Nine years have
passed since my last visit to Havana. I was so enthralled by this romantic city
that on my return I wrote the novel One Kiss in Havana. I've yet to find a
better setting for a book.
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| Riding the Malecon in a Buick |
Havana is a rhythm, a heartbeat that either resonates
with you or pounds with a loud din.
It's difficult not to be passionate about this place. I
am sitting in the back of a vintage red Buick and wondering why I left it so
long to return. Luis is driving the car that takes me from Miramar to the old
town and he joyously informs me that he works for himself. Wearing a cowboy
hat, sunglasses and a wide smile he explains that his father was handed down
this car from his father. Pre 1959 Cars were one of the few possessions that
the population were allowed to own after the Revolution. Luis works it from
dawn to dusk giving the government $100 CUC (Cuban convertible pesos) per month
as well as 10% of everything that he earns. The Cubans have a two tier currency
- CUCs for the tourist population and purchasing luxury items and the peso for
use by the general population. Luis has embraced this new way of doing business
but goes on to tell me that on the down side he has to pay for his own gas.
The streets are more carefully manicured than I remember and
the sweeping water-fronted Malecon is looking exceptional clean and freshly
painted. The president, Raul Castro and Unesco have put a huge amount of
investment in to maintaining the city's unique architecture. The roads however
are still potholed and this means Luis takes the car on a bumpy, zigzag course.
"You sometimes get a massage for free in this car," he jokes. He takes
my photo before I pay him $20 and then merrily sets off, adding that he hopes
someday to own a Honda!
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| At the Cathedral Cristobel |
The famous Bodegita del Medio, where Hemmingway enjoyed
his Mojitos is the very same as it was in 2006 and I fruitlessly search for my
signature on the blue walls, covered by years of graffiti. It's an impossible
task so this time I take a photo to remind me where I sign my name. Many
authors and musicians have passed through these doors including the great
Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
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| My mojito at the Bodegita del Medio |
As I make my way along Calle Obispo I'm startled by the
subtle changes, there is an industrious air about the locals that was not there
before. Some things however do not change and toiletries are still rationed so
I bring along a bag filled with shampoo and soap from my hotel room and distribute
them to passersby along with some pens. Even sachets of hotel room coffee are
greatly appreciated. Calle Obispo runs
from Parc Central to the Malecon and is a good indicator of how the old town is
doing − the stink is gone so maybe there have been renovations to the sewer
system too. I pop in to see the Ambos
Mundos Hotel where Hemmingway lived from 1932 to 1939 and anyone can visit his
room which is maintained in its original state for $5.
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| Nao restaurant Paladeras |
At Cristobel Cathedral old ladies still wear white
turbans and long lace dresses as they sell knitted dolls. I stop off in Nao,
one of the new breed of self owned paladares (restaurants set in local homes)
and am instantly impressed by the welcome and decor. "It's happy hour,"
the barman Johnny says. He insists that I sit at the bar and drink a Mojito,
while a trio of musicians serenade. Although there are only six tables set, it
is cosy and the menu offers a wide range of delicacies including octopus and
rabbit. Johnny says the fish they use is all freshly taken off the fishing
boats every morning. Like Luis his enthusiasm for his work is in complete
contrast to the laid back service I found in the state owned restaurants in the
past.
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| Cuban transport |
With a little sadness I leave Havana next day to explore
more of the countryside. This agrarian
landscape is how I imagine rural Ireland must have appeared to visiting
Americans in the 1950s and 60s. I pass small shacks, tumbledown houses with a
slap of paint here and there and goats and hens roaming the gardens. The fields
vary in size and undulate in most cases as the tractors are saved for the
larger centrally owned farms. It's common to find tall palm trees standing in
the middle of a field.
It is a four hour bus ride to Cayo Coco and the
archipelago of wetlands that make up the Jardins Del Rey, named The Gardens of
the King by Columbus after his arrival in Cuba. These mangroves are joined to
the mainland by a seventeen kilometre causeway. The Melia group have opened a
new four star all-inclusive resort with the same name and it has prime location
on the unspoilt waterfront. This is a
much smaller resort than the more widely visited Varadero beach. A white sandy
beach runs along the back of the hotel. Every little comfort is included in the
hotel package as Pedro and his donkey patrol the beach handing out beers and
soft drinks to the hard-pressed sunbathers.
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| portable bar, the Melia at Cayo Coco |
Next day I take a trip with Gaviota tours on a Catamaran.
As we set sail wild dolphins swim past. This is the Caribbean at its best. The
catamaran anchors close to a coral reef and it's time for snorkelling. These
are the moments that I will dream about on rainy winter days. As the warm
breeze kisses my cheek and the velvety turquoise sea beckons I take a sip from
my Cuba Libre and smile. This cocktail of White Rum and Cola was given its name
by Americans who flooded the country after the expulsion of the Spanish in
1898. Ideally the mix of the Cuban Rum and American Coke symbolised the new
free Cuba, hence the name Cuba Libre. But it wasn't the case as Cuba became a
playground for rich Americans. However after the revolution headed by Fidel
Castro and Che Guevara some staples remained and this drink is one of them.
A week is easy to fill by the beach if a sun holiday is
what you want but I'm on my way to Santiago de Cuba so I start the long voyage
via my next stop at the city of Camaguey. This is a clean and beautifully
preserved city. It is different from Havana with more surreys and bicycles than
old Cadillacs. The winding labyrinth of
streets, hide a cornucopia of talented artists exhibiting their work and an
abundance of clay pots that the city is famous for. That night I stay at Santa
Lucia where the waters are bath temperature and shallow. I check in at the
lively Brisas resort and embrace the beach. Reluctantly next day I set off by
bus and the roads become more sporadic − many have evolved into mounds of clay.
It is rainy season but the rains haven't travelled down to this part of the countryside
yet and there are serious concerns about the drought.
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| Camaguey |
The journey through the spine of Cuba is fascinating as
the locals pile in and out of cooperative cars. Every horse and cart is packed
to capacity and good humour accompanies the travellers as they set off. My next
stop is Holguin where the local beers Cristal and Bucanero are brewed. The
landscape changes the further south I travel and bumps rise out of the
landscape. This city is crowned with a sacred site and terrific viewpoint from
Loma de la Cruz. I pay homage to patron St Lazarus temple at the foot of a
large cross and breath in the panoramic view.
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| Holguin |
The rest of the journey towards Santiago de Cuba involves
passing through El Cobre and the contrasting mountainous landscape. Cuba's
second town has similar attractions to those found in Havana and is celebrating
its 500th year since the Spanish founded it. The Tropicana cabaret is a
wonderful excursion and the dancers come out into the crowd and perform the
conga at the end of the show. The Casa de la Musica has a venue in Santiago de
Cuba also and many of the original Buena Vista Social Club hailed from this
town. San Pedro de la Roca Morro Castle has one of the best views over the city
so I stop and dine in El Morro restaurant and sit in Paul Mc Cartney's chair
which has been engraved since his visit. It's pointless to compare the cities
any further without getting into a Dublin Versus Cork style debate. Santiago de
Cuba is a beautiful city that stands alone and has the unique advantage of
being the original site where Castro declared the socialist state on January
1st 1959.
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| The balcony in Santiago de Cuba, from where Fidel declared the revolution in 1959 |
It is over 900 Kilometers from Santiago de Cuba back to
Havana so I take an ATR42 with Cubanacan tours back to the capital. This
island, the biggest in the Caribbean will not be ignored. Change will come to
Cuba as the doors open and embargo is lifted however I think this change will
be slow. My advice is to get there before it does.
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| At the Tropicana |
Michelle Jackson is
author of One Kiss in Havana published by Poolbeg Press and available on
www.amazon.co.uk for more information see www.michellejackson.ie
Factfile
For more information
about Cuba see www.travel2cuba.co.uk
Air France flies from Dublin to Havana via Paris with return fares
starting from €812 including all taxes and fees. For more information and to
book, visit www.airfrance.co.uk.
Havana &
Varadero twin centre holiday, 9 nights from €1689 (per person based
on 2 people sharing)
2 nights at the 4-star Melia Cohiba, Havana & 7 nights at the 4-star Melia Peninsula Varadero,
Includes flights from Dublin to Havana via Paris with Air France, all transfers
to, from & between hotels, breakfast
in Havana & all inclusive in Varadero.
Valid for selected September 2015 departures.
