January 16, First day of the Trip

Today was different. It's interesting how you have to take more peoples' interests into account, and how this changes a lot of things. We had agreed to meet everyone downstairs at breakfast in the 7-7:30 time frame. But of course only Darlene and I were there, with Barry showing up a bit later, Brendan not until after 9, and Gary about 8:30. We had talked the night before about going to the Museum of the Revolution, and felt we should do this in the morning. So we set off about 10, with Lee and Bill also (the people from Alberta who we had met the day before).

A walk through the tired streets of Havana, finally coming out to the building that housed the Museum, and which had in a previous life been the Presidential Palace (built in 1913-20). The building was grand, but worn down like all the buildings in this town. It was under renovation, so we couldn't visit it all. But we did see the Revolution things that we had wanted to see. A lot of detail, and a lot of propaganda about the valiant rebels and the awful tyrants who were here before. Some things I did not know, and a lot of things missing from the exposition which I did know. The victors write the history, once again.

There was a part of the exhibit which talked about all the wonderful changes that the Revolution had wrought. We began to read this, but we were tired by then, and it was even more tiresome in its chauvinism, so we skipped it and went to the back of the park area where the actual "Granma" was kept, encased in glass and guarded (the tour guide suggests that this is so that no one can steal it and get away to Florida). Also some of the vehicles and captured materials from the Revolutionary time and from the Bay of Pigs attack.

By now it was after noon, and Darlene and I had wanted to go back to the Parque Central to have a drink and use the internet. Or even the Savilla, which we preferred. So we all walked back to the Savilla (previously the home of the Mafia in Cuba), and the others left us there happy with our intenet access. However, in the end, it turned out to be better at the Parque Central, so we ate and had a drink there. I've included a view from the roof.

All of this tired me right out, and I had to get back to the hotel and rest before supper. We met some of the other bikers from the trip at 6 PM (although as yet no personnel from WOW Cuba have shown up). After a while, the six of us (Barry, Brendan, Gary, Darlene, I and a new friend called Ron) went out for supper at the Center Asturiano, on the Prado. It was the best supper, by far, that we have had in Cuba. All was wonderful, including eating "al fresco". We came home happy.

I am keeping this short, since I have to go to bed and get up by 3:30 tomorrow morning. The trip to the airport begins here at 4, so (sigh) early to bed. Perhaps I'll be wise.
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Location:Havana