We awoke to rain that turned into a downpour. So we took the opportunity to get acquainted with the current occupants of Room 1 (we inhabit Room 2). Since we arrived there have been new occupants every two days. All of these young people planned their trips to include a few days in Havana at the beginning and end of their trips and to travel to Vinales (National Park Area) or another city. When we arrived there were two young women from Finland, they were followed by two brothers, one a Public Health Professor at Brown University and the other a newly minted Doctor from Albuquerque. Eileen and Tony, who arrived yesterday, are from New Jersey (near Philadelphia). They both speak Spanish. His parents were from Puerto Rico and hers from Costa Rica. When the rain increased and we all retreated from the porch to the living room Otto joined us and said he had two questions. The first question was would we like some fresh coffee. We all agreed this was a fine idea. The second question was why we had decided to travel to Cuba. Harry answered that we had come of age during the revolution and were curious to see where some of those events happened. There is for me also the natural allure of going someplace that had been forbidden for so long. Eileen raised the notion that many Americans (us included) want to come before the inevitable crush of tourists begins to change things for the worse.
As the conversation continued we all both asked and answered a variety of questions. Otto and Mylena were as interested in learning about our lives as we were about theirs.
Otto's family was from a small town in central Cuba and they moved to Havana when he was a young boy. Mylena's family have been in Havana for a long time. They have two children, a daughter who lives in Mexico with her husband and a son who is here in Havana.
One subject was about the Cuban system of food distribution. There is rationing of basic items like sugar, rice, eggs, and beans. Each person, for example, receives nine eggs per month. There are neighborhood bodegas that distribute these items.
We asked Otto about what political changes he foresees. He believes that the country will remain communist/socialist but that there will be more capitalism.
He noted the unmanageable size of the bureaucracy and how that stifles independence. He hopes for a more decentralized government.
Mylena and Otto have been able to travel (they went to Barcelona last year) but need to get a Visa. Visas are not required for travel to Russia or China.
As the conversation continued we all both asked and answered a variety of questions. Otto and Mylena were as interested in learning about our lives as we were about theirs.
Otto's family was from a small town in central Cuba and they moved to Havana when he was a young boy. Mylena's family have been in Havana for a long time. They have two children, a daughter who lives in Mexico with her husband and a son who is here in Havana.
One subject was about the Cuban system of food distribution. There is rationing of basic items like sugar, rice, eggs, and beans. Each person, for example, receives nine eggs per month. There are neighborhood bodegas that distribute these items.
We asked Otto about what political changes he foresees. He believes that the country will remain communist/socialist but that there will be more capitalism.
He noted the unmanageable size of the bureaucracy and how that stifles independence. He hopes for a more decentralized government.
Mylena and Otto have been able to travel (they went to Barcelona last year) but need to get a Visa. Visas are not required for travel to Russia or China.
It was a wonderful discussion but we needed to head off to the Cuban art museum which closes at 2pm on Sunday's and is not open on Mondays. We shared a taxi into town with Eileen and Tony who were headed to the Police Station. A thief ripped Tony's gold necklace off yesterday and miraculously the police showed up at the door this morning with a photo of the thief who they had arrested and asked them to come to the station to identify the culprit. It is, however, unlikely that they will ever see that necklace again.
There are two art museums in Havana. The Museo Nacional de Bella's Artes that houses international art and the Palacio de Bella's Artes Cubano which contains just Cuban art. We opted for the Cuban. The building itself is from the 1950's but still feels modern. While not curving like the New York Guggenheim there are multi-level sloping ramps between floors and the galleries are spacious and well lit. Our preference was for the less recent parts of the collection. We especially liked the pieces done from the 1930's and 1950's. The collection was larger than we expected and so we had to hustle a bit to see it all before closing.
It was still raining when we emerged so wandering through Havana Vieja was not an appealing option. We took a cab to the Hotel Nacional to both check it out and have lunch. We accomplished both. While Harry checked email I walked around the Hotel and since the rain had stopped I walked out to enjoy the view of the Malecon.
There are two art museums in Havana. The Museo Nacional de Bella's Artes that houses international art and the Palacio de Bella's Artes Cubano which contains just Cuban art. We opted for the Cuban. The building itself is from the 1950's but still feels modern. While not curving like the New York Guggenheim there are multi-level sloping ramps between floors and the galleries are spacious and well lit. Our preference was for the less recent parts of the collection. We especially liked the pieces done from the 1930's and 1950's. The collection was larger than we expected and so we had to hustle a bit to see it all before closing.
It was still raining when we emerged so wandering through Havana Vieja was not an appealing option. We took a cab to the Hotel Nacional to both check it out and have lunch. We accomplished both. While Harry checked email I walked around the Hotel and since the rain had stopped I walked out to enjoy the view of the Malecon.
When I glanced at the map to get our bearings I realized we were a few blocks away from the Coppelia Ice Cream Parlor. The large metal and class building is in the center of a park and It is very popular and there are usually long lines. Since it was such a cold day there were no lines when we arrived. It was a bit confusing to understand where we were supposed to sit and how to order but were directed to one attendant who spoke a bit of English and help us find a seat, took our order and told us how to pay. The ice cream itself did not have a high cream content and did have ice crystals but we liked being there on a Sunday afternoon and watching the families enjoy the special treats. And two scoops for 1 peso is a good deal.
We hailed a taxi and headed back to Calle 20.
Tomorrow is our last full day here. The time has gone by very quickly
We hailed a taxi and headed back to Calle 20.
Tomorrow is our last full day here. The time has gone by very quickly