Buenos Dias from Shalini, Salma, and Makena here in Viñales!
It is our second day here in the beautiful town of Viñales and we are loving it! We woke up this morning to the quintessential sound of roosters and enjoyed a delicious breakfast prepared by our host mother and father. Following breakfast, we boarded the bus and headed to Viñales Valley for a hike. Alongside the hike, we learned about different flora and fauna, including a pineapple farm, avocado trees, and a plant that closes up when you come in contact with it. We walked through a tobacco farm and were lucky enough to learn about the entire process, starting with a man demonstrating how he picked the tobacco leaves from the plants, and ending with a step by step demonstration from a father-son combo team on how to roll and pack a perfect cigar. We were so lucky they were so generous with showing us their farm and tobacco process! As we continued our hike, we saw limestone mountains that were formed under water that can only be found in two other places: China and Vietnam. We saw so many different types of animals during our time and towards the end even saw a pig and her suckling seven piglets; it was extremely cool to see.
After our hike, we headed to lunch, which was another amazing experience. Lunch was located in an organic Eco-farm where the food from lunch came straight from the garden. This was definitely one of the best meals of the trip! The biggest topic of life was Desmond's philosophy on life and how we were all figments of his subconscious--if that's the case, then we blame any grammar/spelling errors in this blog on him! After lunch, the owner explained to us how she runs the farm and mentioned how the women do all the management and the men do all the manual work. We aren't opposed to that system(!); what does Desmond think? Anyway: the food was some of the best we've eaten so far, and it was a gorgeous experience to walk around the rows of the farm and see all the different fruits, vegetables, and animals that were housed there. It was one of the most naturally colorful and bright places we have ever seen.
After lunch, we were met with a big surprise! Bridget and Gretel, two of our guides, announced to us on the bus that we were being taken zip lining!! Here: we would get to see Viñales from a new perspective, above! The views were absolutely amazing from the zip lines, as were the faces of our friends while riding them. While a few people got stuck while on the zip line (Simone and Cameron), we overall had a wonderful experience! We headed back to our casas after and enjoyed a couple hours of free time and relaxation, which we chose to use to play dominos, cards, and venture out on the Main Street. For dinner, we returned to our host families where we once again enjoyed authentic, classic Cuban food: white rice, black beans, and chicken! Once dinner finished, our nighttime escapades began. The entire group, including our chaperones, decided to head to a local hangout place filled with Cuban music and salsa dancing. We were left in awe by the fact that all the locals had the rhythm and moves to dance the salsa to every song, and although none of us had the guts to join in, maybe we'll be able to go back tomorrow! On our way home from the town square, we stopped by a final restaurant to indulge in amazing churros fried and dressed in front of our eyes-- of course a way to spend some of our final converted Cuban cash. We can't believe how quickly this trip has gone by and are looking forward to an amazing (yet sad) last full day tomorrow!
Signing off and sending lots of love back home,
Shalini, Salma, and Makena
Monday, April 25, 2016
Isabel and Emilie: First night in Viñales! (Back-logged posts)
Greetings from Viñales!
Although we were sad to leave Havana this morning, we were excited to travel to the Viñales Valley--where the beauty of the town and scenery is astounding.
Staying in Havana since Friday afternoon was an amazing opportunity and one of the most incredible experiences of our lives. Reflecting on our stay in Cuba, one of the highlights of our time in Havana included the free Rolling Stones concert in Ciudad Deportiva on our first night in town. While not everyone was able to go because the chaperone numbers weren't quite high enough (with some adults and kids staying at the hotel on our first night), the whole group was there in spirit, and we really appreciate everyone's positive attitude. For those of us who did get to go: Being able to go to a FREE Rolling Stones concert IN CUBA was an amazing life experience in itself, but we also found that the concert was a great place to meet the Cuban people and to interact with them. What a wonderful introduction to the culture and community--an experience that we will forever remember!
Another highlight was our trip to the Callejon de Hamel. The way that the dancers and percussionists in the Santeria ceremony interacted with us allowed us to better understand the culture and to feel that we were allowed to be a part of it. The dance lessons that we took were both hilarious and filled with enjoyment, especially our Monday visit to Casa del Son. Some of our Havana nights were spent walking around Havana near our hotel and going to the close by beach, where we met locals and engaged in conversations with them in Español. All in all, our journey in Havana was unforgettable and we are already coming up with plans and times to return to Cuba's capital.
This morning, we departed from the Habana Libre hotel after breakfast to embark on the next leg of our Cuban odyssey, unsure of what to expect. In the bus, we were surrounded on both sides by lush, breathtakingly natural scenery that we are never able to experience in the United States. Our first stop was at the eco-community of Las Terrazas in Sierra del Rosario, where we were treated to delicious juice and a landscape so beautiful that it cannot be described in words. We also picked up our tour guide for the day, Janice, in this tropical oasis. We visited a nearby school and were able to look in on classes filled with adorable kids that were as eager to see us as we were to see them. Although their lives are so different from ours, there was something touching about the idea that their schooling, which is such a big part of the lives of all kids, was so similar to our own.
Next, we had lunch at the beautiful Casa del Campesino, where we were treated to the trademark Cuban rice and black beans, along with other organic products from the area. We continued on to our tour guide's town, where she promised us some delicious "romance" coffee, which she claimed helped her in meeting her husband. While it was tasty, we didn't experience any effects of that sort after drinking it ;). Finally, after a long day of travel, we arrived in the Viñales Valley and were thrilled to meet our host families here. After a couple hours to explore the town, our hosts served us home cooked Cuban meals as we chatted and practiced our Spanish. Following dinner, our exhaustion hit us and we decided to retire into our rooms for the night in preparation for the excitement of tomorrow.
¡Adios para ahora!
Emilie y Isabel
Although we were sad to leave Havana this morning, we were excited to travel to the Viñales Valley--where the beauty of the town and scenery is astounding.
Staying in Havana since Friday afternoon was an amazing opportunity and one of the most incredible experiences of our lives. Reflecting on our stay in Cuba, one of the highlights of our time in Havana included the free Rolling Stones concert in Ciudad Deportiva on our first night in town. While not everyone was able to go because the chaperone numbers weren't quite high enough (with some adults and kids staying at the hotel on our first night), the whole group was there in spirit, and we really appreciate everyone's positive attitude. For those of us who did get to go: Being able to go to a FREE Rolling Stones concert IN CUBA was an amazing life experience in itself, but we also found that the concert was a great place to meet the Cuban people and to interact with them. What a wonderful introduction to the culture and community--an experience that we will forever remember!
Another highlight was our trip to the Callejon de Hamel. The way that the dancers and percussionists in the Santeria ceremony interacted with us allowed us to better understand the culture and to feel that we were allowed to be a part of it. The dance lessons that we took were both hilarious and filled with enjoyment, especially our Monday visit to Casa del Son. Some of our Havana nights were spent walking around Havana near our hotel and going to the close by beach, where we met locals and engaged in conversations with them in Español. All in all, our journey in Havana was unforgettable and we are already coming up with plans and times to return to Cuba's capital.
This morning, we departed from the Habana Libre hotel after breakfast to embark on the next leg of our Cuban odyssey, unsure of what to expect. In the bus, we were surrounded on both sides by lush, breathtakingly natural scenery that we are never able to experience in the United States. Our first stop was at the eco-community of Las Terrazas in Sierra del Rosario, where we were treated to delicious juice and a landscape so beautiful that it cannot be described in words. We also picked up our tour guide for the day, Janice, in this tropical oasis. We visited a nearby school and were able to look in on classes filled with adorable kids that were as eager to see us as we were to see them. Although their lives are so different from ours, there was something touching about the idea that their schooling, which is such a big part of the lives of all kids, was so similar to our own.
Next, we had lunch at the beautiful Casa del Campesino, where we were treated to the trademark Cuban rice and black beans, along with other organic products from the area. We continued on to our tour guide's town, where she promised us some delicious "romance" coffee, which she claimed helped her in meeting her husband. While it was tasty, we didn't experience any effects of that sort after drinking it ;). Finally, after a long day of travel, we arrived in the Viñales Valley and were thrilled to meet our host families here. After a couple hours to explore the town, our hosts served us home cooked Cuban meals as we chatted and practiced our Spanish. Following dinner, our exhaustion hit us and we decided to retire into our rooms for the night in preparation for the excitement of tomorrow.
¡Adios para ahora!
Emilie y Isabel
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
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