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Colonial Cuba


Indeed there is a backlog of impressions from Cuba! Regular blog updates require an internet connection and in this respect Cuba still lives in the Cold War era. Obtaining an internet card (that buys you an hour of service) is a bureaucratic process that would make a Russian state employee proud. Once a card is purchased, you have to find a wireless “hotspot” to get online. A sure spot is around high-end international hotels, where you at night find a gathering of locals whose smartphones light up the dark like fire flies.

Whereas the cold wind of communism still can be felt in Havanna, the bittersweet smell of colonialism still hangs over Trinidad in the south of Cuba. Some say time has stood still here, and it’s a beautifully preserved colonial town but it felt a little bit like an open air museum.

Iglesia de la Santísima with the famous statue “Lord of the True Cross”
Palacio Brunet on Plaza Mayor
Plaza Mayor

Nevertheless we housed in a lovely Casa “Juan Carlos y La China” where colonial furniture was still in use and three stories towered over an inner courtyard. From there we had beautiful views over Trinidad and the Escambray Mountains. And the Mojitos were delicious!

Casa Juan Carlos y La China
Many old colonial buildings are still in the hands of the original families

Trinidad’s heyday was in the 18th and 19th century when wealthy families traded in slaves and sugar. When slave trade stopped and the sugar business petered out, Trinidad went to sleep for a 100 years and the buildings remained the way they were. Until the 60’s…

View from Iglesia y convento de San Fransisco
Escambray Mountains backdrop
Street view
Trinidad rooftops
Spot the tourist
Street musicians

Continue reading “Colonial Cuba” →

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A Rum diary


I love Cuba! It’s a friendly, feisty, charismatic place! Like an old woman, worn down by age and hardships, a bit rough around the edges, but still not having lost the sparkle in her eyes! A place where an underdog can win an impossible fight.

The Bay of Pigs was named in the good ole’ times when starving pirates came to the natural harbour to stock up on food from a local pig farmer. After Che and Castro released Cuba from “decadence and corruption”, the place again got on the international map in 1961 when the Americans decided to support, and train, a group of counterrevolutionary Cuban ex-pats who would invade their home country and crush the communist dogs. But the invasion was an embarrassment, Kennedy got nervous, withdrew his support and unceremoniously left the soldiers at the mercy of Castro (who later traded them for medical supplies and food). The Cuban American love affair was over and Castro and Che promptly got in bed with the Soviets instead.

Bay of Pigs invasion info
The invasion plans were anything but secret. Kennedy had apparently exclaimed: “Castro doesn’t need spies, all he has to do is read the news!”
The tank that Castro rolled in on – or at least so they claim.
The first major defeat of imperialism in Latin America…

Continue reading “A Rum diary” →

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You say turtle, I say tortoise


For approximately 43 years I have lived a lie. My beloved childhood pet turtle Mohammed Moshe (M.M) wasn’t actually a turtle at all but a tortoise. I now stand corrected in the knowledge that a turtle lives in water and a tortoise on land. And Galapagos has an abundance of both kinds. It’s truly breathtaking how close you can actually come to the animals and how many you see in the wild.

Wild tortoise and the breadbaskets
A lonesome tortoise and the Breadbaskets in Urbina Bay, Isabela

A very large population of giant tortoises can be seen on Santa Cruz island. The ranch next to the El Chato Reserve got so fed up with the tortoises breaking down the cattle fences on their strolls, that they finally gave up and are now letting the tortoises roam around freely on the grounds. Naturally, what they lost in cattle breeding, they won in tourist contributions!

The oldest tortoise on the ranch was enormous, and totally unafraid
They are not nearly as catatonic as you hear
The tortoises do move but slow and with lots of breaks in between. And why not?!

Continue reading “You say turtle, I say tortoise” →

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In the jungle, the mighty jungle…


Traveling South America and not going to the Amazonian rainforest felt like a no-go. Being on a budget but still wanting to avoid hoards of tourists, we decided to enter the Amazon basin in Ecuador and not the often preferred route through Brazil. The Napo Wildlife Center in Yasuni National Park offered a perfect family solution: comfortable eco-lodge owned by the Yasuni community, daily trips into the depth of the rainforest to ensure lots of wildlife spotting and respectful and knowledgable guides. Top Choice!

Tree canopy
Eco-tourism is a way to prevent the rainforest from being exploited – and destroyed – by the oil companies

Already on the first day we spotted a scary looking caiman in the lake on which the lodge was situated, as well as Giant River Otters looking for fish. The caimans looked peaceful enough but four years ago, when swimming in the lake was still allowed, a caiman attacked two guests. Although they both (miraculously) survived, the poor woman’s head had been stuck in the caiman’s jaws and she needed extensive surgery. Ouch!

Caiman
The lake around the lodge has plenty of caimans, hence swimming is (now) forbidden.
Giant river otter
Giant River Otters are dangerous predators although feeding mostly on fish (and not little blond girls)

Early morning every day, we were taken by paddle boat along the black water creeks surrounding the lake. It was wonderfully calm and peaceful to float along slowly in the early morning light. Even the kids kept quiet to listen to the sounds of the rainforest!

Australian cowboy hats work just as well in the rainy Amazonas!
Paddle boat on the black water creek
German explorers
“Did you see the otter?”
Looking for Howler monkeys from the observation tower.
It can get wet – very wet!

Continue reading “In the jungle, the mighty jungle…” →

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Marlboro woman


After the hot and busy Havanna it was nice to breath in the fresh air of Vinales, a town in the eastern part of Cuba. Vinales is a really cute little town where everyone seems to have caught on to the (only?) way for ordinary Cubans to make an extra dollar – renting out a room in your house. You are allowed to rent out a maximum of two rooms to a seemingly fixed rate, and many people make the most of the opportunity. At least Castro has not managed to kill the entrepreneurial spirit of his people!

Vinales street view
For app. 30 CUC (Cuba Convertible Peso aka foreign money), the equivalent of $30, you can rent a room at somebody’s house and live together with the family. Nicer way to experience Cuba than staying at a hotel.

Vinales is surrounded by breathtaking mogotes, residual limestone formations, and endless tobacco plantations. How best to experience this wonderful landscape? By horseback of course! Yes – my dear cousin Eva – I mounted a horse and headed off into the sunrise! Who would ever have believed THAT?!

Marlborough woman
“I’m a poor lonesome cowgirl…”

Continue reading “Marlboro woman” →

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Raquel’s Ark


Close to our Cabañita in Volcan, we stumbled across Raquel’s Ark, a small animal rescue center. In a house with the kitschiest angel fountain I have ever seen, this retired native American woman works close with the Panamanian National Environmental Authority (ANAM) to save animals otherwise doomed to be killed or sold as pets. Raquel was lovely, if only a bit eccentric, and let Max hold and touch most of the animals. The racoon loved Max’s AXE shower gel and tried desperately to sniff him out!

We all fell in love with “Boomer”, the 9-month old Howler Monkey a nun had saved from being sold on the black market after the poachers had shot his mother.

Max with Boomer
Baby Boomer’s mother was shot by a poacher to get the baby but a nun reported him and Boomer ended up with Raquel

Continue reading “Raquel’s Ark” →

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Geisha – your new morning mistress?


After having lazed around in the sun and lukewarm waters of San Blas, it was time for a change of scenery. This time our destination was Volcán, a small town at the foot of the Barú volcano in Chiriqui, not far from the Costa Rican border. Dormant with the last eruption over 500 years ago, Volcán Baru (3,474 m) is a majestic and fascinating backdrop for our cheap “Cabaña”. Here you feel far far away from the heat and bustle of modern day Panama City and the Panama Papers. People turn to look long and curiously at Molly’s tussle of whiteblond hair and there is not a single Nike poster for Max to drool over. The only thing you feel overcharged on is the Panamanian bank fee at the local cash machine. Surprising? Not really…..

Volcan Baru
On a clear day, you can apparently see both the Pacific and the Atlantic from the top of Volcán Barú. Unfortunately clear skies are as rare here as in Revelstoke during the winter.

After a rainy end to our hike in the rainforest (I guess that was to be expected), neither of us was keen on another long walk in the mountains. Hence we decided to visit the Janson coffee farm. Curious about the name, I found out that the farm indeed had Swedish roots! The story of Carl Axel Janson is fascinating. Continue reading “Geisha – your new morning mistress?” →

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Would Jesus have turned in his grave?


Easter Saturday was not just about cute Easter bunnies and egg hunting this year, no – this was crazy lunatic day in Revelstoke (and other ski resorts around North America), namely G.N.A.R day! G.N.A.R stands for Gaffney’s Numerical Assessment of Radness and was invented as a game by Scott Gaffney and extreme skier Shane McConkey and is all about having fun while skiing. Participants drum up points by doing the most ridiculous things; like calling your mother on the phone while skiing down a steep chute with no clothes on! Or skiing up to a stranger saying “I’m the best skier on the mountain”. G.N.A.R day falls every year on the 26th of March as a tribute to Shane, who died on this day in 2014 while ski base jumping in the Dolomites.

G.N.A.Rs
These guys would have fitted right in there in Courchevel in 1983. Just the mono ski is missing

The last ski race weekend not only saw some great skiing by the Revelstoke U12 kids but also some great entertainment while waiting. Oh yes, we had naked people here too! Continue reading “Would Jesus have turned in his grave?” →

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Tree hugging


 

In some countries “tree hugging” is known as having originated from the Chipka movement; a non-violent protest against deforestation. Here in Revelstoke we have “Glades” which are mapped out tree-skiing areas where trees have been selectively cut down to provide nice, easy skiing. These tree-glades I can just about manage with a few “oh no – I’m too fast!”, “braaaaakkke…!”and “shiiii….t” and still I end up straddling a few of the bastards. One time I even went head-first into one, when my ski released in an awkward moment, and I ended up having to pull myself out by the help of tree branches. It was not a dignified and elegant sight. I picked branches out of my gear for hours.

Trädkramare
Tree hugging Sweden-style: “Don’t you even TRY to cut down this sick elm…!” Image SVT.se / TT arkiv

But I was little prepared for our Backcountry trip on Tuesday where we, due to high risk of avalanches, ended up skiing the Teddybear Trees. I thought: “I can manage a few baby trees, that can’t be that hard?” But HELL… the trees stood as imposing and tight as a North Korean Military Parade. I was NOT happy on my Telemark skis and wish I hadn’t so boldly stated that “aahh – don’t worry about me, I can alpine ski these babies down ANYTHING”. Like hell I could…. Continue reading “Tree hugging” →

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