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<\/a><\/p>\nSigns of timber cutting noted along the way to our first stop a botanical garden. Where of course there were local entrepreneurs selling their wares.<\/p>\n
emJay helped the local economy by buying a red necklace and bracelet. Only 1 CUC!<\/p>\n The main entrance.<\/p>\n Our guide for the day who works for Ecotur, the Cuban outdoor touring company. All the jeep drivers were from Ecotur.<\/p>\n View looking south toward the Caribbean coast of Cuba. We were in the Baconao Unesco Bioreserve.<\/p>\n Jeff and Tom made buddies with the pups everywhere we went . . .<\/p>\n . . . this one was a little too shy.<\/p>\n The prized bloom of the ave de paraiso, bird of paradise.<\/p>\n Eliseo also added information along the way.<\/p>\n Ruins of an old home add interest to the gardens.<\/p>\n There was an area with many different orchids.<\/p>\n We enjoyed seeing the green emerald hummingbird here.<\/p>\n Hey \u2013 looks like our common daylily!!<\/p>\n The national flower of Cuba which has a wonderful scent!<\/p>\n Sample a fruit (perhaps at your own risk if you are being really careful about what goes in your mouth\u2026)<\/p>\n One sees message boards like this all over Cuba.<\/p>\n Revolution \u00a0. . . \u00a0under construction?<\/p>\n Then we began our hike up to the Gran Piedra, a 63,000 ton boulder that sits perched high above the Caribbean.<\/p>\n Nearing the top of the climb . . . Tommy and Jon made a dash to the top . . .<\/p>\n . . . which is actually a \u2018HUGE\u2019 rock geologists can\u2019t explain how it got there!<\/p>\n Fog started to blow in from the SW but we could see the hills to the NE.<\/p>\n And of course there were vendors on the top of the rock! Tom takes home a copy of the Santa Maria. Only 8 CUC\u2019s!<\/p>\n Next stop was a family producing coffee the old tradidtional way. Beans roasted over an open fire . . .<\/p>\n Then cooled a bit prior to grinding . . .<\/p>\n Spreading out the beans after they have been roasted to perfections . . .<\/p>\n And ground in a wooden mortar and pestel.<\/p>\n It\u2019s the rrrrichest kind . . . many of us brought a pound back to the states.<\/p>\n We next went to a Unesco World Heritage site, Cafetel la Isabella. It is the first coffee plantation in SE Cuba, built by a Frenchman and named in honor of his favorite concubine.<\/p>\n Alberto, our driver and strong conservationist Joel, Laurie and emJay say goodbye after a great day.<\/p>\n We stopped to visit a war monument complete with grazing cows!<\/p>\n Happy travelers, including our wonderful bus driver Alberto in tie on left.<\/p>\n After lunch at a local caf\u00e9, it was on to tour Morro Castle built by Spain, about 1700. It was later used as a prison . . .<\/p>\n A lonnnnnnng hike to the top from the sea. \u00a0Discouraged invasions!!!<\/p>\n . . . complete with a moat.<\/p>\n Walls made up of limestone with lots of marine fossils.<\/p>\n We used a reconstructed drawbridge to enter the castle.<\/p>\n Lot\u2019s of info about pirates . . .<\/p>\n . . . great views from the top. You could see the enemy coming from a long distance away. Time to develop a plan!<\/p>\n Ready for attack from any side . . .<\/p>\n Local guide!!<\/p>\n We drove through Santiago\u2019s area of (previously) fancy homes and wealthy folks. Now many of the houses are offices or government buildings.<\/p>\n Some people were living quite nicely . . .<\/p>\n . . . while most are not.<\/p>\n We finally arrived back at Hotel CasaGranda\u00a0 . . .<\/p>\n . . . and were greeted by this beauty<\/p>\n . . . and a band concert by the Cameguey city band. Music everywhere, all hours of the day!!!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n After an hour or so of listening to the band and having a few rums at our roof top bar is was time for dinner for a few of us at Restaurant Matamoros, a government run restaurant. The food was tasty and we had a live band to entertain us.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Rick became sick during the night, from maybe the mayo served at lunch?\u00a0 We had to change rooms at 1:45am when the toilet stopped working!! He was down for the day. The rest headed out in 7 jeeps for a rugged day of adventure. Signs of timber cutting noted along the way to our first … Continue reading Day 4<\/span> <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n