Viñales

The tour to the Valley of Viñales was a lovely, relaxed one. We stopped over at a cigar factory in a small town where some of the famous exports were made and subject to rigorous quality control. This was explained to us in the small building where the skilled workers waved bundles of stolen or rejected cigars at us from under the desks when the officials weren't looking. Outside too, were locals trying to attract our attention like drug dealers on a main street, to sell us fakes or rejects.

We passed a lot of beautiful scenery like tobacco farms, rolling hills and palm tree groves on our way. After a glass of fresh cane juice, we went for a walk through a dark limestone cave that ended with a short boat ride out on the little river. Then, headed towards the love-it or hate-it Prehistory Mural, we passed between two cliffs where stalactites were visible on the faces. Apparently, the whole area was once an enormous cave that had since collapsed, and the stalactites are evidence of this. Then we saw the mural.

It was a monstrous primary colored thing on the enormous face of a cliff. Painted there in the 1960s, it has been restored faithfully again and again by the government who see it as a bit of a tourist puller, rather a piece of art... which it is not, in my opinion.

The final stop was the mirador, where we were treated to a panorama of the valley. We could see the low mountains in the distance and the flat farmlands of the low lying plains. There was a distinct mountain retreat vibe about the place, with the clear air and peaceful surrounds.