A Day in the Life of a Study Abroad Student in viñales, Cuba
By Finn Doyle
The most exciting day of my Cuban travels, is when we journeyed to Viñales, about 3 hours outside of Havana.. Here we started with the Cueva del Indio, a natural wonder in Cuba where a river runs through a cave. This was very cool, and taking a boat ride in a cave was certainly a first for me. We learned about the ecology and creation of the cave and how it became a tourist destination after the 1959 revolution.
After this, we ziplined in the hills of Viñales where we could see the entire valley. The view was many miles long and you could see everything including the plains of the valley, enormous cliffsides, and the some surrounding small towns. It was a very fun time and a view I will never forget.
After this, we went to the Mural de la Prehistoria, a massive mural painted onto the side of a cliff. The scale was truly baffling, and I cannot imagine how much work it must have been to paint the whole thing. As suggested in the name, it depicted prehistoric times, and was many stories tall.
After another classic Cuban lunch (which was much needed as it was around 3 pm when we ate) we visited the most interesting part of Viñales, the coffee and tobacco farms. Starting with the tobacco farm, we learned about how tobacco is produced in Cuba, and then most importantly rolled into the famous cigars or “puros.” We learned how the leaves are harvested, how a private farm operates in Cuba, what makes a good cigar, and the art of properly rolling them. The best part however came when we got to light one up for ourselves. Of the 2 cigars I have ever had, that was certainly the best one as it was miles ahead of the other one. Cigars normally are not cheap in the United States, and I had expected these to be around $10 a piece minimum, so I was surprised it was half of that. It's easy to love the Cuban economy as an American.
After this, we went to the coffee farm where we also learned about the process of making coffee in Cuba. We learned how beans are cultivated, harvested, roasted and then ground, all by hand. We tried some and then were able to buy some. I got two with the grounds packaged in water bottles, which thankfully did not bother customs on the trip home.
Viñales was an experience I will never forget, and a great example of the beauty of Cuba, from the land to those that work it and the things they produce. From caves to coffee, and art and artisans, Viñales is an exquisite place and one I am very excited to someday return to.