Impressions of Havana!

---

We have now arrived in Celestun, our final destination, a bit weary but happy to be able to relax for a bit by the sea! I'll tell you a bit more about this bit of our travels later, but let me tell you about Havana first.

It's amazing how used we have got to immediate communication, and we missed not having the internet in Havana! It was a real culture shock! - like stepping into a 60's film set! We stayed right in the centre of Havana, in the old town, near the Plaza Vieja in a casa particular which is a bit like our bed and breakfast, with a couple called Leo and Caty and this experience gave us an insight into how people live in Havana. (We discovered that Leo is a Cardiologist and living in very simple accomodation.) We had prebooked our accommodation through Casas de Cuba online, also booked a taxi to meet us (no airport bus available). The first thing you have to get used to in Cuba is the monetary system. Tourists have a separate money system from the locals, Cuban Unit of Currency (CUC)for tourists, (1CUC =$US1), pesos for locals(CUP). (1 peso= 2cents) First priority at the airport is to change some money into CUCs, so we could pay the taxi. (25 CUCs) So I stood in the queue and dutifully awaited my turn under the stern eye of the 'queue official', whilst Hugh went off to search for the taxi. The next thing to get used to is the high humidity, once you step out of the airport! You just feel your body is melting away! First impressions of Havana as we drove in were of a once splendid city, magnificent colonial architecture, but not maintained, some buildings literally crumbling away, narrow streets full of 'bicitaxis' alongside magnificent old American Chevrolets, poverty, huge potholes in roads. Our hostess Katy greeted us warmly. She could speak some English, so we got by with a mixture of Spanish and English. The highlight of our first evening was a concert by a tribute 'Buena Vista' band in the local cultural centre.

---

Photos

Plaza Vieja
Local primary school salsa display

Cuba V US
On display in Museo de la Revolutiion

State run restaurant
Had lunch here. Food was good, service a bit slow!