Day 40, 41 and 42: Our first days in Cuba and the beautiful landscape of Vinales

Day 40 - Monday 31.10.2022
Welcome Cuba - Vintage car tour through western Cuba

The first day in Cuba started with an excellent breakfast on the balcony of Miriam and Mireya. Having coffee, eggs and bread with honey while a tank is standing 20 meters below at the Museo de la Revolution (which unfortunately was closed due to restoration) creates a unique atmosphere. Since we came to the country with relatively low expectations (especially regarding food procurement, etc.), we were thrilled to find out what we were able to eat. After breakfast, Robert, a friend of Anna's former schoolmate, visited us and helped us exchange some money. He also gave us a Cuban SIM card and accompanied us to Etecsa (the Cuban telephone provider) to recharge our credit. We were very grateful for this little help to get started. Afterward, we went to the Viazul bus station to take the bus to Vinales. Unaware that it was too much, we paid the taxi 10 dollars for a 15-minute ride. But as they say, sometimes you have to pay tuition. There, we were informed that due to the tornado that swept through Cuba three weeks before our arrival, there were no buses to Vinales. So, we organized a Taxi Collectivo, which means a private chauffeur who fills the car to the brim and takes you to your desired destination. It was not as cheap as the bus, but we did our best to negotiate a good price (40 dollars). Once again, we traveled in a vintage car with questionable roadworthiness, which suited us just fine as we were able to experience some Cuban flair. After a 3-hour drive, we finally arrived in the nice little town of Vinales. In less than a minute, we found accommodation as Jacqueline was already waiting for new guests. The room was simple but had everything we needed. In the evening, we took a stroll through Vinales and enjoyed a few cocktails to officially celebrate our arrival.

Day 41 - Tuesday 1.11.2022
Celebrating our anniversary with cigars and cocktails

The day started with a great breakfast in the small front yard of Jacqueline's house. Afterward, we were picked up by a horse-drawn cart and taken to the nearby national park. Our hostess had already organized this tour for us the day before. Once we arrived, we received our own horses, Ranjo and Mojito. Together with a guide, we started the horseback ride through the beautiful landscape of the Vinales National Park. The nervousness that could be seen in Manfred's face, probably because he was sitting on a horse for the first time, disappeared as soon as he realized how easy it was to navigate Ranjo. During our tour, we made several stops to admire the surrounding mountains and valleys and take some photos. While our guide explained in Spanish what we were looking at, we learned some new words. After two hours on horseback, we stopped at a tobacco farm. Here, we were shown how tobacco and coffee are grown. By the way, the tobacco farmer spoke excellent English. Afterward, we got to taste the rum produced there, Guabita del Pinar, as well as the coffee grown there. But the highlight was the tasting of an original Montecristo No.2, rolled by the tobacco farmer himself. We were also served a Mojito alá Vinales, and our anniversary celebration was complete. We enjoyed our cigar to the fullest and managed to capture some great snapshots. We decided to buy a few more Montecristos and then, slightly dizzy from the rum and tobacco, headed back to the village. Ranjo and Mojito practically ran on their own, except for a few small detours by Ranjo who was always thinking about food. This time, the horse-drawn cart dropped us off directly in front of his farm, and he pointed with his finger towards the village to tell us that we had to walk the rest of the way. We were somewhat surprised, but the walk back was also quite interesting. In the evening, we celebrated our anniversary a bit more at a nearby bar with Mojitos and Cuba Libres.

Day 42 - Wednesday 2.11.2022
Exploring the national park by bicycle

Despite some slight soreness in our bottoms, we decided to ride bicycles through the national park today. There were still some things we wanted to get a closer look at. One of our highlights was the 'Mural de la prehistorica,' a rock wall that was painted by a Cuban artist 60 years ago with the help of hundreds of farmers, on the orders of Fidel Castro, and is supposed to represent Cuba's past. On the bicycle, we were able to view the area from a different perspective and absorb the beauty of this natural park. Unfortunately, some paths could not be taken as they were flooded or damaged due to the tornado, so we had to turn around a few times, but it didn't dampen our joy. In the early evening, we returned the bicycles, which were brand new and in great condition. After that, it was time for food, cocktails, and bed.