Trinidad – Sancti Spiritus - 70 km
My path followed the Valle de Los Ingenios, a place where sugar was
grown in the earlier years. Even today, one can still see a few of that
brutal era's old sugar mills, slave quarters, and manor houses.
Unfortunately, the Manaca Iznaga, with its 44-metre-high tower used
for watching the slaves, had too many tour busses to my liking, and I
didn’t climb to the top - I only took a few pics and departed in a
hurry. Nevertheless, although several attractions were scattered
about, I kept going as I was in no mood to deal with the crowds.
Sancti Spiritus, the oldest European settlement in Cuba, turned out a
hidden gem. Smaller than Trinidad, and less visited, the village had
several lovely, old buildings from the colonial era. As the town had
fewer buildings than Trinidad, almost all were renovated and strolling
the charming centre was a pleasure.
I came down with a stomach bug and spent nearly the entire night
hanging over the toilet bowl. When daylight broke, I was weak and
tired and stayed in bed. As the day progressed, I slowly recovered
and, by lunchtime, could face a cup of tea and a plate of fruit. Luckily,
Hostal Paraiso was comfortable, and the owners were
accommodating.