We got the afternoon boat from Cayo Levisa so as to maximize beach time, but the wind got up in the early morning and blew all day (it was the day the world was supposed to end), so we sheltered with others in the bar waiting for the salsa class to start. The crossing back to the mainland was quite rough so we kept getting Caribbean spray in our faces.
As we arrived back at 5.30, our taxi ride to Vinales was mostly in the dark, through a very rural area of Pinar del Rio - people on their way back from tending fields by horse, cart, etc.. The weather was cold so we had to put socks on!
The accommodation seemed to be in a back street of Vinales, but turned out to be full of casas particulares. After a quick meal we wandered into town and found a bar with an acoustic band who were very good.
Next day was market day so we wandered around looking for things to take back for people. VInales had a very similar feel to Estelí in Nicaragua - a rural, tobacco-based cowboy town, only with American cars instead of pickups.
There is a lot to see in the Vinales valley - there is even a tour bus! We hired an American car - a 1957 Studebaker President and went up into the hills for a view of the the valley which is full of red earth overlooked by limestone cliffs, followed by a fascinating visit to a tobacco farm where we learned about the processes of growing, drying and then rolling the 5 different leaves from different heights of the plant into cigars, with honey as the glue!
Then a walk through a cave inhabited by runaway slaves followed by a simple meal 'neath limestone cliffs. Quite a contrast to Cayo Levisa and Habana.
CHristmas Eve we got a taxi back to Habana Vieja for our last week. The motorway from Pianr del Rio to Habana was VERY quiet - so quiet that the taxi driver drove over the central reservation to get to the services on the other side!
Market Day
Outside a casa particular
Yes it's a cow with a saddle
No comments:
Post a Comment