Viñales

About 4 hours east of Habana is the countryside town of Viñales. A true country side area full of farming and locals. When we arrived we were bombared off the bus with people trying to get us to stay at their Casa, but we already had our's booked. We arrived to the pinkest room I have ever seen. Pink walls inside and out, pink house, pink bed covers.....the lot!


We were staying with a lively couple called Maceo and Gladys. If we hadn't of known we would have both said that Gladys was half Irish, the way she chatted to herself and fussed over us.

Kip & Manolo

So Viñales is known predominantly for its farming of tobacco and the local hillside and ranges. We walked around town and found ourselves a local guide called Manolo, an older guy but very knowledgeable and welcome for us wanting to do a walking tour which didn't include a group of 20+ Canadians doing the same thing. So we got a taxi out of town and started early for a 12Km walk in the local hills. If we had been blindfolded and lead away we would have sworn we were in the countryside of Vietnam, it was ver similar. That aside, it was great to get away for a nature walk away from the crowds.

We visited local farmers and their fields of sugar cane and tobacco. Saw the 'Tobacco Casas' where the tobacco leaves are strung up and left to dry for 1/2/3 years in order for them to mature and ferment. After this they are then sold on to the government. About 90% of their harvest has to go to the government and about 10% is left to their own use. We had a great walk and it was nice to see the true countryside.


We spent another day in Viñales just exploring the town and local areas. We hired a local taxi and got off the beaten track and see some of the rural Cuba. It was nice to see how people live. They all have the same provision in terms of land and houses. All of them neatly kept, gardens tendered to; pride.


In the evenings we ate at the Casa with Gladys fussing over us and the headed into town for a few drinks. Both nights we caught up with Manolo who took us to the local places and made sure we saw the best of Viñales. A truly genuine guy and nice to just hang out with a local and chat to him.


Now after Viñales was a long journey (hopefully our last long one of the trip!) down to the south coast and the middle of the country to a place called Trinidad.