Tales from Trinidad

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Having sussed the Havana bus reservations we travelled down to the south of Cuba to an old colonial town called Trinidad. If Havana is stuck in the 1950s Trinidad is more or less existing in the 1930s, there is even less evidence of commercialisation and tourism here.

After we had run the gauntlet out of the bus station and avoided being dragged to a random house by one of the many old women who tried to grab us, we made it to the house where we had booked a room. It was a really nice house with a couple who spoke absolutely no English whatsoever, which forced us to again practice our espanol! They cooked us great food and were very welcoming (we think, they could have been saying more or less anything to us for most of the time!).

The pace of life here is much slower and was quite a refreshing change after the hectic hustle and bustle of Havana. We had a good time wandering around the cobbled streets and markets and buying food from the street stalls. There was a square where locals and tourists alike congregated in the evening for music and salsa dancing.

The locals thought we were crazy for walking to the nearby beach, refusing numerous offers of lifts on a range of vehicles from a horse and cart to a 1950s chevy a la Havana! It was worth the hike though and we joined the cubans for a swim.

Our bus journey back to Havana officially ranks as the worst either of us have ever experienced, the air conditioning was blowing out hot air rather than cold and until the driver eventually opened the windows there was a real chance of half the passengers sweating to death en route! We made it in one piece though (although a few pounds lighter due to dehydration!) and caught our flight to Mexico.

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Photos

Buying lunch
stupid tourist hat is obligatory...