Cuba Cross Over 2014 - Cienfuegos - Trinidad | Saturday, March 1 - 41km

On the way to Trinidad today we cycle at the foot of the mountains of the Sierra del Escambray. There are several inclinations easily to be managed by every cyclist. You will be rewarded by stunning views of fantastic vegetation. After the day’s tour we can admire the beauty of the buildings surrounding the Plaza Major in Trinidad. Later, we will check in at our hotel where you can spend the evening at your own leisure. Accommodation at the Hotel Finca Maria Dolores. Dinner included. Daily stage: ca. 25 km. (breakfast, dinner) - Trip Notes

After a very nice buffet breakfast in the "arty" Hotel Jagua, we had a quick walk around Cienfuegos which is quite a nice town paying tribute to the singer Benny Moré.

 

 

 

 

After about 20km by bus, we alighted to start the day’s ride on rolling hills in sunny conditions.We stopped for lunch at a seafood restaurant where the specialty is lobster shrimps and fish. Probably the best meal in Cuba so far, washed down with Pinitas of course, and priced at 22CUC plus tip.

 

 

A further 13.5km on we ended the ride and bussed into the Hotel Dolores which is about 2 km short of Trinidad (which we will visit tomorrow). After showering and unpacking, I could not find my travel cell phone and figured it must have been left behind at the last hotel. After trying for some time to call the hotel, without the phone being answered, Ricardo finally got through but, despite my best hopes, the phone had not been handed in and the chamber maid had no knowledge of it…

Dinner at the Hotel was four courses of the usual and unsurprising. I retired to my room feeling quite unhappy both with the loss of my only working phone and the remoteness of the hotel but, hey, that’s Cuba!  Yes, there were several inclinations today, as promised in the trip notes, but not all were handled easily...You might be inclined to agree.