Cuba 4: Friday afternoon (Farm Tour)

Back in the bus, Lian continued with the history of Cuba. Though I took notes, there are better sources than my chicken scratch notes. The parts that are hardest to grasp are about house and car ownership since 1959. 

Basically for fifty years Cubans could not buy or sell cars and homes. They were owned by the Cuban government for them to do with as they pleased. According to a 1962 law, there was no homelessness (even if your home was damaged by a storm). In 2011, those laws changed. You could own two homes (one in town and one in the country), but you could not sell them. You could, however, find someone and switch homes with them. Starting in 2011, you could sell or trade the home. But, the sale had to take place in cash.

We arrived at Vista Hermosa for lunch. As one of the reviews says, "it is as fresh as it gets" situated in the middle of a family farm with chickens and pigs roaming around. It is located about 20 minutes outside of the city, but is still considered Havana.

There were a couple of other groups when we arrived. The wait seemed to take forever for lunch. Later I realized the power had gone out and they were running on generators. Two days later riots would be starting in Santiago and other places (though not in Havana, at least not yet) in part due to the rolling brownouts. 

Lunch was served family-style. After our welcome drink, we had a cheese platter, fried appetizers, rice and beans, yucca, sautéed vegetables, pork, and guava with cheese for dessert. Everything was all-natural, grown on that farm using old-fashioned techniques. It is an organic farm because they cannot afford the chemicals.

Chickens ran freely. Made me think of Cousin Laura. 

After lunch we toured the 250-acre family farm. Of interest to us, this is where Lian and her husband were married last month. Of interest to others, it has been in the same family for four generations. All of the animals roam free. They make their own cheeses (hard, semi-hard, water buffalo, goat, and cow). Some of their cheeses go to the state for them to use at hospitals, schools, and day cares. They also make their own sausage from black pigs. 

They work with the animals to plow the

fields. They do not use machines or tractors to take care of the land. Though they do have one tractor they've nicknamed "Frankenstein" because he is made up of so many different parts.

They have three kinds of banana trees that grow for five to seven years. After that they rotate to a different kind of crop to preserve the soil. They also grow coconuts, mangoes, three types of avocados, pomegranate, passion fruit, plums, and other fruit. In the covered houses they grow rosemary and oregano.

They have 60-70 employees. 

They have a 92 year old cactus and a 200 year old one.

They produce 171 types of sugar cane.

Farm pictures:

Back in the bus we continued the discussion.

The last car sold in Cuba was in 1962. After that, the government imported cars from the Soviet Union and gave them to "good" workers and you could no longer buy or sell your car. 

Since then the Chinese have started selling LADAS and Geelys, cheaply made cars that are still too expensive for most Cubans.

Back at the hotel, Don and I regrouped and went for a walk on our own.