Exploring Viñales, Cuba, Part 3

Our Cuban wall is taking shape!

Now, for the trip…

We had decided that our third day in Cuba, a Saturday, would be for a trip outside of Havana. We chose the area of Viñales, northwest of Havana.  Our host, Jose, arranged for us to rent a driver and here’s the 1955 Chevy in which we rode for 3 hours.

Viñales is rural and beautiful, filled with tobacco and coffee plantations, rice fields, and and is hilly. Here’s one of the typical modes of transportation in the area: a horse and buggy!

Our driver, Ari, was a Cuban/Venezuela who had recently moved to Cuban because the situation in Venezuela is so desperate. He and I had plenty to talk about, including politics. I found that the Cuban people are eager to talk about American politics and are horrified that trump is president. They loved Obama.

We stopped for lunch at this wonderful place where we could eat outdoors, facing a field and some hills in the distance. Our meals were typical Cuban food – rice and beans, plantains, chicken, cold beers and mojitos. The bill came to about 10 bucks apiece.

After lunch, we drove on to Cueva del Indio  – an impressive network of caves with stalagmites and stalactites like I’ve never seen before.At one time, it was an ancient indigenous swelling, and was rediscovered in 1920. It cost us 5 CUCs- about $5 – to get in.  There were way too many people inside and at times, the line came to a full stop. But it was like being in another world.

The path we followed eventually ended up at an underground river, where we waited our turns to board boats that took us even deeper into the caves. The most stunning rock formations were lit up.

Here’s the cave showing an opening where sunlight shone through.

When we left the cave, vendors had stalls set up to sell their wares. The masks and art were exquisite. Cuba is all about color!

From here, we drove to a tobacco plantation. This place was fascinating.

The plantation has been in the same family for generations and the young man now in charge gave us a tour, explaining what happens to the tobacco once it’s picked. We ended in a room where another man showed us how cigars are made. We were each treated to a cigar whose end had been dipped in honey. We bought both cigars and honey!

The cigar maker loves his job. With each leaf he rolled, his smile grew wider and wider.

The plantation is private and the government buys 90 percent of the tobacco and cigars they produce. The rest is sold to hotels and outlets all over the island. Each cigar supposedly sells for $40.

Then all but two of us mounted up for a horseback riding excursion into the countryside.

Jessie and I stayed behind to explore the plantation and talk to the people who live and work there. Jess is a vegan and was horrified to learn that most of the  animals that live on the property are raised for food. I eat chicken and fish and confess to being equally horrified to discover that the beautiful rabbits we saw, the big ole pig named Macho,  and the ducks were also raised for food.

The house lacks plumbing and the bathroom is in a wooden structure, with a hole in the floor.

But standing out there at dusk, in the cooling evening air, the sky open and huge around us, I felt utter and complete peace.