Cuba, Day 04
A Tobacco Plantation
We gathered in the morning in the lobby. It was 6:00, and we were headed for a beautiful valley where a lot of tobacco is grown. We wanted to get there before the light got too high.
This was a fun change. We had been pounding the cobble streets of Havana, and now it was time to roam around the rich red soils of an area a couple of hours west of the city.
On the way, Neyla, our HavanaTur guide talked about her country, its history from the 16th century until now, the day-to-day challenges living under the embargo, about the economy, about the wonderful mix of people that make up Cuba, from Europeans to Africans to Chinese and other groups of people. It is what Neyla feels makes the Cuban people so good looking, and both the men and women in the group agreed with her!
Our first scenic stop in the valley was an overlook where we were greeted with this panoramic view. Sugar plum hills dotted the area and mountains filled with caves provided the backdrop.
Above, you see one of our hosts at the tobacco plantation lighting up a cigar that he just rolled, the tobacco leaves hanging to dry on racks around him.
A man hacks slender wood into fire-wood lengths, the short pieces flying into a fast growing pile.
Rows of tobacco plants, some in bud, some in flower, some not there yet, lead the eye off to the distant bluffs.
One of the pickers adds another tobacco cutting to his arm. When his arm is full (not yet), he will take it over to the racks behind him where you see another farmer adjusting the racks so there will be room for more.
Later, another man will load the racks onto a wooden skid, and his team of oxen will take it to the drying barn behind.
The racks dot the field beside the cut stalks of the tobacco cains. Workers can be seen in the background.
At another plantation, men take a break.
Everyone was so friendly. We love Cuba and her people!
Next: Dance and Music
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