Cuba
As before this is a new post because Mary and Helen are in Havana Cuba…My comments are in blue and on your right is her earlier posts and leave a comment 
Most of the pictures are clickable to enlarge just backspace to come back.
Havana |
we just arrived 10 minutes ago to a hostel in Bogota..the Yax cin..so tired after a long trip from Cuba..and now 1030pm have so much to say but am exhausted really and will go to bed after hot shower with any luck!! Cuba was amazing in many ways but there is real fear in peoples faces at times regarding the regime. There were amazing old buildings, the 53 Chevvies, fantastic music but at a price..safe streets where we stayed at a casa particular (home stay) and really warm friendly people..ques for basic groceries, transport and even eating at a basic restaurant. there was the most cultural diversity and incredible art and museums and history..
El Capitolio and Great Theatre of Havana
Paseo del Prado
After being at the seaside on the carribean then spending the night in Cancun..it was like being at the very poor part of Gold Coast with all the tatty sort of commercial stuff the same..and the tourist multi-storey apartments along the beach which we did not get to!!
We were a bit anxious about visas for Cuba but no worries there..when you get to the airport you go to the Airline service counter and purchase the tourist pass for 30 days for $25 US then you pay departure tax of another $25..pretty expensive flying after being on a bus and crossing borders..
On arrival in Cuba they take your photo at the passport check with a micro camera you look into and then you pass through a metal door to the other side…
We had seen a place to stay at the Convent Santa Clara and asked the taxi to take us there.. he said he thought it was being renovated but of course we didn’t believe him and got him to drop us there..and he was right!!!! well we know there’s always somewhere so we looked around outside and someone called out from several stories up that they had a room…so up we went 4 stories with our bags in the narrow stairwell and found a fabulous home situation with immaculate clean furnishings and big doors opening on to a view over the rooftops with really lovely people.
Valentine Day street party
There are special open deck tour buses and we took one of these to see the city of Havana..there are so many beautiful old buildings like you might see in Seville but even more…the Museo de bella artes had incredible works from all over the world including 3000BC artefacts, egyptian papyrus and sarcophagus, sculptures and paintings…I was really impressed. It seemed like the most well educated culturally elegant place we have been…yet on the other hand there is some real desperation when people ask for money.
Museo de bella artes
Our first night out we were at a small bar with great music playing then it suddenly poured with rain.. the whole setup was in courtyard so the band packed up and we ended up with
2 other tourists eating a meal in the eaves of a lovely art museum..the food was so simple..2 very thin slices of pork with a tablespoon of mash spud and a spoon of mixed frozen veges. for desert there was cheesecake…this was a very fine sliver of cheese resting on mango jam..i even said ¨is this it¨? before thinking..there are ration cards for food and dairy products are part of this, also rice, beans eggs, oil, sugar and chicken. no fish for the locals..these are exported apparently. old people and children get more ration of milk. However us tourists are on a different scheme and had full milk coffee..didnt understand at first.
Havana sea wall
The CUC-Cuban converttable currency is about the same as US value and is used for all other thsan necessities butthe Cuban peso is used by locals and there are 24 to 1 CUC. they buy their fruit and veges at the market with this and spend
1 peso for a bus trip.
There are very few cars and many are government owned- gasoline cost CUC1 per litre..many of these are the huge old chevrolets still going strong but most are like Lada and Holden..the roads are 4 lane highways in the city even and then down to one way narrow passages between the aparetments..It mustve been magnificent in the 30s-60s i think. the fridge at our house was 1956.
Mary and 51 Chev
Anyway there is plenty of music and celebration to be found..at bar/ restaurants. however during the performance there is the rerquest for you to buy their CD for CUC10 and some would get really aggressive about selling it to us and others..so you always needed some change for a donation.
Before leaving Mexico we changed Pesos to Euros then in Cuba we changed to CUC..and only took out equivalent of 200 Euros for 3 days and nights and alllthe departures taxes. so had to watch the funds. we werent sure of using an ATM but saw a couple there..they had the reputation of eating cards.
People begging would not just ask they would plead and i wont forget the old man who put his arm through the slats at the restaurasnt desperate for money for food..i truly had no money except the 20CUC note for dinner so had to say no but he wouldnt take that for an answer until finally the waiter saw him .There were different stories from local people about the social side–but obviously those who are poor suffer still..they are not allowed to talk to foreigners in the street supposedly and yet some were very friendly and chatted away..richer people are able to travel and leave the country..but most not.
I think those who live near the tourist areas have more opportunity to make money but its not very socialistic then..
Helen and Che
I visited the Jose Marti museum and the major memorial in the square where a million people rallied to listen to Fidel Castro..it was really impressive..but I´m not convinced that these people are now liberated…so what was it for..so many questions and different sides to the story. I walked down to the necropolis / cemetario which was also an amazing site. Helen was not interested in either and had caught the bus back to the old touristic centre and we caught up again for dinner and then a movie…we saw ¨:passion of the land; in an old huge cinema..mostly empty seats but we sat near the back a seat away from a young couple and just as lights went off 2 guys came and squeezed in both sides of us..quite weird so we kept our arms close to our pockets and bags and just before it finished they left!! the movie was so sad i cried..with also one nervous eye on the guy beside me..
The José Martí Memorial
the following night we went out to something like the RSA where our hosts had suggested we go.. it was lovely to see some very old and young people dancing latin and was a real family affair but we just observed..we had our best meal there arlier in the day like something home cooked with lots of fresh silver beet.
so..the people were really friendly for the most part , the police are evewr present so felt saafe from harm and its a beautiful country to visit.
Local Cuban girls
We flew into Bogota last night and had a great run of luck with the security man at the airport ringing his brother to come pick us up and he brought us to the Candleria area..the old part which is fairly secure and we went out today and had a quick look around..we have 6 nights here so will get a good feel for the city.