Travels in the 2nd half

Viking Star in Santiago Bay The city of Santiago de Cuba has played an important role in Cuba’s history. Taking a photography tour of the city allowed me to explore some of its past. Last week I wrote about the first part of the tour, visiting Plaza de la Revolución and the Cementario Santa Ifegenia. Here is what happened next. Leaving the cemetery, we traveled to San Juan Hill. This area is more accurately known as San Juan heights, because it is really a series of hills. It is the place where the U.S. achieved its greatest victory during the Spanish American war. Spanish troops were dug in along the top of the ridge. The U.S. Army, led by General Joseph Wheeler and General Leonard Wood, laid siege to Santiago and on July 1, 1898 they attacked the Spanish lines. They used Gatling guns, which could fire as many as 700 rounds per minute to attack the Spaniards, inflicting major casualties before the troops started to climb the hills. One battalion was the 1 st Volunteer Cav...

Santa Ifigenia Cemetary After three days in Cienfuegos, our cruise moved on to the Bahía de Santiago de Cuba. Here we stopped to visit the city of Santiago de Cuba. I chose to not take the included tour, but instead, went on a tour designed for photographers. An old diesel engine, still in service Santiago de Cuba , in the southeast corner of the island, is Cuba’s second largest city. Santiago was founded in 1515 and served as the capital from 1522 until 1589. The city became a major port and industrial center for sugar cane and aluminum mining.   General Antonio Maceo Our tour started with a stop at the Plaza de la Revolución . The plaza, which opened in 1991, has two parts. One is a large open space that can hold up to 150,000 people for large rallies. Across Avenida de los Desfiles is a building with space for cultural event and conferences. This structure is topped with a tribute to Lt. General Antonio Maceo y Grajales , a general during Cuba’...