After Caibarién in northern Cuba, we headed south again with a stop in Santa Clara — a place, wild and steeped in history, where Che Guevara became famous in battle and where his grave rests. Naturally, his myth and heroic deeds are celebrated here, a contrast between history and reverence.

A student town with punk flair

Santa Clara is a charming student town, quite different from the other cities we’d seen — many young Cubans filled the streets and parks, and it was cool to see a lively punk scene thriving, raw and surprising. An open-air museum displays train wagons destroyed by Che Guevara and Fidel Castro during battles against government troops, but the wagons themselves offered little excitement. More interesting was a small, inconspicuous café nearby — Café Revolución, where a Cuban displays old documents, photos, and artifacts while serving good coffee and delicious mojitos in a cozy atmosphere, a spectacle of culture and enjoyment.

Sunset at the mausoleum

That was more worthwhile than the museum, we thought. At sunset, we made a detour to the impressive Che Guevara mausoleum — a moment of reverence and farewell that rounded off the day.

001 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
002 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
003 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
004 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
005 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
006 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
007 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
008 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
009 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
010 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
011 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
012 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
013 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
014 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
015 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
016 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
017 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
018 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
019 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
020 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
021 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
022 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
023 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
024 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
025 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
026 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
027 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
028 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
029 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
030 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
031 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
032 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
033 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
034 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
035 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
036 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
037 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
038 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
039 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the
040 santa clara che guevara cuba - In the