Cuba - Havana

Well, this has proved the hardest report to get started on, not just because we were travelling back so there’s a degree of deflation now the Adventure is over, but chiefly because Cuba is just so hard to sum up in a sentence or two.  It is a glorious country with a rich and complicated history, fantastic architectural relics, colourful people, evocative music…. but it’s also quite frustrating at times!

There have been so many influences here over the Centuries – firstly the original indigenous populace, then the Spanish colonization.  The  independence that followed  allowed the riches of the country to be exploited by the Europeans  - sugar plantations, rum factories and tobacco farms - bringing in the African slaves to the cultural mix.  Then followed the American backing of the mid-20^th century and the corruption and decadence that culminated in the Castro/Guevara/Cienfuegos revolution of the late 50s/early 60s, leading to the model Socialist regime of the remainder of the century.  This is now being challenged in a big way by the influx of  mass tourism and it will be very interesting to see how it progresses and what will happened once the Castro brothers are no longer with us.

Enough politics – what about the pix? I hear you cry! 

We arrived in Havana with enough time to cruise the historical centre, where we were staying in the Santa Isabella Hotel – colonial and charming; vintage rooms, but clean sheets and hot water – we loved it!

And its in a great location close to the Cathedral Square, the forts and the wonderful, intriguing streets and alleyways that really ARE Havana, with big smiles, laughter and music everywhere!

OK, there were a couple of alleys at night that felt a tad dodgy, but we never really felt uncomfortable or threatened in any way.

And oh the vintage American CARS…… yes, they are still there; lots of them – some are renovated and gleaming with swanky fins and sharp-suited drivers (mostly taxis)

but so many are hanging on by a wing and a prayer, like the one we took a tour in, owned by the concierges’ grandfather – no handles and very temperamental, but an absolute gem – a 53 Chevvy

That first evening, a Sunday, we found two lively bars, both with super bands

and then a classic restaurant, also a great Cuban combo with the addition of some great salsa dancers, so we really enjoyed the night.

I must just digress on two unfortunate aspects of a Cuban holiday – the food and the service.  Coming from HK, I do accept that we are spoilt rotten on both counts!  Walking around, deciding where to eat that first night, it hit me that I couldn’t smell anything nice cooking – this is often what steers us into a place, more than the menu or the décor.  No onions frying, no garlic pong….. and there are so little imported foodstuffs that most of what you are given is basic subsistence fare – plantains, rice, sweet potatoes, stringy tough meat (but some OK chicken and fish), few green veg just tasteless carrots, corn and tomatoes.  And no chilli at all!!!  Even the hotel breakfasts in Cuba – normally our big feast of the day! – were not  up to scratch, though the bread was quite nice, the coffee is  undrinkable. And no mango, as it’s out of season.  Mind you, the local food shops had so little in them, I should be thankful and shut up.

And the (lack of) service is simply staggering, bringing to mind memories of the old Prison Officers Club at Stanley in the late 70s, and the Bella Vista in Macau!   We would wander into an empty café for a lemonade or a beer, sit down at a table and be completely ignored by the five staff until we called out 5 mins later; then one would stroll slowly over, take an order (with some difficulty) – wander back and chat to a mate, eventually reach the barman --- and then we’d wait. And wait.  And wait.  You get the picture.  Food would arrive as and when and maybe.  Ah well…….

The next day, we had an excellent 2 hour drive around the town in our Chevvy – such fun.  There are three distinct parts to Havana

 – the historic section with its seawalls, ramparts and fabulous buildings, squares and streets; the hawkers, the bands, the hustle and bustle

 

- the “posh” embassy district set around the biggest cemetery in the Americas called Colon, a drive-thru cemetery yet! 

Big high rise hotels, monuments… and everywhere, Che, Camilo and Fidel

and then across to the forts across the mouth of the river

 

- the rest, the where the ordinary folk live

 

After the tour, we set about organizing a hire car – we planned to drive from Havana to Trinidad on the South coast for 3 nights, then up to a small colonial town called Remedios for a night, then back to Havana before flying home.  Remember what I said about service? So in we go to the Car Hire shop as directed, and it was like stepping into a Monty Python sketch.  A couple of minutes go by whilst the two guys chat, then finally they acknowledge we are there – a car?  To rent? Ha ha ha, we have no cars!  Maybe come back tomorrow 3pm? Maybe I have car, maybe not.

So we tried another outlet in one of the nearby hotels – same story but this time with a touch of “surly” added.  The State controls everything, with jobs guaranteed so there is no need for "added value service", or , it seems,  even basic service.

By this time we were getting concerned, as we really wanted to see more of the country - plus  all four nights had been paid in advance, non-refundable!!  One of our street maps had a tour agency advert for a place nearby so we set off to find to what alternative means of transport we could find.  We finally had a real stroke of luck – we were warmly greeted by a great lady who really knew her stuff! She quickly sorted out that despite my asking after buses and cars with drivers, what we really wanted was to hire a car. So she picked up the phone and went from being efficient polite business lady to sugary-sweet, let me pour honey down this phone-line coquette!  After a while she winked, gave us a thumbs-up and it was Game On!  The car would be available as requested in 2 days time at 10am at the Museum of the Revolution – strange place to have a hire car company but there we are, all sorted and receipt issued, but come back tomorrow for the confirmation code. What a relief!

We thought we’d check out the Museum anyway but by the time we had wandered here and there – including down “school street” – a long parade of different schools full of lovely kids, all in smart uniforms

 

we arrived too late – the museum was closed, come back tomorrow.

So we hit our bar from the night before for a music shot, then to the roof of one of the many Ernest Hemingway haunts for a lovely sunset

 

Followed by a rather disappointing meal in a touristy café near the hotel, indifferent band as well; ah well, can’t win ‘em all, but we resolved to find a really good restaurant for the next night.

Next day was an “easy” day – try to catch up on the blog – forget it, intermittent internet at best!!  And then off to the Museum again, which really is excellent.  It is set in Batista’s former Presidential Palace, a beautiful building, now full of artifacts and descriptions of the 56-61 campaigns, the Bay of Pigs, Cuban Missile Crisis and the ensuing success of Socialism. Mmmm. 

 

The highlight for me was this huge cartoon below

The captions basically thank Cretino Batista for making (instigating) the Revolution, Cretino Reagan for strengthening the Revolution, Cretino Bush Senior for consolidating the Revolution and Cretino Bush Junior for making the Revolution irrevocable!!

However, free enterprise has its place -  the streets are full of people touting cigars, wanting to entice you to their restaurant, buskers, ladies in weird clothes posing for pix for cash or reading tarot cards etc etc. 

 

Plus people simply asking for money, but somehow not begging, it’s strange, I think it’s just “you have more than me so how about sharing it?”  No real pushiness about it, everyone looks adequately fed, healthy, cleanly dressed and with shoes on – much more so than many Asians, yet somehow, the whole place feels backward and even less affluent than, say, Vietnam or Laos.  Very, very few people have a  mobile phone and the internet is rare as hen’s teeth, but they do have a huge book culture;  there’s no incentive to strive or excel, yet they are pretty laid-back and relaxed.  What’s right/wrong?

 

And so to our posh evening restaurant, the Café de l’Orient.  It was lovely, and the service was an improvement; my “lamb/goat” stew was indeed delicious, pity about the tasteless  rice and bland veg, but Mick’s pasta dish was just plain boring.

But oh, the atmosphere of Havana – everyone has to go there once at least!!  It is An Experience not to be missed.