Hilceilia gives us a tour of the Hostel and then sits down with us and uses a map of Trinidad to go through various tour/activity options.  She gives us a few ideas to think about and Helen goes out for some supplies while I get stuck into sorting out the photos/videos/blog. Thankfully the Hostel has a reliable internet connection.

Later in the evening we go up on to the Hostel rooftop and it would have to be one of the best rooftop views in the whole city;

The funny thing is that next door is a rooftop bar but that has a Spanish live band every night which means we get free entertainment each night of our stay!  

We enjoy the sunset before going only around the corner to Taberna La Butija – a 24 hr restaurant that was recommended by our Host.  I had a look in Lonely Planet and it is highly rated – we could see why after having a great a meal.

The next morning we had a magnificent breakfast made by Mercy (hosts 17 yr old daughter) who also was given the job to do our laundry.  A German backpacking couple had arrived earlier that morning and I got to meet them when the guy approached me holding a ETECSA card asking me if I knew how to use them.  Bloody hell ETECSA is out to get me! I spent 15 mins explaining how it works and he was happy.

Helen I decided to stretch our legs after the Prison Bus experience so we headed off to have a look around without any real purpose.  I was overwhelmed with the photo opportunities given there was a photo in just about everything I saw;

The next photo Helen made me put in to make up for calling her a fashion outlaw (me the total goober);

We managed to stumble on to a bank and were able to get some cash changed over to CUC.  Then back to taking more photo’s;

A coffee stop was also taken at our new favourite restaurant;

More photos;

Back home and then up to the rooftop for our sunset live entertainment;

We did have to share the experience with this little fella;

Next morning I was up early and checked my emails – lucky I did as I had received an offer to buy paddock passes for the Australian MotoGP (they sell out fast).  I bought 2 x passes for Friday practice session so the day was off to a flyer.

After breakfast we set off on foot to find the tourist steam train which we worked out was only a 25 minute walk.  The streets were busy with locals;

We follow our street right to the other side of town and hit the railway tracks and then follow them to what we think is the Railway Station;

Not real sure that we are in the right spot so Helen goes for a wonder further up the track where it looked like some old trains are parked.  Whilst she is doing that I manage to work out with a couple of locals that I am in the right spot but have to purchase a ticket from within this building when it opens at 9:10 am;

I go off in search of Helen and find her talking to an old guy who was up on one of the parked trains;

The old gentleman is now my new best mate and he is slapping me on the back and speaking Spanish a rapid pace.  I am thinking that he is part of the tourist train and one of the drivers given he is pointing at all of the controls and telling me all about them (even if I can’t understand a word);

So we kill about 20 mins and he holds his hand out and says “1 CUC” – ha I have been done over again.  I find out later he has nothing to do with anything and just runs his little scam when tourists come and look at the train.  I give him a CUC and he is overjoyed. Another tourist scalp.

We go into the building and the door for the tourist train is still closed.  I get talking to a retired Belgium couple and find that they are on their 10th trip to Cuba.  The guy tells me that he has never been able to ride the train as there was always something that went wrong.  The first time they came over they tried every day for 2 weeks but were given excuses from lack of parts to the train was being painted.  He also tells me that the actual steam train has long since died and now they just use an old diesel engine.

The time gets to 9:30 which is the scheduled departure time.  I go and investigate what is going on and find the ticket woman who tells me that we are still 1 person short for takeoff.  There are only 14 of us and 15 are required. We wait another 10 minutes before 3 more walk through the door and we are then good to go.  Tickets are purchased and we go out and wait on the platform;

The train hooks on to an old carriage and we all get on.  There is some entertainment by a local playing his guitar who later puts his hat around. The conductor gets us all to take turns to go up and have a look in the engine;

The carriage itself is has open windows and rock hard seats.  It was a lot fun still as it swayed and rolled along at a very slow pace;

The line was originally used for the sugar cane industry.  Our first stop was at the small village of Iznaga. As you would expect you are immediately swamped by locals trying to sell their wares;

The main attraction in the village is the historic bell tower.  We pay our 1 CUC fee and climb up a dozen flights of stairs to get a great view (even though I was about to fall over from the effort to get up there);

Although the views were sensational I couldn’t help but think about what the Bell Tower was originally used for re controlling the slaves that were working in the sugar cane plantations. 

There is also a large Historical house that has a couple of shops and restaurant – we were able to get a much needed cold drink;

We make our way back as our hour stop is up and board the train.  The train continues until it stops for no apparent reason. No-one knows what is going on and the next thing we see is the engine is reversing on another line heading backwards the way we had came?

Thankfully the engine comes back and hooks on to the rear and is pushing the carriage rather than pulling it.  I have no idea why it did that;

We get going again until we pull up at the now defunct sugar mill – its the middle of the day and very hot.  The Mill was first started in 1893 and ran until 2004. The operating season was between December to April and it employed 480 workers who were split in 4 shifts around the clock.  When the revolution took place in 1958 the Cubans took ownership away from the American company (I daresay there wasn’t much in the way in compensation).

We pay the 1 CUC fee (everything is 1 CUC) and are free to wander around the site.  Its a pity they don’t have a tour guide available as it would make it far more interesting;

The train whistle blasts and we all get back on the train and make our way back along the same route to town;

On arrival back in town we made our way back towards the Hostel and stopped for a coffee and another great little restaurant, Bistro Segarte (recommended by Hilceilia);

We got back to the Hostel at 3:00 pm and rested up as the heat had really taken it out of us.  I was able to book our next Airbnb accommodation at Varadero. The Belgium couple had suggested we skip Varadero (very tourist) and instead go to Playa Jibacoa which is nearby but no where near as spoilt.  They also gave us the name of a Hostel, Brisas Del Mar, but when we checked it was booked out so we had to give it a miss.

Later that evening we went up on the roof with Hilceilia and Mercy.  We had a great old time with the band playing next door – the cigars and rum were flowing.  Our German backpackers most likely thought we were all nuts given they were sitting quietly in a corner trying to share a romantic bottle of wine.  We then went over and had a very late dinner at Taberna La Butija which was really fun as we ran into our Prison Bus tourist mates.

The next morning we have a sleep in and very slow to get moving.  I go downstairs and organise our breakfast for 9:30. After breakfast Hilceilia makes us close our eyes as she gives us a present;

Hilceilia explains it is a painting of her house and was done by one of her friends. Hilceilia is a great lady with a massive heart – she is a nurse has a very caring nature for people.  She has had a pretty tough life (grew up poor) and had battled cancer a few years ago. She tells me nothing stresses her now though as she is alive and at one stage she thought that might not be the case.  Talk about tug on the heart strings.

Hilceilia tells us that she has booked the shared taxi for a pickup between 8 – 8:30 am tomorrow.  She promises no Prison Bus and makes the point if that happened she would ‘kill them’. The cost is 30 CUC each and there will be only 4 passengers in the car.

Helen and I decide to have a down tools day and just rest up – she wants to finish her book and I want to catch up on the blog.  The fact that it is scorching hot makes the decision easier.

Later that afternoon we leave the Hostel and go for a walk up to the Television tower – the track is the same road that goes past our Hostel and makes it way through a poor part of town;

 

The track turns rough as guts once you leave town.  Its only about a klm but the elevation is 200 metres – together with the heat we were both huffing and puffing like old donkeys.  The views make it worthwhile;

We finally get to the Tower and out runs a security guy who wants to give us a tour (by now I know that means 1 CUC for his goodwill);

He takes us around to where there is a rickety old hand made wooden ladder against one of the outer buildings and motions for us to climb up it. Up we go and get on the roof to enjoy some spectacular views of the valley. I made a video whilst our ‘guide’ explained to Helen the history of the valley in Spanish;

I could see dark clouds rolling in and thought we had better head off to beat the evening downpour.  Down the ladder we go and I give him a CUC without him asking – big smile and everyone is happy.

We set off and now there is thunder and lightening;

We just make it back to town and inside the door of Bistro Segarte as the heavens opened up and down came the rain.  We enjoyed dinner and hung about until the rain eased up – it was great having a cool breeze coming in over us whilst watching the local kids play in the rain.

The heavy rain made water run like a mini river over the cobble stones;

Back at the Hostel we have another shower to clean up (in this humidity you have at least 4 a day) and then get ready for tomorrows trip to Varadero – if the Prison Bus turns up it will be on!