Day 23 - Marina Hemingway - Havana & Trinidad Cuba
Magic Friday
Phil, Di and Annelise
Mon 17 Apr 2017 18:10
Early to rise for two reasons: (i) to see our friends off on Black Swan - as they waited in the "queue" of the U.S. regatta group to leave we wished them safe sails and finally untied their mooring lines and then (ii) to jump an early morning taxi to the Hotel Commodoro for our rendezvous with the tour bus company and thence to Trinidad.
Eight a.m. passed by - no sign of the bus, a quarter past - no bus, yes the hotel reception assured us it would come . at eight-thirty indeed it did - we were on the list to go and boarded comfortably - air conditions, double-decker luxury coach - very nice!
Although it was another hour before we left Havana - having made stops at several other hotels en-route. Finally, we were out onto the "highway" and cross-country - passing fields of sugar cane and rice grown without flooded paddy fields, horse and cart transportation and dry scrubland. A stop half-way at a "service station" for lunch and then along narrow country roads to Cienfuegos. A drop off and pick-up point and then onward to Trinidad, circling around the mountains of southern Cuba as we watched lightening strike over the summits arriving after a 5 ½ hour interesting journey to a cacophony of pedicabs and taxi drivers. Amazingly - one pedicab had our name to meet us and take us to our pre-arranged "casa particulare" called "Casa Verde". A green painted house it was, went by Michelle and his parents, we viewed the room, agreed the amenities and settled in to the colonial two storey plus roof garden house.
Time for a brief walk around town, exploring the two main squares "Paza Commercial" and "Plaza Mayor" in the old town - a UNESCO site. As the sun began to drop, music emanating from a band "Suchel y Sol" in the courtyard shaded by the Iglesia de la Santisima Trinidad" attracted us for a sundowner and a rest before returning to our casa. An evening meal at one of the many nearby restaurants rounded off a long day ending in Trinidad.
Phil and Di
