scoop of each in a big bowl with a very old spoon made from light aluminium that’s battered and bent.

Once again our trip to the market for fresh produce is frustrating but Pip and Geoff enjoy the banter. Pip spies an old women discreetly holding one egg and is called over to see hidden under the shelf a bag full.

The ever-present flies are all over the meat and Pip reassures Geoff that they are only houseflies. The leg of

pork is purchased, Ian is ripped off, but the smell of stuffed roast pork out on the next island makes it all worthwhile.

Cienfuegos was hit badly by Hurricane Dennis in 2005 but UNESCO came to the rescue with funds to help with the restoration and maintain the integrity of this world heritage site. Although a beautiful city, we still found Santiago de Cuba to be more of a living city with all its music, history, and hustle and bustle.

From here we sail out to the next group of islands, Archipielago de los Canarreos and Pip and Geoff’s final destination, Cayo Largo. As we

leave, we pass the never finished Soviet nuclear power station - thank goodness it was never finished as they positioned it right on the waters edge.

With the wind astern of us, the gennaker is set for the 45nm sail to Cayo Guano del Este. Between our destination and us is a naval exclusion zone set by Castro after the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion by Cuban exiles and sponsored by the USA in 1960. We take our chances and cross safely through the zone.

Arriving at the deserted island for the night we anchor under an amazing rocket ship looking lighthouse. The night

is memorable; with little protection the wind picks up and waves toss us about, testing our anchor. As long as I can see that lighthouse out of my starboard porthole I get some sleep but we all have a bad night. Geoff reports that at about 2am the lighthouse lost its solar power for a period...all a bit scary. We leave early for Cayo Largo, the famous resort island of Cuba.

Remember the song ‘Kokomo’ by the Beach Boys? They refer to Cayo Largo up there with other beautiful spots in the Caribbean. As we enter inside the reef, the renowned beach of Playa Sirena looks fabulous. We anchor off and enjoy the rest of the day in

this area of many shades of blues on an expanse of white sand.

Ashore we arrange a tour of the ‘famous’ resorts and although interesting they are run down. However, they are all packed with tourists, mainly French Canadians or from many Spanish countries. Our tour is short and we can’t wait to get back on board and head out into the fabulous waters of the bay to enjoy the best mojitos and get sand under our feet.

Pip and Geoff fly home and we are on our own again. We reflect that we did have a special time cruising through all the Cuban islands together drinking too much rum and

saturating ourselves with fresh seafood.

Every port we have called at we have been checked, searched and asked for more paperwork. As this is our last port of call and although all the officials have been very courteous, it’s a bit of an intrusion especially when the smelly sniffer dog is brought onboard as we check out. We assume that this is to see if any locals are hidden on board.

We have loved Cuba with all its nuances and would highly recommend all cruisers and others to visit, especially before it opens up to tourism. Our hope for the future, which is also the desire of all the

locals we spoke to, is that the rush to capitalism is controlled and follows a European model rather than the excesses of the USA.

Cubans are looking for change in the near future. They believed in the revolution and equality for all, which didn’t exist before, they have made the most of it and lived happily with what they had, but progress has passed them by. Living standards would have to be the worst for the majority but they are all are given free accommodation, food, education, health and a guaranteed low wage. But this is now not enough. Nothing is wasted and even our empty plastic bottles were treasure to the first person we offered them to as we left the dock.

Cubans are very welcoming and we soon became part of the underground black market for fuel, produce and wine. We were never very comfortable with this, especially when I had to hide in guard century boxes and toilets to obtain fresh food and Ian had to collect fuel in the dinghy covered in a tarpaulin.

Hustlers in the main cities (normally well educated people trying to earn the CUC currency) wear you down. They are desperate for our money but we can’t help everyone. When finally Americans can travel and sail to these shores it will greatly change things.

It has been a very special experience for us and some day we will return.

Due to the swine 'flu in Mexico we have been advised not to sail there. Other countries will be difficult to enter if we visit the source of the 'flu.

It's not a problem, we simply sail in a different direction. We are now sailing due south 145nms to the Cayman Islands, south west to the Bay Islands of Honduras and then up the Rio Dulce of Guatemala.

We may even try to visit Belize which borders Mexico.