Day 11. 13.4.16. Trinidad – free day. LSCT day # 7.

A slightly late breaky at 7.30ish, just fruit and eggs, juice and coffee. Talked to next doors parrot, sliding down its metal stair balustrade.

Then out to meet Glenda and wait for Suzie and Jeannie, then off up our street via Wi-Fi Park, ATM and up to Three Cruces Park, not much to look at, but watching the people go about their business. People on the streets; buying breakfast; waiting for taxis and buses; chatting into each other’s houses through open shutters; men with chickens, iguanas and cowboys on horses; people buying at street stalls, fumigators fumigating the houses for mozzies to prevent Zika. 

The parrot next door, starts at the top of banister and slides down.

Having something to say first thing in the morning.

Street cart selling fruit and veg.

Jose San Marti - one of Cuba's heroes. This is his statue on another corner of wi-fi park.

Wi-fi park looking towards Municipal Building.

Shoe shine.

More barrotes - these looked like birdcages to me.

Horse and cart and cowboy in tow, passing a cafeteria.

An old guy with his chicken, we paid for these shots.

And again. His name was something like Alberto, and the chicken was the female version of his name, Wish I could recall. He was quite amused to tell us.

More coloured homes.

This part of town is noted for cowboys...and there they were.

Tres Cruces (3 Crosses) square. Yaniel had no story for this one.

A trestle table= a grocery shop, she had fruit, vegies, beans and quite a queue of customers too.

Long lane.

Stairway to heaven, quite ornate but there didn't seem to be anything up there.

Just hanging with his horses.

This scene is typical, gathered around someone's door having a chat. A cowboy, his horse and check out the lady hanging out the door, such character in the face.

Here are the fumigators again.

In he goes.

I took a pic of the boy and his kitten, then out popped the brother with a puppy too.

I was a bit fascinated by the fumigator.

Another cowboy in white gum boots.

They have been fumigated, the fumes are pouring out of the buildings.

More Cowboys.

A fabulous group of fellas playing outside the Museo.

On the guitar...

Those maracas... 

His voice is his instrument... 

percussion.

We then went to Museo Nacional de la Lucha Contra Bandidos. The beautiful old building had a fabulous bell tower that you could climb, with the most amazing views of the city. At one floor they had oval windows, that were so great for pictures, so needless to say we spent a fair bit of time there. Lucky we had started early, there weren’t too many people vying for position, it was also still not too warm for the climb.

A bit about the Museo.

Coming up next multiple views from the tower through a range of windows. It was such a great opportunity with so many views. I don't think they need captions.

Add caption

Despite the heat across the country so far, there has mostly been a breeze which helps enormously.

Downstairs in the Museo Nacional de la Lucha Contra Bandidos, which had one room with English translation, an interesting timeline of the revolución in Trinidad, lots of students revolting and failing to overthrow the Battista Regime. By now it was time for a cooling lemonade frappe.

A Russian vehicle I think.

Part of a plane, with Cuban flag AND bullet holes.

The Bell tower and those amazing windows, I loved that roundish one.

Our next destination was the Museo Històrico Municipal, we had to navigate around a construction zone, after several attempts we were ready to give up, when we discovered a pathway beside the construction zone and wha-la there was the Museo, we had in fact walked a long way around the block. The extra steps are never a problem because there is something to see EVERYWHERE.  This was an old regal Hacienda, that has a lot of the wall friezes and paint work in original or restored condition and each room has been furnished from an obviously vast collection of old wares. Amazing furniture, glassware, silver cutlery, ornate jugs, light fittings etc. It was well worth a wander around. I also found a few more of the small curly tailed lizards. When they curl their tail it is really quite yellowy/green, hard to capture tho, it seems they curl their tail as a defence mechanism, so they are usually on the run.

Another doorway.

Lizard in the Museum garden, not able to take pics of the Museo itself.

Some lunch at a fake Bodeguita el Medio and off to find a Post Office for myself and Glenda and a mini SD card for Jeannie’s phone. I found a piece of art for the wall.

Gallery guy making a bag for my artwork.

Jose Marti is EVERYwhere, here he is on the wall at the Post Office.

We spent a bit of time at Wi-Fi park prior to massages for Jeannie, Suzie and I. I waited in the Wi-Fi park, while Suzie and Jeannie went for massage, within a few minutes Suzie was back, the place had closed their doors and taken in the signs when the two of them arrived and I would never have found it, so Suzie came to warn me. While waiting opposite I met a lovely couple from Oregon, a Firey and his wife.  The massages weren’t at all therapeutic but nice all the same. Thirty minutes for $10 cuc.

We did find both the post office and an SD card, the SD card was a challenge but we found it quite close to ‘home’ in the end.

Home for a bit before dinner with Yaniel for our last night in Trinidad. Out with our friendly taxi man in the clapped out green car.

No lining on the door. No handle on gear shift., pretty rudimentary, but we fitted and it worked.

Dinner at La Ceiba, a beautiful old house, on the back patio under the shade of a huge old, old, old Ceiba tree. This tree had a girth you wouldn’t believe and the spread on the branches was massive. The African Santoria Religion carry out ceremonies around the base of Ceiba trees.

Massive Tree.

View from our table. The branches reached out so far.

We were sitting on the back patio area, this looks back to the house. 

Sunset through the Ceiba tree.

Sunset through the tree.

Looking back to our magic window bell tower.

Our dinner spot.

Selfie of the group...well almost.

Friendly gecko on the wall.

The food, drinks, company and location were all top notch. A really nice evening thanks again to Yani for suggesting and arranging it all. He even managed to find us a stunning cab home, a beautiful while 1950 Chev, in immaculate condition, it even had air conditioning.

Beautiful car.

Selfie in the mirror shot...shame about the dice.

Happily ensconced in the back.

Home safe and sound.

The rear shot.

Each day we basically get home and wash everything we are standing in, it’s so hot and sticky after a day’s activity. I did check one day when I had Wi-Fi, it was around 30 degrees and 58% humidity. Washing hung around the room before dinner and 4 hours later it’s all dry and ready to wear or pack. (So if you see the same clothes for consecutive days on end, rest assured they have been washed)

Another short chat with Joellis and Maria, showed them some picture of La Ceiba etc. Have promised to link up on facebook.

Back to the room, air con on, pack, fiddle with journal and photos and off to bed. Late night last night, so glad to do better tonight.

NB: Cuban fact: Vehicles are all identified by their number plate, with initial letter signifying type of vehicle as follows:

B= Government vehicle

P = Private

K = Foreign owned

T = Tourist vehicle/hire car.