[:hr]Trinidad
Nekih 4 i pol sata vožnje od Havane nalazi se Trinidad, u koji smo se zaputile nakon 3 dana provedena u Havani. Auto u kojem smo se vozile toliko se tresao da se činilo da će se raspast u svakom malo jačem zavoju ili većoj neravnini. Ipak, bila je to najbolja vožnja ikad i osmjesi nam nisu silazili s lica. Dok jedeš neko slatko tropsko voće kojem ni ne znaš naziv i slušaš najbolje od kubanskog reggaetona, svijet je jednostavno tvoj i ništa ti drugo zapravo ni ne treba. Iako poželiš da vožnja traje zauvijek, krajnja destinacija te toliko očara da još jednom zaboraviš na sve što postoji samo da bi mogao uživat u onome što je ispred tebe. Uf… Trinidad! 🙂
To je šareni gradić u centralnoj Kubi pod UNESCO-vom zaštitom. Kad dođeš tamo, imaš osjećaj kao da si upao u sapunicu i da je jedan od onih momaka sa šeširima i na konju svakako tvoj Rodrigo koji će te odvest na svoju plantažu duhana i gdje ćeš se odmah prvi dan posvađat sa svekrvom, Mariom Guadalupe Gonzales Sanchez.
Trinidad ima 80ak tisuća stanovnika. Na svakom su koraku trgovinice i štandovi gdje se mogu kupiti suveniri, nakit, odjeća i ostale stvarčice. Osvježenje i okrepljivanje nakon cjelodnevnog landranja po tropskom suncu možete potražit u nekom od hrpe preslatkih restorana i fora barova koji se tamo mogu naći. Trinidad je puno manji od Havane i, iako smo stalno šetale istim ulicama, činilo se da svakom novom šetnjom otkrivamo nešto novo. Jedno od boljih otkrića definitivno je bila i La cueva, najbolji noćni klub ikad. Riječ je o prirodnoj spilji koja se nalazi pokraj neke šumice i u kojoj se spuštate nekih 30ak metara ispod zemlje gdje se zapravo nalazi plesni podij koji odjekuje od predobrih latino ritmova.
Oduševile su nas i plaže, a naročito pješčana playa Ancon, do koje smo se vozile biciklima koje smo platile 5 dolara za cijeli dan. Karipsko je more dosta toplo, a mjuza, hrana, plesači i alkohol na plažama su, sasvim očekivano, savršeni. Zanimljivo je da, primjerice, na plaži od nekog čovjeka možete naručiti kokos i onda on ode iza ugla, odsiječe ga mačetom s drveta, uvali slamku i eventualno doda ruma ako ste naručili Coco Loco, odnosno alkoholnu verziju. Ples nije bio jedina aktivnost na plaži; naravno da nisam odolila tome da se pridružim nekim mladim momcima koji su igrali nogomet odmah do nas. 😉
Odlazak iz Trinidada nam je jako teško pao, gotovo jednako teško kao i onda kad smo, par dana poslije, uzlijetali s avionom i napuštali taj prekrasni, topli i strastveni svijet prepun najluđih boja, vrhunskih ritmova i divnih ljudi. Nije nam preostalo ništa drugo nego da sa suzama u očima zaključimo da se obavezno vraćamo jednog dana, s tim da iduća tura obavezno obuhvaća malo više dana i još pokoju državu u Latinskoj Americi. 🙂
Cijene
Da se osvrnem malo na ovaj dio za sve koji bi htjeli ići – Kuba jest jeftina, ali ne toliko koliko ljudi misle, naročito ne u zadnjih par godina otkad im se aktivnije krenuo razvijati turizam. Kubanski pesosi se zovu CUP-ovi, a valuta za turiste su CUC-ovi. Treba bit oprezan kad vam vraćaju kusur jer je 1 CUC (slično kao američki dolar) = 24 CUP-a, a novčanice su slične pa znaju varat ako ne pazite. Smještaj se može naći za 20 eura po osobi s doručkom, s tim da su case u kojima smo mi odsjedale stvarno bile preslatke, uredne i fino namještene. U turističkim dijelovima cijene hrane i pića nisu baš niske, dapače, moglo bi se reći da su kao i kod nas. Ipak, kad se maknete iz centra, možete sasvim fino jesti za 3-4 dolara. Kokteli od 2 dcl su 2-3 dolara i stvarno su presavršeni. Noćni život također nije baš jeftin; rekla bi da su cijene za turiste slične kao i kod nas. Taxi od Havane do aerodroma je nekih 25-30 dolara, dok smo do Trinidada toliko platile po osobi. Povratne karte iz Hrvatske su 500-1000 eura, ovisno o fleksibilnosti datuma i duljini leta.
Kuba – potpuno drukčiji svijet
Predzadnji dan koje smo provele u Havani, dečko s kojim smo se družile htio nas je pozvati da idemo navečer s njim u klub. Pošto nas nije bilo kući, on je fino našim domaćinima ostavio papirić s porukom gdje i kad će nas skupiti ako želimo ići. Kad sam to vidjela momentalno sam se raznježila. Preplavile su me sve one divne uspomene na stare dane kad nije bilo WhatsAppa i kad smo ”važne” poruke koje smo imali reći jedni drugima slali putem pisama i ceduljica koje smo nestašno bacali po razredu za vrijeme nastave.
To zapravo i jest najveća posebnost Kube – tamo imate osjećaj kao da je vrijeme stalo. Znam da na prvu to ne zvuči baš obećavajuće, ali u današnjem modernom svijetu postalo je pravi blagoslov provesti tjedan dana offline te se prisjetiti što rade ljudi kojima internet ne čini većinski dio dana. Tamo kao da ponovo učiš ono što se kod nas već počelo lagano zaboravljati, a to je apsolutno uživanje u sadašnjem trenutku.
Kuba je siromašna zemlja kad gledaš po gospodarskim i ekonomskim mjerilima, ali ljudi koji tamo žive su nevjerojatno bogati. Stvar je toga da govorim o malo drukčijoj vrsti bogatstva koja se kosi s vrijednostima kojima zapadnjaci naginju; jako im malo treba za sreću, život ne gledaju kroz trčanje za novcem i, iako stanje nije idealno, uvijek će stisnuti zube i, bez obzira na sve, pokloniti ti iskreni i topli osmijeh. Nevjerojatno su dragi, ljubazni, otvoreni, pozitivni, uvijek spremni pomoći, strastveni oko svega što rade te, uz to, jako drže do obitelji. Iako je tamo sve drukčije nego u Europi, s njima se jednostavno osjećaš domaće i sigurno, bez da nešto pretjerano osjetiš kulturni jaz.
Zemlja je doista prekrasna i posebna po tome što je životna i ne skriva svoje lice fensi fasadama. Da budem preciznija, takav je onaj dio u kojem nema previše Amera koji su, recimo, Havanu počeli pretvarati u nešto potpuno drukčije nego što ona doista jest, i to izgradnjom generičkih građevina, hotela i turističkih resorta. Upravo će takve stvari kroz godine znatno otežati strancima da osjete pravi duh Kube i iskuse istinski posebnost njezine kulture.
Bez obzira na sve, još je uvijek prekrasna. Kažu čak i da je prvo što je Kristofer Kolumbo, kad ju je 1492. otkrio, rekao bilo: ,,Ovo je najljepša zemlja koju je ljudsko oko ikad vidjelo!”
Može bit, ne znam. Bilo je to jedno prekrasno i preposebno putovanje, ali mi je još draže to što me je otvorilo novim kulturama i približilo mi mogućnost upoznavanja s nekim novim svjetovima koje sam dotad smatrala nedostižnima, bilo za sebe ili za svoj džep. Odlaskom na Kubu samo sam još više shvatila da se sve može izorganizirat ako se poslože prioriteti, ali i to da živimo na jednom čarobnom planetu koje skriva još puno drugih ljepota u koje jedva čekam zaroniti. Što reći dalje, osim učiniti i 2019. zanimljivu po tom pitanju… 🙂
On our fourth day in Cuba, we headed off to our next stop, Trinidad. Our taxi was so old that it almost fell apart on all those bumpy roads, but it was definitely the best ride we’ve ever had. Carried by Latin music coming out of the radio and delighted by an unbelievable landscape that was surrounding us, we just lolled in our back seat and smiled from ear to ear. There were a couple of kids near the road, selling some tropical fruits Ivana and I have never seen before. Our kind driver bought it for us, and, although we still don’t know what it’s called, it was love at first… Bite?
Four and a half hours later, we were at Trinidad, the UNESCO World Heritage City with around 80.000 residents. After seeing it for the first time, we couldn’t help it but say:,, Havana, what?”
When you’re there, it’s like you are part of soap opera. Narrow and rugged streets, small houses, carriages… It’s like you’re expecting for your handsome Rodrigo to come and take you to his big plantation where you’ll live happily ever after until death tear you apart. Or at least his evil stepmother, Maria Guadalupe Gonzales Sanches.
Everywhere you go, there are some cute restaurants and bars waiting for you. There are even stands and shops with souvenirs, jewelry, and some beautiful, unique clothes. One of our favorite discoveries was definitely La Cueva. Placed around 100 ft underground, there is a cave turned into the best night club we’ve ever been to – not to mention all those incredible dancers and tasty cocktails you will find there.
During our second day in Trinidad, we rented bikes for 5 $ per day and went for a ride near the ocean. When I close my eyes, it’s easy to recall that magical feeling from that time; tropical trees and grasslands were on my left, while there was Carribean sea from the right.
,, Wow, a bike tour in Latin America.” Just something I whispered into the sea breeze at that moment. Even months later, it still gives me chills. Playa Ancon was just another thing that deepened our love towards Cuba. Salsa music, dancers (it’s really in their blood), cheap shrimps, bars, Pina colada… Maybe you want to drink Coco? No problem, there is a guy who will cut the coconut of the tree with his machete and serve it to you. If you prefer a rum version, you just have to order Coco Loco. It was my first time drinking coconut juice and I’m not very fond of it, but I love reminiscing about two of us, just lying over there and enjoying some treats of the Caribbean coast. One of those was also crashing an amateur match and playing football with a group of boys. Ivana was filming some parts of it, but, since my performance wasn’t on the highest level, I’ll just keep it to myself. Of course, lack of physical activities did not go well with running after the ball, so after half an hour I thanked them and threw myself into the sea. Yes, it was too warm for some good refreshment, but as I said, just knowing you’re there turns even the slightest thing you do into something marvelous.
Leaving Trinidad was the hardest part of our trip. I am not going to lie to you, we cried. Tears were present even two days later when we were sitting in an aeroplane for Europe and choosing a movie that might keep our thoughts away from the fact we’re going home. I guess going back to reality is never actually easy, no matter how good or bad your life is. Especially when you’re returning from a place like this.
What about prices?
Cuba is definitely more expensive than it used to be, but you can still find plenty of cheap eats (3-4$) if you go to parts where local people live. Tourist currency is CUC (Cuban convertible peso), while locals use CUP (Cuban peso). Be careful when you get a change in bars or shops, since 1 CUC (similar to 1$) equals 24 CUP, and bills are similar. As I said, we stayed at casa particular, which cost 20 euros per person (breakfast included). Cocktails are around 2-3$. Taxi to airport was priced at 25$; the same amount for a taxi to Trinidad, but per person. A return ticket from Croatia costs 500-1000 euros.
How Cuba took me back in time
Local friend we’d made wanted to comfort us for leaving Cuba, so he invited us to a night club. Well, we weren’t at our casa when he dropped by, but we found his note after getting back. It’s hard do describe that heartwarming feeling I had after seeing that note. Remember good old times when that was the only way we communicated during boring classes in school? We would tore last page of our notebook and fill that small piece of paper with our darkest secrets. Our biggest fear was that someone who supposed to pass that paper to certain person will open it (”oh God, let it not be my crush”) or that teacher might read it. Seeing something like that years after brought some more tears into my eyes.
On Cuba, you don’t have 24-hour internet acess. It’s funny how some people I’d talked to before my trip found that ridiculous. According to them, constant access to all the information, technologies and material wealth rise is something that gives the Western world huge advantage. But, is it really like that? What’s more backward to you – kids playing, laughing and carelessly wandering the streets or ones who spend their childhood staring at one of their gadgets and not even paying attention to this big pile of toys they don’t appreciate at all?
That’s the difference between most of the Western world and countries like Cuba – Life. You can sense it over there. It’s so easy to recall childhood memories while you walk those old and dirty streets. Remember those times when your mum would just see a neighbour from her balcony and invited her for a coffee? Today is more likely people would take out their Excel sheets in order to check if they got time for a coffee with a friend. And, what about those endless days you spent outside with your friends, always trying to make up some new games? Do you think kids do that these days? And, what about being ten and not care about brand name on your clothes?
You have to admit it, those were some pretty damn good old days. I guess the best thing about Cuba is that you don’t have to reminisce about it, but to truly live it. Being there gave me a touching peek into my childhood, while also reminded me of what truly matters in life. Friends, family, cup of coffee with people you care about… Being present at this particular moment. That’s something what’s easy to forget to do in today’s world.
I could write a book about my impressions, and it would probably be so easy to always add up some new things I forgot to mention or I’ve realized months after I returned from this beautiful trip. But, this is where I’m going to stop now. They say that Christopher Columbus said Cuba is ”the most beautiful land human eyes have ever seen” after discovering it in 1492. Could be, not sure. What I can tell is that it opened me towards so many other beauties and destinations I’m making plans to visit. Live, don’t just reminisce, remember? Wel… I know I do. 🙂
Till our next time then!
