Birding in Cuba - November, 2023 - Part 6

 25 November, 2023

Playa Larga - Cienfuegos - Trinidad

     We said our goodbyes to our hosts in Playa Larga and boarded the bus to drive to Cienfuegos. I was very happy that Jose, Jr had arrived overnight and that I was able to see him and congratulate him on his charming wife and offer my best wishes for a long and happy marriage. 

     Cienfuegos is a beautiful, well-preserved old city, redolent with colonial charm, evoking both nostalgia and wonder. We went for a walk and took advantage of a washroom stop. Cubans do have unique way of identifying the facilities for each gender, leaving no doubt as to who should go where.

     The most important theatre in all of Cuba finds its home in Cienfuegos and it has hosted major international performers in a variety of genres over the years.

     Monuments and old buildings abound. History is on every corner.

     The city square invites socialization.

     It was the seventh anniversary of the death of Fidel, and many commemorations were taking place, including this wreath laying.

     As we were leaving Cienfuegos, Tania ordered Jovany to stop the bus. She had seen an old man, walking with the assistance of what looked to me like a hybrid cane/crutch, and he was obviously in difficulty, and in pain. She took the arm of this man and very slowly walked with him into a small park where she was able to get him seated. She returned to the bus, got water for him and an analgesic of some kind. She made sure he was as comfortable as could be expected under the circumstances, hugged him and returned to the bus, by now suffering emotional distress herself.

     I wanted to get off and take a picture to record this act of decency and humanity, and was only inhibited by the feeling that it would be crass in the extreme, good intentions aside.

     I feel that this act of kindness, of human solicitude and caring, should be noted, however, and to illustrate for you the gentle, compassionate Tania I have come to know and love. There are lessons for all of us in her conduct.

     It was not far to the Cienfuegos Botanical Garden where we would both look for birds and receive an educational tour of some of the trees. 

     One of my target birds in Cuba, one of the few endemics that has evaded me is Gundlach's Hawk (Accipiter gundlachi) and it is sometimes seen flying over the Botanical Gardens, had been seen several times in recent days, in fact. The word obviously got out, however - David is here, for not a single bird had the decency to show up, despite that I had travelled all the way from Canada to make its acquaintance. Maybe next time......

     A Common Ground Dove (Columbina passerina) with its lovely scaly breast didn't quite make up for it.

     It would have been like searching for Raquel Welch and coming up with Phyllis Diller!

     There were other birds, however, and a Prairie Warbler (Setophaga discolor) is never to be treated with anything but respect and admiration; in Ontario it is a whoop and holler bird!

     Each time I have visited the garden the same guide has accompanied us, Roger Hecheverria Galvez, a sterling fellow and a knowledgeable biologist.

     I am not sure what Trevor had found that was so interesting but it obviously pleased him greatly.

     A Loggerhead Kingbird (Tyrannus caudifasciatus) was a pretty common bird and had passed the stage where it evoked a huge reaction, but time and distance are everything. If only I could see one now!

     The bird that never failed to generate excitement was Cuban Tody (Todus multicolor), surely one of the most beautiful little birds in all the world.

      The flower of the Cannonball Tree (Couroupita guianensis) is spectacular, the fruit no less striking.

     I was quite excited to discover a flat-backed millipede in the subfamily Paradoxosomatinae, my first ever of these distinctive and interesting arthropods.

     The Brazil Nut (Bertholletia excelsa) familiar to us all (and totally delicious and nutritious) grows inside this nutshell, which can weigh up to 2 kg, so better not be under a tree when they start to fall.

     Many trees were hosts to Air Plants (genus Tillandsia). 

      These epiphytes obtain nourishment and water from the air, not needing soil at all.

      The gardens ( more of an arboretum really) exude interest at every turn, with much to learn, in addition to the purely sensory delights.

     Some of us even paid attention to our expert guide!

     What a splendid place it is!

     All too soon we had to press on to Trinidad, surely one of the gems in the Cuban crown. It is not for nothing it has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and we would have time to discover some of its charms.

     But first - lunch.

     The restaurant we patronize, El Restaurante San José, has all the ambiance one might hope for, with skilled well-trained staff, and would not be out of place in capitals around the world.

     At first we thought we would have to break up into separate tables (which would have been fine).

     But then they moved the tables together.

     A waiter with an authoritative demeanour supervised it all.

     And fine food followed.

     We had the company of our beautiful Tania.....

     ..... and Jovany, the best driver in all of Cuba.

     Not seeing the Gundlach's Hawk wasn't so bad after all!

     The streets of Trinidad are narrow and cobbled, many impossible for our bus to traverse, so we had the pleasure of walking to our casa.

     Every cobblestone told a story; we wondered what lay behind every door.

     Our luggage was delivered by an old-fashioned form of transportation.

     And our convivial hostess welcomed us.

     Andrew wasted no time clambering up to the terrace on the roof where he took this captivating shot of the courtyard below.

     Here it is at ground level.

     I am sure you will have no difficulty in understanding our pleasure at staying in such a hostelry. Perhaps an air conditioned suite in a swanky hotel, with mini bar and ice bucket, with towels folded like swans, is more to the liking of some, but give me this any time. To just sit and conjure up images of past life when this would have been a grand private residence was an entertaining exercise. No one was more apt to join me in the wonder of it all than Mary Ann.

     In the waning light of early evening we left to walk the streets of Trinidad to go for dinner.

     Once again Tania demonstrated her humanity when she gave this poor soul a little money to help her get by, and most touchingly of all stroked her cheek before leaving her.

     It goes without saying that when Mariana is with us we have our own skilled and knowledgeable guide - and we get to keep her too!

     Do you see a white shirt with a blue pattern on it in the picture below? I bought that shirt and wear it like a true Cuban!

     We were rarely out of earshot of music, with many a combo performing on the street.

     Mariana led the way to the restaurant where we would have dinner.

     The band was already performing.

     The servers were waiting for the patrons to be seated.

     We needed no cajoling to order a drink.

     Mariana sparkled like a gem as she charmed us all.

     After a fine dinner, with Cuban rhythms pulsating in the background, we left to walk the lighted streets to our casa.

      I am sure that there was no one amongst who did not think, "Life is good!" 

Thanks are once again due to Andrew, Brian and Stewart for permission to use their pictures.