Another Interesting Day

Last evening started well. I arranged a massage before hitting the town but got the hour wrong and arrived 1 hour too late! Undaunted, I jumped into a jalopy and went back to the old city to do some more exploring although thirst soon overcame me. So I sat down in what I thought was a bar in the famous Plaza Vieja

only to be told, after waiting many minutes, that this was a café and only served soft drinks. Too embarrassed to leave, I ordered a water. Embarrassment deserted me, however, after close to 10 minutes when nothing had arrived. So I left!

In eager search of a thirst quenching ale (Cristal is the local beer of choice – in fact I think it’s the only one) I settled on a bistro in the beautiful Plaza de Armas where not only my thirst was quickly slated but also I had the most amazing bouillabaisse + spice type dish, accompanied, of course, by surprisingly good quality music – all for under £20. Unforgettable but over too quickly!

I had been told and had read that the Malecon, the 9km long sea wall walkway from old Havana back towards my hotel was THE happening place in an evening, full of loving couples out for a stroll, happy families enjoying the cooler evening air, young lads in search of nothing and young ladies in search of something. The downside of having a big breakfast and little or no lunch is that thirst and hunger strike early in the evening. So it was only 2030 when I hit this Havana hot spot

where I certainly saw a few families and a number of fishermen trying their luck over the sea wall but precious little else (OK, so it was a Sunday). So I hailed a taxi and headed back to my hotel. I really must adjust my body clock to Spanish/Cuban style and stay out later!

On returning to my hotel, the lure of more Cristal beer was too great as was listening to yet more live music. I am now the proud owner of a CD by the ‘4 Dimensions’ who are playing here.

 

 

Fusterlandia is …. well I’m not sure what it is! Tucked away in suburban Havana it’s a sort of ceramic art museum

It was probably once a private residence but has been transformed into some sort of crazy ceramic sculpture museum with an art gallery inside

 

 

The neighbours are catching on and the house opposite, interestingly called ‘Princess Diana’, is now being similarly transformed.

Just as I was about to leave this strange place, a whole bunch of Americans rolled up in some splendid old motors. I legged it.

 

Back at the hotel I prepared to publish my daily blog and sort out a few emails only to be told there were no internet cards left and, furthermore, nobody had any idea when more might arrive. Very helpful! I was, however, told I could buy some at the local Telecoms office down the street (it didn’t seem to occur to them that, as part of good customer service, they could do the same), so off I trekked. When I eventually found the place, there must have been more than 50 people waiting to be served so I gave up and trudged back to the hotel where I explained my dilemma to the PR guy whose desk is in the lobby. He was very, very understanding but couldn’t help, of course,  although he did say that if I went to the Montemar Aparthotel, app 750m away I could buy some there which I did – at more than double the price that I have been paying! Hey ho but at least walking around in this part of Havana is not an unpleasant experience.

 

Maybe I’ll have a little lie down by the pool tomorrow.

 

R