A DAY IN HAVANA

La Habana, Cuba's famous old capital city, was always somewhere that fascinated me from afar for a number of reasons that probably feature on most peoples' list; the history, the architecture, the fabric of society, and what will happen their next.

So, when the opportunity to taste a slice of Havana presented itself by way of a Tui cruise that docked there overnight, we were very keen to devour it!

Effectively we there for thirty six hours, but this wasn't really enough time to do this city justice. However, we were determined to seize our chance and absorb as much as we could to satisfy our curiosity.

We didn't really have a definitive itinerary as such, other than a yearning for a classic car ride with a knowledgeable driver! Our first day yielded the best rewards, although our second day was also memorable. Stepping off the ship, our first encounter was with a line of colourful classic cars, all very well maintained, convertible tops down with cigar smoking drivers welcoming our arrival! We'd established beforehand that forty US dollars for an hour's ride was the approximate going rate, so we rationalised that our preferred driver's negotiated offer of sixty five dollars for two hours was fair. We chose him due to his car being a Barbie pink Ford Crestline Victoria model, which wasn't my decision!

Luckily our driver was fluent in English and very affable, answering my abundant questions without seemingly being annoyed by the inquisition! He explained the history, the impact of being under a socialist government, his feelings about this, his job and life, aspirations for his daughter, some of the aspects of life unique to Cuban heritage and much more. I sat next to him in the front passenger seat and was engrossed in every detail my mind was furnished with.

Two hours flashed by, our conversation punctuated by stops at Plaza de la Revolución (Revolution Square), an upmarket rum and cigar shop and a half hour refreshment by a beautiful river in the forest on the outskirts of town, with a pina colada accompaniment; pour as much rum as you like for no extra cost (it wouldn't be right to come all this way and not drink some rum!). Along the way he identified a plethora of buildings of interest and it was very apparent from the outset that this city was previously one of magnificent grandeur, but over the years had declined drastically. There was the occasional structure that had retained its opulence, but these were far outnumbered by dilapidated structures, and although it is undisputably sad that this dereliction is prevelant, we found that part of Havana's charm was its now rustic composition. This opinion, however, isn't making light of the plight that millions of Cubans suffer.

It's worth noting that the next day we paid ten dollars each for a hop on/ hop off open-top bus ride with commentary that lasted an hour and took us to some of the previous days' landmarks in the districts of Centro, Vedado and Miramar. Sitting on the top deck offered a different perspective, if not as intimate as the classic car.

With our brains at capacity, we decided to wander around Havana's streets with no objective other than finding somewhere to have lunch. It became obvious very quickly that the vast majority of people here live in impoverished conditions. At first glance, some of the crumbling buildings appeared abandoned, however most of them were inhabited. Behind the broken doors and in the rotting stairways there were people going about their daily business, in some cases bereft of electricity and other basic amenities. Despite this depressingly sad situation, the population were busy and doing what they could to survive. Friendly and not excessive in their endeavours to sell you their wares, it was difficult not to warm to the locals.

On our wander we reached the splendid Capital Building, and not far from here settled for lunch at Son De Lorenzo. This authentic restaurant accepted card transactions, (a rarity in Havana as you can probably imagine) was clean and offered attentive service. Now hungry, we had two lunches; one chicken in white wine sauce and one grilled fish and rice, along with glasses of wine and lager, respectively. The restaurant was awash with tourist diners and the meal cost forty five dollars. I'd add, at this point that, due to there not being a great number of any form of business that accept credit/ bank cards in Havana, having smaller denomination currency on your person is advisable. We only had a one hundred dollar note (poor preparation on our part) and change for larger amounts is either not achievable, or given back in Cuban pesos. The latter is fine if you're in the country for longer than our trip, but we were leaving the next day.

For the evening's entertainment we wanted to see a show at the Club Tropicana, but unfortunately tickets to this popular venue were already sold out! So, through Tui, we booked a show for the Parisien Cabaret at the famous Hotel Nacional de Cuba. It is possible to buy these tickets independently, but to negate any potential issues in terms of transport to and from the venue, we thought it would be less problematic to opt for the organised excursion.

La Parisien Cabaret is a performance that celebrates the culture and history of Cuba, including indigenous origins, through dance, songs and narratives. If high-energy, elaborate costumes, excellent choreography and vibrant performances are your bag, then this cabaret won't disappoint! We were exhausted just watching this packed out show, and although there is an extension beyond the two hours we were present, we decided to get the coach back to the ship. While we'd been brilliantly entertained all day, we were exhausted both physically and mentally.

A day in Havana complete, this is a city we will return to in conjunction with further exploration of Cuba as a whole, because a day and a half isn't sufficient. The time we did have, though, whetted our appetite for more here in what is a city that conjured up both magic and tragic insights in equal measure.