02/03/2020 from Santiago de Cuba to Guantanamo

02/03/2020 from Santiago de Cuba to Guantanamo

Today is our lucky day. Firstly, we met a young Cuban who mainly lives in Switzerland, and he helped us find the gas station that sells the Super gasoline we desired. He also knows where to find a tire inflater. And we found it too, and he has time for us and he is friendly. He tells us there are holes in the tire that need to be fixed, and he works quickly and we are satisfied. So we can continue our journey as planned. That immediately lifts our spirits.

Our destination today is Guantanamo, with its famous prison. We quickly drove 80 km, of course we cannot enter the US Base, but it's fine without it.

Unfortunately, the 120 km² fleet base claimed by the US separates the city of Guantanamo from the coast, so the place has hardly developed since 1959. It is striking that there is an attempt to create a colorful city with parks, trees, sculptures, and public life. Many facades that seem well preserved at first glance reveal decay and illusion upon closer inspection.

On the outskirts of the city, there are "new residential blocks" from the 1960s and 1970s.

Our hotel today is amazing. In Art DECO style, it is a two-story building that has obviously been recently renovated. We have a great room with a red and white tiled bathroom, new stylish furniture, and 3 balconies. We walk through the streets and admire the architecture from the 1920s and 1930s. We observe the people, young women are very modern and color-coordinated in their attire, mothers display all their splendor in tight leggings and tops, children prefer branded clothes. Cell phones are a must. We can clearly see where priorities lie.