In
contrast to sailing in the Virgin Islands
and Puerto Rico, our trips to the Dominican Republic and Cuba
are somewhat different. To begin, we leave good ol' Zipo anchored
at the Bitter End Yacht Club, as we figured this plush resort would
be the safest place for him. After taking a ferry from Virgin Gorda
to Tortola, we board Cape Air and fly to San Juan, then continue on
another airline to Santo Domingo. From there, we get off the beaten
track with our backpacks and discover the backroads of Hispaniola.
We will stay far away from the all-inclusive hotels most tourists
flock to and instead concentrate on discovering the more remote places.
April 28, 2001
We landed at Santo Domingo's Herrera airport late in the
evening, and took a cab to the cheapest hotel ever [let's
call it the hole...]. The following morning,
we got introduced to the Dominican mode of transportation:
a público, which is a beat up box that looks
like anything but a car. Once freed from the wreck, we
walked around Santo Domingo's Zona Colonial, where the
oldest structures of the New World still stand. There
we visited places such as Parque Colon, Parque Independencia,
and Fortaleza Ozama to only name a few. The latter was
erected in 1505 and stayed in service until 1970! I soon
noticed how difficult it was to hide the fact that we
were tourists, as beggers continually came to us for money.
My poor Spanish, European face, and sun bleached hair
probably had something to do with that.
Santo Domingo,
Dominican Republic
On Saturday we boarded an air-conditioned Caribe Tours
bus enroute to Sosúa on the northern shore of Hispaniola.
The 4 hour ride took us through the Dominican interior,
by far poorer than Santo Domingo. I caught a cold back
in the Virgin Islands, and the sub-freezing temperatures
inside the cabin made it even worse. From Sosúa, we took
a Gua-Gua, which is a Toyota minivan used as public transportation.
I counted 22 persons squashed in the car, including myself
and Jérôme, and boy we were glad to arrive
in Cabarete after a 15 minute ride that seemed to last
forever.
The Hotel in Cabarete was quiet compared to the hole we
stayed at in Santo Domingo. On the morning of the 30th,
we walked up the bay to check out the new kitesurfing
centers.
I managed to tape some excellent kitesurfing action there,
that will be included in the future Caribbean Adventure
downloadable movie. In the afternoon, the breeze picked
up to 20-25kts, and we rented windsurfing gear at the
Happy Surfpool Center to ride the waves. As you can imagine,
we spent the next day recuperating from sailing, and my
cold was finally starting to disappear.
Later we headed to the Piccolo restaurant that was advertising
free pasta for a drink on Tuesdays. Unfortunately the
plate was so small that we had to eat again a half-an-hour
later. During the evening, we went to a bar where we spoke
with some Belgian stewardesses who warned us about a place
called Sosúa...
May 2nd 2001, We stepped off the Gua-Gua in Sosúa and
headed to the well located Hotel Central. People were
right, there were tons of bars all over the place, and
we were looking forward to going out later... As night
finally came, so did the prostitues, and lot of them!
To our deception, there were only prostitutes in
bars, especially at the Toucan disco where they swarmed
us like mosquitoes. Because of this, we ended up playing
pool. Now I knew exactly what we were warned of.
Next on our schedule was a day-trip to Puerto Plata.
Upon our arrival, a self-proclaimed guide told us that
we'd probably visit the place in 20 minutes. He was quite
right, as there was not much there; a central park, a
market, a run-down fort, and a few beggers running around.
The heat made things even worse, and after 2 hours of
mostly unimpressive discoveries we went back to Sosúa.
There, we went to Rocky's Bar for some really bad pizza,
and were surrounded by drunk ex-pats (probably old Vietnam
veterans with half their braincells missing).
This was going to be the end of our Sosúa nightmare, as
we had to leave for Santo Domingo the following day. Back
in our favourite hotel [the hole], we had to use
newspaper to fill the space occupied by a missing window.
We used the rest of the paper to plug cracks in the door,
to keep unwanted noise and mosquitoes out. To make matters
worse, our -1/4 star hotel had a 5 hour long power failure
and no water! The power outage was supposedly due to workers
outside, while the absence of water by a broken faucet.
Whatever it was, by that time we have had it and could
not wait to leave for Cuba.
Going to Cuba
We flew to Cuba aboard a 20 year old Russian made Ilyushin
IL-62M type aircraft.
The two hour flight was quite pleasing as we circled Haiti
[the poorest country of the Americas], passed the lower
islands of the Bahamas, the eastern coast of Cuba, and
we did not crash... After landing at José Marti International,
we passed the customs with surprising ease until the last
barrage where we were asked for cigarettes. In the taxi
on our way to Habana Central (with the Cuban spelling),
it became clear that we would be spending quite a few
days in this magnificient city. Downtown Habana contains
some breathtaking colonial structures blended in between
very poor but quite safe neighbourhoods.
The following morning we headed out to discover the city,
and quickly got introduced to many people calling us their
friend,
wanting to offer us everything from Cigar's to Private
Homes. They started by asking us where we were from (and
no matter what I told them, they always knew a friend
there, yeah right...). Then of course came the question
'Do you want some Cigars?' After a few blocks, it became
very repetitive, and it was difficult to make them go
away. As I was made aware that the average salary in Cuba
is around $10 a month, I started understanding why these
people were so pushy. The Socialist regime restricts private
businesses, and salaries are fixed by the state, but these
are more than often insufficient to survive.
Back at the private home we were staying at, the owner
(a friendly doctor named Julio) gave us suggestions on
what itineraries to take around the city, and the most
affordable ways to do so. We then took a walking tour
of the colonial district, and visited the museum of the
Revolution. Inside, a whole floor is dedicated to explaining
the events that lead Fidel Castro to power in 1959, as
seen by the current communist regime. It is interesting
to learn how violent Cuba's fight to independence has
been throughout the last two centuries, starting with
the Spanish empire throughout the dictatorial era under
Batista.
May 9th, 2001
We boarded the Viazul bus and headed down to Trinidad,
the best preserved colonial city in Cuba. In our private
home, we learned more about the severity of the US embargo
imposed on Cuba, a blunder supposedly caused by a powerful
Cuban-American lobby in Washington. Many basic goods necessary
for survival are often hard to find in Cuba. To give one
example, even though Cuba has the highest number of doctors
per capita in the world, there is a huge medicine shortage,
and therefore patients cannot get adequate treatment.
We started our first full day in Trinidad by visiting
the contraband museum with its archaic tower.
We later went into a cigar factory and took some pictures
of this still mostly human powered industry. In the evening
we went to the Casa de la Musica to listen to some Cuban
music. On the 11th, we went down to an unimpressive beach
where we managed to play a volleyball game. We later spent
some time back at the Casa de la Musica with Tina, Nina,
and Sonia discussing our traveling experiences in Cuba.
From Trinidad, we headed to the southeastern tip of Cuba.
We reached the country's second city, Santiago de Cuba,
after sitting 12 long hours in a bus. There, after walking
around the smog filled streets in the morning, we were
in dire need to find some fresh air.
10 miles south of Santiago stood the El Morro fortress,
built to protect Santiago de Cuba and the Windward Passage
[the body of water between Haiti and Cuba] during the
18th Century. We spent that afternoon discovering what
is probably Cuba's most impressive fort. Its thick walls
are practically inpenetrable, especially on the ocean
side where the steep cliff makes any siege attempt even
more challenging.
As we left the fortress a few hours later, we tried
to find the bus station. Jérôme asked three
guys for directions, and they told him that we're at the
right place.
Of course a conversation ensued, and as it unfolded I
noticed something unusual. First those painted nails on
one of the guys, then that overly excessive interest
from their part in us, and finally when they asked us
about our plans for the evening. I discreetly let Jérôme
know that I thought the kids were gay, and he nodded in
agreement. Out of curiosity, Jérôme asked
one of the guys what his profession was, as they seemed
extremely wealthy for a Cuban person. The guy with some
white stuff in his hair answered nonchalantly that he
was a prostitute... You can imagine our facial expressions
after that answer. Soon we were considering alternate
ways to flee the place as the bus was nowhere in sight.
Walk, swim, ride a mule; we were ready to do anything
to leave the freaky trio... Luckily, it was eventually
understood that our sexual orientation did not match theirs,
so they parted on a ferry.
After this, we were ready to move on in direction of Baracoa,
nearly on the eastern tip of Cuba, 1200 kilometres from
Habana.
The ride was quite interesting, as we had to get out of
the bus to remove debris from a rockfall blocking the
road. Frank, a Spanish-speaking American, explained us
how messed up Cuba's system was. If a Cuban woman was
seen walking with a foreigner on the street, she would
be taken to the police station and questioned by the police.
The country is trying to fight a rampant prostitution
problem in a very inefficient way that instead segregates
foreigners from ordinary Cubans.
In Baracoa, we rented two ultramodern bicycles to ride
in and around town. The stone-age machines brought us
to about 10km outside of Baracoa, where we had to turn
around because Jérôme's bike chain would
continually fall off. Frank later brought us to the worse
ever State-owned restaurant where the food was such that
even dogs would have left it untouched. With that in mind,
we were glad that back at the private home some delicious
food was waiting for us.
After Baracoa came the long trip back to Habana, consiting
of the 5 hour bus ride to Santiago,
and then 14 hours in a cockroach infested night train.
It was kind of odd to be sitting next to an ordinary Cuban
who payed less than a buck for his train ticket while
mine cost $42USD. I had no hard feelings for the guy,
but this socialist segregation was starting to get on
my nerves. Outside, I noticed those ever present propaganda
slogans, one of them stating Socialismo o Muerte
meaning Socialism or Death. After seeing the unfair condition
most Cubans are living in, I am not surprised that so
many of them risked their life crossing the Florida Strait
in self-made rafts.
We did not stay long in Habana however, as the following
day we headed west to a tiny town called Viñales. This
region of Cuba is famous for its impressive limestone
hills with numerous caves.
There, we rented bicycles, which was the most affordable
way to visit the region. The mountain bikes at first seemed
better than the old machines we were offered in Baracoa,
yet by the time we returned them a piece either fell off
or broke. In the evening, we went for some drinks with
Swiss friends in Cueva De San Miguel disco. As ususal,
the street girls were present, but by this time we got
used to it. In the morning we rented the bikes again and
tried to find a small mountain village called Los Aquaticos.
Up in the hills, we found a small hut with two pigs, a
chicken, and some turkeys. That was enough for us, as
by then we were dehydrated and exhausted, and we returned
to Viñales.
Our last stop in Cuba would be Varadero, where 2/3rds
of all tourists go.
Why? That's what we wanted to find out, so we rented some
cheap but expensive bikes. We quickly realized how miserable
the city was. All inclusives or not, Varadero's hotels
and the beach in general are not very attractive. It's
hard to understand why tourists go here, instead of visiting
the rest of the country that has so much more to offer.
As a personal suggestion, don't even bother going to Varadero...
The only picture I took there was a six-door Lada limousine
Cubans use as a taxi. Imagine if the yellow cabs in New
York City looked like that ;)
So what's all that Communism stuff???
I am sure that you are all aware of the unusual place
Cuba has in our world... Of course the story will be different
depending where you live, be it inside Cuba, in the USA,
in Canada, Europe, or the rest of the world. While there,
I tried to find out a little more about how things were
seen there as compared to the outside world, discussing
the issue with Cubans and foreigners alike.
Let's start by the fact that the Revolution in 1959 led
by Castro brought many positive changes to the country.
The previous regime under dictator Batista, supported
by the US, was very repressive. The American neighbours,
fearful of the communist threat, alienated Cuba by enforcing
a blockade around the island. This was standard operating
procedure back then since the world was in the middle
of a Cold War. As time passed, Castro (also known in Cuba
as the bearded-man) gained more and more control over
the state, and made private businesses illegal, frustrated
by the American actions among other things. In the early
1990's, the Soviet Union and with it the whole European
communist block crumbled. Cuba's largest trading partner
now history, the country fell into a difficult "special
period" where the fragile government looked for new trading
partners. The US did not take the opportunity to lift
embargo, and this again supported the anti-imperialist
voices.
Unfortunately this embargo, also known as the Helms Burton
bill in the US, mostly affects ordinary Cubans, as the
dictatorial government always finds a way to get what
it wants. Most countries more or less ignore the bill.
Canada and France helped provide vehicles to rebuild the
country's antiquated transit system (horse carriage taxis
are still common in small towns). Even many Americans
ignore the bill by visiting Cuba, passing through Mexico
or Canada, since Cuba does not stamp your passport!
A for most Cubans, they are not really supportive of the
current political situation,
but what can they do? Not much for now since there are
severe punishments for anyone badmouthing the regime.
The state has instaured a CDR (Commitee for the Defence
of the Revolution) on every block, an organism that has
the mandate to safeguard communist ideas of the revolution.
In other words, if you say something that goes against
the regime, one of your neighbours could denounce you
and get you in trouble. Add to this the perpetual pro-revolution
slogans and censorship everywhere, a political regime
unchanged for over 40 years, and you understand why the
Cuban morale is low.
While waiting for the childish dispute between the US
and Cuba to end, everyone visiting Cuba should give his
fair share in helping the people deal with this unfair
situation. Perhaps you can bring extra medications and
leave them before departing. Basic drugs like Aspirin,
Tylenol, Antihistamines are almost impossible to find.
Such a gift would be worth so much more than simply giving
money. Used clothes, pens, and notebooks are also accepted
with pleasure.
Some
facts about Fidel Castro and his Empire (the information
dates back to 2001)
Nobody in Cuba seems to know or dared
to tell me where the "Bearded man" lived
- nor did they dare speak out his name
People could not tell me if he had
any children
Fidel supposedly has a sister living
in Miami, FL (go figure out that one...).
There are only 2 channels on State
Own Cuban TV. One is worse than the other
McDonald's or Burger Kings are non-existant...
Average monthly wages:
- Country average $10
- Computer Programmer $13
- Medical Doctor $25
- Police Officer $50 (one of the highest)
We hope you found these stories about the Dominican Republic
and Cuba as interesting as we have. I don't think anyone
will ever come back from Cuba emotionless, because it
is such a different country.
This is as far downwind as we'll go on this adventure.
It is now time to fly back to Tortola, BVI, and find Zipo.
There, we'll stop at the
Trellis Bay Cybercafé, where Jeremy runs Boardsailing
BVI. It's the only windsurfing shop in the BVI I know
of, and you can rent windsurfers and catamarans by the
hour there. From there,
In a few days, we'll soon be sailing again on our way
back to St.Martin, St.Barths, St.Kitts, Nevis, Montserrat,
Guadeloupe, Dominica, and finally...
In
contrast to sailing in the 
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
The two hour flight was quite pleasing as we circled Haiti
[the poorest country of the Americas], passed the lower
islands of the Bahamas, the eastern coast of Cuba, and
we did not crash... After landing at José Marti International,
we passed the customs with surprising ease until the last
barrage where we were asked for cigarettes. In the taxi
on our way to Habana Central (with the Cuban spelling),
it became clear that we would be spending quite a few
days in this magnificient city. Downtown Habana contains
some breathtaking colonial structures blended in between
very poor but quite safe neighbourhoods. ;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
The previous regime under dictator Batista, supported
by the US, was very repressive. The American neighbours,
fearful of the communist threat, alienated Cuba by enforcing
a blockade around the island. This was standard operating
procedure back then since the world was in the middle
of a Cold War. As time passed, Castro (also known in Cuba
as the bearded-man) gained more and more control over
the state, and made private businesses illegal, frustrated
by the American actions among other things. In the early
1990's, the Soviet Union and with it the whole European
communist block crumbled. Cuba's largest trading partner
now history, the country fell into a difficult "special
period" where the fragile government looked for new trading
partners. The US did not take the opportunity to lift
embargo, and this again supported the anti-imperialist
voices. ;)
;)
;)
;)
