Written by Donna Cederstrand
Deep in the southwest of Cuba, near the Peninsula de Zapata, lays Boca de Guama, a tourist centre that is home to thousands of crocodiles. The crocodile farm is approximately 120 kilometres from Varadero, Cuba and is suggested to take less than 2 hours to travel there. This would be true if taking a tour bus excursion but driving by rental car is quite a challenge. Navigating road maps and coordinating them with dilapidated road signs means a 2-hour drive turns into 3 hours. Asking locals for directions is difficult due to the language barrier but it adds to the excitement and unknown that comes along with travelling to foreign countries.
We pull into the parking lot at Boca de Guama and are immediately hit with the stifling heat. It's just before noon and the sun is hot and air is humid, making beads of sweat break out along my forehead. The place appears to be deserted other than a few employees milling about in the shade. But the experience will be anything but desolate.
Along the pathway, we stop to visit turtles, iguanas and tree rats; a delight for my young daughter who is now chasing chickens around on the grass. We wonder where the crocodiles are and make jokes about them jumping out of the swamps that surrounds us. It's peaceful and beautiful with palm trees littered here and there, the river and mangroves to our right and up ahead... a sign indicating the entrance to the crocodile farm.
