Havana

With serious connectivity issues, we have decided to publish the story of our last few days, and add pictures as we can.


June 5, 2017
After a month at Marina Gaviota, it was time for us to move on.  Next destination – La Habana.

At Gaviota we met Patrick and Jaqueline, a French couple who have been living on their 40 foot catamaran Cava and sailing around the Caraibbean for the last 7 years.  They were also headed for Havana, so once again we had a buddy boat for the 12 hour trip from Veradero to Havana.  We broke it into 2 parts, spending one night at Marina Darsena then getting an early start the next morning for the longest leg of 81 miles.



June 6, 2017
Conditions were very good at the start of the day, but the winds built throughout the day, with gusts reaching up to 30 knots.  We stayed about a mile offshore to minimize the wave action, but were definitely dealing with those heavy winds, and a few sprinkles along the way.

The shoreline quickly changed from the flat sandy penninsula where Veradero is to limestone bluffs and rocky beaches.  This is a sensitive area for Cuba, as it is the closest jumping off point for those Cubans wanting to escape to the U.S.  Military observation posts were visible all along the coast, and we were aware that our progress was being tracked and recorded.  Travellers are required to check in and out of each marina, and say what the next port of call will be.  Anchoring along this part of the coast is not permitted.

We passed by the mouth of Havana Harbour and the city proper on our way to Marina Hemingway, which is about 10 miles, or an hour’s travel, past the city.  It was still blowing very hard when we arrived, and Michael had to work very, very hard to bring us safely alongside the customs dock for the obligatory check in, inspection and paperwork.  Then we had to move to our slip in the first of 4 canals that make up the marina.  We are closest to the sea, and farthest from the noise of the hotel pool and bar, which pumps out electronic music at deafening volumes all day long!

June 8, 2017
After a day of rest and relaxation, Patrick and Jaqueline took us with them on a shopping trip.  This is not their first visit here, and they have a taxi driver that they know well, as well as some very good locations for provisioning.  Best of the bunch was a brand new vegetable market which actually grows much of its own produce right behind the store.  There is much more variety available in fruits and veg here than we found in Veradero or Santa Marta, and the prices are equally good.  Our quest for lobster and shrimp were unsuccessful, however, as none of the drivers fisherman friends were at home.  Tomorrow, perhaps.

The highlight of today’s trip was a small neighbourhood in the town of Jaimanitas (which is where the marina is located) called Fuesterlandia.  It is a neighbourhood dominated by the work of a famous Cuban artist.  Everything is covered in mosaics, and fantastic structures grow out of roofs and walls, creating the most amazing visual treat.  We wandered, open-mouthed and delighted, to see dragons and giraffes, giant flowers, and madonna and child, all made completely of small ceramic pieces.  Fantastical creatures, indeed.

Storms rolled in during the afternoon, with thunder, lightening, and heavy downpours that seemed to continue for hours.  There was a brief respite, with rainbows and a beautiful sunset, but the clouds returned, bringing rain and more thunder overnight.  Poor Kokomo was not happy abouth all the noise.

June 9, 2017
As promised, the taxi returned this morning to take us in search of lobster.   This also provided us with a rare glimpse into everyday life.  Lobster fishing is completely controlled by the state, and the average fisherman is not allowed to fish or sell lobster.  Penalties are severe, although no one would say exactly what they are.

We don’t know where he went, but our supplier went away to retrieve the lobster for us from another location.  He came back with a 5 Kg bag of frozen lobster tails, which we had agreed to split with Patrick and Jaqueline.  So we came away with 2.5 kg of lobster (9 or 10 tails) for $25 CUC, and about a half kilo of shrimp for $15 CUC.  There will be some good dinners coming up!!

After bringing our booty back to the boats, and rearranging the freezer to make it all fit, we piled back into the taxi for our first trip into Havana.  With Patrick and Jaqueline as our guides, we arrived at Parque Central – the hub of the old town.  This lovely old park is surrounded by the Capitol Building, the National Theatre building and five grand old hotels.

The Capitol building is a copy of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington with one important difference:  the Cuban Capitol is 2 centimeters taller than the American one, a fact shared with great delight by our taxi driver.

We began our walking tour with a trek through Old Havana, ending up at El Floridita, one of Heminway’s favourite bars.  Inside, there is a bronze statue of Papa himself sitting at the bar.  It’s a small place, but Patrick managed to find us a table.  As we waited for our daiquiris to arrive, we marvelled at the hordes of people coming in just to take their picture with the statue.  Most never ordered a drink, or looked around long enough to appreciate the ornate mural behind the bar, or to enjoy the band playing for their entertainment.  I couldn’t help but wonder how many of these folks have actually read any of Hemingway’s books.

It started to rain while we were inside, which set the pattern for the rest of the day.  We followed Patrick through the multitude of church squares and historical buildings, dodging into doorways – or a bar/restaurant – when it rained, moving on when it stopped.  Patrick’s plan for lunch was an outdoor terrace which was not going to work under the conditions, so we went with Michael’s choice of the Buena Vista Curry Club, an Indian restaurant run by a young man from Manchester.  We had a great meal – our first Indian meal since we left Toronto – and thoroughly enjoyed the couple of hours we spent there.

As a side note, I should explain that neither Patrick nor Jaqueline are fluent in English, but they do speak some.  Jaqueline speaks very good Spanish.  My very rusty high school French and somewhat better Spanish make for some hilarious trilingual conversations.  And the more mojitos we consume, the easier it is to communicate!!

I also need to say that Michael and I continue to be confused and somewhat saddened by some of what we are seeing here in Havana.  We noticed the contrasts of well kept buildings next to ruins in both Cardenas and Matanzas, but it is even more noticeable here.  There is evidence of a great deal of money coming into Havana, with new hotels going up and cruise ships often in the harbour, but the absolute poverty, with families living in some of those ruined buildings, is hard to get our heads around.

Havana is a vibrant city, full of life and laughter, music and dancing, art and history, all jammed in together and impossible to resist.

June 10, 2017
Cuba, in general, and Havana specifically, are recognized worldwide through images of mint condition cars from the 1940s and ‘50s, still in use every day.  Some are in better condition than others, and some make you wonder how they stay in one piece at all.

We have ridden in Dodges, Plymouths and Fords, all older than me, and all in use as taxis.  But we had not ridden in a convertible – until today.  On our way out of Havana yesterday, we stopped where all the antique cars hang out, and arranged for a big, pink convertible to pick us up at the marina and take us for a 3 hour tour to the highlights of Havana that you can’t reach on foot.

Manolo arrived at 9:30, and off we went with a blast from his ‘Aaauuuuuga – uuuuga’ horn.  The road into Havana passes along Embassy Row, and some of them are indeed impressive.  A block off the main thoroughfare is Canada’s embassy, a little smaller than some of the others, but in a lovely building.  The Russian and US embassies sit apart from the others, closer to downtown.  Both are unattractive – I would even call the Russian building ugly, a Soviet legacy for sure.

We climbed through the city’s hills to a beautiful wooded area that reminded me of some tropical planet in one of the Star Wars movies.  Green vines covered everything, and moisture dripped from the trees making the ground slick and treacherous.  The entire area is bordered by a resricted military zone, with unsmiling Guardas at the frequent checkpoints, but the road is well travelled, with many taxis and private cars coming to the woods for a few minutes in the quiet green.  We stopped long enough for a few photos, then were on our way again to Plaza de la Revolucion.

Perched on top of a hill, this expansive plaza is a monument to the heroes of Cuba and the Revolucion – Che, Jose Marti, Fidel, and many others.  Che’s likeness is everywhere – paintings and ironwork are most popular, and his words are frequently painted as slogans on the sides of buildings.


Another Cuban hero is, apparently, John Lennon.  A statue of him sits on a bench in a lovely park, and tourists are invited to sit with him for a photo – and a small donation to the man who’s job is to put a pair of round sunglasses on the statue for your photo, then remove the glasses when you are finished.  We settled for a photo from a distance.  On the corner is the Club Submarino Amarillo.  Full points to you if you guessed the translation to be Yellow Submarine Club.  Live music is presented 8 days a week (sorry – I couldn’t resist).

Time for a refreshing daiquiri at the French club, even though it was not yet 11:00 am, then back into the car.  Next stop Barrio de Hamel, an AfroCuban artists’ area, where the old walls are all painted and all of the sculptures and furniture is reclaimed/recycled.  We didn’t stay here long, as we felt we were being hustled from the moment we stepped out of the car….Buy a drink, buy something to eat, buy some art, buy my services to be your guide.

Old Havana is in large part restricted to pedestrians, but our driver took us around as much as he could, past many of the same buildings we had seen yesterday.  Our plan was to visit El Castillo del Morro, a 16th century fort at the entrance to Havana Harbour, but the police had the tunnel closed for an unknown reason, and we were not able to get there.

All in all, it was a lovely morning, and were back at the marina by 12:30.  Patrick and Jaqueline served up some mojitos, then lunch, and a very pleasant afternoon on Cava’s back deck, followed by a lovely sunset.  Kokomo has discovered that he likes to spend time in the grass next to the canal, especially at dusk when there are lots of little flying things to chase!