The Cuban Countryside

Thank God that my Dad taught me to drive a stick shift at the age of 12 because that meant Norm had to navigate (without a map) and ask directions in Spanish on our drive out of Havana.  It was a sight to see! Our first stop was Las Terrazas, a biosphere reserve in the Sierra Del Rosario Mountains, which everyone raves about.  The former French coffee plantation was lovely, but the river below was a bit disappointing.  It felt like a creek with a picnic area.  We didn't linger to swim and reached our final destination, the Parque Nacional Vinales, in an hour.

One of the oldest landscapes in Cuba, Vinales is magical.  There are large "mogotes" (hills) made of limestone covered in vegetation around the area.  They grow tabacco, coffee, and fruit in this picturesque setting.  Although there are plenty of casas (private homes with rooms to rent) in Vinales, we chose the Hotel La Ermita, a fun 50's style motel with a groovy pool and restaurant with an amazing view.  We were delighted to meet some interesting Aussies at the hotel to eat, drink and swap stories with.

Vinales was full of firsts for Norm.  It was his first time in a cave and on horseback.  The horseback ride was a fantastic way to see the national park and one of the trip highlights for both of us.  We rode past men plowing with oxen, serene lakes, banana groves, and stopped at our guides' family farm. It was truly special.

My second favorite experience was the tobacco tour. We sat with a farmer on his porch and Norm enjoyed Cuba's number one export.  We also visited a factory where the cigars are rolled. They still have someone read the newspaper and novels to the workers.  It sure was a shame not to be able to bring home a taste of Cuba to our friends!

Our next stop was Cayo Levisa.  It was island time!  We drove for a little over an hour through small towns to a ferry dock in the middle of nowhere.  This is where we ran into our first problem on the trip.  We were supposed to return our rental car here, but there was no Cuba car office.  So much for that plan.  We ended up keeping the car for another three days that we didn't need.

We forgot about the car immediately as the ferry transported us to an idyllic barrier island with one resort and an endless beach.  We spent three days lying in the sun, swimming, reading, eating fresh seafood and drinking rum cocktails.  It simply doesn't get much better.  We took one boat trip where I went for a dive on a lovely reef and Norm snorkeled above.

We left our bungalow on Cayo Levisa kicking and screaming.  But, we were excited to drive back to explore a little more of Habana before returning to reality.  Our trip gave Norm and me a real taste of life in Cuba from the cosmopolitan culture to the natural beauty of the country.  I look forward to the day that all Americans are allowed this experience!