recapitulating cuba: valle de los ingenios

surely valle de los ingenios or valley of the sugar mills, a world heritage site, provides some of the world's most spectacular scenery --- "the valley" is actually three inter-connected valleys a few miles outside trinidad, is where the fortunes that built trinidad were made through slavery and sugar cane --- mills are in ruins, but some buildings are left, including the plantation of manaca iznaga, where the main house, a bell tower (c. 1816), and some barracones, or slave quarters still exist --- we had lunch there and were harassed by people trying to sell us linens

the most-delicious orange juice, freshly squeezed from very green oranges

after the valley of the sugar mills, the ride back to havana was a bit anti-climatic, except that it was then that we learned that we would be leaving two hours later then we expected and so would miss our flight from miami to atlanta --- i got pissed and eventually got un-pissed and enjoyed the ride ---

así es la vida