Here is my journal after 3 days bike touring in Cuba :)
It's been 3 days on the road. My body is adjusting, my shoulders are in pain and my butt is sore. It turns out my bike is too big for me but all the same I'm getting used to it. I expected some hardships on the road with my beater bike. Im thinking I'll name my bike Smokey, in dedication to it's birth as a Marlboro cigarette bike but also in tribute to its new life in the land of rolling tobacco fields.
Cuba is...just like how I imagined it! There are palm trees, murals of Fidel Castro and Che Guevera everywhere, rolling hills of green, old cars from the 50s that rumble through dusty roads...its easy to feel you've stepped into a movie scene, but this is real life.
Many people ride bareback, or fly by on carriages pulled by horses, giant bulls with septum piercings slowly walk the potholed roads pulling heavy loads.
Some things take adjusting. To get WiFi you go to a government building where you stand in a long line to buy a WiFi card, the card is good for an hours worth of access, you then go to a nearby park where you can sign into a public network. People don't have data readily available on their phones or internet in their homes and while this isn't the instant gratification I'm used to, I appreciate the break.
Food is scarce in the supermarkets. You can find things like dried potatoes, dried milk, sugar, rum, and juice. We find veggie stands throughout the day to buy things like plantains, yam, yuca, garlic, onion, green pepper, and tomatoes. In the towns people walk around yelling "piña, ajo, cebolla". We biked through a region yesterday with the most delicious Mandarins, they were sour, tart, juicy, and sweet. We bought a basket of 30 from a roadside stand and I quickly stuffed 5 in my face and enjoyed the flavor explosion.
About an hour before sunset we typically begin to look for a place to camp. We find horse or cow trails leading to flat, fairly hidden patches of grass or dirt, and pitch our tents for the night.
Sometimes your best experiences come when you can't find a camp spot. Last night exhausted after biking through the mountains we realised that sundown was quickly approaching. We couldn't find a cheeky place to camp and asked a family for permission to pitch our tents in thier field. Before I knew it we were introduced to 3 generations of family that live on the farm. We were invited on a tour of their property and were shown the sugar cane fields and mandarin trees, the family loaded up our bikes with such giant bundles of sugar cane that I wasn't sure our bikes would move again.
We laughed and chatted over steeming pots of beans and plantains and the kids peered timidly from behind their parents legs. Soon mango juice was being poured from old Heineken bottles and one by one we made our way back to our tents. I could hear the jingling bells coming from the reins of the horse carriages that traveled the nearby road. It's a mystery to me how they navigate the potholed roads in the dark. I said goodnight to the crooked moon and we all slept like babies.
Hasta Siempre! @wolfcat
See my first post following my Cuba bike tour here: I'm bike touring Cuba!!
Love this!
Thanks! Im glad you enjoyed it :) ill keep posting journal entries and fun photos!
Looks Amazing! Cuba has been my list for travel wishes for a long time. Thanks for the great photos! Viva Cuba!
If you're ever looking for a bike tour destination Cuba is the perfect place :)
So awesome @wolfcat, sorry to hear that you're sore but I'm sure your body will adapt soon!
Crazy about standing in line to get an hour's worth of Wifi, but i know what you mean about the feeling of freeness that can bring, it also helps you be really intentional with your online time instead of just mindless scrolling as we all too often do, having the world in our pockets!
Cheering you on- be safe!
Thanks! Yes the limited time does create an incredible efficiency. Now just to keep that up ;) Lovin your cheers! 💓
Get it girl! You're going to feel amazing after you get through all the soreness!
Heya, just swinging by to let you know you're being featured in our Daily Travel Digest!
It's @martibis here, cooooool to see you got this amazing post added to the map! How is it going otherwise?!
Yay!! Im pumped to have made the daily digest and to connect with ya! How've you been?! Your project is so great! I have so much to add to your map :) Where is home base for you these days? Hope all is well!!
Good, busy working at Steem-related projects mostly nowadays! Lot of behind the screen work kidna thing!
I am already looking forward to your other posts!!!
Just home in Belgium at the moment, but I am thinking of looking for some sun soon-ish! How about yourself?
What an amazing experience! :)
Congrats on the post and on the trip ;)
Thanks! It's felt so good to get back to touring after many years away! From your name sounds like you got some adventures up your sleeve as well. Ill be checking you out fellow traveler :)
It's always good to get back to touring :)
Yes, indeed! We @travelingstories got some stories to share with the world ;)
Lovely photos peace and love ToCubaUp voting
Thanks!! Glad you enjoyed!
What a wonderful way to travel. I imagine you'd see so much more of a country that way. I agree, often the best experiences come when you can't find a place to rest your head for the night. You should check out @steemitworldmap - I have no affiliation with them but your posts would be a real addition to the map.
Yes exactly! The slow pace and having a goal like biking brings a lot of meaning to the journey :) I've been meaning to add my stuff to @steemitworldmap thanks for the reminder!
I really like what slowing down travel does. A much richer experience
Awesome! Are you going to stay in Cuba for long?
I actually just got home and am releasing my journal entries I kept along the journey. I was in Cuba for 3 weeks!
I intend to do something similar in the summer. It's interesting so some of the problems you encounter on your adventure. Awesome stuff :)
Awesome! Where are you hoping to do your bike tour??
I want to enjoy some of Romania's historical heartland from a bike's perspective. It won't be a lot of km involved but I think it will last for about two week or more. I wrote about my plans on my blog if you are curious for more details.
Happy travels :)
Congratulations, Your Post Has Been Added To The Steemit Worldmap!
Author link: http://steemitworldmap.com?author=wolfcat
Post link: http://steemitworldmap.com?post=cuba-my-journey-on-two-wheels-continues
Want to have your post on the map too?
So COOL!!!
Thanks girl! How've you been?! So nice to get messages from Steemfest crew! I miss everyone!
Hi! I'm doing great! Love to read about your adventures!
You're my hero!! 🏵️🙏 And an inspiration to the nomadic heart of the world.💓
Awe! Thanks!! Your help getting me and all my gear to the airport was a life saver! It helped me to arrive in Havana with the right amount of wolfcat spunk to make those first few pedals possible!
Good to see a bike traveller here. So am I.
Awesome!! I just checked you out! Looks like our life interests follow many similar paths! I'll be excited to share travel stories!
Following your journey... #fullsteemahead!
Wow thats an awesome post! I have been in Cuba a few years ago! I hope its still cool to visit and not that touristy! Ive never seen anybody discovering it by bike though! Thumbs up! Following :)