Saturday 10th cont
It was raining fairy heavily by the time we arrived in Havana and we commenced the 8km drive along the Malecón. We were dropped off in the old town and the group split up as we went in search for lunch. Rather than having sandwiches Andy, Neha and I found ourselves with Dayami at La Mina. I only fancied something light and whilst all the food looked good, it seemed Andy had the best deal.
As we ate lunch the ominous grey clouds which had already produced a few drops of rain finally unleashed their contents. However as the saying goes, the show must go on and therefore like in Helsinki we began the walk in the rain. Jayde and I had been pretty much everywhere on our first full day and whilst there was repetition we learnt a bit more about the area.
Once we had finished the walk we boarded the bus which took us to our final Casa, ironically on the street parallel to the Caribbean. We had a couple of hours to get ready, some of which was spent waiting in Annabel and Neha’s room as I obeyed Jayde request to spy on our host who had taken our passports. The passports were eventually returned and I tried without success to have a nap.
Even though Dayami wasn’t eating with us the group had decided to have a final meal together at La Imprenta, the place Jayde and I had eaten lunch on our first day. I was still yet to eat lobster and having finally withdrawn some cash felt I could treat myself especially as it came with a fish fritter starter. It tasted good to me as did the pina coladas I ordered and the rest of the group agreed the food was delicious.
During the dinner, the heavens had again opened causing the restaurant to flood slightly as the non seating area was open to the elements. We left the restaurant and because it was raining our intention was to get a taxi to the Casa de la Música de Miramar. We’d missed out on going to the one in Trinidad and it wasn’t far from our accommodation.
I was in a large group of 8 and those with a better grasp of Spanish spoke to a taxi driver who explained it was closed and asked if we wanted to go to a different one. We didn’t but it quickly became apparent that during the chaos a group of 4 were already on their way. fortunately the other 4 were just leaving and our taxi drivers kept in contact as we went on a rescue mission.
After about 20 minutes and a drive along the now stormy Malecón we arrived. The others weren’t to be found however Kiam was able to contact Alex. 5 of us were ready to go home, whilst the remaining 7 got another taxi to a club. Andy and I squeezed in to a front seat of a taxi that was literally falling apart, summed up by the door handle falling off as we got in.
The door had felt a bit delicate so I’d been pulling it towards me but as we gathered speed it suddenly swung open. Andy held on to me as I reached out to shut it. We arrived back in the city and our driver then appeared to do a bit of curb crawling as he sought directions even though we had a map. It made me appreciate the London Black Cab drivers with the knowledge and even Uber drivers who at least use satnavs.
Fortunately we weren’t far when a huge hole in the road meant we could finally had an excuse to get out. I’d joked and said the adventure for the others wouldn’t have been over and sure enough as we pulled up, we saw the 7 that were going to the club locked outside. Thankfully Dan who was one of the “missing” 4 heard the commotion below and let us in. We sat in the communal drinking beers minus Carsten and Alex who had found a bar.
It was quite relaxed and whilst not the big bang some may have hoped for, I thought it was a fitting end. As we drank people gradually began to go to bed and we said our goodbyes in case our paths didn’t cross at breakfast. Jayde wanted an early night so I had arranged to sleep in an alternative room and by 1.30 most of those that remained decided to turn in.
Sunday 11th December
After I’d returned to my correct room and we’d both sorted ourselves out Jayde and I took a trip to the old town. We had 3 chores, to get money, to get internet and to book a day trip to Varadero. Before any of them though we needed breakfast. We started at a bakery but I wasn’t in the mood for eggs and so we went in search of somewhere else.
Alas breakfast seems to be a meal Cuban cafe’s haven’t fully embraced, perhaps because all the Casa’s and hotels offer it. Either way after one hungry hour had passed we ended up where we’d started. The morning hadn’t got off to a good start and didn’t improve over the next couple of hours as we failed to accomplish any of our tasks.
We returned back to the Casa where we saw Daisy, Neha, Andy, Dan and Guy. Daisy and Neha were trying to book an extra night so Jayde and I waited with them. Jayde, Neha and I then walked to the Hotel Inglaterra to sort out transport to Varadero. The cheapest day trip offered was $87 but I didn’t trust the seller though Neha was successful in getting her one way ticket.
The three of us continued to the Casa. Jayde and I collected our bags and made the relatively short trip to our new accommodation. The room was lovely and fresh and our host Janet seemed very friendly and helpful. The day had finally taken a turn for a better and with renewed vigour we returned to the old town to complete our unfinished business.
Before getting lunch we called in to the Hotel Mundos however whilst cheaper the excursion to Varadero was still overpriced. We had planned to have lunch at La Mina and realised the other 5 had gone there as well however in typical Cuban fashion they’d been waiting an hour without food. Jayde and I decided to grab a sandwich from around the corner instead.
During lunch Jayde came up with an ingenious idea which meant the trip to Varadero would only cost us $35. Whilst slightly more expensive the departure time and distance from our accommodation meant the Hotel bus was the most convenient way to get to Varadero. The issue was how to get tickets for the public bus back because they couldn’t easily be purchased in Havana. Jayde’s idea was to aak Neha to purchase tickets on our behalf.
We continued to the bank where both our cards were declined and when we turned around we saw the other 5 again. Having given up on completing our tasks we decided to stick with them as they searched for the markets. Unfortunately they weren’t open and so we all returned to our Casas with the intention of meeting later again that night for dinner.
I was back first but Janet kindly let me in to my room and I was showered and changed before Jayde got back. After a bit of down time we returned to the Central Casa from the trip. Andy let us in and it emerged he had also arranged to stay there because the cost worked out cheaper than multiple taxi journeys. Dan and Guy had opted not to join. Neha and Daisy were soon ready and we returned to the old town.
On our way we passed El Floridita which was made infamous by Ernest Hemingway. Neha suggested calling in for a daiquiri (Hemingway’s drink of choice) and we all agreed it would be rude not to. The first thing I noticed was a life size statue of Hemingway sitting at the bar and the 1950s decor which was complimented by the bartenders who were wearing red coats. We took a seat and eventually I settled upon one of the specials, the ‘Daiquiri Floridita’.
We continued to the Plaza Vieja and quickly stumbled across a restaurant called Azucar bar. Andy and I both ordered the shredded beef and shared portions of rice and black beans. I was quite impressed with my pineapple infused mojito however Neha’s daiqiuri definitely won any style competition. A jazz band started performing and I think we all enjoyed the ambient atmosphere as well as the attempts to encourage audience participation.
Andy left and the rest of us continued across the Plaza to a bar called ‘Factoria’, a micro brewery Dayami had told us about because they produced their own beer. They had stopped selling the yards however we were able to get a pint each and chatted some more. Eventually Jayde and I were ready to go home and said our goodbyes to Daisy and Neha as they had decided to stay out.
Monday 12th December
I woke earlier than planned and rather than staying in bed decided to get up. I went up to breakfast and whilst it was more than a little disappointing (consisting of only coffee, a bread roll, some butter and honey) I didn’t regret that fact we had declined to upgrade for $5.
I spent the next 20 minutes trying to find a taxi which was rather surprising considering normally in Havana you couldn’t walk for more than 2 minutes without a stranger beckoning you towards their beaten up yellow car. it was partly my own doing, either I didn’t trust them, considered the car a death trap or they wanted to take me on a tour rather than to my destination.
Eventually after a pleasant stroll I found myself at the Malecón from where I could see the fort the other side of the tunnel. At this point I was finally able to hail one of the smarter air conditioned yellow taxis who took me the remaining short distance but with no foot bridge it had been my only option. We agreed on $4 but I still gave $5 on arrival to include a tip.
I spent the next hour walking around the ‘Castillo De Los Tres Reyes Del Morro’, the Morro fortress enjoying the views of the city on the other side which in truth had been my main reason for paying the entry fee. There was a small display about the British siege of the fort in 1762 when Spanish rule was briefly overthrown. The lighthouse was closed though I hadn’t necessarily planned on paying extra to go up it.
Once I was done I started to walk to Casablanca train station, the start of the Hershey Electric Railway which Jayde and I had been told was temporarily closed due to a derailment. On my way I passed another fort La Cabaña and La Cabaña Che Guevara both of which I also considered visiting however I had no real appetite for more museums so continued on.
Without the aid of GPS I’d resorted to a good old fashioned map and heading in vaguely the right direction. As I wasn’t quite sure where I was, I waa slightly alarmed when I saw a large military presence and a number of missiles/rockets. Memories of (innocent) tourists being locked up for espionage flooded my head however I eventually realised the unmarked base I thought I’d located was actually a museum and I was quite off course.
The military personnel commenced a march and I inadvertently began following them. I kept my distance in case they thought I was following them which I was but only because they were heading in the direction I wanted to go. Eventually we all came to the giant Jesus statue Jayde and I had seen from the Malecón on the first day.
What happened next was rather random so far as I was concerned as the military personnel proceeded to take some group photos before marching back. I waited for them to go before taking my own pictures and then followed the road down towards Casablanca. I eventually found the train station and whilst I couldn’t interpret the sign it was obvious the Hershey Train wasn’t running.
The ferry was just about to leave and I made a quick dash as the staff kindly held it for me, perhaps realising I’d have been left marooned with nothing to do for 30 minutes. I arrived back in old Havana and started to walk to the Old City Wall, which as expected was underwhelming. On my way I passed the markets and saw a display of old steam engines that had once worked the sugar plantations.
I returned to the Old town and joined the queue for WiFi. I was waiting about 30 minutes and when I finally reached the front was told that the cards weren’t available. It was exactly what I’d expected but frustrating none the less. I tried to determine if the cards would be back on sale the following day but it wasn’t clear. Although it was earlier than I planned to be back, I went to the ATM and then returned to the Casa.
I’d only been back a short amount of time when Jayde also returned. She was still feeling quite tired and I still had parts of the city I was happy to explore alone so I walked to the nearest hotel where I got a taxi to the transport museum. As he dropped me off the driver noted that the museum could be closed but I didn’t think much of the scaffolding. If anything after a week in Cuba it looked as run down as I expected.
There was a gap in the metal fence, which I interpreted as the entrance and as all the exhibits were in place I entered and began to search for the ticket office. After a couple of minutes a security guard arrived and politely explained the museum was not open, pointing at the scaffolding in the process. I didn’t think I was in the best part of the city and there weren’t any taxis even though I was on a main road. No one hassled me, I was completely ignored but that didn’t stop me feeling on high alert.
My nerves weren’t helped when waiting to cross the road I got flustered and stepped on something soft. Initially I thought it was dog poo as the streets were paved in it, but it had felt furry. I looked down and realised I’d trodden on a dead mouse which nearly caused me to run in front of the traffic just to get away. Eventually I came to the El Capitolio and from there walked to the Hotel Florida to use the internet.
I returned to the Casa and after regaling my story to Jayde and a quick shower we walked back to the Old town. We managed to get a seat at La Mina and after a nice dinner returned home for an early night so we were fresh for the following day.
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