Santa Clara

After Havana finally let go of us, we continued on to the next city. It is the beginning of our island tour together. So together with Bean and Max, who came to visit us from Germany, we took a taxi to Santa Clara. The city of Che Guevara. We reach the city after a few hours drive and are really surprised by its size. Everything here is smaller, more manageable. Much more manageable than in Havana. There is a boulevard, which fits perfectly into the colonial style that prevails here. There are far fewer tourists here and we feel comfortable right away. In addition to a huge Che Guevara monument and a train monument, the city has a music festival in store for us. So on the first evening, we flock to Plaza de Armas and watch the spectacle while enjoying a few beers. Many international dance groups, predominantly from South and Central America, perform there. Everything from salsa to indigenous or African dances is included. An Italian pan flute group in traditional South Tyrolean outfits was also part of the show. A "great" festival in my opinion. We enjoy the hustle and bustle and around midnight the city slowly becomes quiet. We also go to bed.

The next morning we visited a tobacco factory where Cuba's gold treasures are produced. The system and production are state-run, as is the case everywhere. Here, all cigars are produced, regardless of brand or size. Each employee only produces one type of cigar each day. Depending on the shape and size, they produce more or fewer cigars. The special thing, and what they are very proud of, is the fact that each employee produces the cigar from beginning to end. This is the only way to ensure the outstanding quality of the cigars. There are regular quality checks to confirm the quality. Each individual cigar is checked here. In the middle of the hall, next to the fully qualified professionals, there is a school. This is one of the most expensive and difficult schools in Cuba. Here, young people learn the art of cigar rolling. The training costs 10 CUC per month, which is a lot of money when converted to 25 euros, considering a monthly salary of 25 CUC. Another special feature is that there is a reader. This person either reads the newspaper/books or presents the latest news to keep the workers entertained. A truly interesting place. Nevertheless, we had to leave the factory after visiting the premises. Lunchtime arrived and we visited our new favorite place named Sabor Arte. Here, you can enjoy delicious local cuisine at affordable prices. Because we liked the food so much, we went there four times for sure. After we were fortified, we visited the train monument and the Che monument. The remains of the great strategist are buried there. Why?! During the revolution, an army train derailed and the soldiers, together with heavy military equipment, were forced to surrender. With this victory, the revolution really gained momentum. The city was also of outstanding strategic importance. To do justice to Che and to pay tribute to him, they created the monument for him. The next morning, we set off for the next beautiful city, Sancti Spiritus.

There will be more to hear about soon.

Until then

Your Marius and Max