Cuba Day 10 Beach

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Day 9 Cuba 2019. 30 miles.

What another glorious day. Our luck is changing. The last two days had 50% cloud and warm breeze. Today it started off with a clear sky and 28 degrees again. We cycled to the location of an old sugar cane processing plant and went up the tall tower built by the plantation owner in 1815 which gave great views of the surrounding countryside. Because it is visited by many tourists the road up to it was full of people selling their wares. Bananas, reversible black and white dolls and white cotton tableware forever, flapping furiously in the wind. As usual we were pestered to buy at every step. I thought we were in Marrakesh. This area was the second largest sugar cane production area in Cuba and several large houses in the town centre were built and occupied by sugar plantation owners of the 19th century. We took the smooth road again back towards Trinidad before peeling off to Playa Ancon to spend the afternoon on the beach on a lounger under a giant coconut leaf umbrella. Several went in to the azure blue water for a swim. I would have gone in but for the fact that it would have involved getting wet. The beach was very nice despite the big band of seeweed compost in front of us littered with old drinks cans. Lunch was a ham sandwich and chips with milk straight out of the coconut. The swimmers said it was a cold shock on entering the water but I paddled up to my knees in nice warm water. The cormorants seemed to like the area and were found,as usual, spreading their wings on a timber groyne warming their bodies. Lazy lot- do you ever see them working? The coach took us back to our casa’s at 3.30 before another exploration of Trinidad and a meal up near the square in the warm evening sun. This is the weather Someone has to do it.

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