Curiosities and other creatures

MIVOAKA: 07.05.2017

If the money is not enough for a moped, the Cuban builds it himself

Guaranteed organic chicken egg and legs in a village near Bajamo

Accommodation in Havana. The interior resembles a hourly hotel. Hopefully, it's not haunted...

Every evening at Plaza in the middle of Camaguey, the flag is ceremoniously lowered while playing the anthem loudly. Yes! Really every evening!

Cubans have the habit of offering friendships in strange ways. This young man, who happens to be a doctor, gave me a 3 Peso Che Guevara note for my email address. Street vendors sell the same for 15 dollars to gullible tourists

Misoratra anarana amin'ny Newsletter

'The Cuban egg is very strong'....

That's what the friendly hostess of the BnB in Cienfuegos told me after almost a month when my latent suspicion solidified that my post-breakfast stomach cramps could be related to the consistently prepared egg in all possible variations. Well. It would have been nice to know that a bit earlier.

And indeed. After the rigorous egg diet, the problem was gone. Why the Cuban egg is so strong could be due to the revolutionary atmosphere in the Cuban air or the oppositional chickens. One doesn't know...

It's a shame the cage is all around.

Fish :)

The Cuban dragon. Photographed in Trinidad.

Since we're already talking about animals. Cuba has a great variety of animals. Dogs, cats, pigs, chickens, fish, lobsters, horses, and birds.

Ohhh birds!! I don't know what motivates people to travel to Cuba to observe birds! But please. There was this wonderful trip to El Nicho. A reserve about 2 hours from Cienfuegos...

In addition to the initially annoying group introduction in the car, cleverly planned by the charming tour guide (there's no escape in the car and you fall asleep after 2 minutes of driving... well), there was also the annoying 'Exile-I'm coming to visit Cuba-and pretending to be a local-Cuban', who entertained his American companion with moderately funny jokes.

Finally, exhausted but still alive... Wow! Cuba at its best. Huge trees, clear small ponds for swimming, and then... BIRDS!!!!!! The Cuban national bird in Cuban colors. 'Very rare because very shy', as our tour guide and Mr. annoying Exile-Cuban revealed. And of course, just as by chance, its call sounds nearby.

My nature-loving travel group takes out their phones and cameras and chases the surprisingly shy bird with flashlights for 10!!! minutes. Well, you do what you have to for that:

El Nicho natural pool. Swimmable in the hot months. Otherwise flooded. Legend has it that if a man goes in here with a woman, they come out in love. With a water temperature of just under 18 degrees Celsius, there might be something to it.