2014 - STAR FLYER - HAVANA, CUBA

Mon 24 Feb 2014

GETTING TO HAVANA.

I GOT UP TO AN UNFORCASTED SNOW STORM & FIGURED I WOULD NOT GET TO HAVANA TODAY.

THE CAB TOOK AN HOUR TO GET HERE & AN HOUR TO GET TO THE AIRPORT. ABOUT AN HOUR AND A QUARTER LONGER THAN NORMAL BUT FROM THERE ON IT WAS SMOOTH SAILING. UNLIKE THE CRUISE, BUT MORE OF THAT ANON.

FIRST THERE IS A COUPLE OF NIGHTS IN HAVANA.

ARRIVING IN HAVANA

OTTAWA TO TORONTO WAS EARLY AS WAS TORONTO TO HAVANA. WONDERS WILL NEVER CEASE.

I ASKED THE AIRPORT INFO GIRL HOW MUCH THE TAXI WOULD BE TO THE HOTEL & IT IS A FIXED 25 CUBAN CONVERTIBLE OR CUC, PRONOUNCED 'COOK'.

I NEGLECTED TO CONFIRM THE PRICE WITH THE DRIVER & HE CHARGED ME 40 COOK.

ONE VIEW FROM MY BALCONY...

AND ANOTHER COMFORTING ONE WHEN I REALISE THAT BOMBEROS IS THE FIRE STATION

NOT MUCH LEFT OF THE DAY SO A QUICK LOOK AROUND THE LOUNGE

PARQUE CENTRAL HOTEL HAS TWO SIDES. ONE OLD & COLONIAL & THE OTHER MODERN. BOTH QUITE NICE. I WAS IN THE MODERN SIDE

EARLY MORNING AND IT'S UP FOR A WALK ALONG THE MALECON BESIDE THE OCEAN...

THE NEWER PART OF HAVANA IN THE DISTANCE...

AND THE OLD PART UP CLOSE WHERE THERE IS SOME RECONSTRUCTION GOING ON & IT CAN CERTAINLY DO WITH SOME...

THEN I DIVE INTO SOME BACK STREETS...

YOU DON'T SEE THESE TOO OFTEN ELSEWHERE, BUT THEY ARE NOT UNCOMMON HERE..

I STOP AT A BAR & ASK FOR A COFFEE - WHICH THEY DO NOT SERVE. THE WAITER DIRECTS ME ACROSS THE STREET - WHERE I DO NOT SEE ANY CAFES'.

I DO SEE A HOLE IN A WALL, WITH BARS ON IT & ON A CLOSER LOOK, THERE ARE TWO ELDERLY LADIES INSIDE.
I ASK FOR A COFFEE & GET A TINY, TINY CUP WITH A TINY, TINY SAUCER FILLED WITH A DELICIOUS COFFEE.
SHE WANTED ONE PESO & I GAVE HER A THREE COOK BILL. SHE LOOKED AT HER FRIEND AND THE BILL & WONDERED WHAT TO DO WITH IT. I HELD OUT SOME COINS & SHE TOOK THE SMALLEST 25 CENTAVOS I THINK.
WHILE STANDING ON THE STREET DRINKING MY COFFEE A LOCAL CAME BY AND GOT A CUP BUT NO SAUCER. I THINK THE OLD LADY LIKED ME.

THEY SMILED & GIGGLES WHEN I RETURNED THE CUP & SAUCER.

THIS PIECE OF GRAFFITI WAS OPPOSITE..

IT WAS VALENTINES DAY YESTERDAY & THE GIRLS ARE STILL DRESSED UP TODAY... LOOKING VERY NICE...

I HAD HEARD THAT THERE WERE OLD AMERICAN CARS & EXPECTED A FEW FOR THE TOURISTS BUT THEY ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE

THERE WAS SOME MUSIC BEING PLAYED ON THE STREET BUT I COULD NOT SEE WITH ALL THE PEOPLE IN FRONT. THESE FOLKS HAD A GREAT VIEW THOUGH...

MAKING JEWELRY I THINK...

I SAW LADIES & CHILDREN DRESSED LIKE THIS, ALL IN WHITE, & EXPECT THERE IS SOME RELIGIOUS CONNECTION.

BACK TO THE HOTEL FOR THE WATER BALLET PERFORMED ON THE ROOF. I DID GO A LITTLE CRAZY WITH THE PHOTOS....

POSING FOR THE TOURISTS..

NOW, WAS THAT JULIA ROBERTS? THE ONE WITHOUT THE LARGE POSTERIOR?

NAH!

CAN'T BE..... CAN IT!!!

THAT WENT ON FOR TWENTY MINUTES OR MORE. NO CHARGE. NOT EVEN A HAT PASSED AROUND.

OUTSIDE THE HOTEL.. MORE OLD CARS.

NOT EVERYTHING IN HAVANA IS OLD...

I SPENT SOME TIME IN A CHEAP & CHEERFUL BAR & THIS IS THE VIEW FORM INSIDE LOOKING OUT TOWARDS A BUS STOP.. NOT MUCH STREET LIGHTING OUTSIDE BUT IT FELT COMFORTABLE ENOUGH WALKING ABOUT AS LONG AS I AVOIDED THE CRAZY PAVING.