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C
ucu Ramos is serenading me with his guitar under a
mango tree. He sings of Guantanamera – the woman
from Guantanamo – singing it oh so tenderly, and as I
sip a glass of freshly pressed cane sugar juice, I can’t help but
wonder if the world could learn a thing or two about romance
from a wiry old Cuban farmer who has tufts of hair sprouting
from his ears.
I’m in the fertile countryside of Valle de los Ingenios, or
Valley of the Sugar Mills, 12 kilometres from Trinidad, a small
time-warped town in the province of Sancti Spíritus in central
Cuba. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the town’s indulgently
decorated colonial mansions, along with the ruins of 75 mills
that dot the valley are a testament to the sugar industry that once
flourished here from the 18th to 19th century.
Trinidad is a photographer’s dream. Terracotta roofs, wrought-
iron gates and lovely Spanish tiles adorn buildings painted a
sunbaked tropical candy-box of colours, all of which you can
fully appreciate by climbing the tower at the Museo Histórico
Municipal for a panoramic view. To the north, the rolling
Escambray Mountains; to the south, white-sand beaches and the
CUBA:
LAND OF
SALSA,
SUGAR &
SERENADE
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY CINDY FAN
166
Travel Guide 2014
Farther Afield