I have just arrived in Trinidad and I have been impressed with the
situation, because this was one of the busiest cities in Cuba.
I am going to tell you and you yourself will tell me if it is not to go crazy.
Before traveling to Trinidad, they had already alerted me: there you will find many
blackouts, of course, heat and quite a lack of water. Before going into these details, which are very
important, by the way, I am going to tell you that I have found a half-
empty city, although tourism has been improving a bit, which is important for the local economy in the midst of the
inflation that is taking place in the country, where the dollar has no ceiling, and the peso has no floor.
When tourism appears, the old and new forms of management come into action.
The group of people who approach tourists to ask for money or anything they can
give them has increased. Just a month ago, the tourism situation in Trinidad was so chaotic
that some landlords were renting their rooms for 10 and even 8 dollars.
Near the Plaza Mayor, it has continued to be more expensive, but these prices could be found, and still
can be found, near the Central Park, an area that is somewhat less touristy, less well-known, where there are
fewer businesses related to tourism and where deprivation is more felt. In future
videos, we are going to walk through some of its non-touristy neighborhoods. Regarding the blackouts, until
very recently there were blackouts every day. When one part of Trinidad was turned on, the other was turned off
and vice versa, like this every day. The situation has already been improving and the blackouts are fewer, but
the water shortage persists. Pipes are seen all over Trinidad, from here to there and from there to here, (cost of each pipe up to 5000 cup - 25 USD)
and of course, those who can afford the pipe have access to water, and we are talking about more than the monthly salary (cost of each pipe up to 5000 cup - 25 USD)
of a doctor in Cuba. Some rental houses have the possibility of offering breakfast to their
clients. This is clearly more money coming in and saving time for customers. What
happens with that tourism that many businesses in Trinidad depend on, is that it is package tourism,
tourism that already comes with a pre-established route, practically everything reserved,
they already have programmed which places to visit, where to eat, etc., etc. This form of tourism
is the one that least favors the people, because it leaves almost no money in the hands of the private sector, and
although I am sitting in a state restaurant, one of the cheapest,
the drop in tourism is also felt here, and not only the workers feel it, but also the little stray animals.
And while we're talking about food, I'm going to mention some cheap places. You can take a look
at Jigue, within what is possible, a fairly varied offer and a fairly fast service.
When Cuban beer goes missing, it usually always turns up in state restaurants. Another
place with quite affordable prices is the Santa Ana Brewery.
Here is a problem to solve: the flies.
And there is also the Bodeguita del Medio. I know it's cheap, but I've never been in it. To have
a coffee, eat a sandwich, have a snack, you can go to the Don Pepe cafeteria. In the places I
mentioned above, a meal will cost you less than 5 dollars. They are all in
or near the historic center, the part of Trinidad that almost all visitors visit, where there
are museums, colorful buildings, beautiful architecture and art galleries.
When you get out of there, you see how Cubans really live far from those touristy and
beautiful places. We will see more about this in a future video. The current prices that have to be paid, for which
the salary is not enough, buying an ice cream for a child can end up making a hole in the pocket.
I was surprised to see that gyms have opened in Trinidad. This costs $4 per month.
There is a lot to know here and this time I am going to show you the least known part.
But how do you get to Trinidad? The cheapest way is by bus, although sometimes there are no
buses and what they use are trucks. The difficulty for Cubans is that you have
to book a month in advance. It is very difficult to get a ticket. For
foreigners it becomes a little easier because they reserve with Vía Azul, which is more
expensive, and therefore more widely available. In the buses the journey is a little
slower. The other option is the bus, from Havana to Trinidad for 35 or 40 dollars.
The trip takes approximately 4 hours,
and it is not because of the distance, but because of the state of the road.
In Trinidad you see a mixture of beauty and difficulties to live that makes
people have a difficult day and go to bed worried about what they are going to eat tomorrow. Among
the most popular entertainments is Playa Ancón, but the bus ticket
to go went up from 120 pesos to 600 (2.80 USD - monthly salary of 14 USD per month) already unaffordable for the Cuban who lives on a state salary.
What is left? There is plenty of music, but when you sit down, you already have to consume.
I'll show you some local musicians. In a few seconds I'm back.
The nightlife in Trinidad can be interesting if you have 25 cents
to enter the cheapest place, and at least one more dollar for a beer.
You will see that in a future video. Anyone would go crazy between the
heat, the blackouts, the lack of water and on top of that, there is no money either. Where are we going to stop?
I wanted to share my first impressions of how Trinidad is currently. Let me
know what you think. Soon I will show you how the nightlife is here, other places
of interest and more recommendations. If you found this video interesting, leave a like,
share it on your social networks and subscribe so you don't miss out on what's to come.