Tough Trains (2014) s01e05 Episode Script
Cuba’s Sugar Trains
1 THE RUGGED OUTBACK, WITH SYMMETRICAL ALL-WHEEL DRIVE AND PLENTY OF CARGO SPACE.
FOR THOSE WHO PACK EVEN MORE ADVENTURE INTO LIFE.
SUBARU, A PROUD SPONSOR OF "GLOBE TREKKER.
" ZAY HARDING: OH, MAN, THIS IS ON THE VERGE OF TORTUROUS.
THESE TRAIN JOURNEYS ARE AMONG THE MOST EPIC AND HARDCORE ON THE PLANET.
IT'S LIKE ICE PICKS STABBING AT MY STOMACH WALL.
TAKING PEOPLE THROUGH THE WORLD'S HARSHEST ENVIRONMENTS.
NO TRAIN HAS EVER GONE FURTHER NORTH THAN THIS ONE RIGHT HERE.
OVERCOMING TECHNICAL CHALLENGES.
IAN WRIGHT: LOOK AT THIS, I DON'T WANT TO GO OVER THIS IN A TRAIN.
ZAY HARDING: THESE TRAINS ARE A VITAL LINK TO REMOTE COMMUNITIES.
PEOPLE LIVE ALONG THE TRACKS SO THIS IS THEIR ONLY MEANS HOME.
SUSTAINING A REGION'S ECONOMY.
IAN WRIGHT: THERE'S ONE OF THE SUGARCANE CARRIAGES THA DIDN'T QUITE MAKE IT ZAY HARDING: AND EVEN CHANGING THE COURSE OF HISTORY.
IT'S BECAUSE OF THIS LINE THAT THE COUNTRY FEELS UNITED.
THESE ARE THE WORLD'S TOUGH TRAINS.
[TRAIN HORN.]
.
IAN WRIGHT: I'M IN THE CARIBBEAN ISLAND OF COMMUNIST CUBA.
FANTASTIC PEOPLE, FANTASTIC HISTORY AND I'M GONNA SEE I ALL THROUGH THE EYES OF THE TRAIN TRANSPORT AND IT'S GOING TO BE TOUGH OUT THERE.
THEY'VE GOT TOUGH TRAINS, THEY'RE NEVER ON TIME.
THEY'RE FALLING APAR AND EVERY DAY IS GOING TO BE FANTASTIC.
LOOK AT THIS, WHOA! LYING JUST OVER A 100 MILES OFF THE COAST OF THE U.
S.
OF A, COMMUNIST CUBA'S THE LARGES OF ALL THE CARIBBEAN ISLANDS.
STARTING FROM HAVANA, MY TRAIN JOURNEY THROUGH CUBA TAKES ME TO THE CITY WHERE THE REVOLUTION WAS WON, SANTA CLARA, THEN VIA CIENFUEGOS TO SPECTACULAR TRINIDAD, THE HISTORIC HEARTLAND OF THE CUBAN SUGAR INDUSTRY.
WHAT I FIND AMAZING ABOU CUBA'S LIFE ONE OF THE FIRS COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD TO BUILD A ROUND NETWORK AND THEY STARTED IN 1837.
IT WASN'T BUIL FOR PASSENGERS.
IT WAS MAINLY BUIL TO TRANSPORT SUGAR CANE ALL OVER THE ISLAND.
CARRYING ON MY JOURNEY FROM SUGAR RICH TRINIDAD, I RETURN TO SANTA CLARA BEFORE HEADING TO MY FINAL DESTINATIONS, MORÃN AND CIEGO DE AVILA WHERE I END MY TRIP WITH A NOSTALIC RIDE ON ONE OF THE CUBAN SUGAR INDUSTRY'S FABULOUS OLD STEAM TRAINS.
[TRAIN WHISTLE.]
.
CUBA'S CAPITAL HAVANA IS A GREAT PLACE TO START MY JOURNEY AND GET A FEEL FOR THE COUNTRY.
IT'S FULL OF CHARACTER, BUZZING WITH LIFE, A RIOT OF COLOR, AND CRUMBLING HISTORY.
THINGS ARE SLOWLY BEGINNING TO CHANGE HERE BUT REMARKABLY AGAINST ALL THE ODDS, CUBA IS STILL HANGING IN THERE AS ONE OF THE WORLD'S LAS SURVIVING COMMUNIST REGIMES.
WHEREVER YOU GO IN HAVANA, YOU'RE REMINDED OF THE REVOLUTION THAT TOOK PLACE OVER 50 YEARS AGO.
THE SENSE OF CUBA BEING STUCK IN TIME IS ADDED TO BY ALL THE AMAZINGLY PRESERVED PRE-REVOLUTION 1950'S AMERICAN CARS.
I'M HERE IN CUBA TO TRAVEL BY TRAIN, EVEN SO, I CAN'T POSSIBLY IGNORE THE CARS.
AH, UNBELIEVABLE, LOOK AT THESE THINGS, THEY'RE JUST SO STUNNING, THEY'RE SO BEAUTIFUL.
THEY'RE LIKE PIECES OF ART AND IT IS NOT JUST LIKE ONE OR TWO, THEY'RE JUST EVERYWHERE IN THIS CITY AND OF COURSE, YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE A RIDE.
YOU CAN'T COME HERE WITHOUT HAVING RIDE.
GRACIAS, SENOR.
FEEL THAT LEATHER ON YOUR BUTT.
AH, FORWARD, JEEVES.
ALMOST ALL VISITORS TO HAVANA TAKE A RIDE IN A CLASSIC AMERICAN CAR BUT VERY FEW IF ANY FOREIGN TOURISTS, TRAVEL BY TRAIN.
NO DOUBT THERE'S A GOOD REASON FOR THIS AND SOON I'M GOING TO FIND OUT WHY.
MY LUXURIOUS CAR RIDE IS COMING TO AN END AS WE'RE ARRIVING AT HAVANA'S CENTRAL TRAIN STATION.
WOW, OH, GRACIAS, WHOO.
NOW THAT IS WHAT A GRAND CENTRAL STATION IS ALL ABOUT.
HUH, THAT'S A BIT OF A DOWNER.
THERE'S ONLY ONE TRAIN THAT LEAVES TO SANTA CLARA AND THAT LEAVES IN THE EVENING SO I'VE LEFT ME BAG THERE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT TOO BAD.
I CAN JUST GO AND HAVE A LITTLE LOOK AROUND NOW.
I'VE GOT ALMOST THE WHOLE DAY UNTIL MY LONG DISTANCE TRAIN LEAVES FOR SANTA CLARA TONIGH SO HAPPILY I'VE GOT TIME TO CHECK OUT HAVANA'S MOST HISTORIC LOCAL RAILWAY.
IT'S VERY RELEVANT TO THE HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTION THA IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY MOST OF CUBA'S RAILWAYS, MOST OF CUBA'S SUGAR MILLS WERE FOREIGN OWNED BY COMPANIES FROM EUROPE AND THE U.
S.
OF A.
ONE SUCH COMPANY WAS THE FAMOUS AMERICAN CHOCOLATE MANUFACTURER HERSHEY'S.
IN THE 1920S, HERSHEY CHOCOLATE BUILT THEIR VERY OWN RAILWAY.
IT'S OVER THE WATER THERE.
IT WENT 30 MILES INTO CUBA TO THEIR MASSIVE SUGAR MILL.
ALL THE REFINED SUGAR WOULD COME BACK HERE TO THE PORT IN HAVANA AND THEN IT WOULD GET EXPORTED TO AMERICA AND THAT RAILWAY IS STILL RUNNING TODAY.
TO GET ACROSS HAVANA BAY, I TAKE A SHORT RIDE ON A SMALL PASSENGER FERRY.
ARRIVING ON THE OTHER SIDE, I'M JUST IN TIME TO CATCH A WAITING TRAIN.
TODAY THE HISTORIC HERSHEY LINE IS CUBA'S ONLY ELECTRIC RAILWAY.
IT LOOKS MORE LIKE A TRAM THAN A TRAIN TO ME BUT IN THE 1920'S THIS WAS LIKE HIGH TECH.
IT'S AMAZING THA YOU'RE STILL GOING NOW.
THE ELECTRIC TRAIN, STILL IN USE TODAY ON THE HERSHEY LINE, ARE ANTIQUES DATING BACK TO THE 1940S BUT EVEN SO THE RAILWAY HAS A REPUTATION OF BEING ONE OF CUBA'S MOST RELIABLE LINES.
ALTHOUGH, APPARENTLY, THAT'S NOT SAYING TOO MUCH.
HERSHEY, ALL THE WAY? TICKET INSPECTOR: HERSHEY, HERSHEY, UNO QUARENTA.
IAN WRIGHT: HOW MANY HOLES ARE IN THERE? HOW MANY STOPS IS THAT MORE LIKE FROM HAVANA, THE JOURNEY OF JUST 30 MILES TO THE OLD SUGAR MILL COMPANY TOWN OF HERSHEY TAKES AS LONG AS AN HOUR AND A HALF.
THAT'S AN AVERAGE SPEED OF JUST 20 MILES PER HOUR.
NOT EXACTLY LIGHTENING FAS BUT AT LEAST IT MEANS THAT I ISN'T TOO DANGEROUS FOR ME TO TAKE UP THE OFFER OF BRIEFLY DRIVING THE TRAIN.
IF POSSIBLE? JUST FOR A SECOND.
DRIVER: YEAH.
IAN WRIGHT: YEAH, YOU SURE? I'VE GOT TO KEEP I ON THE RAILS, YEAH? KEEP IT STRAIGHT AHEAD.
OKAY, OKAY, LOOK AT THIS.
DOES THAT [MAKES HORN SOUND.]
WHAT, WHAT? I'VE GOT TO LISTEN, LISTEN.
[TRAIN HORN HONKS.]
DOES IT GET BETTER THAN THIS? I'VE ONLY BEEN IN CUBA LIKE FOR A DAY AND NOW I'M DRIVING A TRAIN AND THERE [TRAIN HORN BLOWS.]
.
GROW UP, WILL YOU? OKAY, I'VE GOT TO LEAVE IT NOW BEFORE GRACIAS, THANK YOU.
WOW, THIS IS LIKE NOTHING I EXPECTED AT ALL.
IT'S DEAD AS A DOORNAIL, AH AT THE TIME OF THE REVOLUTION, WHEN THE HERSHEY MILL WAS NATIONALIZED, ALONG WITH ALL OF CUBA'S SUGAR MILLS, CUBA HAD BEEN THE WORLD'S BIGGEST SUGAR EXPORTER.
OOP, YEAH.
OH, LOOK AT THIS.
THIS IS LIKE ONE OF THE MASSIVE WHEELS THAT THEY USED TO CRUSH UP ALL THE SUGAR CANE, ALL GALLONS AND GALLONS OF THE JUICE.
IMAGINE IT, CHURNING OUT GALLONS AND GALLONS OF THE STUFF, OH.
AFTER THE REVOLUTION, HOWEVER, FOLLOWING DECADES OF THE USA'S ECONOMIC EMBARGO, COMBINED WITH THE COLLAPSE OF THE SOVIET UNION, TWO-THIRDS OF CUBA'S SUGAR MILLS HAVE CLOSED DOWN IN RECENT YEARS.
TO THINK THAT IT WAS STILL IN PRODUCTION ONLY 10 YEARS AGO, JUST 10 YEARS.
CUBA'S ECONOMY IS STILL STRUGGLING AND GIVEN THE CLOSURE OF THE HERSHEY SUGAR MILL, THE TRAIN LINE MIGHT WELL HAVE BEEN SHUT DOWN TOO BU DESPITE THE LACK OF FREIGHT TODAY, HAPPILY, THIS HISTORIC RAILWAY LIVES ON AS A PASSENGER SERVICE.
BY THE TIME I MAKE IT BACK TO HAVANA, I'M JUST IN TIME TO CATCH TONIGHT'S LONG DISTANCE TRAIN TO THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA.
JUST CHECKING OUT THE TOILET, MOST IMPORTANT THING.
OH THE DOWNER ABOUT TRAVELING ON TRAINS AT NIGHT, AS SOON AS WE'RE OUT OF HAVANA, WE'RE NOT GOING TO SEE ANYTHING, IT'S A BIT OF A SHAME.
FROM HAVANA, IT'S A DISTANCE OF AROUND A 180 MILES TO MY DESTINATION, THE CITY WHERE THE REVOLUTION WAS WON, SANTA CLARA.
IF THE TRAIN STICKS TO THE TIMETABLE, IT TAKES SIX HOURS, THE SPEED OF MY PROGRESS ON CUBAN TRAINS WILL INCREASE TO ALL OF 30 MILES AN HOUR.
TO BE HONEST, THIS AIN'T BAD, EVERYONE'S GO THEIR LITTLE CUBICLES.
IT'S QUITE COMFY.
HE'S PUTTING HIS BED DOWN SO HE CAN HAVE A LITTLE SNOOZE.
HOLA.
PASSENGER: HOLA.
IAN WRIGHT: HOLA WOOH, IT'S LIKE BEING DRUNK.
GRACIAS, BUENAS NOCHES.
THAT IS SO TERRIBLE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS.
IT DOESN'T SOUND CUBAN TO ME.
IT SOUNDS WRONG BUT A LEAST YOU CAN MOVE TO IT.
TRY NOT TO TOUCH THAT WHEN YOU GO PAST THE ELECTRICS, YEAH.
OI, BZZ-BZZZ [INAUDIBLE TALKING.]
.
PASSENGER: OH YEA, THAT'S WHAT THE [INAUDIBLE.]
IAN WRIGHT: THEY SAY THE TRAIN IS COMPLETELY KNACKERED? PASSENGER: AND WE HAVE TO GO RUNNING TO IAN WRIGHT: YEAH, SÃ.
OH, MAN, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT.
THE TRAIN IS COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY BROKE, BROKE DOWN, OUR FATE FOR THE JOURNEY.
EVERYONE'S GOT TO SLEEP ON THE TRAIN NOW.
THE TRAIN REMAINS BROKEN DOWN FOR AN INCREDIBLE SIX HOURS BEFORE FINALLY MY PRAYERS ARE ANSWERED AND THE TRAIN GETS MOVING AGAIN.
WE WERE SUPPOSED TO ARRIVE IN SANTA CLARA AT 3 A.
M.
BUT BY THE TIME THE TRAIN EVENTUALLY ARRIVES, IT'S MID-MORNING.
OH, BOY, 6 HOURS, [MAKES SNORING SOUND.]
.
OH, MAN, AT LEAST I SAVED ON ACCOMMODATION, I SUPPOSE.
I STINK, I'M KNACKER'D, I'M SMELLY, BUT, HEY, AT LEAST I'M HERE! OH, TAXI.
OH, IT'S OKAY? OH.
I ACTUALLY THINK THIS IS FASTER THAN THE TRAIN THA I WAS ON, OI, OH.
ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S BIGGEST PROVINCIAL CITIES, SANTA CLARA IS RENOWNED IN CUBA FOR ONE THING ABOVE ALL.
IN LATE 1958, IT WAS THE LOCATION OF THE FINAL MAJOR BATTLE OF THE REVOLUTION AGAINST THE HATED DICTATOR GENERAL BATISTA.
MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY LATER, THE MAN WHO COMMANDEERED THE REVOLUTIONARY FORCES IN SANTA CLARA REMAINS FAMOUS WORLDWIDE.
HERE IN SANTA CLARA, THE BIG REVOLUTIONARY HERO IS HIM UP THERE.
THEY LOVE HIM, CHE GUEVARA.
IT WAS HERE IN SANTA CLARA WHERE THE DECISIVE BATTLE OF THE REVOLUTION TOOK PLACE AND BECAUSE THIS TOWN IS SO IMPORTANT, IT'S RIGHT BANG IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ISLAND, PLUS THE MAIN RAILWAY GOES RIGHT THE WAY THROUGH SO IF YOU HOLD THIS PLACE, YOU ALMOST HOLD CUBA.
BATISTA KNEW THIS SO WHAT HE DID, HE SENT AN ARMORED TRAIN DOWN THE TRACK TO MEET THE REVOLUTIONARIES.
HE HAD 400 SOLDIERS IN THERE.
HE HAD WEAPONS.
HE HAD AMMUNITION.
HE JUST THOUGHT NOTHING CAN GO WRONG BUT HE DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THE REVOLUTIONARIES HAD A SECRET WEAPON AND THA WAS A SIMPLE BULLDOZER.
THERE IT IS, THE FAMOUS BULLDOZER.
LOOK AT THAT, MUST BE THE ONLY BULLDOZER IN THE WORLD THAT'S LIKE ON DISPLAY ON A PLINTH, AND LIKE, ALL HAIL TO THE BULLDOZER! FANTASTIC AND RIGHTLY SO AS WELL.
ALSO PRESERVED HERE IN MEMORY OF THE BATTLE, ARE SOME OF THE ARMORED TRAINS CARRIAGES.
LUCKILY FOR THE REBELS, THE TRAIN DRIVER DIDN'T NOTICE THAT THE RAILWAY TRACKS HAD BEEN LIFTED UP BY THE BULLDOZER AND AS SOON AS THE TRAIN DERAILED, IT WAS IMMEDIATELY AMBUSHED.
OH LOOK, THERE IT IS, THIS IS THE TRAIN THAT'S JUST BEEN DERAILED.
THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY THING ABOUT THIS WHOLE BATTLE IS THE FACT THAT THERE ARE ONLY 23 REVOLUTIONARIES AGAINST 400 AND THAT'S AMAZING.
THEY SURROUNDED THEM, SHOOT, SHOOT, SHOOT AND THE SOLDIERS THOUGH THAT THERE WAS HUNDREDS OF THEM SO THE BATTLE DIDN' LAST LONG AND WHEN BATISTA BACK IN HAVANA HEARD ABOUT THE DEFEAT, HE ABSOLUTELY BOTTLED I AND THEN TWO DAYS LATER, HE FLED THE ISLAND.
THIS IS WHA I LOVE ABOUT CUBA.
IT'S LIKE EVERYTHING HAPPENS ON THE STREETS.
DAY AND NIGHT, EVERYBODY'S OUT, YOU KNOW, IT MAKES A REAL BUZZY ATMOSPHERE.
SO EVERYTHING'S GOING ON, THERE'S EVEN A BIT OF MUSIC OVER THERE, OF COURSE.
CUBAN MUSIC HAS SUCH AN INFECTIOUS RHYTHM.
IT EVEN GETS ME DANCING.
IF I DIDN'T HAVE ANOTHER TRAIN TO CATCH, I'D HAPPILY STAY HERE FOR HOURS.
WOO, BRAVO, BRAVO.
EY, BUENO, WOO-HOO! LOOK AT THAT.
[HOWLING.]
.
THAT IS AN ABSOLUTE BEAUTY AND IT'S MY TRAIN.
I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, I'M TURNING INTO ONE OF THOSE LIKE SAD TRAIN SPOTTERS.
THAT'S THE 264 FROM CAMAGÃEY, MAKE A LITTLE NOTE OF THAT.
OUR NEXT DESTINATION IS THE NEIGHBORING PROVINCE OF CIENFUEGOS WHERE I'M GOING TO SEE HOW TRAINS HELP WITH THE HARVESTING OF SUGAR CANE.
IN THE MEANTIME, THERE'S PLENTY OF FUN TO BE HAD ON THE WAY.
AGAIN, THERE, I TELL YOU I MIGHT HAVE TO GE MY LICENSE TRAIN DRIVER, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF SO MANY TRAINS THAT I'M DRIVING.
I LOVE PULLING ON BIG LEVERS, OH AND I LIKE THIS A LITTLE FLICK SWITCH, HERE.
THERE'S A RED THING THA SAYS DANGER ON THERE.
THERE'S THE BELL THA MAKES THIS NOISE.
[DING.]
OH, LISTEN, OH.
HELLO, YEAH, YEAH, GET SO MORE COAL OR WHAT? IT'S DIESEL? DON'T BE SO RUDE.
[TRAIN WHISTLE.]
.
OH, CHECK THIS OUT.
UNBELIEVABLE, HOO-HOO-HOO WA-HA-HA-HA [LAUGHING.]
.
FORGET EVERYTHING YOU KNOW ABOUT TRAIN TRAVEL.
THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO BE ON THE JOURNEY ON THE TRAIN.
RIGHT AT THE FRONT.
IT'S MENTAL, LOOK AT THIS.
IT'S LIKE THE WIND IS BLOWING ME BACK.
THE ENGINE'S PUSHING ME FORWARD.
OH, OH, IT'S LIKE THE BES FAIRGROUND RIDE IN WORLD.
WOO-HOO-HOO-HOO! AHH, LOOK AT THAT.
NO MESSING ABOUT.
THAT'S A REAL MECHANIC.
FORGET YOUR TOOLS.
JUST USE THAT.
WAAY I'M TOO OLD FOR THIS LARK, MAN.
WHOO.
DON'T SHOW THE KIDS THAT.
HEY! WHOA! FROM SANTA CLARA, IT TAKES AROUND THREE HOURS FOR MY TRAIN TO REACH THE PROVINCIAL CAPITAL CIENFUEGOS SO BY THE TIME WE ARRIVE, IT'S JUST AFTER DARK.
WHOA, WOW.
IF A JOURNEY GETS BETTER THAN THAT, I'LL BE A HAPPY MAN.
SITUATED ON THE COAST, CIENFUEGOS BY CUBAN STANDARDS IS RELATIVELY WELL OFF, WITH A REPUTATION AS ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S MOS ATTRACTIVE CITIES.
EARLY IN THE MORNING, JOGGERS ARE OUT ON THE CITY WATERFRON AND THE STREETS PROVIDE A HOME FOR PLENTY OF OTHER ACTIVITIES, TOO.
HU-HU-HU HU-HU SHOOO PUNCHING A BIT ABOVE ME OWN WEIGHT, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.
WATCH OUT, HERE COMES ANOTHER.
I TOLD YOU EVERYTHING HAPPENS ON THE STREET AND IF CUBA IS FAMOUS FOR ANY SPORT, IT'S DEFINITELY BOXING.
THEY'RE BRILLIANT AT IT.
AND THIS IS WHERE THEY START, ABOUT THAT, AY.
ALRIGHT, IT'S JUST JOKING.
I DON'T WANT ANY TROUBLE, ALRIGHT.
IN CUBA LIFE ISN' EASY FOR MOST PEOPLE, SO IT'S NO WONDER THA KIDS ARE TAUGHT TO TOUGHEN UP AT AN EARLY AGE.
I'M TAKING A SHORT TRIP OUT OF CIENFUEGOS INTO THE COUNTRYSIDE WHERE THE SUGAR CANE HARVEST IS IN FULL SWING.
CUBA'S SUGAR INDUSTRY SUFFERED A LOT OF CLOSURES IN RECEN YEARS BUT I'VE ARRANGED TO VISIT ONE OF THE MINORITY OF SUGAR MILLS THAT REMAIN OPEN.
THIS IS THE SO CALLED 14TH OF JULY SUGAR FACTORY WHICH WAS RENAMED AFTER THE CUBAN REVOLUTION AND RENAMED IN HONOR OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION WHICH STARTED WITH THE STORMING TO THE BASTILLE ON THE 14TH OF JULY 1789.
I LOVE IT.
IT'S LIKE REVOLUTIONARY BROTHERS STICK TOGETHER.
AND IT'S ALMOST AS OLD AS THE FRENCH REVOLUTION ITSELF.
THIS SUGAR MILL WAS BUIL IN 1830 AND IT'S STILL IN PRODUCTION TODAY BUT OF COURSE, BACK IN THOSE DAYS, ALL THE WORKERS ON THE PLANTATIONS AND THE SUGAR MILLS WOULD HAVE BEEN SLAVES.
SLAVERY WAS ABOLISHED IN CUBA AS LATE AS 1886, JUST TWO YEARS LATER, A RAILWAY WAS BUILT HERE AT THE MILL TO PROVIDE A NEW WAY OF BRINGING IN THE HARVESTED SUGAR CANE.
REMARKABLY, THE ORIGINAL TRACKS BUILT IN THE 1880S HAVEN'T BEEN REPLACED AND ARE STILL IN USE TODAY.
THAT'S A SERIOUS WORKING ENGINE, WHOO.
THE TRAINS USED HERE ARE ALMOST MODERN IN COMPARISON, BUILT IN THE 1970'S.
THIS IS SUCH AN OLD, OLD LOCOMOTIVE.
IT WAS BUILT IN THE SOVIET UNION AND LIKE EVERYTHING IT'S JUST FALLING APART.
YOU CAN'T AFFORD NEW PARTS FOR IT, THERE AREN'T ANY NEW PARTS FOR IT LIKE THE OLD CARS REALLY.
CHECK THIS OUT, THIS IS THE ACCELERATOR.
THAT'S WHAT HE PULLS MANUALLY TO SPEED IT UP.
HOW NUTS IS THAT? BUT IT WORKS.
HOLA.
THE 19TH CENTURY TRACK IS VERY NARROW AND SO OLD AND WOBBLY THAT OCCASIONALLY, SOME OF THE WAGONS DERAIL DESPITE BEING PULLED SLOWLY.
THERE'S ONE OF THE SUGAR CANE CARRIAGES THA DIDN'T QUITE MAKE IT.
THE JOB OF THE TRAINS IS TO BRING IN HARVESTED SUGAR CANE FROM A CENTRAL COLLECTION POINT.
WELL, THIS IS THE PROCESS.
WE BROUGHT THE EMPTY CARRIAGES HERE, STUFFED THEM ON THERE.
ALL THE CART'S SUGAR CANE, ITS CONVEYOR BELT ABOUT THEN AND POURED INTO THE CARRIAGES AND TAKEN TO THE SUGAR MILL.
DESPITE THE ANCIENT RAILWAY AND TRAINS THAT IT HAS TO MAKE DUE WITH, THE 14TH OF JULY MILL IS ONE OF CUBA'S MORE EFFICIENT SUGAR MILLS BU WHEREAS CUBA PRODUCED ONE THIRD OF THE WORLD'S SUGAR BACK IN THE 19TH CENTURY, TODAY ITS SHARE OF THE WORLD SUGAR MARKET IS JUST 1%.
OH, YEAH, WOW, WHOO.
TO ME, THIS IS WHAT AN OLD SUGAR MILL IS ALL ABOUT.
HERE'S GREAT BEAUTIFUL COGS GOING ROUND AND ROUND AND ROUND.
YOU'VE GOT THE FURNACES, IT'S HOT.
YOU CAN SMELL THE SUGAR IN THE AIR.
IT'S ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL.
THIS IS THE RAW SUGAR.
IT'S STILL WARM.
OH, THAT'S LOVELY, OH.
AFTER RETURNING TO CIENFUEGOS, IT'S TIME TO HEAD ON TO MY NEXT DESTINATION WHICH IS SAID TO BE AN EVEN MORE BEAUTIFUL AND HISTORIC CITY.
THE NEXT PART OF THE JOURNEY, I CAN'T GO BY TRAIN BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENED, THERE'S A RAILWAY BRIDGE AND THE HURRICANE BLEW IT TO BITS, THAT WAS 20 YEARS AGO AND THEY STILL HAVEN'T MENDED I BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER, THERE'S OTHER MODES OF TRANSPORT, AS YOU CAN SEE.
HOLA? TAXI? TRINIDAD? TAXI DRIVER: TRINIDAD.
IAN WRIGHT: YEAH, YEAH, OKAY.
THAT WAS SIMPLE, SO FAR.
THE ROAD TRIP OUT OF CIENFUEGOS ON ROUTE TO TRINIDAD TAKES ME THROUGH A SPARSELY POPULATED, VERY SCENIC MOUNTAIN LANDSCAPE.
HAVING LEFT CIENFUEGOS IN THE LATE AFTERNOON FOR THE 50 MILE JOURNEY TO TRINIDAD WHERE I'M STAYING A DAY BEFORE RETURNING TO SANTA CLARA, IT'S ALMOS DARK BY THE TIME WE SEE TRINIDAD IN THE DISTANCE A THE FOOT OF THE MOUNTAINS.
FOUNDED MORE THAN 500 YEARS AGO, THE HISTORIC CITY OF TRINIDAD IS EXTREMELY WELL PRESERVED AND APART FROM HAVANA AND BEACH RESORTS, IT'S THE MOST POPULAR TOURIS DESTINATION IN ALL OF CUBA.
WHAT EVERYBODY'S HERE TO SEE ARE THE GRAND MANSIONS OF TRINIDAD'S FORMER PLANTATION OWNERS WHO BECAME FABULOUSLY WEALTHY ON THE PROFITS OF SUGAR AND SLAVERY.
THIS HERE IS KNOWN AS BRUNET'S PALACE.
IT WAS A FAMILY HOME OF THE BRUNET FAMILY IN THE 19TH CENTURY AND THEY WERE ONE OF THE RICHES SLAVE OWNING SUGAR BARONS IN THE WHOLE OF TRINIDAD.
LET'S CHECK THE FURNITURE OUT, SHALL WE? OH, WOW.
THAT IS A POSH DO, LOOK AT THAT.
NO TOMATO SAUCE? HOO-HOO, WELL, I WASN' WRONG ABOUT THE FURNITURE.
LOOK AT THAT.
THAT IS STUNNING DETAIL, ALL THE PICTURES.
WOULDN'T WANT IT ANYWHERE NEAR MY HOUSE BUT I STILL LIKE IT.
JUST OVER THE SQUARE THERE IS ANOTHER RICH FAMILY'S HOUSE, MAYBE EVEN RICHER BECAUSE THEY'VE GOT A TOWER.
THAT IS THE CANTERO PALACE.
LIKE OTHER 19TH CENTURY PLANTATION OWNERS, DON JUSTO CANTERO HAD HUGE NUMBER OF SLAVES WORKING FOR HIM BUT HE WAS ALSO KEEN TO EMBRACE NEW TECHNOLOGY.
THIS IS DEFINITELY THE BEST VIEW OF THE TOWN.
LOOK AT THAT, BECAUSE OVER THERE YOU CAN SEE, THAT'S THE VALLEY OF SUGAR CANE WHERE ALL THE PLANTATIONS WERE AND CANTERO, ONE OF THE RICHEST OWNERS IS LIKE, "HOW CAN I MAKE MORE MONEY? I WANT TO GET MORE MONEY, I WANT TO GET MORE MONEY.
I'VE GOT TO GET MY SUGAR TO THE PORT AND EXPORT IT QUICKER," SO WHAT HE DID, IS FINANCE THE RAILWAY.
THESE DAYS, TRINIDAD'S FORMER SUGAR RAILWAY CARRIES TOURISTS INSTEAD.
WHILE WAITING FOR THE TOUR'S LOCOMOTIVE TO ARRIVE, I CHECK OUT THE OTHER TRAINS AROUND THE STATION.
LOOK, THREE STEAM ENGINES ALL IN A ROW.
THEY DON'T THROW ANYTHING AWAY.
THEY JUST LEAVE THEM BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD FOR PEOPLE TO LOOK AT, LIKE THIS, AND THEY LOOK FANTASTIC.
IT'S A GREAT THING TO DO WITH THEM.
WHEN IT ARRIVES THE TOURIS TRAIN GOING TO THE VALLEY OF HISTORIC SUGAR PLANTATIONS TURNS OUT TO HAVE THE SAME TYPE OF SOVIE LOCOMOTIVE USED AT THE 14TH OF JULY SUGAR MILL.
TO BE HONEST THOUGH, I'M MUCH MORE INTERESTED IN A VERY DIFFEREN FEATURE OF THE TRAIN.
I'VE SPOTTED SOMETHING ON THERE.
OKAY, IT DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER IN TRAIN TRAVEL WHEN YOU CAN SIT AT A BAR ON A TRAIN, AW.
"I KNOW I HAVEN'T PRAYED TO YOU IN A LONG TIME BUT THANK YOU, LORD," WOO-HOO! IT'S THE ONLY TIME IN MY LIFE I'VE EVER BEEN IN RHYTHM BUT IT'S NOT ME, IT'S THE TRAIN AND THE DRINK.
LOOK, CHU-JA-JA, CHU-JA-JA, CHU-JA-JA, CHU-JA-JA.
FEEL A BIT NAUGHTY, FEEL LIKE I SHOULD BE LOOKING A LANDSCAPE AND ENJOYING THE VIEW, ENJOYING THE YOU KNOW CUBAN VISTA BUT THE VISTA SEEMS TO BE HERE.
OH, THERE'S SOME MOUNTAINS OUT THERE.
OH, WOW, BIG IRON BRIDGE COMING UP.
WHOO, WHOA, WOW.
I SWEAR IT'S LIKE BEING IN LIKE THE WILD WEST IN AMERICA, LOOK AT THAT OLD THING.
ANYWAY, BACK TO THE DRINK, EH? THE SPECTACULAR TRAIN RIDE THROUGH THE BEAUTIFUL VALLEY THAT MADE TRINIDAD RICH IS SHORTER THAN I'D LIKE, TAKING LESS THAN AN HOUR.
IS THIS IT? WE FINISH HERE? BARTENDER: STOPPING.
IAN WRIGHT: AH, WE'RE HERE, I'VE NEVER BEEN SO DISAPPOINTED IN ME LIFE.
WHOO.
THE PLACE WHERE WE'VE ARRIVED, MANACA IZNAGA, WAS ONE OF THE RICHES SUGAR CANE PLANTATIONS IN THE ENTIRE VALLEY BACK IN THE 19TH CENTURY.
WHAT MAKES IT A TOURIS ATTRACTION TODAY IS IT'S REMARKABLE BELL TOWER, AN AMAZING FEAT OF CONSTRUCTION WHEN IT WAS BUIL AROUND 200 YEARS AGO, IT'S ALL OF A 150 FEET TALL.
AND AT THE TIME, IT WAS THE HIGHEST BUILDING IN THE WHOLE OF CUBA.
IT WAS BUILT BY THE SUGAR CANE PLANTATION OWNERS AND THROUGH THE BLOOD AND SWEAT OF SLAVERY, THEY WERE RICH AS HELL.
HUH, OH, GEEZ, ONE MORE LEVEL? IN ORDER TO HOLD ONTO THEIR FILTHY RICHES, THE PLANTATION OWNERS MADE CERTAIN THAT THE SLAVES HAD NO CHANCE OF ESCAPING TO FREEDOM.
OH, NOT ONLY WAS THIS A BELL TOWER BUT IT WAS ALSO A LOOKOUT TOWER SO YOU COULD SEE IF RUNAWAY SLAVES WERE MAKING THEIR ESCAPE BECAUSE IN THE VALLEY ALONE THERE WERE LIKE OVER 50 SUGAR MILLS AND ABOU 30,000 SLAVES WORKING THE LAND, SO IT'S THE TALLES TOWER IN CUBA BUT ALSO PROBABLY THE MOST HATED.
TODAY NONE OF THE VALLEY'S 54 OR MORE SUGAR MILLS ARE STILL WORKING BUT I'M HAPPY TO FIND THAT THERE'S AT LEAST A LOCAL STORE SELLING SUGAR CANE JUICE.
HOLA.
VENDOR: HOLA.
IAN WRIGHT: UNE GUAPO, POR FAVOR.
VENDOR: SÃ, SIGE.
IAN WRIGHT: GRACIAS.
OH, OOH, CHEEKY BI OF LIME IN THERE.
THIS IS PURE SUGAR CANE JUICE, SQUEEZED THERE AS YOU CAN SEE, NOTHING ELSE IN IT.
TRÃS NATURAL.
AND THIS TO CHEW? [VENDOR SPEAKING IN SPANISH.]
.
LOOK AT THAT, THERE'S A BIT OF RAW SUGAR CANE THERE TO CHEW ON.
DON'T TEMPT ME WITH THE RUM BUT I LIKE THE WAY YOU THINK, I LIKE THAT.
WOW, THAT IS SWEET BUT NO TOO SWEET, MORE REFRESHING.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO AN EVEN MORE REFRESHING RETURN TRIP TO TRINIDAD BUT ON ROUTE, THE JOURNEY IS INTERRUPTED BY AN UNEXPECTED DELAY.
LOOK AT THIS, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT, YEAH.
THERE'S ONLY ONE TRAIN A DAY THAT WE'RE ON, ONLY NEEDS TO COME BACK BUT THEN SUDDENLY EVERYONE'S ON THE RAILWAYS YOU KNOW, WORKING, TRYING TO REPAIR EVERYTHING, SO NOW WE'VE GOT TO WAIT UP THERE.
IT'S A BIT OF A PAIN WAITING BUT I'M GLAD THAT THERE ARE PUTTING THE NEW BEAMS IN.
LOOK AT THIS, I DON'T WAN TO GO OVER THIS IN A TRAIN.
IT'S ABSOLUTELY KNACKERED, SO I'M PREPARED TO WAIT, YEAH.
WHEW, IT'S A BI OF A DROP, TOO.
THEY CAN'T GET RID OF THE MAINTENANCE VEHICLE OR WHATEVER IT'S CALLED SO THE TRAIN CAN COME THROUGH.
JUST GET MESELF A CHEEKY LITTLE LIFT.
OH, YOU KNOW, I DESERVE IT BEEN ON THAT TRAIN DRINKING ALL DAY.
I'VE BEEN ON EVERY TRANSPOR NOW ON THE RAILWAY.
LOOK AT THIS.
GREAT LITTLE RIDE.
I WISH WE HAD GONE ALL THE WAY ON THIS.
IT'S BRILLIANT.
WOO, HOO, HOO, HOO, HOO, HOO! GRACIAS, SENOR, FANTASTIC.
ALL RIGHT, HERE COMES OUR TRAIN.
ONCE THE TRAIN FINALLY MAKES IT BACK TO TRINIDAD, THE STILL UNFIXED BRIDGE FURTHER UP THE LINE THAT WAS BROKEN BY THE HURRICANE OVER 20 YEARS AGO, MEANS THAT I HAVE TO TRAVEL BY CAR IN ORDER TO RETURN TO SANTA CLARA FOR THE NIGHT.
UNFORTUNATELY FOR ME, MY ONWARD TRAIN FROM SANTA CLARA DEPARTS AT A VERY UNFRIENDLY HOUR OF 5:30 IN THE MORNING.
TRAINS, TRAINS ARE FOR LOSERS.
THAT'S HOW I FEEL.
BUENOS DÃAS, CAN I HAVE UNE CAFÃ? POR FAVOR, GRACIAS.
NOT IN A MILLION YEARS DID I THINK THAT THERE'D BE LIKE A SMALL LITTLE COFFEE STAND JUST OUTSIDE THE STATION AT FIVE IN THE MORNING.
HA, I DON'T CARE WHA HAPPENS TO THE REST OF THE DAY NOW, THAT IS OH, MM.
WHOOH, HERE WE ARE.
THIS ENGINE IS JUST LIKE THE OLD CLASSIC AMERICAN CARS, PRE REVOLUTION, GENERAL MOTORS, MADE IN AMERICA.
WHO-WEE, BUENOS DÃAS.
OH, MAN.
[TRAIN WHISTLE.]
.
FROM SANTA CLARA, IT'S A DISTANCE OF ONLY JUST OVER 100 MILES TO MY NEX DESTINATION MORÃN AND YE INCREDIBLY THE JOURNEY IS SCHEDULED TO TAKE NEARLY SEVEN HOURS.
THAT MEANS OUR AVERAGE SPEED WILL BE JUST 15 MILES AN HOUR, IF WE'RE ON TIME.
NO WONDER THE CUBAN TRAINS ARE SO CHEAP AS I DISCUSSED WITH A FELLOW PASSENGER.
FOR ME, AS A FOREIGNER, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING HALFWAY ACROSS THE ISLAND FOR SEVEN HOURS JOURNEY ON THE TRAIN AND IT'S COSTING ME ABOUT $5.
WHAT'S THE PRICE FOR THE CUBANS ON THIS TRAIN? PASSENGER: FIVE CUBAN PESOS IN OUR OWN CURRENCY.
THAT'S LIKE 25 TIMES CHEAPER THAN WHAT I'M PAYING WHICH IS EXTRAORDINARY.
I MEAN, IT'S CHEAP AND I WOULD RECOMMEND TOURISTS TO GO ON THE TRAIN ALWAYS.
PASSENGER: OF COURSE.
IAN WRIGHT: BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A MENTALITY ON THE CUBAN TRAIN THAT LIKE ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN.
YOU KNOW, MAINTENANCE CAN BREAKDOWN OR THERE'S SOMETHING ON THE LINE BUT NOBODY GETS ANGRY OR WORRIES ABOUT IT.
PASSENGER: THAT'S TRUE, THOSE THINGS HAPPEN BUT EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT IF A TRAIN BREAKS, WE ARE GOING TO WAIT MAYBE ONE HOUR, MAYBE ONE HOUR AND A HALF.
IAN WRIGHT: IT MIGH BE SEVEN HOURS.
PASSENGER: OR IT MAY BE SEVEN HOURS, WHY NOT? IAN WRIGHT: YEAH, I WAS ON ONE FOR SEVEN HOURS OH.
PASSENGER: I BELIEVE YOU BUT AT THE END, YOU REACH YOUR DESTINY, RIGHT? IAN WRIGHT: YEAH.
PASSENGER: AND IT DOESN'T MATTER.
IT'S NOT THEIR FAULT, IT'S JUST THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS THA SOMETIMES WE DON' HAVE THE PIECES.
IAN WRIGHT: NO, YOU'RE RIGHT, SINCE THE U.
S.
EMBARGO, YOU CAN'T GET NEW PARTS AND EVERYTHING SO I SUPPOSE EVERYONE JUS ACCEPTS THAT, YEAH.
PASSENGER: EXACTLY.
IAN WRIGHT: THE TRAIN IS SO CHOCK-O-BLOCK OF PEOPLE, ABSOLUTELY RAMMED, EVEN STANDING UP.
NO SEATS, NO NOTHING.
HERE WE GO, THE MOMENT OF TRUTH.
I WON'T BE LONG.
I THINK I CAN HANG ON FOR ANOTHER 12 HOURS.
[TRAIN HORN BLOWING.]
.
GRACIAS.
WHAT'S ALL THAT? WHAT'S THIS? WAIT FOR IT, WAIT FOR IT.
WAA-AAA YOU'VE BEEN HIDING THIS FROM ME, MAN.
OH, I LOVE THIS.
PEANUT BRITTLE, LOOK AT THAT.
WHOO, BEEN ON THE TRAIN FOR ABOUT FIVE HOURS, DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE THEY SOLD FOOD.
WAA-AARHM OF COURSE YOU CAN HAVE SOME.
TO BE HONEST THIS HAS BEEN QUITE A GOOD JOURNEY.
WE'RE ONLY ABOUT FIVE MINUTES AWAY FROM THE STATION AND FOR A JOURNEY THA IS LIKE SEVEN HOURS, I THINK WE'RE UNDER HALF AN HOUR LATE AND THAT'S ABOUT IT.
THAT'S QUITE, QUITE A GOOD FEAT WE'LL GET THERE IN ENGLAND, WOULD YOU? SOME PEOPLE WHO SAY, "OH, IAN, SURELY, YOU'VE COME HOME.
THIS IS WHERE YOU STARTED, YEAH," BUT IT'S NOT PRONOUNCED MORON, ALRIGHT, IT'S MORÃN.
MORÃN IS AN ATTRACTIVE SMALL TOWN WITH WHAT SEEMS AN EASY GOING ATMOSPHERE BUT ALL THE SIGNS I SEE EVERYWHERE DON'T SEEM TO BE VERY FRIENDLY AT ALL.
OF SPECIAL INTEREST TO ME IS THAT MORÃN HAS A LARGE TRAIN MAINTENANCE DEPOT WHICH IS WHERE CUBA'S ENTIRE FLEET OF PRE-REVOLUTION, 1950'S AMERICAN LOCOMOTIVES ARE SERVICED AND REPAIRED.
THE TRAIN TURNTABLE HERE WAS BUILT BY THE BRITISH BACK IN THE 1920'S.
THIS IS SOMETHING ELSE.
I'VE ONLY SEEN THIS ON LIKE "THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE" WHEN I WAS A KID, THAT LITTLE CARTOON.
IT'S SO AMAZING LIKE A TRAIN SPOT WOULD WAKE UP A NIGHT SWEATING FROM HEAD TO TOE JUST DREAMING OF STANDING WHERE I AM.
THIS IS WONDERFUL.
AS THE SAYING GOES, "NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION," AND THAT'S CERTAINLY TRUE HERE WHERE THE MECHANICS SOMEHOW KEEP THE OLD 1950'S AMERICAN TRAINS GOING, JUST LIKE CUBA'S CLASSIC CARS ARE KEPT ON THE ROAD, TOO.
DESPITE SPARE PARTS BEING ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GE BECAUSE OF THE U.
S.
EMBARGO.
YOU'RE MAKING THIS? LOOK AT THAT, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL HUNK OF METAL.
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS PLACE, IT REMINDS ME OF SCHOOL LIKE WHEN I DID METALWORK, ALL THE LATHES CHUGGING AWAY.
SINCE THE REVOLUTION, THEY'VE KEPT THESE LOCOMOTIVES GOING FOR 60 YEARS BY MAKING ALL THE PARTS, NOTHING BRAND NEW AND THEY SAY THAT THEY CAN PROBABLY KEEP THEM GOING FOR ANOTHER 60 YEARS AND EVEN BEYOND THAT.
FOR ME, THAT'S LIKE YOUR PERFECT RECYCLING, IT DOESN'T GE BETTER THAN THAT.
I'M NOW HEADING ONTO THE FINAL DESTINATION OF MY TRAIN JOURNEY ACROSS CUBA ON A SHORT TRIP TO THE LOCAL PROVINCIAL CAPITAL.
WOW, LOOK AT THAT, I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT.
THERE'S THREE TRAINS LEAVING FROM MORÃN TO MY DESTINATION A DAY, AND IN CUBAN TERMS THAT'S LIKE MASSIVE, YOU KNOW? NEVER A GOOD SIGN, YEAH, WHEN YOU'RE FIVE MINUTES BEFORE YOU'RE LEAVING AND A GEEZER COMES OVER WITH A HUGE GREA SPARE PART AND A MASSIVE GREAT MONKEY WRENCH STARTS DOING A BIT OF MAINTENANCE TO YOUR TRAIN, YEAH.
MIGHT BE HERE A WHILE, YEAH, HANG IN THERE, HANG IN THERE.
AFTER WHAT HAPPILY TURNS OUT TO BE JUST A SHORT DELAY, WE'RE OFF.
[TRAIN HORN BLOWS.]
.
FROM MORÃN, IT'S A JOURNEY OF JUST 25 MILES TO THE PROVINCIAL CAPITAL OF CIEGO DE AVILA BUT EVEN SO, THE TRIP IS DUE TO TAKE NEARLY AN HOUR AND A HALF.
LUCKILY FOR ME, I'M IN NO HURRY AT ALL.
LOOK AT THAT SEAT, NOT THE MOST COMFORTABLE IN THE WORLD, EVEN THE LITTLE BITS OF NAILS ARE COMING THROUGH.
WHEN I FIRST STARTED THIS JOURNEY, IT WAS LIKE WHEN YOU FIRST GET ONTO A HORSE.
YOU'RE NOT USED TO IT AND YOU'RE BUTT'S SORT OF LIKE NOW, LOOK, FEEL THAT, THA IS HARD AS NAILS, MAN, I COULD SIT ON ANYTHING.
I COULD JUST GO FOREVER WITH THAT, WEE-HOO.
I'M GETTING OFF THE TRAIN A CIEGO DE AVILA BUT THE SAME LINE CONTINUES ON FROM THERE ALL THE WAY TO THE SOUTHERN COAST AND THE FACT THAT THE RAILWAY CROSSES ALL THE WAY FROM COAST TO COAST, CUTTING THE COUNTRY IN TWO HALVES IS THE CLUE TO WHY IT WAS BUILT.
THE UNIQUE THING ABOUT THIS RAILWAY, OPPOSED TO ALL THE OTHER RAILWAYS IN CUBA THAT WERE BUILT FOR THE SUGAR INDUSTRY, THIS WAS BUILT PURELY FOR MILITARY PURPOSES.
THE RAILWAY WAS BUIL BACK IN THE 1870'S DURING CUBA'S WARS OF INDEPENDENCE AGAINST ITS COLONIAL RULER, SPAIN.
INDEPENDENCE FIGHTERS CONTROLLED MUCH OF EASTERN CUBA AND WERE ADVANCING WEST, TOWARDS HAVANA, SO SPAIN DECIDED TO BUILD WHAT IN EFFECT WAS AN EARLY VERSION OF THE BERLIN WALL BETWEEN EAST AND WEST.
WHOO.
MY DESTINATION, CIEGO DE AVILA WAS THE LOCAL SPANISH MILITARY HQ DURING THE BUILDING OF THE FORTIFIED BORDERLINE WHICH WAS CALLED LA TROCHA.
HOLA, IT'S OKAY? ON THE EDGE OF TOWN, YOU CAN GET AN IDEA OF WHA THE LA TROCHA BORDERLINE ONCE LOOKED LIKE.
YEE-HAW! MY HORSE DRAWN TAXI CARRIAGE, FEELS REALLY APPROPRIATE TAKING ME ON A JOURNEY BACK TO THE 19TH CENTURY.
THERE YOU GO, YOU CAN SEE IT, THIS LITTLE STRETCH WHICH HAVE RECONSTRUCTED OF THE WHOLE BORDER, YOU'VE GOT YOUR LISTENING POST THERE, LISTENING POST THERE, THEN A LITTLE HUT FOR A FEW SOLDIERS, LISTENING POST, LISTENING POST, ALL ALONG 50 MILES OF IT.
GRACIAS, SENOR, CIAO.
EVERY KILOMETER ALONG THE LINE WERE THESE FORTS.
YOU CAN JUST MAKE OU THE NEXT ONE UP THERE, THAT'S THAT WHITE BLOB AND INSIDE EACH ONE, YOU'D HAVE ABOUT 25 SOLDIERS.
THE ONLY WAY IN WAS UP THE LADDER AND WHEN THEY GOT TO THE TOP, THEY PULLED THE LADDER UP, THERE WAS A LITTLE TEAR IN THE MIDDLE WHICH IS LIKE A LOOKOUT SO YOU COULD SEE IF THE REBELS WERE COMING AND THEN THEY'D JUST SIT AND WAIT REALLY.
POKE THE GUNS OUT THERE IF THERE'S ANY TROUBLE AND THAT WAS IT, THAT'S A LONG WAIT.
HERE COMES THE FREIGHT TRAIN.
SEE, BACK IN THE DAY WHEN THIS LINE WAS BUILT, THAT TRAIN WOULD BE FULL OF HUNDREDS OF SOLDIERS, AMMUNITION, GUNS, AND IT WOULD BE PATROLLING THIS BORDER UP AND DOWN.
THERE WAS ABOU SIX TRAINS ANYTIME OF ANY SNIFF OF TROUBLE, THE TRAINS WILL BE THERE, TRYING TO REPEL THE REBELS.
THE SPANISH THOUGHT THAT THE USE OF MILITARY TRAINS WOULD MAKE LA TROCHA IMPREGNABLE BUT CUBAN INDEPENDENCE FIGHTERS BROKE THROUGH THE BARRICADE OF BARBED WIRE BETWEEN THE FORTS, SURPRISINGLY OFTEN.
THIS HERE MONUMEN MARKS THE SPOT OF THE BIGGEST BREAKTHROUGH.
BACK IN NOVEMBER 1895, 1500 REBELS COME SURGING ACROSS THE BARBED WIRE, THROUGH THE SPANISH LINES UNDER THE COVER OF FOG AND IT WAS THAT ACTION THA CHANGED THE COURSE OF THE WAR AND SHORTLY AFTER, CUBA WON ITS INDEPENDENCE.
BACK TO THE PRESENT DAY AND AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, MY VISIT TO CIEGO DE AVILA, COINCIDES WITH A BIG BASEBALL MATCH AT THE CITY STADIUM.
[CROWD CHEERING, COWBELLS RINGING.]
LISTEN TO THAT ATMOSPHERE MAN, I WAS JUS WALKING PAST, I SAW THE STADIUM, ABSOLUTELY RAMMED WITH PEOPLE, I THOUGHT, "I'M GOING TO HAVE SOME OF THAT," AND OF COURSE, BASEBALL, THE BIGGES SPORT IN THE WHOLE OF CUBA.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO'S PLAYING BUT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.
HOO, HOO, HOO, HOO, HOO, HOO, HOO.
[CHEERING.]
.
I HAVE NO, IDEA WHAT HAPPENED THERE WHOA CIEGO, CIEGO, CIEGO, WOO-HOO-HOO! THERE'S THE AWAY SUPPORTERS DOWN THERE, THAT'S THE, THE ENEMY, YEAH.
THEIR MOTIF IS A HORSE AND CIEGO IS THE TIGER.
HORSE AND TIGER, MAN, RAWR.
HERE WE GO, HERE WE GO, THERE'S A NEW PITCHER.
THE BASES ARE LOADED, THE BAT SWINGS IT AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT MEANS BU THERE'S GOING TO BE A SCORE RIGHT NOW, WHOO.
[CROWD CHEERING.]
.
[CROWD CHEERING.]
.
THIS IS GREAT, AY, USUALLY ME AND BASEBALL, BORING, I CAN'T STAND IT BU NOW I'VE SEEN IT IN CUBA, IT'S A WHOLE DIFFEREN BALLGAME, I'M LOVING IT.
CIEGO, CIEGO.
IT'S THE FINAL AFTERNOON OF MY TRIP THROUGH CUBA AND I'M KEEN THAT MY VARIED EXPERIENCE OF CUBAN TRAINS SHOULD FINISH ON A HIGH.
JUST OUTSIDE CIEGO DE AVILA, SITUATED ON LA TROCHA TRAIN LINE IS ONE OF CUBA'S 50 OR SO REMAINING SUGAR MILLS, WHICH LIKE MOST OF CUBA'S WORKING MILLS STILL USES DIESEL TRAINS TO BRING IN MUCH OF THE SUGAR CANE.
UNTIL AS RECENTLY AS 15 YEARS AGO, HOWEVER, MANY OF CUBA'S SUGAR MILLS USED STEAM TRAINS INSTEAD.
TO CHECK THIS OUT, I HEAD TO ANOTHER NEARBY SUGAR MILL, ONE OF THE MORE THAN A 100 THAT HAVE RECENTLY CLOSED DOWN.
THIS IS AN OLD SUGAR MILL THAT THEY'VE TURNED INTO A BRILLIANT MUSEUM.
IT'S GOT ALL THESE FANTASTIC STEAM TRAINS THAT USED TO WORK THIS MILL BUT THE BES THING ABOUT IT IS THEY'VE GOT A STEAM TRAIN THA WORKS AND YOU CAN GO ON IT.
OH, YEAH! MANUFACTURED IN THE USA, LIKE SO MANY OF CUBA'S TRAINS, A SHORT RIDE ON THIS MAGNIFICENT AND BEAUTIFULLY PRESERVED STEAM TRAIN IS THE PERFECT WAY TO END MY TRIP.
ALL ALONG THE LINE, THE SUGAR CANE HARVES IS STILL UNDERWAY.
IT'S A SHAME OF COURSE THAT SPECTACULAR STEAM TRAINS ARE NO LONGER USED TO BRING IN THE HARVEST.
BUT MODERNIZATION IS BOUND TO HAPPEN, EVEN IN A COUNTRY THAT HAS CHANGED AS SLOWLY AS CUBA.
WHAT A CRAZY, FANTASTIC, AND SOMETIMES FRUSTRATING JOURNEY AND ALL THROUGH THE EYES OF THE RAILWAY, THE WHOLE OF CUBA LAID OUT IN FRONT OF ME AND THIS ENGINE SUMS IT ALL UP AND NOW CUBA'S AT RIGHT CROSSROADS OF AN INCREDIBLE CHANGE, BUT THE ONE THING THAT WILL ALWAYS PREVAIL IS THE LOVE, THE WARMTH, THE INTEGRITY AND THE SHEER ENERGY OF THE CUBAN PEOPLE AND THA IS WHY I LOVE THIS COUNTRY, WOO-HOO! NARRATOR: STAY TUNED FOR A SPECIAL "GLOBE TREKKER" EXTRA.
ANNOUNCER: FUNDING FOR THIS PROGRAM IS PROVIDED BY, SUBARU.
WOMAN: AT SUBARU, WE BUILD VEHICLES LIKE THE RUGGED OUTBACK.
WITH SYMMETRICAL ALL-WHEEL DRIVE AND PLENTY OF CARGO SPACE.
FOR THOSE WHO PACK EVEN MORE ADVENTURE INTO LIFE.
SUBARU, A PROUD SPONSOR OF GLOBE TREKKER.
MAN: YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOU THIS SERIES ON OUR WEBSITE.
PROGRAMS FROM THE GLOBE TREKKER SERIES ARE AVAILABLE ON DVD AND NOW ON DEMAND FROM GLOBETREKKER.
TV.
MUSIC FROM THE SERIES IS AVAILABLE ON CD, YOU CAN ALSO ORDER THE NEW GLOBE TREKKER ANNUAL FEATURING INFORMATION ON FESTIVALS, EVENTS AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES.
TO ORDER GLOBE TREKKER PRODUCTS CALL 888-565-0361 OR VISIT THE WEBSITE WWW.
GLOBETREKKERTV.
COM ZOEY: THE ERUPTIONS ON MONTSERRAT IN 1995 AND 1997, FORCE MORE THAN HALF OF THE ISLANDS 11,000 POPULATION TO MOVE OFF THE ISLAND.
BUT AROUND FOUR AND A HALF THOUSAND PEOPLE HAVE CARRIED ON LIVING IN THE NORTH OF THE ISLAND.
THERE ARE ALSO MANY UNTOUCHED AREAS OF FORESTS HERE, WHERE PLANTS AND ANIMALS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO THRIVE BEYOND THE REACH OF THE VOLCANO.
I MEET UP WITH FOREST RANGER JAMES SCRIBER DAILY WHO'S TAKING ME ON ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING HIKES ON THE ISLAND, THE ORIOLE WALKWAY TRAIL.
JAMES: THIS IS A PRIME AREA FOR THE MOUNTAIN CHICKEN.
MOUNTAIN CHICKENS, THEY LIKE MOIST AREA.
ZOEY: I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THIS, I'M SO EXCITED.
JAMES: COME, COME.
ZOEY! ZOEY: HERE? I'M COMING.
[JAMES LAUGHING.]
.
IT'S A FROG! I THOUGHT IT WAS A CHICKEN.
JAMES: YES! YEA, IT'S A FROG.
ZOEY: IT'S A VERY BIG FROG.
JAMES: AND LET ME TELL YOU, IN ONE JUMP, THIS FROG COULD JUMP UP TO 15-20 FEET.
ZOEY: NO WAY.
JAMES: YEA, IT'S, IT'S A SPRING CHICKEN, IT'S A SPRING CHICKEN, YOU KNOW? SO, IN ONE WOOM, IT'S GONE, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? SO, IT'S FROM MONTSERRAT, WE LOVE IT, WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE PUT AS MUCH EFFORT TO PRESERVE THIS AS, AS ONE OF OUR ENDEMICS, YOU KNOW, IT'S ONE OF OUR NATIONAL EMBLEMS HERE ON, ON MONTSERRAT.
ZOEY: BRILLIANT.
JAMES: BEAUTIFUL FROG AIN'T IT? ZOEY: IT'S BEAUTIFUL YEA.
JAMES: YEA, IT'S BEAUTIFUL.
ZOEY: SITUATED JUS OUTSIDE THE EXCLUSION ZONE, IN THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE CENTRE HILLS FOREST RESERVE, THE AREA SURROUNDING THE ORIOLE WALKWAY IS RENOWNED FOR ITS RICH HABITATS AND BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY.
JAMES: LET ME JUS GET SOME ORIOLES.
ZOEY: SCRIBERS CAME TO SHOW ME THE VERY RARE MONTSERRA ORIOLE THAT THE TRAIL IS NAMED AFTER.
[JAMES BIRD CALLING.]
.
[ORIOLE SQUAWKING.]
.
JAMES: OH, THERE'S AN ORIOLE.
ZOEY: WHERE, WHERE, WHERE? JAMES: SEE ZOEY, SEE? IT JUST FLEW UP.
ZOEY: IT FLEW JAMES: YEAH, JUS A [INAUDIBLE.]
.
LET ME SEE IF I CAN GET IT BACK.
ZOEY: THE ORIOLE IS MONTSERRAT'S NATIONAL BIRD AND HAS SHOWN A REMARKABLE ABILITY TO WITHSTAND THE VARIOUS ASSAULTS OF VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS AND HURRICANES.
SOMEHOW IT SEEMS TO SYMBOLIZE THE RESILIENCE THA THE PEOPLE OF MONTSERRA HAVE SHOWN IN RECENT YEARS.
AFTER BEING LUCKY ENOUGH TO SEE ONE OF THE RARES BIRDS IN THE CARIBBEAN, WE CONTINUE OUR CLIMB UP TO THE SUMMIT OF THE ORIOLE WALK.
JAMES: ZOEY, WE'RE AT THE TOP.
ZOEY: YEA! JAMES: WE'RE IN THE PRIME AREAS, THESE ARE AREAS THA WERE NOT DESTROYED BY THE VOLCANO, YOU KNOW.
THIS IS A SAFE ZONE.
ZOEY: YEA.
WHAT ABOUT THAT OVER, WHAT ABOUT THAT OVER THERE, IT LOOKS LIKE A VOLCANO AS WELL.
JAMES: FAR POIN ON THE COAST.
ZOEY: YES.
JAMES: THAT'S HIGH POINT, NOW ALL THOSE LITTLE POINTS THA YOU ARE SEEING, THOSE ARE ALL DOMES.
THAT'S WHERE MONTSERRA EMERGED FROM.
ZOEY: SO ALL THIS LAND WE'RE STANDING ON NOW, ACTUALLY WAS SPEWED OUT OF THE VOLCANO OVER THERE JAMES: CORRECT.
ZOEY: WHEN MONTSERRA WAS CREATED MILLIONS BOTH: MILLIONS OF YEARS AGO.
FOR THOSE WHO PACK EVEN MORE ADVENTURE INTO LIFE.
SUBARU, A PROUD SPONSOR OF "GLOBE TREKKER.
" ZAY HARDING: OH, MAN, THIS IS ON THE VERGE OF TORTUROUS.
THESE TRAIN JOURNEYS ARE AMONG THE MOST EPIC AND HARDCORE ON THE PLANET.
IT'S LIKE ICE PICKS STABBING AT MY STOMACH WALL.
TAKING PEOPLE THROUGH THE WORLD'S HARSHEST ENVIRONMENTS.
NO TRAIN HAS EVER GONE FURTHER NORTH THAN THIS ONE RIGHT HERE.
OVERCOMING TECHNICAL CHALLENGES.
IAN WRIGHT: LOOK AT THIS, I DON'T WANT TO GO OVER THIS IN A TRAIN.
ZAY HARDING: THESE TRAINS ARE A VITAL LINK TO REMOTE COMMUNITIES.
PEOPLE LIVE ALONG THE TRACKS SO THIS IS THEIR ONLY MEANS HOME.
SUSTAINING A REGION'S ECONOMY.
IAN WRIGHT: THERE'S ONE OF THE SUGARCANE CARRIAGES THA DIDN'T QUITE MAKE IT ZAY HARDING: AND EVEN CHANGING THE COURSE OF HISTORY.
IT'S BECAUSE OF THIS LINE THAT THE COUNTRY FEELS UNITED.
THESE ARE THE WORLD'S TOUGH TRAINS.
[TRAIN HORN.]
.
IAN WRIGHT: I'M IN THE CARIBBEAN ISLAND OF COMMUNIST CUBA.
FANTASTIC PEOPLE, FANTASTIC HISTORY AND I'M GONNA SEE I ALL THROUGH THE EYES OF THE TRAIN TRANSPORT AND IT'S GOING TO BE TOUGH OUT THERE.
THEY'VE GOT TOUGH TRAINS, THEY'RE NEVER ON TIME.
THEY'RE FALLING APAR AND EVERY DAY IS GOING TO BE FANTASTIC.
LOOK AT THIS, WHOA! LYING JUST OVER A 100 MILES OFF THE COAST OF THE U.
S.
OF A, COMMUNIST CUBA'S THE LARGES OF ALL THE CARIBBEAN ISLANDS.
STARTING FROM HAVANA, MY TRAIN JOURNEY THROUGH CUBA TAKES ME TO THE CITY WHERE THE REVOLUTION WAS WON, SANTA CLARA, THEN VIA CIENFUEGOS TO SPECTACULAR TRINIDAD, THE HISTORIC HEARTLAND OF THE CUBAN SUGAR INDUSTRY.
WHAT I FIND AMAZING ABOU CUBA'S LIFE ONE OF THE FIRS COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD TO BUILD A ROUND NETWORK AND THEY STARTED IN 1837.
IT WASN'T BUIL FOR PASSENGERS.
IT WAS MAINLY BUIL TO TRANSPORT SUGAR CANE ALL OVER THE ISLAND.
CARRYING ON MY JOURNEY FROM SUGAR RICH TRINIDAD, I RETURN TO SANTA CLARA BEFORE HEADING TO MY FINAL DESTINATIONS, MORÃN AND CIEGO DE AVILA WHERE I END MY TRIP WITH A NOSTALIC RIDE ON ONE OF THE CUBAN SUGAR INDUSTRY'S FABULOUS OLD STEAM TRAINS.
[TRAIN WHISTLE.]
.
CUBA'S CAPITAL HAVANA IS A GREAT PLACE TO START MY JOURNEY AND GET A FEEL FOR THE COUNTRY.
IT'S FULL OF CHARACTER, BUZZING WITH LIFE, A RIOT OF COLOR, AND CRUMBLING HISTORY.
THINGS ARE SLOWLY BEGINNING TO CHANGE HERE BUT REMARKABLY AGAINST ALL THE ODDS, CUBA IS STILL HANGING IN THERE AS ONE OF THE WORLD'S LAS SURVIVING COMMUNIST REGIMES.
WHEREVER YOU GO IN HAVANA, YOU'RE REMINDED OF THE REVOLUTION THAT TOOK PLACE OVER 50 YEARS AGO.
THE SENSE OF CUBA BEING STUCK IN TIME IS ADDED TO BY ALL THE AMAZINGLY PRESERVED PRE-REVOLUTION 1950'S AMERICAN CARS.
I'M HERE IN CUBA TO TRAVEL BY TRAIN, EVEN SO, I CAN'T POSSIBLY IGNORE THE CARS.
AH, UNBELIEVABLE, LOOK AT THESE THINGS, THEY'RE JUST SO STUNNING, THEY'RE SO BEAUTIFUL.
THEY'RE LIKE PIECES OF ART AND IT IS NOT JUST LIKE ONE OR TWO, THEY'RE JUST EVERYWHERE IN THIS CITY AND OF COURSE, YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE A RIDE.
YOU CAN'T COME HERE WITHOUT HAVING RIDE.
GRACIAS, SENOR.
FEEL THAT LEATHER ON YOUR BUTT.
AH, FORWARD, JEEVES.
ALMOST ALL VISITORS TO HAVANA TAKE A RIDE IN A CLASSIC AMERICAN CAR BUT VERY FEW IF ANY FOREIGN TOURISTS, TRAVEL BY TRAIN.
NO DOUBT THERE'S A GOOD REASON FOR THIS AND SOON I'M GOING TO FIND OUT WHY.
MY LUXURIOUS CAR RIDE IS COMING TO AN END AS WE'RE ARRIVING AT HAVANA'S CENTRAL TRAIN STATION.
WOW, OH, GRACIAS, WHOO.
NOW THAT IS WHAT A GRAND CENTRAL STATION IS ALL ABOUT.
HUH, THAT'S A BIT OF A DOWNER.
THERE'S ONLY ONE TRAIN THAT LEAVES TO SANTA CLARA AND THAT LEAVES IN THE EVENING SO I'VE LEFT ME BAG THERE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT TOO BAD.
I CAN JUST GO AND HAVE A LITTLE LOOK AROUND NOW.
I'VE GOT ALMOST THE WHOLE DAY UNTIL MY LONG DISTANCE TRAIN LEAVES FOR SANTA CLARA TONIGH SO HAPPILY I'VE GOT TIME TO CHECK OUT HAVANA'S MOST HISTORIC LOCAL RAILWAY.
IT'S VERY RELEVANT TO THE HISTORY OF THE REVOLUTION THA IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY MOST OF CUBA'S RAILWAYS, MOST OF CUBA'S SUGAR MILLS WERE FOREIGN OWNED BY COMPANIES FROM EUROPE AND THE U.
S.
OF A.
ONE SUCH COMPANY WAS THE FAMOUS AMERICAN CHOCOLATE MANUFACTURER HERSHEY'S.
IN THE 1920S, HERSHEY CHOCOLATE BUILT THEIR VERY OWN RAILWAY.
IT'S OVER THE WATER THERE.
IT WENT 30 MILES INTO CUBA TO THEIR MASSIVE SUGAR MILL.
ALL THE REFINED SUGAR WOULD COME BACK HERE TO THE PORT IN HAVANA AND THEN IT WOULD GET EXPORTED TO AMERICA AND THAT RAILWAY IS STILL RUNNING TODAY.
TO GET ACROSS HAVANA BAY, I TAKE A SHORT RIDE ON A SMALL PASSENGER FERRY.
ARRIVING ON THE OTHER SIDE, I'M JUST IN TIME TO CATCH A WAITING TRAIN.
TODAY THE HISTORIC HERSHEY LINE IS CUBA'S ONLY ELECTRIC RAILWAY.
IT LOOKS MORE LIKE A TRAM THAN A TRAIN TO ME BUT IN THE 1920'S THIS WAS LIKE HIGH TECH.
IT'S AMAZING THA YOU'RE STILL GOING NOW.
THE ELECTRIC TRAIN, STILL IN USE TODAY ON THE HERSHEY LINE, ARE ANTIQUES DATING BACK TO THE 1940S BUT EVEN SO THE RAILWAY HAS A REPUTATION OF BEING ONE OF CUBA'S MOST RELIABLE LINES.
ALTHOUGH, APPARENTLY, THAT'S NOT SAYING TOO MUCH.
HERSHEY, ALL THE WAY? TICKET INSPECTOR: HERSHEY, HERSHEY, UNO QUARENTA.
IAN WRIGHT: HOW MANY HOLES ARE IN THERE? HOW MANY STOPS IS THAT MORE LIKE FROM HAVANA, THE JOURNEY OF JUST 30 MILES TO THE OLD SUGAR MILL COMPANY TOWN OF HERSHEY TAKES AS LONG AS AN HOUR AND A HALF.
THAT'S AN AVERAGE SPEED OF JUST 20 MILES PER HOUR.
NOT EXACTLY LIGHTENING FAS BUT AT LEAST IT MEANS THAT I ISN'T TOO DANGEROUS FOR ME TO TAKE UP THE OFFER OF BRIEFLY DRIVING THE TRAIN.
IF POSSIBLE? JUST FOR A SECOND.
DRIVER: YEAH.
IAN WRIGHT: YEAH, YOU SURE? I'VE GOT TO KEEP I ON THE RAILS, YEAH? KEEP IT STRAIGHT AHEAD.
OKAY, OKAY, LOOK AT THIS.
DOES THAT [MAKES HORN SOUND.]
WHAT, WHAT? I'VE GOT TO LISTEN, LISTEN.
[TRAIN HORN HONKS.]
DOES IT GET BETTER THAN THIS? I'VE ONLY BEEN IN CUBA LIKE FOR A DAY AND NOW I'M DRIVING A TRAIN AND THERE [TRAIN HORN BLOWS.]
.
GROW UP, WILL YOU? OKAY, I'VE GOT TO LEAVE IT NOW BEFORE GRACIAS, THANK YOU.
WOW, THIS IS LIKE NOTHING I EXPECTED AT ALL.
IT'S DEAD AS A DOORNAIL, AH AT THE TIME OF THE REVOLUTION, WHEN THE HERSHEY MILL WAS NATIONALIZED, ALONG WITH ALL OF CUBA'S SUGAR MILLS, CUBA HAD BEEN THE WORLD'S BIGGEST SUGAR EXPORTER.
OOP, YEAH.
OH, LOOK AT THIS.
THIS IS LIKE ONE OF THE MASSIVE WHEELS THAT THEY USED TO CRUSH UP ALL THE SUGAR CANE, ALL GALLONS AND GALLONS OF THE JUICE.
IMAGINE IT, CHURNING OUT GALLONS AND GALLONS OF THE STUFF, OH.
AFTER THE REVOLUTION, HOWEVER, FOLLOWING DECADES OF THE USA'S ECONOMIC EMBARGO, COMBINED WITH THE COLLAPSE OF THE SOVIET UNION, TWO-THIRDS OF CUBA'S SUGAR MILLS HAVE CLOSED DOWN IN RECENT YEARS.
TO THINK THAT IT WAS STILL IN PRODUCTION ONLY 10 YEARS AGO, JUST 10 YEARS.
CUBA'S ECONOMY IS STILL STRUGGLING AND GIVEN THE CLOSURE OF THE HERSHEY SUGAR MILL, THE TRAIN LINE MIGHT WELL HAVE BEEN SHUT DOWN TOO BU DESPITE THE LACK OF FREIGHT TODAY, HAPPILY, THIS HISTORIC RAILWAY LIVES ON AS A PASSENGER SERVICE.
BY THE TIME I MAKE IT BACK TO HAVANA, I'M JUST IN TIME TO CATCH TONIGHT'S LONG DISTANCE TRAIN TO THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA.
JUST CHECKING OUT THE TOILET, MOST IMPORTANT THING.
OH THE DOWNER ABOUT TRAVELING ON TRAINS AT NIGHT, AS SOON AS WE'RE OUT OF HAVANA, WE'RE NOT GOING TO SEE ANYTHING, IT'S A BIT OF A SHAME.
FROM HAVANA, IT'S A DISTANCE OF AROUND A 180 MILES TO MY DESTINATION, THE CITY WHERE THE REVOLUTION WAS WON, SANTA CLARA.
IF THE TRAIN STICKS TO THE TIMETABLE, IT TAKES SIX HOURS, THE SPEED OF MY PROGRESS ON CUBAN TRAINS WILL INCREASE TO ALL OF 30 MILES AN HOUR.
TO BE HONEST, THIS AIN'T BAD, EVERYONE'S GO THEIR LITTLE CUBICLES.
IT'S QUITE COMFY.
HE'S PUTTING HIS BED DOWN SO HE CAN HAVE A LITTLE SNOOZE.
HOLA.
PASSENGER: HOLA.
IAN WRIGHT: HOLA WOOH, IT'S LIKE BEING DRUNK.
GRACIAS, BUENAS NOCHES.
THAT IS SO TERRIBLE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS.
IT DOESN'T SOUND CUBAN TO ME.
IT SOUNDS WRONG BUT A LEAST YOU CAN MOVE TO IT.
TRY NOT TO TOUCH THAT WHEN YOU GO PAST THE ELECTRICS, YEAH.
OI, BZZ-BZZZ [INAUDIBLE TALKING.]
.
PASSENGER: OH YEA, THAT'S WHAT THE [INAUDIBLE.]
IAN WRIGHT: THEY SAY THE TRAIN IS COMPLETELY KNACKERED? PASSENGER: AND WE HAVE TO GO RUNNING TO IAN WRIGHT: YEAH, SÃ.
OH, MAN, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT.
THE TRAIN IS COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY BROKE, BROKE DOWN, OUR FATE FOR THE JOURNEY.
EVERYONE'S GOT TO SLEEP ON THE TRAIN NOW.
THE TRAIN REMAINS BROKEN DOWN FOR AN INCREDIBLE SIX HOURS BEFORE FINALLY MY PRAYERS ARE ANSWERED AND THE TRAIN GETS MOVING AGAIN.
WE WERE SUPPOSED TO ARRIVE IN SANTA CLARA AT 3 A.
M.
BUT BY THE TIME THE TRAIN EVENTUALLY ARRIVES, IT'S MID-MORNING.
OH, BOY, 6 HOURS, [MAKES SNORING SOUND.]
.
OH, MAN, AT LEAST I SAVED ON ACCOMMODATION, I SUPPOSE.
I STINK, I'M KNACKER'D, I'M SMELLY, BUT, HEY, AT LEAST I'M HERE! OH, TAXI.
OH, IT'S OKAY? OH.
I ACTUALLY THINK THIS IS FASTER THAN THE TRAIN THA I WAS ON, OI, OH.
ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S BIGGEST PROVINCIAL CITIES, SANTA CLARA IS RENOWNED IN CUBA FOR ONE THING ABOVE ALL.
IN LATE 1958, IT WAS THE LOCATION OF THE FINAL MAJOR BATTLE OF THE REVOLUTION AGAINST THE HATED DICTATOR GENERAL BATISTA.
MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY LATER, THE MAN WHO COMMANDEERED THE REVOLUTIONARY FORCES IN SANTA CLARA REMAINS FAMOUS WORLDWIDE.
HERE IN SANTA CLARA, THE BIG REVOLUTIONARY HERO IS HIM UP THERE.
THEY LOVE HIM, CHE GUEVARA.
IT WAS HERE IN SANTA CLARA WHERE THE DECISIVE BATTLE OF THE REVOLUTION TOOK PLACE AND BECAUSE THIS TOWN IS SO IMPORTANT, IT'S RIGHT BANG IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ISLAND, PLUS THE MAIN RAILWAY GOES RIGHT THE WAY THROUGH SO IF YOU HOLD THIS PLACE, YOU ALMOST HOLD CUBA.
BATISTA KNEW THIS SO WHAT HE DID, HE SENT AN ARMORED TRAIN DOWN THE TRACK TO MEET THE REVOLUTIONARIES.
HE HAD 400 SOLDIERS IN THERE.
HE HAD WEAPONS.
HE HAD AMMUNITION.
HE JUST THOUGHT NOTHING CAN GO WRONG BUT HE DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THE REVOLUTIONARIES HAD A SECRET WEAPON AND THA WAS A SIMPLE BULLDOZER.
THERE IT IS, THE FAMOUS BULLDOZER.
LOOK AT THAT, MUST BE THE ONLY BULLDOZER IN THE WORLD THAT'S LIKE ON DISPLAY ON A PLINTH, AND LIKE, ALL HAIL TO THE BULLDOZER! FANTASTIC AND RIGHTLY SO AS WELL.
ALSO PRESERVED HERE IN MEMORY OF THE BATTLE, ARE SOME OF THE ARMORED TRAINS CARRIAGES.
LUCKILY FOR THE REBELS, THE TRAIN DRIVER DIDN'T NOTICE THAT THE RAILWAY TRACKS HAD BEEN LIFTED UP BY THE BULLDOZER AND AS SOON AS THE TRAIN DERAILED, IT WAS IMMEDIATELY AMBUSHED.
OH LOOK, THERE IT IS, THIS IS THE TRAIN THAT'S JUST BEEN DERAILED.
THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY THING ABOUT THIS WHOLE BATTLE IS THE FACT THAT THERE ARE ONLY 23 REVOLUTIONARIES AGAINST 400 AND THAT'S AMAZING.
THEY SURROUNDED THEM, SHOOT, SHOOT, SHOOT AND THE SOLDIERS THOUGH THAT THERE WAS HUNDREDS OF THEM SO THE BATTLE DIDN' LAST LONG AND WHEN BATISTA BACK IN HAVANA HEARD ABOUT THE DEFEAT, HE ABSOLUTELY BOTTLED I AND THEN TWO DAYS LATER, HE FLED THE ISLAND.
THIS IS WHA I LOVE ABOUT CUBA.
IT'S LIKE EVERYTHING HAPPENS ON THE STREETS.
DAY AND NIGHT, EVERYBODY'S OUT, YOU KNOW, IT MAKES A REAL BUZZY ATMOSPHERE.
SO EVERYTHING'S GOING ON, THERE'S EVEN A BIT OF MUSIC OVER THERE, OF COURSE.
CUBAN MUSIC HAS SUCH AN INFECTIOUS RHYTHM.
IT EVEN GETS ME DANCING.
IF I DIDN'T HAVE ANOTHER TRAIN TO CATCH, I'D HAPPILY STAY HERE FOR HOURS.
WOO, BRAVO, BRAVO.
EY, BUENO, WOO-HOO! LOOK AT THAT.
[HOWLING.]
.
THAT IS AN ABSOLUTE BEAUTY AND IT'S MY TRAIN.
I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, I'M TURNING INTO ONE OF THOSE LIKE SAD TRAIN SPOTTERS.
THAT'S THE 264 FROM CAMAGÃEY, MAKE A LITTLE NOTE OF THAT.
OUR NEXT DESTINATION IS THE NEIGHBORING PROVINCE OF CIENFUEGOS WHERE I'M GOING TO SEE HOW TRAINS HELP WITH THE HARVESTING OF SUGAR CANE.
IN THE MEANTIME, THERE'S PLENTY OF FUN TO BE HAD ON THE WAY.
AGAIN, THERE, I TELL YOU I MIGHT HAVE TO GE MY LICENSE TRAIN DRIVER, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OF SO MANY TRAINS THAT I'M DRIVING.
I LOVE PULLING ON BIG LEVERS, OH AND I LIKE THIS A LITTLE FLICK SWITCH, HERE.
THERE'S A RED THING THA SAYS DANGER ON THERE.
THERE'S THE BELL THA MAKES THIS NOISE.
[DING.]
OH, LISTEN, OH.
HELLO, YEAH, YEAH, GET SO MORE COAL OR WHAT? IT'S DIESEL? DON'T BE SO RUDE.
[TRAIN WHISTLE.]
.
OH, CHECK THIS OUT.
UNBELIEVABLE, HOO-HOO-HOO WA-HA-HA-HA [LAUGHING.]
.
FORGET EVERYTHING YOU KNOW ABOUT TRAIN TRAVEL.
THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO BE ON THE JOURNEY ON THE TRAIN.
RIGHT AT THE FRONT.
IT'S MENTAL, LOOK AT THIS.
IT'S LIKE THE WIND IS BLOWING ME BACK.
THE ENGINE'S PUSHING ME FORWARD.
OH, OH, IT'S LIKE THE BES FAIRGROUND RIDE IN WORLD.
WOO-HOO-HOO-HOO! AHH, LOOK AT THAT.
NO MESSING ABOUT.
THAT'S A REAL MECHANIC.
FORGET YOUR TOOLS.
JUST USE THAT.
WAAY I'M TOO OLD FOR THIS LARK, MAN.
WHOO.
DON'T SHOW THE KIDS THAT.
HEY! WHOA! FROM SANTA CLARA, IT TAKES AROUND THREE HOURS FOR MY TRAIN TO REACH THE PROVINCIAL CAPITAL CIENFUEGOS SO BY THE TIME WE ARRIVE, IT'S JUST AFTER DARK.
WHOA, WOW.
IF A JOURNEY GETS BETTER THAN THAT, I'LL BE A HAPPY MAN.
SITUATED ON THE COAST, CIENFUEGOS BY CUBAN STANDARDS IS RELATIVELY WELL OFF, WITH A REPUTATION AS ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S MOS ATTRACTIVE CITIES.
EARLY IN THE MORNING, JOGGERS ARE OUT ON THE CITY WATERFRON AND THE STREETS PROVIDE A HOME FOR PLENTY OF OTHER ACTIVITIES, TOO.
HU-HU-HU HU-HU SHOOO PUNCHING A BIT ABOVE ME OWN WEIGHT, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.
WATCH OUT, HERE COMES ANOTHER.
I TOLD YOU EVERYTHING HAPPENS ON THE STREET AND IF CUBA IS FAMOUS FOR ANY SPORT, IT'S DEFINITELY BOXING.
THEY'RE BRILLIANT AT IT.
AND THIS IS WHERE THEY START, ABOUT THAT, AY.
ALRIGHT, IT'S JUST JOKING.
I DON'T WANT ANY TROUBLE, ALRIGHT.
IN CUBA LIFE ISN' EASY FOR MOST PEOPLE, SO IT'S NO WONDER THA KIDS ARE TAUGHT TO TOUGHEN UP AT AN EARLY AGE.
I'M TAKING A SHORT TRIP OUT OF CIENFUEGOS INTO THE COUNTRYSIDE WHERE THE SUGAR CANE HARVEST IS IN FULL SWING.
CUBA'S SUGAR INDUSTRY SUFFERED A LOT OF CLOSURES IN RECEN YEARS BUT I'VE ARRANGED TO VISIT ONE OF THE MINORITY OF SUGAR MILLS THAT REMAIN OPEN.
THIS IS THE SO CALLED 14TH OF JULY SUGAR FACTORY WHICH WAS RENAMED AFTER THE CUBAN REVOLUTION AND RENAMED IN HONOR OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION WHICH STARTED WITH THE STORMING TO THE BASTILLE ON THE 14TH OF JULY 1789.
I LOVE IT.
IT'S LIKE REVOLUTIONARY BROTHERS STICK TOGETHER.
AND IT'S ALMOST AS OLD AS THE FRENCH REVOLUTION ITSELF.
THIS SUGAR MILL WAS BUIL IN 1830 AND IT'S STILL IN PRODUCTION TODAY BUT OF COURSE, BACK IN THOSE DAYS, ALL THE WORKERS ON THE PLANTATIONS AND THE SUGAR MILLS WOULD HAVE BEEN SLAVES.
SLAVERY WAS ABOLISHED IN CUBA AS LATE AS 1886, JUST TWO YEARS LATER, A RAILWAY WAS BUILT HERE AT THE MILL TO PROVIDE A NEW WAY OF BRINGING IN THE HARVESTED SUGAR CANE.
REMARKABLY, THE ORIGINAL TRACKS BUILT IN THE 1880S HAVEN'T BEEN REPLACED AND ARE STILL IN USE TODAY.
THAT'S A SERIOUS WORKING ENGINE, WHOO.
THE TRAINS USED HERE ARE ALMOST MODERN IN COMPARISON, BUILT IN THE 1970'S.
THIS IS SUCH AN OLD, OLD LOCOMOTIVE.
IT WAS BUILT IN THE SOVIET UNION AND LIKE EVERYTHING IT'S JUST FALLING APART.
YOU CAN'T AFFORD NEW PARTS FOR IT, THERE AREN'T ANY NEW PARTS FOR IT LIKE THE OLD CARS REALLY.
CHECK THIS OUT, THIS IS THE ACCELERATOR.
THAT'S WHAT HE PULLS MANUALLY TO SPEED IT UP.
HOW NUTS IS THAT? BUT IT WORKS.
HOLA.
THE 19TH CENTURY TRACK IS VERY NARROW AND SO OLD AND WOBBLY THAT OCCASIONALLY, SOME OF THE WAGONS DERAIL DESPITE BEING PULLED SLOWLY.
THERE'S ONE OF THE SUGAR CANE CARRIAGES THA DIDN'T QUITE MAKE IT.
THE JOB OF THE TRAINS IS TO BRING IN HARVESTED SUGAR CANE FROM A CENTRAL COLLECTION POINT.
WELL, THIS IS THE PROCESS.
WE BROUGHT THE EMPTY CARRIAGES HERE, STUFFED THEM ON THERE.
ALL THE CART'S SUGAR CANE, ITS CONVEYOR BELT ABOUT THEN AND POURED INTO THE CARRIAGES AND TAKEN TO THE SUGAR MILL.
DESPITE THE ANCIENT RAILWAY AND TRAINS THAT IT HAS TO MAKE DUE WITH, THE 14TH OF JULY MILL IS ONE OF CUBA'S MORE EFFICIENT SUGAR MILLS BU WHEREAS CUBA PRODUCED ONE THIRD OF THE WORLD'S SUGAR BACK IN THE 19TH CENTURY, TODAY ITS SHARE OF THE WORLD SUGAR MARKET IS JUST 1%.
OH, YEAH, WOW, WHOO.
TO ME, THIS IS WHAT AN OLD SUGAR MILL IS ALL ABOUT.
HERE'S GREAT BEAUTIFUL COGS GOING ROUND AND ROUND AND ROUND.
YOU'VE GOT THE FURNACES, IT'S HOT.
YOU CAN SMELL THE SUGAR IN THE AIR.
IT'S ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL.
THIS IS THE RAW SUGAR.
IT'S STILL WARM.
OH, THAT'S LOVELY, OH.
AFTER RETURNING TO CIENFUEGOS, IT'S TIME TO HEAD ON TO MY NEXT DESTINATION WHICH IS SAID TO BE AN EVEN MORE BEAUTIFUL AND HISTORIC CITY.
THE NEXT PART OF THE JOURNEY, I CAN'T GO BY TRAIN BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENED, THERE'S A RAILWAY BRIDGE AND THE HURRICANE BLEW IT TO BITS, THAT WAS 20 YEARS AGO AND THEY STILL HAVEN'T MENDED I BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER, THERE'S OTHER MODES OF TRANSPORT, AS YOU CAN SEE.
HOLA? TAXI? TRINIDAD? TAXI DRIVER: TRINIDAD.
IAN WRIGHT: YEAH, YEAH, OKAY.
THAT WAS SIMPLE, SO FAR.
THE ROAD TRIP OUT OF CIENFUEGOS ON ROUTE TO TRINIDAD TAKES ME THROUGH A SPARSELY POPULATED, VERY SCENIC MOUNTAIN LANDSCAPE.
HAVING LEFT CIENFUEGOS IN THE LATE AFTERNOON FOR THE 50 MILE JOURNEY TO TRINIDAD WHERE I'M STAYING A DAY BEFORE RETURNING TO SANTA CLARA, IT'S ALMOS DARK BY THE TIME WE SEE TRINIDAD IN THE DISTANCE A THE FOOT OF THE MOUNTAINS.
FOUNDED MORE THAN 500 YEARS AGO, THE HISTORIC CITY OF TRINIDAD IS EXTREMELY WELL PRESERVED AND APART FROM HAVANA AND BEACH RESORTS, IT'S THE MOST POPULAR TOURIS DESTINATION IN ALL OF CUBA.
WHAT EVERYBODY'S HERE TO SEE ARE THE GRAND MANSIONS OF TRINIDAD'S FORMER PLANTATION OWNERS WHO BECAME FABULOUSLY WEALTHY ON THE PROFITS OF SUGAR AND SLAVERY.
THIS HERE IS KNOWN AS BRUNET'S PALACE.
IT WAS A FAMILY HOME OF THE BRUNET FAMILY IN THE 19TH CENTURY AND THEY WERE ONE OF THE RICHES SLAVE OWNING SUGAR BARONS IN THE WHOLE OF TRINIDAD.
LET'S CHECK THE FURNITURE OUT, SHALL WE? OH, WOW.
THAT IS A POSH DO, LOOK AT THAT.
NO TOMATO SAUCE? HOO-HOO, WELL, I WASN' WRONG ABOUT THE FURNITURE.
LOOK AT THAT.
THAT IS STUNNING DETAIL, ALL THE PICTURES.
WOULDN'T WANT IT ANYWHERE NEAR MY HOUSE BUT I STILL LIKE IT.
JUST OVER THE SQUARE THERE IS ANOTHER RICH FAMILY'S HOUSE, MAYBE EVEN RICHER BECAUSE THEY'VE GOT A TOWER.
THAT IS THE CANTERO PALACE.
LIKE OTHER 19TH CENTURY PLANTATION OWNERS, DON JUSTO CANTERO HAD HUGE NUMBER OF SLAVES WORKING FOR HIM BUT HE WAS ALSO KEEN TO EMBRACE NEW TECHNOLOGY.
THIS IS DEFINITELY THE BEST VIEW OF THE TOWN.
LOOK AT THAT, BECAUSE OVER THERE YOU CAN SEE, THAT'S THE VALLEY OF SUGAR CANE WHERE ALL THE PLANTATIONS WERE AND CANTERO, ONE OF THE RICHEST OWNERS IS LIKE, "HOW CAN I MAKE MORE MONEY? I WANT TO GET MORE MONEY, I WANT TO GET MORE MONEY.
I'VE GOT TO GET MY SUGAR TO THE PORT AND EXPORT IT QUICKER," SO WHAT HE DID, IS FINANCE THE RAILWAY.
THESE DAYS, TRINIDAD'S FORMER SUGAR RAILWAY CARRIES TOURISTS INSTEAD.
WHILE WAITING FOR THE TOUR'S LOCOMOTIVE TO ARRIVE, I CHECK OUT THE OTHER TRAINS AROUND THE STATION.
LOOK, THREE STEAM ENGINES ALL IN A ROW.
THEY DON'T THROW ANYTHING AWAY.
THEY JUST LEAVE THEM BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD FOR PEOPLE TO LOOK AT, LIKE THIS, AND THEY LOOK FANTASTIC.
IT'S A GREAT THING TO DO WITH THEM.
WHEN IT ARRIVES THE TOURIS TRAIN GOING TO THE VALLEY OF HISTORIC SUGAR PLANTATIONS TURNS OUT TO HAVE THE SAME TYPE OF SOVIE LOCOMOTIVE USED AT THE 14TH OF JULY SUGAR MILL.
TO BE HONEST THOUGH, I'M MUCH MORE INTERESTED IN A VERY DIFFEREN FEATURE OF THE TRAIN.
I'VE SPOTTED SOMETHING ON THERE.
OKAY, IT DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER IN TRAIN TRAVEL WHEN YOU CAN SIT AT A BAR ON A TRAIN, AW.
"I KNOW I HAVEN'T PRAYED TO YOU IN A LONG TIME BUT THANK YOU, LORD," WOO-HOO! IT'S THE ONLY TIME IN MY LIFE I'VE EVER BEEN IN RHYTHM BUT IT'S NOT ME, IT'S THE TRAIN AND THE DRINK.
LOOK, CHU-JA-JA, CHU-JA-JA, CHU-JA-JA, CHU-JA-JA.
FEEL A BIT NAUGHTY, FEEL LIKE I SHOULD BE LOOKING A LANDSCAPE AND ENJOYING THE VIEW, ENJOYING THE YOU KNOW CUBAN VISTA BUT THE VISTA SEEMS TO BE HERE.
OH, THERE'S SOME MOUNTAINS OUT THERE.
OH, WOW, BIG IRON BRIDGE COMING UP.
WHOO, WHOA, WOW.
I SWEAR IT'S LIKE BEING IN LIKE THE WILD WEST IN AMERICA, LOOK AT THAT OLD THING.
ANYWAY, BACK TO THE DRINK, EH? THE SPECTACULAR TRAIN RIDE THROUGH THE BEAUTIFUL VALLEY THAT MADE TRINIDAD RICH IS SHORTER THAN I'D LIKE, TAKING LESS THAN AN HOUR.
IS THIS IT? WE FINISH HERE? BARTENDER: STOPPING.
IAN WRIGHT: AH, WE'RE HERE, I'VE NEVER BEEN SO DISAPPOINTED IN ME LIFE.
WHOO.
THE PLACE WHERE WE'VE ARRIVED, MANACA IZNAGA, WAS ONE OF THE RICHES SUGAR CANE PLANTATIONS IN THE ENTIRE VALLEY BACK IN THE 19TH CENTURY.
WHAT MAKES IT A TOURIS ATTRACTION TODAY IS IT'S REMARKABLE BELL TOWER, AN AMAZING FEAT OF CONSTRUCTION WHEN IT WAS BUIL AROUND 200 YEARS AGO, IT'S ALL OF A 150 FEET TALL.
AND AT THE TIME, IT WAS THE HIGHEST BUILDING IN THE WHOLE OF CUBA.
IT WAS BUILT BY THE SUGAR CANE PLANTATION OWNERS AND THROUGH THE BLOOD AND SWEAT OF SLAVERY, THEY WERE RICH AS HELL.
HUH, OH, GEEZ, ONE MORE LEVEL? IN ORDER TO HOLD ONTO THEIR FILTHY RICHES, THE PLANTATION OWNERS MADE CERTAIN THAT THE SLAVES HAD NO CHANCE OF ESCAPING TO FREEDOM.
OH, NOT ONLY WAS THIS A BELL TOWER BUT IT WAS ALSO A LOOKOUT TOWER SO YOU COULD SEE IF RUNAWAY SLAVES WERE MAKING THEIR ESCAPE BECAUSE IN THE VALLEY ALONE THERE WERE LIKE OVER 50 SUGAR MILLS AND ABOU 30,000 SLAVES WORKING THE LAND, SO IT'S THE TALLES TOWER IN CUBA BUT ALSO PROBABLY THE MOST HATED.
TODAY NONE OF THE VALLEY'S 54 OR MORE SUGAR MILLS ARE STILL WORKING BUT I'M HAPPY TO FIND THAT THERE'S AT LEAST A LOCAL STORE SELLING SUGAR CANE JUICE.
HOLA.
VENDOR: HOLA.
IAN WRIGHT: UNE GUAPO, POR FAVOR.
VENDOR: SÃ, SIGE.
IAN WRIGHT: GRACIAS.
OH, OOH, CHEEKY BI OF LIME IN THERE.
THIS IS PURE SUGAR CANE JUICE, SQUEEZED THERE AS YOU CAN SEE, NOTHING ELSE IN IT.
TRÃS NATURAL.
AND THIS TO CHEW? [VENDOR SPEAKING IN SPANISH.]
.
LOOK AT THAT, THERE'S A BIT OF RAW SUGAR CANE THERE TO CHEW ON.
DON'T TEMPT ME WITH THE RUM BUT I LIKE THE WAY YOU THINK, I LIKE THAT.
WOW, THAT IS SWEET BUT NO TOO SWEET, MORE REFRESHING.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO AN EVEN MORE REFRESHING RETURN TRIP TO TRINIDAD BUT ON ROUTE, THE JOURNEY IS INTERRUPTED BY AN UNEXPECTED DELAY.
LOOK AT THIS, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT, YEAH.
THERE'S ONLY ONE TRAIN A DAY THAT WE'RE ON, ONLY NEEDS TO COME BACK BUT THEN SUDDENLY EVERYONE'S ON THE RAILWAYS YOU KNOW, WORKING, TRYING TO REPAIR EVERYTHING, SO NOW WE'VE GOT TO WAIT UP THERE.
IT'S A BIT OF A PAIN WAITING BUT I'M GLAD THAT THERE ARE PUTTING THE NEW BEAMS IN.
LOOK AT THIS, I DON'T WAN TO GO OVER THIS IN A TRAIN.
IT'S ABSOLUTELY KNACKERED, SO I'M PREPARED TO WAIT, YEAH.
WHEW, IT'S A BI OF A DROP, TOO.
THEY CAN'T GET RID OF THE MAINTENANCE VEHICLE OR WHATEVER IT'S CALLED SO THE TRAIN CAN COME THROUGH.
JUST GET MESELF A CHEEKY LITTLE LIFT.
OH, YOU KNOW, I DESERVE IT BEEN ON THAT TRAIN DRINKING ALL DAY.
I'VE BEEN ON EVERY TRANSPOR NOW ON THE RAILWAY.
LOOK AT THIS.
GREAT LITTLE RIDE.
I WISH WE HAD GONE ALL THE WAY ON THIS.
IT'S BRILLIANT.
WOO, HOO, HOO, HOO, HOO, HOO! GRACIAS, SENOR, FANTASTIC.
ALL RIGHT, HERE COMES OUR TRAIN.
ONCE THE TRAIN FINALLY MAKES IT BACK TO TRINIDAD, THE STILL UNFIXED BRIDGE FURTHER UP THE LINE THAT WAS BROKEN BY THE HURRICANE OVER 20 YEARS AGO, MEANS THAT I HAVE TO TRAVEL BY CAR IN ORDER TO RETURN TO SANTA CLARA FOR THE NIGHT.
UNFORTUNATELY FOR ME, MY ONWARD TRAIN FROM SANTA CLARA DEPARTS AT A VERY UNFRIENDLY HOUR OF 5:30 IN THE MORNING.
TRAINS, TRAINS ARE FOR LOSERS.
THAT'S HOW I FEEL.
BUENOS DÃAS, CAN I HAVE UNE CAFÃ? POR FAVOR, GRACIAS.
NOT IN A MILLION YEARS DID I THINK THAT THERE'D BE LIKE A SMALL LITTLE COFFEE STAND JUST OUTSIDE THE STATION AT FIVE IN THE MORNING.
HA, I DON'T CARE WHA HAPPENS TO THE REST OF THE DAY NOW, THAT IS OH, MM.
WHOOH, HERE WE ARE.
THIS ENGINE IS JUST LIKE THE OLD CLASSIC AMERICAN CARS, PRE REVOLUTION, GENERAL MOTORS, MADE IN AMERICA.
WHO-WEE, BUENOS DÃAS.
OH, MAN.
[TRAIN WHISTLE.]
.
FROM SANTA CLARA, IT'S A DISTANCE OF ONLY JUST OVER 100 MILES TO MY NEX DESTINATION MORÃN AND YE INCREDIBLY THE JOURNEY IS SCHEDULED TO TAKE NEARLY SEVEN HOURS.
THAT MEANS OUR AVERAGE SPEED WILL BE JUST 15 MILES AN HOUR, IF WE'RE ON TIME.
NO WONDER THE CUBAN TRAINS ARE SO CHEAP AS I DISCUSSED WITH A FELLOW PASSENGER.
FOR ME, AS A FOREIGNER, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING HALFWAY ACROSS THE ISLAND FOR SEVEN HOURS JOURNEY ON THE TRAIN AND IT'S COSTING ME ABOUT $5.
WHAT'S THE PRICE FOR THE CUBANS ON THIS TRAIN? PASSENGER: FIVE CUBAN PESOS IN OUR OWN CURRENCY.
THAT'S LIKE 25 TIMES CHEAPER THAN WHAT I'M PAYING WHICH IS EXTRAORDINARY.
I MEAN, IT'S CHEAP AND I WOULD RECOMMEND TOURISTS TO GO ON THE TRAIN ALWAYS.
PASSENGER: OF COURSE.
IAN WRIGHT: BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A MENTALITY ON THE CUBAN TRAIN THAT LIKE ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN.
YOU KNOW, MAINTENANCE CAN BREAKDOWN OR THERE'S SOMETHING ON THE LINE BUT NOBODY GETS ANGRY OR WORRIES ABOUT IT.
PASSENGER: THAT'S TRUE, THOSE THINGS HAPPEN BUT EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT IF A TRAIN BREAKS, WE ARE GOING TO WAIT MAYBE ONE HOUR, MAYBE ONE HOUR AND A HALF.
IAN WRIGHT: IT MIGH BE SEVEN HOURS.
PASSENGER: OR IT MAY BE SEVEN HOURS, WHY NOT? IAN WRIGHT: YEAH, I WAS ON ONE FOR SEVEN HOURS OH.
PASSENGER: I BELIEVE YOU BUT AT THE END, YOU REACH YOUR DESTINY, RIGHT? IAN WRIGHT: YEAH.
PASSENGER: AND IT DOESN'T MATTER.
IT'S NOT THEIR FAULT, IT'S JUST THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS THA SOMETIMES WE DON' HAVE THE PIECES.
IAN WRIGHT: NO, YOU'RE RIGHT, SINCE THE U.
S.
EMBARGO, YOU CAN'T GET NEW PARTS AND EVERYTHING SO I SUPPOSE EVERYONE JUS ACCEPTS THAT, YEAH.
PASSENGER: EXACTLY.
IAN WRIGHT: THE TRAIN IS SO CHOCK-O-BLOCK OF PEOPLE, ABSOLUTELY RAMMED, EVEN STANDING UP.
NO SEATS, NO NOTHING.
HERE WE GO, THE MOMENT OF TRUTH.
I WON'T BE LONG.
I THINK I CAN HANG ON FOR ANOTHER 12 HOURS.
[TRAIN HORN BLOWING.]
.
GRACIAS.
WHAT'S ALL THAT? WHAT'S THIS? WAIT FOR IT, WAIT FOR IT.
WAA-AAA YOU'VE BEEN HIDING THIS FROM ME, MAN.
OH, I LOVE THIS.
PEANUT BRITTLE, LOOK AT THAT.
WHOO, BEEN ON THE TRAIN FOR ABOUT FIVE HOURS, DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE THEY SOLD FOOD.
WAA-AARHM OF COURSE YOU CAN HAVE SOME.
TO BE HONEST THIS HAS BEEN QUITE A GOOD JOURNEY.
WE'RE ONLY ABOUT FIVE MINUTES AWAY FROM THE STATION AND FOR A JOURNEY THA IS LIKE SEVEN HOURS, I THINK WE'RE UNDER HALF AN HOUR LATE AND THAT'S ABOUT IT.
THAT'S QUITE, QUITE A GOOD FEAT WE'LL GET THERE IN ENGLAND, WOULD YOU? SOME PEOPLE WHO SAY, "OH, IAN, SURELY, YOU'VE COME HOME.
THIS IS WHERE YOU STARTED, YEAH," BUT IT'S NOT PRONOUNCED MORON, ALRIGHT, IT'S MORÃN.
MORÃN IS AN ATTRACTIVE SMALL TOWN WITH WHAT SEEMS AN EASY GOING ATMOSPHERE BUT ALL THE SIGNS I SEE EVERYWHERE DON'T SEEM TO BE VERY FRIENDLY AT ALL.
OF SPECIAL INTEREST TO ME IS THAT MORÃN HAS A LARGE TRAIN MAINTENANCE DEPOT WHICH IS WHERE CUBA'S ENTIRE FLEET OF PRE-REVOLUTION, 1950'S AMERICAN LOCOMOTIVES ARE SERVICED AND REPAIRED.
THE TRAIN TURNTABLE HERE WAS BUILT BY THE BRITISH BACK IN THE 1920'S.
THIS IS SOMETHING ELSE.
I'VE ONLY SEEN THIS ON LIKE "THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE" WHEN I WAS A KID, THAT LITTLE CARTOON.
IT'S SO AMAZING LIKE A TRAIN SPOT WOULD WAKE UP A NIGHT SWEATING FROM HEAD TO TOE JUST DREAMING OF STANDING WHERE I AM.
THIS IS WONDERFUL.
AS THE SAYING GOES, "NECESSITY IS THE MOTHER OF INVENTION," AND THAT'S CERTAINLY TRUE HERE WHERE THE MECHANICS SOMEHOW KEEP THE OLD 1950'S AMERICAN TRAINS GOING, JUST LIKE CUBA'S CLASSIC CARS ARE KEPT ON THE ROAD, TOO.
DESPITE SPARE PARTS BEING ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GE BECAUSE OF THE U.
S.
EMBARGO.
YOU'RE MAKING THIS? LOOK AT THAT, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL HUNK OF METAL.
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS PLACE, IT REMINDS ME OF SCHOOL LIKE WHEN I DID METALWORK, ALL THE LATHES CHUGGING AWAY.
SINCE THE REVOLUTION, THEY'VE KEPT THESE LOCOMOTIVES GOING FOR 60 YEARS BY MAKING ALL THE PARTS, NOTHING BRAND NEW AND THEY SAY THAT THEY CAN PROBABLY KEEP THEM GOING FOR ANOTHER 60 YEARS AND EVEN BEYOND THAT.
FOR ME, THAT'S LIKE YOUR PERFECT RECYCLING, IT DOESN'T GE BETTER THAN THAT.
I'M NOW HEADING ONTO THE FINAL DESTINATION OF MY TRAIN JOURNEY ACROSS CUBA ON A SHORT TRIP TO THE LOCAL PROVINCIAL CAPITAL.
WOW, LOOK AT THAT, I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT.
THERE'S THREE TRAINS LEAVING FROM MORÃN TO MY DESTINATION A DAY, AND IN CUBAN TERMS THAT'S LIKE MASSIVE, YOU KNOW? NEVER A GOOD SIGN, YEAH, WHEN YOU'RE FIVE MINUTES BEFORE YOU'RE LEAVING AND A GEEZER COMES OVER WITH A HUGE GREA SPARE PART AND A MASSIVE GREAT MONKEY WRENCH STARTS DOING A BIT OF MAINTENANCE TO YOUR TRAIN, YEAH.
MIGHT BE HERE A WHILE, YEAH, HANG IN THERE, HANG IN THERE.
AFTER WHAT HAPPILY TURNS OUT TO BE JUST A SHORT DELAY, WE'RE OFF.
[TRAIN HORN BLOWS.]
.
FROM MORÃN, IT'S A JOURNEY OF JUST 25 MILES TO THE PROVINCIAL CAPITAL OF CIEGO DE AVILA BUT EVEN SO, THE TRIP IS DUE TO TAKE NEARLY AN HOUR AND A HALF.
LUCKILY FOR ME, I'M IN NO HURRY AT ALL.
LOOK AT THAT SEAT, NOT THE MOST COMFORTABLE IN THE WORLD, EVEN THE LITTLE BITS OF NAILS ARE COMING THROUGH.
WHEN I FIRST STARTED THIS JOURNEY, IT WAS LIKE WHEN YOU FIRST GET ONTO A HORSE.
YOU'RE NOT USED TO IT AND YOU'RE BUTT'S SORT OF LIKE NOW, LOOK, FEEL THAT, THA IS HARD AS NAILS, MAN, I COULD SIT ON ANYTHING.
I COULD JUST GO FOREVER WITH THAT, WEE-HOO.
I'M GETTING OFF THE TRAIN A CIEGO DE AVILA BUT THE SAME LINE CONTINUES ON FROM THERE ALL THE WAY TO THE SOUTHERN COAST AND THE FACT THAT THE RAILWAY CROSSES ALL THE WAY FROM COAST TO COAST, CUTTING THE COUNTRY IN TWO HALVES IS THE CLUE TO WHY IT WAS BUILT.
THE UNIQUE THING ABOUT THIS RAILWAY, OPPOSED TO ALL THE OTHER RAILWAYS IN CUBA THAT WERE BUILT FOR THE SUGAR INDUSTRY, THIS WAS BUILT PURELY FOR MILITARY PURPOSES.
THE RAILWAY WAS BUIL BACK IN THE 1870'S DURING CUBA'S WARS OF INDEPENDENCE AGAINST ITS COLONIAL RULER, SPAIN.
INDEPENDENCE FIGHTERS CONTROLLED MUCH OF EASTERN CUBA AND WERE ADVANCING WEST, TOWARDS HAVANA, SO SPAIN DECIDED TO BUILD WHAT IN EFFECT WAS AN EARLY VERSION OF THE BERLIN WALL BETWEEN EAST AND WEST.
WHOO.
MY DESTINATION, CIEGO DE AVILA WAS THE LOCAL SPANISH MILITARY HQ DURING THE BUILDING OF THE FORTIFIED BORDERLINE WHICH WAS CALLED LA TROCHA.
HOLA, IT'S OKAY? ON THE EDGE OF TOWN, YOU CAN GET AN IDEA OF WHA THE LA TROCHA BORDERLINE ONCE LOOKED LIKE.
YEE-HAW! MY HORSE DRAWN TAXI CARRIAGE, FEELS REALLY APPROPRIATE TAKING ME ON A JOURNEY BACK TO THE 19TH CENTURY.
THERE YOU GO, YOU CAN SEE IT, THIS LITTLE STRETCH WHICH HAVE RECONSTRUCTED OF THE WHOLE BORDER, YOU'VE GOT YOUR LISTENING POST THERE, LISTENING POST THERE, THEN A LITTLE HUT FOR A FEW SOLDIERS, LISTENING POST, LISTENING POST, ALL ALONG 50 MILES OF IT.
GRACIAS, SENOR, CIAO.
EVERY KILOMETER ALONG THE LINE WERE THESE FORTS.
YOU CAN JUST MAKE OU THE NEXT ONE UP THERE, THAT'S THAT WHITE BLOB AND INSIDE EACH ONE, YOU'D HAVE ABOUT 25 SOLDIERS.
THE ONLY WAY IN WAS UP THE LADDER AND WHEN THEY GOT TO THE TOP, THEY PULLED THE LADDER UP, THERE WAS A LITTLE TEAR IN THE MIDDLE WHICH IS LIKE A LOOKOUT SO YOU COULD SEE IF THE REBELS WERE COMING AND THEN THEY'D JUST SIT AND WAIT REALLY.
POKE THE GUNS OUT THERE IF THERE'S ANY TROUBLE AND THAT WAS IT, THAT'S A LONG WAIT.
HERE COMES THE FREIGHT TRAIN.
SEE, BACK IN THE DAY WHEN THIS LINE WAS BUILT, THAT TRAIN WOULD BE FULL OF HUNDREDS OF SOLDIERS, AMMUNITION, GUNS, AND IT WOULD BE PATROLLING THIS BORDER UP AND DOWN.
THERE WAS ABOU SIX TRAINS ANYTIME OF ANY SNIFF OF TROUBLE, THE TRAINS WILL BE THERE, TRYING TO REPEL THE REBELS.
THE SPANISH THOUGHT THAT THE USE OF MILITARY TRAINS WOULD MAKE LA TROCHA IMPREGNABLE BUT CUBAN INDEPENDENCE FIGHTERS BROKE THROUGH THE BARRICADE OF BARBED WIRE BETWEEN THE FORTS, SURPRISINGLY OFTEN.
THIS HERE MONUMEN MARKS THE SPOT OF THE BIGGEST BREAKTHROUGH.
BACK IN NOVEMBER 1895, 1500 REBELS COME SURGING ACROSS THE BARBED WIRE, THROUGH THE SPANISH LINES UNDER THE COVER OF FOG AND IT WAS THAT ACTION THA CHANGED THE COURSE OF THE WAR AND SHORTLY AFTER, CUBA WON ITS INDEPENDENCE.
BACK TO THE PRESENT DAY AND AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, MY VISIT TO CIEGO DE AVILA, COINCIDES WITH A BIG BASEBALL MATCH AT THE CITY STADIUM.
[CROWD CHEERING, COWBELLS RINGING.]
LISTEN TO THAT ATMOSPHERE MAN, I WAS JUS WALKING PAST, I SAW THE STADIUM, ABSOLUTELY RAMMED WITH PEOPLE, I THOUGHT, "I'M GOING TO HAVE SOME OF THAT," AND OF COURSE, BASEBALL, THE BIGGES SPORT IN THE WHOLE OF CUBA.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO'S PLAYING BUT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.
HOO, HOO, HOO, HOO, HOO, HOO, HOO.
[CHEERING.]
.
I HAVE NO, IDEA WHAT HAPPENED THERE WHOA CIEGO, CIEGO, CIEGO, WOO-HOO-HOO! THERE'S THE AWAY SUPPORTERS DOWN THERE, THAT'S THE, THE ENEMY, YEAH.
THEIR MOTIF IS A HORSE AND CIEGO IS THE TIGER.
HORSE AND TIGER, MAN, RAWR.
HERE WE GO, HERE WE GO, THERE'S A NEW PITCHER.
THE BASES ARE LOADED, THE BAT SWINGS IT AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT MEANS BU THERE'S GOING TO BE A SCORE RIGHT NOW, WHOO.
[CROWD CHEERING.]
.
[CROWD CHEERING.]
.
THIS IS GREAT, AY, USUALLY ME AND BASEBALL, BORING, I CAN'T STAND IT BU NOW I'VE SEEN IT IN CUBA, IT'S A WHOLE DIFFEREN BALLGAME, I'M LOVING IT.
CIEGO, CIEGO.
IT'S THE FINAL AFTERNOON OF MY TRIP THROUGH CUBA AND I'M KEEN THAT MY VARIED EXPERIENCE OF CUBAN TRAINS SHOULD FINISH ON A HIGH.
JUST OUTSIDE CIEGO DE AVILA, SITUATED ON LA TROCHA TRAIN LINE IS ONE OF CUBA'S 50 OR SO REMAINING SUGAR MILLS, WHICH LIKE MOST OF CUBA'S WORKING MILLS STILL USES DIESEL TRAINS TO BRING IN MUCH OF THE SUGAR CANE.
UNTIL AS RECENTLY AS 15 YEARS AGO, HOWEVER, MANY OF CUBA'S SUGAR MILLS USED STEAM TRAINS INSTEAD.
TO CHECK THIS OUT, I HEAD TO ANOTHER NEARBY SUGAR MILL, ONE OF THE MORE THAN A 100 THAT HAVE RECENTLY CLOSED DOWN.
THIS IS AN OLD SUGAR MILL THAT THEY'VE TURNED INTO A BRILLIANT MUSEUM.
IT'S GOT ALL THESE FANTASTIC STEAM TRAINS THAT USED TO WORK THIS MILL BUT THE BES THING ABOUT IT IS THEY'VE GOT A STEAM TRAIN THA WORKS AND YOU CAN GO ON IT.
OH, YEAH! MANUFACTURED IN THE USA, LIKE SO MANY OF CUBA'S TRAINS, A SHORT RIDE ON THIS MAGNIFICENT AND BEAUTIFULLY PRESERVED STEAM TRAIN IS THE PERFECT WAY TO END MY TRIP.
ALL ALONG THE LINE, THE SUGAR CANE HARVES IS STILL UNDERWAY.
IT'S A SHAME OF COURSE THAT SPECTACULAR STEAM TRAINS ARE NO LONGER USED TO BRING IN THE HARVEST.
BUT MODERNIZATION IS BOUND TO HAPPEN, EVEN IN A COUNTRY THAT HAS CHANGED AS SLOWLY AS CUBA.
WHAT A CRAZY, FANTASTIC, AND SOMETIMES FRUSTRATING JOURNEY AND ALL THROUGH THE EYES OF THE RAILWAY, THE WHOLE OF CUBA LAID OUT IN FRONT OF ME AND THIS ENGINE SUMS IT ALL UP AND NOW CUBA'S AT RIGHT CROSSROADS OF AN INCREDIBLE CHANGE, BUT THE ONE THING THAT WILL ALWAYS PREVAIL IS THE LOVE, THE WARMTH, THE INTEGRITY AND THE SHEER ENERGY OF THE CUBAN PEOPLE AND THA IS WHY I LOVE THIS COUNTRY, WOO-HOO! NARRATOR: STAY TUNED FOR A SPECIAL "GLOBE TREKKER" EXTRA.
ANNOUNCER: FUNDING FOR THIS PROGRAM IS PROVIDED BY, SUBARU.
WOMAN: AT SUBARU, WE BUILD VEHICLES LIKE THE RUGGED OUTBACK.
WITH SYMMETRICAL ALL-WHEEL DRIVE AND PLENTY OF CARGO SPACE.
FOR THOSE WHO PACK EVEN MORE ADVENTURE INTO LIFE.
SUBARU, A PROUD SPONSOR OF GLOBE TREKKER.
MAN: YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOU THIS SERIES ON OUR WEBSITE.
PROGRAMS FROM THE GLOBE TREKKER SERIES ARE AVAILABLE ON DVD AND NOW ON DEMAND FROM GLOBETREKKER.
TV.
MUSIC FROM THE SERIES IS AVAILABLE ON CD, YOU CAN ALSO ORDER THE NEW GLOBE TREKKER ANNUAL FEATURING INFORMATION ON FESTIVALS, EVENTS AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES.
TO ORDER GLOBE TREKKER PRODUCTS CALL 888-565-0361 OR VISIT THE WEBSITE WWW.
GLOBETREKKERTV.
COM ZOEY: THE ERUPTIONS ON MONTSERRAT IN 1995 AND 1997, FORCE MORE THAN HALF OF THE ISLANDS 11,000 POPULATION TO MOVE OFF THE ISLAND.
BUT AROUND FOUR AND A HALF THOUSAND PEOPLE HAVE CARRIED ON LIVING IN THE NORTH OF THE ISLAND.
THERE ARE ALSO MANY UNTOUCHED AREAS OF FORESTS HERE, WHERE PLANTS AND ANIMALS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO THRIVE BEYOND THE REACH OF THE VOLCANO.
I MEET UP WITH FOREST RANGER JAMES SCRIBER DAILY WHO'S TAKING ME ON ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING HIKES ON THE ISLAND, THE ORIOLE WALKWAY TRAIL.
JAMES: THIS IS A PRIME AREA FOR THE MOUNTAIN CHICKEN.
MOUNTAIN CHICKENS, THEY LIKE MOIST AREA.
ZOEY: I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THIS, I'M SO EXCITED.
JAMES: COME, COME.
ZOEY! ZOEY: HERE? I'M COMING.
[JAMES LAUGHING.]
.
IT'S A FROG! I THOUGHT IT WAS A CHICKEN.
JAMES: YES! YEA, IT'S A FROG.
ZOEY: IT'S A VERY BIG FROG.
JAMES: AND LET ME TELL YOU, IN ONE JUMP, THIS FROG COULD JUMP UP TO 15-20 FEET.
ZOEY: NO WAY.
JAMES: YEA, IT'S, IT'S A SPRING CHICKEN, IT'S A SPRING CHICKEN, YOU KNOW? SO, IN ONE WOOM, IT'S GONE, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? SO, IT'S FROM MONTSERRAT, WE LOVE IT, WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE PUT AS MUCH EFFORT TO PRESERVE THIS AS, AS ONE OF OUR ENDEMICS, YOU KNOW, IT'S ONE OF OUR NATIONAL EMBLEMS HERE ON, ON MONTSERRAT.
ZOEY: BRILLIANT.
JAMES: BEAUTIFUL FROG AIN'T IT? ZOEY: IT'S BEAUTIFUL YEA.
JAMES: YEA, IT'S BEAUTIFUL.
ZOEY: SITUATED JUS OUTSIDE THE EXCLUSION ZONE, IN THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE CENTRE HILLS FOREST RESERVE, THE AREA SURROUNDING THE ORIOLE WALKWAY IS RENOWNED FOR ITS RICH HABITATS AND BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY.
JAMES: LET ME JUS GET SOME ORIOLES.
ZOEY: SCRIBERS CAME TO SHOW ME THE VERY RARE MONTSERRA ORIOLE THAT THE TRAIL IS NAMED AFTER.
[JAMES BIRD CALLING.]
.
[ORIOLE SQUAWKING.]
.
JAMES: OH, THERE'S AN ORIOLE.
ZOEY: WHERE, WHERE, WHERE? JAMES: SEE ZOEY, SEE? IT JUST FLEW UP.
ZOEY: IT FLEW JAMES: YEAH, JUS A [INAUDIBLE.]
.
LET ME SEE IF I CAN GET IT BACK.
ZOEY: THE ORIOLE IS MONTSERRAT'S NATIONAL BIRD AND HAS SHOWN A REMARKABLE ABILITY TO WITHSTAND THE VARIOUS ASSAULTS OF VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS AND HURRICANES.
SOMEHOW IT SEEMS TO SYMBOLIZE THE RESILIENCE THA THE PEOPLE OF MONTSERRA HAVE SHOWN IN RECENT YEARS.
AFTER BEING LUCKY ENOUGH TO SEE ONE OF THE RARES BIRDS IN THE CARIBBEAN, WE CONTINUE OUR CLIMB UP TO THE SUMMIT OF THE ORIOLE WALK.
JAMES: ZOEY, WE'RE AT THE TOP.
ZOEY: YEA! JAMES: WE'RE IN THE PRIME AREAS, THESE ARE AREAS THA WERE NOT DESTROYED BY THE VOLCANO, YOU KNOW.
THIS IS A SAFE ZONE.
ZOEY: YEA.
WHAT ABOUT THAT OVER, WHAT ABOUT THAT OVER THERE, IT LOOKS LIKE A VOLCANO AS WELL.
JAMES: FAR POIN ON THE COAST.
ZOEY: YES.
JAMES: THAT'S HIGH POINT, NOW ALL THOSE LITTLE POINTS THA YOU ARE SEEING, THOSE ARE ALL DOMES.
THAT'S WHERE MONTSERRA EMERGED FROM.
ZOEY: SO ALL THIS LAND WE'RE STANDING ON NOW, ACTUALLY WAS SPEWED OUT OF THE VOLCANO OVER THERE JAMES: CORRECT.
ZOEY: WHEN MONTSERRA WAS CREATED MILLIONS BOTH: MILLIONS OF YEARS AGO.