The sheer number of posts produced from Cuba should indicate that it is an interesting destination. Travelling along the ‘rice road’ earlier this year was a fascinating experience which I thoroughly enjoyed and hope to repeat one day soon.
The rice road to Havana
A great deal of the trip has already been detailed in numerous posts but the roadtrip travelling from Baracoa to Havana was an experience in itself. Travelling in a comfortable mini-bus and capturing snapshots of towns and people along the rice road was a challenge.
Focussing and obtaining clear images from a moving vehicle can be difficult but there is so much to see and record it is well worth making the effort.
Beginning to spread the rice
There always seems to be something of interest happening, classic cars (cacharros) and a variety of other forms of transport patrol the roads. There are artistic messages of the revolution daubed over buildings and hoardings but the people themselves seem to provide the most fascinating stories. Every encounter seems to provide a little drama.
The grain truck
On the outskirts of almost every town there are usually dozens of people waiting for a lift, often offering money, they appear to expect to be picked up. The waiting police and soldiers seems especially impatient when our bus drives past without stopping, being given a lift is apparently almost a right.
Roadside sellers of straw hats or freshly cut and cooked corn, Cuban horsemen transporting their produce of fresh flowers to the market were just a few fellow travellers. Sleeping during this roadtrip was not an option, there was just too much to miss.
Patterns in the rice, strangely interesting
An extraordinary sight was seeing miles of rice grains being dried directly on the tarmac of the rice road especially between Cienfuegos and Havana. The rice road may not be an official name but it seems appropriate.
Guessing he’s not just making pretty patterns
The men are split into groups, some of which spread the grain, others turn it over and still more reload it into vehicles.
Their tools include trucks, rakes and a kind of shovel, there even seemed to be an ox drawn cart but it was unclear whether this was part of the rice drying operation.
An old fashioned form of transport
The lines of rice can literally stretch for hundreds of metres however there were a number of separate groups of workers and in total there were miles of road being utilised. It is an unusual sight but is probably a sensible way to dry rice, there are long stretches of relatively quiet roads, ideal for efficiently completing the process.
Midday in Cuba, it must be hot work
The rice will be cleaned before cooking so it does not matter that how many vehicles have driven over it and even the emissions from these vehicles are probably not an issue. Although having witnessed the amount of smoke which some of the cacharros produce I do hope they wash it well.
Time for a break
Tarmac rice drying is not exclusively a Cuban activity but is another piece of the culture jigsaw puzzle. It is the reason the country is so fascinating and why it is great for photography. The selfish part of me hopes it does not change soon and that the opportunity to return presents itself before any change occurs.
Shovelling grain
Cuba has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember. The vibrant colours and fascinating culture. Where else would you find rice being dried on the highway?!! Great post thanks for sharing such a captivating piece!
Charli l Wanderlusters recently posted..Duct Tape & Face Plants on Mount Baker
Thanks Charli I’m glad you enjoyed it and hope you make it to Cuba soon. It is without doubt a lifetime ambition achieved for me and definitely a favourite destination.
Interesting post! I can’t wait to go to Cuba, such a fascinating place
Thanks for sharing!
Fascinating stuff sir, I would have never thought there would be miles of rice being dried on the road. Probably one of the oddest yet most interesting things I have seen.
Ryan Brown recently posted..Photo Essay: My Favorite Snapshots from New Zealand
fascinating thanks for sharing
I am interested to see that rice road too. I wonder how pretty it looks like.
Thanks for these photos, they’re so beautiful.
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