Sierra Maestra Walk | Blog from Cuba: 'We've arrived – at the English Hotel'

WE arrived in Cuba late last Friday night following a long flight. Our guide for the trip, Jobel, met us at the airport and brought us to our hotel in Havana – ironically named Hotel Inglaterra (English Hotel)!  We had a late dinner and went to bed.

On Saturday morning we got up, early and refreshed, to the beautiful 28 degrees Cuban sunshine. Jobel met us and we departed on a walking tour of old Havana. Our first stop was the Museum of the Revolution, situated in the former residential palace of dictator Fuengelico Batista. The bullet holes can still be clearly seen on the marble staircase in the entrance. Jobel explained that this was the building from which Batista fled Cuba during the triumph of the revolution. This comprehensive tour took us through the revolution from beginning to end and we got the chance to see artefacts from the struggle such as the clothes and weapons used by the compañeros during the revolution.

The tour ended with a viewing of the Granma boat which Fidel and the leaders of the revolution took from Mexico to Cuba in 1959.
We then moved on to other historic buildings and as we wandered through the myriad of streets which is Old Havana we met some family members of the Cuban Five. This was an emotional meeting where we expressed our solidarity with these people in their struggle. We spoke with Tony, the son of Antonio Guerrero, and Ailie, the daughter of Ramon Labañino. The families had come together to celebrate Antonio's 52nd birthday and while we talked with them Antonio called from his prison cell in the USA. This gave us an opportunity to send revolutionary greetings and wish him breithlá shona duit.

In the afternoon we travelled to Revolutionary Square and the Museum of José Marti, where we were given a tour by Ava the museum director. This included a trip to the top of the Jose Marti tower where we enjoyed a beautiful view of the panorama of Havana. Later that evening Jobel brought us to visit Castillo de la Habana where we witnessed the nightly cannon shot ceremony which in days gone by served as a warning to the citizens of Havana that the city gates were about to close for the night. This was entertaining and it was great to see the local Cuban families enjoying the ceremony along with tourists, including revolutionary comrades from Venezuela.

– Dale Moore