Havana Now by JK McCrea A visit to the Longest Island in the Caribbean

RoadLovers.com presents

Havana Now

November 2012

! Creative Commons

Photos by JK McCrea

An “Eyes on…” Series Book

Copyright © 2013 by JK McCrea ISBN-13: 978-1495341519ISBN-10: 1495341518

! 2RoadLovers.com Havana Now

What traveler doesn’t dream of visiting a place not yet spoiled by millennial visitors – where old culture, traditional ways and architectural treasures still remain. Cuba is that barely touched place where the present has not yet displaced the past and where visitors enjoying an intimacy and welcome not often found overseas.

Page through this book and see a side of Cuba most miss unless they have special permission to venture outside official regulation, every day life in a country of paradoxes; a reality show where technology’s usefulness ends with lack of electricity, limited regulated Wi-Fi, and difficult if not impossible access to goods much of the world takes for granted. Cuba’s people rate among the world’s most educated despite almost non-existent employment opportunities. Where the wealthy few also serve canned food and use ration cards. Many homes enjoy live-in house help, but all water must be boiled before drinking. This is Havana as it is. JK

YOUR FIRST STEP IS GETTING THERE

! 3Havana Now RoadLovers.com

Not long ago, American visitors, tour companies, airlines, and other travel providers were required to apply to the U.S. Treasury Department for individual travel licenses to go to Cuba. As of January 2015, new rules now allow these activities under a general license. Travelers no longer need prior permission from the U.S. government to travel to Cuba as long as your travel falls under one of the 12 approved categories ranging from journalistic and educational activities to humanitarian projects and certain export transactions.

People-to-People tours, already permitted and operating under the law, haven’t changed much under these rules as educational and cultural exchanges and Canadian cruise lines offer Americans Cuban cruises through a New York office. Some Americans gamble with the law by flying to the popular area of Varadero from Cancun “under the government radar” to enjoy a week at a beach resort. Still illegal with the loosening of restrictions, travelers are more on the honor system than closely followed. Some Americans travel to Cuba from third world destinations. Presently there are large companies with Cuban-bound charters such as Jet Blue and Delta airlines, several ferries being planned and non-U.S. cruise operators.

Before January 2015, Americans were not allow to spend any American money, credit or cash, in Cuba they can now use credit case to make purchases of up to $400 in Cuban souvenirs and products. $100 of that can be in alcohol and Cuban cigars.


Habaneros are a blend of cultures; more than half the population has some European ancestry, about 20% mixed white/black, around 16% black plus a small number of Asians.

MEET THE REAL HABANEROS

Contemporary media feeds us glimpses of familiar 1950s cliches; street vendors with wooden carts, farms with hand tools and men in straw hats, streets filled with costumed dancers, men with cigars in Panama hats and mojitos everywhere.

Havana today is an open time capsule of both gentility and smiling rebellion, crumbling but splendid architecture, 300,000 entrepreneurs and an unexpected amount of free speech between locals and police. Types of enterprise are as varied as the population although tourism and money exchange is a major source of income.

Cuban travel opened for us when my husband Steve became the godfather of a Cuban friend’s child At last—an opportunity to travel freely as “family.” We collected the required documentation and prepared for a charter flight to Havana. It took four hours of airport time prior to boarding so that minions of Cubans would have time to seal, weigh and load remarkable amounts of household goods, from large screen TVs to rice cookers, boxed foods and diapers. The charter plane always left several rows of passenger seats empty to accommodate the overload of needed goods being transported by passengers – for a fee, of course.

Our first view of Cuban life as we leave the airport highway and head into Havana. Off the main road, the way looks more like small side streets but they are free of any litter. Lack of goods means little is wasted, plus the Habeneros keep streets fairly clean.



The majestic former capitol building, El Capitolio, sits prominently in the center of the city and can be seen from many of the major streets

Habanos gather for Sunday family dining at Nardos, a favorite local restaurant. The total bill for six of us enjoying our favorite dishes came to around 45 pesos, about $7 each.

Old Havana j


Several guidebooks list this location bordering legendary Old Havana as “Carriages for hire by tourists.” This visit, carriages outnumbered the tourists who might afford such a luxury.

It’s mid-morning as Old Havana businesses set up for tourists.

Decorative bells add an artistic touch to the main plaza at the entry of the famous Obispo Street, which marks the center of Old Havana.


Signs direct visitors to Old Havana Landmarks. The Hotel Ambos Mundos on the sign is where writer Ernest Hemingway stayed and wrote most of For Whom The Bell Tolls.

A map of Old Havana with streets spiraling out from the capitol building at the center (Wikipedia, Creative Commercial).

Scenes of Old Havana include swarms of international visitors around the Catedral de San Cristobal and a Fidel admirer hoping to collect a few pesos from passing tourists.


The streets of Old Havana are bustling with tourists and Habaneros, shopping, wandering and enjoying an abundance of people-watching.

Local street

usicians sing for patron tips for tips at a hotel street r


Musicians sing for patron tips for tips at a hotel street restaurant. Notice the donkey jawbone instrument to your left.

The Automobile Depot vehicle museum on Oficios Street covers two large rooms. We thought entry fees were rather high, unaffordable to locals. There were no visitors inside at the time we looked. Most major museums are situated in Old Havana although a few can also be found in Vedado. The district’s name comes from vedar, meaning “banned” or forgotten

Most major museums are situated in Old Havana although a few can also be found in Vedado. The district’s name comes from vedar, meaning “banned” or forgotten

The Hotel Inglaterra sits at one of the entries onto Obispo Street. Traffic congestion is principally around Havana’s central area as much of the general population doesn’t own cars. Streets further from the center are relatively empty of motor vehicles.

Located on Obispo Street, tropical style Hotel Florida


has a quiet two-story atrium with palms and large wicker chairs. A typical tropical movie-like setting. It's about a block west of Ambos Mundos Hotel.

The better Hotels for foreigners are regulated by the government with nightly fees similar to those in the rest of the world, although still affordable by American standards.

An anchor-like symbol means an approved "room for rent" in a private home. You’ll get closer to Cuban culture by staying in a casa particular, a legal private rental.

Rates are generally one-third or less than hotels partnered with the government.


There is an abundance of affordable restaurants and rooms for let. Not all casa particulars post signs. Many practical Cubans let rooms so ask around.


Street Musician

Beautiful art at a main plaza

The Hotel de Los Frailes. Staff are dressed like middle-age monks. Fun!

Delicate pastries in the Francesa Bakery are popular with everyone, foreign and local.

! 14RoadLovers.com Havana NowUh oh. “This is my job - no money, no

photo!” the costumed lady shouts.

Clowns are popular in every culture.

Early afternoon inside Floridita, a popular bar. Visitors loosen up in Havana and share a special camaraderie that happens between travelers who have an adventurous spirit.


A vendor waits for business. There is always a line for Ice cream.


Music is everywhere on Obispo Street.


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This crafts market on Obispo Street carries jewelry, hats and carvings, beautiful silver earrings cost about $5 American.

This crowded chocolate shop in Old Havana cost $5 American a pound

Everyone poses with the Hemmingway statue at The Floridita, a local bar reputed to have been Hemingway’s hangout. Mostly tourists, of course.


The sign reads Gastronomic Commercial Complex, a mass-market cafeteria featuring fast-food service. Gringos are not common here.

For tourists with stomach distress, this beautiful original Cuban pharmacy near Obispo Street caters to foreigners. It was the only place that sold tissues.


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Early morning in the Plaza Vieja, which dates back to the 16th century. Once the site of executions, processions and fiestas, its beautiful colonial buildings are undergoing a huge restoration, then painted with Caribbean pastel colors.

Restaurants and bars are lively gathering places later in the day.


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Cubans feel strongly about “The Cuban Five,” also known as the “Miami five.” The five men are Cuban intelligence officers convicted in Miami for espionage and imprisoned in the US since 2001. Cubans hail them as heroes.


A peek at the traditional décor of the bar Tienda de Habanos.

Tourists ponder maps, unbothered by locals but assisted if they ask for directions.


The Committees to Defend the Revolution (CDR) system was formed by Fidel Castro on September 28, 1960.

The street banner reads “The vigorous and victorious revolution. Go ahead”. Many books for sale are political or tourism oriented although Cubans value English language books and seek them out.


The voice of the Cuban Patrimony, Havana radio.

Havana, filled with deteriorating architectural gems, is undergoing a renovation and construction renaissance (work, okra).

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Habaneros and tourists wander the many shops in Old Havana.

Cuban art spans all mediums and styles. This is on Plaza Vieja.


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Coexisting in an apartment building viewed from Obispo Street.


Students walk down Obispo Street at 4 p.m., the Capítolio. looms behind.


The Plan of the City THIS IS AWFUL == WHY USE THIS? XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX SEE PARAGRAPH S WROTE UNDERNEATH THIS XXX

This following description is by RussiannVaz on virtualtourist.com. Havana has neighborhoods each with a distinct identity,

QUESTION: About traffic. Is traffic in Havana and other big cities very heavy all day or maybe in the morning only? The traffic is not so heavy. At least if U compare it with other countries. The street with heavier traffic in Vedado, Havana, for example, is 23rd. But don't worry, U can drive without problems, many tourist do it. I used to go usually in bicycle everywhere in Havana without problems. The worst time is [in morning, of course] and in the afternoon between 3 and 6pm. In the pic U'll see the streets U asked for.

Also the naming of the streets in various neighborhoods of Havana like Vedado, Miramar and Playa is easy. Starting from 23, the parallel streets going in the sea directions decrease the number and are only odd numbers. In the other direction they increase. The perpendicular streets are named by the letters of the alphabet so starting from G going to the sea the next

letter is H and the next one is I where the casa U choose is located. In the other direction the previous street of G is F. The letters start from Paseo street, where I used to live. Away from Paseo the naming of the streets change to even numbers....is really easy ;)

S WROTE THIS BELOW – CAN YOU FIT IT INTO THE ABOVE? XXXXXXXX The intersection of Calle L and Calle 17. The address system in Havana’s streets uses letters and numbers in certain parts of the city. People familiar with the layout of streets in Havana knows that this location is in Vedado, where streets are either letters (heading northwest) or numbers (heading northeast). Distinct areas of Vedado use a combination of “letters and numbers” (the Victor Hugo Park is H and 21) or “even and odd numbers” (the Lennon statue is near Calles 8 and 17), which is west of Avenida Paseo (the Avenue of the Presidents).


http://virtualtourist.com/

For example, the National Hotel is located near O Street and 21 Avenue. Below, you can see Parque Lennon is between 6 and 8 (NE to SW) 15 and 17 (NW to SE). You can give directions of Calle 8 y 15 and people will know that there is an intersection of an odd and an even number.

! The streets of Havana spiral out from the Capitol building at the center, much like the cuts on this traditional guava pie.


Havana’s People

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Notice the two cigars. The famous Gentleman of Paris statue.

Initiates of Santeria wear white A midday nap.


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Trash on streets is hard to find. Front yard enterprises are a common sight.

Quincineros at Hotel Nacional de Cuba. The equivalent of the American Sweet Sixteen birthday, it takes place a year earlier in Hispanic culture and is taken more seriously. We were told that dresses are rented. Posed photos are part of the day's celebration.


Musicians wait at the Hemingway monument at Cojimar…move out a little and you can see the guitarist has placed his crutch next to a bright red cup, ready for a few pesos.

Chef and kitchen help at Habaname, a popular private restaurant.


Balconies are places for friends and families to hang out. Cubans have a very social culture and close family ties.


Coco driver Ivan took us to see an apartment where the reputed author of the song “Guantanamara” once lived. These girls are thrilled to sit in their first Coco!

Children playing in Victor Hugo Park. Teachers saw us taking photos but no one made a move to stop us.


A family drives out on the town, keeping interior light so they can be seen.

Habanero Faces


A CITY OF CONTRASTS Neoclassical, colonial, art deco, contemporary and modern styles – so long untouched, the renovation of crumbling architecture is a monumental task. At the same time, Havana is an architectural dream. Facades that provide a virgin peek of history and evidence of Cuba’s grander times, imprints from other cultures, a visual museum of styles and elegance not yet disappeared for the sake of economic growth.

Meliá Havana (located in Miramar) is a U.S. style business hotel, good for conventions and conferences; large open spaces, destination restaurants and a view of the ocean.

The 21-story Havana Riviera hotel, designed by Irving Feldman, was the largest casino-hotel in the world outside Las Vegas. It’s now an apartment building.

‘60s modernism mixes with colonial and classical architecture


El Hotel Nacional de Cuba

The splendid main entrance, facing southwest, sets the tone for the beautifully elegant interior. An historic plaque hangs behind the grey car.


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The boulevard leading to the front of Hotel Nacional is busily filled with well-maintained old cars along with various types of taxi vehicles.

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A display of 1930s hotel photos from a lobby wall reminds us of the damage the hotel incurred during The Battle of The Hotel Nacional revolution on October 2nd, 1933,


The nostalgic check-in desk Decorative tile around the front entry

Languages from all parts of the world echo in the main lobby, although Spanish and English are the most common. A street exit is on the left under the emblem. The grand terraced is accessed through a door under the arches to the right.


The original finely polished mailbox at the end of the lobby sits between the two elevators leading to the hotel rooms.

This old telephone looks like it works.

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The Revolution is celebrated throughout the hotel lobby with various photos, artwork and memorabilia.

All but 1st floor hallways are plain with little ornamentation. The few photos and articles hanging on the walls are reproductions from the hotel’s 1930s construction period.


Imagine staying here in the 1940s… no TV or minifridge, of course. The entertainment was on the patio, in the lobby and at the Parisien Cabaret. Nowadays there’s cable TV with dedicated stations for China, Venezuela, Fidel Castro plus Showtime!

Night view of the Hotel Nacional. The 427 room hotel is a World Heritage Site that combines elegance and history, a window into two centuries of Cuban life.

View towards the entry door from the elevator area. The phone booth dates back to the hotel’s 1930s beginning.


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The popular Cabaret Parisien is in the west wing of the hotel, offering "the best night in Havana.” Nudity was banned from the extravagant show after the revolution.

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There’s music in every corner at night --- drinking and dancing are a must.


Embezzled eggs? We’re not sure which English dictionary the interpreter used but they tasted legal.

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The breakfast buffet cost about $12, almost half a month’s Cuban salary.


Hot dishes from the bountiful breakfast buffet. Since 80% of Cuba’s products are imported, food choices are limited to mostly items available in Cuba during a particular season. Many of the vegetable offered were canned imports. Even so, the buffet was excellent.

He’s no longer with us, but one of the faces of the Buena Vista Social Club remains the face of Salon1930.

Face of the lobby grandfather clock.

One of many homages to the Revolution and Castro.


Around the Nacional

Eighteen dollars a day for pool privileges. Hard to accept when Cubans average $20 monthly.

The hotel currency exchange office…we counted 38 people impatiently waiting.

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Pool area midday – the only people seen are those waiting to convert foreign dollars. .

Evenings reek of nostalgic romance outside the terrace side of Hotel Nacional

Looking down to the fountain and the Malecon on the water beyond XXXXX


Cubans claim the mint in Cuba is unique in the world and gives mojitos a special taste unobtainable elsewhere. Once the bar’s open, glasses disappear as fast as bartenders put them out.

Early morning. The veranda bar will open for coffee and drinking at any moment.

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The original pool was the deepest in Cuba at 12 meters. Johnny Weissmuller (Tarzan) swam in it and dove from the 2nd floor balcony. The breakfast room is through the lower arch to the left. We noticd a British lady and another male guest enjoying daily morning swims before breakfast despite the chilly November weather.

The center section of the immense veranda, closest to the bar, will be the first to fill up.


The Male___ seen at dawn from east terrace. Notice the Cannon, right, a memento remaining from the Spanish-American War of 1898 from which Cuba emerged a world power.


Live music starts the day and ends the night. Enchanting.


The lower level Cine Café is open 24/7.

Breakfast is served all day in addition to light fare, including the Cuban version of a chicken BLT. It was a good place for Americans missing pizza and fries. The cost of 15 CUCs was about $17.15 American, similar to US prices, However, the sandwich would be far larger in the US.


Early evening in the west wing of the patio. The famous casino, now long gone, was originally behind the wall to the right.


A music group in the east wing. The men’s restroom door is behind the band. Side wings have signs indicating “Smoking” section. There’s no sign in the central part of the patio but it doesn’t matter – guests will enjoy those famous Cuban cigars everywhere except for the dining areas.


Garden statue

Leftovers from late night guests. Cigar smoking was a popular tourist recreation for both men and women.

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A quiet lobby moment when guests are preparing for dinner.


The garden bar at night – no one is more than a few feet from a cocktail.

Nightly dinner and music in the ballroom. Walk any farther and you would spend $30 a head to watch the band or $50 apiece for dinner

The Orquesta Jorr´în was celebrating it’s 55th Anniversary They play every Thursday and Saturday in Compay Segundo hall.


An all-female vocal and rhythm group plays on Saturday evening next to the fountain in front of the Hotel Nacional patio. On Sundays there are singers and other jazz musicians in the garden behind the hotel.


History and Legends at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba (HNC)

The first floor retains the original look from the 1930s. These are the original tile floors that were once throughout the entire hotel. Movie stars, presidents and gangsters walked on these very floors

In 1946, the hotel was the venue for a major gathering of the American mafia. The photo to the left shows an assortment of the infamous visitors . Frank Sinatra’s room is marked by his photo below


Life On the Edge

2012 heralded the fiftieth anniversary of the Cuban missile crisis and the Hotel Nacional had it on prominent display. Cubans describe it as “the only time the world was on the brink of thermonuclear war.” America had discovered evidence of Soviet missiles in Cuba and tensions between Soviets and Americans ran high. In the end, Kkruschev ordered Soviet missiles removed from Cuba; President Kennedy agreed to withdraw intermediate missiles from Turkey and not to invade Cuba.

Note: After years of Soviet assistance, Russia and Cuba agreed to write off 90 percent of Cuba’s $32 billion dollar debt to the defunct Soviet Union, ending 20 years of squabbling between the two countries.


A display (above) at the entrance of the underground trenches used in the 1962 missile crisis.

Hotel sign announcing the history tour

Celebrate Legends at the ! 64

RoadLovers.com Havana Now

Unique History Salon

The hotel's tour guide Estela claimed she heard that Steven Spielberg claimed in an interview that he had been in "the Bahamas" when shown a photo from his visit to the Hotel Nacional. Tours take place very day at 10:00 am and 4:00 pm.

Details from the history area include a life size statue of beloved musician Compay Segundo and a photomontage with Russian astronaut Yuri Gregarin


Mementos include numerous photos of visiting luminaries, a rock star’s guitar plus a few antiques from the 30s on.


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The chess master Capablanca (upper right) is celebrated as a visiting hero along with Gary Cooper, Myer Lansky and other world celebrities.


Here we see Winston Churchill, Tyrone Power and Bola de Nieve (Snowball), a great Latin celebrity, who played piano in the elegant restaurant Monseigneur nearby.


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The history bar where preparations for evening socializing begin.

Visitors enjoy this replica of an antique jukebox, the same as those originally found throughout Cuba. The music it plays late into the night is mostly in Spanish.


Drinks start flowing as partiers line up. The former casino was behind the bar.


Now it’s time for a walk across La Rampa (23 Avenue) and a wander east for several blocks after sunset…

A friendly passerby asked what we were looking for. We said, “Batidos” (a Cuban milkshake) and she suggested a small restaurant around the corner… and down two blocks… and then right and another two blocks, then a right turn…We became uncomfortable once we viewed the seedy interior (had they boiled the cooking water?), but we parted on friendly terms.

Along the way, we ran into our guide’s son, a medical student. He wanted to walk with us.

Before we moved on, the son gave us his email address in hope of our reconnecting with him if ever he made his way to the US.


This late night pastry shop still gets a few hungry shoppers. The selection is limited as in most bakeries since exotic ingredients such as nuts, icing or anything except white flour are rare.

A sneak photo outside a nightclub with bouncers and staff lounging outside. It turned out the men weren’t as fierce as they looked and wanted to engage us in conversation. Once more, the topic of baseball as a means of relating. A small stairwell area off camera was where several streetwalkers lounged while awaiting fheir next client.


The lively street outside Maracas Restaurant on a weekday night.

Although the poorly lit side streets within a mile of the Hotel Nacional appeared fairly deserted at night, they were safe for exploring with occasional smiling strollers.


XXXXX SEE IF PHOTOS CAN BE ACROSS 2 PAGES XXXXXX

Cubans are a social culture. There is always time revelry in this cheerful tented terrace bar one floor above street level. It boasts a continuous barbecue and lively local musicians playing Cuban rhythms. We thought it was strictly for the neighborhood until we noticed tourists partying vigorously on several different occasions.


Necessity means that most Cubans are skilled mechanics. Here several men work on a treasured car when the streets are quiet.


The car below is down the street to the left 100 meters from the corner pub above.


Socializing is more the reason for gathering at these tiny bars than drinking.


GETTING AROUND--Transportation

Locals as well as tourists use Cocos, which look like oversized helmets. Another model has a squared-off rear. They’re cheaper than traditional taxis and the view is great.

Bicycle “rickshaws” and small motorcycles are more affordable than cars,


Street views on any typical day. Old US cars, rickshaws and motorcycles will soon be sharing the streets with new foreign cars as policies about selling and importing cars are changing. Buying and selling of cars used to required government authorization. President Raúl Castro said it had allowed corruption and racketeering. Government approval will still be allowed for car imports and only between individuals, not by companies to citizens.

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21st Street bordering Victor Hugo Park. The old classical style mansion in the background houses several families with enclosed balconies to add room space.


Street shot from our Coco inside Centro Havana. The street is sorely in need of repair but there is no litter or debris – one of the pluses of product shortages.

A 1957 Chevy is both taxi and family car. The portable sign is taken down when off-duty.


Metro buses, the most popular means of transportation, are manufactured in Japan. The narrow seats are designed for Asian-sized riders. Americans and Canadians find them a big squeeze.

“Gold Black” (Oro Negro) gas station. At time this writing the main source of gasoline is Venezuela. Gasoline is cheap by European standards but might as well be real gold for what a Cuban’s salary is.


Toxic exhaust is one of the hazards of driving these “vintage” American cars. Leaded gasoline is still used, although many of these old American cars have engines that have been converted to burn unleaded gas. Note: White smoke in the exhaust often means that you are burning antifreeze. http://wiki.answers.com/

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All types of transport can be found at the gas station. Russian Ladas are traditionally the most available newer model cars.


http://wiki.answers.com/

Russian hotel guests reenact a movie-star moment in the back of a shiny 1950s convertible. Although paint and fenders look magnificent, this car is most likely painted with house paint.

Horse and buggy provide practical transportation along beach areas. Both visitors and locals use them.

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Ivan ("Your Amigo in Havana" according to his sign-off in our journal) gave us a slow tour around Vedado and Central Havana, finishing with a brief stop at the Miranda statue at the western side of the entrance to the main harbor.

This was our second choice. We decided no contest.


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Human-powered transportation is still the most affordable.

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Memorable Places

In the background is the Edificio FOCSA, opened in 1957. The penthouse restaurant opens at noon. We passed it twice on foot in the early morning so we didn't get around to seeing the view. No one would let us peek.

The Castillo de Morro sits at the entrance of Havana Bay, an insight into earlier wealth and supremacy. Used as a headquarters by Che Guevara, it’s now a popular attraction with local craft exhibitions and tours.

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China Gate. The city once had Latin America’s largest and most vibrant Chinatown. Thousands of Chinese were initially brought in by Spanish settlers.


The steps of the Capitolio, closed to the public since after the 1959 Revolution, provide a good place to showcase old 1950s era cars. Modern Havana is both a city and a province.


El Capitolio or National Capitol Building was the seat of government until the revolution in 1959. Now undergoing restoration, it houses the Cuban Academy of Sciences and is closed to foreigners. It was the tallest building in Havana until the 1950s and houses the world’s third largest indoor statue.

John Lennon Park. Lennon’s statue found in Vedado, at the intersection of Calle 6 and Calle 15. The music of the Beatles was banned by the government in the 1960s for being “decadent.” Now Lennon is admired.

According to Atlas Obscura, XXXXX “I share his dreams completely. I, too, am a dreamer who has seen his dreams turn into reality.” Like Castro, the U.S. Government harassed Lennon. http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/john-lennon-statue

The Great Theatre of Havana (Gran Teatro del la Habana) officially opened in 1838. Famous personalities who played here include Enrico Caruso, Anna Pavlova and the American Ballet Theatre. Today it is the headquarters of the National Ballet of Cuba.


http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/john-lennon-statue

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Front entry of the Museo Nacional des Bellas Artes. Its Cuban art collection houses over 1,000 works, from 16th century maps to modern works of sculpture, paintings and

photography. Definitely a must see.


Turn around and you’ll see the view of the Granma boat in the military park that sits in front of Museo de la Revolución.

Che’s outline appears many places, here on an apartment side near the Jose Martí monument across from the Plaza de Revolución and on the National Stadium seen from the road leading to Santa Maria Beach


The Victor Hugo Monument, about ten blocks southwest of the HNC.

The Polytechnic University José Antonio Echeverria has undergraduate, post graduate and doctoral programs. Cuban education is highly ranked and Cuba allows 10% of its central budget for education. Education at every level is free regardless of income or status.


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The Morro Castle, formally known as Castillo de los Tres Reyes Magoa del Morro, was build in 1589. Cuba was under the control of Spain when it was built. Once a navigational landmark at the entrance of Havan’s harbor, dominates the port entrance and can be seen for miles around.

Crafts and various vendors set up regularly at the entrance to the Morro Castle. Official tours take busloads of visitors here.

Russian art installation on the grounds of the Forteleza de San Carlos on the following page. An interesting distraction from the bullet holes along the walls.


The Forteleza de San Carlos de la Cabaña is the 3rd largest fortress in the Americas. It served as both military base and prison. Fidel Castro seized it in 1959 and it became a headquarters and prison for Che Guevara.

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Evidence of Che’s five month tenure – bullet holes in the walls where suspected criminals, political prisoners, informants, and former members of Batista’s secret police were executed.


Street Scenes

This could be almost any city in the USA thirty years ago. Ironically partly due modern technology is so unobtainable, personal contact, not texts or telephone, is he main form of social contact.


The south side of the China Gate.

Does there seem something is missing? Cars are far too expensive and inaccessible for Cubans; thus, traffic outside the city center is no problem.

Cuarter~ias are large inner-city mansions, hotels, or boarding houses subdivided into rooms, sometimes housing as many as 60 people. Different families may use different paint colors on the same façade, with some columns white and others blue or yellow.


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Free enterprise is not only allowed, it’s encouraged. There are hundreds of front porches turned into businesses, selling whatever is available. Everyone’s an entrepreneur learning on the job – there are no sales and marketing colleges here. Sales are both barter and Cuban pesos. Foreigners must exchange their money for CUCs, Convertible Units of Currency, which are different than Cuban pesos.


Non-central areas have few cars, lots of pedestrians and overhead electric lines. Electricity frequently goes off. Habaneros just live with it.


The railway station. FIND SOMETHING TO WRITE ON IT XXXXXX


Venezuela has propped up Cuba’s economy for 14 years, and has been sending roughly 110,000 barrels of oil a day to the island in exchange for Cuban medical personnel and teachers.After Chanvez’s death in March, 2013, Nicholas Maduro, promised her would continue Chavez’s policies toward Cuba. This could change at any tme.


Havana’s streets have their own distinctive tones and features. Three-lane one-way boulevards (above) in the area south of the cemetery and the narrow one-lane streets in Centro Havana (below) are suggestive of the back streets of Marseilles and Genova, yet only about 15 minutes apart.


Transportation is mostly walking and buses. Below is a waiting area for several bus routes; Cubans are used to lines and are surprisingly patient.


Not just produce is for sale. Vendors will sell or barter the chairs they sit on. Cuba has long been an impromptu barter economy. And why not? The average Cuban wage purchases a fourth of what it did when Cuba was at a low in 1989. Cuban art is exceptional but toilet paper is still rationed.


Beautiful facades, deteriorating grandeur, collector autos in seemingly pristine condition…and laundry hanging out to dry. When the market economy returns (with abundant electricity, household appliances and gentrification) this mix will probably become history in a country that has frequently remade itself.


CALLEJÍON HAMEL Another Walking Street

More tourist “trap” than fine art, the Callejón Hamel is a funky pedestrian area of work by various artists on and around facades for several blocks, creating an experience where virtually an object can be a canvas.

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Here an old bathtub becomes a canvas.

Grandmother, why do the people fight?For love and respect


And why do the powerful people fight?For gold and pleasure.


The Cubans are as eclectic as this art.


Architecture Like it’s people, Havana’s architecture is eclectic and varied with a jumbled mix of classic, modern and contemporary elements struggling to survive.

The national government does not have an official definition of “poverty”; rather there is a sector of the population “at risk” or “vulnerable.”


This former mansion in the area of Miramar is now a school. Miramar is a residential area that was home to upscale residents before the revolution.


Restoring the old classical and Italian-style buildings is a huge undertaking. Caribbean pastels are the choice of color. The city escaped the construction boom of other Latin American cities and the bones of splendid old architecture are everywhere but some of the rebuilding efforts are in need of professional experience.

This beautiful apartment building at the start of the Malec so-called coffin building on the Malecón. The teenage son of the building’s owner drowned while swimming in the ocean Forever in mourning, the building’s landlord designed the balconies to resemble coffins as a tribute to his lost child.


From grandeur to decay, times change but the Cuban spirit is not as frail as the architecture.

This wall was once part of a modern beachfront house damaged in a hurricane. Here you can see through the wall into what was a pool. With lack of building materials, it is too difficult to rebuild.

Our friends used to visit the residents and swim in the pool.


The Malecón

! The Malecón, looking north. For several days the high winds created waves that splashed over the wall, soaking the sidewalk. .


The grand sea wall protects the north boundary of La Habana. The west end of the wall starts at this two-story fort, popular for drinks at dusk.

This is the start of the Malec´ø XXXXXXXXon the west end


View of the Malecón from the Hotel Nacional. It’s difficult to find a place to walk down to the water. “Es peligroso,” many locals told us.

Sharp coral rock wraps the shore along much of Havana. This also protects the island.


CommerceStores XXXX HOW TO MOVE/TAB?

Attractive product marketing hasn’t yet arrived in Cuba. There are few choices in products.

A hardware store near the FOCSA building.

This local supermarket only uses Cuban Pesos, different than the CUCs assigned to foreign visitors. Selection is greatly limited with no luxuries such as facial tissue or imported vegetables. But Cuban rum is abundant.


This is the only place we saw a “drive-in” restaurant.

A Havana hardware store, their version of a Home Depot. The only paint color offered was white.

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Views from the market on such as the road southeast from the Hotel Nacional.


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dgStreet Vendors


Selling maní (peanuts rolled in a tall narrow cone).


Every vendor has his daily spot. Residents know where to find them.

A city of entrepreneurs, Habaneros turn front yards into businesses of sales and barter, from used books to old appliances. Anything goes.


Open Markets

! This is a popular open market about eight blocks southeast from the Hotel Nacional on 19 Avenue.


A hard worker and generous soul offers the photographer some coconut meat.


Hot sauce and small carts, essential ingredients in any Cuban home.


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Two choices, flat or round, at this small bakery near an open market.

The bakers are as curious about us as we are about them.


XXXXXX TYPEWRITER REPAIR --- OR LETTERS WRITTEN? XXXXXX

Tomato sauce, all kinds, canned or bottled.


Cuban cuisine uses local ingredients for flavor; coconut, citrus, onion, vinegar, garlic, peppers, tomato, raisins, olives and capers.

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The Crafts Market Warehouse

Near the south end of Old Havana is a former warehouse where vendors display handicrafts from around the island.

The assortment of goods is huge, as are the aisles of kiosks.


It's a great place to get a coco frío (with or without rum).

Have a fresh drink, play a little music, admire the art and stroll for hours.


After The Bacardi family's factories were nationalized and the government started a new label: Havana Club. The logo appears on t-shirts, too.


Restaurants

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La Roca, a popular restaurant near Hotel Nacional

CUCs, Cuban money for tourists XXXX IS THIS RIGHT?

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The menu at La Roca. Pizza for Three XXXXX WHAT IS EXCHANGE? XXXXX

The little rabbit English pub. Cozy, but we didn’t see many customers.


The splendid and affordable Monsegneur, near the Hotel Nacional Cuba. They proudly advertise that the renown Bola de Nieve played piano here. Dining is on the patio or inside, surrounded by glamorous trappings.


It’s hard for tourists to guess that there’s a private restaurant in the apartment building at O and 21.


Breakfast for dinner in the basement café (HNC).

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Go ahead, stuff yourself! A meat-covered pizza at Nardo’s (across from the Capitolio in Old Havana).


Sunday afternoon on the second floor of Nardo’s.

The entrance to Nardo’s gives no hint of the glorious multi-leveled restaurant at the top.


Palenque, a complex of six restaurants in Miramar.

It’s hardly Cuban without yucca and pork.


We recommend the meat here. They are famous for barbeque.

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Havana Now RoadLovers.com

Areas Outside Central Havana

Miramar and Inside Homes

A family gathering in a three-level home in Miramar. Below, the live-in housekeeper helps prepare a meal.


This is an upper middle-class home living room. Little different than in the USA.

Its a lovely, peaceful neighborhood with swales and well-maintained homes.

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Bottles of boiled water are cooled and ready to go. Food shopping is done daily


We’re on the patio of a retired teacher, ready to tutor a student.

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The retired teacher’s sitting room.


The entry to Fidel Castro’s home is well protected, with police on street corners within a few miles of the actual house.

Let’s visit the home of our ahijada, our wonderful goddaughter.

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The main living-room, with dining area at one end, is clean and simple.


Every bit of space is put to use in the kitchen. The container on the wall above the stovetop is where water is boiled to make it safe for drinking. It is then store in the refrigerator or other outside containers.

Papaya, yucca, tomatoes, cucumbers, beets and lettuce were washed in sterilized water for the American guests.


There was wonderful chicken, pork, rice and beans, along with traditional guava pie. Everything served is a local product from produce to pork medallions.


The Necropolis

Take a look at the white block in the lower left of center.

Havana’s Colon Cemetery was founded in 1876 in the Vedada area. It is estimated today that it holds at least 500 major mausoleums, chapels and family vaults. Empty tombs and desecrated graves are in far off areas, many the tombs of exiled families who cannot return to care for their dead.

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The cemetery is huge and fascinating. Our goal: The resting place of chess Grandmaster Capablanca.

Here we are, leaving a note for the grave keeper to put on the tomb of the honored Grandmaster of chess.


Even the less famous can leave their mark. The double three (3/3) was this person's last tile.


Cojimar, the Hemingway Harbor

The road from the coastal highway comes from the south

Local fishermen taking a midday break in Cojimar

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Hemingway's Finca Vigia

On the road heading southeast out of Havana.

The “A” marks Finca Vigia, about 12 km from Central Havana.

The “B” marks Simon Bolivar Avenue.

The Pink spot is the Hotel Nacional.


Sign at the gatehouse of the museum.

XXX THIS LOOKS DISTORTED XXX Extracting the juice from sugar cane.


XXX SOMETHING WRONG? XXX


Guarapo — recommended sin hielo.


The guest house (on the right) with the main house farther on.


The view looking north (from the Cat Tower).


A world legend walked up these stairs.


Front entrance.

Greeting us on the right side of the entrance.

A view from the front entrance toward the dining room.


The Living Room

The Writing Room


Hemmingway stood while he typed.


Some of Hemmingway’s texts in translation.


The Bath Room

The view through to the Writing Room.


The courageous lizard. Hemingway thought the lizard had fought bravely when attacked by his cat. To commemorate the lizard’s last stand, he put it on display in a jar.


The dining room on the left, the main sitting room in the middle.

XXX CAN ANYTHING FIT HERE? XXX


The study, located between the dining room and the bedroom.

Detail of a screenprint in the study.


Lots of journals in the bedroom. We hope those books have been scanned.

Dressing table in the bedroom.


The jacket reads “War Correspondent.”


More than ten years of watching his weight, ending in 1959.

Getting heavier


His fighting weight -- around 198 pounds.

Dining room painting.


The dining room. The door at the far end of the hall is the main entrance, which faces south.

The Pilar (Hemingway’s fishing boat)


End Note

Thank you for taking a look at our recorded memories.

The cost

It costs$350 each to fly 227 miles from Miami to Havana (more than a trip to New York, which is four times farther). We stayed in a private apartment, $40 a night with breakfast. Our friend rented a car for $50 a day and spent about $20 for fuel. The airport departure tax was about $25 each. Food cost about $40 a day, so the entire trip was just under $1200.

Room 280 Food 280 Car 370 Airplane 700 Overweight 141** Airport tax 50 ------------------------------------ $1821 for the two of us.

Quotes by tour groups: $2400 to $3200 per person

**We brought more than 60 pounds of medicines, baby food and pens.


The Future

I hope change comes to Cuba at a pace that the islanders can cope with. I hope they don’t get ripped off by the con artists. Cuba is where I was when I was in my 20s. I was open, naïve and inexperienced. I didn’t question things. I didn’t have enough experience to question things.

It’s like going to a doctor and he says, “I’m going to take something out of you.” I would say, “Okay,” and I wouldn’t know to get a second opinion. You’re a doctor, you must know. Well, when Cuba opens up, some people are going to come and tell them that they need surgery when they don’t.

Someone will tell them to raze many of the old buildings. I hope that doesn’t happen.

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Wikipedia, Creative Commons.

I look forward to sharing more photos with you at JKMcCrea.net

Blog: RoadloversInternational.com.


JK McCrea PHOTOS TO BE USED ABOVE IN BOOK

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Havana Now by JK McCrea A visit to the Longest Island in the Caribbean

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Transcript of Havana Now by JK McCrea A visit to the Longest Island in the Caribbean