jibacoa 7-10 Mar 2014

Hotel Superclubs Jibacoa © Lynn Fomison

Our last four days were spent at an all-inclusive hotel hotel on the north coast about an hours drive east of Habana airport. It was the idea of Goedyssey, who organised the trip for us, to stay here at the Hotel Superclubs at Jibacoa to either wind down and relax or to carry on wildlife watching at our own pace. We opted for the latter although perhaps due to the fact that we were nearing the end of the dry season we were rather running out of things to do after three days. On the butterfly front there wasnt a great number of species though Phaon Crescent were very common along the roadside and White Peacock were abundant. Una made an exciting find near the beach one day in the form of an American Lady Vanessa virginiensis and this was the only new species that we added here.

American Lady Vanessa virginiensis 7 Mar 2014 Jibacoa © Tim Norriss

The adjacent fields were grazed by goats and several killdeer were here every day as were Smooth-billed Ani.

Killdeer Jibacoa © Tim Norriss

Smooth-billed Ani Jibacoa © Tim Norriss

In the hotel grounds Palm Warblers were the commonest warbler and Red-legged Thrush fed on the lawns and were very tame whilst outside our room a Pseudobombax ellipticum tree was in flower and attracted Cuban Blackbird and Cuban Oriole where they stripped the large pink flowers to get at the nectar.

Palm Warbler male 8 Mar 2014 Jibacoa © Tim Norriss

Red-legged Thrush 8 Mar 2014 Jibacoa © Tim Norriss

Cuban Oriole 8 Mar 2014 Jibacoa © Tim Norriss

Yellow-throated Warbler 8 Mar 2014 Jibacoa © Tim Norriss

Common Ground Doves ran about on the paths and lawns looking for seeds and West Indian Woodpeckers were often heard calling and sometimes allowed a close approach.

Common Ground Dove 9 Mar 2014 Jibacoa © Tim Norriss

West Indian Woodpecker 9 Mar 2014 Jibacoa © Tim Norriss

The beach by the hotel was sandy but either side of the bay was a rocky coastline so we spent time each day walking on the beach or rock-pooling to see what we could find. There had been an on-shore wind for a couple of days that had brought in some beautiful barnacles on driftwood and quite few Portuguese Man o War Physalia physalis. These jellyfish are not to be messed with as they have long stinging tentacles that hang down from the gas-filled bladder called a pneumatophore. Actually they are not a single organism but are a colony of minute organisms called zooids that are attached to one another and physiologically integrated so that they are incapable of independent survival.

Physalia physalis 8 Mar Jibacoa © Tim Norriss

barnacle sp 8 Mar Jibacoa © Tim Norriss

brittle star 8 Mar Jibacoa © Tim Norriss

We also found this porcupinefish Diodon sp that had been washed up and was extremely smelly! They have the ability to inflate their bodies with air or water if threatened. This can cause a doubling of the size and make the spines stick out make them less appealing to a predator. They also build up very powerful toxins in their internal organs as they develop making them extremely dangerous to eat.

Porcupinefish 8 Mar Jibacoa © Tim Norriss

We had had a great trip and seen lots of very special things that we mulled over as we waited for our taxi to take us to the airport. We watched and waited as the others who had booked an all-inclusive package at the hotel were picked up and taken off in top of the range Audis - a bit excessive I thought as I eyed the clapped-out, rusty Vauxhall that had arrived 15 minutes after the supposed collection time and joked that there was ours. But no we were told that wasn't ours as the guy at reception checked our voucher again. And we waited, and we waited... and our an hour after the supposed collection time, under pressure from the hotel manager, and after many phone calls the clapped-out Vauxhall driver finally relented and agreed to take us. Apparently the bit of paper that he had said there were only two of us not three - and the paperwork must be right! So we sprang into action and to my surprise our three heavy cases did fit in the boot and as we climbed in with our rucksacks on our laps I noted the bald front tyre on my side and the half-deflated one on the rear but said nothing so as not to raise the 'fret' level any further.

So we set off towards Habana whilst the driver had an animated discussion with his boss with his mobile pressed to his ear with one hand and the other deftly steering around the many potholes in the road. Well we got all of half a mile before the rear tyre blew with a loud bang and we ground to a halt. We all jump out in double quick time, and though not up to F1 standard it must have taken no more than three minutes to remove the cases and the spare tyre from the boot (this time it was encouraging to note that it did have some tread and air inside it), jack up the car, change the wheel, restow the wheel and the cases, and be back on our way. I got the impression our driver had done this before. Further mobile conversations en route ensured that we were transferred to another more roadworthy Vauxhall in a layby a few miles down the road.

Such is life in Cuba - we were told by our guide Adrian on the first day, as he explained why our vehicle would not be arriving till the following morning, that Cuba is not like western countries and things don't often go smoothly and without a hitch but things always get sorted in the end and with good humour. Our new driver got us safely to the airport on time - he told us that he was a lawyer but had been driving taxis for a few years because the salary as lawyer (less than 20 USD per month plus staple rations) wasn't sufficient to keep him and his family. As a driver he had the chance of making quite a lot extra in tips.

So, go to Cuba, enjoy Cuba, and tip generously.