Today we got up and rented a couple of bikes and rode down to Playa Ancon near Trinidad. It's about 14km away from Trinidad, and we thought it would be nice to go for a ride in the sunshine and get some air and then go for a swim.
Boy, we are glad we did - what a beautiful day.
As per usual, we were told initially that the bikes were going to cost $3CUC per person per day, but when we turned up they tried to charge us $4CUC - I told them I'd just get a bus, as it would be the same cost, and that they should not be charging so much - they reduced it back to the $3CUC, but I got the impression that they weren't happy about it.
The ride down to the beach was fantastic, however we had been warned about the fact that it would take us about 3 times as long to get back, as it is uphill the entire way back.
We stopped for a number of photos along the way, helped out a German couple who were wondering where they could go for a swim (they were staying at La Boca, which doesn't really have any beaches, and we told them that they'd probably need to rent a bike and ride to Playa Ancon which was about 9 km away), and we also got bailed up by bulls on the side of the road. I tried to suggest to Nikki that they were probably used to people going past all the time, but as Nikki was wearing a red shirt, she was quite a bit less keen to make her way past them. Luckily we had another couple come through, and we tagged on the back of them and made our way through as we figured with 4 of us we'd stand more of a chance. They didn't even look at us twice! :-)
Once we got to the beach, we had the joy of having to pay to park the bicycles. $1CUC per bike per day - it's not much money (about £0.60), but it really is a bit annoying to keep having to dig into your pocket every 5 minutes, and as we're on a backpackers budget, it's still money coming out of more important things.
Either way though, none of this should be read as a complaint - not at all - it's just hard getting used to different ways of doing things, and the fact that the locals see us as a walking dollar bill, and seeing the way that the vast majority of them live, you can definitely understand why.
The beach itself was absolutely stunning, and we set ourselves up with a nice spot under a shady tree, got our towels out, and set about doing not much for many hours. It was pure bliss. We eventually got bored and made our way into the water for a dip and to cool off and the water was the most amazing crystal clear colour near the edge, and progressed to a dark azure. With the coconut trees on the beach, the pure white sand and the water as clear as this, it must be one of the nicest beaches we've ever seen.
Absolutely amazing.
We made our way back to Trinidad after this, and after a long sweaty ride back, we got back quite late, had a shower and got ready to go out for dinner.
We walked down to a restaurant we had seen on Tripadvisor that was called Davimart - we weren't sure what to expect, as it was in a bit of a dodgy part of town, and there was a flashing LED "Open" sign out the front - going inside revealed that it looked like it was a complete and utter tourist trap and that it was bit expensive, and there was an American tour group in there - Nikki and I were both keen to leave, and were about to walk out however they had already placed a welcome cocktail on our table, so as we got up to leave I explained to them that we were backpackers and we couldn't afford the prices - the lovely waitress told us to wait a moment and then came back with the head chef / owner "Davi" who explained that the tour group were there honouring him tonight, and that he would be happy to do dinner for us for $6CUC each, so long as we had pork. We were very thankful and agreed (particularly as this was a great price for a nice restaurant), and what a miraculous find this place turned out to be - it's funny how you can't always trust first impressions - for what appeared to be a tourist trap, the food was absolutely top notch - incredible even - and the service was impeccable. We ended up with a 5 course meal and a local cocktail called a "La Canchanchera" and followed up by a Ron Havana Gran Reserva for $6CUC each. At any rate, this meal should have been only $10CUC each anyway at full price - an absolute bargain. We ended up paying them much more than $6CUC as it was worth it - their food was to die for.
Davi's story was incredible too, and it was great to get the opportunity to chat with the man about his background and dealing with the workings of socialism.
All in all, it was a sensational day.
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