Day Trip to Vinales

Hold on to your bootstraps--this is a long one.

Today was our day trip to Vinales--a rural valley west of Havana about 2 hours.  We had a 7:30am departure, luckily we had decided to take it easy the night before.  Our tour guides were great, the bus driver was great also, I wouldn't want to drive a full size tour bus on those mountain roads.

For awhile we were on the main 'interstate' of Cuba.  Four lanes, but, like everything else, a bit dilapidated.  Not many cars, but different traffic sources coming from horse carts, oxen carts, loose farm life wandering about.

Not much traffic.

Very common sight.

Accident.  I think it involved a motorcycle and a palm frond.
Not kidding. Not kidding at all.

We took a short rest stop at a government run rest area.  Very nice, with a bar/coffee shop (of course), gift shop and restrooms.  It was also a bit staged with the neighboring farmer bringing out his livestock.  I'm sure to show how the rural folk live--quaint nevertheless.  

Time to take the pig for a swim!

Cuban barn.

We stopped first at this awesome little hotel that has an overlook over part of the Vinales area. It would have a great place to stay for a few days, lots of things to do based from the hotel. 

Psst. Watch out, the KGB are here.

Vinales is where they tried to grow grapes for wine at one time.  It didn't work out, the wine was crap.  So, now other crops are grown there, mainly tobacco and done in a very traditional way-as in, not farm implements, but by hand. The orginal tobacco farmers came from the Canary Islands.  Geographically, the place is beautiful. With unique limestone cliffs and mountains.  

Our next stop was the cave-Cordillero de Guaniguanico which runs completely throughout La Sierra Guasasa.  The cave starts out with a bar (surprise!) and at the other end is a recreation of a Palenque de los Cimarrones.  Escaped slaves merged with the local Taino Indian population.

Not quite the Budweiser Clydesdales, but she'll do.

I have to hand it to some of our group who partook of the bar in the morning.
I guess Tim and I haven't been sailing long enough yet.

Sculpture in the cave.
Designed to scare the crap out of you. (or at least me)

Recreation of the settlement with dancing and singing.

Another sculpture showing slave rebelling.

From the Palenque we walked down to a tobacco farm where we got a tour of the growing/drying and rolling of the cigars.  80% of the farmers crop goes to the state, the other 20% he makes his own artisanal blend from by soaking the leaves in a mixture of coffee, vanilla, cinnamon and other spices.  All of which he grows on the farm.

Drying of the leaves.

Outside of the drying shed.  Completely made from palm fronds.

The tobacco here was hand harvested. He has a small knife on his thumb.

Me being an asshat, takinga  picture of the Cruising World photographer John
taking a picture of momma cow.  Momma cow was not happy and had already
started stomping her feet.  I was hoping to get a picture of him being
chased by the cow.
(I told John this story later-he laughed)

Rodents Of Unusual Size. aka Hutia. aka dinner most likely.
Bonus points if you got the Princess Bride reference.

Pressing fresh juice from the sugar cane for drinks.

Nice. That's all I got.

Small banana grove.

Our tobacco farmer. 
Or somebody called up from central casting. You decide.

Besides the ubiquitous cattle, chickens, dogs and cats, they also had some very large rodents called Hutia in a cage.  The tour guide said they were pets, but I researched that later and I'm pretty sure they were going to be dinner (and why not?).  Cubans are not allowed to raise cattle for beef--they are used for the production of dairy products, only very few have the license to raise beef for consumption.  Even then, I think a lot of the beef comes from other countrie

After visiting the tobacco farm we went back to the village of Vinales to have lunch at the Finca Agroecologica El Paraiso.  A family run restaurant in which every menu item (except fish) is grown on their farm.  Everything is completely organic, no pesticides or chemical fertilizers.

In a word. Delicious.  Simply the best meal hands down we had in Cuba.  There was plenty of it.  Everything is served family style with what is ready to go that day.  We had root vegetable stew, 3 different salads, 2-3 appetizers, the ubiquitous rice and beans, plaintains, chicken, pork fish and flan for dessert. Also included is their special Anti-Stress Cocktail'.  Basically it is a pina colada with their own special blend of herbals (yerba buena, mint, basil, anise, etc).  It is served to you virgin and then they plop down a bottle of rum for you to doctor it up yourself. The rum is 'Vitamin R'.

The restaurant overlooks their farm and the presentation garden of veggies and flowers.  Just a stupendously beautiful view out over the valley.  It was an amazing experience.  The family is delightful and you feel like you are at a big family dinner with them.

The gang trying to keep up with all the food.

 

View from our table.

Daughter of the original owner. Sassy one, adorable.

Part of the farm available for tour

View of the restaurant from below.

Typical traffic in the area.

These busses actually take workers to the farms.
(I thought they might be for prisoners at first--whoops)

 After a brief stop in the downtown area of Vinales to walk off lunch, we made one last stop at the Mural de Prehistoria. The mural is a bit of a misnomer since it ISN'T prehistoric, but more of a modern art interpretation of prehistoric life done in the '60s. It's quite....um......colorful?  if you ever want to entertain yourself, read the reviews about it online.  Especially those who expected to see real prehistoric art. 

There is a restaurant/bar/gift shop there also.  Another small bar featured pina coladas for 3 CUC--you add the Havana Club.  Delicious.  Everything is made from fresh pineapple and coconut milk.  I must have offended the bartender on my pour size because he shook his head at me and gave me another shot.  Yep, I'm sleeping on the way home!

The mural.

Pina colada--medicate yourself.