2019: Cuba

Mar 19, 2019.  Trinidad

• Usual huge breakfast at the Hostal, with the usual fabulous café, then more or less did the walking tour in Lonely Planet.  Lovely, colorful, cobblestone streets, locals sitting in doorways, many tourists in two’s, three’s, and groups in some sections, otherwise had streets mostly to myself.  Horse-drawn carriages.  Stopped to chat with an old woman sitting on the front steps of her house, and was immediately invited in for a sweetened café and a lengthy conversation.  Hey, my Español is starting to click!

• Changed money finally (and without my passport - they liked my driver’s license); and, feeling rich, headed for La Botija, as recommended by ViaHero, where I now sit (after the requisite -1.5 rum at a little dive with bills from all over the world on the ceiling).  Asking instructions of locals on the street is great - everyone is very polite, and has a big smile (I wouldn’t be so nice if I were local and had to face this incursion of tourists: the Lonely Planet calls it “a zombie invasion”.  But not by Americans: one local asked me if I was German, then Italian, then French, then Spanish.  It’s nice to be in the minority).

• Fish and a special Botija drink for lunch at La Botija (11): huge portion, beautifully garnished - a great meal: best yet in Cuba.  Just hope I can finish it.  Couldn’t quite: even left some peanuts.  

• Looked in the mirror this morning: kinda buff!  Or just skinny and underweight.  Need a family’s second opinion. 

• Stopped at the Caso Templo de Santeria Yemayá, where was supposed to be a once-yearly ceremony today, and saw some women inside dressed in white, but there was a sign: “No Turistos”.  

• OK.  Siesta time.  Gotta be in shape for the course on making mojitos at 6.

• 6 PM: Walked to my mojito class - I’m the only student!  Great lesson on mojito making & history of Cuba by Anna, my charming and beautiful hostess.  I consumed all of the mojito she made, as well as the one I made.  Now sitting at an ice cream store, fully loaded.  Next stop: Playa Mayor, music, dancing.  Woo woo!

• Stopped at Casa Templo de Santaria Yemayá.  Amigo Jose Luis!  Ron gratis y Ucbo.  Discutar la vida.  You estoy muy contento.  Only tourist - very cool.  Local gay dude asked me to go dancing.  Lovely walking around the cobblestone streets at night.  Plenty of folks - tourists and locals - Street lights illuminating the buildings.  Perfect temperature.

• Around the corner from the Playa Mayor - enormous crowd,  something is obviously going to happen.  Better sit down and check it out.  False alarm.  Just every tourist in town listening to (and a few dancing to) a Cuban band.  Sat with a young German couple from München.  Bed by 11.

Mar 20, 2019.  Trinidad.

• Great morning at a coffee finca with a wonderful guide and his parents.  Beautiful walk through the jungle to their home, then made coffee: roasting, grinding, boiling, filtering, with original implements.  Then had a cup (with a little sugar, but no milk) of the best coffee of my life.  Then lunch of rice, beans, yucca, etc. - everything from the finca.  Then perused photo albums of the mom when she was 15 - all dolled up in gorgeous outfits, professionally photographed.  Apparently this is a tradition, and families spend a lot of money for  this.  Took a photo of a photo of the mom - wow, what a looker she was (and still is).  The family said they liked my energy and excitement!  

• On the ride back my host and guide explained how the Cuban people need to have more initiative- the government has supported them during the entire U.S. blockade, and the government needed to improve the economy.  But here the government controls everything, including prices and markets for agricultural products such as coffee, and doesn’t pay much for these products.

• It rained a bit during my visit, and stayed cloudy on my return to town at 2 PM, so decided to shower, nap, and read the rest of the afternoon- not much to do in town anyway.

• Slight upset stomach, and not really hungry.  May just have an ice cream for dinner.  In fact, I’ve been eating only two meals a day on average here in Cuba: the breakfasts are enormous, and so a late afternoon meal is all I need.  But will continue my custom of a Havana Club rum (or two) late in the day - so good, especially the 7 year old stuff.  

• Left my Hostal at 5 for some ice  cream (mint and banana), and then it began to rain, so dropped into a bar for a rum and a bit more of Don’t Sleep: There Are Snakes.  Amazing book about the Pirahã of the Amazon.  OMG: In the last chapter, the author gives up his life as a missionary, his belief in God, and his family, because of his contact with the Pirahã.  There are only about 400 left...

• The restaurant I wanted to eat at again - La Botija - had a big line, but an enterprising young lady guided me to another much less well known restaurant - El Tenedor - where I now sit, on the third floor terrace, with a great view of the city, waiting for my garlic grilled fish, a few other tables with equally happy customers, and a strolling guitar player - ¡perfecto!  I just wish they didn’t always play Juan Tan Amera, or whatever the hell it’s called.

• Nice walk back to the Hostal.  Lots of folks strolling, sitting.  No cops, no guards, no guns!  No more rain.  Most homes with doors / windows open to street.  Full moon.  Vernal equinox.