Viñales

Viñales is more than just the countryside.  It is rural, cowboy, Cuban, and wonderful.  This is a place where livestock and people live harmoniously, where horses and cars share the road, and where tourists become part of the community.  

Baby chicks were everywhere.  Many many "why did the chicken cross the road" jokes!

This teeny, tiny frog kept us company while we ate.

We stayed in another casa paraticular here, this time with Maxdey and Barby, mother and daughter, along with their families.  They arranged for us to get there in a taxi collectivo, which meant 9 adults riding in a 1954 Chevy that had been retrofitted with a/c (thank goodness!) and TV to watch Cuban music videos.  The 110 mile drive took about 4 hours and included stops for the driver to buy shaved ice and to hug every one of his friends along the way.  It was quite entertaining!

We spent two nights in Viñales.  On our first night, Maxdey's husband, Jesus, drove us to a restaurant where we ate a local feast and enjoyed a beautiful view while we waited out the thunderstorm.  

Then we took a tour of the local finca, a UNESCO site.  These guys are amazing.  They farm tobacco for cigars, coffee, honey, guava for a local rum, Guayabita del Piñar, and lots of fruits and vegetables, and all of it is organic and farmed manually.  Their UNESCO designation means they can't use any chemicals or machines on the property.  As we rode on horses through the farmland, all of the animals wandered freely.  It was peaceful and beautiful.  Our timing was right to watch the sunset and ride back in the moonlight.  

A lesson in how to roll the tobacco leaves into cigars

Mojitos (made with honey instead of sugar) and cigars

Justin's horse didn't take direction very well!

coffee, guava rum, and honey

That night we were escorted home on foot by our tour guide, Daido.  He pointed out his cousin's paladare and recommended we eat dinner there.  Like many paladares, this one was in their home, and to get to our terrace seating (on their rooftop) we had to walk through their living room and kitchen.  Daido's girlfriend was our waitress and we spent the evening chatting with him about life in this small town.  

Daido is camera shy in the background

Justin tried a local drink.  Made with grenadine and honey, it was thick and a bit medicinal.

Casa de Mojito (where Justin drank a Cubata -a Cuba libre made with 7 year instead of white rum- not a mojito)

After the hustle and bustle of the city and of traveling, we were glad for a chance to relax.  We spent most of our last day at the local pool swimming and watching families have fun.  It was reminiscent of 20 years ago, both in fashion and in behavior.  Ruched jeans were everywhere! But seriously, because internet access is only available by purchasing hourly cards from the government and wifi is not widely available, the culture of social media has not taken hold in Cuba.  Instead, families laugh and talk and play together.  

view of Viñales from the mountaintop pool

Once again, our timing was serendipitous because it was the annual festival in Viñales the weekend we were there.  The main street was closed to traffic and everyone gathered outside to dance, eat, and socialize.  We joined in for a bit and then headed home to eat dinner at Maxdey's house.  I can't say enough about how awesome this meal was.  Maxdey and Barby made us the best dinner we ate on the entire trip.  (And they stuck to all of our pesky dietary restrictions!) We learned about a new fruit, mamey, which tastes a lot like the most amazing sweet potato ever.  They even made cupcakes for dessert!  It was such a relaxing night of hanging out with Maxdey's young daughter and watching her family mock their talkative rooster.  

We read that many people go to Viñales as a day trip.  I'm so glad we opted to stay for the weekend.  It's natural beauty and tours are worth the trip, but it's people are worth the stay.

Havana

"Charm is a product of the unexpected."  

--Jose Marti

To know my dad is to know that he's been telling travel tales since I was a child.  I grew up hearing about trips to Montreal, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Mexico, and Venezuela.  No surprise that I, too, have gypsy feet.  For all his traveling (and the many people he knows everywhere), the one place still on Dad's bucket list was Havana.  He was planning a trip in 1961 that never came to fruition, and now finally, nearly 60 years later, serendipity and spontaneity made it happen.  Cuba's always been on my list too, so this trip was a special one for all of us.

We opted to stay in Havana Vieja for our first 4 days so that El Jefe could experience the old city and classic cars.  We lived with a lovely family, Leyanis and Yomanis, and got a chance to have the full sensory experience that Cuba has to offer.  From the early morning calls of the fruit sellers to the afternoon thunderstorms, from the smell of freshly baked bread at the panaderia to home-cooked meals, we got a sense of life in the city.  (You can click on any picture to view a larger image.)

Havana is a place filled with color and life.  People (and pups) are super friendly.  They were more than happy to pose for pictures.  I was pleased to learn from one of our tour guides (we took the free city walking tours which were great) that local businesses "adopt" the dogs, promising to care for them.  You'll see that this first pup is wearing a tag advertising her name and asking people to be kind to her.

Sadly, we didn't get any pictures of our favorite dog, who we named Verde for the green stripe of paint across his fur.  He joined us for dinner one night in the middle of a storm and then followed us home.  But here are some other furry critters we met.

And here are some of the people we met:

Our tour guide, Beatriz.

I was taking this little one's picture when a neighbor noticed me.

He smiled at me and encouraged the little guy to pose.

Well done!

Tasting molasses at the Museo del Ron

"El Bardo" hopes to be a YouTube star someday.  Be sure to watch his video below.

We rode in classic cars and were amazed by how Cubans repair and recycle everything! We also saw lots of propaganda and homage to the revolutionaries.  We admired the architecture and were awed by how the light played on the buildings.  This place is truly a feast for the eyes.

This statue of Jose Marti was a gift from the artist.  It is the only monument of him on his horse.  The identical original stands in Central Park.

The art deco Bacardi building.  Bacardi rum was originally a Cuban company, but relocated to Puerto Rico when Cuban nationalized businesses.

St. Francis church and pigeons putting on a show.

Anna had Dad's number real quick - she told him that at 41, she was too old for him, hahahaha.

Vedado skyline from the Malecon in Havana Vieja

University of Havana

The juxtaposition of old and new is sometimes shocking.  Gentrification is happening fast here.

This statue is a tribute to the indigenous people of Cuba.  An Italian sculptor was commissioned to create it, and having never seen an "Indio," he made the woman look Italian.

The entrance to Chinatown, or Centro Havana, where there are no Chinese people.  They all fled during the revolution.

A church where you can see the African icons hidden amongst the Catholic icons.  We observed a woman practicing an African religious ritual that involved hurling raw eggs from the balcony onto the street to rid her family of evil.

In addition to throwing eggs, people also throw sunflowers as a sacrifice.

The art throughout the city is amazing!  

This picture, and the rest below, were taken at La Fábrica de Arte Cubano, part nightclub, part art gallery, bar, restaurant, gathering place.  I wish NYC had something like this!

I'm so glad we saw Cuba now - a glimpse of what it was and what it will be all rolled into what it is at this moment.  It's not an easy place to travel, but it's so worth it.  And contrary to the tales we heard of the food being boring, we ate some great meals, particularly at O'Reilly 304, and of course, at our casa.    We even found gelato and the famous Coppelia ice cream.

Cuba is hot and humid in August--hotter than anywhere else we've been,-- but we were lucky to be there this month because it is Carnival in Havana.  No one was able to explain why it takes place now, but it was fun watching the preparations.

My favorite part of the whole trip was watching the sunset each night.  Last year I fell in love with the African skies - they have a vastness that made me feel at home.  I love the skies in Cuba just as much.  The color, the clouds, the light - the skies here inspire me.

On his last night, we took Dad to watch the sunset from Hotel Nacional, where he was serenaded.

And finally, just a few of my favorite pics from the trip

El Jefe