Mesoamerica 2019 - Day Nine, Nicho Falls & Counryside

We are really getting deep into the rural Cuban countryside today.

We started our morning in Cienfuegos where we took some pictures that he hadn’t had a chance to see when we arrived yesterday. Then we went to a cemetery where a number of important figures from the Fidel Castro revolution where buried. Then we headed into the mountainous region of El Nicho. It is known for its coffee and for a waterfall that is a national park. This afforded us a great opportunity to see real living, working towns not affected by tourism.

The falls was another story, as there were a number of cruise ship groups and bus tour groups there. I can safely say we have made our trip to Cuba a couple of years too late. The influence of mass cruise ship tourism is being felt in a major way. LÍvan has been amazed at the number of cruise ship groups we have encountered where even a year ago there were none.

We had lunch at the falls and then drove to the town of Trinidad, called the town that time forgot. Its history is that for the longest time it was not really connected to the rest of Cuba except by water. Most of its activity was with the rest of the world via boat. As such its architecture remained unchanged for a long time. In many ways it is one of the oldest looking towns we’ve seen.

We have been staying in bed and breakfasts the entire trip organized by our tour company Wijincuba Tours. In both Cienfuegos and here we arranged for the hosts to provide dinner as well. Our owner/cook happens to be a really good food preparer. And he made way, way more food that we could possibly eat. I haven’t done much in the way of foodie posts because the food really hasn’t been all the great. There is a tendency to cook all proteins to a state of well-doneness that is unpleasant to my taste. But as we’ve left Havana and gone south and west the food has gradually gotten better.

Today was the best meal by far. Wilfred, our host, fried two kinds of fresh fish, made the best yucca by far we’ve had and prepared a twice fried banana that was out of this world.

I have to take my hat off yet again to our guide LÍvan. We have learned so much about his complex society and history that is Cuba during our long drives with him. Like our trip to the Southern US, the destruction of stereotypes and the learning of the more complex nature of life here has been worth the whole trip.