cuba : trinidad & havana

Another trip post for you! They are slowly coming to an end. Only one more stop to go before we made it back home.

This time last year we were in Belgium and by the time we made it to Cuba it was the week of Christmas.

We spent Christmas day in Trinidad, mostly at a local bar listening to a local band, drinking beers and having a generally relaxing time. It was the first Christmas I had spent somewhere that didn't celebrate as we do with all the material trimmings. No large Christmas trees everywhere, no Christmas lights all over houses yet there was a festive vibe and lots of cake! We stayed with a local family in both Trinidad and Havana which was a fantastic experience. And for the family we were with at Christmas it was business as usual apart from time at church.

The street we stayed in while in Trinidad. The house was on the left towards the end and had the cutest rooftop patio we would sit on in the evenings.

Absolutely beautiful scenery which softened the bumpy 5 hour drive it took us to get here.

When we arrived in Cuba via Mexico from Rome, we had a 5 hour drive ahead of us to Trinidad. Little did we know there was only one bus that left well before we had arrived so the 5 hour drive ended up being in an old car with no springs in the seats. This may not seem so bad but when the roads have not had any work done to them since they were first laid it could get pretty bumpy. And with our very limited Spanish speaking skills and a non English speaking driver we weren't even really sure we were heading in the right direction. We stopped to pick up one of the many locals that hitch a ride home from work in the evenings along this stretch of road and we're pretty certain we took some extended back way to drop him off as we would find out the return drive was a lot quicker.

Green is my favourite colour.

Where we spent Boxing Day last year! Heaven!! This year there will be no beaches , only Mallee scrub!

Cuba was definitely an overload for all senses! Both good and bad at times. I think our time may have been a little tainted as my partner fell extremely sick mid way through. However we both wish to return one day, me especially for the coconut ice-cream! Food fetishes aside if we did decided to head back I would love to learn to speak Spanish before we went so we could communicate more.