~Surprises in Trinidad~

~Surprises in Trinidad~

Cecily D'Amore 

My friend who will remain anonymous (@Liz G.) told me she thought something was wrong on the trip agenda because a friend told her we were supposed to go to Trinidad, the completely different country. Little did I know that not only was her friend wrong about the Trinidad we were going to, but that the one on our agenda would be such an amazing place. We spent two nights in Trinidad, and although the agenda did not necessarily go as planned it was still an amazing experience.

Trinidad is a popular town located on the southern side of Cuba, lined with cobblestone streets and historic buildings and labeled as an official UNESCO World Heritage site. Some of the activities on our agenda included a trip to a local multi-generation family pottery workshop, a nearby beach, an Afro Cuban Folkloric dance performance, and several museums in the town. All of these were great experiences, but what really stood out to me were the surprise elements of the trip that ended up making long-lasting memories. 

The first of these surprises came after dinner. We had a great meal at a local restaurant where we sat outside at one large table for the group and enjoyed live music. What we were not prepared for, though, was the downpour that came at the end of the meal. We ended up staying at the restaurant for about an hour after our meal ended trying to wait out the rain, but ultimately had to venture into the storm to head home. We waded through massive puddles in the cobblestone streets as a group. Although we ended up soaked and got home much later than expected, it was a great time spent with one another.

We also enjoyed little surprises at various other events. Our trip to the pottery workshop included a local drink in a specific cup made at the workshop, and also featured a gorgeous husky in the shop. The rain forced us to cancel an activity on our original agenda, but we sporadically ventured to several museums instead. At one of the museums we went to, we were even able to venture to the top and have a beautiful panoramic view of the town. We even spent our final night at club that was located in an underground cave, a feature I had certainly not anticipated in our time in Trinidad. 

 

My insights from this part of the trip not only point to the beauty of Trinidad and our experiences there holistically. I found that the little surprises thrown in at several points of our time in Trinidad truly made for an outstanding experience. I encourage future trips to feature such surprising highlights and keep visitors like me in awe with the stunning town and all it has to offer.