Day 4 - Cuba

Well, either the music stopped shortly after I went to bed, or I have great earplugs! The alarm went off at 6am as we had to be ready for pick up by 7. It was a full bus load - 26 of us I think. 

We headed off across country in a southwesterly direction to the city of Cienfugos and arrived just before lunch. This city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it's well-kept heritage buildings are a stark contrast to the dilapidated Old Havana. We walked to the town square and spent a bit of time admiring the surrounding buildings.

There is a beautiful cathedral in one corner of the square, and some 1950's cars were parked on the street in front of it.

The photographer in me was quite thrilled. The Museo Provincial was also very photogenic as was the Teatro Tomas Terry.

Built in the 1880's, the Italian style theatre has a splendid U-shaped auditorium with two tiers of seats. The art on the ceiling put me in mind of the Sistine Chapel.

Lunch was at an ocean side hotel called Club Nautico Restaurant.

The buffet had a lot of choice, but more than half didn't appeal to me. All the same, I didn't go away hungry.

After eating we made a quick photo stop at the Palacio de Valle. Once a casino, it is now a hotel.

We continued on to the city of Trinidad, also a UNESCO Heritage Site.

We visited a potter, and a local museum, where we had the opportunity to climb several narrow, circular flights of stairs.

The viewpoint at the top was well worth the hike!

The streets of Trinidad are uneven cobblestone and a bit tricky to navigate in the sandals I wore.

We walked along for several blocks admiring the colourful buildings, trying to catch glimpses of Cuban life.

There was a stop at La Canchanchara Tavern for the specialty drink of the house and some live entertainment. It is a quaint town.

However, I was quite surprised at the number of tourists there besides our group.

Just before sunset, we headed out of town into the nearby mountains to our accommodation for the night. The road to the Los Helechos Hotel is a significant climb with windy roads and a few hairpin turns. Our guide said she was glad our driver was from Trinidad - meaning he knew the roads well. I was amazed at the dense vegetation. We are in the jungle!

Our hotel is satisfactory. Supper was a buffet again. Surprisingly, they offered a lot of the same foods as we had at lunch. I was hoping for a quiet peaceful night but we are near the bar and can hear the sound of many people talking. As people who are drinking are apt to do, the volume seems to increase with their consumption. I am so tired today from the heat and all the walking we did so I'm hoping I will fall asleep easily.