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Today we headed for the hills. Oh beautiful Cuba. We left Miramar and headed up to the Pinar del Rio district and to Pinales (pronounced pinyalees). Up out of the city and into the agriculture of tobacco, fish farming, rice, sugarcane, pineapples, bananas and next to the road always, the ever present Royal Palm, the tree of Cuba. They use it for carvings, to cure their tobacco, to cover their roofs, and on and on.

Spotted this guy and his oxen at our first "comfort stop". I got a cortadito and had a little serenade from two guys with guitar and maracas, who called me princess. Love!

Our next stop was Benito's Tobacco Farm. Quite the character he was. Had us in for a "white coffee". (Means add some rum)

Drying shed in the tobacco fields

Benito

Told us about his farm and all the other crops he grew there. He gets 10% of the profits - government takes the rest. It's nice to have us there because he can keep what he sells to tourists, oops I mean "people to people ambassadors". These are not Cohibas but are made with the same tobacco leaves. Or so I'm told. 10 CUC for this sweet bundle wrapped in, what else? Royal Palm leaf. A gift for my friend, Mick.

Here is Benito rolling a cigar.

And here is the drying shed. Typical of those in this region.

And here is the inside. There are the first growth leaves drying for cigars and the second growth leaves drying for cigarettes. Next month when the humidity increases, they will soften up again and go in piles on the floor of these drying sheds, covered with royal palm fronds - what else? - and some more aging before the government tobacco people come to grade and buy. 

Next up was a visit to the Parador Finca Paraiso for lunch and a tour of the organic farm. So lovely. It is all terraced for raised beds with responsible practices and fertilizer pooped from rabbits. No, really!

Here is where we had lunch. Que una buena vista! A little sampling of - wait! cancel that! - A HUGE sampling of about a zillion different veg AND dishes of fish, lamb, chicken and pork. Oy vey not eating dinner tonight.

 The terraces of veg.

This is Eduardo who is in charge of the organic farm - about 8 acres - that serves this palador. An enthusiastic man who loves his garden, his horse and brags about his cow who gives quite a bit of milk every day if I understood correctly. They give 10% of what they grow to nursing homes, day care centers, etc. We all LOVED Eduardo and Finca Paraiso!

 And here are a few random shots of a wonderful and very long day  . . .

new kittens at Benito's casita

All of the dogs in Cuba appear to be related. You can tell by the ears. I had the pleasure of getting my doggie fix by feeding five little potcakes (as we used to call them in the Bahamas) with the ginormous amount of leftovers on our table at lunch.

It felt so good to get back to our hotel today. Look at my beautiful room. There is not just a little guilt associated with what I see in Cuba. Not only as a privileged white middle class woman who lives in America but also from taking some responsibility for the American government who is responsible for an embargo that has contributed to the poverty we see all around us every day in every way. Not completely responsible of course, but contributing to it. 

Some of the people on this tour want to argue about American politics. Makes me yell (really, I have yelled) NO POLITICS. Honestly, can we have a holiday from all that crap while we're over here?

But I have realized we certainly can't escape a discussion of politics here in communist Cuba where the people say to me: Americana? America and Cuba: Amigos!!  Or just, Obama! In love with America and the opportunities that will come. And yes there will be much economic improvement. But I fear for the environment and their culture. It seems that is the general concensus for taking this tour now. To see it before America ruins this beautiful island. Sad. 

At least from yours truly, a truly privileged point of view.  -_-