http://www.bwsailing.com^27Grace Brookshire lives aboard and cruises with her husband,
Joel.BWSstraps and jerry-rigged the loose part back in place. Two
breakdowns later, we finally arrived in Viñales. Like our
taxi driver noted— “Ah Cuba”—it was all a part of the
experience. Our time in Viñales proved well worth the
struggle getting there. We stayed in one of the many “casa
particulars” offered throughout the country. A sweet lady,
named Xiomara, was our hostess and she cooked some of
the best meals we had during our time in Cuba. She also
proved to be a great trip advisor.
With her help, we were quickly checking off every activ-
ity on our list. We rode horses through the mountains of
Vinales, toured coffee and tobacco farms, hiked through
an incredible cave tucked in the side of a nearby mountain
and, of course, ate at the Casa de Confianza. I could have
remained in Viñales, eating 50-cent pizzas from the local
street vendors for far more than three days. But, our visas
were soon to expire so our crew of dear friends headed
back to Soulmate, tied along the Marina Hemingway dock
patiently awaiting our return. Our 10 days of roaming
Cuba were drawing to an end.
Cuba had been good to us. In fact, it had given us far
greater experiences than we ever imagined. Of course, like
every country, it struggles with its own internal battles but
after roaming through the country and engaging with the
people, we were all captivated by Cuba’s rich culture and
gorgeous landscape. Departure would be bittersweet but
with a clear weather window, expiring visas, and stomachs
hungry for the variety in our American cuisine; we pointed
Soulmate’s bow toward home. Cuba, and its people who
we had grown to love, would be dearly missed.