Cuba, we wanted to go , see with our eyes the last socialist bastion which resist to his neighbour, the american giant, out of clichés and ideoligies. We entered at Santiago de Cuba, citadel where lies the ashes of Fidel Castro. At first it has been hard to bear all the burocratic rules, impeding us the use of the satellite phone, forbiden us to go out of the marina with Iris… but soon the kindness and pragmatism of the cubans let us forgot all. Noël, the taxi driver will make me discover the town, taking me everywhere I will need with his sovietic taxi out of age, and also, and above all he will enlighten me on the cuban life. It’s not an easy life, the salaries are very low, 8 euros by month for a worker ! and many things are lacking, they have then to manage, have several jobs to get by. The education, the health care are free, but they have to pay the medics, even if they are cheap. The transportation are cheap too, even if some buses looks like trucks for cattle…An economy of penury, due for a great part to the blockade organised by the USA, which our european leaders follow quite subserviently…
Sailing along the South coast we will anchor at Marea del Portillo, a fishermen village, poor, really poor. Fortunately they don’t lack of food, it’s the country and the little black pigs run everywhere, but there is not much else. A little bit further, in Cabo Cruz, another fishermen village, we will find it richer, there is a school, the dwelers seem to be be happy. It will be the lead in Cuba, the differences can be realy important acording to the place, even from a district to another. From Cabo Cruz we will follow the reef, will anchor in the “Queen’s Garden” , with a water of a rare clarity. It’s realy if we were in a garden, with the coral, the gorgones who swing in the surge, the remoras, huge, the baracudas sleeping in the shadow of the boat and where the fishermen come to exchange fish and lobsters for some beers.
Then Cienfuegos, a wonderful city, where tourism become more present, with a commercial street as we can see now everywhere. Here it will be Yasmani, the “bicitaxi” who will make us discover the town and will help us during all our stay. Brave Yasmani, who pedal all day long to pay the rent of his bici, but who will invite us to drink a beer, to us who earn hundreds times what his job give to him….There is Garijo, who welcome us in his garden, a paradise for sailors thursty of vegies, where all is bio ( as everywhere in Cuba as there is no money to buy fertilizers or pesticids ). He will have to sell a hen from time to time to get the food for the remaining ones…
Others anchorages of dream near Cayo Largo, then we will start to make East after Cabo San Antonio. Here, change of surroundings, we will anchor in Cayos de la Leña, in the middle of the mangrove, far from all, under the look of the herons and fishing eagles. We will have to leave this small paradise for Marina Hemingway, close to La Habana to escape the bad weather which is coming. Once again we wil make provision of lobsters on the way….
Marina Hemingway will surprise us. First it is very big, realy green, our pets will be able to leap on the lawn, and we will have many contacts with the other yachties, like Jean Louis, the round the world dialysed , and many others. Jorge, the taxi driver will let us discover La Habana with his Chevrolet of 1949, the Captain’s age ! He will first bring us to the 1st of May march, that we didn’t want to miss at any price : more than one million of cubans in the streets, childs, young ones, students, workers, militars, all this in a warm atmosphere, without police. We will fill our eyes and heart, and will even be interwiewed by the local press !
Then it will be the visit of the Finca Vigia, slendid property of Hemingway. Here too we will be surprised to see how strong is the memory of the friendship between Fidel Castro and Heminway. Friendship and mutual respect, for the men as for the Revolution. The yacht “Pilar” is here, perfectly maintained, and Jorge will take us at Cojimar, the small port where Hemingway sailed for fishing.
We will naturely visit La Habana, with the new district, very european, La Habana central, kept in the “Arts Deco” time, and Habana la vieja, as it was at the colonisation times. Many toutists for sure, but the town is so beautiful. “Fusterlandia”, near the marina, with its mosaics in the Gaudi maner, don’t escape to the rule.
We will leave Cuba with the memory of these hearty people, nobles, who fight a daily life sometimes absurd, but without rancor, whithout bitterness. A wonderfull country, privilegiated by nature but castigated sin mercy every year by the huricanes, a land of contrasts which don’t deserve the fate this stupid and dangerous fool of Trump impose to her.
