Our trip from Trinidad to Vinales was a journey in and of itself. Instead of taking the bus, our host in Trinidad arranged a taxi share. Our driver was a vibrant and very chatty middle-aged Cuban woman full of opinions and advice on what to see and where to stay in Cuban (all the places she got commission of course). The ride was several hours and about an hour from our destination we got a flat tire. Luckily she did have a small spare that would get us the remainder of the way, but she wasn't exactly savvy at changing tires. Eric saved the day and changed the tire for her in the blistering heat as many a car passed by and honked and waved.When we finally did pull into town, we had her take us to a casa particular recommended to us while in Trinidad - the home to a very sweet Cuban woman, her slightly strange husband who 
tried to sell us tons of mediocre cigars and in the same neighborhood their cute little granddaughter who made frequent appearances. The little girl was about 7 and entertained us with fashion shows and games out on their cozy front porch while we enjoyed the evenings sipping mojitos and smoking cigars in rocking chairs. They also had a daughter of about 20 still living at home and we got along great with her. We played card games at night and she gave us a tour of her art studio in their back shed - she was quite talented. Our hostess was an excellent cook and took total delight in stuffing us to the gills. At this point, we were already feeling a little soft around the middle after nearly 2 weeks of multi course Cuban meals. So as not to be rude, we told her up front that we wanted to go on a bit of a diet before returning home, which gave her all the more motivation to feed us even more. She made it her mission to make sure that Eric in particular enjoyed her cooking - she'd often wink at me as she'd put down his plate with a large portion and a huge grin.
tried to sell us tons of mediocre cigars and in the same neighborhood their cute little granddaughter who made frequent appearances. The little girl was about 7 and entertained us with fashion shows and games out on their cozy front porch while we enjoyed the evenings sipping mojitos and smoking cigars in rocking chairs. They also had a daughter of about 20 still living at home and we got along great with her. We played card games at night and she gave us a tour of her art studio in their back shed - she was quite talented. Our hostess was an excellent cook and took total delight in stuffing us to the gills. At this point, we were already feeling a little soft around the middle after nearly 2 weeks of multi course Cuban meals. So as not to be rude, we told her up front that we wanted to go on a bit of a diet before returning home, which gave her all the more motivation to feed us even more. She made it her mission to make sure that Eric in particular enjoyed her cooking - she'd often wink at me as she'd put down his plate with a large portion and a huge grin.The highlight of our time in Vinales was the tour we took through the tobacco growing country. Our hostess set it up with a local 
farmer who took us through the hillsides and fi elds on horseback. He was a good ol' boy with a huge toothless grin, a floppy straw hat, oversized trousers and boots that hung loose on his thin frame. He was 74 years old and had lived and farmed in the area for all of his life. Our horses were a bit of a sad case, like most animals around the area, due to drought and lack of food and nutritious grass. The horses were emaciated and bony and we felt guilty riding on their fragile frames. We both were quite lenient in letting them stop for breaks to grab mouthfuls of grass, which annoyed our guide slightly. The ride itself was lovely. We rode through farming fields where they grow everything from corn, potatoes, and pineapples to tobacco. Some farms are private and the farm ers own them, but they are still required to sell everything to the government. Other farms are government owned and farmed as cooperatives - the farmers getting paid for production. Vinales in general is a beautiful area with limestone mountains and hills rising out of the farming valleys. In some ways it reminded us of Guilin in China. Along our ride we passed by many small farms and their simple wood or cinder block houses often painted white with a color trim.
Towards the end of our ride, we stopped at a tobacco farm to meet with a friend of our guide - a handsome old farmer with a certain air of wisdom and 'tranquilo' about him. He was in his early 80's, though you'd never know it, and he too had been farming in the area his entire life. We sat down with him at his old wooden table and he rolled us a couple of handmade cigars while he explained the cigar growing and making process in detail. He also brought out locally grown coffee beans and brewed us a cup to sample. We took a walk through the thatched-barn tobacco drying house and around his fields. He also showed us his prize fat pig they were preparing to butcher the next Sunday to celebrate a couple of the family's birthdays.
farmer who took us through the hillsides and fi elds on horseback. He was a good ol' boy with a huge toothless grin, a floppy straw hat, oversized trousers and boots that hung loose on his thin frame. He was 74 years old and had lived and farmed in the area for all of his life. Our horses were a bit of a sad case, like most animals around the area, due to drought and lack of food and nutritious grass. The horses were emaciated and bony and we felt guilty riding on their fragile frames. We both were quite lenient in letting them stop for breaks to grab mouthfuls of grass, which annoyed our guide slightly. The ride itself was lovely. We rode through farming fields where they grow everything from corn, potatoes, and pineapples to tobacco. Some farms are private and the farm ers own them, but they are still required to sell everything to the government. Other farms are government owned and farmed as cooperatives - the farmers getting paid for production. Vinales in general is a beautiful area with limestone mountains and hills rising out of the farming valleys. In some ways it reminded us of Guilin in China. Along our ride we passed by many small farms and their simple wood or cinder block houses often painted white with a color trim.After our tour, we enjoyed fresh pineapple they grow on the farm and we ventured onto the topic of the Cuban Revolution. We were curious to find out how people in the rural areas of Cuba viewed it as opposed to the city dwellers. Both our guide and his friend agreed that the revolution had greatly improved life for them. Befo re, they were not guaranteed to sell their crops and did not often get what they felt was a fair price. Now, the government buys all their 
produce at a set price which they believe is fair (mind you, they are making their comparison of fair based on what they got 50 years ago and not what they might get now in a free market...we'd be curious to know whether the current system is still better for them now, or if the free market system would be preferable). T he revolution also opened up a number of opportunities for Cubans in rural communities that hadn't existed previously - access to free education and health care being two of the major benefits. It was interesting to hear their positive perspectives and another side to the story. In the countryside in general, you see a lot more propaganda in support of the revolution. It makes one wonder if this is the true sentiment or if lack of access to information, government pressure and the constant comparison only of what was (pre-revolution) and what is (post-revolution) - instead of imagining the possibilities of what could be - contributes to their complete positive perceptions.
produce at a set price which they believe is fair (mind you, they are making their comparison of fair based on what they got 50 years ago and not what they might get now in a free market...we'd be curious to know whether the current system is still better for them now, or if the free market system would be preferable). T he revolution also opened up a number of opportunities for Cubans in rural communities that hadn't existed previously - access to free education and health care being two of the major benefits. It was interesting to hear their positive perspectives and another side to the story. In the countryside in general, you see a lot more propaganda in support of the revolution. It makes one wonder if this is the true sentiment or if lack of access to information, government pressure and the constant comparison only of what was (pre-revolution) and what is (post-revolution) - instead of imagining the possibilities of what could be - contributes to their complete positive perceptions.In many ways what's said about Cuba seems true - it feels very much like a country locked in time about 50-60 years ago...and at that time there were many benefits of the revolution. It 
fought off much of the corruption, prostitution, gambling, etc. that had seeped in from enterprising businessmen (and the mafia) who were escaping prohibition and other legal limitations in the US at the time. The revolution sought to bring eduction, arts/culture, health care and equality to the rural communities and cities. And at that time, many would argue it was a huge step up for the average Cuban. Of course, there were a lot of politics, power games and money that complicated and soured the situation from the US perspective. And like many a visionary leader, Castro's initial idealism got him hooked on power and control, which ultimately prevented the country from progressing and many would argue has done more harm than good. One thing we can say for sure - there are many facets and perspectives around Cuba's history. If anything, our time in Cuba talking to different people, visiting museums and then recalling what we learned from our own education makes one realize the "truth" of what is right and wrong, good and bad, is never black and white. Our numerous conversations with the Cubans we encountered (some pro Castro and many hungering for change and progress) certainly gave us a lot to think about and helped us to understand and appreciate the complexity of Cuba's history...and path to the future.
Anyhow...back to Vinales...
We spent our final day in Vinales taking a trip out to a local island called Cayo Levisa. We enjoyed
a last day on the beach, reading and lounging. We had a nice lunch and talked a lot about what we had learned over the course of the year and what we were looking forward to on our return. It truly had been an amazing adventure. It felt bitter sweet to reminisce...so much to be thankful for and many wonderful memories to take home. And while we were both feeling ready and excited to return home, we also felt melancholy that the year had passed so quickly, knowing we'd miss the freedom and constant sense of adventure.
a last day on the beach, reading and lounging. We had a nice lunch and talked a lot about what we had learned over the course of the year and what we were looking forward to on our return. It truly had been an amazing adventure. It felt bitter sweet to reminisce...so much to be thankful for and many wonderful memories to take home. And while we were both feeling ready and excited to return home, we also felt melancholy that the year had passed so quickly, knowing we'd miss the freedom and constant sense of adventure.On May 18, we boarded an early bus bound for Habana to spend our last few days in Cuba.
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