Today I took a tourist train to see the Valle de los Ingenios - the valley that used to be Cuba's biggest sugar-producing area. Most of the plantations were destroyed in the independence wars, so today there are only some remains to be seen. For example, this tower that was built to better supervise the slaves.
There was also a small stall selling fresh sugar cane juice. It tasted delicious; very sweet of course, but fruity, not like pure sugar. Here's the machine they used to press the juice from sugar canes:
The cool thing about the tourist train was that it used an old steam engine manufactured in 1926. Have a look:
I think it's amazing that it still runs today! My dad would've loved to inspect it... In fact, I think he would've loved a lot of things in Cuba - all the old cars and engines, the cigars... So I'm dedicating this day to you, dad. May you rest in peace.
In the valley, I met two very nice Americans and, back in Trinidad, decide d to join them for a 12km hike to a lookout that is said to offer a great view of the valley - and it really does:
On the way back into town, we came across this shell of a church, the Iglesia de Santa Ana. Notice how there's grass growing on top of the walls:
Later in the evening, I went to the Casa de la Musica. They have Cuban live music every night on an open air stage. Entry is free (but tips for the bands are appreciated), and you can just sit there, sip a cocktail and enjoy the show. Very nice!
There was also a small stall selling fresh sugar cane juice. It tasted delicious; very sweet of course, but fruity, not like pure sugar. Here's the machine they used to press the juice from sugar canes:
The cool thing about the tourist train was that it used an old steam engine manufactured in 1926. Have a look:
I think it's amazing that it still runs today! My dad would've loved to inspect it... In fact, I think he would've loved a lot of things in Cuba - all the old cars and engines, the cigars... So I'm dedicating this day to you, dad. May you rest in peace.
In the valley, I met two very nice Americans and, back in Trinidad, decide d to join them for a 12km hike to a lookout that is said to offer a great view of the valley - and it really does:
On the way back into town, we came across this shell of a church, the Iglesia de Santa Ana. Notice how there's grass growing on top of the walls:
Later in the evening, I went to the Casa de la Musica. They have Cuban live music every night on an open air stage. Entry is free (but tips for the bands are appreciated), and you can just sit there, sip a cocktail and enjoy the show. Very nice!
