12km south of Trinidad is Playa Ancon, supposedly the most beautiful beach on the southern side of the island. I prefer my beaches w water that moves. A real surf if possible. Makes it much more entertaining IMHO. Allows me to ride the waves & also giggle when they knock others over. The devil in me. Ancon has no waves. Zero. Flat as can be. Much like other beaches I’ve seen in the protected Caribbean waters. But it really was beautiful & very tranquil. I rented a bike for the day to leisurely bike the 12km to & from Trinidad. A very picturesque ride. Time seemed to fly by & it was quite enjoyable. On the way there, that is. I realized why on the return ride as Trinidad is certainly at a higher elevation than sea level. So on the way there, I was riding down a very gradual hill the entire trip. Not so much on the way back. The few mojitos I enjoyed on the trip made for a not-so-enjoyable slow ride back so when a taxi, complete w a bike rack on the back (I’m clearly not the first moronic tourist to make the same mistake & later realization), honked & offered me a ride w maybe half of the trip remaining, I gladly took him up on his offer.
It’s not often to be lucky enough to find yourself smack dab in the center of profound world changing events so I haven’t had time to post some already written blog entries on Trinidad, the hippest place to visit outside of Havana & only a short 1.5hr bus ride from Cienfuegos. It’s a lovely city set in a valley surrounded by Cuba’s version of mountains. It has small winding cobblestone streets w very picturesque vistas of lovely colored casas against the lush green mountains, that is, if you can stop watching your feet for fear of tripping & falling flat on your face due to the vastly uneven cobblestones. I wandered for hours in local hoods past parks w kids playing. Came across kids flying kites – right above the same power lines which seem to have made a habit of collecting a lot of former kites. I guess no one really does ever learn. Or they think they can beat it.
There’s a lovely town square Plaza Mayor & nearby a big wide set of stone steps perfect for people watching & after 10pm nightly, the steps are transformed into the music center of the city w multiple salsa singing & dancing acts performing while competing storefront bars selling “the best mojitos in the world” allow you to enjoy a cocktail while taking in the scene. My one gripe w the music scene in Trinidad is it was very clearly catering only to tourists, no locals. In both Havana & Cienfuegos, I found higher quality music in venues w a good mix of tourists & locals so you felt like you were experiencing real Cuba. But I think I’m in the minority here as everyone seemed to absolutely love it.
The primary thing about Trinidad that left a lot to be desired was the food. I read somewhere that in 2011, before the change in laws regarding private restaurants, there were 3 private restos. Now there are over 90. So it seems as if everyone is trying to throw their hat in the game & reap the awards that come w increased tourism. It certainly doesn’t mean they all have good food. Far from it. The best meal I had in Trinidad was cooked by my friendly casa owners as I found even the LP recommended restaurants to be shit. It really is a beautiful city but between the food & what seems to be a nonstop focus on making a buck, I wonder if the city has lost some of its local charm due to its newfound trendiness. Havana & Cienfuegos had loads of it. I’m hopeful it will sort itself out w time.
Some of you know I stink at taking selfies bc I don’t ever do it so you’re lucky the intended tower is in the photo & I’m somewhat looking at the camera. After a summer full of rainbow colors (pink, purple & Cub blue), my early-retirement-hair in Cuba has essentially faded back to platinum w a hint of pale blue & purple near the roots. I’ve found the platinum isn’t super ideal in a country full of Latin men. So I try to keep it hidden everyday under my new World Series Cubs cap that’s quickly getting broken in & I certainly intend to return to my natural brown before South America bc the attention is just ridiculous.
I was awakened at 7am to what sounded like a marching band & found this outside my casa. After they finished playing a few songs, they all started drinking rum. A lot of it. At 7:15. I have no idea. Nor did my casa owners. https://youtu.be/6u7y3tn9Nmk
amusemusings 