Our explorations around Old Havana were mainly on foot, but trips to other parts of the city were generally in the 50s Trabants, reminiscent of model toy cars of my childhood as they nipped in and out of the traffic. These little vehicles were just one step up from the ubiquitous bicycle rickshaw ‘bicitaxis’, but a fraction of the style of the vintage Chevrolets, Buicks, Fords and Chryslers, and equally a fraction of the cost, given that most of the vintage cars are used for sightseeing tours at inflated prices.
These colourful vintage cars were certainly abundant, as well as beautifully restored and maintained by their proud owners vying for trade.
It came as a total surprise, when our transportation to the rustic countryside of ‘Valle de Vinales’ turned out to be a metallic purple 1957 Dodge! This shiny mobile, complete with flags and white leather seats, was rather impressive but somewhat incongruous given the nature of our trip. It was far more suitable for the likes of Beyoncé and Jay Z hitting the Havana club scene, versus Rachel and Philip horseback riding through Cuban tobacco fields!
Our six-hour round trip to Vinales was a most memorable experience, encountering the lush Cuban landscape through the windows of our stylish car, before riding through it on horseback. The vast valley of Vinales is characterised by relatively flat alluvial plains, dotted with residual limestone hills known as ‘mogotes’.
It was great to be back in the saddle again, following our local guide through the fields of tobacco, and observing this important crop at its different stages of development.
The scenery was punctuated by the occasional wooden barn, used for drying and storage, one of which we ‘stumbled upon’ for a seemingly impromptu demonstration by a tobacco plantation owner. In just a few seconds, he skillfully rolled a few tobacco leaves into an authentic looking cigar, using none other than his locally produced honey for glue.
He equally quenched our thirst with his ‘signature cocktail’ mixed in a freshly cut coconut. He promptly added his local honey together with grapefruit and pineapple juice – expertly squeezed by hand, albeit not a great selling point when stained by tobacco and earth! We politely declined the addition of rum, wanting to stay firmly in the saddle for the duration of our six-hour ride.
We later stopped at one of the famed limestone caves of the area, where I boldly followed the glowing torch of another local guide to a 200-metre-deep underground pool, admiring the numerous stalactites and stalagmites en route. It was undoubtedly a refreshing way to cool off after riding in the hot sun, but a little unnerving when left alone by my nonchalant chaperone to swim in complete darkness in the murky depths of a cave … A rather strange tourist attraction, in hindsight, and not one I would necessarily repeat. Nevertheless, it was most energising especially when combined with a picnic lunch under the trees, followed by yet another freshly squeezed juice – this time mango, at a little wooden shack turned café/restaurant on the edge of the terracotta fields.
The Cuban culinary repertoire may be humble, but they can certainly pride themselves on their delicious fruit juices/‘jugos’.
Our six-hour round trip to Vinales was a most memorable experience, encountering the lush Cuban landscape through the windows of our stylish car, before riding through it on horseback. The vast valley of Vinales is characterised by relatively flat alluvial plains, dotted with residual limestone hills known as ‘mogotes’.
