Island Life Magazine Ltd October/November 2015 | Page 63

TRAVEL all seemed delighted with our arrival and our general interest in the production process and I was offered many free samples prior to purchasing a box of the finest on departure. In addition to its cigars, Cuba boasts some of the best rum in the Caribbean. The history of rum making dates back to the early 1500’s and white rum (known locally as silver dry or Carter Blanca) is consumed more regularly than dark. Many of the bars in the old city use this white rum as a base for a variety of cocktails, all served cold with lots of ice. The white rum is produced in local distilleries known as Havana Club. These were open to the public from 9am till midnight, to demonstrate how the Island had developed this wonderful renowned international drink from a by- product of sugar. We were advised not to leave Havana without visiting the Malecon, the seafront promenade area that stretches for four miles along the city’s historic quarter. The busy attractive buildings, giving a striking overall effect. I was interested to note that the word Malecon means traditional religion to the people of the city. Different religions exist in Cuba because of its history, and we were told that offerings to the Gods were often thrown from the parapets of the seafront promenade, into the waves. During our stay we also ventured into the less populated areas of the countryside, seeing the beauty of some of the richest plants in the West Indies. Thanks to its hot and humid annual temperatures, the western area boasts some of the finest tobacco and sugar plantations, and an array of wonderful tropical flowers and an extraordinary variation of bird life. Our stay concluded with a memorable boat trip to observe the western coastline from the sea. We were able to hire a local boat owner, who took us to one of the tiny unnamed Islands. This allowed us to take in the wonderful vista from the sea and enjoy watching shoals of barracuda. We also witnessed our Cuban host dive for fresh lobster - and then sampled it on board his boat, eating it with salad, hot potato and wine all provided by him! Although we had only seen a small fraction of this largest of the Caribbean islands, it has certainly left a lasting impression on me. www.goilife.co.uk 63