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Thursday, 03.11.2016: Cienfuegos to Trinidad, 85km - sunny, 28°C
As we were catching the 12-45 pm Viazul bus to Trinidad we had plenty of time to pack our bags and walk to the bus station. Kirsten went off to the bakery for cakes and a drink and I stayed at the bus station with all our luggage. I tried to find out where we were supposed to go and kept getting told different things. We had to confirm our tickets and get different print outs but also needed luggage tags.
Whilst Kirsten was waiting and waiting at the bakery to get served, I was told to move out to the bus parking area, then to move back inside the station and then again to go outside but it wasn't the right bus!
A completely stressed Kirsten rushed back in saying the service couldn't have been any slower and the cakes weren't what we wanted but she bought them anyway. Then she left to find us something to drink.
We eventually got our luggage onto the right bus and left at 1pm. We drove along the coastal route to Trinidad and arrived at 2-25pm. The bus had to negotiate narrow cobblestone roads in the town centre and it was difficult for the bus to manoeuvre. I had seen where we came in so I knew where we needed to go to get to our Casa.
A man held up a sign with our names on it but the Lonely Planet warns about the many hustlers here who even go to the trouble of finding out names of passengers from the buses, making signs with their names on and then taking them to a completely different Casa. People have even put bad write ups on Trip Advisor about a certain Casa without even realising that they weren't in the one they had booked!!
Fortunately our man was genuine and took us to the right place - well actually it was me who took us there because I had a map! At least we got to the right place! We were welcomed by our host Fidel and shown to a very large room with en suite bathroom. We had a fridge and air con plus fan but the outside windows were all covered. Not a problem.
Fidel also showed us to a very green, plant filled terrace and we could also climb some winding steps from the interior and get up onto the roof for great views over the town and out to sea. We could have breakfast at the Casa but they don't serve evening meals. There are plenty of restaurants here though so that wouldn't be a problem.
We settled into our room and then went out for a walk through the town which has been a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1988. It is a well preserved Spanish colonial settlement built on huge sugar fortunes during the early 19th century as is evidenced by the illustrious colonial style mansions with Italian frescoes, Wedgwood china and French chandeliers. It seems as if the clocks stopped in the mid 19th century and never started again.
We walked along the cobblestone streets where horses and carts are still in use and went to the main Plaza. We wandered around checking out bakeries and the various places to eat that were recommended in the Lonely Planet. We bought some drinking water and other supplies and then went out for a meal.
The restaurant Sol Ananda looked like someone's house with a dining area in two rooms for guests. We sat at a table in a room with a bed in it! Well, if the food took as long as the Italian in Cienfuegos yesterday we could always go for a nap! We ordered lamb Indian style which was more like a ragout with tomatoes and potatoes but it tasted very good.
We were just thinking about ordering dessert when a band started playing in the small confines of the dining area next to us. It wasn't extortionately loud but we still had to raise our voices to speak to each other so we skipped dessert, paid and left. We took a look at a few other places to eat as we wandered back to our Casa.
We got back to our room at 8pm so we could shower and wash some clothes - are we boring or what?!!
Friday, 04.11.2016: Trinidad - sunny, 28°C
We walked into town for breakfast (omelettes) and then went to the Cubatur office to get a town map and some info. We also went on a short walking tour that we had from Lonely Planet. We enjoyed the colonial Plaza Major, the various churches and just wandering around the streets with all the colourful old houses and getting a taste of the real life here in the town. The tour goes through one of the shabbier but no less photogenic Barrios and says to look out for women in curlers. Well, guess what? We found them!
We watched the sunset from the roof of our Casa and then went to search for something to eat. It was getting harder and harder to find something we wanted as the choices tend to be the same. We wanted to avoid the tough meat and when we found something on a menu, they didn't have it - not a rare occurrence.
In the end we gave up and just bought some ice cream and biscuits. Then it was back to the Casa to do more hand washing!!
Saturday, 05.11.2016: Trinidad to Playa Ancón and back - sunny, 28°C
We had breakfast at our Casa and had two boiled eggs each with toast and cheese, fruit salad, guava juice and green tea. We made our own tea afterwards in our room. Then we walked into town to catch a bus to Playa Ancón.
There was standing room only but at least the ride was only 20 minutes. The beach is beautiful with white sand and touted as being the finest beach on the southern Cuban coast. It certainly lived up to its reputation. We got two loungers under a palm tree for 2 CUC each and spent the afternoon there.
The weather was perfect and the location idyllic. It was certainly far better than our Cayo Levisa experience. We went for dips in the turquoise water and bought some cold drinks. Wonderful!
Playa Ancón
We got the last bus back at 6pm and even got seats this time! Back in Trinidad we went to a restaurant we had seen the day before but the two things we wanted - Fajitas de Pollo and quesadillas - weren't available. So we wandered around looking for somewhere else.
Our search for restaurants was becoming old fast. We miss not being able to cook for ourselves and when we're in the motor home we rarely go out for meals. So a backpacking holiday like this, where we constantly have to go to restaurants for food, starts getting to us.
Fortunately we managed to find somewhere and Kirsten ordered spaghetti with vegetables and I ordered a chicken sandwich. The sandwich was huge and well presented with tomatoes and lettuce and even some real French fries! Unfortunately not all of the chicken was cooked thoroughly. There's always a band in restaurants in Cuba but this one was really good and not too loud so we gave them a tip as we left.
On our way back we went to the bus station and organised a taxi the day after tomorrow to get to Varadero, our next destination. It would cost us 50 CUC which is 10 CUC more than by Viazul bus but would only take 5.5 hours and therefore about 1 hour less than the bus.
Sunday, 06.11.2016: Trinidad to Playa Ancón and back - mostly sunny, 28°C
We went to a little restaurant for crêpes for breakfast and ordered a pizza and a ham sandwich to take with us. Then we walked down to get the bus to Playa Ancón again. Two Swiss girls asked us if we wanted to share a taxi instead of taking the bus. It would cost the same price so we agreed. The taxi driver dropped us off at the other end of the beach and agreed to return at 6pm to pick us up and take us back to Trinidad.
We had another perfect day on the beach with two loungers under a palm tree. We even got some exercise and walked the 1km to the other end where we had been yesterday. Our taxi driver came at the agreed time to pick us all up and take us back to Trinidad. That evening we went back to the little restaurant we had been to that morning for a savoury crêpe and a hamburger.
