Central Havana was initially designed as a lush green residential area beyond the old city walls back in the 1800s. With the passage of time, the area has become the bustling downtown of Havana, where government offices, hotels, and the main train station are located. Very little of the old city walls remain as they were torn down to make way for urban development.
Our first stop in Central Havana was the grand Capitolio building, erected in 1929 and the centre of Cuban government until the Revolution in 1959. The Neo-Classic/Art Deco monument is a larger imitation of the Washington DC Capital building, now housing the Ministry of Science, Technology, and the Environment. For nature lovers, the Parque de la Fraternidad sits next to the Capitolio, built in 1892 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America.
We were given an hour to walk around and snap photographs. You can go inside the Capitolio but it requires going through a security checkpoint. Getting to the entrance requires traversing up huge marble steps and dodging people who use the steps as seats. I was more interested in photographing the views from the top: old fashioned cars, horse carriages rides, people, statues, and city architecture. If it’s one thing Havana’s buildings need, it’s paint, and lots of it. Just before leaving, the Chinese couple that we had lost earlier, showed up on another tour bus. Apparently, once they realized that we were gone, they went to another tour bus whose driver started radioing around to see to which bus they belonged to. Victor would have heard if he had turned up the volume on his radio.
The last place Tour Guide Tony took us for the day was to a flea market in Habana Vieja that was located in an old warehouse on the waterfront. He gave us until 5pm to walk around and shop for souvenirs. This flea market is like North America’s Costco but with many Cubans selling their goods from white sheds that are provided by the city. Toys, cigars, rum, food, clothes, candy, paintings, and washrooms can all be found here. Sellers sit in plastic chairs and wait for any opportunity to sell something. Similar to the GAP, it’s impossible to walk around the entire place & not be approached by a seller. The prices are a bit higher but since Cubans are eager to sell, they can be bargained down and/or bartered down with North American goods.
Even though I didn’t buy anything, it was still an experience to see what was being sold. Particularly interesting were the cigar cases because they came with built in humidifiers, so it would be possible to preserve the cigars to the highest quality until they’re smoked. The built in humidifiers also explained the higher prices (40+ CUC).
With our time up, my parents & I happily boarded the tour bus for the evening trip back to the resort. An older tour guide who knew Tony, decided to hitch a ride back home on our bus and sat next to me until we reached Matanzas. The ride back was quiet, dark, and uneventful. Tony chatted with Victor while everyone else slept; some guy a few seats back snored loudly. Since falling asleep in the seating position only worked when I was in school, I just stared out into the night, watching the Cuban scenery pass me by.
Overall, I have to say that the Havana Day Excursion was fun & worth the 67 CUC (per person). Tony was a good tour guide despite having to talk according to restrictive rules set down by the autocratic government. It should be mentioned that one cannot see all of Havana in one day. Like my mother realized after the excursion, the best way to see most of Havana would be to stay there for at least a week or two. Just make sure you have enough money and an open mind. Don’t let the cultural differences & local nuisances get to you.
End of Havana Day Excursion Series.
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