Day 7: Last day in Cuba and not the least…(Guanabo to Varadero via Matanzas)

It's the last day in Cuba, I have to get up early to cover the 100 km that separate me from the airport. I leave at 6:09 in the morning before sunrise. The central park of Guanabo is deserted.

The first light of day finally appears several minutes after I leave.

Here you can admire the beauty and ugliness that come together every morning when this chimney of an oil-fired power plant spews out the clouds that pollute the Cuban atmosphere. Oil is far from being able to disappear on this island.

This is the car of two fishermen.

This is the factory that produces electricity using oil. The one that danced with the sun several kilometers ago.

The scenery is very beautiful this morning.

I meet a Cuban cycling guide who is going to meet some tourists staying in an all-inclusive resort. I had the chance to ride several kilometers with this very fit fifty-year-old!

I can also observe the dilapidated state of the public transport system. The yellow truck is what is nicknamed here the "Wawa", that is to say the bus that allows to cross short distances between the small Cuban villages.

I'm getting closer and closer to my goal for the day, which is 20 km more than Matanzas!

The wind is in my face, it's getting harder than this morning... I decide to part with some things to give to those who need them most. I spot a small village on the side of the road and I drop off almost all the clothes I own there.

Link to use Fast Calendar

After a while, I told a lady that it was to give and share with the families around. A few seconds later all these things had been taken by three women. There was only one thing left that was floating in the wind and it made me laugh! My Fast123 sweater was still hanging on this improvised kiosk!!!

After driving 50 kilometers, I had some time in front of me because my flight is only at 9pm. I then decide to go see a Cuban Campismo, it is a kind of special campsite for Cubans only. There are modest dwellings like this:

Before arriving at this special place I took an impossible path!!! I like to put myself in perilous situations. The road was so narrow that I was attacked by prickly vegetation.

These yellow flowers will haunt me for a few more days, it was like natural barbed wire...

At the end of the path I arrived at the top of a cliff with a magnificent view of the ocean. I was alone in the world!

I decided to go down this cliff with my bike by a questionable and dangerous staircase!

The view at the foot of the cliff is magnificent.

Here is a little video

I'm really having trouble moving my bike on this hostile rock. I see a path about a hundred meters away! I'm saved! There are oil wells in operation in this area.

Huge oil pipelines disfigure the mountains.

I finally arrive at the path along the seaside.

I take a few minutes to enjoy my second ham sandwich of the day! Luckily I brought three!

I continue my journey on this strange path and I finally arrive at the famous Campismo that I told you about earlier. The swimming pool is not very functional, but surely offers a breathtaking view of the ocean!!!

I continue on my way after seeing this surprising swimming pool and I discover a really very pretty place.

I meet two friendly Cubans who are waiting for the group of tourists they accompanied to finish doing a diving activity.

The scenery is very beautiful here in Puerto Escondido.

I must now say goodbye to these wonderful places because I still have 50 km to go before reaching the airport. I finally arrive at the viewpoint that allows me to observe the highest bridge in Cuba, the Bacunayagua Bridge. The latter culminates at a height of 112 meters above the Yumuri Valley.

The place is crowded with tourists drinking Piña coladas in pineapples. I am lucky enough to be able to taste one for free. This one was lying on a table abandoned by the tourists.

I am now 8 km from Matanzas.

Matanzas is a very beautiful colonial city.

If you ever go to Varadero I highly recommend you to go see Matanzas. This beautiful city is located 40 km from Varadero. I am watching this little girl in a simpler neighborhood. I titled this photo: La vie en rose.

An impressive tree.

Here's another one!

Matanzas is also called Ciudad de los puentes (The City of Bridges). Here is one. You can see it with an ice cream sold at 3 CUP per scoop. So I paid 9 CUP ($0.54) for this wonderful dessert.

I had to take my fork that I had in my bag to enjoy my dessert because the lady at the kiosk does not give a spoon: which is very ecological! People buy cookies for 1 CUP ($0.06) and use them as spoons. I saw several people throw this cookie in the river after eating all the ice cream. Here are the cookies in question:

There were some funny sculptures on the edge of the little river.

Now I have to leave Matanzas to cover the last 21 km before arriving at the airport.

A 22-minute drive but much longer by bike due to the strong wind. My legs are starting to hurt. My old body is starting to get impatient to arrive... I see a beautiful stone representation of Che Guevara.

Last observation of a baseball game.

I'm almost there...

I walked over 100km today!

Here is a short film, I arrive at the airport at dusk... I meet Fernando, a nice Cuban who works in a kiosk outside the airport. He helps me find a box to put my bike in.

I gather my remaining 4 kg of luggage. I go to check in for my flight. The last day was intense: 110 km in 6 hours and 30 minutes. The trip was wonderful, I arrived safe and sound from this journey. A small 310 km during the Christmas holidays. Thank you for following me on this trip. Your comments encourage me to continue writing. What will be my next destination?

David