Trinidad

 

Typical street scene in Trinidad, musicians, cobble stone streets, shops, pastel coloured houses.

Trinidad, Cuba

Getting to Trinidad, Cuba from Canada

I flew from Toronto into Santa Clara airport on West Jet Airlines. I had a taxi waiting to take me into Trinidad, which was about an hour and a half drive from Santa Clara.

Why did I choose to visit Trinidad? I love history, so being a UNESCO World Heritage Site, there is lots of history to experience and much to see in Trinidad. A big plus with visiting Trinidad is that there are also beaches nearby, many good restaurants, colourful markets and museums.

Trinidad is in the province of Sancti Spíritus, central Cuba located on the Caribbean coast near the Escambray Mountains. Together with the nearby Valley of the Sugar Mills, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1988.

Trinidad is one of the best-preserved cities in the Caribbean from the time when the sugar trade was the main industry in the region. Trinidad was founded on December 23, 1514 by Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar.

While in Trinidad I stayed at the Bed and Breakfast, Casa El Ceramista.

Here is the review I wrote about this Casa on TripAdvisor:

I stayed at El Ceramista the first week of February this year and was amazed at the welcome, warmth and friendliness of this Casa in Trinidad, Cuba. From the moment I arrived at this Casa and for my entire stay I felt at home. Alexey, who speaks English, advised me on the local attractions, the best restaurants and excellent tours to take in the area. He arranged for a Salsa teacher to come right to the Casa to give me some Salsa lessons. My room was lovely, very clean with air conditioning. Breakfast, with a selection of fruit, breads, coffee and eggs, was outside on the upper terrace. The main level, where the family lives, is full of lovely plants. Don’t hesitate to book at this Casa for a wonderful experience of hospitality. The Casa is a 10-15-minute walk to the Plaza Mayor where you’ll find all the museums, many restaurants and Trinidad’s famous coffee shop Don Pepe’s, which serves the absolute best Cuban coffee. When I talked to the Barista, he said he makes a special blend of various Cuban coffees. I only wish I had that recipe!

Photos of Casa El Ceramista:

Exploring Trinidad

There are many things to see and do in Trinidad, but one of my favourite activities was to simply walk its centuries old cobblestone streets, experience daily life and admire the pastel coloured houses, many with fancy wrought iron grill work. Trinidad is easily explored on foot, but there are horse-drawn carriages or bicycle taxis to take you around if the heat gets to be too much for you.

Apart from simply exploring the streets of this colourful UNESCO World Heritage Site, the highlights of Trinidad include the Holy Trinity Cathedral, the ruins of Santa Ana Church, the History Museum with tower for views of Trinidad, the Museum of the Revolution and Counter Revolution with bell tower and fantastic view of Trinidad and surrounding area. Also, are the Plaza Mayor, Casa de Musica, cigar and rum shops, restaurants and several outdoor markets.

Photos of Trinidad:

Don Pepe’s Coffee Shop

Below is a special focus on Don Pepe’s Coffee Shop in Trinidad. If I could have I would have brought Don Pepe’s shop back to Ottawa! Cuban coffee is the best!

A train ride through The Valley of the Sugar Mills or Valle de los Ingenios”

One excursion I took outside of Trinidad was on an old steam train (dating back to 1906) through The Valley of the Sugar Mills, or Valle de los Ingenios, part of the Trinidad World Heritage Site. A visit through this valley represents the importance of the sugar industry to the Cuban economy. There are actually three interconnected valleys: San Luis, Santa Rosa, and Meyer, centres for sugar production from the late 1700s until the late 19th century. At the peak of production there were over fifty sugar cane mills operating in the three valleys.

It’s estimated that some 80,000 Africans were brought to Cuba to work specifically on these sugar-producing farms during that time period.

Highlights of the trip included a visit to the Manaca plantation whose owner, Iznaga, was one of the wealthiest plantation owners during the colonial period. While there, one can climb to the top of the Iznaga watchtower, a 45 metres high tower constructed sometime in 1816 by the owner. From this Tower are wonderful views of the surrounding countryside, including a view of what was the owner’s house (now a restaurant), also below are views of local women selling beautifully hand embroidered table cloths.

Also along the way we stopped at an abandoned sugar mill (where you take a self-guided tour) and then to Hacienda Guachinango for lunch.

Photos of train ride through The Valley of the Sugar Mills or Valle de los Ingenios:

A tour of Parc Guanayara, Lookout del Caribe and Pancho’s Coffee Shop:

I took a tour to Parc Guanayara by taxi with a guide and four other tourists (two from Argentina and two from Italy). We visited Lookout del Caribe, then went on to Don Pancho’s coffee shop and coffee plantation. The highlight was a walk through the jungle where our guide pointed out local flora and fauna, where we passed by several scenic waterfalls. The reward for our demanding walk was arriving at a waterfall fed pool for a refreshing swim.

Photos of tour to Park Guanayara lookout del Caribe and Don Pancho’s coffe shop:

Ancon and Maria Aguilar beaches:

These beaches are located just outside Trinidad and are accessible by about a 10-minute taxi ride.  At Ancon Beach you can take long walks, while Maria Aguilar Beach is a smaller beach, protected at its outer limits by naturally occurring large rocks, thus creating very calm waters, like a natural pool.

Although I love history, museums and markets, you simply cannot go to a sunny, hot destination like Cuba in the middle of our Canadian winter without a few visits to a beach!

Photos of Ancon and Maria Aguilar beaches:

Maria Aguilar Beach

Maria Aguilar Beach

Maria Aguilar Beach

Anton Beach

Anton Beach

Anton Beach

Anton Beach

Anton Beach

 

 

 

Malta Island

Here are some travel tips for Malta:

Valletta, Malta: I stayed at the Osborne Hotel, a three-star hotel which is centrally located in Valletta. Check out the positive reviews for this hotel, praising its great location, wonderful breakfast, roof-top terrace and amenable staff. From the hotel, a five-minute walk takes you to the central bus station where, for just over $10 Canadian, you get a one-week bus pass. Buses depart from this central station all day long to all the important tourist sites on the island. It is hardly worth it to rent a car here on Malta with such a practical service to get around.

The history of Malta is fascinating with several centuries of it related to the Knights of St. John.

The Knights of St. John did not originate on Malta. The order was founded in Jerusalem in the 11th century. After the fall of Jerusalem in the late 13th century the Knights built an island fortress on Rhodes, after their defeat by the Ottomans in 1522 they arrived in Malta in 1530. The Knights of St. John, in exchange for one Maltese falcon per year, were allowed to occupy the Maltese Islands by Roman Emperor Charles V. The Great Siege of 1565 occurred in Valletta with the invasion by the Turks. The Knights of St. John won this incredible battle even though they were outnumbered.

The order of the Knights of St. John fell into decline in the 17th and 18th centuries and in 1798 they were ousted by the French. The Knights of St. John continue to function mainly as a charitable organization with branches throughout the world. You will find many places throughout the islands related to the Knights of St. John and their history.

More facts about Malta: Human settlement dates back to about 5200 BC and maybe as early as 7200 BC in the Ghar Dalam Caves. Malta is also home to a fascinating temple that goes back to 3600 BC.

During World War 11 Malta  was the most bombed place on earth when 6,700 tons fell in six weeks. The brave Maltese were all awarded the George Cross in 1942 for heroism and bravery.

Where to stay in Valletta and what to do on the Island

I stayed at the Osborne Hotel, a centrally located, three-star hotel. Check out the positive reviews for this hotel, praising its great location, wonderful breakfast, roof-top terrace and amenable staff. I advise staying in Valletta for several reasons. From the hotel, for example, a five-minute walk takes you to the central bus station where, for just over $10 Canadian, you get a one-week bus pass. Buses depart from this central station all day long to all the important tourist sites on the island. It is hardly worth it to rent a car here on Malta with such a practical service to get around. Plus, in Valletta itself there are so many not-to-be-missed historical sites:

St. John’s Co-Cathedral, is considered to be one of the finest examples of high Baroque architecture in Europe and one of the world’s great cathedrals. It still belongs to the Knights of Malta; it has the famous painting “the beheading of St. John the Baptist” by Caravaggio; 400 knights are buried there.

Go on a treasure hunt of the seven original Auberges in Vallettta that housed the various “Langues” of the Order of the Knights of St. John. The Auberge de Castile currently houses the offices for the government of Malta and the offices of the Prime Minister; it originally housed the langue of Castile, León  and Portugal. What was originally the Auberge d’Italie is now the site of the Grandmaster’s Palace on St. George’s Square and houses the Office of the President of Malta and the House of Representatives, as well as being a heritage site run by Heritage Malta. Part of it is The Armoury, which runs the width of the back of the palace and houses one of the finest collections of weapons of the period of the Knights of Malta, including spears, swords, shields and heavy armour.

The National Museum of Archaeology is housed in what was the Auberge de Provence, a fine example of Baroque architecture, it was built in 1571. The Lower and Upper Barrakka Gardens where you have wonderful views of the harbour. The Old Hospice built by the Knights of St. John in Valletta

Take a ride in a dgħajsa (pronounced dysa in Maltese) a traditional water taxi, to tour the harbour. The design of the Dgħajsa possibly dates back to Phoenician times.
Our Lady of Victory Church was the first building completed in Valletta, built and funded by Grand Master Jean de Valette to celebrate the victory over the Turks in 1565.
The Old Hospice built by knights of St. John. The National Museum of Fine Arts is Malta’s major museum for the visual arts. It houses a collection of works by Maltese and foreign artists mainly representing the major European artistic styles.

Outside of Valletta

An absolute must is a visit to the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum (in a town called Paolo, a bus from Valletta will take you there) an underground burial chamber carved from solid rock and built starting in 3600 BC. Visitors must reserve well in advance to visit this chamber, as it is limited to a few groups per day.The ‘Sleeping Lady’ dating back to 3000 BC was found here and is on display in the National Museum of Archaeology. Tarxien Temple site also in Paola consist of a complex of four megalithic structures built between 3600 and 2500 BC. Discovered in 1913 by local farmers, the site was extensively excavated between 1915 and 1919,

Temple Site Hagar Qim Temple site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed as part of ‘The Megalithic Temples of Malta’. Another nearby temple site is the Mnajdra Temple. All these sites are “an outstanding example of a type of building which illustrates a significant stage in human history.”

A visit to Mdina, a fortress city, walled off by the Arabs, is Malta’s most hauntinhgly beautiful city, the site of St. Paul/s Cathedral. The beautiful Blue Grotto is a number of sea caverns on the south coast of Malta in the village of Qrendi.

Marsaxlokk is a traditional fishing village located in the south-eastern part of Malta and known for its large Sunday Market which takes place around the whole village, a great place to visit. There are over 360 churches and chapels scattered throughout the islands, a church for every day of the year.

The Għar Dalam caves has a history of their lowermost layers that date more than 500,000 years old, contained in the fossil bones of dwarf elephants, hippopotami, micro-mammals and birds among other species.  The top layer, or ‘cultural layer’, shows the earliest evidence of human settlement on Malta, 7,400 years ago.

Hotel, El Iberostar Mehari Djerba

 

 

El Iberostar Mehari is a four-star hotel located on the east coast of Djerba Island in the tourist zone where many of Djerba’s hotels are found.

Mehari Iberostar has much going for it from the point of view of well appointed, clean, comfortable rooms; decor is a modern, international style. The grounds and buildings are extremely well maintained. An outdoor pool is unheated, and like most at other hotels is not used much until the water heats up sometime in mid-March, but to balance the lack of an outdoor pool during the cooler months, there is a heated indoor pool that has a very pleasant ambience filled with light.

Facilities include tennis courts, boulodromes for petanque, (a game that originated in France where players or teams play their “boules” towards a target ball), an archery court and a space for occasional dance lessons and Zumba by the outdoor pool. A spa centre offers a Hammam (steam room), and services such as massage, body wraps with seaweed, facials, manicures and pedicures, etc.

An animation team runs many programs, for both adults and children during the day and evening which I will explain further on in this entry.

A tasty and abundant choice of food, served buffet style, replicates the typical Mediterranean diet with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables.

Where Iberostar could improve is with first impressions as guests arrive for their stay, meaning that a genuine sense of welcome would go a long way. There is no doubt that the reception staff is professional at their work, this is not in question. And once I got to know several of the reception desk staff they were charming and helpful, freely offering their time with computer and administrative issues, and this is when their warm personalities came through. Communication of facilities and programs to new guests would be helpful, perhaps an information session?

Grounds and buildings of El Iberostar Mehari:

 

 

Delicious food is a top priority that contributes to an enjoyable stay. El Iberostar Mehari comes up with spades in this department.

 

 

The many activities available at El Iberostar Mehari are often led by a member of the animation team. They include aqua-gym, fitness, organized walks, yoga, archery, petanque, Zumba and some dance. I notice the animation team doing more outreach with guests to encourage participation. As well there are tennis courts and horseback riding organized by the hotel. One animator offers many programs specifically for children during the day and early evening.

 

 

At the hotel’s beach there are camels and horses to ride, rented by individuals independent from the hotel. The beach offers long stretches for walks and where one can see fishing boats in the distance. On the main road there are caleches to hire.

 

 

The animation team offers nightly entertainment including dancing, skits and karaoke. I must also add that all members of the animation team are terrific dancers, many of them self taught. They get guests up and dancing which makes for great fun, and for me was delightful.

 

 

The hardworking animation team:

 

 

Some personnel from the hotel including Anis Chemli, general manager, David, assistant manager, my favourite waiter, bartenders.

 

 

It’s great to make new acquaintances:

 

 

And having new experiences, such as making hummus with the chef at the El Iberostar Mehari.

 

 

Midoun Fruit and Vegetable market, Friday

I’ll let the following photos speak for this most colourful market. The market travels around to different locations on the island and on Friday it is in Midoun. Midoun is Djerba’s second largest city after its capital, Houmet Souk.

There are Souks in Midoun as well.

As well as a charming Cafe called Sidi Bou Said, which captures the charm of a suburb of Tunis, called by the same name, Sidi Bou Said, with its whitewashed walls and blue accents.

While I was in one of the shops of the Midoun market looking at essential oils, I kept hearing an occasional loud, booming voice coming from nearby, I finally asked the shop keeper what the heck it was. It turns out it was just some local men playing a very lively game of dominos.

Erriadh Village

I visited Erriadh once when I did a tour of the island with Marhag Lotfi, a local taxi driver, but I found the village so enchanting that I had to return to discover more of the wall murals, connected with the project Djerbahood, which makes this small village well known on the island. I heard that many artists are going to return this year to Erriadh to do more wall murals. Following is a collage of more of Erriadh’s beautiful wall murals.

A few photos of my young  guide in training who offered to show me the newer wall murals created in 2018 and 2019. He was a most charming, polite and competent junior guide and I am sure he will go far.

My young guide was also able to recommend a local restaurant in Erriadh that servers couscous and the Tunisian “brik” which consists of a thin pastry, with a filling, which in this instance consisted of some mashed potato, harissa (a local spicy paste), parsley, a bit of salt, and most important an egg. All of these ingredients are placed on the pastry, the pastry is folded over to make an envelope and then deep fried.

The finished product below:

I started out by ordering one and it was so delicious that I had a second one. The thing about eating a brik is that the egg yolk remains fairly runny, so there is definitely a method to eating it so all the egg yolk doesn’t run out, which was my case. I had more yolk on my fingers and face than in my tummy!

As luck would have it, as I was eating my second brik, some local Tunisians sat at my table eating brik and couscous, and they showed me how to eat one without the egg dripping all over you. They said you have to sort of suck up the yolk so it won’t drip. I was definitely better at it the second time, but I think I need a lot more practice which will not be a burden because these briks are absolutely delicious. Note the merriment of the local Tunisians as they observe my attempts at eating my second brik.

Some typical Tunisian dished below. This small local restaurant was obviously very popular as there was a constant lineup for food. I did not attempt the hot green peppers yet, maybe tomorrow, or the next day after I’ve mastered the brik!

 

 

 

 

Touring Djerba Solo

There are many places, even as a single woman, on Djerba that you can visit on your own from your hotel. I’ve walked from my hotel along the main road, where there is sidewalk in some places, but not everywhere, but it is not a problem. There are always many taxis along there as well as many horse-drawn caleches, so if you tire of walking, a ride is close at hand.

Personally, if I want to go for a nice long walk I prefer the beach, but just to explore the area, I have walked along the main road and that’s how I came upon the Djerba Golf Club. I visited the club house, had a coffee there and saw portions of the golf course. If I had visited it more extensively I would have seen the portion of the course that borders the Mediterranean, which is the most scenic part.

Here are a few photos of the Djerba Golf Course an 18-hole course which is an all-season golf club:

 

Along a good part of the East coast of Djerba is where most of the big hotels are located; it is called the Tourist Zone. From my hotel, I am about a five-minute walk to the Djerba Golf Club.

Where I am staying, at the Mehari Iberostar Hotel, I’m a 10 Dinar (about$4.50 Cdn.) taxi ride to go into Houmet Souk, the capital. I’m a little further away from Houmet Souk than some of the other hotels, but we’re talking a difference of a dollar or so by taxi. I visited Houmet Souk, its Medina and museum on my own and walked around quite extensively without any bother.

Now, because I’m of retirement age, I don’t get bothered by the local men as much as a younger woman would be, but honestly if they are trying to ask you out or go for a coffee, all you have to say, firmly, is that you want to be on your own and you don’t want to be bothered, they will respect that, in my experience anyway. Or just tell them your husband or boyfriend is waiting for you.

From my hotel, a taxi into Midoun, the second largest city on Djerba will set you back, at most, $2.00 Cdn. with tip. I went into Midoun to a Hammam called Bakouche, a very traditional Hammam that the locals use. The hot room and gommage (a rub down with a coarse cloth to exfoliate) cost me 10 Dinars, again about $4.50 Cdn.

It was a very busy place. The hot/steam room was quite small but boy was there a lot of activity! As each woman goes in she gets a pail that she can fill up with either hot or cold water (or a combination of both) to splash on herself as she sits and allows the steam to works its magic. There is a constant lineup to get water, so you have to be on your toes, but there is, I observed, a certain social order, where everyone waits their turn and seems to know whose turn it is to fill up your pail, which is surprising because it’s a really noisy, ruckus place.

Ladies are either steaming, washing their hair, doing their own gommage, or just sitting and relaxing. By the way, this is no place to be shy, everything is off except the lower underwear! When I finally got my gommage, I had requested that she do it gently, as I have sensitive skin and had recently taken some sun. Well, that request was pretty well ignored, and the largish masseuse went at me with a vigour that was both admirable and unnerving.

Here are some photos of the outside of the Hammam, as no photos are allowed inside for obvious reasons. There is a hair stylist on site who will also tint your eyebrows.

 

While in Midoun I was able to find a traditional underground oil press, called a massera, that now functions as a museum. I know that on the mainland of Tunisia, in more remote areas, these traditional oil presses still exist, and still use a camel to pull the heavy press that squeezes the oil out of the olives. Here are some photos of the massera:

 

Just yesterday, I visited Djerba Explore which is composed of three distinct sections: the first part was the Lalla Hadria Museum, a museum of pottery, textiles and jewellery and other artefacts, mostly from Tunisia, but there were also items from Morocco and Turkey.

One could easily spend a good part of the day here at Djerba Explore as there are also some shops and a few restaurants.

Photos of the Lalla Hadria Museum:

 

The second section is Djerba Heritage, which is like a folk village and  demonstrates the typical life of Djerbans in a “Al Menzel”, where extended families lived together. Today, there aren’t many of these traditional Menzels still in existence on Djerba.

Within the confines of the Menzel, each family had its own living quarters and cooking area, but there were other areas to crush grain, weave, make pottery, store olive oil, etc. There would be many small courtyards outside the living quarters which I found particularly enchanting. These would be the equivalent of our summer decks or patios.

Photos of Djerba Heritage, or the Al Menzel:

 

The third section of this complex was the crocodile park. Quite an interesting combination with this last addition!

I met an employee of the crocodile park, Manwar, who was very informative about the life of the crocodile, so it was actually fascinating to learn a great deal about these reptiles. One thing that is particularly interesting is that they go back to the time of the dinosaurs and have changed very little from that time.

The crocodiles at this time of year are more or less in hibernation because it is winter on Djerba, thus they are very inactive.

I was very happy to see a lot of protective fencing between the crocodiles and visitors, as another thing I learned about the crocodiles is that although they look very inactive, if you were to fall into their space, they are all of a sudden very quick and protective of their territory so you wouldn’t have a hope in hell! Photos of the crocodile park: