Mesoamerica 2019 - Day Eight, Bay of Pigs & Cienfuegos

We are headed out of Havana today heading south and west toward central Cuba. Our trip will take us to the Bay of Pigs and will end in the city of Cienfuegos. The former is known to older Americans as the site of an ill-planned invasion of expatriate Cubans trained by the CIA attempting to reverse the revolution of Fidel Castro that was easily defeated. Today it is known more for its beautiful beaches and unique wildlife. The latter is a town that is quite younger than Havana but became quite well off due to trade and industry. Even today some of the country’s most significant companies are housed nearby. Plus it has become a hub of tourism as well.

We continue to see much countryside and parts that are clearly off the tourist routes. We are seeing many more political signs extolling the revolutionary virtues. We are seeing true towns with unique features like fences made of cactus plants. We continue to have long discussions with LÍvan on the history of Cuba leading up to the revolution, the evolution  of socialism after the fall of Batista and the state of things now and the contemplation of the need for change.

Among the high points today,

·      Seeing a number of rare birds including the bee hummingbird and the Cuban dove

·      Spending time on a completely deserted beach

·      Meeting a ‘guy fishing’ out in the middle of the countryside

·      Seeing the stark contrast between the tourism driven parts of Cuba and those that represent the country without tourism

Took yet again over 200 pictures! There is something about this place. And we have to thank our guide/driver LÍvan who has changed the itinerary that is standard to allow us to really get into our photographic predilections.