On our way out of Cienfuegos, our group stopped at the Tomas Acea Cemetery, a beautiful collection of graves of both powerful leaders and common people. Our friendly tour guide told us about the Cuban tradition of bone cleaning: the deceased’s survivors gather at the grave site periodically to honor their dearly departed by cleaning the remaining exhumed bones. Supposedly, this can be quite a sight to see when a casanova passes away; sometimes his mistresses will come along to participate, too.
Graves at the Cementerio Tomas Acea
After arriving in Trinidad and dropping our things at the casa, we had pizza and drinks in a swanky private restaurant nearby. We decided to spend the rest of the day exploring central Trinidad, first stopping in a cigar and liquor shop (state-run, of course). The front part of the shop was quite stuffy in the afternoon heat, but the back area was refreshingly cool (so as to not harm the carefully crafted cigars that sat inside). I decided to wait until later in the trip to buy, lest my expensive cancer sticks expire in the oppressive heat.
Cuban rum proudly on display
As we wandered around town, we passed the lovely Plaza Mayor and La Casa de la Musica. Trinidad is know for having lively nightlife, particular in regards to live music, which we would see firsthand later. Down the street, we visited El Museo de la Lucha Contra Bandidos, a building and bell tower that’s perhaps one of the more recognizable sights in Trinidad and the former home of the convent of Saint Francis of Asisi. The small museum inside has exhibits explaining counterrevolutionary efforts that occurred in the 1960s (it turns out two can play the revolution game). We climbed the bell tower, which affords excellent view of the city and surrounding countryside.
We stopped in a casa de santos, one of the names for a religious house for the practice of Santeria. Santeria is one of the most popular religions in Cuba and is loosely based upon Catholicism.
In the casa de santos. I’d be lying if I said I don’t have nightmares of this scene.
Later in the day, we grabbed some beers from the neighborhood market and headed to the beach to watch the sunset. It was a breathtaking scene and I was glad to be able to share it with my new friends.
Enjoying the scenery at Playa Ancon
After a little siesta, our group gathered for dinner at a newspaper-themed restaurant for dinner. (I couldn’t help but appreciate a bit of irony in this.) I enjoyed a flavorful lamb burger with mango chutney and the restaurant treated us to a wonderful dessert of flan after dinner to celebrate the birthday of one of our group members. They even sang her a birthday song! It was kind of like a trip to Chili’s on your friend’s birthday, except more special, less expensive, and, ya know, in Cuba.
We decided to hit up some nightlife after dinner. One of the more famous establishments in Trinidad is Disco Ayala, a nightclub that’s housed in a deep cave at the top of a steep hill. After climbing what seemed like an endless route of ascending streets and then the hill, we stood at the entrance of what seemed like a pretty empty club. I was a bit skeptical as we paid cover – where were all the rowdy tourists and locals that we’d been promised? However, as we descended down into the cave, the music rapidly got louder, and suddenly we turned a corner to find a massive dance floor full of people getting down to a mix of Western hits and local favorites. Our crew danced the night away, and after closing time, we made some friends on the way back to the casa at a bar built into the side of someone’s house. We were 100% sober, I promise.
In good spirits, so to speak, after many hours out on the town
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