The DER below is from the expedition to Cuba that began on December 14, 2016.
This morning guests were offered free time to swim in the pool of the Hotel Nacional or otherwise relax prior to our departure from Havana for Cienfuegos. Some guests were excited to join an optional visit to Cementerio Colón, where specialist guide Andrés Coreoso led an information-packed and humorous guided tour of this spectacular cemetery featuring Carrara marble mausoleums and tombs covering 60 blocks.
At 11:00 a.m. we departed on a three-hour journey to the port city of Cienfuegos via the Autopista (freeway). En route, I gave a presentation about the U.S. embargo (referred to as el bloqueo by Cubans) and the link to Cuban-American terrorism and the ‘Cuban Five’ (intelligence agents imprisoned in the USA in 1998 and a cause celebre in Cuba until their release in 2014). Mid-way we lunched at Fiesta Campesina, a delightfully rustic setting where guests enjoyed a typical campesino meal of pork, lamb, and chicken with black beans, white rice, and organic vegetables. We lunched to the accompaniment of a quintet of trobadores (traditional musicians) playing age-old classically Cuban tunes.
We arrived in the lovely and tranquil city of Cienfuegos about 3:30pm and split into two groups for a leisurely stroll along the pedestrian-only búlevar, Cienfuegos’ principal shopping street. After free time to walk around Parque Martí, the city’s lovely main square, we coalesced in an auditorium of the Museo de Historia for a truly memorable performance of religious, classical Cuban, and more avant-garde songs by the Cantores de Cienfuegos choir. Several guests were inspired to tears by an unforgettable rendition of ‘Shendandoah,’ earning a standing ovation from our guests.
We then transferred to the nearby dock and boarded Panorama II, our vessel and home-away-from-home for the next five days. Captain Costas Chaviaras welcomed us and then presented a safety drill before inviting us to the open-air upper deck for a delicious dinner under the stars.
Travel writer and photographer Christopher P. Baker has been hailed by National Geographic as: “One of the world's leading authorities on Cuba travel and culture.” He has written and photographed six books about Cuba, including the best-selling Moon ...
Finally… we get the chance to explore our beloved port, Cienfuegos, “the pearl of the South. Cienfuegos is a colonial mid-sized city, with clean streets, architectural gems, and the sea in all directions. After a historical walking tour this morning, we proceeded to the scenic peninsula Punta Gorda for lunch, followed by a performance by La Colmenita Children’s Theater, cocktails on the rooftop of Hotel Union, and our farewell dinner on board Harmony V .
This morning we departed Cienfuegos, our base of operations, to explore one of the most fascinating areas of Cuba, both from a historical and a natural history point of view. One of the highlights of the area is the Playa Giron Museum, a testimony to a crucial historical event in the modern history of Cuba and Cuba-US relations. This area was the stage for the Bay of Pigs Invasion, a failed military invasion of Cuba, authorized by JFK and undertaken by the CIA-trained Brigade 2506, a counter-revolutionary military group made up of mostly Cuban exiles who traveled to the United States after Castro's takeover, on April 17, 1961. Launched from Guatemala and Nicaragua, the invading force was defeated within three days by the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces, under the direct command of Fidel Castro. The failed invasion, hailed as a major David-versus-Goliath victory against Imperialism, helped to strengthen the position of Castro's leadership, made him a national hero, and deepened the rift between the former allies. It also strengthened the relations between Cuba and the Soviet Union. But the historical interest of the area is far from the only attractive thing about it. The Bay of Pigs is located within the Zapata Swamp, one of the most important protected natural areas in Cuba. Within this geographical location are numerous areas designated for environmental preservation, such as Zapata Swamp Natural Reserve and Las Salinas wildlife sanctuary, part of the larger Ciénega de Zapata Biosphere Reserve (IUCN category VI) which in total is over 6,000 km² and the largest protected area, not only in Cuba, but also the Caribbean. The swamp is not only known for its size but also for being the best-preserved wetland in the Antilles, designated as a "Wetland of International Importance" by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands in 1971. This protected area is home to over 900 indigenous plant species, 175 species of birds, 31 species of reptiles and over 1000 species of invertebrates. Some of the most notable are local endemics to the area, such as the Zapata wren, Zapata rail, and the Zapata sparrow. The Zapata Swamp is also one of the only habitats of the smallest bird species on our planet: the bee hummingbird. Our explorations of the area began with an early, pre-sunrise departure for the keenest among us, our destination is the Bermejas region of the Zapata Swamp where we met our dedicated local birding guide, Orlando. We managed to see a total of 19 endemic species, including the Cuban bare-legged owl and Cuba tody, in just two hours! Outstanding! After a visit to the Bay of Pigs Museum, we all spent some time at a stunning area of coastline named “Punta Perdiz,” where some relaxed under the shade of palm trees while others took to the crystal-clear waters to explore patches of coral reefs home to dozens of colourful Caribbean reef fish species. After our water activities we travelled on to the picturesque coastal town of Playa Larga, a small fishing village increasingly opening up to tourism, where we had a wonderful lunch of fresh catch-of-the-day before being treated to an update on the conservation status and work in the area by National Park director Frank Medina. In the afternoon, we travelled to the small community of Palpite to visit the Korimakao Community Arts Group. Korimakao, an indigenous word that means “man who carries his house on his back,” was founded in August 1992 in the heart of the Zapata wetland, on the initiative of one of the leaders of Cuba’s 1959 socialist revolution, Faustino Pérez. After a visit to the area by Fidel Castro in 2001, the construction of the Korimakao Centre became one of the highest priority sociocultural projects in the country and is now an important source of local employment. What was initially thought of as a movement that would recruit local talent has begun to draw candidates from all over the country. This fascinating day ended with a visit to the small house of a villager, two blocks down from the centre, named the “Hummingbird House.” Plants and feeders in the garden of this house are an irresistible magnet to the country’s two hummingbird species, the emerald and the bee, as well as many more birds. None of us returned to Harmony V without great looks at possibly Cuba’s greatest natural marvel: the smallest bird in the whole wide world.
