|
The colonial splendour of Havana may be crumbling as fast as Castro’s revolution, but Cuba remains one of South America’s most intriguing countries. Once the Las Vegas of the Caribbean, although considerably more elegant, it’s night-clubs still swing to the rhythms of Cuban jazz, a vibrant fusion of African, Latin and American influences. Nevertheless, this is a country in crisis. The forty year trade embargo by their nearest neighbour, America continues (with the cold war over, surely it is time for the US to hold out the olive branch?). Along with the loss of economic support from the former USSR has driven Cuba to open it’s doors to tourists as a means of income alongside their traditional exports, the world’s finest cigars and rum. Cuba’s loss is very much our gain. 
At first sight from our hotel, Havana could have been mistaken for downtown Beirut. The authorities are keen to proceed with their programme of urban modernisation. With a severe housing shortage, they need to clear a significant proportion of the old colonial quarter to make way for redevelopment. For the same reason, the locals refuse to leave for fear they will not be able to return. Sadly the only option seems to be to allow the old buildings to fall into ruin, thus forcing the tenants out. Despite this, at closer inspection Havana remains a strikingly beautiful city. The feeling of being somewhere else in time is compounded by the cars. Havana must have the largest working collection of 1950’s vehicles in the world. Apart from state-owned Ladas and Fiats, wheezing old American gas-guzzlers, left over from the revolution remain the order of the day. 
There are certain places that must be visited in Havana. The Museum of the Revolution is a fascinating record of Cuba’s struggle against their former imperialist overlords. Aside from the uniforms, vehicles and weapons used during the revolution, there are letters, documents and photographs, kindly donated by Castro himself, showing the eager young lawyer who was to play such a pivotal role in freeing his country. As well as this there is a wealth of archive material on the man who has become known as the world-wide symbol of revolution, Che Guevara. One evening has to be given over to dinner at La Bodeguita del Medio. Ernest Hemmingway’s favourite restaurant, it is friendly, fun and unique in that visitors are encouraged to write their (hopefully favourable) comments on the walls! Regular fashion shows are staged. This may not sound like a great evening, but each table is supplied with a liberal amount of rum on arrival, an excellent meal and dancing to a local band afterwards, with, of course, the opportunity to purchase the wares on display. 
After a week in Havana, we spent a week at the seaside resort of Varadero. Miles of perfect white beach, water so clean and clear it seems like you will always be able to see the bottom, Varadero is a paradise for anyone interested in water-sports. Snorkelling, scuba diving, windsurfing, water-skiing and many other sports are catered for. Varadero also has the cabaret voted the best in Latin America; vibrant, colourful and energetic. One important tip. Take some toilet paper with you! Toilet paper is rationed, so you will be allocated a few sheets only when paying a visit! 
From Varadero there are a number of excursions that are well worth taking. The National Botanical Gardens are stunning. Take your swimming costume with you, or miss out on the chance to swim in the waterfall. The caves at Matanzas are fascinating; around four miles in length at a depth of up to two miles underground, they are another rich source of natural beauty. 
A short flight from Varadero is the old colonial ‘city’ of Trinidad. Trinidad has barely changed from the times of Spanish rule, over two hundred years ago and is the centre of cigar production. A visit to a cigar factory is included in the trip, which will make you appreciate how well off you are. Each worker has to produce 225 cigars a day to fulfil their quota, not an easy task with regular groups of tourists coming in to gawk at you. Cuba is one of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean, providing far more variety than most of its nearest neighbours. Be prepared, however, for things to not always be as perfect as the surroundings would suggest. With the searing heat at the middle of the day, the islands generators are extremely overworked, which means they have to be shut down once or twice a week for a couple of hours. This means the loss of your air-conditioning and running water for a time, both being electrically powered. This does not sound too bad, but the shutdown normally happens during the hottest part of the day for obvious reasons, or as was the case during our trip to Matanzas, a mile underground when all the lights went out! Please also remember that Cuba has only opened up its borders in the last few years. English is not as widely spoken as you will be used to from other resorts. As one restaurant owner said to a middle-aged couple resorting to the time honoured method of shouting (where DID we get the idea that shouting means people will understand?) "This is Cuba. We are doing our best, but please show a little patience". Back to Bob's index... |
© 1998 Bob Pickett