By: Santiago Romero
Maestro Jose Marti said that, “climbing hills brings men together”. So more than ten members of a group of young locals loaded with challenges went and returned from the hills.
To these Santiago de Cuba youngsters nobody gave them the call; they just set out the walk. On the way they met historical places, ravines and forgotten rivers; exotic birds; lush trees and naturally hospitable peasants in the mountains of the Great Baconao Tourist Park, Biosphere Reserve.
Many did not understand the actions of these young people in truly difficult times.
When the situation worsens, pessimism usually surfaces, hence the astonishment of those who are optimistic about the opposite and here is the example of Eriel Diaz, who also joined the walk, put aside the weekend rest and said goodbye to the monotony, the sedentary lifestyle and thanks to the advice of his father, Eliesbel Diaz, a psychologist of the Saturnino Lora provincial hospital, they made way on the way! And in what a way! .
The young Diaz is a second year Electrical Installation Technician student at the Rafael Vernet Polytechnic in Santiago de Cuba.
Eriel decided to go -on foot- to the Big Rock and there he managed to fly the Cuban flag, as a very natural gesture amidst the changes and challenges of today.
In that very particular and unpublicized effort, father and son left the daily routine and gave a change to the body up the hill, regardless of the strong sun and the rains of these hot afternoons with electric storms.
Other young neighbors from Versalles joined the walk. They waited for their friend Javier Chang’s military leave and once he arrived from his military unit, the group of young friends left: the chef and designer Kevin Romero, photographer Rolando and the models Gabriela Cabrejas, Roxana Quintana Barosela and Natali all the medical students. They went all the way on foot from the center of the city of Santiago de Cuba to the Big Rock.
Going Up to the Turquino Royal Peak
Santiago Workers in the Social Networks
There they found solidarity and were able to restore strength, made more contacts on social networks, after the amazement of many for the pictures, videos and audios with jokes and anecdotes of what became a healthy practice in #ModoVerano2024.
