I meant to make the most of my motorcycle freedom, so come 8
am I was on the road, in the rout to Matanzas, which is probably 35 km
away. I was in discovery mode, so once I
got the general direction I took whatever road looked interesting to me. Very
pretty, green country with vast sugar cane plantations and small patches
devoted to corn and other crops.
My guiding star took me past a couple of nature parks where
I was able to observe a few birds and a very peculiar lizard. It is called the
Squirrel Lizard and what makes it peculiar is that when at rest it curls its
tail over its back. Because the underside of the tail is much lighter than the
top view, this peculiar curling makes the lizard much more visible to potential
predators. What evolutionary advantage could this trait bring? I suspect this
is a case of mimetism, and that in this way the lizard is disguising itself as
a scorpion (but I still need to find if there are scorpions in Cuba; or maybe
there are particularly stupid birds?).
Eventually I reached the city of Matanzas, which is built
around the bay of the same name. It is a pretty setting, but the city is old
and the narrow streets feel a bit oppressive. I stopped at a small modern
restaurant by the bay, to have a late breakfast. After a goodly amount of time
the waiter came to take my order (coffee and a ham and cheese sandwich), and it
was nearly half hour before I got it. Long wait times seem to be a feature of
Cuban restaurants, even if there are only three customers, all waiting for
their orders.
On the way back I saw a sign to the monument of the Slaves
in Revolt, which commemorates a revolt of plantation slaves in 1850. There was
a small museum there, but they wanted 5 CUC’s to enter and I decided it was too
much for my blood. Note: Since I came to the region of Varadero it seems to me
that all things that should be 1 CUC are all of a sudden 5 CUC’s.
My sense of orientation failed me at this point, and I did a
good 20 km in the wrong direction. No big deal since the whole objective of the
day is just “to see Cuba”, and I am pretty sure I went through small
agricultural towns that have not seen a tourist since they were established. Of
course I had to undo the 20 km, after which the fuel gage started migrating
into red territory. Fortunately I found a gas station in another small town,
and made friends with the attendant while putting gas. It was an easy
conversation, which reminded me that Cubans are friendly, educated, and love
talking to visitors.
I am now waiting for the sun to get down to make an
incursion into the beach.
I am back. Wow, Varaderos has a gorgeous beach with coarse
white sand, crystal clear refreshing water, and very little to do. I bobbed in
the non-breaking waves for an hour, thinking I could hold until sunset (I
couldn’t). Maybe tomorrow.
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