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Hauntingly beautiful art work
from the Benny More School of Arts
in Cienfuegos, Cuba. Photo: Phyllis Shess
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Editor’s
note: On a daily basis from June 1
thru June 30, 2015 Pillar to Post online magazine is featuring articles, photos
and insights resulting from a recent group tour, an adventure we dubbed: the
April 23 Brigade’s Tour of Cuba 2015.
DAY 5, Monday – Adios Cienfuegos,
Hola Playa Giron, Playa Larga and Havana
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The ration store in Cienfuego’s
Punta Gorda neighborhood
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Our
intrepid troupe bade farewell to the wonderful La Perla Del Mar but not before
we made three stops before leaving Cienfuegos.
Near to
our hotel was a signless building on a residential corner. Here goods can be purchased via the monthly
ration card issued to every citizen of the Republic. Shoppers may enter the front door and step up
for the counter or use the side window that seemed to be a walk-up for daily
bread purchases.
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Mercado downtown Cienfuegos Phyllis Shess photo
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In
downtown, Cienfuego off the beaten tourist path is a Mercado, a for profit
marketplace selling food stuffs, mainly meat, poultry, fish, vegetables.
We are
new believers that our tourguides Norkiss and Daniel saved the best for last
came true as we made one final stop in Cienfuegos at the Benny More School for
the Arts. We were entertained with live
music performed by students from grammar grades through high school. All school costs are picked up by the
State.
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Fourteen-year-old music student
at the More School plays Mozart.
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If you make good grades you are
put on a path to free college, but if a student chooses not to go to college or
doesn’t succeed in his/her grades that student is enrolled in a technical
school to learn a trade. Students at the
Benny More school (named for one of Cuba’s most beloved balladeers, who hailed
from Cienfuegos) are on the fast track.
Listening to their music prowess and viewing remarkable art work attests
to the excellence of the arts programs in Cuba.
Many works of art produced by the teachers were on sale at the school’s
art gallery.
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Impromptu art gallery for American
visitors
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ON THE ROAD
The
southern countyside along the Caribbean is technically swampland and is one of
the least developed areas in the country.
It doesn’t lack for beauty,
especially along the coast line, where small hotels make a good living catering
to tourists (mainly from Europe), who enjoy scuba diving in the aquamarine sea.
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One of the invasion beaches along
the Bay of Pigs 50+ years later. Tom Shess photo
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By
mid-day, we reach the village of Playa Giron on the eastern end of a large
natural bay known internationally as the Bay of Pigs. In Giron, the tour stopped at the historic
Bay of Pigs Museum in Playa Giron, which gave us a Cuban perspective on the Bay
of Pigs invasion.
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| Bay of Pigs Military Museum, Playa Giron, Cuba Phyllis Shess photo |
After
viewing the somber but interesting documentation of a failed attempt to
overthrow Castro’s regime in the early 1960s, I exited to the lobby, where my
eyes caught the sad stare of the Cuban guard, who was a similar age to me. It was not my place to speak for anyone else
but myself but I heard myself say “lo siento” to him. He put his hand on my shoulder and repeated,
“lo siento, lo siento.” We were both
sorry for what happened. Then he
smiled and I thought of what so many Cubans have said to us during our trip: let’s build a bridge over the past. We
don’t have to forget what happened, but we can agree to move forward and not
let the ugliness happen again.
From
Playa Giron Hotel, where we refreshed ourselves with a mojito for the road, we
made our way along the Bay of Pigs coastline to Punta Larga on the west side of
the bay. There next to picturesque
Cienaga de Zapata National Park, one of finest bird watching areas in the world,
we attended a lecture by one of the park’s naturalists.
A
leisurely lunch at Casa Enrique, a private residence and guest house was simply
delicious. There we met the fisherman/owner of the hostel while the younger set
in our tour went swimming in the Caribbean, a block away.
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| Hotel Nacional de Cuba (middle left of 50s postcard image) |
HOLA, HAVANA
After
lunch we are on our way to Havana, the energetic 500-year-old city that we've
all been waiting to see -- Cuba's distinctive capital has captivated the
imagination of travelers for decades. A special dinner awaited at the Hotel
Nacional’s famed open-air restaurant celebrating our late afternoon arrival in
Havana. We were delighted to be staying at the most famous of Cuban hotels.
For many
it was an early night. For others they
couldn’t wait to explore the nightlife in this intriguing city that shows
herself best in the glow of night time lighting.
DAILY CUISINE ROSTER
Breakfast: Casa Verde, Cienfuegos
Lunch:
Casa Enrique, Playa Larga
Dinner:
Creole restaurant “La Barraca” is located in the gardens of the Hotel
Nacional, Havana
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