Cuba travel | Travel Thru History

Viñales, Cuba: A Step Back In Time

by Paul Norton

Whenever we asked someone where to go in Cuba, they would invariably exclaim “You MUST go to Viñales!” When we asked why, the replies were seldom convincing. Words like “beautiful, rural, quaint and restful” were used. While these were admirable attributes, they didn’t really convey the unique charm of this little town near the western tip of Cuba.

The words of our friends reverberated in our heads as our big Viazul bus pulled into town. The usual crowd of entrepreneurs pressed up against us as we disembarked, most wanting to take us back to their casa particular for accommodation. We already had the name and address of one that we hoped to stay at, so we fought our way through the hordes and made it to the office of the local cab company. Upon arriving at our destination, we found that the house was already occupado. Not to worry – we were introduced to Yiya, who happened to be walking by. Before we knew it, her Casa Candelaria Negrin (House of the Black Candle) was our home away from home for the next few days.

Yiya made us right at home with wonderful mojitos, whipped up in mere seconds. She prepared table-groaning feasts with tasty fish, fresh fruit, and pretty much anything else we wanted. And that’s not to mention the cake! She was especially proud of her many scrapbooks, filled with comments written by happy guests from all over the world. Our lodgings were neat, clean and inviting.

There’s always a bit of a sense that the casa hosts want to keep a bit of distance from you. They generally eat separately, or at a different time, and they usually have separate living quarters. It’s understandable … you are invading their home. Don’t get the wrong impression, though. Yiya and her family were friendly, hospitable and as informative as they could be, given the language difference!

The Viñales Valley, located in Cuba’s Pinar Del Rio (River of the Pine) province, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As a cultural landscape enriched by traditional farm and village architecture, the region’s predominant feature is the limestone outcrops known as mogotes (haystacks). These huge round-topped hummocks emerged from the sea millions of years ago, during the Jurassic period.

The area is a magical terrain of hills and caves where life centres on growing tobacco. Farmers, most of who came from the Canary Islands, arrived around 1800 and began cultivating tobacco across the region. Two hundred years later, the tobacco grown in the distinctive red soil of the area is still the lifeblood of the Viñales Valley. Only the best leaves get sent to Havana, where hundreds of workers called torcedores or anilladores hand roll them into cigars. Cuba still produces 65 million cigars a year, packed in cedar boxes and exported world-wide.

A small green bus takes the tourists around the valley. For only 5 CUC (convertable pesos) it’s a good deal. You can ride all day, with stops at the tourist hotels, in the village, and at the caves and other out-of-town sights. The old bus is rather spartan, with no windows and hard seats. It roars along at breakneck speed, so it’s advisable to always have your camera at the ready, pointed out the window in case something looms into view for a few fleeting seconds. You can hop off anywhere and wait until the next time it comes around to hop back on.

One of the more interesting attractions in Viñales is the little Casa de Caridad Botanical Gardens located at the north-eastern end of town. Started many decades ago by two sisters, their descendants are now running the gardens. The lush gardens in the sizable back yard feature a mix of ornamental and medicinal plants and flowers, as well as palm and fruit trees. Adding to the curious nature of the grounds are homemade decorations like heads ripped off dolls hanging everywhere. The Miranda sisters were well-known practitioners of voodoo back in the day. No admission is charged, but a 1 CUC donation is warmly appreciated.

One of the best-known sights in Cuba is the century-spanning range of transportation choices. Viñales is no exception. American cars from the 1930s to the 1950s share the roads with derelict trucks, horse and carts, sleek tourista buses, farm machinery of all sorts, scooters, fancy newish European, Asian and South American autos, and the ever-present gangs of bicycles.

An intriguing element of travel in Cuba is el amarillo (The Yellow Man). The Cuban government’s system for facilitating hitchhiking is by far the most economical way for foreigners to travel in Cuba. Named for the colour of the uniforms of its administrators, the system consists of points where certain vehicles are required to stop and pick up hitchhikers. In the daytime, when the amarillo is present, you pay a nominal fee. The money all goes to the government; drivers don’t get any of it. As a result, it’s cheaper at night, when the amarillo has gone home and drivers can make some money themselves. There’s a yellow man at the north-eastern end of Vinales, across from the Botanical Gardens.

Music is in the Cuban people’s DNA. Almost every restaurant, coffee bar and nightclub in Viñales offers great entertainment. Given the rural nature of the area, the music is different from that in the big cities like Havana and Santiago de Cuba. On our first night, we ended up in an open air night club called Polo Montanez Centro Cultural. For a 3 CUC cover, we were treated to traditional groups, a contemporary salsa band, singers, dancers, fire-eaters and more!

While walking down Salvadore Cisneros (the main street) one day, we saw a fellow carrying what appeared to be the bridge for a stand-up bass. Aha, we thought. La música! We followed him to a funky little coffee bar a few blocks down the way. A wonderful group of traditional Cuban players entertained there that afternoon on the patio, and we came back that evening for an equally enjoyable group on a little stage inside. It was astonishing how much beautiful noise came from their ancient, run-down instruments. As was our custom, we bought discos compacticos from any musicians selling them. They make great souvenirs, and it helps them pay the bills.

Regretfully, we were only in Viñales for a few days. It wasn’t nearly long enough to see all the sights. We didn’t get to the horseback riding, caving, hiking or bird watching. There are also magnificent beaches to the north, less than an hour’s drive away. We hope to go back again soon, take our bicycles, and spend at least a week there. Sleepy old Viñales is full of warm, friendly people, enchanting adventures and breathtaking sights. Similarly to those folks who said it to us, we now say to you, “Just GO! You won’t regret it.”

If You Go:

AIR:
If you live in Canada, non-stop flights are available to Cuba from these airlines:
Western Canada: Air Transat www.airtransat.ca
Eastern Canada: Air Canada www.aircanada.com

BUS:
Víazul is Cuba’s tourista bus line, and is by far the best choice of public transportation to tour the island. They run comfortable, air-conditioned long-distance coaches with washrooms and televisions to most places of interest to tourists. The Korean-made buses are in good repair, reliable and punctual. Schedules can be found on their website. The buses can be used by anyone including Cubans, but in reality, few Cubans can afford the CUC fares. Reservations can be made in advance, but are usually unnecessary except at peak travel times. Do not waste your time making an on-line reservation on the website – that rarely works. Refreshments are not served, despite what the website says. Bring your own if you can. The buses do stop for meal breaks at highway restaurants. They are often over air-conditioned, so have something warm to wear.
www.viazul.com

CASA PARTICULARS:
There are many Web sites that list available casa particulars. (Regrettably, Yiya’s Casa Candelaria Negrin is not to be found on them.) They can be reserved on-line, but there are so many stories of travellers who have shown up only to find they have been double-booked, it may be better to just show up and find one there. In the rural areas such as Viñales, the rates are generally 20 to 25 CUC per room per night. Here’s a few web sites. If you do a Google search, you’ll find more.
www.cuba-junky.com/cuba/cuba-casa-particulares.htm
www.casaparticular.info
www.bedincuba.com
www.cubaccommodation.com
www.casaparticular.org

About the author:
Paul Norton does many things …. Radio show host/producer, graphic artist and web designer to name just a few. He’d love to be able to afford to travel more. His second trip to Cuba took place in February 2010. Visit www.paulnorton.ca.

All photographs are by Paul Norton or Sue Malcolm.
More pictures can be viewed at www.paulnorton.ca/vinales2010.

Historic Havana, Independent Cuba

by Marc Latham

Before arriving in Havana on a warm January evening I thought modern day Cuba was held together as a country by socialism, with the deteriorating health of Fidel Castro threatening its identity and survival. By the time I left Havana three days later I realised that modern Cuba is as much about history and its long fight for independence as it is about the current government and its policies.

The island looked mysterious as we flew in, with yellows and browns merging on the ground, while greens, blues and greys swirled together in the sky as the sun set. The Jose Marti airport is about seventeen miles (25km) from Havana. I chugged into the city in a Chevrolet taxi with the exhaust fumes of the Buick in front choking my sanitized senses through our open windows. The streets were alive with people and chaotic traffic swerved in tune with blaring car horns. I felt a mixture of reawakening and guilt. I felt alive again, and I loved it: the sights, sounds, smells and organised chaos of the developing world entering our car and my brain. I felt glad that there were still places like this in the world, but I knew I shouldn’t because it was an environmentalist’s worst nightmare!

Once I reached the hotel and the initial buzz died down I hoped once again that Cuba, as other countries, would be able to clean up their air. A notice in the bathroom asked guests to leave unused towels on the rail, to save on the laundry and environmental impact.

I’d booked into the Lido Hotel, which the Lonely Planet Cuba guide considers a main haunt in the city. Lonely Planet describes the hotel as a friendly but lacklustre institution, and I found that pretty accurate. The balcony doors wouldn’t close properly, and I didn’t find the blankets, so the night was a little chilly. I was awoken pre-dawn by the crowing of a rooster, and later identified a chicken house on the roof across the road.

The hotel’s roof restaurant served a good breakfast in the morning. The weather was cloudy and cool. With my Cuba guide book in hand I set off after breakfast, and headed towards the dome that I could see from my hotel balcony. The streets were already a hive of activity, with traffic, people and dogs vying for the limited room offered between the colourful and crooked streets.

A few minutes later I entered the grounds of the Capitolio Nacional building, and walked towards its imposing front, which is similar to the US Capitol Building. It was built between 1929 and 1932, and held the Cuban Congress until 1959. It is now used by the Academy of Sciences and the National Library of Science and Technology.

Then I headed to the Malecon, Havana’s famous five mile sea wall, and reached the area at the Parque Maceo. Situated across the road from the high-rise hospital, the park contains the impressive Monumento a Antonio Maceo. Built in 1916, the statue has Maceo, the mulatto hero of the first war of independence against the Spanish, which ended in stalemate during 1878 after ten years of conflict, on horseback above symbolic Cuban figures around the base.

Leaving the park I walked along the Malecon in the direction of Havana Vieja (Old Havana), which was signposted by an old Spanish fort that guards Havana from a headland across the harbour. I walked on the other side of the road from the sea most of the time to avoid the waves that crash over the wall at regular intervals, but crossed over to the sea side when I saw dry tracts of pavement next to the wall.

Castillo de los Tres Magos del Morro (Morro Castle) was built by the Spanish in 1589, and its walls spread dominantly inland for hundreds of yards; leading to a Rio style Christ statue and then the docks. After taking in the view across the water I headed into the narrow cobbled streets of Havana Vieja, passing the ruins of the Castillo de la Real Fuerza, an open air market and the Palacio Velasco; an intricate art nouveau structure that now houses the Spanish embassy.

Another impressive statue loomed, and on closer inspection I saw it was of Carlos Manuel de Cespedes. Cespedes is known as the Padre de la Patria (Father of the Nation); he was a planter in the south of the island who freed his slaves before starting the first war of independence in 1868.

It was only after being introduced to Maceo and Cespedes, two heroes of the first war of independence, that I came across the first symbols of the most recent revolution. Walking down Plaza 13 de Marzo a banner celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the overthrowing of President Batista, and at the end of the park a tank used in the Bay of Pigs battle in 1961 sits across the road from the Museo de la Revolucion.

The museum is housed in the former Palacio Presidencial. Tiffany of New York decorated the interior, and its lavish beauty has been preserved: Classic period soldiers, both male and female, mix with angels in a gold and white visage. The presidential office (1920-65) and Council of Ministers (1959-65) are two of the highlights, and there is a wealth of information and artifacts about the revolution and last half-century.

The museum is of course biased towards the current administration, but the Batista dictatorship was obviously heinous. Cameras are allowed in for an additional charge, and I was not challenged when taking notes. There are more remnants of the revolution behind the museum, including a plane and the yacht named Granma that carried eighty-two rebel soldiers from Mexico to Cuba in 1956.

After exiting the museum I headed out to the Vedado district, and the Plaza de la Revolucion; this is where Castro and the Pope have talked to over a million Cubans. On one side of the road is the Memorial Jose Marti; the highest structure in Cuba at over 400 feet (142 meters). Marti was a writer who led the second war of independence against the Spanish in 1895, and was martyred early in the conflict.

The presidential office is situated behind the statue, and as I was late arriving at the entrance I was told in no uncertain terms to leave the area. On the other side of the plaza is the Ministerio del Interior, which features a massive mural of Che on its front; it is best viewed after dark, when lit up.

The other main draw for me in Vedado was a John Lennon park statue, so I tried to reach there before evening. I made it, after getting the hang of the odd and even numbered streets with no names. An old man was sitting next to ‘Lennon’ and he quickly put some trademark glasses on the singer, before jumping up to take my photo alongside the musical revolutionary.

Having seen the sights I wanted to visit on the first day I spent the second perusing the plazas, churches and shops of Havana Vieja in a more leisurely fashion. A Paul and Shark designer shop stood out among the older establishments; I don’t know if Che would have approved, but would Maceo, Cespedes and Marti?

If You Go:

Virgin-Atlantic (www.virgin-atlantic.com) flies direct to Cuba from the UK, while Air France (www.airfrance.com) via Paris is another option.
Searching on www.netflights.com and www.opodo.co.uk can also help you choose the best offers.
The Cuban consulate in London states that everybody now needs a Tourist Visa card. See: www.cubaldn.com It is £15 for British citizens, and the application details are on the website HERE.
There is more info at: www.lonelyplanet.com. (The Lonely Planet guide seems to be the ‘bible’ for the island, although it is three years old now.)
Video of Havana’s Malecon by Marc: www.youtube.com
Other Cuba videos by Marc can be found at: www.youtube.com/user/greenygrey3

About the author:
Marc Latham travelled to all the populated continents during his twenties, and studied during his thirties, including a BA in History. He now lives in Leeds, and is trying to become a writer from the www.greenygrey.co.uk website.

Photo credits:
First Havana photo by Spencer Everett on Unsplash
All other photos are by Marc Latham.

New Year’s Safari in Rural Cuba

Bariay Bay, Cuba

by Susan Zuckerman

Curls of wood smoke rise above farms, permeating the morning air with a pungent smell and holding a festive promise. Pigs are rotating on outdoor spits all over the Cuban countryside. Today is New Year’s Eve, and tonight everyone will feast on succulent roast pork. This is the most important national holiday in Cuba, as on January 1, 1959 the dictatorial government of General Batista was overthrown. This year, 2009, thus holds particular meaning: the 50th anniversary of the Revolution led by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. But today I am seeking a place of much older historical significance.

On a jeep safari tour, meandering and bouncing through thatch-roof villages and banana and coconut palm plantations, our destination is Bariay Bay in the eastern province of Holguin. This is where Christopher Columbus first landed in Cuba on October 28, 1492. It strikes me that we are celebrating New Year’s where the New World was discovered. Our guide, Orestes, however, makes a clear distinction. “Cubans formerly said that Christopher Columbus discovered Cuba,” he tells us. “Now we say that his arrival was an encounter between two cultures, European and Carib. Our schools’ text books have been changed to teach this.”

Before we reach Bariay, our all-day jeep safari tour offers other adventures that immerse us in the culture of rural Cuba. As we navigate deeply rutted tracks through villages, people rush out calling “Felice Año Nuevo!” – Happy New Year! Lively salsa and mambo music drifts out of the houses. Many of us have brought gifts of school supplies and toiletries that we pass to smiling children shyly waiting at their gates.

Simply to be in rural Cuba is like stepping back in time. While the farmhouses all have electricity, the windows have no glass, only wooden shutters. We see the occasional 1950s American car, but horses are the most common means of transportation. On this day when families unite to celebrate, many are joyously jammed into horse-drawn carts travelling along the main road.

Our first stop is Rocazul Ecological Park, where we leave our modern jeeps and mount horses ourselves. We are twenty-five on this tour, and a horse is saddled and waiting for each of us. Through hilly open forest we ride at a leisurely pace, serenaded by the songs of warblers, mockingbirds, and Cuban trogans. Back at the ranchero a jubilant band is playing and we’re served ice-cold pina coladas.

We then head towards the coast, through unfenced pastures with cows, horses, pigs, and goats all roaming free, and plantations of tall royal palms waving in the breeze. Our canvas roof is folded back and the sun is hot on our heads. My partner is in heaven to be manhandling a jeep through rough terrain. In the back seat two giddy young women, also from our hotel, are wearing bikini tops to improve their tans and seem to be having the time of their lives.

We finally reach Bariay Monument National Park. Our first stop here is an “authentic” Cuban farm. Inside a house roofed with palm-fronds we are treated to coffee made in the traditional method. The farmer grinds the beans with a wooden pestle. He then pours water, heated atop an open fire, over the grounds and through a metal strainer. Served in unglazed clay cups with a little sugar, it packs a delicious jolt. On the back porch a handsome Cuban in a straw hat is deftly hacking the tops off coconuts with a machete. We insert a straw and sip cool refreshing coconut milk. The discarded coconuts are tossed to waiting chickens that seem to love the sweet flesh. Then it’s time to ride in a cart drawn by two lumbering oxen. We pass a barefoot man stumbling along the road, swinging an open bottle of rum, a sign that the party mood is already erupting.

Back in the jeeps, we soon come to a headland overlooking the turquoise waters of Bariay Bay. Below is the white sandy beach where Christopher Columbus first landed in Cuba. It’s not difficult to imagine the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria sailing into this sheltered bay, which must have seemed a paradise with it’s swaying palm trees. To help us get into the historical mood, a blue-eyed Spaniard in 15th century dress serves us rum, while our guide, Orestes, educates us.

“Bariay Bay was Columbus’s second landfall in the New World,” he explains, “a few days after landing on the island of San Salvador in the Bahamas. He believed he’d found China, so he sent men to seek the Emperor. Instead they found a native Taíno village. This was where the Spanish first observed people smoking tobacco — and the international popularity of Cuban cigars was born!”

No pure Taíno exist today. Their descendants are blended into the melting pot of Cuba’s Spanish, African, and Carib populations. In a grassy meadow overlooking the bay, however, is a reconstructed Taíno village with four prominent statues representing the gods of rain, drought, fire and sun. We watch a costumed re-enactment of a Taíno ritual. Men and women of the same village could not marry, so spear-wielding young men ambush and chase reluctant young women from a neighbouring village, eventually dancing and singing together around the fire.

Lunch is served in an open hut with glorious views of the azure bay. For starters we have a salad of diced carrot, peas, onion, and various beans. The main course is a choice of chicken, beef, pork, or pasta. I have the chicken, some of the best I’ve ever eaten, possibly from all the coconuts on which the chickens have been feasting. It is served with rice, black beans and fries, and washed down with Bucanero cerveza. Dessert is guava paste sprinkled with grated cheese, a perfect combination.

Thoroughly relaxed from the sun, rum, and cerveza, we view the monument built to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Columbus’s arrival. It is called “Monumento Encuentro Dos Cultures” (Meeting of Two Cultures). Stately white columns and arches, representing the Spanish, form an arrow piercing into scattered rust-red Taíno idols, symbolizing how this encounter eventually overcame the native culture.

Lastly, we head down to the marina. Instead of sailing in replica ships, it is time to zoom about the bay on jet-skis. Some of us have had enough hot sun for the day, however, and choose to sit in the shade, sip cerveza, and listen to Cuban jazz.

The afternoon wanes. Sunset will soon be upon us. We have a long drive back to our hotel to fancy up for our gala New Year’s Eve dinner and entertainment. Orestes is anxious to return home and start partying with his extended family, an evening he says will involve drinking beer and rum, dancing, singing, and feasting on barbecued pork. Since Cubans don’t eat meat every day, this is extra special.

The day has been an encounter of cultures in more ways than one. Who knows what the next 500 years or even 50 years will bring to Cuba and the rest of the world? Who knows what 2009 will bring? The global economy is crumbling and Fidel Castro will not likely live to see 2010. But tonight is about celebration. Felice Año Nuevo!

If You Go:

We went to Cuba on an all-inclusive package through Air Canada Vacations. Our hotel, the Blau Costa Verde, was an hour from the airport and city of Holguin, in the far eastern part of Cuba. This is a very rural and mountainous part of Cuba with only a few hotels, much different than the sprawling Varadero resort area, which is near Havana in western Cuba. The beaches of Holquin province are divine!

Jeep Safari tours are available through most hotels. Ours was organized by Air Canada Vacations after we arrived and cost 70 pesos, about $90-$100.

Numerous other tours are available from the hotel, including to the local market in Guardalavaca, the cities of Holguin and Santiago de Cuba, and a catamaran tour that includes swimming with dolphins. Many other means of transportation are available as well: bicycles, scooters, kayaks, and pedal boats. All but the scooters are free from the hotel. You can also rent a car; however, none of the roads have names or numbers.

The average Cuban earns about $30 a month. Because of the US embargo, they are especially lacking in toiletries and school and medical supplies. We took a suitcase of medical supplies obtained through Not Just Tourists and donated it to a local clinic. We also took about $100 worth of school supplies (pens, felts, crayons, notebooks, paper, etc.) and soap, toothbrushes, and toothpaste. These we distributed mostly to children we came upon on our outings, as school was closed for the holidays.

Air Canada Vacations
Blau Costa Verde Hotel

About the author:
Susan lives outside Vancouver, B.C. She has been a teacher for over 30 years and writes historical fiction. This was her second trip to Cuba.

Photo Credits:
All photos by Susan Zuckerman.