Hacienda Iznaga (Valle de Los Ingenios) Trinidad....Cuba

                Hacienda Iznaga is about 15 kilometers east of Trinidad (about 30 minutes) and sits in the Valle de Los Ingenios that was at one time the main sugar-producing region of Cuba. This is one of only 13 estates that remain standing in the Valley having survived hurricanes and neglect. This is by far the most popular and best organized to handle tourists....and easy to find. During the 19th century the valley contained 60 sugar mills with an estimated 30,000 slave workers. At the height of the sugar boom, in the 1920's, 43 mills were in operation in the valley, most of which by this time were owned by American firms (but that's another story). For many years, more than a century, Cuba led in the production of sugar. However, the boom ended when the price of sugar bottomed out during the Great Depression of 1924 but not until after the construction of many mansions that are scattered across Cuba. A lot of those huge houses in Trinidad were built with monies earned from the sugar trade. Once UNESCO declared the Valle de los Ingenios a World Heritage Site in 1988, it began the restoration of this and other historical sites in the region....and it's still going on. 

             The property was founded in 1750 and bought by the infamous Pedro Iznaga who went on to become one of the wealthiest men in Cuba....there are a lot of juicy stories about this guy and they even went on to make a (Brazilian I think) period soap opera with the lead character loosely based on him that was on Cuban television at one time. He acquired a lot of his wealth from slave trafficking and was renowned for not being gentle with his human possessions. The hacienda itself was built between 1835-45 by Alejo María del Carmen y Iznaga. The tower is 143 feet (43 meters) tall was once the tallest on the island. It has seven levels with 136 steep steps and is topped with a bell....the original bell sits in front of the main house. The tower was used to watch the slaves and the bell for a variety of reasons one of which was to signal any escapes and another the beginning and end of the workday. You can climb the tower as I did (it will cost us tourists $1), however, take your time because it's a bit tricky but well worth the view and pictures you can take (see below). The hacienda, or main house, has been restored and today has been converted to a restaurant and souvenir shop. Behind the house a large patio has been built and a guarapería or trapiche (a mill or press used to extract the juice from some agricultural products like olives or in this case sugar cane) is set up under a thatched roof. I've read that visitors can have a shot at making their own sugar cane juice by pushing the wooden handle which turns the gears while someone who works there feeds the raw cane into the contraption. I saw none of that but we didn't come with a tour bus. This is how it was done decades ago and today you can find Guarapo stands all over Cuba with mini motorized versions of cane presses selling the sweet juice for a few cents per cup. The area is known for it's lacework, you see all kinds of it being sold in the city of Trinidad. As you walk along the cobblestone path leading to the hacienda and tower you will find numerous stalls set up. As well as the usual souvenirs you'll also find some people selling these lace products such as tablecloths, napkins....I couldn't resist and bought one years ago in Trinidad that adorns my table at Christmastime. The hacienda sits in the middle of the small village of Iznaga with the train station being by the entrance. An early 1900's steam engine train that comes from Trinidad makes a stop here. Providing it's running, the train leaves Trinidad every day at about 9:30am and leaves the Iznaga station for the return trip at about 1:30pm, round trip $11 for us tourists. The original tracks were laid in the 1880's for the purpose of transporting sugar from the valley to a port near Trinidad.
                   I've been to and stayed in the city of Trinidad several times over the years and there's only so much of it that you can see (it's not that big). Not taking away from it's beauty but walking on those cobblestone roads can be annoying after a couple of days, this makes for a great deviation....maybe explore as I did and find some of the other not so well known haciendas that are still standing. The beaches that are 9km away from the city are another way to kill a day or two. 

Cafe El Escorial (Plaza Vieja) Havana

                This is still one of the best places to have a coffee, one of the better ones in the city. They roast there own coffee beans here and sell them as well. I discovered a new coffee on this current visit. I like to add a little condensed milk to my coffee in the morning but had no idea that they actually sell it this way, that is until I saw one being made at Escorial. Basically it's a Cortado with sweetened milk. The difference between the one here and mine is in the quantity of milk and presentation (see pictures below) but I discovered that if I add a little more of the milk to my morning coffee I don't have to add any sugar. If you're wandering around this part of Old Havana as I often do, stop in here for a coffee, you can't go wrong. Have a seat on the patio and figure out where you're going to go next.




Cafe El Escorial
Mercaderes no.317
corner of Muralla
Open 9am-10pm

Diplomaticos Excelencia Edición Regional Cuba 2015 (my thoughts)

                  This cigar was released late in 2015 and sold (is selling) very quickly. I believe, as with the Infantes of 2013, they will be sold out soon. Only 7000 Numbered Dress Box of 10 cigars were made and people are loving the choice of brand that was used, especially since only the no.2 is being rolled at the moment in the regular production lineup. This cigar is considered a Robusto weighing in at 50 x 124 (4.9"), exactly like Cuba's previous Regional the El Rey del Mundo Infantes of 2013.
                   This nice looking cigar was gifted to me during the Partagas Encuentro last year. It was smooth and almost veinless topped with a beautifully constructed cap. Once cut and lit the draw showed itself to be perfect. At the start I tasted toasted wood with hint of floral which dissipated as the smoke went on. At about the 3/4" mark I noticed the cigar was burning hotter through the middle and it went out because of it. I had to do a major torch job on the cigar to get it to a proper burn and thought that would be the end of this cigar tasting any good but it surprised me by coming back and tasting pretty good. It started out as a solid medium but became stronger at the second half. Earth now is the dominant flavour with wood taking a back seat past the half. I've had to do a lot of touch ups during this second half until I finally put the cigar down.
                    This cigar had construction issues and it still tasted pretty good. I've bought two boxes and will try one from one of those boxes before I give a final judgement. If I had to base it from this one experience I would say that this cigar needs some time to reach it's potential and there seems to be something very nice happening under that rough exterior. If you're thinking of buying these, hurry, it may already be too late.