Street Scenes, Trinidad

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I like to walk through the streets or sit in a plaza, and see what is going on around me. Here are a few Trinidad scenes.

On Sunday, we saw lots of people gathered by the Parque Central--it turned out that the corner was a bus stop. These towns don't have high schools, and the kids go to a boarding school out in the country somewhere. They don't come home weekends, but their parents can visit them on Sundays.

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Trinidad is an easy town to walk around in, as the old part is not too big. It's very interesting with fantastic architecture, music and what I thought, were the best cigars I came across! Some of the bulidings had wooden or steel bars in the front, and even for way back then, it was required for security reasons.

Not only were the cigars really nice, but they were made for us there, and I even was able to try one that was made for us immediately! Oh, the cost of the cigars were cheaper than Havana too I thought.

We also came across a "ration store". Cubans are allowed a certain amount of food for a very minimal cost which is all controlled by the government. It seems No-one went hungry in Cuba, which is really nice to know.

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In Trinidad you ca find maly old, colonial houses, some of them still inhabited by the descendants of old local familes. The oldest buildings have two corridors and a porch parallel to the street, with the yard at the back. Very characteristic for Trinidad houses are also the arched windows and specific windows shutters ( they have no glass)

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While walking in this historical city, it's easy to come to this open market place. The crafts sold there fit in very well with the buildings and cobble streets. Although there are a lot of vendors there, the atmosphere is still very quiet. You walk by, appreciating everything, though buying nothing, they don't follow you... I love that place.

Trinidad was declared a World Heritage UNESCO Site in 1988.

It is probably the best-preserved Spanish colonial town in this region. There are colourful and charming colonial houses (many, still of the peeling-paint sort) all over the tranquil town. The streets are very peaceful, compared to Habana. Besides cars, there are many donkey-or-horse carts and bicycles.

There are many half-crumbling churches and museums to visit around town. These are located around the northern part of town, around Plaza Mayor. Frankly, around here, tourists will receive more harassments from 'paladares' touts.

Further south is the more residential part of town. Here, there is less harassments of the 'tourism' sort.

Many Cubans are curious and friendly. Perhaps, it was weird for them to see a Chinese girl walking alone. I was constantly called out by them. "China!" (Chinese girl); "Chinita!!" (Little Chinese girl); "Mira!!! China!" (Look!!! Chinese girl!)

Well, they are just so friendly. A few times, I smiled at the locals before they really noticed me and their eyes simply lit up with delight, "Ah!!! Chinita!!"

So sweet.

This square is famous because Bartholomé de las Casas held his first religion speech in this town near this tree.
He was spanish and one of the first to enter to the church of San Franciscans - defending and protecting the local Indian inhabitants.
In 1535 he stated before spanish court that the Indians in Cuba had a soul - so the slavery of those people was vanished.
I love Trinidad - a place to be revisited once/twice !!

I just love this picture - a traditional house in Trinidad - the remarkable balustrade - the blue color - the windows and than the inhabitant - just looking and wondering about the tourist with the camera in his hand.

Trinidad in general is worth to walk around for half a day - like we did and look at the way they builded this city.The way of plaving the roads with cobblestones (chinas pelonas) - the wooden front doors - the windows set slightly above ground level and protected by wooden or metall grills

The facade of many houses in Trinidad has a large central door, cut in for easy access and one or two windows - slightly above ground floor.Most of them are recently renovated and painted in nice colors

The houses of Trinidad. This historical of Trinidad - protected by UNESCO has an extraordinary concentration of old colonial houses - many still inhabited by descendants of old families - Look at the combination of colors - the wooden or metal grills.