Back to Havana

We had a fond farewell of the folk at Hostal Bastida, especially Julio and our cook who seemed genuinely sorry to see us go. After arranging an early breakfast, and walking to our meeting point for 8.20, the bus finally arrived about 9.10. Although we were the last pick up in Trinidad we had a few pick ups along the coast. It wasn't the most direct route to Havana but meandered along the south coast via Cienfuegos which seemed a more prosperous area and then through an agricultural area which had rice and sugar cane growing in abundance. We did have a stop at the same roadside stop we had used before and shared a very nice ham and cheese croquette. Then it was a quick run into Havana on the Autopista.

We were the first to be dropped off in Havana so we were back in the same hotel as before by 3p.m. The atmosphere around the old town was completely different on a Sunday, a family day out for local families with balloons, dancers on stilts, sweets and popcorn for sale.  There were more book sellers in the square than before, many copies of books by Fidel and Che as well as "Our Man in Havana" by Graeme Green. Vaguely remember the film. We found an atmospheric old bar for our evening meal with very good jazz music. There are so many musicians here - a bit like Shetland. You are serenaded in nearly every cafe and restaurant and need to keep loose change for the hat coming round. We have only bought 2 CDs so far.

Monday 2^nd March Walking Havana

Our last full day in Cuba and nothing booked. All the museums are closed on Mondays, and that also ruled out the Hemingway tour because it includes the Hemingway Museum. We decided to walk along the Malecon again, this time with better weather. We walked all the way to the very posh Hotel Nacional, where we had a drink sitting on the terrace before getting a cocotaxi back to the Parque Centrale.  Here we went for a walk around the main shopping area and the Chinese quarter, passing a railway restoration yard on the way within sight of the Capitol building, which is itself under restoration. Back in the Parque Centrale we had a sandwich and a beer on the veranda of one of the hotels before strolling back to Havana Vieja.