Cuba has to be one of the greatest places to cycle. Friendly people, wonderful scenery, stunning colonial Spanish architecture, good food and accommodations.

But the big surprise is the feeling of absolute safety on any road. This is presumably due to the wide variety of traffic from cars to donkey carts, old trucks, pedestrians, bicycles, horses and occasional farm animals wandering about which render speeding a non-issue and the realization that all have to share the same road.

I have done two tours in Cuba now and am planning a third for this pre-winter season. The first tour comprised the central portion of the island from Varadero and ended in the western portion at Vinales. Highlights included the towns of Santa Clara, Trinidad, Cienfuegos and Havana.

The second tour was easterly starting from Hoguin and visiting Baracoa (Cuba's first city), Santiago, and Bayamo. The last day's riding was wet and muddy, such that my bike Friday was a sad sight at the end of the day and in need of a good cleaning before packing for home.

And so, I found a new and unusual feature of Fridays..... they fit within a bathtub for easy cleaning. (attached photo). Highly recommended destination!