(Optionally click on a photo for a large view slide show)
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| We flew from Tampa to Havana, then we were driven in a large modern bus in a counterclockwise loop from Havana to the cities of Viñales, Playa Larga, and Trinidad. |
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| Ten in the group were retired from or were working in the Florida Park Service |
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| Trudy in full travel mode! |
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| Soledad Pagliuca was our excellent tour leader and fearless guide. |
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Fortunately Ernesto Reyes, THE penultimate
professional Cuban bird guide and photographer,
was with us the entire time. His ability to find
and identify birds was a wonder to behold!
We saw 19 of the 25 endemic birds of Cuba.
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Nils Navarro added his expertise, including copies of his recently published
book 'Endemic Birds of Cuba: A Comprehensive Field Guide'
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Dana Bryan and Ernesto looking for the
elusive Cuban Blue-headed Quail Dove ...
and found it!
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The following 5 images of the endemic birds are my favorites.
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The colorful Cuban Trojan is the national
bird of Cuba
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Cuban Green Woodpecker
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Cuban Toby
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West Indian Woodpecker
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Cuban Pigmy Owl
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And saving the best for last ... The Bee Hummingbird, at a length of only 2 to 2.4 inches, is the smallest living bird!!!
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Palms on the Bay of Pigs
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| Giant Ferns grow to a height of 15 feet. |
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And here we have a karst feature, a swimmable
sinkhole, in the Enigma De Las Rocas.
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This is one of the bed and breakfasts that we stayed in. This was
one block away from the Bay of Pigs.
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| Trudy is among the group of swimmers in the distance late one afternoon. |
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The first course of breakfast is shown above, including UNBELIEVABLY
STRONG, EXCELLENT Coffee. Breakfast often included eggs, meat
similar to bologne, and thin pancakes.
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We did not drink the tap water ... so CRYSTAL
BEER was my beverage of choice.
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| AND MOJITOS - here glasses are of mint, for the addition of rum and lime juice, sugar, and soda water. |
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The food was well prepared and healthy. This was grilled fish,
black beans and rice, and a side of fruit.
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| CLASSIC American cars were quite common. |
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Four of us walked a short distance to visit the
ALEXIS TOBACCO FARM..
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We learned about growing, harvesting, and
drying tobacco
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| Alexis demonstrated the art of making a Cuban cigar. |
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| After dipping the tip of the cigar in honey, he lit it and... |
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... We all got to smoke an AUTHENTIC CUBAN
CIGAR! |
