Cuba |
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Las Tarazas and Viñales |
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Heading west
out of Havana on the Grand Highway. In places the grass central
reservation of the six-lane motorway is concreted over and the motorway
becomes an emergency airstrip - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow |
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On much of the
four lane highways traffic is light. The eco-village of Las Tarrazas is
situated on a lake - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow |
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Some of the
red-roofed white houses that make up the village - PHOTOs Malcolm
McCrow |
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The restored
Master's house of the coffee plantation in the Terrazas National Park -
PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow |
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Flora and fauna
in Las Terrazas - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow |
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Looking out
over the densely forested hilly landscape at one of the viewing points in
Las Terrazas - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow |
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Hotel Las
Jasmines with its swimming pool overlooking the Viñales Valley -
PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow |
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Guests are
accommodated in rooms which also overlook the valley - PHOTOs Malcolm
McCrow |
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The rooms are
accessed by a terrace inhabited by some of the resident cats - PHOTOs
Malcolm McCrow |
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The tall
rounded hills, covered in trees, which rise up from the valley floor are
known as mogotes - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow |
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Horses tethered
by the roadside near in the small village near the Hotel Las Jasmines -
PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow |
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The town of
Viñales still retains much of its colonial architecture - PHOTOs
Malcolm McCrow |
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While the dogs
dodge the traffic the inhabitants are urged to cooperate "for the unity of
the region" - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow |
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A well-laid out
tienda selling the usual range of souvenirs which include model
motorcars and cameras formed from drinks cans and larger motorcars made of
wood - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow |
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The Villa Dary
y Tuty hotel and restaurant has four rooms and the immaculately laid
tables on the verandah - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow |
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Horse and oxen drawn carts in Viñales - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow |
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Oxen are seen less frequently than the
ubiquitous horse drawn traffic - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow |
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Car hire is possible but not on Sundays!
Free in this sense means closed - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow |
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Conveniently you can fill up your hire car at
the filling station across the road - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow |
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Others have to rely on trucks made into
make-shift buses, although real buses and taxis are available - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow |
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Finca la
Chiquitica - a small permaculture farm now run as a cooperative and after
being shown round the small estate, guests can enjoy a traditional Cuban
meal at tables set out on the verandah - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow |
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The view from
the verandah of the Finca la Chiquitica - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow |
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Not far from
the Village of Viñales is the
Mural de la Prehistorica 120m high painting by Leovigildo González
Morillo created in 1961 - PHOTOs Malcolm
McCrow |
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El Cuevo del
Indio - the Cave of the Indian - in the San
Vincente Valley where the river of the same name flows underground through a series of tunnels
which can be accessed in small boats - PHOTOs Malcolm McCrow |
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