Camaguey - Cuba

 This is a beautiful historic city in central (east) Cuba.

 

I visited it a few years ago before the covid lockdown.

I hope her people are coping OK.

I'll return one day.

 

Founded in 1514, it is one of the first 7 settlements of the Spanish.

It's the third largest city in Cuba 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was attacked constantly by pirates.

Henry Morgan, the welsh pirate raided & burnt it down.

Morgan eventually became the governor of Jamacia.

I think Morgan's rum is named after him.

 

Its fun to just get lost among its streets and plazas.

 

 

The streets are very confusing... maybe this was to deter pirates.

(Google maps didn't exist at that time :-))

 

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Santa Clara - Cuba

This is the capital of the province of Villa Cara.

 Its full of revolution landmarks and is the final tomb of Che Guevara.

 The Che Guevara Mausoleum. The bronze statue is 22 feet high.

iT'S located in "Plaza Che Guevara" (Che Guevara Square) & houses the remains of the revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara and twenty-nine of his fellow combatants killed in 1967 during Guevara's attempt to spur an armed uprising in Bolivia.

 Che was burried here in 1997, after his remains where found in Bolivia.

 Santa Clara was chosen as the site for his tomb because the city was the location of the decisive Cuban battle of Dec 31, 1958 that ended with Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista fleeing into exile.

 Apart from the tomb, there is a museum to see. No photos were allowed.

 Regardless of one's views, this is a facinating place of how one man changed the course of world history.

 His legacy, reverberates to this day.

You can find in another part of the city, the Fulgencio Batista military supply train which was derailed by Guevara during the battle for Santa Clara. Light was fading so sorry for the poor photos. My understanding was that the  remains are in its original location.

..

jAN 1, 1959

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Disco Ayala - the cave nightclub in Trinidad Cuba

Even if you're not into nightclubbing it's a must see when in Cuba.

 Housed in a natural cave Disco Ayala is lot's of fun.
At 1am every night there are live shows -- firewalkers & acrobats. This guy's got very tough teeth.

Cave nightclubs would never be allowed in Australia so lap up the atmosphere while you can.

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Cuba - Manaca Iznaga estate - Sugar & Slaves

Manaca Iznaga Estate is today part of a UNESCO world heritage region called Valley de los Ingenios or Valley of the Sugar Mills.

It's part of a series of three interconnected valleys (San Luis, Santa Rosa, and Meyer ) about 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) outside of Trinidad, Cuba. Sugar was the most important industry in Cuba from the late 18th century until the late 19th century.

At it's peak there were over 30,000 slaves working on these plantations.

"To prevent the sugar from spoiling, rapid transport was necessary, and to this end a special railway line was laid down through the valley in the late 1880s, connecting the Valle de los Ingenios with Trinidad and the port at Casilda, 6 km (4 mi) from Trinidad, on the coast." (Wikipedia).

The "Iznaga Tower"

The "Iznaga Tower" was built in 1816 by the estate owner, Alejo Maria Iznaga y Borrell.

It's in a rather poor state, but we still managed to make the climb up to the top.

 These wooden stairs are 199 years old.

A view of the homestead from the tower's summit.

This bell used to be hung at the top of the tower. It was rung at the start & the end of the work day as well as the times for prayers or when the slaves escaped. It must have been a desperate existence for the slaves. I can't possibly imagine the suffering they must have endured.

Part of the sugar mill

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