A wet day prior refreshed the climate and gave us aid from the new, humid, sticky situations. Simply in time for a visit to get out of town. Our bus left early for a three-hour drive into the countryside to the north-central Pinar del Rio Province of Cuba and the Viñales Valley. This space is known for tobacco manufacturing.
The valley round Viñales is a gorgeous karst panorama. Surrounded by mountains and tall rounded outcrops (mogotes), with purple clay soil, and luxurious inexperienced fields of tobacco. It’s a UNESCO heritage website.
A Household Facet-bar
I used to be very excited to go to this area since my Spanish Abuelo labored within the trade, making handmade cigars. Within the early days, my Abuela was one of many girls including the colourful cigar bands. After his 1920 arrival within the US (transiting from Spain by Cuba), Abuelo spent his first years in New York Metropolis, the place he helped arrange the Fonseca Cigar Manufacturing unit, incomes plaudits from well-known union chief Samuel Gompers. A number of years later, he moved to Tampa, Florida, which, within the Nineteen Twenties was dwelling to greater than 200 cigar factories.
Right this moment, 25 of the historic buildings nonetheless exist (many efficiently repurposed), which is why Tampa is named “Cigar Metropolis.” Abuelo joined the thriving Spanish-Asturian neighborhood, spending the following 25 years working for the Garcia y Vega Cigar Firm (utilizing Cuban-grown tobacco) and one other quarter century with the Corral Wodiska firm. He estimated he hand rolled greater than three million cigars for the luxurious market. And he by no means smoked.
My grandparents above, in Tampa, 1929. Abuelo joined the thriving Spanish-Asturian neighborhood, spending the following 25 years working for the Garcia y Vega Cigar Firm (utilizing Cuban-grown tobacco) and one other quarter century with the Corral Wodiska firm. He estimated he hand rolled greater than three million cigars for the luxurious market. And he by no means smoked.
An attention-grabbing reality I realized whereas penning this publish: In 1955, Fidel Castro visited the Corral Wodiska manufacturing unit, amongst different locations, to solicit assist and lift cash for his deliberate overthrow of the Cuban authorities. Wow.
Again to Viñales
We visited a tobacco farm, heard from the proprietor, and noticed how the tobacco was dried, baled, and saved. He rolled a fast one to light-up. Girls demonstrated how the leaves had been smoothed, minimize, and layered to roll cigars.
It was a really breezy, cool day with stunning blue skies, good to be on a farm. We loved the cats, turkeys, and chickens, however weren’t too thrilled with the caged hutias, which is a big, ugly rodent eaten on this space. Too ugly for pics. One loopy particular person tried to pet them, fortunately, she didn’t get bitten.
City & Freeway
The city of Viñales was tidy with a lot of eating places, a block-long market, and a few small visitor homes. In distinction to town, the principally one-story houses with porches gave the impression to be orderly and well-maintained. The main target of the city sq. was a stunning small church. We had a typical Cuban family-style lunch served at an area paladar the place our large pleasure was the uninvited visitor seen within the picture above.
There wasn’t a lot site visitors throughout both portion of the journey, and though the street was a bit tough, it was in higher situation than I anticipated (it’s a main freeway). We regularly noticed one-horse carts touring alongside the street. Farmers nonetheless use oxen to plow fields, however most the land we handed wasn’t getting used for any objective. There’s a big meals scarcity in Cuba, and it’s a disgrace a few of this land couldn’t be extra productive.
Regardless of all of the journey time, it was a really pleasurable day.
If you happen to loved this publish, take a look at my different content material about Cuba: Reflections Intro | Reflections of Cuba ’25: Music & Dance
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