Cuba > Dinner at eleven o'clock in Trinidad

Today is scheduled as a long travel day. That’s why we are already present at nine o’clock. After breakfast, everyone is ready, but the bus has not arrived yet. So we wait around the pool, read books about Cuba and Trinidad, and watch on television the massive live demonstration against the U.S. in Havana. It turns out the bus was sent to the wrong hotel on the coast. Around eleven o’clock, the bus finally arrives, much to Abel’s annoyance. With a two-hour delay, we drive back to Pinar del Rio and then along the wide highway toward Havana.

Cuba - The wide highway from Havana to Santiago

Traffic is light along the way—sometimes a truck, sometimes a horse-drawn cart, and occasionally a few cyclists. Before Havana, we make a coffee stop. In the afternoon, we continue from Havana toward Trinidad. The road here is even wider and has even less traffic, a strange experience. However, the road is not free from potholes and debris. The front right tire struggles and goes flat. On the side of the highway, the tire is changed. Due to all the delays, we only arrive at a lunch restaurant after four o’clock. By then, it is closed. On the way to the Bay of Pigs, we try another restaurant—also closed! The third restaurant is also closed but lets us in anyway. Here we order the local specialty: crocodile. Crocodile tastes somewhat like chicken. After lunch—around five o’clock—we ironically visit the adjacent Crocodile Farm. This farm is dedicated to the protection of crocodiles. The population has now grown enough that the meat can also appear on the menu. We continue toward the Bay of Pigs (Bahía de Cochinos). In this bay, Cuban exiles, supported by the Americans, attempted an invasion in 1961. Under Castro’s leadership, the attack was successfully repelled within 48 hours, and over 1,000 exiles were captured.

Cuba - View over the bay of Cienfuegos

Unfortunately, it is late in the afternoon, and there is not enough time to stop. The bus drives from the bay toward Cienfuegos. Along the way, the driver makes it a game to avoid crossing crabs. Especially in July, the road is littered with them. Around seven o’clock, we arrive in Cienfuegos. First, we drive to the bay. According to Abel, this is the most beautiful bay in the Caribbean (we don’t quite agree!). We visit Palacio Valle, a house that shows the lavish lifestyle of wealthy Cubans before the Castro period. From the roof, we have a beautiful view over the bay and the setting sun. Back on the Prado, Cienfuegos’ shopping boulevard, we get out and take a walk through the city. From the Prado, we head toward the central square. Cienfuegos has many colonial buildings. The city hall dominates the central square and is beautifully lit in the twilight. We stroll through the center of Cienfuegos until half past eight.

Cuba - The town hall of Cienfuegos

Then begins the last leg of the journey to Trinidad. By now, it is dark, and there is little to see outside, so I close my eyes for a while. Just after ten o’clock, we enter Trinidad. Dinner at the hotel has already been cleared away, despite Abel calling to inform them of our late arrival. To eat quickly, we settle for a large sandwich and a house drink, eating around eleven o’clock. In the bar, we have another drink, and after midnight, we head to the apartments. The suitcases have been at the reception all this time. Finding the apartments in the dark proves tricky, as the numbering is not entirely logical. After some searching, we locate apartment G-2—a very large apartment with a balcony, sitting area, and two double beds. Perfect for falling asleep.