Days 2-4: Havanaaaah

Havana was founded in 1519 and is not slow to remind us of its quincentenary. By chance a city in Mexico I stayed in earlier this year, Veracruz, is also 500 years old and with its lively, working port atmosphere has been compared to Havana. Much as I liked it, the Cuban capital out-Veracruzes Veracruz with to use a fairly new word, vibe or an old word, funkiness.

Traditional music is fabulous in most Latin American countries I have visited, but one could argue that Cuba is the most musical of all. Relieving my blisters in the bar of an upmarket hotel in Habana Vieja (the old city), I enjoy the sound of a traditional "son" quartet. This word literally means "sound" and largely acoustic and guitar based , it has a strong percussive flavour recalling Africa. Larger bands of up to 15 performers include brass and keyboard sections and form what's usually known as salsa. What the lady in white thinks about the performance, she isn't saying! The following picture includes vinyls by Los Van Van, one of the finest bigger bands in Cuba, and Pablo Milanes, a distinguished folk singer sort of in the Dylan mould but whose daughter Haydee prefers a jazzier sound (whose live CD I find later for a princely 4 CUC or £3).

I can't resist photos of the lady in African garb, the young people promoting computer literacy, or of the guy bemoaning the encroachment of phones on a traditionally oral society.

The final picture shows the route out of Havana, which I ride in a "colectivo" or shared taxi for the 150-odd miles east to Cienfuegos. This is the "autopista" that runs the length of the island---somewhat different to the M25 as you can see.Read more