Santiago de Cuba is hot…very hot!! A heat added to in the city due to all the concrete and buildings. We have another nice place to stay with a terrace and view overlooking the harbour. Santiago is the second largest city in Cuba, after Havana.
We arrive late afternoon and have a walk around the square which is in the process of being renovated and cleaned. The cathedral dominates the square- and the city skyline. There is also a boulevard lined with restaurants and some shops. I went in search of ice cream…4th time lucky, though I paid 7.50 USD for 3 pretty small scoops! I had the choice of vanilla or vanilla 🙂
There was a small gathering of people just off the boulevard on one of the squares where an Afro-Cuban band had set up. I enjoyed the music for about 45minutes until they packed up. While I was doing this an old, poor man had sat himself next to me and drew a sketch of me on a piece of cardboard- which looked nothing like me at all. He said it was a caricature –but it was not that either. I gave him a couple of coins and kept my souvenir- for a laugh.
The next day we had a taxi hired for a few hours to take us around the outskirts of Santiago to visit a few important sights.
The first stop was El Morro – the city fortress. It is impress and has very good views of the bays. There is also information of the forts around the Americas, which was interesting to read through.
It was only us and another couple there –which was great too!
Our second stop was at Santa Ifigenia Cemetery. This is where some very important Cuban figures are buried- most recently Fidel Castro. He was one of very few Cubans to be cremated –unusual for Cuba. His headstone is a large rock. Several Cubans were there to pay their respects with roses. The Cuban people always saw Fidel at all openings of any business or factories and in a positive light. They were told that he never had any idea of anything that ever went wrong with the country. Mind you, kids used to have up to four lessons of Communism a day! So you know how the message went out.
Another important and very symbolic mausoleum is that of Jose Marti- known as the father of Cuba. His grave/ monument has 6 pillars- representing the original states/provinces of Cuba with their coat of arms. There is a statue of him in marble. His grave is symbolic in representing the way he died- lay on his back as he fell off his horse in battle and a star on his head. The midday sun shines through the glass on top of the monument on the star in the flag of Cuba. Also, during the rains, two streams form around his grave representing the place where he died: Dos Rios (Two Rivers).
The last important grave and monument is to the mother of Cuba- Maceo’s Mother- who had 6 sons and sent them all off to fight for their country. She herself was also a brave warrior.
These graves are guarded by the military and there is a changing of the guards every 30 minutes. 30 minutes is a long time to spend in full military attire in this heat I tell you!
Our last stop was at the museum set up in memory of the students who died in an uprising to steal ammunition and weapons … Several of them died during the attack which was not well executed and attacked a military base in essence. Those that did not die were tortured and were made to look like if they died during the attack, with their bodies being rearranged. This was the first attack that Fidel organised, the men who got away ran away to Mexico and trained there in preparation for the Revolution, they then returned in the boat called Granma, with Che Guevara.
No photos.