Salsa, Cigars and Mojito

September 30, 2008

La Havana, the must see destination on every travellers' bucket list. We flew with Iberia Airlines from Brussels to Cuba via Madrid. Easy, no fuss and under 13 hours flying time. We stayed at the Melia Habana hotel, a beach fronted property belonging to the Melia group of hotels. Rooms were large and had a view of the sea. The swimming pool area is spread out resort-style, so one can chill out without intruding on someone else's privacy. The Italian restaurant is reputed to be the best in town and there is a courtesy shuttle coach to the Old Havana daily.

During the day strolling along the Malecon, the expanse of blue sea stretches out to the horizon and not a single tanker, ship or boat in sight. At night, locals gather to enjoy the breeze and chat while musicians will try to serenade you hoping for a buck ot two. The tourists like us always stuck out and we were rooted to our spot while five youngsters sang and entertained us.

Old Havana proclaimed UNESCO World Heritage site is a very walkable city. First stop is Plaza de Armas, Cathedral Square and a crafts fair at the beginning of the street. So many sights and sounds to catch. Further south east, lies Plaza de San Francisco de Asis, Cafe Del Oriente. We had lunch at one of the seafood cafes fronting the bay, El Tempe.

Lots of narrow lanes in between crowded buildings where Cubans eked a simple existence.

I came across a canteen and saw the way people bought and sold food. Prices of certain "luxury" foodstuff were very expensive. There wasn't much to buy if you were a local. Selection of clothes, sundries...were measly, household articles rather rudimentary. I walked into a department store whose shelves were almost empty. Then you really felt the US embargo.

Books were aplenty as I discovered at Plaza de Armas. So Cubans love to read, love their music drinks and cigars.

Tourists were definately the happy lot. There was no shortage of tourist paraphernalia - T shirts with the iconic Chavez emblazoned on it, cigars, arts and crafts, deco pieces for the home etc.. Then there's always the famous bars for drowning mojitos, daiqiris and cuban music plus salsa.

Walk down Mercaderes where you find a chocolate shop set up by a Belgian inniative. Nice place to cool down with an iced chocolate milk drink. A few galleries and museums dotted this street. Take Obispo street, the main avenue of Old Havana. It's a very lively scene and pop by Hotel Ambos Mundos, where Ernest Hemingway slept. Colourful local art shops lined Obispo street. Expressionist is what i'll describe the type of art sold on the streets. Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes is a must visit for those who are curious about major Cuban artists.

At the end of Obispo street is another historical landmark, the Floridita restaurant. This is jazz music capital and Ernest's favourite bar hangout.

Across the main avenue is Capitolo ( poorer version of Capital Hill ), next to it is the Grand Teatro de La Habana. A good spot to people watch while a live band plays on is the Hotel Inglaterra's terrace. Beyond Capitolo, is the aptly named Dragones street- China Town, as usual in a more decrepit part of town. ( Most chinatowns in the world are usually found in the seedier, rowdier part of town ).

Cuban isn't exactly known for its cuisine. The Afro-Spanish-Native-Chinese mix didn't quite ring up an unforgetable dinner. Chicken, rice, plantains are staple, just try Restaurant El Alijbe. Almost all business in Cuba is state run or controlled. A few restaurants are allowed to be run privately by Cubans, these are called Paladars. The most famous one is La Guarida, there's a waiting list and the seafood is touted to be the best. It was featured in the Spanish movie Fresa y Chocolate. The cerviche here is the best in all Cuba.