CUBA October/November 2015
Hey Everyone,
I am just back from two weeks in Cuba, and had just a wonderful trip. The purpose of this adventure was multi-faceted this time. I was wanting to visit some of the newer fishing destinations that are just coming on line. But also, I wanted to see more of life in Cuba. I have been getting a lot of requests from people who want to fish, but who also want to spend a week traveling around Cuba. To that end, I did it myself.
One bit of news before I get started that pertains to all anglers. First of all, there is still no change in the requirements from the US government in regards to paperwork and licensing. Officially, you are required to obtain the Person to Person License. We are still using Bonefish/Tarpon Trust for this license. The good news is that the donation requirement has lowered from $500 to $250. On this trip, US Customs & Immigration had no interest in seeing my paperwork, but I still felt better having it.
I am going to make several Blog posts in order to cover this trip. There is so much information, and so many images, that I want to keep you interested! So, here is the first post. I began my time as usual with a few days in Havana. I stayed in a Casa Paricular again in the suburban neighborhood of Vedado. and did my best to explore some of bits of the city I had not seen. Here are some of the images of life on the streets in Havana.
This is the famous Malecon, stretching along the Havana waterfront. At night, this area is alive with hordes of young people.
From Havana, I took the Via Azul bus southwest to the town of Vinales. Via Azul caters to tourists, and the buses are inexpensive, pretty modern, and run frequently. Vinales is the most famous area in Cuba for the growing of Tobacco. With a very unique valley micro-climate, and just the right soil, it apparently has everything needed to grow the highest quality leaves.
I stayed in a wonderful little Casa in Vinales, and toured the farm land the next day. And, I did it by horseback! Yup, that is the popular means of transport, and many tourists were doing the same thing. It was fascinating to see how this land is still farmed. The only downside was my aching arse and thighs!
The farmland of Vinales is lush, as you can see from this photo.
