We set a record (for us) in the planning of this trip.
This story began over two and a half years ago. You see, shortly after Obama normalized relations at the end of 2014, the Aggressor Fleet opened up a boat in the beautiful Jardines de la Reina (Gardens of the Queen), which is rumored to be what the rest of the Caribbean looked like decades ago before fishing, agriculture, and careless divers damaged the reefs. Within days, the boats through 2016 were sold out. So Lori's brother Steven reserved an entire boat in November of 2017 since we would be safe from hurricanes and the water would still be warm. Remember, this was early 2015.
Just a week before we were to leave, Trump rescinded Obama's policy. Fortunately, our trip was grandfathered, and we were on a People-to-People program, and the flights weren't entirely canceled (although many flights were canceled so we had some rebooking to do), so we were OK. But the uncertainty caused several in our group to back out, which meant we had to hustle to replace them.
After enjoying the captions below, you can view larger versions of the photos by clicking on them. You can see even larger versions of the photos by viewing them in Google Photos. Use the menu to start a slideshow, or select a photo and press the Info button to view captions and maps. Download the GPX or even KML tracks to fly through our travels with Google Earth.
Here is a video I made of the week.
If you want to see more fish, please see Bonnie's video.
In October, I had purchased a new camera and housing and wanted to get familiar with it. I used my brother's pool. And it was cold! Even in my drysuit.
We are not big fans of red-eye flights, so we flew to Charlotte, NC the day before and spent the night. Although we had to get up early, we still got more sleep than we would have had on the plane. A couple of our first views of Cuba are below.
Later, we met friends old and new at the very nice Iberostar Parque Central hotel and then walked to our first restaurant, the Ivan Chef Justo. Afterward, we looked for music and found a barker who led us down an alley, into an unmarked door, and up several flights of narrow stairs. We had time to get a little nervous since this was our first day in the country. However, he opened a door into a cute little bar with live music and plenty of mojitos. I think this was on Empedrado near the corner of Compostela.
First glimpse of the Cuban shoreline |
The very agricultural Cuban landscape near the airport |
Our room in the Iberostar Parque Central hotel |
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We had a bus tour of Havana today. We saw the sights and did some shopping (especially rum and cigars as the new import rules are simply $800 worth).
It is said that the three greatest accomplishments of Fidel's revolution are education, healthcare, while the three greatest failures of Fidel's revolution are breakfast, lunch, and dinner. However, many private restaurants are making a name for themselves. We ate well. Today we had lunch at Atelier and dinner at Le Chansonnier. The food at both was tasty and filling and the service was friendly and prompt.
Detail at the Castillo de San Carlos de la Cabana |
Rum, cigars, and a world record inside |
The longest cigar ever, plus cigars and rum available for purchase, which we did |
El Cristo de la Habana |
The Malecon and city, including the American embassy at the far right, from the Castillo |
Old Havana |
Why did the feral dogs cross the street? |
The Hotel Nacional de Cuba |
Lori in front of the Jose Marti memorial |
Communist-esque architecture for the Ministerio del Interior with a large image of Che Guevara |
A photograph of ants in the shape of Cuba |
Our guide Bianca and Dale try on hats at a local crafts market |
You rang??? |
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The Plaza Vieja, where we enjoyed a coffee |
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The Basilica San Francisco de Asis |
Art in front of the Terminal Sierra Maestra near the basilica |
The Lonja del Comercio |
The Iglesia de Paula in front of the shopping center |
The Plaza de Armas |
Keith makes a friend on the (quiet) wooden bricks in front of the Museo de la Ciudad |
La Giraldilla, whose tower detail is on the Havana Club rum bottles |
La Catedral de la Virgen Maria |
La Bodeguita del Medio, the birthplace of the mojito |
The Gran Teatro de la Habana, with the capitol building behind, from our hotel roof |
Enjoying rum and music on our rooftop bar |
We settled into a 6-hour long bus ride to the boat docked at Jucaro today. I expected a two-lane road the entire way. To be sure, there were two-lane roads, but the main thoroughfares through the island were an impressive three lanes in each direction. However, often the road was effectively one lane as the bus weaved back and forth to avoid the potholes. As cars are expensive, there wasn't much traffic. Indeed, it seemed there more more horses on the road than cars.
Eventually, we made it to the dock and were shown our cabins. We then had a four-hour passage to the Jardines de la Reines. We spent the time lingering over a delicious lunch with our first of many mojitos on board and the local beer.
The bus weaves down Cuba's three-lane freeways to avoid potholes and oncoming horse-drawn buggies |
A common scene on our drive to Jucaro |
The crew of the Cuba Aggressor |
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Our cabin |
Nice AC and head |
First dive day. Each dive began with a briefing. The dive master drew a map highlighting the dive profile and what we might see. Unlike other Aggressor boats, the dive master didn't say, "Pool's open!" Here we had to board the tender and then stay with the guides due to the rules within the park.
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Gustavo gives the dive briefing while Sarah and Paul look on |
Reef sharks keep us company |
Carcharhinus perezii |
Giant anemone |
Lettuce sea slug |
Plume, fan, and whip corals, oh my! |
Fan coral |
Creole wrasse |
Schoolmaster |
White grunt |
Elkhorn coral |
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Sarah, Eric, Bonnie, and Paul around the camera table and ready to dive |
Coral lines the walls |
The remains of a wreck |
Pederson shrimp and and arrow crab |
Nassau grouper |
Pillar coral |
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Lori checks out the black grouper |
Channel clinging crab |
Lori is sucked into a giant barrel sponge |
French grunt |
Giant hermit crab |
Paul and the black grouper meditate together |
Here kitty, kitty, kitty! |
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Fan coral |
Tube sponge |
Arrow crab |
Flamingo tongue |
Basket star |
Caribbean reef octopus |
Sculptured slipper lobster |
Caribbean spiny lobster |
Batwing coral crab |
Our encounter with the sea wasp |
We received occasional talks from Tony, the owner of the non-profit Oceans for Youth Foundation about the conservation efforts of Cuba, including protecting the fish and reefs through parks such as the Jardines de la Reina. As a part of this program, we participated in a fish count. Having participated with the Reef Check, a rough count of a single species was pretty easy, but it still helps to track how the undersea creatures are faring in the park.
Tony gives briefs us on the Jardines de la Reina |
Our educational contribution: perform fish counts (Lori's fish was a barracuda, and mine was the dog snapper) |
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The saloon |
Some time before we were due to come to Cuba, we learned that one of the experiences was to snorkel with a salt water crocodile. My first reaction was that I wouldn't get anywhere near the reptile, having spent some time in Australia and hearing stories about the salties taking dogs and small children.
And then I read this article in DAN's Alert Diver magazine. Maybe...
After our first dive each morning, our towels assumed varied shapes |
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Yellowtail snapper |
Black grouper |
Paul hovers above a giant barrel sponge |
Lori snorkels with a crocodile--say what? |
El Nino smiles for the photo |
The crocodiles scales up close |
Lori happy that it isn't her arm that El Nino is eating |
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Blue striped grunt |
Paul checks out one of the many sea fans |
Colorful giant barrel sponge and sea plumes |
Grey angel fish |
Spotfin burrfish |
Beaded crinoid |
Southern stingray |
Bonnie videos the majestic pillar corrals |
A blue tang hides within the pillar coral |
Cuban hutia |
Cuban rock iguana |
Lori feeds a hutia |
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Sarah enjoys the dive |
Lots of sea fans |
Longspine squirrelfish |
Star coral? |
Green moray |
Lori enjoys the plume corals and sea whips |
A blue tang and Nassau grouper share company |
Black triggerfish |
Lori and Bonnie cruise along the coral-covered wall |
Chain moray |
The crew hangs out by the hot tub between dives |
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This boat was decidedly cheaper, but the rooms smelled damp |
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Brain coral |
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Star coral? |
Southern stingray tries hard not to be seen |
Do you know what this is? |
Giant barrel sponge adorns the wall |
Rod coral, or coral bleaching? |
Gorgonia ventalina |
A beautiful sea whip |
Clinging channel crab |
A bad photo of a cool-looking hogfish |
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Lori and Yoel salsa! |
Yoel shows Bonnie a few moves |
Line dancing, Cuban style |
Sarah and Paul |
Andy and Chris--well--you know |
Jerry and Renee |
Carla |
Paul, Sarah, and Bonnie |
Deb and Lori |
Lance, Steven, and Eric |
But Ama said I could be back here! |
Lori and Shari help Deb process her photos |
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Dog snapper, the fish I was given to count |
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Do you know what this is? |
Christmas tree worm |
Trumpetfish |
Goliath grouper |
Long-spined sea urchin |
Sun anemone shrimp and Pederson cleaner shrimp |
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Foureye butterflyfish |
Tiger grouper |
Spotted moray |
If you like diving with lots of sharks up close, this location is for you.
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Lori emerges from a swim-through |
Green moray |
Silky shark |
Carcharhinus falciformis |
Silky shark |
Carcharhinus falciformis |
Silky shark |
Carcharhinus falciformis |
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A basket star folds itself up and hides deep within a
giant barrel sponge by day |
Bar jack |
Reef shark cruises just underneath |
Lori watches the reef shark glide by |
A really bad photo of a beautiful indigo hamlet |
Longspine squirrelfish |
Steven and Lori pose while the others perform acrobatics |
Paul hangs with his pack |
Carcharhinus falciformis |
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I sat out this dive, and shot the two tenders moored over the dive spots |
A quiet dive deck |
Tender #1 returns |
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Lori at our station, while Ama and Yoel prepare the Hot Towels |
Tender #2 |
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Social feather duster |
This remora followed us this entire dive |
Arrow blenny |
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It's the last day. We only do a couple of dives before heading to the airport the next day to avoid getting the bends on the plane. I have a tradition to "dive naked" the last day. It's fun, and gives my wetsuit an extra day to dry out. I took a break and left my camera on board as well, so there aren't any pictures below deck. Here are the maps though.
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Our dives covered the region between the words Silky and Caribbean |
I dove "naked" and without my camera this last day |
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Normally, the boat pulls into port on the last night, and we're on our own for dinner. Since there isn't anything going on in Jucaro, the boat serves us another fine dinner after one of the finer cocktail parties.
Note the wake-up call |
Sarah, Eric, and Andy enjoy the cocktail party |
Eric, George, Sarah, Joel, and Gustavo |
Ama, Yoel, Yuri |
Bonnie and Paul |
Lori and Denise |
Chris and Andy |
Dale and Lance |
Steven, Paul, and Jerry |
Denise |
Carla and Monica are sorry that the week is over, while Renee and John reminisce |
Lori, Denise, Chris, and Andy enjoy their mojitos |
Keith takes three to go |
A ton of Iron Divers this week |
Bill, Lori, Denise, Lance, and Steven enjoy their last supper |
Over time, Denise becomes hypnotized by Steven's hand movements |
If you remember from the board the previous day, we got up at 3 and hit the road at 4. We got back to Havana around lunchtime, and had a splendid lunch before heading back to the airport. All seemed to be going well until we landed in Houston. Lori, Deb, and Shari breezed through customs, but the officer I was stuck with grilled me for 10 minutes. It wasn't pleasant. I was wondering if I wasn't going to be entering my country today. He was obviously a Trump fan-boy who agreed that the Cubans should be punished and so should any American who wants to help them. Having spent a week in Cuba, I strongly disagree.
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Copyright © 2017 Bill Wohler Last modified: Tue Dec 26 15:48:15 PST 2017 About photos |
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