Home again. More Cuba adventure stories.

Back in the UK, the account of our adventures in Cuba continues, making up for being without internet for half a week.

On Saturday, in the hotel La Ermita in Viñales, we found ourselves having a silly conversation with fellow guests about The Archers, of all things!! But after breakfast we got back to the serious business of visiting the area.

We were picked up at 9.00am to go to the cave of Santo Tomás. In the Viñales Valley they have weird mountains shaped like round loaves. These are called “mogotes”. Most of them are solid but at least one is hollow. This is the cave of Santo Thomas, the third biggest cave system with stalagmites and stalactites in the South American system. It was discovered some time in the 1950s and explored through to so e time in the 1980s. We got to visit a couple of levels.

When we arrived at the cave site, after a taxi ride of about 30 minutes, we were made to don helmets, just in case the roof fell in on us. We were a small group: a couple of French people (quick chat about Brittany where they come from) a few Germans (largely uncommunicative), a couple of Spaniards and my Friend Dee and I. We were the oldest by at least twenty-five years!

First we had to climb up to the cave entrance, quite a challenge! Then we were into the system, helmet lamps switched on and off we went, up and down moderately slippery or stony paths, admiring stalagmites and stalactites. We had been advised by our walking tour guide to wear long trousers and a jumper. Fortunately we ignored this. It was hot and humid in the caves. However, we did need pur stout shoes. One young lady made it in ballet slippers. We dedided she was just young and foolish.

Photos might be posted at some point in the future. They are worth seeing!

At one point we all had to switch off our helmet lamps. Complete darkness! Once the lights were back on we saw the odd bat and a couple of frogs. We heard swallows and nightingales. And our guide made lots of bad jokes about people getting lost.

Getting down from the cave entrance was even harder than going up.

The two crazy old ladies in Cuba did well! Back at the hotel, we cooled off in the pool, as you do! 

After lunch we walked down into town, for the third time, and met the Archers people in the internet cafe. This is what we do!