From the minute we drove into Trinidad I had a sense this was a town I was really going to enjoy. Another UNESCO World Heritage site (Cuba has 9 world heritage sites, 5 of them cities) the town of just under 50,000 has a great ambience. Cobble stoned streets, pastel coloured buildings, horse and carts, American cars, a wide mixture of music filling the streets along with the calls of guys selling there wares from avocados to brooms!
Trinidad is about 12 kms from the Caribbean sea with mountains and valleys framing the city. They traditionally grew a large mount of sugar cane in the area so thrived off both the sugar and fishing industries. Today tourism is one of its key industries and even though it is the second most visited place in Cuba you don't really get a sense of this.
We stayed in Trinidad for three nights and could have easily stayed longer. A lot of time was spent simply walking around town checking out local handicrafts, listening to music, having drumming lessons, people watching and as taught to us by our dear friend Jock 'always looking up and in'.
Throughout Cuba many of the houses have large windows covered by decorative bars which they keep open to keep the air circulating s it is so jot. This effectively means that you are looking into people's homes the whole time but they love it and give you a friendly 'hola' as you pass by. Trinidad was of course the same and we took to sitting in the lounge area saying hi to the neighbours and people walking by at our Casa Particular.
Milagra, our host in Trinidad was a vivacious, generous hostess who cooked fantastic meals and made us feel really at home. We weren't her only famous guests - Roger ?? the guy who plays the farmer in 'The Vicar of Dibbley' was also staying there so we felt right at home!
The night life in Trinidad is centred around the stairs at the 'Casa da Musica', an open air space where we heard a great range of music from ballads to traditional music and dance to all important salsa bands. Of course at any opportunity they can find the Cubans are up dancing and as always doing it with much style and panache. Watching from the safety of being a few rows back, it was very obvious to see the difference between the natural rhythms and movements of the locals to that of the visitors who had a great time bur just didn't have "it"!
And of course being so close to the sea we spent time each day at the
beach, swimming, drinking mojitos, snorkeling, lazing and on our last night having s picnic as the sun set. It was magical.
At this point we've been in Cuba for just under two weeks and it's spirit and soul has certainly got und the skin. I already know I'm not going to have enough time here and will want to come back.....
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe Harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”. Mark Twain
Location:Trinidad, Cuba
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