Cuba day 1 Havana

After the recent long days we slept in. Last night we had changed only €50 into CUC52 (Cuban Convertible Pesos, the dominant of the two official currencies here), having been told the exchange rate was better in town. But the taxi fare was CUC35, so there wasn't a lot left over.

Aleisha was grumpy because Mira had ignored a clear SMS request in Puerto Escondido to pick up her shorts that Luci had previously forgotten to pick up, with the result that they were now lost.

Walking through Central Havana Mira was really excited. beaming all the time. Luci was getting hungry and agitated as we didn't have enough money for breakfast and Aleisha was nonplussed by it all. The city looked very run down. Quite a lot of empty buildings, some very derelict with no roof and plants growing in them, others converted to mini markets or workshops or whatever. There weren't many shops, and those that were there had very poor selections. We passed a couple of butchers, each no more than a counter a metre or so wide with a few hunks of meat sitting on it in the open, waiting to be cut and sold. The vegetable selection seemed to be limited to carrots, onions and coriander. though we later also ate lettuce, tomato and zucchini in restaurants. Nothing seemed in very good condition. There were not many cars, most were either Soviet era vehicles looking their age or 1950s US cars, some immaculately cared for and polished, others not quite so good.

It was a long walk, 20 blocks or so, to the Capitol, a large imposing building similar to the US Capitol in Washington. But Luci was getting really hungry so we continued to the Parque Central where we ate at the Hotel Inglaterra which looked like it was straight out ot the 1960s but accepted credit cards (unlike most places here). Luci really liked the live music though it was really loud. Unfortunately the food was unexciting. Mira and I chose the "farm sandwich" which turned out to be a toasted cheese sandwich (just toast and cheese, very dull), some lettuce and mini tomatoes. Luci and Aleisha fared better with egg dishes.

Across the park we entered Habana Vieja, Old Havana, and walked down Calle Obispo to find a bank. This was a different world. Pedestraians only, lots of people (all tourists apart from the Cubans working there). Very picturesque all the same. The queue in front of the Casa de Cambio (money exchange was long) so we tried to find an ATM. But that didn't work because they only accept Visa cards issued by non-US banks. Our Suncorp Visa card is processed by Citicorp, so we couldn't use that. Tensions were beginning to run high as I decided to queue and Luci decided to look for somewher with a smaller queue.

So Luci and Aleisha took a taxi to a hotel far away along the malecon and changed some Euros. I queued 45 minutes, and got in 5 minutes before the closing time. But they wouldn't accept Luci's travel card because it had her signature, and my Suncorp Visa card was not good either. Unfortunately my Mastercard was where we are staying, and not with me. Disappointed I went to leave, then thought to change some euros cash so at least we would have something.

While I was queuing Mira went to find another ATM then apparently came back, but I didn't see her. Meanwhile Luci had gone with Aleisha to the Hotel Nacional and had changed some Euros cash. We had arranged to meet at the Cafe Europa. but when I went there I saw no-one I knew. So I went exploring, looking at old forts and so on. Some time laterRead more