Vinales

Last minute change - we're going on horseback. Something not usual for Michael.

We left with Franka towards the horses, I had the fast / more active one (Tequila) Michael the bigger easier one (Mojito). This ride was totally not like any other tourist horse tours I did before in the past. We stopped a few times, we adjusted te route on what we would like and this time we went again to see "real Cuba"

Franka is a Dutch girl living here. Her daughter, Olivia, is probably the only blond with blue eyed two year old in town. She knows everyone here, perfect translator for us.

First stop was a Tabacco farm, they explained in very details about the process and also the government rules. They take 90% of all the Tabacco, where 10% is left for the farmers to sell for themselves. The big difference is that the cigars made by the farmers are all natural, handmade, what we would call bio, while the rest of the production (cohibas, partagas, etc) is not.

On this farm they also grow and brew coffee, honey and a special rum. We decided to buy 5 kilo of the coffee, delivered to us in plastic bottle
.. The only packaging they have! Francesca helped making this happen, it would have been impossible otherwise. They started roasting the coffee when we left, and would later deliver it to our house.

We hopped on back on our horses. On our way we have seen our house owner, working on the land with his oxes. We stopped at a cave, rode through wetland and some jungle parts.

Last stop was a cute restaurant up on a hill, we said good bye to our horses and left for a super nice cuban lunch with a amazing view . Franka parents joined us, super nice and friendly people with amazing travel stories! The apple did not fall far from the tree.

The evening we walked over to her house, spend some more tile with her parents and learned more from Franka about the life in Cuba.Read more