Mataguá

The town was founded in 1868, the year of Esteban’s birth. The aboriginal name was changed to Palma Sola in the late 19th Century but reinstated around 1904. Today the town has the air of a an old-west settlement. Flat faced buildings with verandas facing wide dusty streets. There are no paladares or casas particulares in Matagua but the food at the government run restaurant tastes fresh and well cooked, despite the lack of competition. Although Esteban does not mention this town, it rests on the path that Maceo’s army took from eastern Cuba to engage the Spaniards in the Battle of Mal Tiempo. Esteban roamed the region for years, even before he became a fighter in Cuba’s war for independence from Spain.