Santa Clara is thankfully slightly cooler than Trinidad but not much. However, it’s the city indebted to Che Guevara who derailed an armored train, fought Batista’s army which quickly surrendered, and was the battle that triggered Batista to flee the country within 3 days. The city backs to the Sierra del Escambray mountains where Castro’s troops were actively engaged in over throwing the US backed Batista government.
One can’t visit Santa Clara without learning about the life of “El Che”. There is a museum whose collections are photos and memorabilia of Che’s life. Next to the museum, is a mausoleum where Che’s remains were interred following their discovery in 1997 after his death in Bolivia in 1967. Che was an Argentinian physician who became aware of Marxist ideas after graduation and followed a truly idealistic vision of socialism for all. He impressed Castro with his bravery and strategic planning joining Cuban forces in their revolution. He went on to fight for people’s rights in other Latin American countries which is how he died, in Bolivia’s struggles. Nonetheless he remains in the hearts of Cubans and is especially revered in this city.
We also biked to the site of the train derailment (Monumento a la Tomo de Tren Blindado) where the bulldozer and rail cars are arranged as an exhibit of Che’s planning. The next day we hiked to the hill outside of Santa Clara where Che’s forces were positioned for battling Batista’s soldiers. It offered a great viewpoint of the city below.
Riding and walking provides slices of Cuban life one wouldn’t see on a tour bus. We passed literally homes where people have small tables set near the door. We see mini-hardware stores with PVC pipe or metal parts. There are shops offering bicycle repair, manicures, clothing, shoe shines and much more. The most unique was the umbrella repair man who had stacks of umbrella skeletons just inside his home. While it doesn’t rain here very much now, people use umbrellas to shield them from the sun. Unheard of in Seattle!
Going With the Flow 