HAVANA FURTHER WANDER

29th - 30th Oct 2017

Plaza de la Catedral de San Cristóbal - Havana

As you can see from the photo above, some of the squares in the old town are in remarkably good condition and rather delightful. There is a big ongoing effort, notably by one chap called Eusebio Spengler, with the aid of UNESCO and foreign investors, to make headway in restoring more buildings. Havana, up to the 1950s, had become a rather decadent, corrupt and glitzy city thanks to wealthy Americans and was the stamping ground of American mobsters, notably the infamous Meyer Lansky and his cronys. Fidel Castro soon put a stop to all that jiggery-pokery following the revolution in 1959. The downside was that the city fell into disrepair.

So many of the main streets are lined with derelict ruins. This (left) is view up the Malecón, the seafront promenade along the north side of the centre. All the buildings in view in this poor photo are uninhabited wrecks. The Malecón is advertised as a charming and romantic 'promenade' (in the guide books), which, if the buildings were repaired, might warrant that description.

Right: Looking west down the Malecón. I walked it and if you looked out to sea it was a pleasant stroll. The sea conditions were calm but still large splooshes of waves came over the sea wall and, if you were not careful, you got drenched. Dread to think what it is like when the sea is rough. Advertised as a 'romantic' evening stroll for lovers, I imagine that their ardour would have been seriously dampened on many occasions.

Returning to the subject of 'Casa Particulares' accommodation; I have now stayed in three. The owners/hosts have all been so charming and helpful and give good advice if asked. They all, so far, seem to have a taste for antique furniture (similar to photo) and very proud of it. They are also very trusting. You are given keys to come and go as you please and they completely respect your privacy. Rooms are en-suite, always with aircon and/or fans, and very clean. The owner can also arrange (reliable) accommodation for your next destination. Very handy.

Every Casa and most 'facilities' have acquired this type of white painted metal furniture (right)...no other colour. Like the model T Ford advert; it comes in any colour provided it's black, or in this case white. It appears in all forms of chairs (especially rocking chairs) and  tables and graces all their outside areas, courtyards and patios. This pic is of the roof-top patio of one of my lodgings. Reminds me of the ubiquitous 'penguin' waste bins in Saigon. Some manufacturer has profitably cornered the market, probably with cast-offs from somewhere else.

I read about the railway system in Cuba (www.seat61.com. An excellent website). They have an extensive one but, apparently, it is totally unreliable, slow and uncomfortable. I am an enthusiastic rail traveller and examined the possibilities. There is one 'elite' train called, unoriginally, 'El Tren Francés ', an ancient decommissioned ex-French contraption, which travels the length of the country and is, I was told, comparatively 'comfortable' with seats, freezing aircon, foul toilets and a buffet service which sporadically provides coffee as long as you provide your own cup,  but it only goes every three days, maybe. I think it takes about 15 hours(ish) to get from Havana to Guantánamo or Santiago de Cuba in the east. I was tempted to try but resisted due to time constraints and didn't want to get stranded in some siding 800 miles from Havana. Maybe next time as a special adventure.

The large main railway station in Havana looked quite grand from the outside. The ticket hall (left) was cavernous but with few potential passengers. The timetables were scribbled in felt-tip on  paper stuck to the wall....with several amendments. I never saw any sign of an operational train and, to date, still haven't. 

The only sort of trains I saw, and there were several of them, were ancient rolling stock stuck on rails outside the station as decorative museum pieces. They all had placards telling you what they were but I won't bore you with those details.

Wandering on up towards the Parque de la Fraternidad (near the Capitolio) I happened upon this charming lady who would have liked to tell me my fortune. She had all the kit; tarot cards and a crystal ball in her bag. Unfortunately, my lack of Spanish and her lack of English would have made this, however accurate, a rather fruitless exercise. We had a nice little chat, although I don't think we understood much of what each other was saying. I think she enjoyed the company for 5 minutes, smiling benignly while puffing on her cigar. She was happy for me to take her photo, and I gave her a CUC for which she was most 'agradecido'.

More cars. I am beginning to take an interest in them. This pink job (right) was parked near the Parque Central and was one of many such vehicles for hire by tourists for a trip around the city. I think they are quite popular. CUC 25 for the privilege. I walked again.

Left: This other little pink one (pink seems a popular colour) was parked near the smart(ish) Hotel National in Vedado district. As I walked past it emitted loud snoring noises. I stopped to look inside. It then made other rather rude noises. I happened to look across the street where a group of guys were having a bit of a giggle. I presume they had some sort of remote speaker control. How drole.

Lots of schoolchildren were walking about. The common trouser/skirt uniform colour is, it seems, mustard. This is quite original as most other 3rd World (if that's what Cuba is) countries favour shades of blue. Just a point of interest. At least they looked quite smart which is more than can be said for most scruffy UK state students.

Left: This is the  junction with San Ignacio looking down Obispo Steet in Habana Viejo, the 'Oxford Street' of Old Havana. It ends up on the west side by the Parque Central and Hotel Inglaterra. Lots of shops, banks, dreaded ETECSA bureau and several bars and restaurants. On the downside I have yet to find a 'general store' or kind of mini-market selling a variety of goods. Just to buy some shower stuff I had to locate a shop which only sold soap and shampoo, nothing else, and you had to queue outside. 

On the plus side there is a refreshing, and total, lack of the dreaded MacDonalds and all the other pestilential US fast-food  and coffee joints. Well done Cuba!

Right: Plaza de San Francisco de Asis and its ex-monastery; another fine square in the Old Town.

Left: An impressive bronze of someone (forgotten who) near the monastery which attracts a lot of attention from passers-by who can't resist stroking his well worn and shiny beard. It's not Billy Connolly is it?

Right: More exotically dressed fortune tellers in Old Havana.

Left: The outside bar at the Hotel Nacional in Vedado (west) District. This is one of Havana's more prestigious hotels and attracts the cream of weathy tourists. Not a bad place but really nothing special. It does good gin and tonics etc. in a cosy inside bar, but no internet available for the passing tourist. Outside is the Cabaret Parisién, a cheaper version of the famous Club Tropicana, and stages song and dance shows. I might call in on the way back home. Also nearby is the Gato Tuerto (The One Eyed Cat) another restaurant/music club worth visiting, I am told. I may look in later.  

Right: Another little band playing at the outside bar at Hotel Nacionale. They are all very skilled and good to listen to....until they add lots of trumpets and saxophones, that is, when they become rather too noisy. 

Last place to note in this edition is the Club Habana located 10 miles west of the city in Flores. It was obviously a very prestigious yachting and sports club back in the 50s, and still maintains some of it's former glory. It has an impressive clubhouse (left), but many of the rooms inside are now empty, apart from a cosy bar and an 'executive' office. Outside there are 4 decent tennis courts, a good swimming pool, a café with gym attached, a restaurant and a beach area. It caters for the wealthier Cubans, ex-pats, diplomats etc., plus the occasional passing tourist. Membership is, I am informed, $1200 pa.

I had arranged to meet Betty and John (see previous blog) here for lunch. It costs CUC 15 entry for the day or, as I was persuaded to do, CUC 30 and you can use CUC 15 for drinks and food. I paid for their lunch, and it was probably worth it. Memories flooded back to Betty (she was 9 years old when last here) when she saw old photos of the place and people in the main Clubhouse and was gven a delightful run-down on the place by a most helpful manageress. Right: The swimming pool area.




Left: The beach at Club Habana. Not so many people were here today as it was Sunday and rather windy (look at the palm trees). On getting here (by cheap wreck of a taxi in my case) you pass through the district of Siboney, 5th Avenue, which has some magnificent old villas, now mainly Embassies. It was obviously a very posh outskirt of Havana.

Publishing this now as my WiFi card is about to run out. I am several legs behind my Tour de Cuba and hope to catch up in due course.