Soroa Waterfall (Pinar del Rio)

                    We travel approximately 80 kilometers from Havana, in the western area of Cuba near the Sierra del Rosario mountains. Here in the Pinar del Rio Province lies the Sierra del Rosario Biosphere Reserve. The 21 meter waterfall sits at about 250 meters above sea level and is part of this Reserve. The rivers in this area contain mineral and medicinal properties and many who visit here take a dip in the cool ponds.

                  El Salto de Soroa is the full name of the waterfall coming from the two brothers, Lorenzo & Antonio Soroa. They were Spaniards who came to Cuba in 1856 seeking to make it rich in the coffee business as producers. El Salto would mean jump, as in the water jumping off the cliff. They call the area around the falls "the Rainbow of Cuba" because of the Rainbow that's often seen there. There's also the town of Soroa close by.

                   It was easy to get there, with the exit right off the main highway that goes to Pinar del Rio from Havana, and easy to find the site once we got off the highway just a few kilometers away. You couldn't miss the parking lot with it's snack bar out front where we had ham and cheese sandwiches with Bucanero beer after our visit. There was a full service restaurant next to the parking lot but not the kind of place where I would normally eat. To get to the falls you take a well marked path directly from the parking lot. It will cost you a couple of CUC to enter. The walkway is pretty safe but a little bit of attention should be given. It winds around a hill and goes up and down and would need a little more care if there's any kind of moisture around. Once there things are a little more lively as there's sure to be others at the bottom of the falls as well, some of them even taking a dip in the cool waters. There were a couple of entrepreneurs that were set up with several fruits to make fresh cocktails like Pina Colada in a pineapple or a fresh coconut with a touch of rum dribbled (or poured) into it. They had legal papers and were quite happy with the new laws that enable them to set themselves up at this location and sell their product without worrying about being arrested. Of course now they pay taxes.

                    It made for a nice little side trip on the way to our main destination which was Vinales, a little further west in Pinar del Rio. I would like to come back when I have more time and visit an abandoned coffee plantation or the Soroa Orchid Garden (within walking distance of the falls parking lot) which contains more than 700 types of orchids both native and exotic varieties. Make a point of stopping at a Guarapera Stand on the road to the highway. Guarapera is Sugarcane put though a special juicer that extracts a natural sugary juice. Worth the few cents to give it a try.

Snack Bar at entrance to parking lot

Full Service Restaurant

Bridge to the Path

Guarapera Stand (Sugarcane Juice)

Palacio Cantero (Museo de La Historia Municipal) Trinidad (current visit)

                 I had visited this house a few years ago on my first visit to Trinidad. The pictures below are from my more current visit near the end of last year. It's one of those places that's pretty much a must see. If not for the house itself, at least visit for the views of the city that you get from the top of the tower. This is definitely one of the more popular spots on the tourist list of places to visit in Trinidad.            
                The house known as the 'Palacio Cantero' was originally built in 1828 by 'Don Pedro Jose Iznaga Borrell', the richest man in Trinidad at the time. Today the building is used to house the 'Museo de La Historia Municipal' or the 'Trinidad General Municipal Museum'.
               Doctor 'Justo German Cantero' arrived in Trinidad under a cloud of mystery, his past always assumed to be dubious. Soon he was within the inner circles of the rich and famous of the area known as the 'Valley of the Sugar Mills'. In 1842 Cantero married the widow of the current Borrell living in the house. Rumour has it that she and Cantero poisoned the rich Sugar Mill owner. They married soon after. Cantero was a pianist, composer, poet and author. He was well liked amongst the townspeople. Due to his spending habits however, he lost it all but not before throwing one last bash.
               The house stands as a monument to the extravagances of the time. The area had produced many wealthy people due to the increasing Sugar Market and this is just one of several homes with the same stature. This house has been restored to it's former glory and original frescoes still adorn the walls in the main hall. Furniture, pictures, artifacts....even a carriage is contained within the walls of this house as is a beautiful courtyard. To visit the entire house could take about 30 minutes but the best of all is the tower. Climb the tower to get to the top for magnificent views of the city and countryside. The picture alone is worth the visit. You can't miss the house, look for the highest tower near the Plaza Mayor in the heart of the Colonial Town.

Partagas Store (Havana) Update March 2015

                  The Partagas Store has got to be the most Prestigious of all the Cigar Shops in Havana or Cuba for that matter. Location has a lot to do with it I'm sure, being situated in the heart of the major tourist traffic in Old Havana. It would be a convenient place to take groups when out on tours of this part of the city, which is inevitably where tourists mostly come. However, there's also a side of the Partagas Shop that's been around since the time of the previous store manager, Abel Esposito. A family of Aficionados were formed during that time that intermingled with the staff and everyone sort of became one big family....for a number of years now.
                  A lot has happened since then, times have changed, people have aged. Abel has been gone from the store for about 3 years now, some of our family have passed away while others have left, then there are the ones that can no longer do what God gave them the gift to do. La China hasn't rolled a cigar in several months. I knew her arthritis was bothering her more these last couple of years, a reason why Hamlet was brought on board...to help out with the rolling, but now Hamlet's gone as well. Apparently the word is he's left to work for Rocky Patel in Florida and it's been said everyone knows. So who is rolling? Good question, hopefully I can have an answer when I travel there this coming May.
                  Regardless of the changes, Grecia does an excellent job as the store manager continuing in the traditions that she's inherited. Even though we've had new additions to the family we continue to return to our home away from home and spend some quality time with friends...family. As always, I'm looking forward to my next visit and have started counting down the days. Until that time, here are some pictures of  my most current visits this past Sept. and Nov.



'La Casa del Habano'
Partagas
Calle Industria no.52,
Havana, Cuba
Tel: +537 862 3772

La China with 'Bebe' in Nov.2014

Grecia Quiñones (current manager)

Abel Esposito 

La China (The way I like to remember her...taken several years ago)

Hamlet (at the Partagas Encuentro Nov.2013)

Hamlet (at the Partagas Encuentro Nov.2014)