Cuba’ s Unique Countryside
My second trip was to Santiago de Cuba as well as a rural road trip to the northeast coastal resort town of Guardalavaca. When traveling through the countryside, one is taken back in time. The old cars, horse-drawn wagons and carts made from old, repurposed car parts; farmers working in their fields with basic tools; and the roads that haven’ t been maintained for decades are all a testament to the Cuban people’ s resilience against Castro’ s failures.
As an American, I was unable to stay in the fancy resort hotels in Guardalavaca with the Europeans and Canadians. This suited me fine as I prefer a more rustic adventure that lets me experience the daily life of the people who live there. A small bed and breakfast in central Yaguajay called the Villa Martinez was simple, comfortable and run by wonderful, hard-working people. There, I got to witness the Cuban life that few Americans see— kids going to school, farmers going to their fields, couples holding hands on their evening walks and, of course, the occasional, expensive modern car with special government tags passing through to the luxury resort a few miles north.
One of the most unique stops was off a rural two-lane road along the southeast coast near Santiago de Cuba. Rivaling anything one could find on U. S. Route 66, I gleefully wandered a roadside attraction called Valle de la Prehistoria, or Prehistoric Valley. Built in the 1980s with the help of inmates from a nearby prison, this Cold War tourist trap features hundreds of life-sized, concrete statues of dinosaurs, mammoths and other extinct mammals, along with various representations of neanderthals and early humans. In the center of the massive park was a restaurant and shop designed by an architect who somehow watched every episode of“ The Flintstones” without Castro finding out.
Car Culture in Cuba
What interested me most about Cuba was, of course, the cars. They are well documented and always featured in magazines and documentaries, but when you experience them first-hand, there’ s much more to it. What intrigued me was not the fancy, shiny old cars you see in most promotional pictures. Those cars are typically state registered taxis that have a special deal with the government to help keep them running well and looking nice with the proper maintenance and parts. Being a car guy with a partially assembled 1957 Chevy in his own garage, I loved the cars of the everyday Cuban. The old machines with third, fourth or even fifth generation drivers use every bit of ingenuity and creativity to keep them on the road. They are a testament to the spirit of the Cuban people.
The Cold War is well represented in the cars of Cuba. The American cars of the 1940s and 1950s share the road with Soviet, German and Italian cars of the 1960s and 1970s. Be it a decaying Italian Fiat or a Moskvitch or Lada that would make Leonid Brezhnev look even more annoyed than usual, the winner is very clear. Don’ t get me wrong, a person is very happy to have a car in Cuba, but if given a choice, they would prefer American. What cars have the biggest engine bay to weld in a diesel boat motor with a two-speed transmission from a Soviet tractor? American. What cars can easily carry all seven members of your family? American. What cars look stylish even with no hubcaps and several coats of house paint? You guessed it, American.
A late-night taxi ride through Havana to my hotel is the most memorable moment of my Cuban car experience. Much like an illegal cab in New York City, it was an unregistered taxi, the Cuban equivalent of an Uber. They are called Almendrones because they are typically old American cars
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