Las Terrazas

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Cuba with Channel the Bear

I hope you remember my friend Channel, the cute little brown bear.   Last year Channel and I, Zeb the Duck, visited Cuba with our moms.   Channel’s mom was the tour guide for our group.   Channel and her mom were in Cuba again in January and they sent us some photos.

Channel is sitting on this chair at Las Terrazas, near Havana.

Las Terrazas is a perfect place to sit in the rocking chair.

Las Terrazas is a perfect place to sit in the rocking chair.

Las Terrazas began in 1968 as a small ecological experiment and is now a recognized Biosphere Reserve. This is a tajona, or grinding stone,

Channel on the talon

Channel on the talon

and was used to grind coffee bean, also at Las Terrazas.

I liked this picture from Muraleando in Havana.

Great statue, Channel

Great statue, Channel

Two local artists, Manuel (Manolo) Diaz Baldrich and Ernesto Quirch Paz started teaching art in a school.   Soon there was a scheduling conflict and the artists began teaching outside on the street.   This area, Muraleando, is now a community development project.

Channel and her mom at Muraleando, in Havana

Channel and her mom at Muraleando, in Havana

This one is also great.   For more information about Muraleando, visit www.muraleando.org

Here they are at Hemmingway’s house, Finca Vigia, near Havana in the fishing village of Cojimar, the inspiration for the fishing village in The Old Man and the Sea.

Channel and her mom by a classic car, used as a taxi. Enjoy the ride, Channel

Channel and her mom by a classic car, used as a taxi. Enjoy the ride, Channel

Isn’t this a great taxi??

When Channel was in Trinidad, Cuba she talked to this young boy.

Nice boy and love the cobblestone street

Nice boy and love the cobblestone street

Also in Trinidad, there was a cultural festival.

Festival in Trinidad, Cuba

Festival in Trinidad, Cuba

This looks like fun.

Walking on stilts for the festival in Trinidad, Cuba

Walking on stilts for the festival in Trinidad, Cuba

If you have not already read them, you may enjoy my photos and stories from Cuba.   I hope you check them out.

Thanks for sending these wonderful pictures, Channel.   I know you had a great time visiting Cuba again!

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Las Terrazas in Cuba with Zeb Part II

There is so much to see here at Las Terrazas, that this duck needed more than one day to tell you about it  After our wonderful lunch, we met an artist.

We visited a man that recycles paper and creates beautiful cards and pictures.  Here he is in his store.

Artist recycles and uses the paper

Artist recycles and uses the paper

We bought cards and pictures.  This workshop is where he recycles used paper and creates his art.

His workshop

His workshop

No big machines here.  Just one very talented man.

Next to his workshop and store we liked these apartments.

Apartments

Apartments

They look so friendly and colorful.

I thought this old tractor was great.

Tractor

Tractor

I like old things.

Now we are visiting Café Maria.

Cafe Maria

Cafe Maria

This is Maria’s coffee shop.   It is the town’s only coffee shop

Inside Cafe Maria

Inside Cafe Maria

and they say that Maria is the oldest member of the community.  She lives above her coffee shop.

Near the coffee shop there is a clinic.  The young doctor talked to us.  She was very nice.  There were also some people selling jewelry and other items.  We saw the ration store.

Provides food rations

Provides food rations

People in Cuba receive some beans and other food and 5 pounds of rice for each person in their house every month.  This duck had never seen a food ration store before.  This lady is receiving rice that was weighed for her.

Receiving her monthly rice ration

Receiving her monthly rice ration

I liked the horse with a trailer.

Horse with cart

Horse with cart

Horse was patiently waiting.  Look at this trashcan.

Love the painted trashcan

Love the painted trashcan

Never in my duck life have I seen a beautifully painted trashcan.  This is so great.

United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared Terrazas a Biosphere Reserve in 1985.   This project combines sustainable development and tourism in the mountainous community in the San Juan Valley at the foot of Salon Hill.  Las Terrazas consists of 5,000 hectares or about 12,355 acres.  Swimming, hiking, zip line and other activities are available.  This is a necessary trip when you go to Cuba.

Las Terrazas in Sierra del Rosario mountains in Cuba

Las Terrazas in Sierra del Rosario mountains in Cuba

Alejandro said we are going to Fusterlandia next.  Hope you visit me again to see what Fusterlandia is.

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Las Terrazas Eco Village in Cuba with Zeb the Duck

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

Las Terrazas Cuba

Lake at 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

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??

Beautiful, but where is the food??

This was used to grind coffee beans by hand.

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

Kitchen is out here

Strolling through the coffee plantation I noticed this tree with red bark.

Red bark. Pretty

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 processing area

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

to extract coffee beans from shells

After the tajona, the coffee beans were sun dried on huge platforms.

Platform to sun dry coffee beans

Platform to sun dry coffee beans

Leaving the coffee bean processing area, this basket caught my eye.

Very convenient basket

Very convenient basket

I think it is so cute!

We had lunch at this farmhouse.

Lunch was served here. Yum!

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

Zeb the Duck likes these rocks

Duck on a rock

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.