Havana Veja

It is really hard to get on the web in Cuba, so I won't be able to post every day, just when I can. Also it is hard to phone, but if anyone despeatly needs to find us they can contact Contour Tours in Melbourne on 93288488.

Touchdown in Havana and no disappointments here. On the trip into town we learnt that young girls wearing mini-skirts hitchhike home all the time; no worries. Of course, not so many do it after 12 at night, but up til then it is okay. This is the safest city I have ever been in. We have asked around and everbody says that they just don't have violent crime. If it happens it is really unusual. No muggings, rape, random bashing etc, and what a difference this makes to daily life!

Old Havana or Havana Veja is mainly run down. There are some beautiful restored plazas but most of it is literally falling down. Any vacant lot which is operating as a carpark is actually the site of a building that fell down. But, all the adjectives that might come before the word "atmosphere" are simply not enough.

There really is music everywhere, people are very friendly, everyone is educated, people know stuff about the world and are interested in it. The first night we saw a 10 piece flamenco dance group,it was fast guitar, amazing dancers, stamping, clapping and $2 mohitos. Tony noticed the roadie seemed to be studying in between sets, sure enough he was learning French. Many people speak many languages and we are feeling like morons.


We have made a study of Cuban cigars, Josh and Charles sat on the balcony in the evening to ruminate Castro style. Every day Castro used to write his reflections in Granma, the daily paper; now these only appear once every couple of weeks. Josh and Charles have their reflections just before signing off on the day.

Last night's band was an amazing mix of flamenco and rock. We started up a conversation and ended up staying up til 2 in the morning talking to the guitarist. He knew more about Australian politics than most Australians do. He simply could not understand why people who have everything!!!, even the internet!!!! do not want to know about the world. Try as we may, we could not explain the complacent idiocy that grows out of never having to struggle for anything. In the end, the guitarist invited Josh to play with them on the 30th at the Hotel Valencia in Havana, so if any of you are in the area, drop in for the gig.

We went to the hotel where Hemmingway lived and Tony was able to recall more facts about his books than I was. The food is better than we expected, and at least in this part of Havana the prices are not quite as low as we had hoped.