Trinidad  reminded me  a little bit of  a tropical Tuscany.  The city is very picturesque with cobbled streets and terracotta tiled roofs just like many of the towns I visited last summer.  However, being in Cuba there is definitely a Caribbean flavour with the blue sea in the distance, the palm trees lining the streets and the one storey houses in bright and pastel shades.  I have heard Trinidad described  as an outdoor museum.  The city is a Unesco World Heritage Site and there are many restored Spanish colonial architecture.  The city centre is somewhat touristy but walking around for a few minutes I discovered the vibrant  scenes of Cuban life which I had a great time photographing.  Many of the pictures today are photographs of people.

20140129_cuba_0054-3 I saw a lot more bicycles, cycle rickshaws and horse carts in Trinidad that the 1950s cars that were so common in Havana.

20140129_cuba_0076-3 Even though the streets were very busy in the morning, it was much quieter than Havana.  I never seemed to worry as much about crossing the roads and  I don't remember worrying about traffic lights.  In Trinidad you had to be more worried about being run over by a cart, donkey or horse than a car.  

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20140129_cuba_0211-3 Trinidad comes to life early in the morning.  Lots of clip-clopping of horses and donkeys on the streets.  

20140129_cuba_0324-3-Edit There were lots of vendors on the streets with their baskets of bread, vegetables in wheelbarrows or boxes on the back of bicycles.  I came across a woman putting fish out in front of her place.  I was told that it is still illegal for Cubans to sell fish in this way so it is done unobtrusively as possible and the people did not like their picture taken for obvious reasons.  So I just took a picture of the fish.  

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20140129_cuba_0433-2-Edit  I looked into the hallways of many houses.  I noticed that although the people might  have  much, everything appeared clean, neat and colourful.  Below is a typical living room.   Again, modest furniture but very nice.

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20140129_cuba_0343-2-Edit-Edit Businesses are starting up all over Cuba now.  Cuba has seen a continual loosening of rules since Raul Castro took over from his ailing brother Fidel in 2006.  In 2011, the Communist Party approved a five-year plan to redefine Cuban socialism by increasing food production, creating a robust (yet controlled) private sector, complete with a tax system and shrinking government through layoffs exceeding one million workers or 20% of the workforce.  This is so the state can  afford to continue its delivery of  free health care, education, housing and other basic services.  The government has invigorated the small-business sector by issuing licenses- quickly and prolifically to entrepreneurs in many newly legalized trades.

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For me the hardest part of being in Cuba was seeing all of the homeless dogs and cats.  However, there were all many dogs that were well cared for by their owners. Had I known in advance I would have brought some supplies for the vets to use as they are always in short supply. The best I could do was make a donation to a local vet.   I actually spoke to our vet about it when I got home.  Their office has a program that donates supplies to many third world countries.  

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20140129_cuba_0103-2-2   There were always so many interesting people to photograph and most of them were happy to have their photos taken and especially enjoyed seeing their pictures in the camera's LCD screens.  Charlene who comes every year brings prints of the people that she has taken photos of in the hopes of seeing them again.  What a great idea- both about the visit to Cuba every year and bringing the prints for people.

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20140129_cuba_0164-2 Good friends.    I asked if these two little girls  would pose for me together and they were very happy to do so.  

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20140129_cuba_0232-2 The woman on the left dressed all in white most likely practises Santeria. Initiates in Santeria are required to wear white clothing for a year.  It is also  standard attire for attending Santeria religious services.  After the communist revolution of 1959, the government of Cuba restricted religious practice.  Following the traditional anti-religious doctrine of Marxist-Leninist ideology, the state adopted a policy of promoting atheism.   As of 2013 the government recognizes the right of citizens to profess and practice any religious belief within the framework of respect for the law.  In the years following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the state adopted a more conciliatory position towards religion.  Currently Cuba's prevailing religious is Roman Catholicism.  Santeria combines the Yoruban religion of the African slaves with Catholicism and some Native American strands.

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Between photographing the people and the colourful buildings and sites of Trinidad I was kept very busy.

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