I, Zeb the Duck and the humans are riding to Las Terrazas. Our first stop at Las Terrazas is by the lake for orientation and welcome beverages.
Las Terrazas Cuba
Lake at Las Terrazas Cuba
This is a beautiful location.
Las Terrazas is a Unesco Biosphere Reserve. Started in 1968 as a reforestation project and eco-village. This is now a popular day trip from Havana. You can stay longer at Hotel Moka located on the property.
Our Cuban guide, Alejandro, told us it started as a small village with limited number of people allowed to live here. The village has grown, but the number of residents is still limited.
We drive to Cafetal Buenavista,
Cafetal Buenavista
the restored ruins of a 19th century coffee plantation built in 1801 by French refugees from Haiti. This is Cuba’s oldest coffee plantation.
The restaurant has a view of the estate.
Beautiful, but where is the food??
This was used to grind coffee beans by hand.
Grind coffee beans by hand
A long and difficult process. The kitchen for the restaurant is located here in a separate building.
Kitchen is out here
Strolling through the coffee plantation I noticed this tree with red bark.
Red bark. Pretty
Red bark on trees is new to this duck. These stairs lead to the grinding stone to process coffee beans.
Stairs to coffee bean processing area
This huge tajona (grinding stone) was used to extract coffee beans from their shells.
to extract coffee beans from shells
After the tajona, the coffee beans were sun dried on huge platforms.
Platform to sun dry coffee beans
Leaving the coffee bean processing area, this basket caught my eye.
Very convenient basket
I think it is so cute!
We had lunch at this farmhouse.
Lunch was served here. Yum!
The food was so good! We had black beans and rice and ropa vieja. I love ropa vieja. The shredded beef is seasoned, but not too spicy. This is what I always order in Cuban restaurants. Yum! And, we had fresh coconut ice cream. This was my favorite meal. But, mom did not take pictures of this restaurant. I don’t know why???
Near the house with the restaurant, I sat on these rocks.
Zeb the Duck likes these rocks
Duck on a rock
They are fantastic for ducks…and humans. Las Terrazas is wonderful. I still have so much to tell you, but it will wait for another day. Be sure to read the next part of Las Terrazas here at Coloradotravelingducks.com. I will have more duck stories next time.
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