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Published: February 10th 2022
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Church, Santa Clara, Cuba I am pretty certain that the title gave it all away as to where in the world the latest node on the itinerary had taken me - Cuba, the Caribbean's largest island! A last-minute flight and hotel booking, followed by a couple of extras thrown into the mix, namely the bus transfers to get me from A to B to C to D, and the first port of call, Santa Clara, was roughly a 4-hour coach journey which began right outside Varadero airport, and almost miraculously, arrived within 5 minutes of the expected departure time. For those in the know, Santa Clara is synonymous with Ernesto Che Guevara, the well-known Cuban revolutionary who has been much trumpeted by those who deemed him cool enough to be utterly iconic. Well, due to a few complications which had arisen, sightseeing in Santa Clara was restricted to a shorter-than-anticipated time frame, so a flash tour of the city pretty much centered on the main square and all of its charms, cutting the Che Guevara-related tourist spots out of the equation, which would only have hurt a substantial admirer of his. Santa Clara itself is a centrally-located Cuban city with enough in the way of
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Street scene, Santa Clara, Cuba options for tourists to be based in without them feeling as though the infrastructure was lacking. What might well strike the visitor upon their very first visit to Cuba is the wealth of colours and fancy architectural tweaks which adorn many buildings, and for this reason, buildings which are in a state of disrepair dotted here and there tend to not come across as eyesores, largely because there are usually buildings decked out in tasteful pastel hues within easy range for the visitor to focus on instead. One area of central Santa Clara is known as 'Boulevard', but please ditch your image of 12-lane roads, and instead, try and picture in your mind a pedestrianized street where people might flock to for a meal out, or an evening of entertainment. It would be a shame to discover that the decades-old movie theatres of Cuban cities are now mostly disused, but it also appeared, as is apparent the world over, that the pandemic had put paid to the once-livelier nature of nightlife, and the human traffic which would swarm around places where an evening's entertainment program would centre around.
As far as hardships go in colonial Trinidad, the toughest part
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Square, Trinidad, Cuba could actually be your means of entry, as transportation in Cuba does seem to bypass this highly commendable town, so getting there on an early-morning bus could be considered something of a conquest as far as beating the system was concerned. Once you immerse yourself in laidback Trinidad's sun-kissed vibes though, you'll no doubt be glad you made the effort, as this understated beauty is the epitome of the kind of Cuba where time stands still for long enough for its aura to wrap itself around your soul, rather than just brush past you and make a passing impression. The main square is flanked by attractive buildings, such as pastel-tinged hotels, a theatre, and a rather special park, which in the case of this visit, was decked out with some DIY decor, made rather whimsically from bric-a-brac, and a few items which made you stop to inspect the finer details of the artistic sense of collaging. Moving further through the town, smaller squares came into view, one of which came replete with enough in the way of street activity to warrant a rest stop, namely Cuban musicians playing hand-made instruments, and street sellers displaying their wares to corner a market
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Playa Ancon, Cuba and cater for a few visitors' needs. In close vicinity was the musum documenting the 'Fight Against Banditry', which I can only suspect was a movement which worked to a highly positive effect, as safety levels in Cuban towns and cities are bound to take a visitor pleasantly by surprise. A short bus ride from Trinidad lies Playa Ancon, a local beach which is dubbed the south coast's finest. Not having allowed myself the opportunity of checking out the remainder of the competition, I can only attest to Playa Ancon being a beach of substantial merit, where a day trip will surely allow the benefits of beach life to add to the effect of an unhurried lifestyle in nearby Trinidad. For another snapshot of scenic Cuban topography, then look no further than a visit to the nearby Mirador, where views of the surrounding hillsides can be appreciated either on the main complex's terrace, or indeed on a ziplining tour which can be easily arranged on arrival. Departing Trinidad for Havana, it just served to arouse curiosity even more as to how smalltown colonial vibes would measure up against the expected hustle and bustle of the nation's capital, and which of the two would stand the tallest when it came to its overall impact and wow factor.
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