Day eight and I had fully recovered from the bug I suffered from the previous day. This was just as well, as the ride we had in store was the hardest yet. The coach took us outside Santiago and dropped us off at the foot of a hill. As we set off it felt good to be back in the saddle.
 This was ‘La Farola’ highway which headed over the top of the mountain range between Santiago and our destination of Baracoa. This meant it was pretty much continuously uphill, and after awhile some of the group had to return to the coach. It seemed a few were still not fully recovered from the bug we had all caught. It didn’t take too long before there were just me and two others still on bikes. As we climbed higher into the mountains, the humidity was so bad I had a constant steam of sweat trickling down every inch of my body. In fact when it did finally rain for a short period we were just relieved by its coolness, as we were already pretty wet by that point anyway.
 I must admit though, I had an easier time than the rest of the group at this point. Throughout the days we had been cycling up until this point I had been at a disadvantage due to my bike. Unlike the touring bikes everyone else had, mine was a heavy-framed mountain bike with front and rear suspension. This meant that not only did I have to fight against the added weight of the bike, I was also losing energy through the suspension. However my bike did have one key advantage when faced with such a climb, which was very low gears. I had now put my bike into its lowest gear, which (although not moving very fast) meant I could pedal with relative ease. Having said this, in the heat and humidity and constant steep road, it was still no ride in the park.
 We finally reached the highest point in the road, where we stopped for fruit and crackers and recouped some energy. After taking in some of the views it was time for the best bit of the journey, the downhill part. It got quite hair-raising while speeding down the road as it wound round the mountainside.
For the remaining leg of the trip to Baracoa most of the group was now back on their bikes. This was for me the most enjoyable ride of the holiday, passing amazing scenery, through small villages with mountain backdrops. There was virtually no traffic the whole trip, which made the place feel so peaceful.
 We eventually reached the town of Baracoa. Once everyone was accounted for we were shown to the various homes we would be staying in. Just as we had done in Santiago, we spent our stay here with a local family. And once more we were confronted with the language barrier. The town itself was quite picturesque as you walked round. There was none of the hustle and bustle or pollution of Santiago. The buildings were predominantly wooden and colourfully painted, albeit in need of some repair in most cases. This however gave both character and a little charm to the place.
 That night we headed towards the main plaza and one of the many Casa de la Trova (music houses). This place was a lot smaller than the one we had seen in Santiago, which allowed us to get front row seats. There was another slight difference here in that there was a presenter of sorts that came on stage in-between songs. This guy was scarily hyperactive and although he spoke no English, insisted on spouting out seemingly random celebrity names and pointing to us. We gathered he was attempting to inform us who we looked like. Personally I suspect he was on something and was quite delusional. The music was however enjoyable.
Now I had mentioned earlier in the holiday I could salsa and would like to try out my dancing with some locals. Unfortunately for me Jesus our guide had slipped away while we were enjoying one of the songs, and arranged for one of the local ladies present to dance with me. I say unfortunately because apart from the fact she was one of the biggest gals I had yet seen in the country, she must have been one of the only Cubans that couldn’t dance. The result was a little embarrassing to say the least, but didn’t distract too much from what was a most enjoyable night.
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Back to day 7 - Santiago |
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Forward to day 9 - Baracoa |
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