Friday 26 September 2014

Part 3 Havana continued

Our guide yesterday explained that the Cuban ethnicity is a mix of Spanish, African and Chinese, the latter was a surprise to me, but the mix does explain the striking good looks of many Cubans.  He said 'The lighter our skin the more Spanish blood we have, the darker our skin the more African blood we have'.  It also explains why the colour of your skin is, refreshingly, not an issue here.

There was once a large Chinese community in Cuba, most of them fled during the revolution.  There is still a Chinatown in Havana although we didn't get to see it in our short time there.


Tuesday 9th September

Our last full day in Havana, we received a call from Yorelis to say our bags should arrive later today. We decided to head out on the open top tourist bus. We have taken these city tours before in Barcelona, for instance, and they are great value, you get to see so much more than you would on foot.

At this time of year the humidity in Cuba is unbearable, so to have the breeze through your hair, or over your head in Ken's case, was bliss.  We stayed on the bus for hours, only getting off to have a drink and admire the view from the terrace at the Hotel Nacional.

parked outside the Hotel Nacional


We knew that the classic American cars were an iconic image of Cuba, but they really are an incredible sight, well over 50 years old and so varied in type and colour.   Stand still for five minutes in Cuba and you will see more classic American cars than you've probably seen in your entire life. Apart from the sheer size of the cars, which is pretty breath-taking, what I really loved were the colours.  You just don't see them in modern cars.  So many shades of blue and green alone, plus orange, pink, purple, yellow, chocolate, bronze and gold - I could stand and watch them all day.

Most of these cars now have modern replacements engines, some of them are immaculate and others are patched and battered.  They are all for hire these days, everyone's a taxi-driver in Cuba since it opened up to tourism. Things changed drastically for Cuba in 1991 when Communist Russia fell and with it, the financial support it used to give Cuba.  The financial crisis was so desperate that Cuba had to find another income source, and fast.  Of course people have been visiting Cuba for many years but now they needed them in numbers and mass tourism was born, and with it the opportunity for the Cubanos to make a buck or two.   For me here lies the discomfort and the conflict.  A Communist state where everyone's an entrepreneur.  A dictatorship where everyone's on the make.

So we head back to the hotel and our bags have arrived, which we are told, is very lucky sometimes it takes a week!  Tonight we have tickets to see the Buenavista Social Club at Cafe Taberna.  For a mere 30 cucs each, you get to see some of the original musicians (allegedly) playing live with three drinks included.  As we set out for the evening we meet Eduardo, who asks if we need a taxi.  For the first time we actually do.  'Yes' we say. Although we are both blessed with a complete set of limbs and could've hailed one ourselves.  'Two minutes, please wait' says Eduardo.  We wait as numerous taxis sail past.  Five minutes later he arrives beaming as a passenger in the front seat of a taxi.  'Plaza San Fransisco'  I state confidently 'we're off to see the Buenavista Social Club' .  I take charge really just to be difficult, Yorelis had told us that Ken would have to do the 'No thank yous and clear off pleases' as no-one will look at me, much less take any notice of me as a mere woman, hmmph.   Off we go and arrive at an unfamiliar place, outside a completely different venue boasting 'Buenavista Social Club'.  It appears as the band's fame has spread the Cubans have found a way of turning every musician over seventy into a cash cow.  A beaming chucker-in goes to open our taxi door, which is just as well because the inside of the door has no inner panel or handles.  'Is this Cafe Taberna?' I ask. No, Buenavista Social Club' says the chucker-in.  I notice above the door its says Club Tropicana.  'I asked for Plaza San Francisco,  didn't I?' I say to Eduardo.   'Yes but very good Buenavista Social Club here' he says.  'There are at least two then.  I want Club Taberna near plaza San Fransisco ' I say.  He claims I know more than him!  Maybe I should have let Ken give the instructions after all.

We finally reach our desired destination, are seated and given a pre-mixed Mojito, unwanted in Ken's case and exchanged for a beer, a wise choice in the event.  The evening passes well enough the music's good, the staff unsmiling and I'm left with that unpleasant taste in the mouth that a tourist trap leaves.

I lose count of the taps on the shoulder that night, the offers of unwanted assistance, hustlers all.  We decline help to find a taxi home and start to walk back to our hotel.  En route Ken spots a battered 1954 Oldsmobile taxi and decides he wants a ride in one of these cars before we leave Havana.  The back seat was over-sprung leather and the driver was lovely.  He drove slowly along the Malecon, so that he could turn to look at us as we chatted.  The inside of the car was original and in great condition.
Interior of 1954 Oldsmobile

The engine had long since been replaced by a Perkins diesel engine from Argentina.  The driver patiently answered all Ken questions.  I was reminded of something Yorelis told us.  She said 'If you approach the Cubans you will find them warm and friendly, it's the ones that approach you that you have to be wary of. You're safe, they'll never harm you, but they will trick you, sell you banana leaf as best Cuban cigars or any number of other well practised cons,'  Havana is not a place for the gullible, that's for sure.  Fact is there are good and bad people wherever you go, it's just a matter of proportion.  Well we had approached this taxi driver and he couldn't have been more genuine and helpful.  He asked for 4 cucs to take us to our hotel, which was smack bang in the middle of the 3-5 cucs that Yorelis had said would take us pretty much anywhere in Havana  When we finally arrived in style at our hotel , he waited patiently while Ken took a couple of photos of him and his taxi and seemed genuinely happy and surprised when Ken gave him 5 cuc. And so ended our last night in Havana.
chatting away whilst driving along

back at base


1 comment:

  1. Wow Lou.... great content and we more than ever want to go to Cuba now to see these cars.... xx

    ReplyDelete