Soggy Moose Travels : INDIANA JONES MOUNTAIN JOURNEY

12/12 Trinidad

Our Photo Specialist was Jeff and here is his CV:

Jeff Litton

Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor

Jeff is an environmental filmmaker and adventure cinematographer. His passion for adventure has led him through rural Kenyan villages, atop erupting Guatemalan volcanoes and to the enchanted Galápagos Islands to film Hammerhead Sharks. Being an expedition filmmaker enables Jeff to combine his love for capturing beauty with his drive to protect the environment. In the words of Jacques Cousteau, “people protect what they love.” Inspired, Jeff created UGENA.org, the United Global Environmental News Agency, an online resource to inspire people to care about the environment.

Born and raised in California, he has worked for the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary filming sharks and unique fish. His current work leads him around the world on a campaign to save sharks from extinction by prohibiting the consumption and sale of Shark Fin Soup. His film projects can also be found on Google Earth. In 2008 he graduated magna cum laude from the Brooks Institute of Photography where he specialized in underwater cinematography and adventure travel filmmaking.

He received his Photo Instructor certification in a multi-day training workshop. Developed and taught by National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions photographers, the workshop helped him develop additional insight and skills necessary to help you better understand your camera and the basics of composition — to better capture the moments at the heart of your expedition.

We arrived in Trinidad after sailing overnight from Cienfuegos. Actually we arrived in the Port of Casilda. We had chosen to do a nature hike in the mountains and there were only 4 others who decided on this option. So after breakfast our boat was boarded by health officials who took our temperature before we were allowed to leave the boat.

The Port of Casilda was an important stop for Conquistador Hernan Cortez and later as a port where much of Cuba’s Sugar was exported. Today the port is a gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Trinidad.

We soon boarded a bus which took us to Topes de Collanntes in Sierra del Escambray park headquarters. This was a windy steep road and at times we were not sure if the Chinese bus would make it. At times we had to turn off the Air Conditioning so the bus would have more horse power. Here we transferred to old Soviet era military trucks for a 7K journey into the park. This was a bumpy ride, very much like Indiana Jones Ride at Disneyland. Here we visited Codina, a farm house with restaurant and enjoyed their nature trail, seeing lots of birds and nice scenery. Highlights were woodpeckers, and the Cuban Trogon. The countryside is rough and rugged yet the mountain area is cooler and less humid compared to the valley floor.

As we came near to the end of our hike we entered an area with steep limestone cliffs with a small stream running in the valley floor. I could start to smell a wood fire and soon saw smoke from a camp fire. As we came around the corned there was a man turning a spit with a whole hog roasting away. This was our lunch, yes it was that good.

After lunch we boarded the trucks and returned to the park headquarters, boarded the bus and made our way back to Trinidad.

Our local guide is named Anya and she was very informative about the daily life in Cuba. She did an excellent job in explaining the Rations books the people receive to get their monthly food. For example a person receives 7.5 pounds of rice per month. They take their ration book to the store and receive their allotment as they desire and the book is signed off indicating what they have received. The book is good for the year and the whole family. Members are added and deleted as life progresses. Should they run out of rice before the end of the month they can buy additional at a subsidized rate. Interestingly, a baby receives the same ration as an adult.

We arrived in Trinidad and made our way to the city center. The Architecture of Trinidad is amazing,original cobblestone streets, where the stones came from the Boston, Mass area, the vibrant colors of the buildings all indicate a deathly day gone by. Here we visited a wood carver who takes the old cedar window shutters and carves portraits of local people. He has visited the US and sold some of his work there. Here we also enjoyed a local drink called Canchanchara a mix of rum, lime and honey with ice or water, served in a chilled terra-cotta cup. We had a little time to walk about before getting our bus back to the port.

We had to depart the port by 1700 as there is a local regulation of no entering or leaving harbor traffic during nighttime hours. Back onboard we recapped the journeys events, from history to archeology, to photography.

Tomorrow I will cover the Special Period and further explain this time in the history of Cuba.

We will have a day at Sea to catchup on things.