First Evening in Vinales

During the drive to Communa Terrazza, Tony introduced the concept of "workers on their own account". While the state is the dominant player in the Cuban economy, many people work in other jobs on the side or set up their own enterprises. These people are referred to as “workers on their own account”, as they may not have the normal benefits associated with state jobs. With doctors earning as little as $50 per month in the official state sanctioned economy, I can understand why people may want to become workers on their own account, especially with tourism booming (it is now the most important industry). On our trip to Vinales and all around Vinales, we saw that this side of the economy is alive and well.

We arrived in Vinales around 6pm. Our guesthouse for the next two nights was owned by Sisa and her husband. We had two rooms and a patio with a dining table in the front of the compound, while the three generations living there stayed at the back. They watched telenovellas in a room between the two guest rooms. They had a very sweet but very timid rescue dog named Sophia. Sophia took an immediate shine to me. She was the only neutered animal I knowingly met on this trip.

After checking in to our guesthouse, we piled onto the bus for dinner at a restaurant owned by Carmen, one of Vinales’ first female entrepreneurs. Before we took off for Carmen's, we saw Tony being fondly greeted by everyone in the vicinity. He seems to know everyone in this part of town. When we got to the bus, we found a young man named Yandry on board. Yandry has down’s syndrome and he likes hip hop. He stayed on the bus as it drove off, much to the chagrin of his mother who walked up as we drove off with him. She laughingly gave a “where are you taking my son?” hand gesture as we sped off.

Carmen’s restaurant was on the outer fringes of Vinales. In her kitchen, Carmen and her family showed us how plantains and rice and beans are made. Most importantly, she showed us how to mix a mojito. The meal included lobster again! After dinner, Tony gave us a salsa lesson. I’m terrible at following patterns so I practiced a little and sat out most of it.

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