Hello from Cuba (13) - Exploring Downtown Havana

Thursday, April 14, 2005is the Parque Central, where men of all ages get
Hello from Cuba (13) - Exploring Downtown Havanatogether to discuss news related to their national
Hotel Habana Libre, Thursday, April 14, 2005, 3:02 pmsport. 2 days ago was the final of the playoffs
The last few days I have spent quite a bit of timebetween Havana Campo (if I am correct) and
walking around downtown Havana - or Habana Vieja,Santiago de Cuba, the second most important city in
as they say around here. It is an extremelythe country. Obviously a huge deal in this country,
fascinating place and one of the most architecturallyand Havana ended up losing 2 to 1, but despite the
consistent colonial city centres in the world.loss a great opportunity for the locals to party.
A few days ago, my local friend Pedro and I went toWalking down the famous pedestrian street Calle
explore the Capitolio, which is a beautiful building,Obispo, which has numerous expensive stores for
ironically very reminiscent of the Capitol intourists, you approach the really old historic part of
Washington. Built between 1926 and 1929 as theHabana Vieja, places such as the Plaza de la Catedral
former seat of the Cuban government, its(where there was a mass for Pope John Paul II
neoclassical exterior is complemented by anabout a week ago), Plaza Vieja and, my favourite
absolutely astounding Roman interior with all sorts ofplace: Plaza de Armas. This square dates back to the
meetings rooms, a library, a souvenir shop and anearly 1500s, and houses the centuries old former city
Internet cafe. In the front entrance hall there is aadministration office as well as several other Spanish
huge statue that greets you upon entering, truly ancolonial buildings that surround a beautiful park with a
astounding building.statue of Carlos Manuel de Cespedes, the founder of
The park outside the Capitolio is one of my favouritethe Cuban homeland.
places, despite the missing seats and backrests ofYesterday I also had a chance to explore a market
the benches. Yesterday I also had a chance to visitthat is put up every Wednesday to Saturday just
the Partagas Tobacco Company, a cigar factory inoff the Malecon, near the Plaza de Armas, where
existence since 1845. I took the $10 tour and wethey sell all sorts of trinkets and merchandise for
saw the tobacco rolling school where students learntourists. I had a chance to pick up a few little
cigar production for 90 days. Later we movedsouvenirs for my husband and my colleagues and
upstairs to the area where the real cigars are made.then sat down at a little outdoor cafe where there
Workers have quotas of between 80 and 200 cigarswas a young Cuban band playing traditional
a day (some of which miraculously find their way intoold-fashioned Cuban music. The really interesting thing
the black market...) and the workers sit at oldwas an organ that they were playing that must date
wooden work stations and manually roll the tobacco,back to the 1920s, accompanied by all sorts of
while at other work stations the exterior leaf andCuban percussion. I really love Cuban music, but I
later the label and the boxes are added. I reallyhaven't yet had a chance to listen to it a lot. My
wanted to see a tobacco factory since tobacco stillfriend and I wanted to go and visit the "Casa de la
remains a key industry in Cuba to this day.Musica" yesterday where they play live music at a
Due to its architectural beauty, and not surprisingly,reasonable price, but for some reason it was closed,
Havana has been declared a Human Heritage Site bysomething not unusual around here.
the UNESCO and it is definitely one of the mostI also had a chance to walk down to "Prado", a long
beautiful cities I have ever visited, despite theavenue with a pedestrian walkway with trees on
physical decay that is visible in so many parts of theboth sides, and two lines of traffic on both sides of
city.the pedestrian area, somewhat reminiscent of the
Along these lines, I had a chance to see residentialRamblas in Barcelona. Very close to the Prado is the
areas in Habana Vieja, where people live in extremelyMuseo de la Revolucion which used to be the palace
cramped conditions in crumbling houses, with theof the last Cuban dictator, Fulgencio Batista, prior to
occasional house that has already collapsed inthe Revolution. Fidel Castro's yacht, the
between others. Everybody's life unfolds in the"Granma"which he used to cross over from Mexico
street, you see children, couples, old people, dogswith his rebellious companions, is displayed in a
and cats at all hours of the day, people generally justglass-encased building just behind the palace-like
sit around and chat, and the children play streetMuseo de la Revolucion, and surrounded by various
versions of "la pelota", which is baseball, the nationaltanks and military vehicles dating back to
sport. This street life is something truly differentrevolutionary combat. The Revolution is definitely
from a nordic city like Toronto where there are onlypresent whereever you go.
a few areas where there is significant pedestrianI think I have seen most of the important sights of
traffic. And people generally don't sit around in frontthe city, excluding the Plaza de la Revolucion, which
of their houses or apartments to chat in the m iddlehouses the Comite Central and the political apparatus
of the night.of the Cuban government. I still have to make a little
I also had a chance to see Havana's train station, ofexcursion to that area and also take a photo or two
course absolutely packed with people, the port areaof the memorial of Che Guevara, who still appears to
and some rather derelict industrial areas withbe a very revered individual around here, often
crumbling buildings. The lack of money is apparentadmittedly more so than Fidel Castro.
everywhere.2 weeks is a pretty long time to spend in a city and
On the other hand I have also had a chance todue to the fact that I have completely immersed
sample some of the beauty that this city has tomyself in the culture, I think I have a pretty good
offer. I have travelled a fair bit, particularly to historicfeel for La Habana and I am slowly but surely
southern places in Europe such as Paris, Milan, Madrid,mentally getting ready to go home. It's been great,
Barcelona, etc. But in my opinion Havana is in abut I am also happy to get back home to see my
category by itself. The colonial architecturehusband, my friends, to have my normal life back.
downtown is so consistent, with almost no newThere are only 2 and a half days left now for my
buildings interrupting the visual impression.Cuban experiment and there are a few more places
Beside the Capitolio is the Teatro Nacional, which isto see, but I am also looking forward to coming back
just next to the famous Hotel Inglaterra and in fronthome to Toronto.