Santa Clara is a busy and bustling town

The center of Santa Clara is a busy and bustling town, unlike the more provincial towns of Cienfuegos and Trinidad, where tourism is more prevalent. Due to the limited time we had, we supporters received a brief tour of the central plaza, where there were attacks from decades ago. With just enough time for a meal, a group of us foodies enjoyed an authentic dining experience in a local eatery. In fact, we were charged the local pricing – $3 for a full meal with beverage!

For the first time, the performers, chaperones and supporters were all staying together in the same resort on the outskirts of Santa Clara at the Hotel Los Caneyes So nice to catch up with our respective performers and to wish them well for the second of three performances.

The concert hall, like the one in Cienfuegos, was elegantly older but better preserved. Our concert was well publicized in the area; commercials were shown on television daily for about a week beforehand. Despite the weekday date and light rain, the concert was well attended by not only locals but also other travelers who happened to be in the area. The acoustics seemed better. The inside climate somewhat more comfortable and the kids played very well this night to great applause.

As the performers and chaperones went on to their own route, we supporters continued with an important visit to the Che Guevara burial monument. As Che is a national hero and founder of Cuba, his burial site is so sacred that visitors are forbidden to bring in their backpacks, purses, cameras and cell phones.  While the CIA assassinated Che in 1967 in Bolivia, the Cuban government brought his remains back to Cuba, declared him a Cuban citizen and buried his remains 30 years later here in Santa Clara. This gesture was to prove to the younger Cubans that Che was in fact a real person and not folklore.

Now we are on the way to Valaderos to yet another resort. Don’t feel sorry for us!