Revolutionary Cuba, laid-back Havana (1)

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In February 2008, after 49 years at the helm of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro stood down as president in favour of younger blood - in this case, his 76 year-old brother, Raúl. Optimistically, George Bush welcomed the news by saying that Fidel’s departure “should be the beginning of a democratic transition in Cuba that should lead to free elections”. Equally fancifully, many less ideologically driven commentators have been expecting dramatic changes to take place ever since Raúl took over as acting president in mid-2006. Both the ideologues and the pragmatists are still waiting.

The fact is that Cuba is the only truly communist economy in the world other than North Korea. And the entrenched, unquestioning commitment to that economic dogma is alive and well amongst the government elite, to whom the Chinese model of economic liberalisation combined with firm central control over political power appears to be an anathema.

“ North Americans don't understand... that our country is not just Cuba; our country is also humanity.”
Fidel Castro

Based on observations during our short visit to Cuba in July 2007 (and, no, we did not go there to lie on the beach), and everything I have read before and since, reformist dreamers will wait a long time yet for substantive changes to take place.

While I must admit that Cuba had not been high on my priority list of un-visited countries, Lisa had for a long time wanted to go there - and specifically before Castro passed on to whatever afterlife iconoclastic revolutionaries aspire to. So we planned this trip to make sure she accomplished that ambition. Joining us were Hiroko and David Wilson, very old friends from Hong Kong - Hiroko, I believe, holding a similar ambition to Lisa, and David happy to go along for the cigars. In addition Neil and Nina Pryde, close friends of the Wilsons, decided they would join us - Neil’s motivation being a pilgrimage to his lifetime admiration of Ernest Hemingway.

Meeting up in London on July 12th, we took the non-stop Virgin Atlantic flight to Havana. Not being a fan of Richard Branson, this was my first Virgin flight, but I have to say it was close to perfection: on time, great service, good food, spacious Upper Class cabin, very comfortable flat beds. We arrived in the early afternoon, and - despite dire warnings by our travel agent of “a two hour immigration queue in an unhealthy hot room” - we waited briefly in air-conditioned comfort and were out of the terminal with our bags within forty minutes. Outside, we were greeted by Eldis and Lenin (sic) who would be respectively our guide and driver for the trip, and by a huge 20-seater bus that would remain with the six of us for our whole journey!

At 23°N, Havana is on the same latitude as Hong Kong or the UAE, so it was hot outside - about 34°C - and very humid; but the skies were an attractive deep blue. We drove directly from Jose Marti airport through the central district to Havana Vieja, where we checked into our conveniently located hotel - the Palacio O’Farrill, a comfortable renovation of a grand old town house. After freshening up we strolled south down Calle Cuba to Obispo to change some money into convertible Pesos, and then along to Plaza de la Catedral where we took a table at El Patio and imbibed a few rounds of mojitos and daiquiris, listened to the band play and watched the world go by in what a much-used guidebook calls “the most romantic place on the planet”. It was very pleasant (although the mojitos turned out to be amongst the worst of our journey), but it is fairly hard to live up to that sort of reputation. Later we walked a couple more blocks before deciding to eat at Restaurante La Domenica on Calle O’Reilly. The Italian food and the service were pretty good, and we washed it all down with a couple of Cuba libres.

Within Havana Vieja, much of the 17th to 19th century architecture is crumbling, but a significant amount has been, and is being, renovated - very attractively done, too. Its UNESCO World Heritage Site designation has certainly helped the funding of much of this restoration. Wandering around, it variously reminded us of Macao, Quito, Buenos Aires and the cities of Andalucía.

The evening atmosphere is fantastic, and there are ready smiles wherever you look. Latino music drifts out of doorways and windows, relaxed locals sit on their doorsteps, talk to their neighbours, wander the streets, hang out on street corners. The guys are good looking, the girls are gorgeous, and everyone seems dressed fairly scantily: not much obesity here. The people appear inherently incapable of standing still whenever they hear music (and I suspect they are rarely out of listening range). Even the policeman on Plaza de la Catedral sways to the music of the El Patio band, beating time with his nightstick. Next ➤ ➤

Howard's Havana Gallery at PBase

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Photos

Street life
Habana Viejo

Minnie Mouse!
Plaza de la Catedral

Even the cops have rhythm
Beating time with his nightstick