Early in our stay in Cienfuegos it poured with rain in the late afternoon. Bucketed down. Along with half the population of the town, I sheltered under the main plaza’s wonderful “portalos” (no, not “portaloos”, but the wide covered walkways outside shops protecting pedestrians from sun and rain.)
Cienfuegos portalos, but without the pouring rain
And as I watched, teenage boys started appearing from all directions. Running into the pedestrian shopping street which leads into the square. The drawcard: tiled pavements, whose smooth surfaces turned into skating rinks with the downpour. The cool kids skimmed upright on their bare feet, but you could get more speed sliding on your stomach. Think a water park without the entrance fee.
It looked fun. Still, you can guarantee if you came back in a post-Wi-Fi era, no teenage boy would dream of leaving their bedroom in the rain…
If you aren't 14 and it's not raining, there's dominoes to be played. These guys gather every evening on the corner...
