Batabanó

            Yesterday, our group went on a little exploring tour.  This past week a bunch of professors from the University of Alabama were here and we played host to them so we didn’t get to do a whole lot around town that we haven’t done before.  So in order to make up for that we decided, and by we I mean our professor, that we were just going to drive straight south and see what we found.  Cuba is a very long island but it is not very wide so the trip to the southern coast was only about an hour ride.

            We ended up in a very tiny fishing village that was just barely big enough to be a dot on the map.  It was called Batabanó and was at most 10 blocks square.  This was definitely not a tourist spot and it was really nice not having to see all the same shops trying to sell you souvenirs.  Our adventure took off when we pulled up to the coast and we just started walking.  This was not a developed beach, with pristine sand or beach chairs set up for you to rent.  Oh no, this was driftwood piled up, mangrove trees growing, hiking through tall grass virgin beach. 

            When we had driven into the town, a man had offered us a whole big spread for lunch and he came with us to show us around to make sure that we didn’t get away.  He led us on a trek through what we jokingly referred to as the “jungle” of Cuba.  We got to see one of the sites where the charcoal makers live while they are burning the wood to make charcoal.  It was really cool, but they have to live for months in a glorified swamp burning mangrove trees so that they can float their finished product down to the coast to try to sell it and make a profit.  They build little shanties while they are out working and fish at night to have something to eat.  There is a natural plateau near this village so lobster, crab, and fish are very common. It is a hard and solitary life that they have to maintain for months on end.  I know I couldn’t do it.

            After we had trekked through the wilderness, our guide took us to his brother’s house where we had our giant spread for lunch waiting.  Oh my gosh, I have never had such a smorgasbord of food in my entire life.  We had the freshest, biggest, most incredible lobster I have ever had with butter and garlic, cooked to perfection.  We had rice and beans, tomatoes and cucumbers; it was legitimately one of the most perfect meals I had ever had.  And we ate it right in our guide’s brother’s kitchen!  They were so welcoming and not afraid at all to have seven loud Americans in to eat.  It was probably one of the top three Saturdays I have had while I’ve been here.