April 16 - Playa Baracoa to Las Terrazas: From the Coast to the Interior - On and Off of the Autopista... and a Hotel in the Trees - Cuba off of the Map (Tours 10 & 11) - 2010 & 2011 🇨🇺

April 16, 2010

April 16 - Playa Baracoa to Las Terrazas: From the Coast to the Interior - On and Off of the Autopista... and a Hotel in the Trees

5h. Hotel La Moka, CUC$100.

LET ME start by saying... am I EVER tired. Today was a very difficult day. I don't feel like doing a thing.

As planned, we were up at 6 am and got ready, then ate some of yesterday's groceries - tuna, cookies and peach juice... breakfast of cycling champs! I thought it was pretty tasty but MA complained about each delicious course.

We paid our host for the stay and by 7:14 am we were on the road. This time there was not a breath of air - for the first time since we arrived in Cuba. The road was along the coast until we left town to get onto the main highway. Having a long day we paced ourselves even though the wind picked up again at our backs. Mariel had a number of ugly factories, lots of truck traffic which must have been supplying the factories, and rather narrow roads so we rolled to the grass at the side a few times when trucks were converging on us from both directions.

Just before leaving Mariel we found a fruit and vegetable stand where we bought six mini bananas and a whole papaya... and this papaya must have been the tastiest, sweetest, most delicious papaya I have ever eaten - it cut up with my MEC plastic knife and we just sat and gobbled it up with our plastic spoons - it sliced easily with the spoons, each of us with half of the fruit. All of this feast for CUC$1.

Continuing on our way, the route had us veer into the wind and up a very long climb where we both eventually walked the last few hundred metres. Luckily, we soon turned onto the autopista. Rolling along the semi-deserted autopista (four lane, by the way) we came to an intersection that seemed to be the right one for us to turn onto but was called the Carreterra Central - and this route looked a lot more like a goat path. We waited a few moments until a man came along on his bike so I stopped him and asked and he said yes, it was the way but it was very rough. Hmmm... What does that mean?

For something called the central highway, it was a small-laned road through tiny villages. At times it was down to the sub-road which was as coarse as our railway ballast at home. There were fist-sized boulders embedded in clay - and if you have ever ridden on roads like that, you know how uncomfortable and slippery they can be. No speed can be attained, whatsoever. It was very slow going at times. But beautiful, my goodness... vistas over and across fields and into the valley where royal palms receded into the distance. Stunning!

At one point MA pulled up beside me to stop but tried it with her shoes still clipped into her pedals - she almost impaled my leg with her handlebars when she fell over. Fortunately, we and the bikes were all fine.

I think the main problem was the quality of the road, the hills, and the heat - we were getting weak and tired.

Ahead of us, what were earlier a deep blue/green hill was now becoming a palm-covered high hill as the climbs lengthened - heightened and deepened. Beautiful but physically difficult. I kept asking people how far to Las Terrazas and was told 40 km... 20 km... 10 km... 4 km... At the toll gate for the national park we were told another 4 km. Since we were staying at La Moka, entrance to the eco-park was included so on we went after a short break to rest and let the guards at the gate inspect our bikes.

Within about 2 km we had to stop where we both quickly downed a can of mixed veggies - pretty weird but I'd have awarded it the meal of the year at that point. We struggled back onto our bikes, up a bit of a climb then we came to the turn-off for Las Terrazas. What a place - a small village surrounding a small lake with La Moka hotel up top above the whole village and hidden amongst the trees.

The spiraling hill was so steep that I had to walk a bit then cycled to the sidewalk. We'd made it!

I went straight over to the desk where we were told that we could not keep bikes in the room; however, he said they could be kept in the parking lot. Ya right - I said no so he suggested the lock-up for left luggage which I was fine with.

The bellboy José helped us carry our bags to Room 11. Then we saw the views out and down into the valley, including the full-wall window at the bath tub - interesting for sure.

Before cleaning up we went for our welcome drink in the open-walled bar overlooking the valley. MA had a mojito; I had a Bucanero. Then we cleaned ourselves and our clothes before descending the staircase out our door to the town to eat at the vegetarian El Romero. It is also an eco-restaurant in as many ways as they can - they grow their own, compost or feed to livestock, grill in a solar cooker, and bamboo herb containers. We started with borscht and veggie tempura, followed by a plate each of spaghetti, lightly oiled with herbs and garlic.As we ate, turkeys gobbled and squawked outside as they waddled up and down the staircases. Done but not full, we returned to our hotel where we sterilized more water then went to the lobby for a caffe con leche... to be followed later, possibly by a pumpkin flan!

It was kind of difficult for both of us to walk so back in the room we massaged each others' quads, hams and calves - what a great difference that made. Then I just dozed a bit and watched CNN where they were describing a volcano that was erupting in Iceland and wreaking havoc and chaos in European airports where many countries have shut their airports due to the ash in the air.

We went to the terrace restaurant in the hotel where I had a cream of asparagus soup, MA had a fruit plate then we both had some pumpkin flan that must have been made a year or so ago. Good flavour but poor execution? I'll try my flan recipe with pumpkin puree added once we get home.

There was an older British woman who we had noticed earlier today so we chatted with her a bit before we left. This is her sixth time here at this hotel and she is here this time to find a place to rent or buy in Las Terrazas. She said she loves it here and has nothing to keep her in the UK.

With that, we returned to the room where I UV'd more water to refill the 1.5L bottle that we had bought with our supper, brushed my teeth, repacked and called it a day... with the TV on!

The fruit stand with the best papaya. The young boy was curious the whole time we were there, watching our every move.

THE papaya on our fancy plate and with our designer cutlery... aka plastic bag and MEC lexan utensils!

Someone is looking a little tired as we take a break amongst the banana palms.

Arriving at the intersection of our road with the four-lane autopista

... and then miles and miles of this. Rolling hills, hazy skies and palms lining our route and pretty well everywhere else, too.

Portions of this road are fairly difficult for riding... exercise extreme caution; otherwise, MA may fall off her bike and hit you.

The little village amongst the hills and surrounding the lake.

Quite the lobby with arches out to the trees and open air

The wc... but notice the full-wall window at the side of the bathtub - showering au naturel!

From the hotel looking down into the village and the lake

Notice that the herbs are stored in bamboo

Today's ride: 60 km (37 miles)
Total: 155 km (96 miles)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	0
Comment on this entry	Comment	0