Day 15 Monday 14th
March Trinidad Discovery
Trinidad is one of
the oldest examples of Spanish Colonial architecture in the world, let alone
Cuba and let’s just say it hasn’t aged gracefully. This once grand old city
bears the scars of decades of disrepair and decay although there is effort to
try and restore key buildings to former glory.
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| Santa Ana in much need of repair |
The roads are predominantly cobble stone and an effort on
the feet. The narrow streets mix tourist and local pedestrian traffic, tour
buses, old and new taxis, motorbikes, and horse drawn and donkey powered carts.
Throw into the mix stray dogs at various stages of death, cats, you get the
picture. Actually, you do need to watch where you step!
It’s a tough city which demands cavorting constantly and not
just because of the mild heat (28-30 degrees) its amaze of streets, even for
the best of navigators is a struggle. Nothing makes sense!
By chance, supposedly heading home we pass what seemed to be
an elderly locals club. Live Cuban band, door bitch and cover charge. Okay, let’s
take our chances, get in only to perhaps get kicked out. Not a foreigner in
sight but a hell of a lot of partying going on and all eyes on us.
A little
frosty at first, but within minutes we have chairs and a table with the locals
encouraging us to drink up and party too. Did I mention its only 4pm in the
afternoon? Numerous bottles of rum are being consumed (by the locals) and
everyone up to Salsa. If only the old folks at home could bother with this
perhaps the hip replacements would be down in numbers. These Cubans have the groove
and they just don’t stop. At one stage, an older lady had me (Gina) jumping to
the music and when I would slow down, short of breath, she would whack me with
her fan to keep me moving. Karma’s a bitch, because was I only saying the Salsa
in Cuba is a fallacy?
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| Our oasis among the real world |
Two hours later, basting in our perspiration, calf
muscles aching, kissing everyone goodbye we break free and head home with
smiles from ear to ear. You just can’t buy that much fun for $6 total including
cover charge, drinks, the lot.
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| RHS neighbours |
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| LHS neighbour |
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| Trinidad Colonial cocktail at sunset |
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