It is 35c today, with humidity of 80%. Apparently we are in the hottest part of Cuba, and I really hope that is true. I am not sure I could cope with more than this without demanding to go to the beach!
The morning has been spent wandering around Trinidad, one of the first communities on Cuba to be established and it is now a Unesco World Heritage site. Only 60,000 people live here, crammed into tiny houses. We visited a bodega, effectively the corner shop where the locals can buy their rations. Each family has ration book that allows them to purchase a certain amount of subsidised essentials, rice, oil, eggs etc. apparently only if you were born before the revolution do you qualify for subsidised cigars! The subsidy is per family, regardless of number of children, so 6 eggs, 2lbs of rice, 2lbs of cooking oil a month doesn't stretch far, and they have to find money to supplement the rations.
It us really noticeable here that there is no traffic. Barely any cars, no planes in the sky, and just the occasional bus interspersed with horse and trap or bikes. I hauled myself up the smallest and ricketyest of wooden staircase to get to the top of a four story tower and look down over the town. The only noises were people in the streets, banging and clattering of pots and pans and builders and music. I mentioned it to some of the others and we all just stopped and listened!
We stopped off for a quick taste of the local speciality, a drink known as La Canchanchara. It's made with honey, lemon, water, ice and Aguardiente (part of the rum distilling process and about 70% proof!) It's served in small terracotta pots, and I had Aguardiente in Colombia so was braced for the kick but it was actually quite nice!
We also visited someone who practices some of the old religion, Santaria, brought to Cuba by the slaves. There seemed to be a black mother and child, lots of vessels of water, and the scariest of dolls sat in the middle of the room by herself. Very Friday 13th! They do believe in the evil spirits but also appear to worship female saints, but the Spanish had tried to convert them all to Catholism, so it has obviously created a mish-mash religion.
After lunch some of us headed down to the beach. It would have been great to be in the sea if it hadn't been so hot! It was like taking a bath, and who wants a bath when it's 35c? I longed for the coolness of the Colorado or the English Channel (well maybe not quite so cold!) As we were sat around drying off a local approached us with fresh coconuts and it seemed rude not to partake. He insisted on making me a Coco Loca, which involved cutting off the top of the coconut and adding a serious splash of rum. Yuuuuuuummmmm! It certainly made the afternoon go in a haze.
Dinner was at a local house. We had what they would usually eat, rice, black beans, chicken and fried plantain. It seems odd that we are in such a lush tropical area and they don't seem to grow many vegetables, or herbs and spices. They don't really flavour their food as they say that it all costs money. When I asked if they grew their own vegetables, or herbs, I was laughed at! And yet food is obviously expensive for a Cuban.
The night ended up with me chasing Bennie Hill style a giant black grasshopper round the bedroom before finally giving up and trying to ignore its existence! Super brave of me!
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