Playa Larga

< / p>

After leaving Cienfuegos behind, we made a short stop in Playa Larga. The gang once again felt like going to the beach and swimming. We arrived at our hostel in Playa Larga in the early afternoon. There we stayed in a pink house (people here like bold colors).

On the way to Playa Larga, we passed a crocodile farm. Curiosity aroused, we decided to visit it before dinner. The farm was small and manageable. Crocodiles are bred here for meat consumption. There were some free-range chickens wandering around and in the enclosures we could admire alligators of various sizes. We could even touch a small crocodile. Mari and Max (tall) did this and even put the animal on their shoulders. But the real highlight of this farm was the large enclosure. There were about twenty crocodiles swimming around. For a reasonable price of 1 euro, you could dangle a piece of fish on a fishing line into the enclosure and see how the crocodiles snapped it up. This moment was so impressive because the sound of a crocodile snapping is unmistakable. KLONG!! You can actually hear the force behind it when the teeth come together and the jaws close. You definitely wouldn't want your arm in between. Meanwhile, the sky has become cloudy and covered with dark black clouds. We decide to escape the rain and head back to Playa Larga. Once there, and tortured by hunger, we search for a good seafood restaurant. On the outskirts of town and after a few inquiries, we finally find a good restaurant. The seafood dishes taste excellent. The best fish and crab dish we have had so far. After dinner, we took a quick swim in the sea at the famous and kilometers-long beach of Playa Larga. The place seems idyllic and far away from mass tourism. You walk about 10 minutes out of town and you are completely alone. Only the sea, palm trees, and the beach. With a beautiful sunset, a nice day in Playa Larga comes to an end for us. We will go to bed early again tonight, as tomorrow we still want to take a river trip to natural springs and then head to Havana.

The next day:

After a modest breakfast, we got back in the car and hit the road. After about 1 ½ hours of driving, we leave the highway and take a dirt road inland. After another 20 minutes, we reach a ranger station. We have arrived at the national park. There we are greeted by a cool guide who takes us to the springs. On the way there, he shows us various plants and animals. The river itself is very turbulent and looks dirty and muddy. The reason for this is the so-called catfish, which stirs up the bottom and eats all the fish in the water. The animal was bred to combat hunger. However, one day a dam broke and the animals were able to escape into the wild. Since they have no natural enemies, they have become a plague. The diversity of bird species has been greatly reduced because the catfish eats all the smaller fish that are essential for the birds. We turn into a small river channel and finally reach the spring. It is underground. You swim along and directly above the spring, the water is crystal clear. You can look down into the depths. One spring is 20 meters deep and the other is over 70 meters deep. Impressive! The water is even drinkable! We all take a sip of it and enjoy the cool and pleasant water. Then we head back to the car. Around noon, we set off for Havana! The end of our little round trip, which has provided us with a lot of fun and excitement.

In Havana, we want to watch the big parade on May 1st, which is held in honor of the workers. Max and Bine will have to leave us then.

For Marius and me, the last 10 days in Cuba are about to begin.

You will soon be able to read about more adventures.

Until then

Your Marius and Max