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 cross the 100 km that separate me from the airport. I leave at 6:09 am before sunrise. Guanabo's central park is deserted. The first light of day finally appears several minutes after my departure. You can admire here the beauty and the ugliness that come together every morning when this chimney of a power plant running on oil spits the clouds polluting the Cuban atmosphere. Oil is far from being able to disappear on this island. Here is the car of two fishermen. Here is the factory that produces electricity using oil. The one who danced with the sun several kilometers ago. The landscapes are very beautiful this morning. I meet a Cuban cycling guide who is going to join tourists staying in an all-inclusive. I had the chance to ride several kilometers with this very fit 50-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 you to cross short distances between 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 deposit almost all the clothes I have there. Link to use Fast Calendar After some time, I tell a lady that it's for giving and sharing with families around. A few seconds later all these things had been taken by three women. There was only one thing left floating in the wind and it gave me a good laugh! My Fast123 sweater was stuck on this improvised kiosk!!! After driving 50 kilometers, I had a little time in front of me because my flight is only at 9 p.m. I then decide to go see a Cuban Campismo, it's a special kind of 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 the prickly vegetation. Those yellow flowers will haunt me for a few more days, it was like natural barbed wire... At the end of the road I ended up at the top of a cliff with a magnificent view of the ocean. I was alone in the world! I decided to descend this cliff with my bike by a dubious and dangerous staircase! The view at the foot of the cliff is magnificent. Here is a short video I really have a hard time moving my bike on this hostile rock. I see a path a hundred meters away! I am saved! There are oil wells in operation in this region. Immense oil pipelines disfigure the mountains. I finally arrive at the path on the edge of the sea. I take a few minutes to enjoy my second ham sandwich of the day! Luckily I had brought three! I continue my journey on this strange path and I finally arrive at the famous Campismo which I was telling 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 having seen 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 landscapes are very beautiful here in Puerto Escondido. I must now say goodbye to these wonderful places because I still have 50 km to go before arriving at the airport. I finally arrive at the viewpoint which 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 who drink Piña coladas in pineapples. I am lucky to be able to taste one for free. This one was lying on a table abandoned by tourists. I am now at 8 km from Matanzas. Matanzas is a very beautiful colonial city. If you go to Varadero one day, I strongly advise you to go see Matanzas. This magnificent city is located 40 km from Varadero. I observe this little girl in the simpler quarters. 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 taste 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've seen several people throw this cookie into the river after eating all the ice cream. Here are the cookies in question: There were funny sculptures on the edge of the small river. I must now leave Matanzas to cover the last 21 km before arriving at the airport. A journey lasting 22 minutes by car but which is much longer by bicycle due to the strong wind. I'm starting to have pain in my legs. My old body is beginning to be anxious to arrive... I see a beautiful representation of Che Guevara in stone. Last sighting of a baseball game. I'm almost there... I covered more than 100 km 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 4 kg of remaining luggage. I'm going 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 trip. A small 310 km during the Christmas holidays. Thank you for following me on this journey. Your comments encourage me to continue writing. Where will my next destination be?

David