Hotel Los Helechos Trinidad

I had hesitated in coming to this town, because the guide book said it was just too perfect and is swarmed with tourists. Well, I didnŽt really know where else to go, so I headed in. I was glad I made the effort. This is a gorgeous town nestled between the rolling hils and the blue Caribbean Sea. It has quite an astonishing history including pirates, sugar fortunes and the revolution. The old ...

... sorted it out then headed to the beach on the coast, where we had a refreshing swim. Later we had a walk around the main square, Plaza Mayor, before finding a paladar for dinner. They made amazing cocktails there and we tried the local flan for desert. Later we followed the noise and people up to the town square where there was music and samba dancing. The next morning we went horseriding in the valley near Trinidad ...

... must live high in the Alps by the way they moved. I have my eye on a set of Maracas that I spotted. You can get a pair for 1-3CUC of the traditional wooden type but ones I like are wrapped in leather and I like the sound of the chuk-chuk although another salesperson pointed out that you can't get the swirling sound out of this type and they are not traditional so I am not sure. If I could only be sure that I could get a gig with the bagpipes back home then the deal would ...

... about smiles that are the way of Thailand or other cultures where the smile is bred into their personality. The lack of mechanical parts for repair has evolved an ingenuity that can be generally said to prevail for all things. I think I could write a whole chapter if not a volume of books on the concept of what is going on here but I would need more time to come back with a little more Spanish under my belt. Feb 11 , I biked into Trinidad today to secure a couple of days in ...

... Beiden blijken niet thuis te zijn maar de zoon des huizes, die overigens geen woord engels spreekt, laat mij binnen. Na enige tijd komt de zus van Julio binnen die gelijk begint met het schoonmaken van de bovenversdieping. Dit is, in tegenstelling tot mijn vorige kamer in deze casa, een zeer ruime en lichte kamer met een prima badkamer en eigen dakterras . Even later komen zowel Nery als Julio thuis en wordt ik wederom hartelijk welkom geheten. Het voelt ...

2 October 2008 - Thursday

An early morning departure on the Viazul bus saw us rise early to catch a taxi to the terminal. Thankfully our driver knew more than we did as the bus terminal wasn't where we'd bought the tickets. As we arrived at the Viazul terminal we were once again accosted by a bunch of vultures (starting to get used to this) who were willing to offer their taxi services for the same price as the bus ticket (later on I we were to find out the hard way that ...

... to find a new Casa as theirs is too hot. Sensing my predicament, they invite me to join them on their hunt, so I tell Isabel I'll be back for dinner at 8:30pm and trip out the door. I've met mother and daughter Yolanda and Paula, and they're a real pleasure to be around. We search the streets for other Casa's and most are unwilling to take me on my own as I won't generate enough money for them. We leave it 'til the next morning but arrange horse riding to a local waterfall. Up early the ...

... had a good look around the town, which was pretty picture-postcard in places. Our first night there, we ate at our hotel - the Iberostar - which was OK but nothing special. The next day, we spent some time in the sunshine at a bar off the town square drinking ...

After leavin Kev,Fiona,Ian and Claire, myself, Claire, Paulo and Ashling took a 11 hour bus journey from Santiago to Trinidad. WeŽd heard loads about Trinidad and how great it was and were a bit bemused when we first arrived but after a couple of days in the place it began to reveal its excellence. For one it has a disco in a cave ! Genuis !

... Either way, we join the seated crowd on the stone steps and sip mojitos. The music migrates from salsa to son to Afro-Cuban bongo jitterism, with some eye-popping dance demos thrown in. Imagine hula dancers on amphetamines. We chat about travel, the post 911 world and possible futures for this non sequitur of a country. The stars above, the warm night, my wife contentedly reading on my return at midnight before I turn into a pumpkin. A perfect end to a memorable day.