Goodbye Havana

Our last full day in Havana was wonderful. We woke to look out our hotel window and see a storm lashing the waves up against the sea wall of Havana´s most famous street. We wandered around a mainly closed city (New Year´s Day). Tony and I had lunch in a nice small place then walked for about an hour.

In the evening we wandered around trying to find an off-the-beaten-track cafe for dinner. In the end all the places we had in mind turned out to be closed and we went into an Italian place. They had two things on the menu, lasange or canneloni. It was okay. The best thing was that we were the only people in the place and the guy with the guitar made a special effort for us. He organised a sing-a-long and even coaxed Josh to play. He was a real classic old Cuban guitarist.

We made it into Old Havana where we saw our favourite band. When that was done, Tony and I ignored the sense God gave us, as well as the advice of the Cuban population and walked home along the sea wall, getting drenched and loving it. Charles and Josh went out with the guitarist and did what young people do in Cuba.

What young people do in Cuba is catch a Cuban taxi. Apparently they are really just cars that run on set routes and they cost very little. If the passenger wants some air, the driver passes them back the one and only window winder. They met up with friends and sat outside a club with music. No Cuban can really afford to drink at clubs, or even much outside of clubs, so they listen to the music, dance and talk. Josh and Charles said that they had to really reach to keep up with the general knowledge and intellectual level of the conversation. (This is especially impressive given that all of the people they were with were talking in their second, or third, or fourth language)

The last thing we did on the day we left was visit the Museum of the Revolution. It has the boat Granma, tanks and weaponry etc. It was a fitting end to the trip and I at least left with a list of things that I want to do and places I want to go next time.