Palma Rubio to Vinales 30 miles
Weezie and I are deep within a cave just north of Vinales. The walls and ceiling are comprised of fluted limestone, sculpted from an underground river that wound through this land long ago. Slaves that were fleeing from their plantations used to hide here, living within these walls for years at a time.
It is dark. Very dark because the lights in the cave that are supposed to show the way have gone out. We use the lights on our cell phones and they cast shadows on our faces adding an eerie effect to an already eerie subject. Mid way through the tour, our guide deviates from her script because of all of our questions and we find ourselves in a prolonged political discussion, full of many more questions than answers. I feel like we are in a secret meeting, speaking of things that shouldn’t be said outside this hidden cavern. It feels like dangerous territory and I feel privileged to be hearing it.
When we finally come out into the light, my head feels laden with thoughts and emotions concerning Cuba’s plight, but I have no idea how they can move forward, nor does it seem do the people here.
There has been a country wide blackout for most of every day that we have been here. The streets are dark when the sun goes down. There are no street lights, no house lights just the hum of few generators few and far between. The potholed roads are fairly treacherous to navigate and the streets don’t t feel terribly safe, so most people head inside or onto their porches where they speak quietly and seem to just be patiently waiting.
My phone is losing power and I have no way to charge it so I will end this now. This land is incredibly beautiful and the people seem to have resiliency in their genes. Tomorrow I promise not to talk about politics, it is just hard to look away.