Cienfuegos, Trinidad, El Niche Falls Sierra del Escambray Mountains & Santa Carla

While we were enjoying Varadero we took an over night trip to Cienfuegos, Trinidad, El Niche Falls Sierra del Escambray Mountains & Santa Carla

I think our trip to the Santa Carla, Trinada, El Niche Falls Sierra del Escambray Mountains, Cienfuegos was worth every penny though a little rushed.  Three days two nights may have been a better option. For us it was supposed to be a preview to reaching these cities by sail. Now I am just very happy we did them as we didn't have the opportunity to sail the south side of Cuba but that too will come in good time.  

Cienfuegos was discovered by Columbus but became famous for being a hideaway for smugglers and pirates like Henry Morgan & Sir Francis Drake. The third largest fortress in Cuba " Castillo de Jagua" was built in the 1700 to stop the rampant trafficking of contraband. In the 1950s in the mountains surrounding the bay is where Che Guevara set up a post to lead the revolution and after the same area became a hideout for the CIA backed counter revolutionaries fighting against Castro. Not only was the history fascinating but the architecture attractive. Many of the buildings have been restored. 

Bamboo Grove

Trinidad was a colonial gem. There is no other city in Cuba so well preserved. In fact the entire town is a national monument as well as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Most of the narrow streets are paved with cobblestones and vehicle traffic has never been permitted to travel on many of them. Instead you will see mules with carts, cowboys on horse back, and bikes for taxis.  

Leo our tour guide!

There was a competition of cigar rollers and this lady won. She works at the museum in Trinidad and all the sales go to the museum.  There are many selling cigars every where. Beware many are counterfeit and you are buying sub quality.

My little kite runners

El Niche Falls Sierra del Escambray Mountains was by far my favorite stop. If someone takes this tour after reading this and gives me heck if you don't like it as much as I did Im sorry. You see, I love to hike. I love plants. I love birds. I love water. The Sierra del Escambray Mountains didn't disappoint. The rainforest covered mountains were beautiful.

Traveling by truck in the Sierra del Escambray Mountains to El Cubano Park. The area was very mountainous. Is that a good word? Heck it was down right scary some places. I don't know how they made it up and better yet prayed that the brakes kept working on the way down. Our guide Jack was a wealth of knowledge and fun to hang with. 

Can you see Captain Marc

Termite nest

Lunch

Like I said lunch LOL 

Our stop in Santa Carla was short and sweet. Che Guevara the well known Argentine Marxist revolutionary is buried there. Tributes and memorials can be seen every where in Cuba in Che's honor for having waged battles in the revolution that toppled the Batista government in 1958. The three facts about Che that interested me where #1 he wasn't Cuban #2 he was a doctor #3 who knew he was so hot lol. Many of the Cuban's that we met were very proud of their heritage. The Cuban's version of history varies from what I was told. Many leave want to leave because of the embargoes  placed on the country, the socialist government with a capitalist underground.