Pinar del Rio to La Coloma to San Diego de los Banos
66 miles
After a very long, hot day of riding, the three of us staggered into a small restaurant recommended to us by our host in San Diego de los Banos. We were hungry and depleted and sat down on stools that felt much too hard for our bottoms.
In my best Spanish, I asked the waitress what they served for dinner.
“Pork.”, she responded.
“Just pork?”, I asked
She nodded.
“Salad?”
She shook her head no.
“Pasta?”
Again no.
I am a die hard vegetarian and my friends also avoid meat when possible, but desperate times call for desperate measures. They both ordered pork dishes, but I could not. I continued pressing.
“French fries?”
I got a curt nod.
“Plantains.”
Another. So, after a 66 mile day, I ate a pile of grease and a beer and rolled myself home through the darkened streets, delighted to have a full, if not nutrient rich, belly.
Today’s ride took us to the southern coast, along the hot highway which seemed post apocalyptic with so few cars due to the oil embargo. Then we rode up on a high ridge road, connecting one small town after another. We looked over a lush valley and were treated to mountain vistas for mile upon mile.
This is a more impoverished section of Cuba than Vinales, but still we saw many people out and about, enjoying their days, playing baseball, soccer, running home for lunch in their tidy school uniforms and lingering in shady spots to visit and trade tales.
Everywhere we went, people were incredulous that we were here from the United States despite our governments antics. They seem very thankful and treat us like family.
