Blogs from Cuba, Central America Caribbean - page 79

It is impossible to close your ears to the vibrant sounds of the city. Habana Vieja (Old Havana) dances to a rhythmic beat. Starting early, it continues until well after dark. Every street, every plaza, every cafe is filled with lively music and singing. The city´s signature soundtrack is hypnotic; without realising I have found myself walking along in time. Stop for even a moment, and spontaneously your feet tap or hips wiggle or head bops. Its addictive - from street to street you are pulled in by talented musicians playing a range of instruments, from pianos to guitars, drums to shakers. Loudspeaker and car radios pump out reggae, hip-hop, rumba and salsa. In Habana Vieja you are rarely out of earshot of music. The musical accompaniment isn´t just for the benefit of the tourists either. ... read more

Ah, the Malecon, the broad boulevard that runs around the waterfront. Many cities have a Malecon but my favourite is in La Habana. A favourite evening stroll, the stream of bicycles, bici-taxis, ladybird 3 wheeler cabs, roaring dinosaural old Chevies, Fords, even Caddies, omnipresent little white Ladas with oversize blue domelights of the Policia, and amongst them all, occasional, sleek new Benzes and Audies of los ricos. In the early mornings fishermen try their luck while joggers run away. At the Eastern end of the Malecon huge freighters slide through the narrow channel into the port. Still guarded by the massive old fortress walls of El Castillo where the ceremonial firing of the canon resounds across the city every night at 9pm. The big seawall has withstood the day-to-day Atlantic swells and occasional hurricanes for a ... read more

After relaxing on the beach in Varadero we got a Lada taxi back to Havana which thankfully made it without any bits dropping off it! In Havana we stayed in a Casa Particulares which is basically a room in someone´s house. We weren't sure what to expect but the house summed up Havana itself in some ways, a crumbling shell from the outside but inside a beautiful 1930s house with antique furniture and displays of the family heirlooms. It was a bit like visiting an old aunt you don´t see very often, best not to touch anything and try not to make too much noise!! Havana itself is a dirty, smelly, crumbling, ramshackle and yet amazing place. Everywhere we went people were friendly and helpful (and more importantly brought us Mojitos!) and in more or less ... read more

Well finally an update about Cuba. It´s been a couple of weeks as the internet access we were able to get over there was very slow and expensive, and we heard from a few people that all internet use is monitored so I thought I´d wait until we were back in Mexico. Where to start... Cuba was an incredible experience and one that I highly, highly recommend if you ever have the opportunity. A very brief history: Cuba was colonised by the Spanish, who eliminated the indigenous population that lived there previously. They also imported slaves from Africa to work the plantations (its main production is in sugar, coffee and tobacco), so Cuba is a fairly even mix of African and Spanish descendants. There is a history of tussles between the Spanish, British and Americans for ... read more

Down and Out in Havana - Staggering Towards the End Thur 06/06 - 12/06/08 I take a coach back to Havana, arriving at 10pm and checking into the Park View Hotel, situated just off the famous Paseo del Prado, and opposite the Museum de la Revolution. After the relative cheapness of casa's and hostels, I've decided to splash out on three-star luxury for three nights, giving me time to situate myself, re-group and get over the tragedy of the Magic Man Hat. The first thing I do Friday morning is head to the hotel Florida, and access their high speed internet. There was a time, not so long ago, when travellers and folks of all persuasions would have got by without the net, living their daily lives in the real world, not cyberspace. For me, however, ... read more