{"id":5509,"date":"2016-03-24T16:43:31","date_gmt":"2016-03-24T16:43:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/?p=5509"},"modified":"2016-03-24T16:43:31","modified_gmt":"2016-03-24T16:43:31","slug":"pandora-the-rolling-stone-gathering-no-moss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/?p=5509","title":{"rendered":"Pandora, the \u201cRolling Stone\u201d, gathering no moss."},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s Thursday and Pandora is anchored in Cienfuegos Cuba about half way down the southern coast of Cuba. \u00a0Nearby is the Cienfuegos Yacht Club and a throwback to a very different time here in Cuba. \u00a0It’s now used as a high end spot to cater meals for tourists and it’s hopping most every day. \u00a0 \u00a0It’s nice to see the club from Pandora. \u00a0\"OLYMPUSThis\u00a0is the grand view from the street. \u00a0\"\"And, there’s a nice pool and tennis courts on the property. \u00a0\"\"We arrived several days ago and have enjoyed touring this very unique city.\u00a0\u00a0 After a few weeks of cruising in very remote areas, it is good to be back in \u201ccivilization\u201d, although a very different one than Brenda and I are used to.\u00a0 \u00a0Interestingly, we had been told that boats had to use the marinas and could only anchor out, for a modest fee, with permission.\u00a0 However, we are finding that most all boats anchor as the docks are pretty rough and the electricity isn\u2019t particularly good either.\u00a0 And, as we prefer to anchor out this is good news.\u00a0 Besides, as a practical matter, there are not nearly enough slips to accommodate all the visiting yachts so anchoring \u201cpermission\u201d is granted.\u00a0 I think the fee is .25\/ft per day.\u00a0 Happily, the holding here is very good in mud and sand unlike that in Santiago where we dragged a few times.<\/p>\n

And now for something completely different..\u00a0 On Friday Brenda and I will leave Pandora at anchor and head on a bus(or is it the back of a panel truck?) \u00a0for a 3+ hour ride to Havana with some other cruising friends, including Lars from Luna.\u00a0 Lars is the free spirit from Norway that has lived aboard his sloop Luna for the last 14 years or so.\u00a0 We have shared an anchorage with him several times over the last few weeks.\u00a0 I guess that it\u2019s his \u201cfree spirited\u201d influence on Brenda that we plan to attend, believe it of now, the Rolling Stones concert in Havana.<\/p>\n

If you were to have asked me a few months ago what we\u2019d be doing here in Cuba I have to say that going to a Stones concert with perhaps as many as 500,000 of our closest friends and leaving Pandora unattended on the hook here in Cienfuegos, I\u2019d have said that you were nuts.<\/p>\n

In any event, off we go to Havana tomorrow and to really complete the picture, we don\u2019t even know if we have a place to stay or if we will be coming back to Pandora right afterward.\u00a0\u00a0 Don\u2019t blame me, it\u2019s all Brenda\u2019s idea.\u00a0 \u00a0Now, that will keep us up well past \u201ccruiser\u2019s midnight\u201d AKA: 9pm.<\/p>\n

Brenda has been the driver behind seeing the Stones and I\u2019d \u00a0say that this cruising life is really corrupting her as she throws caution to the wind, or is it the influence of that Norwegian scallywag Lars?\u00a0\u00a0 Hmm\u2026<\/p>\n

Well, I guess you will just have stay tuned to learn if we end up sleeping on a park bench or worse, in Havana.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Frankly, I am wondering if we will even be close enough see the concert using our binoculars given the fact that a similar concert in Rio Di Janeiro a few years ago drew over a million people.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Well we missed Woodstock so at least we will be able to tell our boys, Rob and Chris, that we \u201cwent to see the Stones in Havana\u201d even if we never actually \u201csee\u201d them.\u00a0\u00a0 Details to come\u2026<\/p>\n

One thing that\u2019s certain is that our trip to Havana will be good for another post so stay tuned.<\/p>\n

As we were making our way toward Cienfuegos, Chris Parker had told us that a strong cold front would be coming through the day that we were headed here so we planned to time our arrival to happen before the front arrived with adverse winds.<\/p>\n

We left that morning early in very light SE winds to make the last 50 mile run to Cienfuegos and Chris predicted that the wind would shift against us around sunset, about the time that we expected to arrive here.\u00a0 Oops.\u00a0 That\u2019s not what happened.\u00a0 A squall line came through about noon when we still had about 35 miles to go and brought with it adverse winds, nearly on the nose that gusted to 30kts.\u00a0 It made for a very rough and slow ride motor-sailing into the wind.\u00a0\u00a0 However things got better as the day progressed with the wind shifting enough to allow us to motor-sail on a close reach so our speed over the bottom went from about 4kts to over 8kts at the end and we arrived before it got dark.\u00a0 It was a very long and unpleasant day for Brenda but she was a good sport.<\/p>\n

Cienfuegos, like Santiago de Cuba, is a very large harbor, about 50 square miles and very well protected behind an impossibly narrow deep entrance guarded by a fort.\u00a0And just in case we might have forgotten that we were still in Cuba, were greeted by this inspiring message as we entered the harbor.\u00a0\u00a0\"\" Images of Fidel, Raoul and Che are everywhere.\u00a0 Interestingly, the images of Fidel displayed make him look like the kindly grandfather now and not the fire-breathing revolutionary of the past.<\/p>\n

The day after our arrival we enjoyed a nice, if overpriced lunch at a government run restaurant in a magnificent \u201cMoroccan\u201d style mansion.\u00a0 What an amazing building and in near perfect condition.\"\"The interior was totally over the top.\u00a0 \"3-23-16a \"3-23-16aOur son Rob loves remodeling so perhaps he can take a cue from this and do some carvings in his dining room.\u00a0\u00a0 How about it Rob?\u00a0 How would this look with Kandice\u2019s Home Goods d\u00e9cor?<\/p>\n

There is a rooftop bar with an amazing view.\u00a0 Perhaps Brenda and I will go there tonight to watch the sunset.\u00a0 There\u2019s quite a view from the bar.\u00a0 \"OLYMPUSI wonder how we\u2019ll do coming down the spiral staircase after a few mojitos?<\/p>\n

Even though this is a major city, clogged with cars, trucks and motorcycles spewing exhaust as they zoom by, it also boasts a healthy population of pedal cabs and horse drawn carts. The contrast of the old and (sort of) new is amazing and yet It seems to fit here.\u00a0 And with everyone employed by the State, there are plenty of workers to keep the streets clean and bushes neatly trimmed.\u00a0 While in many ways things are run down but they are very neat and tidy way that only \u201cfull employment\u201d would allow.<\/p>\n

Unlike Santiago de Cuba, with perhaps less than ten visiting boats in the harbor, Cienfuegos has dozens of boats at anchor and there are even four boats here from the U.S. the first cruisers that we have seen from The States, since clearing into Cuba in early March.<\/p>\n

Yesterday, I decided that we needed some bread so I set off early to find a bakery.\u00a0\u00a0 As the only bakery nearby was in downtown Cienfuegos, a 30 minute walk, I opted to take a \u201cPeso bus\u201d with the locals.\u00a0\u00a0 As I have mentioned, there are two types of cash here, the CUC \u201ccook\u201d that trade at about $.85 U.S. and the \u201cLocal Peso\u201d that trade at 25 to one CUC.\u00a0 Anyway, the bus, used by Cubans, costs one Peso, about\u00a0 five cents.\u00a0\u00a0 As you can imagine, these busses are very popular and wow, was it packed with morning commuters.\u00a0\u00a0 Forget about finding a seat. It was standing room only, at best.<\/p>\n

After asking several locals, Spanish\/English phrase book in hand, I found the bakery.\u00a0 There was a long line outside of locals waiting to purchase bread and after about a half hour in line, the bread came out of the oven and in we all went to make our purchases.\u00a0 Most shops in Cuba do not provide any sort of shopping bag so you have to bring your own.\u00a0 Often, there is someone standing outside the shop selling plastic bags for one \u201clocal\u201d Peso.\u00a0 My purchase, two foot long loaves of bread, 8 local pesos each, less than a dollar total.<\/p>\n

Any sort of \u201cnecessity\u201d for the locals is heavily subsidized and very cheap. \u00a0However, that\u2019s not the case with fuel that is sold for a set rate of $1 CUC\/liter, about $5 a gallon.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s always interesting to see lines form outside of shops waiting to make their purchases when they find that something they need will soon be for sale.\u00a0\u00a0 There are no fully stocked stores so any shopping trip is more like a scavenger hunt to many shops, looking for what you need.\u00a0 As an example, yesterday Brenda and I purchased butter and cheese.\u00a0 The \u201cdeli\u201d counter had only one type of cheese, sold in one kilo chunks, sort of salty mozzarella, and small half pound blocks of butter in a silver wrapper.\u00a0 Oddly, we had to pay for the butter at the checkout and then show the receipt to the person in the deli before he would give it to us.\u00a0\u00a0 No so for the cheese which was weighed, priced and then given to us to pay for at the front register.\u00a0 Needless to say, the process was very confusing for us and caused quite a backup at the register as we tried to understand the procedure.\u00a0\u00a0 I think that it had something to do with butter being rationed however everyone was good natured as we muddled our way through the process.<\/p>\n

In the center of Cienfuegos, is a lovely square surrounded by magnificent buildings and a magnificent theater or opera house.\u00a0 The buildings are in beautiful condition.\"3-23-16a What a ceiling decorated to the max.\u00a0\"3-23-16aSome of the buildings on the square had cafes out front. We stopped and sat for a while in one while listening to a wonderful group of musicians.\u00a0 They performed beautifully.\u00a0 What a treat. \u00a0\u00a0\"3-23-16aLove the spiral stairs in this tower.\"\"\"OLYMPUSWe went into the theater to take a look around.\u00a0 It was built in the 1800s and is in near perfect condition.\u00a0 It was a throwback to an earlier time of great wealth in Cuba.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0We learned that there is a play being put on in the theater on Sunday so if we aren\u2019t totally \u201cconcerted out\u201d by then, perhaps we\u2019ll give it a try.<\/p>\n

When we return home to CT I hope to give a talk at the Essex Yacht Club and couldn\u2019t resist getting a shot of myself holding the club colors.\u00a0 I\u2019ll bet it\u2019s been a long time since the EYC colors have been flown in Cuba and this shot \u201cproves it\u201d, I guess.\"\"Of course, there was a great selection of beautifully maintained classic taxis to feast your eyes on here like everywhere in Cuba.\u00a0 \"OLYMPUS \"3-23-16aHow about this old Ford? \u00a0As is often the case, not all together original. \u00a0Love the roof racks. \"\"\u00a0It must take an amazing amount of dedication to keep them looking like this after decades of hard daily work.\u00a0 Of course, many don\u2019t look like this at all but many re just amazing.<\/p>\n

In any event, with the Stones concert in Havana on Friday, our pending bus trip and who knows what else that may lie ahead as we make our way through Cuba I guess it\u2019s safe to say that \u201cRolling Stones gather no moss\u201d is a phrase that certainly applies to Pandora and her crew this winter.<\/p>\n

Perhaps even more amazing, Brenda, the \u201cvagabond\u201d and risk taker?\u00a0 Who knew?\u00a0 I guess more contact with wayward sailors like Lars will fully corrupt her.\u00a0 Before you know it, she\u2019ll be puffing away on a cigar and having shots of Cuban rum.\u00a0 Now, that\u2019s an image…<\/p>\n

And speaking of the \u201cfor the moment, free spirit\u201d Brenda, you should check out her blog at www.argoknot.com<\/a> to see if I speak the truth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s Thursday and Pandora is anchored in Cienfuegos Cuba about half way down the southern coast of Cuba. \u00a0Nearby is the Cienfuegos Yacht Club and a throwback to a very different time here in Cuba. \u00a0It’s now used as a high end spot to cater meals for tourists and it’s hopping most every day. \u00a0 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","_s2mail":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5509","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5509","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5509"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5509\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5529,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5509\/revisions\/5529"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5509"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5509"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5509"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}