Hello, my friends. Today I want to tell you about my recent visit to a small community located in the heart of the Valle de los Ingenios, where there used to be an estate that belonged to one of the richest landowners in Cuba. In this place, an old sugar mill used to stand, and what still remains standing is the imposing hacienda house and the watchtower, which are surprisingly well preserved. The place I am talking about is the Hacienda Manaca-Iznaga.
A sugar mill used to be located in this place. The hacienda house and the watchtower are still standing, very well preserved. They are two beautiful places that I personally love. The hacienda house is now a restaurant that is set in its period. The tower, which was built to watch over the slaves in their work and its bell tower indicated the time of the beginning and end of the working day. This is the main attraction, which still retains the wooden staircase which was restored a few years ago and from what I was told, needs another restoration; this is allowed to climb to the top. The views from the top are simply legendary. However, I must admit that I was not able to fully enjoy this experience, as my courage was not enough to climb beyond the third floor.
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The problem was that, as I tried to ascend, my knees and thighs began to shake in a way that I cannot describe in words. I had to give up and go down. Fortunately, the tower staff was very kind and helped me down. Once on the ground, I felt the compelling need to sit down and rest, and it was at that moment that they explained to me that what I experienced was some sort of phobia that, unfortunately, I cannot recall at this time.
Despite this setback and not being able to fully enjoy the breathtaking views from the top, I must say that the place fascinated me. The hacienda house turned restaurant is charming, and although I was left wanting to conquer the tower, which I don't think I will ever conquer, the whole experience was wonderful.
Next time, I will definitely stay in the safety of the mainland. I don't know whether to call it cowardice or simply recognizing my limits, but I'll leave the heights and creaky wooden stairs for the braver ones. Despite my little mishap, this place left a very pleasant impression on me and I'm sure I'll be back to enjoy this beautiful cultural and historical vestige again.
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Original Spanish text: Translated and formatted with Hive Translator by @noakmilo.
Twitter @bluisdey