Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
This place is so beautiful - the lonely planet refers to it as 'a place for which time stood still' and to some degree I would agree with that. In the photo album I have included a street view which I have made black and white to highlight just how rustic this place really is.
The bus station, for the first time since we've been in Cuba, is in the centre of the town so we were met by Victor our host and walked to the Casa Particulares down a wonderful wide cobbled street. Our Casa is great as it has a brilliant communal outdoor area with seating so we can actually go back to the casa and chill out on the balcony instead of being a prisoner in our room.
A really nice German couple were also staying at the Casa - Andreas and Chirstine. They are in Cuba for 3 weeks but, unlike us, they are driving around rather than using public transport. This does give them much more flexibility but personally I don't think I'd be quite up to the challenge - especially with the language barrier.
On our first night, Andreas and Christine asked us to join them on a visit to the local Disco Alaya - a disco in a cave no less. The walk to and from the disco was quite interesting as it involved a rough track, a hill, the dark, and some navigation around the ruins of a former hospital. Climbing up the hill was tricky enough but negotiating the walk downhill was on another level, especially as Jackie had high heels on.
We returned to the hill the following day to take a look at the views over Trinidad but unfortunately this did not turn out to be the peaceful excursion we had expected as we were hounded by local women. They wanted pretty much anything and everything - they asked for money, soap, suntan lotion, clothes and even my bag. I know things are hard for these people but we're on a long trip so unfortunately my only contribution to the Cuban people can be through travel, casa's, food and drink.
Trinidad has really nice market stalls and you can while away a little time meandering through these. Jackie bought a wooden man and I bought a hat as I've gone and forgotten mine. The only one I could find was a green cap with a red star on the front and the Cuban flag on the side. I do feel very Citizen Smith in it!
A very exciting discovery in Trinidad was an internet cafe for tourists. Some Cubans do get internet access but I am under the impression that it is very controlled and certainly no Cubans were allowed to use the terminals we used. The connection was incredibly slow and whilst I managed to send some e-mails poor Jackie had a dreadful time as she kept being thrown out of the software.
Trinidad is quite close to the coast so following a Lonely Planet suggestion we hired ourselve2 bikes and cycled the 15km or so out there. This was not a case of just hiring a bike, jumping on it and cycling off though - oh no, firstly the guy required us to demonstrate that we were proficient in the art of cycling before he would let us loose on the streets of Trinidad. Now under normal circumstances this may not have been too bad but for 2 things, firstly we were in a confined space and secondly to brake and stop the bike you have to peddle backwards which goes against everything we know. Under pressure we managed to pass the test and off we set on our adventure. The bike ride to the coast was hot work but well worth it. We eventually came across an apartment complex where we were met at the gate by a chap called Juan who told us we were welcome to use the facilities and promised to watch our bikes. So we spent a few very pleasant hours lying on this private beach.
On our final night in Trinidad we visited a local Paladeres, a private family owned restaurant, one of the few private enterprises allowed by the Cuban government. We had been recommended Paladare Sol Y Sun and when we arrived it appeared that so had every other tourist in Trinidad. After waiting some time for a table we opted for a fish dish and a spaghetti dish. The fish was delicious but the spaghetti, which came with chicken, was disgusting as it was so so greasy.
Tourists have access to milk through restaurants and casa's but we have been told that the locals are not so lucky. Milk is rationed and is only available to children of a certain age, thereafter only yoghurt is available.
- comments