Spent most of the day in the car with Ariel travelling from Havana to Trinidad.  The highway goes straight through the centre of the island and being a communist country it’s in good condition.  It was countryside pretty much all the way, miles and miles of lush green farmland growing sugar rice and oranges.  The farms are all state owned and there’s no money for machinery so there are many farmhands working the fields in scorching temperatures, using oxen to plough and transport produce and scything the land.  As you get further into the countryside there are fewer cars, the village houses are roughly constructed shacks and the main transport seems to be horse and trap.  

We stopped at Santa Clara to see the memorial to Che Guevara.  They really do love him here and his image is omnipresent.  Just as well he was so handsome.  Fidel was the main man though.  He might not have such pretty branding for t-shirts and fridge magnets but the word is that he held huge respect and although his brother is not exactly unpopular he doesn’t have the same influence.  You can’t talk to anyone here without the politics of the situation coming up.  Things are changing and they’re on edge.    I’ll write more about that later when we’re in a country with proper wifi.  It’s so complicated!

Tim and Ariel talking. politics.

Me and Che.  Viva la revolucion!

Near Trinidad is the Iznaga tower, owned by a sugar plantation owner who was so rich that built it so that he could climb to the top and watch his 15,000 slaves working his land.  Shame he never fell over the edge.  

In Trinidad now.  A much smaller and more touristy version of Old Havana.  Off to explore now.

Amongst the many annoying habits that I have on holiday is that I talk to complete strangers.  Of course, they usually want money.  In Havana you are approached constantly, usually to take a taxi or buy cigars.  Everyone has a deal.  These Jineteros hassle you but are very friendly so why not chat and it’s how they get by so what’s the problem in giving them a few pesos?

Yesterday we walked down the Paseo del Prado, an old Spanish promenade that isn’t really functional as half the trees are missing, then along the seafront along the Malecon until we got to the Hotel Nacional where we had a drink and contemplated it’s mafia past and channelled the spirits of Frank and Ava.

On the way we met

And these guys who asked if we were from Liverpool.  We said no, but they played the Beatles anyway.  I got them to play Besa Me, a song that you hear everywhere here, while I pretended to shake my maracas.  Tim quite understandably kept his distance. He didn’t want to shake his maracas so early in the morning.

The Nacional

There’s lots more to write about yesterday but we are off now to Trinidad.  Wifi is bad here.  Only 5% of Cuba has it and in theory it’s free in the hotel but it’s difficult to sign in and it cuts out all the time.

More later, but in the meantime, Hasta Luego Habana

So I managed the flights without too much hysteria.  I can’t say I loved the experience but with a drip feed of white wine and the whole series of The Night Manager to distract me it was relatively pleasant.

We were greeted at Havana airport by Ariel, our guide who took us to our hotel.  We’re in Old Havana overlooking the Capitiolo.

Havana is just how we imagined.  Busy, beautiful, and very hot!

The view from the roof terrace.

This morning Ariel took us on a walking tour of the old town then in the afternoon we were driven around the newer side in an old open top dodge.  Havana is a city of contrast.  Old and new, crumbling architecture but a dogged refusal to let these buildings fall down so it seems like a city in disrepair yet repair at the same time.  Ariel told us many stories about the Spanish conquest, the Mafia and the revolution with the architecture, monuments and plazas as a visual reference to these tales of greed and glory.

The car ride wasn’t as glamorous as it looks.  Plastic covered seats in 35 degree heat and a choking smell of exhaust fumes don’t make for a comfy journey, but I’d recommend it over an air-conditioned tour bus any day, it was a glorious way to cruise around Havana.  

Plaza Vieja, beautiful square but strangely manufactured.  Feels like you’re in a Disney version of Old Havana.  The statue is of a naked bald woman in high heels carrying a huge fork and riding a chicken.  Each to their own….

No wifi so Tims already pissed off. He may struggle in Cuba….

Well, not quite yet.   In the lounge at terminal 5 waiting for our flight to Madrid and from there we will go to Havana.

Jack got all shaky this morning when he saw the suitcases but he will be so spoilt by Fred and Jo he won’t want us back.

A month in South America.  Trip of a lifeltime.  I love anything Latin but hate flying.  Tim loves airports but hates holidays.  We will either be divorced by the time we get to Buenos Aires or renewing our vows on Machu Picchu. Watch this space….