Casa particular - Trinidad, Cuba

A fortnight into our trip on Cuba we arrived at Trinidad.  A city known for its 19th century architecture. We arrived in the dark, but since we were told that every other house in Trinidad was a casa particular (the Cuban version of a B&B)  we weren't too worried about finding a place to sleep.   We arrived after sunset, but luckily the bus station is in the centre of town.

Sunset over Plaza Mayor 

We walked to the first casa and they were fully booked. So was the second. And third. Then we decided to walk to what we guessed was the main street and started ringing the bell with every house that had a sign.  Conveniently in Cuba all registered casas must have a sign. A few didn't even answer the door and the others were full. And it started to rain. Time for a change of plans.

Living room

We walked into a quieter street, looking for casa signs. First one: fully booked again, but could they recommend a place? Not really.... At that point a neighbour passed by, heard our question, and came to our rescue. He rang the bell at a door with a somewhat weathered casa sign, asked the old man that opened if he had room, and he did! We ended up with Miguel: in an amazing house, with a lovely courtyard and that had a very colonial era atmosphere.  Truely a hidden gem. (For more photos)
It turned out that everything during our stay in Cuba (November '15) was overbooked: so may people wanted to visit before the country opened up in 2016.

Breakfast spot

Miguel works as a physician in the mornings, but is a lovely host after that. He speaks both French and English and loves a chat, but doesn't bother you. Each morning a young couple arrives at the casa; she makes breakfasts and does the housekeeping, he takes care of the house, plants and animals; a large portion of the courtyard is dedicated to bird cages.  Imagine having your breakfast in a luscious green courtyard, with the chatter of birds. And those funny curly tailed lizards!

Curly tailed lizards

The house itself: very heigh ceilings, pastel colours, decorative tiles, shady veranda, and the furniture and bathroom came right out of the 1930s! We really enjoyed our relaxing stay

Cuban colours

I just returned from Cuba: a nation in transition. I'll leave my deeper thoughts for a next post, but right now I just want to share a few photos that are in my mind typical for Cuba.  The colours of her streets.

Typical art deco building in Havana's Vedado

In Havana you can easily distinguish in which area you are, by looking in at the buildings.  Vedado was built in the first halve of the 20th century: Think roaring twenties, art deco in pastel.

Wandering in the streets of Havana Vieja

Havana Vieja is, at the name says, the old part of the city. Though nowadays you can argue about the 'old':  This area is tourist town, and heavily renovated. But very respectfully renovated I must add.

Walking in Trinidad

Trinidad was built during the sugar boom in the 19th century. Colonial style buildings, super high ceilings, wrought iron lattices, and cobbled streets.

Camaguey

Camagüey is one of the very few cities in Cuba that isn't built in a grid like street pattern. Because it was raided several times by pirates it was actually designed as a maze.

Camaguey

Timetravel

This is a bit of a different post than the usual, but for me a very special one! I have always known that my grandfather had sailed the world when he was younger. On of the reasons I know is that I was always in awe when he told little snippets about that time. And I simply could not believe the places he had been. Maybe the seed of my wanderlust has been planted by him? Or it could be the genes.

My grandfather is the lovely young sailor on the right

Anyway. A few weeks back I learned from a Facebook post that my grandfather had made some photo albums of  his sailing period, and that my aunt had those!  She was kind enough to let me borrow them, and I spent my afternoon looking through them. Really amazing. All he countries he has been to: Mexico, Cuba, India, China, Japan and the Philippines to name a few.

Shanghai. If you look closely you recognize the clocktower in the middel of both photos

Now... my grandfather was born in 1903, and he travelled in the 1920s and 1930s. A truely exiting time. In his albums are progress pictures of the Sidney Harbour bridge and of the Bund in Shanghai without skyscrapers.
But the photos of his life on board are fascinating as well. The interiors of some of the boats!

Both my grandfather and I started travelling outside Europe in our early twenties, but that is an eighty years time difference. I am just humbled and exited at the same time to see how many places we have both visited, but almost a century apart. I keep looking at his photos and than at mine. Finding the differences and similarities.

Nagasaki. Suwa shrine entrance

I loved seeing his photos from Japan: This was the country he talked about most with me, and I am sure my fascination for Japan came from those chats. I visited  Japan last year, and it turns out we have both visited quite a few the same places.  And then I saw the photo from Nagasaki, and it suddenly hit me: he visited before the A-bomb.

As it happens his only photo from Nagasaki was from the only shrine that has not be damaged during the war.