Walking Cuba: El Camino del Cimarron

Day 6: Zulueta to Guaracabulla (the geographic center of Cuba) — Part 1

“The muchachos are not here yet?” the promatora asks, referring to Maykel and Carlos Alejandro. My two friends had agreed to meet us in Zulueta and guide us to Guaracabulla, the geographic center of Cuba and Carlos Alejandro’s hometown. We stand on the road heading out of the Casa de Protocolo, where I spent the night. She rolled up in her Lada to say goodbye and to give Joel, Alexis and the kids a ride back to Remedios.

“They are on their way, pidiendo botella, hitchhiking, from town,” I say.

“Ah,” she says. “That must have been them that we passed. The one with a hat and the other one with the baseball cap.”

“Yeah. Maykel always wears a straw fedora hat,” I nod.

She gives the driver instructions to go pick them up.

I say goodbye to Alexis and the crew. I give them all something to remember me: the twins smile wide when I handed them each a pair of biking gloves that I had packed in case I needed help gripping my hiking poles. Alexis and Joel object to receiving 50 CUC…