Salvador Carbajal Rodriguez (Tobacco Farm) Pinar del Rio

                    Salvador (& his family) and I have been friends for a number of years and I'm proud to have been invited into & onto his dominion. I have watched his family grow through the years and witnessed the changes on the property like the one that's going on at the moment. I'm referring to a project that the government was developing and should be completed called 'La Ruta del Tabaco', translated meaning the Tobacco Route. Cuba recognizes the fact that their tobacco is rated the best in the world by experts and enthusiasts around the globe....so why not profit from it in the tourism department. The area of Pinar del Rio already gets a great deal of tourism from aficionados wanting to discover the origin of the cigars they smoke but officials are after the masses that want to see something other than beaches and colonial cities. Therefore a government organized tour encompassing the entire production cycle on the farm level has been set up to link various farms and other strategic points of interest together to form an interesting and educational experience that shows a part of the Cuban heritage that isn't usually seen by the average tourist coming to the island.
                     Salvador has been busy building a large ranchon in the back of his house next to his fields in preparation for the coming of these tours. For those of you who don't know, a ranchon is a thatched roof structure over an eating area, in this case as with many others, with a kitchen capable of churning out typical Cuban fare. It appears to have a capacity for about one hundred people. Salvador has said he's preparing for the tourists that will be stopping at his place as he's one of the stops along the route. I, for one, wish him the best of luck and give him my support all the way. I'm happy he will finally be getting the recognition he deserves. Below are a few pictures from my last couple of visits there.