Today is scheduled to take the cow by the horns and do the central and old Havana walking tour. Three hours of sightseeing with our guide Jorge, an IT tech for a Havana hospital with as second job, guiding tours through the city and countryside.We slept like babies last night. Room was quiet, dark and AC blowing was the perfect recipe for a calm rest in preparation for today’s Central and Old Havana Walking Tour.
Our morning started with a hearty breakfast cooked right in Ari’s kitchen, then Jorge came by to retrieve us for our three hour “walking” tour of Havana, which turned into EIGHT hours. The three of us were having so much fun that the time flew by, but by 5:30pm Han and I both were practically begging to return home and Jorge was fairly dragging too.
The amount of history, information, sights, sites, shopping, food, parks, museums and more are enough to boggle the mind. I swear my neck is sore from wanting to see every classic car that drove by.
Old Havana is a sight to behold. I seriously cannot even begin to describe everything we saw and the feelings that at times seemed overwhelming. I find that there are too many tourists, however that is not very fair, since we are also tourists but dang…it is super busy and bustling. Pretty much like New York, Paris or Amsterdam on a beautiful spring morning. Maybe it was so busy because it’s Tuesday and Tuesdays are cruise ship arrival days.I will have to let the photos tell most of today’s story. Between the two of us, we took close to 500 pictures.
My two favorite things to photograph are the cars and architecture. Even the buildings that are in ruin are a thing of beauty to behold.
I bought a few souvenirs which included some long red necklaces made of small nuts that are native to the island and then a few cloth bags. Jorge insisted upon carrying my bag because in Cuba it is unseemly for a woman to carry bags while men are empty-handed. Being that I am married to a gentleman myself, I sincerely appreciated him doing this, especially since Han is loaded with cameras.
A few things that caught my attention were the cages of cute healthy puppies being sold in a park. Oh I would have, if I could have, brought one home. They were the cutest. There were also birds for sale. Animals are wonderfully cared for here in Cuba and they have the life, since they are allowed anywhere. We saw so many dogs playing in the streets like little children. Two doggies had a plastic bottle that they were playing tug-of-war with and were in the joy of the moment. Everyone had some good laughs over their antics. The dogs here are loved and trained well.
Hemingway’s Favorite Watering Holes
We stopped by the “El Bodeguita Del Medio”, one of two favorite Hemingway hang-outs when he lived here in the late 50’s, early 60s, where many famous people have since dined and the walls are completely covered in autographs and signs, so of course I had to write my name on one of the walls. I borrowed a pen from a family who was visiting from Budapest, they were lovely to chat with and Jorge helped one of the young women with tips about where to go dancing.You are allowed to go in and look around even if you are not eating there. They are accommodating, but don’t ask a waiter to borrow a pen, as the reply most likely will be a stern “no”. Pens are difficult to get in Cuba, so I guess he was worried he would not get it back.
Hemingway is huge here and there are photos, bust and names everywhere. Even though he was a bit crazy, the Cuban people still enjoy telling stories about him, real or rumored. We had lunch at one of his other favorite hangouts, the Floridita, or at least next door to the bar in the restaurant. The food was not worth mentioning actually, and except for the fact that it was a designated WiFi area, hence many young people were hanging out in the square’s vicinity, this famous tourist spot is not for us.
We saw a small parade of dancers on stilts (Mocko Jumbies) and fancy costumes coming down the cobblestone streets. They were extremely entertaining and the music caused me to shake my hips a bit, at the delight of one of the older waiters in the restaurant.
There is an former nunnery that used to be an orphanage and there was a little cabinet installed in the wall that if a family could not take care of an infant, they would place the baby there and the nuns would raise the baby.On this same street we saw a scene for the 2nd Classic American Car documentary being filmed. We quickly had to make haste to get out of the way, but it was fun to watch. It had something to do with weddings.
As we were walking along with Jorge, two police officers stopped him and asked for his ID, to make sure he indeed had permission to be our guide. The tourists are, to the extreme, protected and privileged here. There are street hustlers, called jeneterios, trying to make a buck by guiding you to restaurants of their choice, or a cigar shop, for commissions, but our experience with them have been pleasant after we wave them off. Their English by the way is remarkably good.
Once Jorge was cleared, we were on our way again. The guides are used to it, as it is a way of life here, however I personally think countries should be more protective of their own citizens.
We spent a couple of hours at the lovely “Museo Nacional De Bellas Artes”, museum of Cuba. I was scolded because I took some photos. Whoops…
It is quite large over several floors and you can easily lose yourself in art, comfort and AC for a few hours at least. It also offers a small bistro, which housed a castle made of old European style puter coffee pots.
I took a potty break at Gran Café El Louvre, and yes it is grand inside and out.
Note: If you can hold out, wait and go into the finer restaurants and hotels when looking for the baño, as they have better, cleaner facilities and toilet paper.
Parks and Churches
We were able to see the strongest tree in Cuba which is called Ceiba (very huge), and further down in the park was a majestic flowering tree signed “Por La Paz” and buried in dirt especially brought in from the countries in America. All the countries of the American Continent are listed on the gate and the tree is enclosed to eliminate damage.The churches and cathedrals are the most ornate and detailed I have ever laid eyes on. Artistry and workmanship at it’s finest. We visited the Cathedral, the Francis of Assisi church and several chapels.
We stopped by the famous coffee shop called “Café el Escorial” and we had a giggle at my expense because I ordered a Mexicano that I thought would be cold with Tequila, however it turned out to be warm liquor, lemon and coffee. It was odd tasting at best. I would not order it again and gave it to Han to finish up.(sic)
I thought I would gag when I saw a guy sitting at the next table with a Green Bay Packers cap on. LOL
As we were literally on our last leg for the day, we opted for a government taxi, they are yellow, back to home, it cost 10 CUC and the driver was very nice, ready to show pictures of his family in an instant. We decided to do the old car tour some time later this week.
Back at home at 6:00, we got no further than discussing about dinner because we chose instead to have a few drinks on the balcony, eat buttered cuban bread and two small bananas and call it a night. By 9:00 we were in the bed reading. No shame in my game. LOL
One of the things I will miss the most are the street vendors pushing carts through the streets and loudly hawking their items for sale. Anything from brooms to pan “bread” to helados (ice cream). To sit on the balcony and wave and chat with the neighborhood coming by is one of the best feelings ever. Yes I am still here, but I know how much I will already miss Cuba.It is also interesting to watch the older woman on the corner (who I teasingly call the Cuban mafia) pass items through her door grate after people stop by give her money in return for usually cigarettes and such. She knows everyone. It’s like an odd corner market.
Note:Very few people here ask for favors but if they do, I can assure you they really, really need it. It is not like in the states where some people make a living at begging. Here it is called survival. Most everyone here has to have two jobs just to eat. Doctors are paid 50.00 per month. PER MONTH for goodness sakes!!!Traffic lights are set on a timer and it shows the countdown in digital numbers to you can know it is almost time to go. I think this is a fabulous idea.If your guide is pulled aside by a police officer, just know it is for tourist protection. They want to make sure he or she is documented to show you around.
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