Daiquiri - Trinidad

Greetings from Trinidad, a beautiful world heritage historic town, with beautiful old buildings cobbled streets and historic houses. It is a lovely town but it is teeming with tourists, bus loads of packaged tours wondering around the streets, and the locals are working it from all angles. Although not very persistent people are always asking for money and it seems that here everyone is after the tourist dollar.

When the bus arrived Casa owners are running alongside the bus with photos of their places, and as you leave the bus station you are mobbed. Although this sounds bad, it is good in someways as if you do not have a place booked you can certainly find somewhere! The way the casas here work is that owners can rent out rooms in their place they provide food, however they are quite heavily regulated by the governement and they have to pay tax on the room even if the room is not occupied. This means that they are desperate to have someone in the room, and there is much competition for your business at the bus.

Boys ask you if you want a boyfriend, keep teling you that you are so lovely or if you have any money. Even the kids harass you for sweets and it annoys me when well to do tourist thing they are being so great by handing out lollies and pens to kids. As amuzing as it is to them all it does is engourage begging and a reliance on tourist husstling. When really kids shouldn't be learning that all tourists mean is $$$ I had a funny conversation with a kids. (in spanish of course) that went allong the lines of this.
"Where are you from?"
"Australia"
"Australia is great"
"Really you know Australia?"
"yep"
"Where is it?"
"Near Italy"
"no it is very far away"
"that's right it is near spain"

I then proceded to get out my map and give them a quick geography lesson which was kind of fun, then the girl told me she liked my earings, I showed them my tongue ring and they started screaming and ran off, I think after that they thought I was crazy.

That being said it really is a beautiful town and I have really enjoyed myself and really most of the people are warm and friendly.

I spend the first day wondering around the town, and the next day on a 6K hike in the nearby mountains Topes de Collantes to see a lovely waterfall and natural swimming pool. The next day I went on a steam train to the Valle de los Ingenios an old sugar mill town which was interesting. I caught up with a guy from England and two swedish girls and we went for a drink.

Today we visited a local artist which had some very interesting political artwork and then spent the afternoon lying on the beach again....Oh the lovely white sand and blue water. Tonight we are off to go see some live music then tomorrow of to Camaguey.