La Habana

We spent the day touring Havana, including the old Spanish fortress, El Morro. Most of the buildings were once lovely neoclassical structures, but now have fallen into decay. Lunch was at El Rancho in an upscale neighborhood where many foreign ambassadors to Cuba live. Lorenzo Lopez presented his art photography at his home/studio. He gave an inspirational talk on the beauty and positive power of smiling. El Rancho, near the homes of the many ambassadors to Cuba, is a very exclusive neighborhood. That night classic cars lined up in front of the hotel to take us to dinner. I became a teen-ager again as we were driven to dinner in a 1951 Chevrolet, the model in which I learned to drive. The show at the Tropicana was beautiful, sensual and expertly performed. The music and dance were no less wonderful than that in the city of Trinidad. All of the musicians and dancers were classically trained at conservatories in Havana or Santi Spiritu before branching out into native Cuban versions of their art. Costumes for both women and men dancers were dazzling. We spent overnight at the opulent, modern, clean, shiny Melia Habana Hotel. We are told that this extravant place may be used only by foreign tourists.Read more