Monday morning in Cuba
I woke up after too few hours of sleep to the sound of loud thumping dance music playing in the street. Just like Monday morning at home, then. Hah. Some strong coffee at breakfast sorted me out, and I packed up and checked out to catch my transfer to Trinidad.
We drove for a few hours through rolling green hills towards the south coast of the island. The effects of the mojitos from last night, combined with the winding roads, made my stomach feel a little queasy. On the way into Trinidad, we stopped off at a couple of made-for-tourist stops, including some sort of tower next to an old sugar mill from Trinidad’s colonial slavery days, a pottery shop where the artist was giving demonstrations, and a lookout point over the whole valley.
Trinidad caliente
Trinidad is hot. Really scorchingly hot. The sun is beating down, and while I don’t know what the actual temperature is since I have no internet, it’s hot enough to fry an egg on the cobblestones.
I checked into my casa, which is really lovely and centrally located. I had lunch in the courtyard of a cute little restaurant in an old colonial building with live music. Then I had a short walk around to orient myself. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage site, being one of the best-preserved colonial cities in all of the Americas. Trinidad also was considered a cursed city, due to its slavery history, but recently has enjoyed a renaissance of life with the influx of tourism. After checking in, I set out to explore Trinidad, which is a beautiful city full of cobblestones, colourful houses, and lots of music and soul.
I saw the iconic bell towers and main squares. I ducked into a tiny cabildo, or house of worship, dedicated to Santeria, Cuba’s most popular religion after Catholicism. It was hard to understand much since everything was in Spanish, but from what I gather, Santeria — which arrived in Cuba in the 18th century by way of the slave trade — is dedicated to worshipping various saints.
I also passed by what turned out to be a primary school. Everyone knows that Cuba’s main claim to fame is having stamped out illiteracy within a couple of years of the Revolution. Schooling is free, and compulsory until the age of fifteen. The school was very rudimentary, however, with a basic chalkboard and one room for the schoolhouse. Inside the room, there was a television screen, delivering state-controlled lessons to the students in a way that I could only describe as Orwellian. The courtyard outside had images of Fidel and Che, and revolutionary slogans on the walls. I guess the indoctrination part of education is one of the main ways the system in Cuba keeps surviving.
Learning to salsa
Cuba is a country of music and dance. Even though I have two left feet and zero rhythm, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to take a salsa lesson.
The lesson took place on the rooftop of the casa across the street — the casa owners all seem to know each other here and be friends. The instructor was a young Cuban guy who counted out the basic steps slowly and clearly, while I stumbled around with a group full of other equally inept beginners. I actually wasn’t the worst at it, believe it or not. I know, I know, I was surprised too. The guy I was dancing with was so convinced that he was terrible that I found myself trying to reassure him. Of course, we only learned like 3 beginner steps. But it was good fun. Now I have to go out to a salsa club to practice with some Cuban guys.
Recovery night
I had a nap and a shower before dinner — both much needed. Then, dinner was served in the casa. I’m realizing that the best food in Cuba is in the casas, not in restaurants. Of course, this isn’t a foodie destination by any stretch; the food has been adequate but not particularly good. And it’s really tough to be a vegetarian here, since meat is the staple of every meal. But then, I didn’t come here for the food.
I turned in early tonight, tired from today’s heat and from last night’s lack of sleep. Trinidad actually has great nightlife, but I’ll have a chance to check it out tomorrow night. Meanwhile, it was time to catch up on some winks.