Cuba, a dream come true. Aug 10 to Sep 04

10Aug

Finally I have arrived in Cuba. I have wanted to come here for so long. Bizarrely, I landed before Sue did, so I was able to greet her when she landed rather than the other way around as we had expected.

It was funny as loads of Cubans and tour operators were greeting the new people and there was I shouting Sues name like I was a native. ha ha We had a laugh about it.

We got a taxi to our Casa Particular. However, we had to wait a few hours before we got to enter our room. If we had known, we could have gone earlier for food. Then we found out that the casa didnt serve food on Sundays. We were directed to a cafe a little way away. However, it was just sandwiches or sandwiches. Not a good start. I had already had a few days where I had eaten pasta or bread, so eating more was going to play havoc with my body. But I was starving. The gent behind the counter was very friendly and chatted to us. Of course, he offered his services as a guide. This was indicative of things to come. Later, 2 gentlemen invited us over to their table to join them for a drink. One spoke English, Jesus and seemed quite taken with Sue. It was difficlut to extricate ourselves from their company and offers of taking us out. However, we said we would ring Jesus, (oh my god that looks so bizarre written down) if we found the time to do so. We scuttled off giggling. Sue is such a man puller.

It was so good to sleep, having been deprived of so much of it over the last few days. Oh the sheer bliss.

11Aug

We had a lovely breakfast served to us in the littlecourtyard outside our room. Fruit, bread, juice and eggs. I declined the bread. It was a lovely start to the day and the couple who run the casa are just the most adorable, genteel, helpful peoole.

We walked around the Plaza de La Revolution. The massive statue of Jose Marti, a beautiful white marble of the poet and icon of pre 20century independance, in thought, dominating the plaza. Across the way, the famous mural of Earnesto "Che" Guevara and his immortal phrase "Hasta La Victoria Siempre". We were really here.

After a visit to the museum and fotos of the views etc. we walked on to the Famous Havana Cemetery. We walked along the wide street to the Cemetario where many martyrs of the struggles before and during the revolution are buried.

It was a pleasant street and the sun was streaming down. I was walking ahead, as I do. I head a murmur behind me and when I looked behind, what I thought I saw was Sue showing her shoulder bag to a young guy and another one was to the left of her. I couldn’t figure out why she was doing that. Then in a sudden rush of realisation, it hit me that sue was trying to hold on to her bag, as this thief was trying to rip it off her. I ran up but it was too late. The shoulder strap just gave as I touched her and the 2 guys rang off to the cemetery. I held Sue back, who had wanted to chase them but my first impulse was to protect her. The thought struck me forcefully that they could punch her in the face or her chest or stomach.

I was shaking and Sue was angry. I was sorry I held her back but some instinct took over before I could stop it. She had a few moments longer to grasp the situation before I realised what happened. I felt absolutely lousy for her. I realised my sugar levels were low and my body was up the creek because of the lack of calories this morning and the bad diet over the last few days was playing even more havoc. If I had been fully aware, I might have been able to help her sooner. But it took so long for my brain to process what was happening. I just felt like crap. She had just lost her bag, her camera, over a hundred pounds, her glasses and a few other things.

She was lucky shedidn´t have her passport etc. But she was suitably shocked and annoyed and shook up. Anything I could say would have be inadequate. It was unbelievable. Havana is one of the safest cities and renowned as such. It was 2.30 in the day, we were on a lovely street, that would normally be busy but just not then. We got ourselves together and continued to walk to the cemetery. We saw some policemen and I tried in my crap Spanish to tell them what had happened after I searched the dictionary for the word Robbed. They seemed totally disinterested in going into the cemetery or following it up. But they did tell us where to go to report it.

We went to the only café we had seen and yet again I had to have a sandwich but I knew I had to eat. This whole wheat problem and trying to find food that was not wheat based was getting to be incredibly tiresome. But we had time to calm down recover from the experience.

We went into the cemetery and I tried to explain to the guard what had happened. I left Sue near the guards and my bag and wandered up to the section of the fence they jumped over, in the vain hope that they had dropped the bag somewhere, so could rescue at least something from the situation. I walked around where I thought it would be. But nothing!
I came back and one of the guards walked with us and then organised that one of the cemetery attendants escort us around. This proved to be a blessing, as it distracted us a little and made us feel a lot safer. He also showed us the graves we were interested in and told us a little about them. He was a lovely chap and told us about his daughter who was going to be a doctor and his son who was going to be a musician, as he felt there was more money in that than medicine. We had to agree sad though it was.

We decided it was best to go to the police station. They kept us waiting for about 30 or so minutes, then we were brought into the office of someone who seemed to be high up. We explained again and he asked us for a complete description of the thieves. It was amazing how our memories had already deteriorated. We did the best we could but there were gaps. Sue tried to remember as much as she could what was in her bag for the police report, so she could claim it back on her insurance.
The bizarrest thing then happened. They put us into a police car and took us to the scene of the crime. There were 3 of them. They took photos of where it happened and then over by the cemetery wall where the absconders had jumped the fence into the cemetery. The purpose of all this was beyond me. We did see the man on the balcony that we were sure saw the whole thing that happened beneath him but the police didn’t bother to question him. They went about their business with the camera work etc. very thoroughly and professionally but it all seemed to be some show for our benefit and totally inappropriate. They barely asked us anything.
Sue and I at least were enjoying the hilarity and adventure of it all and it made the horrid theft a bit less awful.
They then took us home. Whey hey. it is not every day you get driven to your abode in a police car.

Returning to the casa Particular, we regaled the story. They were shocked and very sympathetic and served us a beautiful dinner. I at last was able to eat something that was good for me. The relief was immense. But I still felt lousy for Sue, especially as she remembered more things that had been in her bag.
I had to be more careful in future and get some snacks to keep my sugar levels up especially in case something like this happens again.. I have never been somewhere where it was impossible to get simple snacks. There just weren’t any shops or not with anything worth buying. It was the most bizarre situation.

12Aug
We went looking for china town but were sadly dissapointed with the selection of chinese restaurants. However, we did find a steam engine graveyard which was pretty cool.

We walked around the main plaza with its replica of the US white house a sort of ironic monument to see in Cuba, but there it was. Splendid but so out of context. It was surrounded by other plazas, all with amazing colonial architecture, most of which had been renovated.

The streets were wide and not clogged with traffic as many other grand cities. The array of amazing cadillacs and other classic cars in all conditions, kept my camera snapping. They were just so beautiful and soooo plentiful.

We wandered over to one of the most famous cigar factories in the world. But as luck would have it it was closed for the summer holidays. I mean what are the chances of that. But we wandered into the shop anyway and snapped away. It really was old world.

Getting food was hard. We were unused to the city and were in the wrong place again. So we ended up going to this rather posh hotel, as we thougth it would give us a better variety. Well it sort of did. But even the posh hotels have a very limited menu. Although, we had a nice salad and fresh juice.

The city is amazing. So many buildings, have been renovated but still there are just as many about to crumble from neglect, and as many again that are in the process of renovation. It is easy to see where the money from tourism has gone. I just love being here. However, our happiness is marred by the remaining sense of alertness for another mugging. It is a shame. Still we were enjoying ourselves.

We were on the trail of Ernest hemmingways old haunts, The Mundo hotel, still with his room, as he left it, the last time he stayed. It is now a museum. We didn´t go to the room but did have a cocktail on the roof terrace, as you do. Refreshed, we kept up our wanderings, just mesmerised. Sue said that she found sooo many changes since she was last here, about 7 years ago.. Then the streets were full with locals living street life or parading for fotos in historical costumes. Now there are only a few token people left for the foto opportuinites. The main streets have been cleaned up. hmmm.

Well one the many things Havana is known for, is the fact that Ernest Hemingway played hard there, among many of the rich elite of the 50s and 60s. He went one step further though, and scribbled on the wall, in his favourite bar. "The floridita for my daiquiris and the bodega for my mojitos" This forever put these bars firmly on the path to posterity and mass tourism. So of course we had to go.

Sue and I put our glad rags on and headed there for our pre dinner "Floirita" daiquiris. And yea we took the requisite fotos of the bronze of old ernie standing in his favourite spot at the bar. It is quite lifelike. Fotos of Hemingway line the walls, while the line of mass produced daiquiris line the bar, ready for the hoards of tourists willing to overspend their hard earned CUKs. I won´t say the daiquiri was the best I have had but...

Things have changed a lot since hemingway´s day, thats for sure. But hey it was fun. Today we wandered again into the heart of city. Sue saw these police officers lining up for inspection etc. and decided to join the force. It was priceless. They were so cool and played along with it. They thought it was hillarious and dont you just love Cubans. Although note the er em footless tights. Wouldn´t get that style at home...

TRINIDAD
13Aug. we went to the bus station, The casa owner came with us to protect us while we got money from a local exchange. God bless him you could blow him over with a feather but it was so sweet of him. We got on the bus and arrived in Trinidad to be welcomed by our new Casa. She seemed really lovely. It was not quite the one we booked but... We had a lovely room. We walked around looking for a restaurant. I really wanted to go to one in the book, as I felt I could get more than pasta or pizza. I was so hungry and so fed up with wheat. We couldn’t find the restaurant and my head was hurting so much as I could feel the sugar being drained from it. I could barely process the info on the map. We had to go to some other one. Of course there was limited selection. At least we got something. Later, when I saw a supermarket, I stocked up on raisins and peanuts. Phew at last I had something to snack on.

We walked around Trinidad, an incredibly charming town. Beautiful cobbled streets between magnificent restored buildings with the odd dilapidated grand dame in between. Every street held a new wonder yet again for us. It was also a place you never quite knew what you were going to see. At the church we saw a wedding. It was so elegant and the bride wore red.

That night we had food at our casa. It was superb and so much of it. It is strange though, all the china, furniture is from the 40s and 50s. when it was possible to import things and people had more access to foreign. There is nothing from the 60s, 70s or 80s in our house. Except of course the TV and one or 2 electronics. Usually things are in good condition but the odd chipped cup. Everything is carefully treated. It is like time stood still after the revulution.
14Aug
We took an organized tour to the sugar plantation. Some time ago it was possible to go through the sugar plantation on a train specially built for this purpose but this had ceased to function. I think it was a problem of spare parts. It is not possible to get much here. It was beautiful country side. We go to have a beautiful fresh lemonade though...

Back in town, we went for a coffee near the Casa de Cultura. It was a beautiful sunny square and the cafe were on the steps.
We bargained with a local who asked us if we wanted at taxi to the beach as we had missed the bus. Totally illegal but such good fun and as the legal ones cost a fortune... We were a bit nervous when he stopped to take another guy on. And thought oh god they think they are on to a good thing with 2 girls etc. but no it was all ok. They just went to the beach.
The beach was lovely but limited in food again. Just a greasy hamburger or a greasy hamburger. So we had one of those.
Later we met a Canadian couple waiting for the public bus back to the beach but it didn´t come. So we walked to the tour group hotel. I asked the doorman to get us a taxi. So then this man arrives in a Cadillac and we all get in. 5 minutes down the road, we pass a cop on a motorcycle, questioning a stationary car. Our driver sped on and told us to say we were his friends. The cop followed and pulled us over. We were all forced to get out and the driver was sent on his way. Then the taxi that I think we actually did order turned up. It looks like the taxi waiting outside the hotel called the police. Anyway we got home.
Later, we went to dinner at a restaurant recommended by Lonely Planet. Oh my god I was I in heaven. The food was superb. Most of it had been procured through the black market and was certainly illegal. But oh soooo good. It was the best meal we had eaten. We would have gone every night but we felt obliged to eat in the Casa at least some of the time.

We went back to the Casa de Cultura for some Trova and salsa. Sue got to dance. I didn’t bother. I just don’t know how and don’t like embarrassing myself unnecessarily. The place was packed. Locals and foreigners alike sat at tables or procured a position on the many steps around the casa and café & bars. We stayed till midnight. It was such a balmy night and the music was jumping. The band was at least a 6 piece, with various dancers giving it their all to the music.

The next day we organized another illegal taxi to the beach with a taxi driver.
This time we went to one just before the one we went to yesterday. It was lovely too. We waited for the official bus and waited and waited but eventually we got some bus so got home for cheaper than the day before and without incident. Ah.
Had another wonderful dinner at our casa and hit the Casa de Cultura for another brilliant music session.
Getting out of Trinidad proved to be a bit of a problem but we decided to just turn up on the day and hope to get on a bus, even though we were only able to reserve for the following day. But we were lucky and got the bus.

SANTIAGO
We had arranged through our Casa particular for one of her friends to put us up. The road to Santiago was interesting. Many modes of transport are used and most are crowded. There is a lot of beauty but relative poverty too but not really as bad as I have seen in many other countries. On arrival in Santiago, we were met by a taxi. We had a really good place right outside the centre. So quiet at night and only a 20 minute walk to town. It was interesting in this casa. There was a lot of mod cons and modern cups etc. you could tell there was a lot more money here. We came to the conclusion that, she must have relatives in Spain as the email address she uses is a Spanish one. We are beginning to be able to see the difference in the Casas and who has relatives abroad or is making more money.

Santiago was a bit edgier than Trinidad. However, there seemed to be a bit of racism too. When we told people about Sues robbery, the usual question was if the thieves were black and when we said yes there was various tut tuting.

We liked Santiago though. There was a lot of activity by Fidel and Che down here. This was where they landed in their yacht Grandma. This was where much of the rebellion was organized in the start etc. The presence of many murals attested to this.
We went to see the barracks, where Fidel etc. tried to attack and saw the bullets. There were a lot of them.

We also went to a beautiful fort that had been used during colonization. We met 2 girls from Eastern Europe who went with us. Later that evening we met up with them in Casa Grande. They had bumped into 3 English lads that lived near where Sue and I have lived.
There are again amazing buildings here. We tried to get into the Bacardi family museum but it was shut each time. The Bacardi family emigrated from Cuba after the revolution when the new govt. took their lands. Although the Bacardi family was offered compensation for them, they left very bitterly and were and are responsible for much of the Anti Cuban feelings in the US. They moved their Bacardi Rum making facilitie

s and offices to the Dominican Republic where they still remain.

We lunched in the Hotel Casa Grande, the poshest place in town. But bizarrely it is managed by a foreign company and has the most reasonable food. We went to Casa de Trova for one of the afternoon sessions. This is the centre for Traditional Cuba Trova music in Santiago. It was such a cool place with fabulous photos. It really was like stepping back in time. There was one old lady there tapping away to the music. She even got up to dance. She looked like she had been coming here since the place was built over a hundred years ago. She came and chatted to me and told me about her breast cancer and god knows what else. I did end up giving her a little money. She was soooooo old, I had to.

We were usually exhausted each day from all the walking around. There was just so much to see.

As were going to the bus station to go to Baracoa, I got to see the Monument to Antonio Maceo, one of the early and few revolutionaries that was half indigenous.