Day 401 of new travel experiences giving smiles – tough trek to Mogote hills, cave visit, balcony relaxing, Salsa music
Have you ever joined a tough trek even though you are not sure of your physical capabilities? And then do you pamper your feet by just putting it up and watch the world go by?
So on day 35 of our long trip, we were thrilled with the experience of staying with a local family at Vinyalis and then we were all set to go on a nature trek to the local Mogotes mountains of Vinales.
11 of us accompanied our young guide Amelia and boldly made our way towards the neighbouring mountains that were visible from our Casa. (home stay)
What we did not expect was that the usual pathway was wet and sticky because of the overnight rains. Our guide had to keep checking with the local residents for alternative less sticky routes to get to the mountains.
And this was a trek amidst nature that we will always remember.
At first we walked past the local houses and the colourful laundry that was hung out to dry.
Suddenly a screaming chicken came flying out from above the hedge. This was followed by a small but feisty barking dog much to our amusenet!
And this dog continued to accompany our group through out the long 3 hour trek up to the other side of the mountains.
We made our way trying to avoid the wet slushy parts in the pathways and the trotting horses. We crossed streams by walking gingerly over narrow planks. We tried out butter local berries. We saw cocks being trained for fights.
We saw idols being kept for worship under trees. We walked past through fields growing potatoes, tapioca, and other agricultural produce. We had to chimb up a steep hill and then down to the other side. We were surrounded by even bigger mountains all around us!
At one stage we had to make our way through almost 6 feet tall plants and by the time we reached the other side, our group was attacked by a swarm of red ants…it was a sight to see all of us removing our shoes and socks trying to remove the stinging ants from our feet.
By this time I almost lost my patience and couldn’t care about the mud on my legs and shoes. What kept us going was the wonderful scenery around us. This land was made by the receding sea waters so it is quite rare to see mountains and valleys having his type of terrain!
And yes our dog was still leading our group and sometimes even waiting to ensure the last batch of slow trekkers like me reached safely.
And finally we reached the spot that we were all waiting for- the natural lagoon. It was time to take a dip in the refreshing cool waters. And I just had to get in, neck deep into the waters and bask in the glory of nature around us…this was the highlight, that made all the effort of the trek, absolutely worth it!
The return walk back from the lagoon to our Casa did not seem so intimidating at all and took much lesser time than expected.
We halted for lunch at a wonderful place in the valley surrounded by majestic hills all around us.
It was a personal victory by me over myself…i was not sure if I could do this tough trek, but I actually did it! This was another feat that I had overcome in my quest towards personal physical fitness! Thank You Universe for everything!
And when we finally reached our homesty after five hours of trekking, it was time to head straight to the shower and try to scrub off the sticky mud from out bodies, our clothes and our shoes!
After a clean bath we went to the Indiene caves, admired the crazily shaped icicles within, went for a boat ride on the stream inside the dark cave.
After that we just put up our exhausted feet and sat in the balcony for three hours just observing the world go by!
We actually had time to smile and watch a clock attack a hen behind a Bush, a child trying to ride a wild pony, and another child trying to attach a small cart to a goat.
Open doors, friendly neighbours, people shouting across streets, kids screaming and playing, people relaxing inthe balconies, clothes drying everywhere, it seemed as if times had stopped in the 60s for this group. Luckily they had the extra money from tourism so they seemed quite content with their lives.
After dinner we went to another bar to listen to Spanish music and chill out with friends. My tour guide also encouraged me to do some actual salsa.
A smile time for a fitting finale at the end of an exhausting day 2 in Cuba.
So are you aware of your new travel experience that can give you a big thrill?
Please become aware of new things during your travel giving you thrilling smiles.
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