Santa Ifigenia Cemetery
Today was very hot and already 35C at 9 am when we made our first visit of the day to Santa Ifigenia Cemetery in Santiago de Cuba, the resting place of José Martí, a poet, philosopher, publisher, professor, political activist and anything else starting with ‘p’. He was an all-around smart guy, an important figure in the war of independence from Spain back in the day; he fought in the war and died in battle in 1895. Martí is often referred to as the “Apostle of Cuban Independence”.
Three soldiers permanently guard the entrance to his mausoleum and there’s a ‘Changing of the Guard’ every 30 minutes. Along with José Martí and many of Cuba’s influential and elite are resting here, including members of the famous Bacardi Rum family. Booze and politics are never far away in Cuba.
I don’t know if I’ve ever seen such a beautifully maintained cemetery, and it’s vast. The sparkling white marble headstones, statues and mausoleums in manicured gardens and lawns. It looks like the dead Cubans are taken better care of than those still drawing breath.
Moncada Barracks
Back on the minibus; the Moncada Barracks Museo de Historia 26 de Julio followed. Apart from having an impossibly long name, the museum is significant in that it was here that Fidel Castro launched his first, and failed assault which marked the beginning of the revolution in Cuba, and serves as a perfect example of how to end up in the first place we visited today.
With civic and cultural duties now checked off, we had free time for the rest of the day. It was time to stroll around Santiago de Cuba.