Black Holy Water for your Health

Wednesday, December 02, 2015
Trinidad, Cuba
Black holy water for your health

Leaving the hotel to board the bus a black, gleaming, chrome adorned, beautiful 1948 Buick was parked at the hotel entrance. A real prize for any classic car collector and just one more photograph and a smile to wipe off my face in remembering when these old cars were our everyday transportation.

We were headed to the surrounding Sierra del Escambray mountain range but our bus ride was short. We stopped at the turnoff to the mountains, unloaded and transferred to an ancient Soviet built truck having a long bed with passenger seats and fabric top. While these old trucks are very good for sightseeing, we are hoping the brakes had been recently checked as we go up, around and down at what seemed to be top speed. Going up the mountain was certainly going to be safer than the return trip. With narrow roads, meeting more big trucks, passing bicyclers and being perilously close to some nice little drop-offs, I was planning my escape route if this this old Soviet hunk of steel decided to depart the highway.
 
Success! We made it to Tapes de Collantes, which is about 2600 feet above sea level. The mountains are divided into dry and wet ecosystems. We drove up the south side of the mountains which would be more dry than the northern side. Tapes de Collantes has a visitor center much like our ranger stations at state and national parks. The mountains range up to 3,054 feet, include rain forest areas and the right conditions for a host of indigenous species of orchids and other plant life plus over 40 species of coffee growing in the shade of tall pines, eucalyptus trees and West Indian mahogany among other trees. The area contrasts well with the flat lands of sugar cane that grows only miles from where we are. The defining edifice of the area is a massive art deco sanatorium that was built for tuberculosis patients in 1954. Built by Batista because his wife had TB and she liked this area, it served as a school after the revolution and has now been reconverted into a specialized rehabilitation hospital.
 
We met Andres, who would serve as our guide for our mountain activity. Andres is a retired university professor of English literature, spoke English better than many Americans and held a passion for coffee. And let me emphasize passion. You could easily deem him the Count of Coffee, Doctor Caffeine or as he called himself "The Caffeine Messiah". According to Andres, there were only a few conditions associated with health and fitness that couldn't be treated with coffee, of which he called “holy black water”. With a short bus ride we walked through an area that was set up as a coffee botanical garden. Various coffee trees and their growing and harvesting characteristics were described by Andres. We finished off with a strong cup of Cuban coffee at the snack bar and buying opportunities for coffee and handcrafts.

Boarding our collection of parts manufactured as a Soviet truck, we drove north to a coffee farm. Operated by a family, it was a good example of the Cuban coffee growing industry. Housing 3 generations, the elder mom’s name was Nania. The son, Omar was the energy behind the current day farming and Martha was his wife. Their son was training as an EMT and his significant other also lived with them. Property ownership for farming is not permitted in Cuba, so property is held with a form of control more like a long term lease. Upon Omar’s retirement, his son would have to apply to the Cuban government to extend the use rights on the property.

Omar controls a considerable amount of forest land but his coffee and other crops are cultivated on 10 hectares (approximately 25 acres). The houses and living conditions are very basic and the high ground position of the house affords some beautiful views. Sitting in an outside area in the rear of the house, Omar gave us the full rundown of his family history and coffee and growing techniques. He loved the land. Coffee beans were drying on the concrete pads to the side of the house, chickens were scratching though the coffee beans to pick out the insects and pigs were running freely in the yard. Not your typical suburban home in the USA.

Omar discussed his income and the pension he will receive when he turns 65. According to Omar, the temperatures had slightly increased at his altitude over the last 10 years and this increase has been just enough to limit his crops to 1 crop cycle per year versus his former 3 crop cycles. His income had significantly reduced. Climate change may be knocking on Omar’s door and impacting his income.

With lots of photos, some gifts for Nania, Omar and Martha and warm goodbyes we head back down the mountain. This was a great visit and I wish I had taken more notes and more photos.

Lunch at a paladar perched on the side of the mountain with great views was next. The place was jammed with foreign tourists. Once again, I think we were the only Americans. Andres wanted to demonstrate his most potent coffee concoction. Based on his theory that caffeine and other coffee chemicals course through your body at accelerated speeds when mixed with Vitamin R (Rum), he supervised the preparation and we tested the output. “Black holy water” with Vitamin R. It hits you hard and fast as it courses through your veins, I’m just not sure what stops on its way through.

We say good bye to Andres, jump in our Soviet sport truck and head down the hill. John and I ride up front with the driver. I wanted to make sure the driver knew where the brakes were and John was making movies. Our only stop was at El Mirador (The lookout). A tough little climb over a good number of rough stoned steps resulted in one falling injury to one of our three Susan’s on the tour. It was a good test of lungs with some spectacular views. A few blooming cactus plants on the way up to the lookout demonstrated we were on the arid side of the mountain. Our climb completion rate for the group came in at 60%, which included the oldest three in the group at 84 and 81 and our birthday boy, Frank, who was turning 81 that day. I’m inspired. My goal is to do the same on my 81st birthday and maybe the same on my 84th.

  We were greeted in our hotel room with another work of “towel art” by our maids. They were waiting close by just to see our reaction. They had outdone themselves using towels, blankets, a bedspread, slacks and a shirt I had laid over a chair, Mary’s hat, my flashlight, my IPad keyboard and flower petals for eyes and mouth. They wanted to impress and they did. A few more CUCs for a tip are deserved.

Our injured Susan, a psychotherapist from NYC, went to the doctor and hospital for a checkup and x-rays. No problems discovered, but she was afforded an up close look at the Cuban medical system (aging facilities and equipment) and she incurred nominal cost. She is now back among the healthy. I have asked Grand Circle to put hospitals on the list of visits in future trips.
 
Our dinner this evening was at the hotel. They really turned it on for us. Apparently they are vying to get more Grand Circle business with their demonstrated service. A buffet, it was perhaps the biggest meal we had eaten. With a musical group entertaining us and too much in our bellies it was time to work out a little with a Conga Line around the restaurant. It was a good evening to wrap up our activities in Trinidad.

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