Back to the Country

Wanting the kids to see some of the Cuban countryside, we had booked an all day Vinales tour with Havana Tour Company.  Our tour guide today was Saul a 25 year old who has a degree in IT but has found being a guide more lucrative.

We took a van out into the countryside.  While the roads are better on the main highway, the going is still slower than in the US where we can easily go 80 without worrying about road hazards.  We made one stop at a roadside, Cuban run, roadside stop.  This turned out to be a WiFi hotspot so we were able to catch-up on our emails.  I have to say it has been nice being unplugged, but I do miss the news.

Our first stop was the cave tour we had taken the week before with our photography group.  What made this stop special was having a couple of beers afterwards.  It turns out Saul is a very connected guy - Facebook, iTunes, even Tender.  He also loves country music.  He played some of his favorites and we had a little country music sing-along Cuban style right there in the bar.  This is a true 'people to people' exchange.

Our lunch stop was nearby at an Eco restaurant that grows much of their own food.  The food was really yummy and had a few more vegetables than most of our other Cuban meals.  I would highly recommend it if you are in the area.

Our next stop was at a tobacco farm.  The one we had visited the week before seemed almost Disney like compare to this one.  We drove down a dirt road, the only visitors at the time.  After touring a drying barn, we stopped at their little bar to watch a rolling demonstration.  This was the first time I had seen someone dip the tip of the cigar in honey before smoking it.  I have to say it tasted much better!

Next we stopped at the murial that is painted on the side of a mogote.  We had stopped here last week but this time we actually drove up to it.  I have to say it was more impressive when you could actually see all the work that had gone into the painting of it.

We commenced our 2 plus our drive back into Havana late afternoon.  The road is definitely well traveled by all sorts of transportation.  Old cars, buses, vans etc. were making their way across the countryside.  We also saw lots of hitchhikers hoping to catch a ride with someone.  This is a way of life in Cuba.  Cars are just too expensive for the average Cuban to own so they rely on catching a ride with someone heading the direction of their destination.

Tonight, we had dinner at a neat little restaurant that is owned by two chefs that had studied in Europe before returning to Cuban to open their own place.  Antique furniture was used in unique ways to seat the guests.  We dined 'in bed' with the headboard and foot-board serving as the bench backs of our table.  The food was very good although on the expensive side.

Tomorrow: Our final day

Vinales

Breakfast is normally included with a night’s stay in Cuba and our hotel was no exception.  However, the big challenge was finding a plate and flatware when you arrived.  We watched the breakfast procession and there seemed to be an ebb and flow to both the plates and the food.  We were lucky and got both with few difficulties.

We boarded our bus for the trek to the Vinales region.  This took us over lush hills before descending to the ocean.  Tobacco is grown in this region in Cuba.  The conditions of the soil and weather make for some of the best tobacco in the world.  Tobacco drying barns dotted the countryside with their thatched roofs.  Oxen drawn carts worked the fields.  Tobacco is planted in September so it was only about 10 inches tall now but it will reach high into the sky by the time it is harvested.

Limestone dominates this region which makes for lots of caves in the cliffs and also underground.  We were to tour one of these caves this morning.  This is a very popular tourist destination and there were already several buses in the parking lot.  Once inside, we did have a little space to take some photos.  There were several smaller chambers we wondered through before reaching our water exit on boats that also gave a very short tour of the caves.  They were interesting but I don’t think they’ll be the highlight of our trip.

Along with tourists comes tourist restaurants which is where we ended up for lunch.  This sprawling diner had several outdoor eating areas butted up against the cliffs.  They served a set menu of grilled chicken, rice and beans, sweet potatoes (not like the ones we have at home but a sweeter white potato) and fruit.  There’s a notable lack of dessert in this country.

We stayed around this area after our meal to see what might happen along to photograph.  Old taxis (classic ‘50s cars) came at regular intervals with horse drawn carriages, bicyclists and trucks mixed in.  There’s also a large population of vultures in this country and we had a chance take some upclose shots of them. 

This region is also known for jutting rock formations called majotes.  They resembled pipe organs reaching into the sky.  We stopped several places to photograph them with the final stop also serving as our sunset shooting destination.  We hiked up a hill which gave us great views over a valley with the mogotes (flat topped hills) off in the distance.  This too was a popular tourist spot with lots of people gathered for the sunset. 

We ate dinner at a place right on the hill.  Men were gathered around a Weber type grill cooking chickens for the dinner crowd.  They also had the typical fish and ropa vieja, a shredded meat dish that could almost be the national dish of Cuba.  Included in our $10 meal was three kinds of rice, beans, sweet potatoes, fruit and salad.  It was delicious and quite a bargain.

Tomorrow: A visit to a cigar factory

Introduction to Planning – Cuban Style

After a fairly restful night, we awoke to the reality that is Cuba.  We were scheduled to start our bus trip this morning.  One slight problem – no bus.  Our Cuban tour guide, Tony, had spent most of the evening and this morning trying to get our bus to Santa Clara to pick us up.  Plans were made, then changed until we finally were told to be ready to leave around noon.  This is Cuban time.

Our little hiccup meant we had some time to wonder around Santa Clara.  Our hotel was located right on the square which gave us a host of photo opportunities.  All forms of transportation, horse drawn carts, motorcycles, bicycle taxis, classic cars and somewhat modern cars circled around and around delivering people and looking for new fares.  There also appeared to be a lot of sitting on park benches, perhaps for those that are unemployed, underemployed or retired.  Clothing choices mirrored other Caribbean islands – short skirts, shorts, t-shirts, etc.  The Cubans love ‘booty’ and it was definitely on full display.

After getting the shots we wanted, we decided to wonder more or less as a group to a church down a side street.   The brightly colored buildings in need of repairs and paint made for nice backgrounds as people roamed the streets.  A doorway beckoned us inside where we found a big open courtyard that serves as a bar and concert space at night.  Four dancers were practicing for some kind of performance maybe later at the bar.  I was mesmerized by their rhythmic moves to Latin beats and sat for several minutes photographing their athletic performance.

Back on the street, we saw several businesses selling different kinds of goods, from the appliance store to shoe and clothing stores to a used book stand.  According to our guide, economic reforms were ushered in under Raul Castro’s Presidency. Cubans are now able to own stores, farmland and houses and also able to travel outside their country. 

We made a couple of quick stops on our way out of town, first to the site where Che Guavara blew up the railroad tracks as part of the revolution.  They also have the bulldozer he used in the rebels’ efforts.  Next was the mausoleum where Che and his follow fighters are buried from the Bolivian uprising.  Che is revered in Cuba and you see his image everywhere. 

We grabbed a quick pizza lunch (we found pizza everywhere) we finally were ready to start our journey through Cienfuego to our evening destination of Trinidad.  Our journey took us over the hills where the rebels led their revolution against the Batista government in 1958.  This area grows crops of all kinds including sugar cane, tobacco, bananas, coffee and various fruits. The land was lush and green with livestock grazing in fields.

We arrived in Trinidad around dusk, wondering through the cobblestone streets they are known for, looking for our evening accommodations. The narrow streets are lined with hostels – rooms for rent in peoples’ homes.  Ours was really quite nice although the mattress and pillows left a lot to be desired.   A rooftop bar beckoned us for our free drink and I imbibed my first Cuban mojito.  The owner appears to be quite the entrepreneur with WiFi available for purchase along with the well-stocked bar.

For dinner, we bused to the main square which is lined with restaurants, shops and bars.  This is a very old city dating back to Columbus’ time.   Colonial era mansions surrounded the square repurposed as museums during the modern era. Live music attracted a large crowd that spilled into the streets, bars and restaurants.

The elections were held today in the US and I received updates all evening.   It looked like it was going to be a late night for the vote counters before a winner would be declared.  I’m glad I’m out of the country for this one!

Tomorrow: Our Journey Resumes