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Published: January 22nd 2021
At 6:30 pm I am sitting on a swinging chair overlooking the astounding
Viñales Valley, a World Heritage site. An almost full moon is shining down the valley. Rounded
karst mountains stretch along the horizon, facing into the fast-falling dusk. The hotel is called the
Horizontes Los Jazmines, because some rooms (as is our privilege) range along a downwards slope opposite the mountains, all with this breathtaking view.
We arrived here after a long day of driving and sight seeing. Leaving Havana was a history lesson through architecture. Just outside the city centre is the district of Miramar, which in the 1930s was built by the monied to escape the press of ordinary people. Further on, in the 1940s and 1950s, diplomats, cronies of Batista, and the mafia built larger and more lavish mansions to suit their power and wealth. As soon as revolution took hold (1958) they hastily moved to their second homes in Miami, expecting to return in no time. When the revolution took hold, the state appropriated these buildings, mainly for schools and state offices. Later, a housing crisis added another district of low-rise basic apartments, now quite highly valued just for being in Havana. Further development built nicer apartments, plus
Sierra del Rosario Biosphere Reserve
Rosario mountains in the far distancepleasure parks. Now hotels are rising as a consequence of tourism, cultivated as the growth engine for the Cuban economy.
In the countryside, the land has a slight roll to it, dotted with trees and bushes. Although the main highway (6 lanes) was efficient, it introduced us to the “Special Time”. This is the term Cubans use for the period of deprivation following the collapse of the Soviet Union, that is, when huge loans from the Soviet Union for infrastructure projects were cancelled. Daniel told us that the access roads to some overpasses were never completed, and potholes are minimally repaired. Nevertheless, for miles I saw workers trimming decorative hedges and tractors cutting the grass.
Traffic diminished noticeably as we drove further from Havana. Vehicles were a picturesque mixture of buses, transport trucks of unidentifiable age, modern European cars, “classic cars” (antique US cars abandoned by those who fled), lithium-powered electric bikes (scooters), and carts pulled by horses. At almost every junction and overpass, a few to a dozen people were standing to hitch a ride, a normal mode of transport in the country. Sharing rides is an official policy since the renewed US embargo. Sometimes a state
Mastic Tree
Resin is both spice and gum official was at an underpass to stop state cars and make them give rides to people going in the same direction. I didn’t see that, but I did see an inspector stop a car for some reason.
The fun part of our day was spent at the Sierra del Rosario Biosphere Reserve, which was created as a model village and reforestation project. With those massive Soviet infusions of capital, a large deforested hill was dug and scraped into terraces, where trees were planted by the people of the village, who gave up charcoal production. The village was redeveloped with good housing, 24-hour medical services, a school, a ration shop, a general shop and a library. Now the villagers, and others, maintain the forest and other biosphere features, support tourism in this ecofriendly project, and work in the school or shops. Las Terrazas is undoubtedly a success, but it has proved not to be a model for other projects, because of the special conditions in the location and because of the great expense.
We stopped at the school to learn about it from the principal. Obviously very proud of the school’s high standing nationally, he informed us that there
Students in class
The teacher indulged me. were 272 students and 70 staff, of whom 48 were teachers. The students attend from pre-school to about Grade 10. After that they go to pre-university or to trade school, the proportions of which are decided by the state. The senior school was 37 km away, and the students’ families were responsible for transportation. They study all the usual subjects, including IT. The challenge is that there are only ten networked screens. Arts and sports are offered in addition to academic school work. Unlike in my previous experience with Eldertreks’ visits to schools, this time our visit was not allowed to disrupt any classes.
From the school, which is in the Reserve, we walked through the forest, and Daniel identified trees, vines and flowers of interest. He tried to show us birds, but they were well camouflaged. It almost broke my heart to trod on dark read hibiscus flowers that had fallen naturally from the trees!
We met René and the bus to drive a short distance for a welcome drink, Cuba Libre (rum and Cuban coke) in an outdoor café, complete with a trio of guitars and singers. The lovely view extended across a man-made lake surrounded
Lunch at Las Terrazas
Black-bean soup on rice, green plantain chips, chicken, ropa vieja by the greenery of a light forest.
Our bus took us another short distance to a restaurant developed from a farm house. We “knew” the former farmer, because he had hitched a ride with us from the highway; I have never seen this on a tour before, but Pedro was well-respected by Daniel and in the community.
Our lunch was served family-style, being salad (sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, and fresh corn), green plantain chips, black-bean soup (stew), the ubiquitous white rice, ropa vieja (beef done similar to pulled pork), and roast chicken with a light onion sauce. Aside from being salty to my taste, the lunch was very good.
Next, we drove to the top of the terracing in Las Terrazas for coffee. Not just any coffee, but specialities developed by “Maria”, who has since passed on. I had espresso with powdered chocolate and vanilla; the chocolate was not much in evidence, but the vanilla was delicious. Two local doctors joined us in the public/school library, a facility that looked well-used. The walls were covered with handmade displays and posters, but book stacks were only about six-shelves high. The librarian came back when we were done, and I
gave her a Calgary Public Library card with a picture of the new central library on it. We didn’t speak each other’s language, but we had no trouble communicating simple ideas about the importance of libraries, regardless of size.
The two family doctors were generous with their time; they know Daniel because he comes often and lives in the “municipality” (province). One doctor talked extensively about caring for the general population with both clinical and home visits to encourage good health using life-style and preventative measures. Services for pregnant women were reminiscent of the TV series,
Call the Midwife, with frequent appointments and home visits; except, here all mothers stay in the maternity home after 37 weeks, because hospital care is too far from the village to be safe. After birth, frequent care for mother and baby continues intensively for the first six weeks and then more generally for the next year. Maternity leave is at full salary from 36 weeks of pregnancy to a year following the birth. The Americans on our tour were astounded, and I was impressed. Child mortality at birth is only 2 in 1000 across Cuba. The second doctor continued the childbirth theme by
enumerating the many compulsory vaccines received by the baby in its first year; as well, all adults receive vaccines and boosters needed during their lifetime. Also, he talked about the combination of clinical appointments, home visits, life-style advice and subsidized drugs for adults to address the usual occurrences of ill health. We left full of admiration and inspired by what was possible when health care is a national priority.
Back on the bus we had a two-hour drive, starting on the main highway again, then turning off onto a more local road, past tobacco fields. These were local farms, not the major plantations. Some fields had just been planted, but others were in full leaf. Horse and cart was a common method of transportation in the hamlets along the way, usually carrying goods or people. Houses were right up by the road, and social life was conducted on the verge. No one seemed particularly concerned by the vehicles going by.
The road became very windy, climbing high up a low mountain-side. Suddenly, the forest dropped away to reveal the wide Viñales Valley overlooked by our hotel!
My room was large, with two double beds, a two-part bathroom,
Los Jazminez Hotel
We faced the spectacular view. and a small veranda complete with the swing seat facing the magnificent view. This is a resort where people may spend a week or so on their holidays. We have two nights to appreciate the amenities. As the Horizontal Jasmines is a destination resort, there are few if any restaurants nearby, and we tourists had dinner together in the dining room; Daniel and René were staying in another hotel about a kilometre away. From the menu, I had green bean and beet salad, dark chicken noodle soup, and shrimps in garlic sauce with plantain chips and white rice, and a glass of house white.
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Larry Parnes
non-member comment
The interesting thing about the guy in the picture is that he is wearing the Ecuador national soccer team jersey. I asked him if was from Ecuador and he told me he just liked the shirt. I still can't believe all the stuff we did. I get tired reading your blog. Love it.. Larry .