cuba tales V - jeep safari

Pics can be viewed in my online gallery - Cuba Jeep Safari

We went on one day excursion during our week in Cuba - the Jeep Safari - and was it ever a great choice! We definitely got more out of it than what we paid for it, and I highly recommend this excursion if you visit Cuba!

The day started at 8am when our bus picked us up at the resort. We then headed into Varadero, stopping at several other resorts along the way to pick up others who were also going on the tour. Once in Varadero our bus dropped us off at the car rental place where the jeeps were waiting. They were little Suzuki convertible jeeps, 5-speed stick shift - my favorite!

There were four of us to a jeep. Jon and I ended up riding with a woman and her son, from London, Ontario. They were nice enough - though after a day of their chatter we breathed a bit of a sigh of relief when we finally said goodbye. Neither of them wanted to drive, so Jon and I shared that task for the day. Ahh, it was nice to drive a stick shift again! I've missed it!

Once we were in our jeeps and ready to go, our tour guide led the way, and we all followed, creating a little jeep caravan. We drove out through the backroads around Varadero - likely to avoid the toll road - and they were really backroads! Potholes galore. Little twists and turns. They led out through the countryside, through some teeny tiny villages and farmland. As we drove through the villages or by houses, the kids would often come running out to wave at us.

After a while of driving through these backroads we arrived at our first stop - snorkling! We had to wait a few minutes for the previous group to clear out, then we spent about an hour or so snorkling out along the reefs. It was absolutely beautiful! The variety and colors of fish were incredible. It was my first time snorkling, so it took some getting used to. I've never been terribly comfortable swimming, but the salt water makes it much easier. I was able to relax a bit and really enjoy it. And it's definitely something I want to do more of and get used to!

The only "bad" part about that stop was the local - a few young fellows - that crowded around when we arrived and when we went to leave, trying to sell us conch shells and starfish. Jon said it was the worst he's ever seen in Cuba, and I can believe it! They were annoying, and didn't take "no" for an answer!

After snorkling it was back to the jeeps and a drive down a paved highway to the next stop - a cave. And not just a cave, but a cave we could go swimming in! I expected it to be too cold, but it wasn't bad once we got in, and it was kinda neat to swim around in there a bit.

Our next stop was a farm way out in the countryside. It was quite a drive to get out there. And the roads were once again amazingly rough. The people who owned the farm fed us fresh coconut, sugar cane, bananas and other fruit, and opened up their house to let us walk through and see it. The way they live is incredibly simple - standards that we in North America just wouldn't put up with! They have very very few possessions, shutters but no windows, two beds for a family of 10, and the list goes on! This stop was a huge eye-opener.

Our next stop was after another hour of driving or so, when we stopped at a ranch for lunch. It was a typical Cuban meal, and it was delicious! They had horses at the farm, as well as paddle boats to go out on the artificial lake. We took a boat out for a few minutes, but the horses were so in demand that we decided not to bother with a horseback ride. We had about an hour at this stop, time to eat and relax for a bit. Then we were off again to our last stop of the day - a boat ride.

It was a river boat. They had drinks and lobster available to purchase on the ride. The ride itself was probably 30-45 minutes, and was a very nice time. The river was beautiful. A nice relaxing event after the long day!

After the boat ride it was back to return the jeeps - another 45 minute drive or so. It was dark by the time we finally got there, and everyone was dusty and ready to get cleaned up and rest. By the time the bus dropped us off back at our resort it was about 6:30pm. A long day, but well worth it!

Pics can be viewed in my online gallery - Cuba Jeep Safari