Manana sometimes comes!

Today we went into Trinidad and it was wonderful. A really nice small Caribbean town – we’ve been to a few towns on other Caribbean islands and somehow they all felt a little bit threatening. I guess that’s why on those islands they really try to encourage you to stay in all inclusive hotels and not venture out, and why there is no restaurant or bar culture in the towns. But here in Cuba, the towns and cities feel really safe, happy and friendly. Trinidad is another example of a town that time has forgotten. It is a UNESCO world site because it is so untouched, and well preserved. Pretty little streets with the houses and buildings in lovely pastel colours and like Havana, people actually live in the houses right through the town centre. Yes, some tiny houses and obviously poor, but vibrant and alive and colourful.
I suppose one of the reasons the town/city centres look so good is again because there are no advertising signs anywhere, no hoardings, no logos, no chain shops. You only know you’re passing a shop when you see in the door or window. And again, music on every street, from the houses, bars and cafes – lovely Caribbean music but mostly live with bands on every corner. We only went into one museum – we really ‘did’ the museums in Havana and there’s only so many spoons and artefacts that someone important ‘may’ have used that you can take. The museum we visited was the Museo Romantico and it was a square of old colonial buildings around a courtyard and some artists were restoring the paintwork. It also had an old bell tower and so we climbed to the top for some lovely views, across to the mountains in one direction and the sea, where we’re staying in another. Today started a bit cloudy, which was welcome as we knew we wanted to explore the town, but it soon turned hot (very) and sunny so by the time we got back to the hotel we were ready for a swim. I also finished yet another book I’d swapped with someone on the beach (I’ve taken to stalking English-speaking people to find book swaps, so desperate am I) but sadly, remembered (don’t know what reminded me) that I’d left my Vietnam hat somewhere along our travels. Now my Vietnam hat is very important to me as a wonderful souvenir. It is my abiding memory of Vietnam – the lovely ladies in their pointed hats and I’ve never seen them anywhere else. So far, I’ve established that I didn’t leave it in the Casa in Havana (as I thought) so now I must try to phone the hotel in Cienfuegos or maybe even Vinales. I will leave no stone unturned in an attempt to find it – but if I left it on the luggage rack of a bus somewhere, then I don’t fancy my chances.