Cuba > By bicycle taxi through Camagüey

We wake up feeling quite sleepy. Breakfast is served in a beautiful but very dark colonial-style room. Unfortunately, the room isn’t very cozy, with a large air conditioner in the corner. They could definitely improve this. The hotel in general is quite dark and somber in its decor. At nine o’clock, the pedicabs are ready outside the hotel for a city tour. From the train station, we ride to the Plaza de los Trabajadores, where the Iglesia de la Merced is located. Here, we visit the nearby monastery, the church, and the catacombs beneath the altar. Via the theater, we continue by pedicab to the plaza by the Cathedral and the twin-towered church, Iglesia de la Plaza del Carmen.

Cuba - By bicycle taxi through Camaguey

On the square, various statues depict people performing daily activities. At the statue of a reading man, the real man being depicted poses next to it. Our pedicab driver is solidly built but struggles with the pedaling — at least that’s what he says. At a charming square, we visit a beautiful white church on the outside, but the interior is under renovation. We also take a look at the local hospital nearby. We then ride past one of the oldest houses in Camagüey, along the Plaza de la Revolución, to the farmers’ market. At this market, Cubans can sell goods based on supply and demand. Each farm must meet a certain quota; if they produce more, the surplus may be sold here. Prices can sometimes be astronomically high for Cubans, while we are surprised at how low the prices seem — which implies that, as tourists paying in foreign currency, we are paying relatively a lot. The pedicab route ends at a church, where Abel tries to find the pastor to open it, but without success. We decide to have lunch at a restaurant on the plaza, not realizing this also marks the end of the pedicab tour, so we miss the chance to tip the drivers.

Cuba - Iglesia de la Plaza del Carmen

After lunch, we stroll through the city. It’s strange to see dollar stores filled with goods while Cuban stores have only a few items. Along the way, we meet our pedicab driver and can finally give him his tip, which makes him very happy. While having a beer in a café, it starts to rain heavily. We walk back to the hotel in the intermittent rain. During a short break on the hotel bed, the power goes out again, so I close my eyes for a while. At eight o’clock, we head out into the dark city to find a restaurant.

Cuba - Children in the window frame

Abel had originally suggested eating at a Cuban home (legally), but due to the power outage, this isn’t possible. A restaurant recommended by Lonely Planet has no space yet, even if we wait half an hour. So, we have a drink with the group at a café on the square by the cathedral. By nine o’clock, we return to the restaurant, which still isn’t ready for us. We wait together in a small entrance hall, staying dry while it continues to rain. When the first ten people are allowed in, we see that the tiny room, barely larger than a hotel room, only has a few tables. Some guests are still eating, but surprisingly quickly they finish and pay, allowing the second group to enter. The choices are chicken or pork. It takes a while for the food to arrive, but it tastes excellent. Since it’s still raining, Abel arranges pedicabs to take us back to the hotel. Finding enough proves difficult, so the four of us take an old Lada taxi, which repeatedly accelerates heavily onto the road. The windows are fogged up, but the driver doesn’t seem bothered. By half past eleven, we arrive back at the hotel.