Today saw us leaving town once more for the day … this time into the jungle for a hike to the Javira waterfall … a 3.5 km hike one way with a refreshing dip at the waterfall (and an interesting bat cave behind the waterfall).
Catamaran Trip
Most of the group decided to join in for a full day catamaran trip to one of the outlying islands – Cayo Blanco. We left Trinidad in the morning, made it to the pier; after a good 1.5 hours of sailing we got a chance to hop into the water for a bit of snorkeling around a reef. Lunch was included on the island – and so were the drinks … including (nearly) unlimited rum … it was a good, funny & sunny day 😉
Into Trinidad
Gallery
This gallery contains 6 photos.
From Cienfuegos we continued to Trinidad, a well preserved colonial town near the Caribbean coast … complete with colonial-style houses and cobblestone streets. After moving into new casas, we – similar to Cienfuegos – met up again for a tour … Continue reading
Cienfuegos
Gallery
This gallery contains 6 photos.
We continued a further 1.5 hours to Cienfuegos; here we had the first casas particulares waiting for us. A casa particular essentially is a truly Cuban accommodation option – somewhere between a bed and breakfast and a homestay. These casas (Spanish for … Continue reading
Che Guevara Monument
We left Havana in the morning – our first major stop (after hamburgers for lunch at a roadhouse on the way) being at the monument of Ernesto Che Guevara in Santa Clara. Here Natalia gave us an overview of his life and how he helped in and influenced the Cuban revolution: we also had the opportunity to get into his mausoleum.
From the monument we made it to the place of the main last battle against the Batista dictatorship – a mere 15 minutes bus ride away. It was here that Che and 18 companions derailed an armored train in 1958 – a major victory for the revolution.
Havana – continued …
The first real day of the tour … after a tour briefing in the morning, our tour leader Natalia organized a big taxi to get us (twelve in total … plus her) over to the old town (Habana Vieja) for a guided walking tour around the main sights and some other stops (from the best chocolate drink to the some of the best views in town).
After the tour finished the group split … the Europeans (British, Swiss and German) went for early afternoon mojitos to the rooftop bar of the Ingleterra (England) hotel – followed by a tour on the open roof tourist bus (no mojitos here though) … the rest of the group (Aussies and Kiwis) went for solid food – a proper lunch.
Havana
Gallery
This gallery contains 13 photos.
This year’s November destination was Cuba – picked as I wanted to see the country in its current state – before the US embargo being lifted. I made it into Havana on a Saturday evening coming in via Toronto. I … Continue reading
Almaty
Gallery
This gallery contains 7 photos.
Today was the last day of the trip – and it was cold and rainy (basically a preparation what was waiting for us in Germany a day later). In the morning we had a short tour of the main sights … Continue reading
Osh Bazaar & into Kazakhstan
Our last activity in Kyrgyzstan was a visit to Bishkek’s Osh Bazaar – before making it back to the bus and heading for the border into Kazakhstan, with Almaty as our destination for the day.
Along Issyk-Köl – back to Bishkek
Gallery
This gallery contains 8 photos.
Today we closed our circle around Lake Issyk-Köl – now following the road on its Southern bank … and then the road back to Bishkek – all in all a good 400 km. Already after an hour or so we … Continue reading