Trinidad-Santa Clara

March 22, 2016

Back to Trinidad (most hotels were on the out skirts of towns) to take a walking tour. Europeans rate this the second best town in Cuba. Should mention that this was a bit strenuous tour in total. Lots of walking and lots of stairs, some very steep and winding in all towns. Most of the sidewalks in towns were of broken concrete, so you were often walking head down, so you didn't trip.  In Trinidad's case, cobble stone streets. I wore my Keen sandals the entire time in Cuba and never suffered a sore foot. Love them.

Trinidad is a World Heritage Site. We observed many old and beautiful buildings and houses that in many cases had been maintained better than in other locations we has been in. A tower as part of the history museum was a great picture spot; however, again narrow, winding staircases. The entrance to the stairs was being controlled to not have too many on the stairs or at the top. I attempted to make it to the top, only to find out that 30 people were waiting at another level to proceed to the roof. I stepped to a window at that level and took some shots below of the view to the sea.

Restaurant

Wooden covers on windows

Wooden railings

View from tower

Tower

While others rambled, we took off for a tobacco shop that had been identified in Fodor's. Found it on a corner. I was totally flustered inside. New some names. Couldn't decide on how much to buy. Thought I saw a box of Montecristo's that looked reasonable. Thought they were 12, turned out to be 25 and the most expensive thing we purchased on the island. Oh well, today I figured out at home how to package them for safe keeping without a humidor and have my fingers crossed.

We had been searching for some art to purchase and ended up buying a painting of a street in Havana.

Haven't mentioned much about the horse drawn carts and wagons. They are everywhere, especially outside of Havana, on the roads and highways. Some have wooden wheels with a small strip of rubber. Many have springs to cushion the ride.

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The restaurant as usual was nice and food was good. We were again upstairs in a covered, but open space.

On to a sugar plantation, which for the most part turned out to be out of production, at least for the time being because the soil was dead. We did visit an old processing plant and distillery that was in ruins, but you could see the pieces of the process from sugar cane, to molasses, to rum. They were in the process of rebuilding some of it for show.

Some cane in fields

Old tower on distillery grounds

Main house being rebuilt

Well

Molasses processing 

On to Santa Clara for the night at the Hotel Granjita, another all inclusive with the best rooms yet. They were set up in quads, two on top of two. Nice pool and beautiful dining room. Food was the usual and singing and dancing after. Nan's Pina Colada awaits her at the pool bar.