We make our way through the landscape on a small road that meanders through and past the limestone hills, tall white barked palm trees that are the symbol of Cuba (other than Che Guevarra and Fidel Castro) and red fertile earth with Cuban music playing on the radio, we are in need of sand, sun and ocean. No traffic other than the occasional car, oxen drawn cart, some goats, people on bicycles. We drive onto a stretch of road that juts into the ocean to get us to Cayo Jutias.
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The sea is translucent clear shades of turquoise and teal, lined by powder white sand…. The ocean is calm and a perfect temperature. We hike along the beach side which faces the gulf of mexico and find deserted small beach coves, one after the other, lined with natural driftwood scultpures, and I (Peta) am happy to stay here for the next month. This is one of the most beautiful beaches we have ever seen, and I ( being South African) am very picky about beaches!
So we now have our own secluded gorgeous beach where the only decision is to swim, walk, or lie in the sand for hours, when we realize we have a visitor… a local who seems to appear out of the scrub of bushes behind – approaches us with something to show us. Would we maybe like some fresh lobster that he is about to grill and will make extra for us for a few dollars. Hell yeah! Oh maybe he is drawn by my being topless, but either way he certainly adds the final touch to paradise! Within twenty minutes we are eating delicious lobster using my dress as a picnic table cloth on the sand. Whatever else happens, this is a very fitting and tranquil closure to a tumultuous 2011.
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