Vinnales

There is a place called InfoTur that is made of gold (or it should be). As a tourist you can go there for information like any info office in any country, however here you can also book ticket and ontop of that they always speak English. Just so useful.

We picked up tickets the day before and today we were headed to Vinnales, the best tobacco and cigar region located in an incredible limestone karst valley.

In Cuba there are no hostels, just hotels and places called casa particulars. These places are fully equipped rooms in people houses that you can rent for $15-$40 per night. They include a double bed, ensuite, air con and a lockable door. Most also have a single bed, fridge and a fan. When you stay at one they ask where you are going next and they will have a friend there.... If you liked where you were, chances are you'd like the next place. Even if you say no sometimes when you get off the bus, someone will have your name on a board, and there are lots of people always waiting, offering rooms.

We arrived with no accommodation here as we decided the last place wasn't very good and we didn't want their recommendation. There was still someone with my name on it but we ignored them and went with a nice lady at the bus stop to see what was on offer at her house. Does the room and price match the pictures. We walk a decent distance away from the Main Street and around behind the school. The lady that was selling the room to us introduced us to another couple and I think she said they were her aunt and uncle. The little old couple here were so lovely and the house was great. On top of that, after the government restaurant fun, the food they cooked was incredible.

To get to the important points,
In Cuba, check
Place to sleep, check
Incredible view, check
Rocking chairs on the porch, check
Elderly Cubans to share stories with later on, check
Aged Havana club, check
Cuban cigars....... Ok, a problem but with an easy solution.

We had heard about a place on the outskirts of this very small village that rolls cigars while you watch and sticks them shut with honey. It's said these artisanal cigars are the smoothest, with no chemicals and the flavor is amazing.... A organic type of cigar. We walked out of town and found the place with huge drying sheds. We watched a couple get rolled and bought a few, so we could head back to the porch. They also gave us the one we watched get rolled.

Cuban cigars, check
Not a care in the world for a blissful afternoon, check
Cuban life experienced, and its great.
We sat out there all afternoon, I continued reading and finished a book I got in Russia, 'The Great Gatsby' and Sarah finished a crime book on the kindle. You are so much more a part of a crime book or The Great Gatsby when smoking a Cuban. It's a proven fact.

Vinnales is known for great food, not at the restaurants like you would expect but in the houses!! So we agreed to dinner in the house, at $7 each we asked her to make whatever she wanted to, and we were told beef.
We went in for our dinner and wow!! A plate of beef that is so tender you can cut it by clicking close to it, a plate of black beans (which were a highlight of the dish, they can be done so well and with a unique flavor), a plate of freshly made potato crisps to scoop up the beans with, a plate of cut tomato and cucumber, another plate of lettuce, one of seasoned rice and another of root vegetable like potato. Then a desert of sweet coconut. We could not finish a home cooked meal in Cuba, not even the night we got fresh crab!

After all this food, I offered a cigar to the couple and we went back out the front and all enjoyed rum and cigars together.