Cuba 2015, 04 It is an early morning for us. We are headed for Valle de Viñales, or Viñales Valley, another of our UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The valley is a karst depression in the Pinar del Río Province. Dotted with limestone, “sugar-plum” hills covered in plants unique to the area, it is a fantastical […]

Cuba 2015, 03 We get to sleep in a little bit, meet for breakfast, and make trips to the bank to change Euros, Canadian Dollars, or USD – US dollars. The banks, after all, are not open over the weekend. Arnie and I always bring CUCs from the previous year, so if people cannot change […]

Cuba 2015, 02 …. the blog that disappeared! The Santeria/Babalao is very much a part of Cuba. A combination of African traditions, Yoruba religion, voodoo, and even Catholicism, it is practiced by about 15% of the Cuban population. One does not suddenly decide to become Santeria. Novates dress in all white for a year and […]