Day 2, Havana

In 1976 Cuba went from 4 provinces to 14 provinces and in 2011 they divided Havana Province into 2 separate provinces. Today we drove east of Havana for about an hour to Las Terrazas Community.  

From 1968 to 1978 50 square kilometers of land was stripped of forest and mined for charcoal.  The mining process created countless terraces, thus the name Las Terrazas. Early this century the area was designated a Biosphere and replanting of trees was started.  But they also helped restore the lives of the people who once lived here by building a village, Buena Vista, for all the people who were working to rebuild the forest.  The village has 1014 inhabitants.  They set up a community center, shops, medical facilities, school and day care, restaurants, cafes, home industry and a 4 star tourist hotel.  

Our first stop was an area that was used to dry, sort and grind coffee beans.  There is evidence of slave quarters and a sorting house.  An old cabin has been refurbished as a restaurant.  In the village we learned how a young entrepreneur learned how to recycle newspapers into art paper and is making a living from it.  We also had coffee at Maria’s Cafe.  Our lunch was at a farm house where our food was prepared over wood fired stove and oven.  We were also serenaded by a Cuban Country ensemble.

Upon our return to Havana, we stopped to explore Fusterlandia.  Sr. Fuster is considered the Picasso of the Caribbean. He has transformed his home and neighborhood by covering everything with mosaic tiles.

Before we had dinner, we met with a professor of economics who spoke on Cuban and US relations.  He gave a brief history of our involvement with Cuba and then I fell asleep, then I went to the bathroom and when I cam back he was almost finished!

We had dinner at LaCalifornian.  This was a privately owned restaurant as compared to some of the government subsidized restaurants we will be experiencing this week. While we ate a couple danced the salsa and cha-cha for us.  But then we all were invited to learn these easy steps and do the salsa ourselves.  It was quite fun!