Habana Vieja

We emerged from the tunnel in the historic heart of Havana; Habana Vieja. The first building to greet us was the Spanish Embassy to our right, and the first monument was to our left; a large horseman sitting on top of a podium. The bus continued to drive south along the harbour front, letting us take in the views of La Cabana fortress, fishing boats, cargo vessels, and the sheer size of the port.

The walking tour with Tour Guide Tony would begin at Plaza de San Francisco, a small commercial square where the old Customs House & Stock Exchange are located. Before disembarking, Tony warned us about the 4 kinds of ‘harassment’ tourists may face: 1) Cubans sketching you for pesos; 2) Ladies in traditional dresses wanting to get a photo with you for pesos; 3) People with large cigars wanting to get photographed for pesos; 4) and Cubans begging for spare pesos. The good news he added was that once you say no & shake your head, they back off without a word.

As Tony led us to the square, I gazed around at the mix of old & new cars driving about, the docked cruise ship Europa, and a police officer holding a 12-guage shotgun. The square is small but bustling with activity ranging from workers restoring buildings to the 4 ‘harassments’ I just mentioned. After speaking for several minutes, we moved north, exploring the side streets. Old cannons and cannon balls are used as road barriers to prevent vehicles from traveling on certain roads. Many buildings in this area are finally being repaired after being neglected for decades due to lack of money. Being declared a heritage site by UNESCO has been a huge boost to the city.

Our tour group spent several minutes inside a secluded courtyard used as a restaurant, and cigar shop, where Tony talked more about cigars & which ones to buy. The tourists who’re more interested in site seeing waited patiently with frowns on their faces. Just before leaving, I snapped a picture of a camouflaged peacock that was sitting on some vines.

Next stop was the Plaza De Arma, a spacious square surrounded by Baroque buildings, filled with palm trees, and stocked with books. There are bookstands everywhere, making you feel like you’re in an outdoor Spanish Chapters store. In the centre of the plaza sits a large marble statue of Carlos Manuel, a Cuban planter who freed his slaves and made the declaration for Cuban Independence in 1868. The oldest military structure in Havana, the Castillo de la Real Fuerza, is just a few steps away from the plaza, and proudly standing since the 16^th century. We were also shown the small Neo-Classical shrine El Templete where it is believed to be where the city of San Cristobal de la Habana was founded back in 1599. There is a large mural inside the temple, depicting the first mass that was held at the spot, and a sacred tree at the front where money offerings can be left.

Tour Guide Tony led us two blocks west of the Plaza De Arms to the Hotel Ambos Mundos, located just across the former Ministry of Education. The hotel is famous for being the residence of American writer Ernest Hemingway during the early 20^th century. A corner of the main lobby is dedicated to Hemingway, displaying many portraits of him living at the hotel. As explained by Tony, Hemingway drank mojitos in the morning, and dakaris in the afternoon. Tasty, but deadly on a regular basis. To honour the writer, we all ordered mojitos for 3 pesos at the lobby bar.

Just as my parents & I sat down to drink, we were interrupted by music from outside. I dashed out to check out the commotion and photographed a band accompanied with dancers on stilts marching up the street. It was quite a spectacle, watching the dancers chasing each other, and the band playing lively music. It looked like it had something to do with evil spirits.

Last stop before lunchtime was the Plaza de la Catedral. Here you find: the Baroque styled Catedral de San Cristobal, a national monument; the Museum of Colonial Art; & the Paris Restaurant. We were given 30 minutes to roam the premises & explore the church before heading back to the bus that was parked not too far away. My mother chose this opportunity to find a Cadeca & exchange our Canadian money for pesos. After photographing the square & walking around the church, there wasn’t much to do except watch a busker perform with his dress up dogs. Speaking of animals, there are a lot of stray dogs & cats in Havana, either laying out in the hot sun, and/or walking around looking for food.

My parents & I got on the bus just in time, only to wait for another 25 minutes because a Chinese couple failed to show up. Tony had gone back to the place where he set us free but was unable to find them. The bus couldn’t wait any longer because we risked losing our reservations at the restaurant. As Victor drove the bus deeper into the city, everyone wondered how the missing couple would find us or get back to their hotel at the end of day.

To Be Continued . . .