Last Days of the Revolution, Part 6 – Cuba, November 2006
DAY NINE:
Whether we learned any lessons about Cuban life from our eventful Saturday night is a point of debate. I’d say we did, even if it was that some things are universal. We chocked up what we could and headed out of town, fan club in tow.
It took a while, but we made it to Camagüey. This city in the middle of the country wasn’t much more than a stopover. The old town is a convoluted maze that was near impenetrable. Navigating Cuba’s cities is difficult at the best of timese, with insufficient signage and most streets being one-way. Camagüey adds the bonus of “bicycle-only” streets, a concept we chose to ignore for the sake of expediency. There is a tipping point in any country when you’ve been there long enough to just not care anymore. You tried being the nice guy, playing by the rules, but you found out that you just don’t understand the rules well enough to get anything done. We arrived at that point somewhere between the thieving-ass chicken vendor and the “fight tax” that one of our touts tried to charge us, claiming he’d gone back the next to settle up with ol’ Tony Montana and whupped him on our behalf. The what now?
Apparently, Camagüey’s maze was concocted to stymie brigands, who had made a habit of raiding the town. (Yes, folks, there really were pirates in the Caribbean. Still are, especially around Haiti). Our guesthouse hostess admitted that even she got lost. There is a main drag, where much of the action happens, and a series of small plazas and squares that spoke out from there. Power outages seem to be a bit of an issue. It was a quiet night, broken up only by a group of drunken Mexicans in a bar engaging each other in a singing competition that went from charming to obnoxious as the beer flowed.
DAY TEN:
From Camagüey we headed to Trinidad. There was an immediate difference here. Tourists are everywhere. We found a guesthouse with not one, but two, levels of rooftop decks. From the top, I enjoyed views of the lush mountains surrounding the town, the rooftops and churches of the old town, and in the distance La Mar Caribe.
In has to be understood, though, that a place as beautiful as Trinidad, with its cobblestone streets and glorious colonial architecture, will be swamped with tourists no matter what country it’s in. There is still enough Cuban charm to make it worthwhile, and I’ve forgiven Trinidad just like I’ve forgiven Lijiang, Suzdal and Luang Prabang before it. The place bounces with son and salsa at night, lobster dinners are cheap ($10 for a giant langosta) and the pace of life is pleasant and slow.
Having run out of clean clothes, we had to stay for another day.
Tags: Cuba, Travel, Travel, Trinidad
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