Cuba: Day 2

Urban sketching in Cuba.

Guardalavaca: One of several places that claims to be where Columbus first landed on Cuba in 1492.

But even he was too late to get a sunbed.

Twenty-four hours trapped in an “all-inclusive hotel”... Armed guards patrol the boundaries... to keep the Cubans out, or the tourists in? Pool games: The overexcited compere exhorts the holidaymakers to “Scream for competitor Number Five!” I filled my water jar from the pool, and hid in the shade of the palms.

Guardalavaca harbour, looking south

Further along the beach, we reach the edge of the hotel complex...

Guardalavaca harbour, looking west

Escape! Past the guards, over the bridge, and into real Cuba. A last glance back at the hotel, now on the other side of the water.

Holguín, Parque Calixto García

So hot that even the cyclists need a sunshade.