The time had come to check out the neighbourhood and as there was a meeting of our tour group that evening, I thought I’d try to find where it was to be held. Early afternoon and braving the relentless sun and the impossible humidity, I set off like a mad dog or Englishman.
Happy Wanderings
After an hour and with 6 litres of sweat forming puddles around my feet, I studied my notes more carefully and I realised that the meeting was where I was staying: Hostal La Caridad. As it turns out, I can blame my confusion on the fact our street has alternate names – Calle Paula or Calle Leonor Pérez. Anyway, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
Finally having sorted the venue for tonight’s shindig and gaining my bearings of the neighbourhood, I had a quick wander down to the waterfront, only a few hundred metres from La Caridad. On the boardwalk I found Almacenes San José Artisans’ Market (Almacenes San José Mercado de Artesanía). Housed in a huge, old shipping warehouse, this is Cuba’s most well-known market, it’s primarily for tourists and famous for its handmade crafts, artwork, leather goods, wooden stuff and souvenirs. I’m not a fan of markets, but I forced myself to stay and browse, reject pleas to buy at today’s special prices, listen to laughter and the odd argument – living life raw and in public. I didn’t buy anything, my suitcase was small and I already had to sit on it to close it. Near the market and still on the waterfront sat The Brewery Restaurant, which seemed closed – between lunch and dinner.
I took in the sights and sounds on the boardwalk, watching people do what they do here. I was near the harbour ferry jetty, and people were piling on and streaming off. Nearby kids were playing improvised games in small roadside parks: baseball with what looked like a tree-stake for a bat and a ball of rolled-up paper, kicking a soccer ball made from something else recycled, or just good old-fashioned tag. Touts offering cigars, tours in 1950s Chevies or tickets to salsa dancing shows. All the while, sounds filled the air of people calling out to each other, laughing, arguing and chatting.
The locals dress ‘for the beach’, it’s hot and sticky. Men in long pants with singlets or t-shirts, sometimes rolled up to air their skinny bellies, women regardless of their age or shape with tight-fitting low-cut clothes in danger of bursting at any minute. Men are thin, but women are of generous proportions. People here don’t have much by Western standards but they look healthy and happy, with big smiles and white teeth; it seems everywhere you go, the less you have, the happier you are. The Cubans seem pretty happy.
My first impression is that Cuba is a bit like Bali, maybe it’s the heat and humidity, the sounds of the cars and motorbike engines, the loud conversations echoing down the narrow streets, the kids playing, or the people loitering in doorways joking and laughing and asking ‘where are you from?’. I’m constantly waiting for someone to ask: ‘do you want transport’? I guess both islands were colonised by European powers back in the day, but the difference is that Cuba was incredibly rich and heavily fortified as a port for the Spanish ships to take their loot from South America back home.
I scurried back to the b&b to catch our tour induction meeting, passing houses with doors and windows open blasting Latin music onto the streets, more kids running around playing tag, and teenagers in doorways checking each other out.
The Meeting
On the rooftop terrace at La Caridad I met Tony and Jen, newly arrived and both from the UK, and – thud – life was back to ‘normal’, the vibrancy of the streets suddenly died. Tony was straight out of ‘The Office’ and unfortunately, he plays the part of Ricky Gervais too well. Hmmm … and we were to be roomies for the tour. Jen spoke in such a whisper that I couldn’t hear one word. This was of no matter because I soon learned that Tony corrected everything everyone said and this way I could figure out what Jen was saying.
The meeting began soon after with a briefing and introduction by Andy, our guide a proud Cuban and a son of la revolución. In the group are 3 couples Anne & Jim from NZ, Jude & Tony, from Australia, Hilda & Koen from Belfast/Aus/Abu Dhabi, Karen from Ireland, Zoe and Anneka, sisters from Sydney and the other Tony and Jen, both of whom I had met earlier. We took turns to introduce ourselves, as you do, and then we were given the outline of the tour, travel tips and happy times.
After the love-fest, we all walked to The Brewery Restaurant, which I’d visited earlier and where we now had dinner. The food was ok, and as with every square centimetre of Cuba, there was plenty of music and people dancing. Of course, being a newbie and a sucker for pressure, I bought a CD from the ‘band manager’, but I didn’t dance!
We headed back to our accommodations, and I was in bed by 10:30, slept until 1:50 am, then was awake for the rest of the night! Fresh as a daisy, ready for the morning’s walking tour of Old Havana …