What offers Vinales?

When it rains, it rains really! It was down in bars at night, while the thunder and lightning. Most windows in our little apartment is without glass - only with shutters. But it rained fortunately not caught. Vinales has a special micro climate with humid nights and chilly mornings, which is helping to create the worlds best tobacco. Its easy even to get around this little town, so it is a good idea to rent bicycles. A whole day only costs 5 CUC per. paragraph. We started to bike 3 km outside the city to the national park Visitorcenter situated overlooking a valley that define the national park area. Lonely Planet recommends that you hire a guide out by the National Park because it is both cheaper and the money goes directly to the preservation of the park. It does not totally fit. You can hire an unofficial guide in town for as little as 2 CUC per person, while a guide from the National Park costs 10 CUC per person. So the authors goal is whether we will support a local person or the National Park - both need the money ... We walked a route of 11 miles, where we passed the tobacco plantations and a peasant who planted, harvested and rolled his own cigars, which were flavored with rum and honey. He made no special marks, which are sold in stores, but made his own cigars. We had chosen a Spanish-speaking guide, so we could work out language simultaneously. The guide told us about the flora and fauna. The mountains in the area is free standing and are remnants of a limestone plateau, which over time has been degraded. The rain created underground rivers and caves, which gnawed away by the single, then took finally collapsed. The flat parts of the valley is the "floor" which remains today. The guide led us to a little country house, where we were offered juice and fruit while we sat in rocking chairs and relaxed. Besides the National Park offers Vinales also in caves and wall paintings, as well as ample opportunity to buy lots of cigars. Some choose to take day trips to Vinales from Havana, but then you go miss the cozy atmosphere in the evening where the locals love to sing. Several have instruments to a small local bar, and suddenly there is a very small band that sings and plays "La Comandante" and "Guantanamera." After our 11 mile walk, we hopped on the bike and sat toward the neighboring town, Pina del Rio, as we had heard that they should have a cigar factory where there would be a good shop. It was a tough trip, as they two cities situated on each their side of a mountain - a distance of 25 km. Along the way, there came a rain shower, but luckily we were just off the local school where we were allowed to come in wet weather. Well advanced in Pina del Rio, we found quickly tobacco factorys who delivered leaflets from the surrounding peasants. People sat in a row when they rolled cigars. It was hot, so each worker had a small fan to cool himself down. When a cigar is rolled, it must be tested, there may come through the air, it makes a machine. Otherwise, all other needlework. The workers also glue a small strip manually on each cigar before the packages them according to color, because the tobacco leaves by nature can have color variations. The best - and most expensive - Cigar Cohiba brand name. Since Fidel Castro smoke, this was his favorite brand. There was no strength left in me to come back to Vinales by bike. Nor was it certain that we could go back before it became dark, so we took the bus back, which luckily had room for our bikes. Dinner on the terrace offered fish soup, fish and bananas.