Havana, Cuba Day 1-(my 91st nation visited)

Havana, Cuba-Day 1

A recipe for being Cuban: take a dose of World War II rationing, and a pinch of Soviet era austerity, add in the family values of South America, the educational virtues of the US, and the loquaciousness of the Irish. Mix with the tropical pace of Jamaica and innate musicality of Pastoral Africa before dispersing liberally around the sultry streets of Havana, Santiago de Cuba, and Camaguey. Familiar sounds in any neighborhood are a cock crowing, a saxophonist practicing his scales, dogs barking, car engines exploding, a salsa beat far off, and those all-too-familiar shouts from the street of "que pasa?" and "no es facil"...........Don't come here looking for answers; just arrive with an open mind and prepare yourself for a long, slow, seduction!

--------Quote by: Sainsbury and Waterson-travel writers

As a world traveler and avid cruiser, few things can describe the excitement and anticipation, for me, of visiting a new destination and watching it emerge from the sea and unfold before me, while I am of standing out on deck.  For sail-ins, I am always one of the first ones up, with coffee in hand, all the way forward on the top deck of the ship. Some of my favorite sail-ins have been, Kotor Montenegro, Nuku Hiva in French Polynesia, Auckland New Zealand, Malta, and sailing through the Suez Canal, Panama Canal, and Stockholm’s archipelago.

Sailing into Havana Cuba, was extra special. This country, only 90 miles away, is close to my heart for several reasons. I have close friends who are from there, it has a long tumultuous history with the United States, and travel from the US to Cuba is still basically taboo.  This is also an extra special journey because we are on the eighth cruise from the US to Cuba, sanctioned by both countries, in more than 50 years. 

In order to qualify under the permitted travel category for educational and “People to People” P2P  exchange programs, visitors are required to participate in a full-time schedule of programs sponsored by fathom—minimally six hours.  If you plan to deviate and experience your own P2P exchanges, you must sign a separate affidavit and maintain a detailed journal, which you must keep for five years.

As we sailed into Havana harbor, the excitement was in the air like I have never felt before on a cruise ship. The wavy Havana skyline appeared as first a spec and then slowly emerged as a spectacular, colorful, watercolor of beauty. On the other side, El Moro was on display in all its glory. I snapped away on my camera and as I zoomed in, I saw the faces of colorfully attired Cubans, waiting at a bus stop. I noticed a couple of them were taking photos of us. Even at a distance, you can see the colorful classic US cars from the 1940s and 1950s, everywhere.

We docked around 11 AM as planned, at a perfect spot, along the famous Malecon. (My starboard balcony room faced this picturesque scene!) The cruise director began calling group (of 25-30) names at 10 minute intervals, requesting that we disembark and go through passport control. I was in group “Impact“, scheduled to disembark at 11:45-Noon. Even going through passport control was really exciting. I said hello to every single uniformed agent. They all smiled and said hello back.

Our first mission of the day was to exchange US for Cuban currency. There is a double system of payment and currency used in Cuba--One for tourists only, called the Cuban peso convertible, or CUC, for short; the other is the Peso Cubano or CUP. There were more than 15 tellers available to help us exchange currency. Importantly, we were reminded to exchange them back into US dollars prior to our departure from Cuba for they would be worthless everywhere else. I learned that up until 2004, US dollars were widely used throughout Cuba until President George Bush enacted laws that prompted Castro to retaliate by obstructing the free flow of US dollars.

Our first day excursion included a walking tour of all Old Havana, lunch, and a stroll along the waterfront (Malecon) back to the ship. Of course, our ship was docked right across from one of the first of four squares, Plaza St. Francis of Assisi. Our tour guide, Israel, was passionate, knowledgeable, and had a great sense of humor, much of it self-deprecating. He also sprinkled his message with wordplay and puns.

 As we stood at our first stop the Plaza of St. Francis Assisi, I noticed the brisk pace of multi-hued pedestrians; the diversity of transportation from classical cars to bicycles, to small two-seater semi-enclosed motorized vehicles; and the spectacularly varied architecture that ranged from Spanish baroque, French classicism, and North American and European art deco--basically every style from the 17th century till the 1950s--in every shade of pastel and primary colors. I had heard that Cuba appeared frozen in time. They are right. Little has changed since the revolution of 1959.  Yet, Cubanos' joie de vivre is infectious--its energy sensuous and alluring.

What surprised me the most was its revolutionary heritage that was on display at every turn, in all 3 cities on our trip. From colossal art graffiti scripted with “revolucion”, to grand Plazas celebrating revolutionary heroes, to gargantuan elaborate memorials in vast cemeteries such as the Jose Marti memorial in Santiago, and the mammoth statue of Antonio Maceo the hero, the largest statue in the country--in Santiago.

Israel, our tour guide

We got lost in the time warp of Habana Vieja’s colonial cobblestone streets and visited: 1)  the recently meticulously restored architecturally eclectic Plaza Vieja, liberally peppered with cafes, bars, restaurants, statues, fountains, museums, and even a school; 2) Plaza de Armas, the oldest square founded in 1520 with most buildings dating from the late 1700s; 3) Plaza de la Cathedral, planked by modern art galleries and frequently by colorful “cigar ladies”  4) hotels including Hotel Ambos Mundos, Hemingway’s first home in Cuba for 7 years. It was here the author began writing “For Whom the Bell Tolls” in his room 511, still preserved as he may have left it.

Lunch was in a traditional Cuban restaurant.  Our choices were beef, chicken, pork, fish, and Caribbean lobster tail.  They included a welcome mojito and 3 more drinks of choice.  It began to rain so the owners moved our table-of-eight twice to avoid showers.  Over lunch, we bonded around our awe of Havana, our enjoyment of the meal, and our gratitude for experiencing such a wonderful journey.

UNESCO declared Habana Vieja a world Heritage Site and it is considered one of the most beautifully restored colonial cities in the world.  The mastermind who spearheaded this titanic project in late 1970’s, city historian Spengler, mixes historical preservation with urban regeneration creating a unique juxtaposition of local and tourist friendly milieu.

The heat in early August was sweltering and we were reminded of how scarce air conditioning is in the tropical island nation.  Bottled water and a fan provided a hint of relief.  Members of our group dropped like flies, some overwhelmed by the heat---only three of us remained til the end with Israel, our guide. 

 

Caribbean lobster tail

As our first tour day in Havana ended, we strolled along the lively Malecon (harbor front) back to our modern, air-conditioned cruise ship.

I was one of few who had not booked evening entertainment in Havana.  Because it began to rain during dinner, I decided not to attend either show at the Tropicana (outdoor performance) ($169) or La Parisian in the Hotel Nacional ($89).  Instead, I stayed on the ship and watched Casablanca on the big screen.  I realized I had never seen the entire film.  I loved it!

I slept well with my balcony door ajar, listening to the sounds of the city.