Bicycling Cuba: Fifty Days of Detailed Rides from Havana to Pinar Del Rio and the Oriente - Softcover

Smith, Wally; Smith, Barbara

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0881505536 ISBN 13: 9780881505535

Publisher: Countryman Press, 2002

Synopsis

Discover all Cuba has to offer in this complete cycling guide.

Wally and Barbara Smith spent 6 months cycling 8,000 miles in Cuba to provide detailed directions for 50 days of cycling. The rides vary in length, many combining to create multi-day loops. Detailed directions describe rides leaving Havana to the west and east. Subsequent rides are clustered in the three best regions of Cuba for cycling: Pinar del Rio, Central Cuba, and the Oriente. A final section contains advice on connecting the regions for a long tour of the entire island. In addition, the authors provide information on getting to Cuba, equipment and accessories, food and water, safety considerations, overnight accommodations, and more.

Exploring this fascinating country on two wheels may just be the best way to fully appreciate its history, people, and culture. 50 black-and-white photographs, 15 maps

About this title

About the Authors

Wally Smith, a former newspaper and radio reporter, has been a bicycle tour leader for Bike Vermont for more than 12 years.

Barbara Smith has cycled in the Maritime Provinces, Quebec, New England, and the Skyline Drive in Virginia and the Carolinas. She occasionally joins her husband Wally in leading Bike Vermont tours. The Smiths live in South Strafford, Vermont.

Reviews

Tired of the same old vacation? Eager to forgo guided motor coaches, all-inclusive resorts, and RVing? If bicycling through Cuba is the first thing you think of as an alternative to Europe in August, then the authors, experienced bike guides from Vermont, can take all the guesswork out of it for you. In this delightful and very practical guide, they outline, kilometer by kilometer-for all the Canadians and Europeans whose governments actually let them vacation in Cuba legally the best places to eat, sleep, sightsee, and even avoid. The text is divided into five parts: "In and Out of Havana," "Pinar del Rio," "Central Cuba," "The Oriente," and "Connecting the Regions of Cuba." The authors sum it up best in their introduction: "If you come to Cuba looking for evidence of a police state, inefficient bureaucracy, and dissatisfied people, you can find it. If you look for evidence of a uniquely idealistic society in which people have a strong sense of community, respect their government, and are trying to solve problems without sacrificing the achievements of their revolution, you can find that too. Let's ride!" Recommended for large public libraries.
Lee Arnold, Historical Soc. of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Countryman Press
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0881505536
• ISBN 13: 9780881505535
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 328