VALLE DE VINALES CUBA
The drive to the valley was superb. The first part was along the flat
peninsula with water lapping near the road only inches away. The green
rolling hills further on were almost void of farms except for a few
thatched roof tiny dwellings. There were not many road signs and those
that we saw were very faded and hard to read. The main road was one lane
and void of traffic except for people walking, on bicycles, or driving
double team ox carts with rubber wheels near the villages. We climbed up
through guava and mango fields into forested pine hills before reaching
the Hotel Horizontes Las Jasmines where we had our first view of the
Valle. It was spectacular!
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Mogotes in
the Valle de Vinales
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| The mogotes surrounded by a green plain receded
into the distant mountains. We drove down into the valley and stopped
to take a tour into one of the limestone mounds hollowed out by a
river. Here we walked inside a cave past huge stalactites and departed
by launch out another side on the clear cool water. While looking up,
sometimes 135 meters, where the ceiling is hollowed out gives the
impression of being inside a huge ornate cathedral. The town of Vinales
is a quaint cowboy town with a wide tree lined main street and little
red tiled roofed cottages with wooden rocking chairs on the porches.
Here we saw the unusual oxen drawn ‘sleds’. |
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Log ‘sleds’ being pulled by oxen
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Two logs in a V shape slide on the ground while the driver stands on
top riding like on ski’s. The red soil is a rich source for growing
tobacco, this being recognized as one of the best areas in the world for
growing tobacco for the famous Cuba cigars. We stopped in one of the
local farm houses and had a tour through their tobacco drying shed and
into the farmers home with an explanation of the tobacco growing
process. Coming back we picked up several different hitchhikers all so
eager to invite us into their tobacco sheds with beaming pride. Except
for the only girl we picked up a 21 year old named Didiachi,
who was more curious about us. We found the people so curious and
friendly and genuinely a happy proud people. And the country itself so
unspoiled and rich in diversity. It will be sad to leave.
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