Two Runs and a Wrinkly Walk in Crumbling Cuba
November was the time of
year to pack sun cream and running kit and head off in search of new running
experiences. This year it was in Cuba,
a place I’ve always wanted to visit because of its history, politics and
wonderful weather, (out of the hurricane season).
It’s a communist
country since the revolution in 1959
led by Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and
assorted chums. For this reason it is easier to visit as part of an organised
tour which Pam and I did for 10
days. The tour was advertised as ‘Crumbling
Colonial Cuba’
with a chance to visit historic towns and sites dating back over 400 years of Spanish colonial rule and more recent
revolutionary battlegrounds and museums. The revolution may be celebration 50
years but the economy is in ruins from the American
embargo on trade, total absence of overseas investment and a government which
is about as creditworthy as a British
bank. Hence the ‘crumbling’ title of the
tour.
Run number 1 was a pre-breakfast 6 miler in Havana
carefully planned to capture the local colour. Our hotel was the starting
point, a fascinating building dating from the early 1900’s boasting celebrity
guests including Fidel, Presidents
and Prime Ministers,
writers,
(Graham Greene wrote ‘Our
Man in Havana’, a satire on a dozy British
Spy in 1950’s Havana, whilst
living in the
hotel),
plus a few gangsters like Al Capone.
From the hotel I ran down a wide tree lined boulevard from the colonial era
passing the Spanish Embassy where
long queues of Cubans of Spanish descent waited to claim
passports to Spain
and a western life. From there I crossed a six lane highway onto Malecon, a 7k seafront promenade along
the city’s historic quarter and ideal for running. I dodged the waves crashing
over from the warm Atlantic
and skipped round the local fishermen’s’ tackle. After a couple of miles I saw
the heavily guarded U.S. Embassy and
unwisely stopped to get a clearer look until the Cuban guards, (there to keep the Americans inside I think), shouted something and waived their guns whereupon I produced a turn
of pace I thought I had lost years ago. Next up was a huge hospital complex,
(‘all rooms with sea views’), testimony to Cuba’s outstanding health service producing
mortality rates better than in the US.
Finally I arrived at my goal – a free, public running track beside the sea. (Cuba
values sport and one day we passed a group of XC runners. The men were real men and wore no shoes, but the girls,
being girls, did). I planned some (low) quality track work but on close
inspection it was a cinder track completely worn down to packed sand. Trying to
sprint on that would lead to a broken ankle. With that as my excuse I did a few
gentle laps and returned to the hotel with the memory of a delightful six miles
in the sun, sea and sand. Almost like
home!
Run number 2 was out in the countryside in the western tobacco growing region.
Our hotel offered fabulous views of the valley, farms and volcanic outcrops –
but being on the top of a hill my run be involve tough hill work. On a hot
morning I set off on the long downhill
stretch
which was an easy couple of miles. On the way up was a group of around 30
cyclists on a
‘Cycle Cuba’ holiday. Some of them had that ‘super fit’ aura, (like Steve and Alex), but others looked hot and bothered, (like the Wrinklys on a bad day). Down at the
bottom of the hill I circled through the pleasant little town past the taxi
rank full of 1950’s US cars which had been lovingly
maintained with replacement Lada
engines. Then past several small primary schools where the children were all
dressed in natty uniforms like guides or scouts. Like the health service the Cuban education system is outstanding
with free universal education from nursery through to university. But what goes
down must go up so I set off for the long uphill slog back to the hotel for a
welcome beer and lounging round the pool.
A Wrinkly Walk was an optional extra promising a guided walk among the farms and
tobacco growing area....and only £10 per person! Our coach dropped us on the
roadside whereupon our ‘expert guide’ appeared from the undergrowth and led us
off. After 10 minutes purposeful walking we
were
‘invited’ to sample the hospitality of a local farmer who gave us free drinks
and in return relieved us of £8 for a handful of homemade cigars. Not the big,
famous Cuban cigars but ‘artisan’
cigars made from local grown leaves and smoked by the locals. They had a
definite ‘farm’ smell to them. Now I know this is not exactly politically
correct for the health conscious athletes of Wesham but it seemed the right thing to do and if anyone wants one
I have a few left. The rest of the walk consisted of wandering around fields
looking at the oxen ploughing, crossing streams, clambering through hedges and
trying not to get caught on barbed wire. Our ‘expert guide’ seemed lost and it
was a minor miracle to arrive back at the roadside for our waiting coach. Our
morning had many features of a good Thursday
morning Wrinkly Wrun/walk – good
company, pleasant scenery, a ‘flexible’ route and an expert guide who
occasionally loses his bearings. But thankfully Boss Wrinkly has not got round to charging us £10 a head for the
privilege. Not yet!
We would recommend Cuba
to anyone. It’s not great for food, (unless you like chicken, pork and rice –
the crocodile stew we had made a welcome change), it is not a shoppers’
paradise and the hotels can’t guarantee full western standards. But the weather
is great, it’s safe and if the food isn’t great the drinks are with music
played everywhere. Westerners are
made very welcome and Cubans are
friendly, proud people. But if this is what you like then go now. Once Fidel and his chums die off things will
change fast. As the fall of Communism
in Eastern Europe
showed, you can’t reform Communism
bit by bit. It’s like pulling a loose thread from a garment – soon the whole
thing unravels and everyone sees the Emperor
has no clothes. So if you want to see something wonderful and unique go now
before Uncle Sam returns.
P.S. Actually Uncle Sam never left Cuba.
He still lives in a huge base on the tip of the island. It’s called Guantanamo Bay
and is not to be recommended for tourists unless you want a long stay.
Written by: Reg and Pam Chapman
Submitted: 31st December 2009
Edited by: Brenda J Earnshaw WRR
Editor