This morning was the van trip to the airport, and the lines to get our boarding passes, followed by the lines to get through security, followed by the lines...well, you know. The trip left on time, and we were off and running to Cuba!
Intersting for me was that we flew over the US: during George Bush's reign, flights to Cuba had to fly far out over the Atlantic. So this was a three-and-a-bit hour flight, landing in Varedero, to a cloudy, slightly rainy, and warm day.
How nice to be greeted on our exit from the airport by a young woman from Habanatur, with a sign saying "Robert James", who directed us to a waiting cab. Our driver was an older man, who handled the baggage and us with aplomb, and sped us on our 130-km trip to the Big City. It was only after we were a ways waway from the airport that we remembered we were supposed to have gotten our vouchers at the airport before leaving (and we hadn't). We asked the driver; he responded that he had his and everything was fine.
It was a long drive, through varied and wonderful scenery, to Havana. We passed through farm-flat land, over hills, over a 1200-metre high bridge and over several rivers. We even passed by some oil fields which apparently are not producing much any more. Then through a tunnel, around some curves, and we were into the old part of Havana: Vieja Havana.
The city is magnificent. Crumbling in many areas, being repaired in many places, but generally looking like the faded old lady that it is. Streets were built before cars, so they are narrow, and plied by pedestrians (those that are brave enough), bicycles, bike taxis, motorcycle taxis, trucks and cars. The place seems to vibrate with life. Clearly there are a number of things we will need to be doing tomorrow.
Without our precious vouchers, we were not sure how we would get into the hotel. But they accepted our receipt, and we were in, escorted to our room by Tulio (who needed a tip for this). A word about the hotel: think Casablanca-style, think hacienda; it has a central open area which has resident love birds and several real palms in it. The rooms are grand, but relatively modern, with a balcony to look out onto the street, and shuttered windos and doors to allow for ventilation. It is amazing. I may not leave.
Once settled in, Darlene went out for a walk to orient herself, and I lay down for a quick few winks. She came back enthused about the possibilities for walking and eating, so we headed out again at about 6. We stopped to convert some money at the local bank, and proceeded on to find a place to eat. We were soon spotted by someone who could see a sucker, and he took us off to a local house/restaurant (a "paladar" - perfectly legal) for some cuban food. His name was Rinaldo, he says he is a resident in Orthopedics, with one year to go before graduating and getting out of Cuba to go to Portugal. he says he would earn 400 pesos a month here (about $30), and wants more than that. He sat and drank four beers while we ate a lot of food. He told us that, for getting us to this place, he would get some additional food for his family (as well as the four beers, of course). He was delightful, and clearly not afflicted with Revolutionary Thought. And the meal cost us $70, a lot for Havana.
But this is, after all, a part of the experience here. We met someone who was "local". We got scammed a bit, but learned also a bit more about the Cuba of the 21st Century. Our first day was good. And we are tired, so early to bed.
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Location:Havana, Cuba
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