over the years I have developed good friends along these roads
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Fat Mary and how we ended up with the name
This ride started out as “Cuba in the raw”. Which is exactly what it is? In 2011, I decided to run a tour along the north coast of Cuba from Varadero to Cabo San Antonio. Understanding that the prevailing winds blow from the Atlantic to the Gulf of Mexico, I decided to change the name of this new ride to “Tailwind”. Well Mother Nature took control of the weather and I endured constant jibes for the next two weeks. The ride jerseys were bright red with a Maple leaf and the word Tailwind across the rear pockets. The darn wind persisted to the point I asked everyone to show up with their jerseys on backwards.
We made it to Cabo and I thought I needed to rename this baby! Since it was going to a well known dive centre with a fascinating name based on possible facts or folklore and about a girl named Maria who was on a ship traveling to Spain and causing a lot of trouble for the ship’s master by canuddling with many of the crew. The Skipper finally had had enough and put her ashore at the far west of Cuba. She was an industrious gal and set up shop, selling what she was good at. She had a number of children and grew quite plump and the location of her house of ill repute became known as Maria La Gorda, Fat Mary in English. So that became my new name for my ride.
This tour has progressed over the years for a number of reasons:
- First-time visitors to any country always like to visit the capital city. Although these capitals rarely reflect the nature of the country but do contain it’s best architecture and in this respect Havana has much to offer.
- The tour offers a broad aspect of Western Cuba, travelling though, cities, towns and villages and exposing “Cuba in the raw”.
- The airport at Varadero is very well serviced by most nations and a multitude of airlines.
This tour offers so much to cycle tourists; it has become our most popular ride, including a number of great beaches, 5 or 6 depending on hotels amiable). Sign up well ahead to get the best possible accommodations.
Cuba has its faults but is truly a world leader in the beach department. Columbus was right when he penned, “this is the most beautiful land man has ever seen”.