Loma de la Cruz

I was pleased that there was an EGREM shop in Holguin. I had accepted that there might not be one when I did not buy CDs in Havana, to travel lighter. However many of the artists or recordings that I sought were not available, and those on sale were a bit unfamiliar. I picked out a handful of CDs and another two from Artex nearby. But the cigar shop we had visited on the first pass was closed due to the freeze. Apparently the freeze was in response to recent US belligerence. Maybe the shop at the airport might be open. Worst come to the worst perhaps I could get some in Schiphol airport. Wow, I thought Cuba was getting boring and this happens.

The other shops in the plaza had queues of Cubans outside, waiting to stock up. I got a bottle of rum from the counter at Rumbos. I carried the booty back to the casa, then walked to the foot of the hill to await the Swedes. They were quite late. Apparently they had overslept, they had no alarm clock, and the landlady didn't rouse them.


The steps up Loma de la Cruz were unergonomic so the climb was tiring but there was a good view of Holguin's surrounds from the top. There a church at the summit, as the name suggests, with residues (candle wax, devotional objects, etc) left by visitors. In a small cavern was an art gallery run by a local artist.


The Swedes couldn't change their tickets so they were committed to leaving for Santiago de Cuba the next day. They paid for their lunch with a whole mess of coins. They complained about running out of money, yet they seemed nonchalant handling it. I hoped that they would be more sensible with money for the rest of their holiday. I gave them my contact details, we parted at the natural history museum then I went back for a siesta. In the evening I had a good final dinner in Cuba at Restaurant 1720. I could shop for the rest of the souvenirs the next day as the flight was for late afternoon.