3rd
April to 6th April 2018 - Vinales
Two
and a half hours west from Havana we arrived at Vinales, a fabulous
little town. Staying at another Homestay we were well spoiled by Ana
and Dairon. The rooms were really cheap but meals are extra and can
be relatively expensive. To compensate the meals were HUGE and way
more than we can eat, though
we had a good go.
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| Our homestay and a big breakfast on the balcony |
The
centre of town was an easy walking distance and
had a huge town square area with a community centre that was full of
dancing, music and art. This was buzzing with people, not least
because it was about the only place you could get internet reception
with cards that you brought for $2. This was a great place for people
watching and random dancing when the music was right.
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| The cute little town of Vinales |
The
next day we arranged a taxi to see the sights. You paid a set fare
and they stayed with you all day. First stop was a huge mural on the
rock face of a hill that was painted by a local artist and featured
the area's prehistoric origins with dinosaurs, people and snakes
taking centre stage. Their was also a trail leading up to the
foliage along the top which we followed until we ran out of trail. We
did get a nice view looking back from right above the mural.
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| Working on the mural, the mural itself, the view from the top |
Next
stop was the Santo Tomas cave, the second biggest cave in Central
America. What was unique was that unlike the fairly sanitised large
caves we normally visit with fancy lights and trails, this one was as
is. No fancy lights, no fancy steps and trails or sounds, it was just
the cave. Donning hard hats with torches we descended into the bat
filled cave. This gave it a completely different feel and it felt
more like an eerie adventure. You could see the true colours and
contours of the different interiors and rock formations and at one
stage we were asked to turn all our lights off and were plunged into
total darkness. At another time he played music on a rock formation
that was amplified in the unique acoustics of the cave. This was a
great experience.
The
next day we went for a guided 3 hour walk through the countryside
with guide Miguel. It included a tour of a tobacco farm where we were
able to sample a genuine Cuban cigar. Much smoother and more
enjoyable than expected and I ended up wishing I had smoked a full
one, rather than sharing. We washed that down with a glass of
Mojitos sweetened with honey instead of the usual sugar. We
continued on the walk and soon came across a coffee plantation, a
perfect fit after the Mojitos. Instead of coffee though we were
treated to a very strong (and yummy) honey and cuban sugar cane rum.
This was turning into a very wobbly trek. Fortunately the rest of the
trek was more normal, coming across some beautiful countryside, pigs
and wooden houses.
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| Tobacco leaves, enjoying a cigar, making a cigar and leaves drying |
That
night in the town square we were offered Salsa dancing lessons for
$10 and enjoyed half an hour each of private tuition from 2 talented
instructors. The next day we hopped in a 1957 Chevrolet Taxi for the
return trip back to Havana, staying overnight in our original
homestay, before leaving to return home. We really enjoyed our stay
in Cuba and the wonderful and helpful people we met despite difficult
circumstances. Would love to come back one day.
