 I
was leaving Cienfuegos today so the plan was to go into town and look
for the Sintesis song I’d heard yesterday. I spent an age running
round the various record shops to no avail. I was told that the band
hail from Havana so I might have better luck there.
Back
at the Casa I finished packing and spend some time with the family.
I gave an English lesson to the head of the family, who is a lawyer.
Soon after I made my farewells and am off once more. I arrived at
the bus station in good time, only to realise that I’ve lost
my keys. An amused crowd watched me frantically empty and re-pack
my rucksack. Are they still in the door?
Up
in the ticket office I was able to change my ticket for a modest
$1-50. Now I will catch the 5pm coach. On the way back I bumped
into Carlos and his wife. I explained that Cienfuegos hadn’t
exactly lit my fire and I was on my way to Trinidad. Carlos said
there was a big festival that evening and would be well worth attending.
I would have felt stupid changing my ticket again and politely declined.
I promise to email him on my return the UK and wish him well for
his remaining time in Cuba.
Sure
enough, when I return to the Casa my keys are in the door. I went
back into town and bought a cheap key fob. More visits to record
shops yielded the same results, no Sintesis album containing the
song ‘Ewere.’ I made my farewells once more and got to
the bus station for 4-30pm. I sat and read for a while. The bus
was late but that wasn’t a problem. It was huge, air conditioned
and extremely comfortable. I settled down with my book and enjoyed
the ride.
The
sunset was incredible. It was also possible to make out the sea
and tiny villages en route. We passed some Guajiros (farmers) on
their horse and cart, looking at us as if we were from another planet.
And I suppose in relative terms, we are.
By
now the book was beginning to bore me, just like the Cuban bread.
It was the right shape, size and smell but totally lacked any real
content. Thankfully it wasn’t too long before we arrived in
Trinidad.
I was
met off the coach by my new landlady. She led me through the dark
cobbled streets and towards the lower end of the town. She gave
me a tour of the house and showed me to my room. I turned the air
conditioning on and took a quick shower. It was a relief to wash
the travel grime off my skin. Back in the bedroom
it was cool enough to fall into a deep and grateful sleep.
The
views expressed on this page are those of the contributor and the
opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the BBC.
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