Tuesday 16.05.2017: Cienfuegos - Topes de Collantes: 75 km, cooler in the mountains 25ºC

Shopping on El Bulevar (Calle 37) -there are really some "shops" here! We bought some things and at 11h30 we took off to Topes de Collantes. This drive was a challenge, the car barely managed to get up some not even so steep slopes! Hotel Los Helechos (room 104 and 105), pretty basic, had a sandwich at the restaurant -they were nice and let us have a sandwich although they were officially closed by 14h00. Walk to the Sendero Jardín del Gigante (1,2 km, but we walked 4 km from the hotel). Walk took us through beautiful jungle with the largest "caoba" (mahogany) tree in Cuba. Then a good café cortado at the Museu del Café (delicious coffee) and back through the Jardín de Variedades de Café with different sorts of Arabica coffees. Back at the hotel and dinner at the restaurant of our hotel buffet 13 CUC pax). Ulrich and Volker had a (or more) drinks at the bar.

Wednesday 17.05.2017: Topes de Collantes: 25ºC

Hike to Salto Del Caburní (waterfall) (10 CUC pax, 3 hours, 5 km, 450 m ascent). Swimming in the pool El Caburní, the water was very nice. Julia went all dressed into the water and then was also luckty to have horses to go up most of the trail (5 CUC). We drank coconut water and drove back to the hotel before going to the Restaurant Gran Nena (58 CUC). A cup of coffee at the same Coffee Museum, and Stella bought 100 gr of local coffee beans for 5 CUC -a good souvenir ;). In the evening we dined at the Restaurante Represa where we had started our hike this morning. In the meantime, it started to rain cats and dogs, but we managed to get to the hotel without problems.