Viñales 2

Vinales 2

Today we want to visit a cave, swim at the beach, and get some Vitamin D (sunbathe), and see an incredible building. But one thing at a time.

The Vinales area has several karst hills with extensive cave systems. Not much of it is accessible, but some are explored by cave researchers. We already pay the entrance fee for the Cueva San Tomas - cave at the hotel, arrive, and immediately the friendly Cuban starts a very entertaining tour in friendly school English. First, we climb a few meters up to the entrance of the cave, take a look at the area when we arrive at the top, and then turn on the helmet lamps. We see the usual suspects, stalactites and stalagmites, and what is quite rare in caves, animals. The guide attracts them and they are there, the frog, the spider, the swallows from the USA, who arrived only 4 weeks ago, and the bats. We hear the nightingale and the national bird of Cuba, the tocororo.

It is strange for us that the dripstone formations can be touched, and the guide even drums on them, and it sounds good. Unexpectedly, we walk the same way back, including the descent from the mountain. Despite the temperature of only 25 degrees Celsius, we are warmed up, or rather sweaty, and treat ourselves to a sunbath by the sea. For this, we drive to the coast on unbelievably bad roads. It is airy and windy at the beach, the water is warm, and when it starts to rain, we retreat. In the provincial capital of Pinar del Rio, we admire a futuristic palace that was built between 1901 and 1905 by a crazy doctor. He thought eclecticism was great. Often repainted, it now shines in beautiful gray, and the Egyptian sculptures appear unreal. But they are there.

Back in Vinales, we indulge in the free internet and happy hour for cocktails (not for beer) and have dinner at La Oliva. It is unimaginable that people line up here to be able to eat. They serve Pollo and Conejo, the finest at very moderate prices. If we were to come back here again, this restaurant would be our first choice.