Author: Rosie

The country side is covered in magotes, which are unique to this region.  They are giant limestone, steep sided hills that just rise out of the landscape in a rounded tower like form.  These hills are all surrounded by the fertile alluvial plains the Vinales Valley is famous for.

So we arrived at the Balcon de Valle.  It is a restaurant comprised of three side by side independent decks, on a high vantage point, attached to trees, hanging over the valley.  The precarious decks hang out over the precipice and on closer inspection are very dubiously constructed….but WOW, what a vista!

My sign language for never having ridden a horse before was met with a smiling Roberto nodding his head saying ‘ Pape Tullo automatico’…OK.  Roberto motioned for me to put my foot in the stirrup and throw my leg over….

Rosie has even seen a few chickens on the footpath dodging the wheelie cases from the tourists that flood into this town. Red concrete tile roofs cover brilliantly coloured single story casas, all of the casas have deep front decks that stretch to the edge of the footpath and all the doors and shutters are wide open to let in the cool breeze.

The road to Vinales became two skinny lanes, one up and one back, the cars became less frequent and horse and carts became more prevalent, skinny red dirt tracks wound off this road toward brightly coloured houses with chickens and pigs in the front yard and palm trees shading the porches.