Havana - Watch This Space
Havana, Cuba - November, 2004
103 Paeso de Marti looks like it's in the process of being demolished except there is no evidence of a demolition crew. Half the three storey building has collapsed although the family on the adjoining balcony seem oblivious as they watch passers-by stroll along the shady promenade that links the city centre to the sea. I had read that buildings in Havana crumble before your eyes but I didn't expect to see a city that looked like it had been bombed.
...climbing the dimly lit stairs and ringing the door bell was nerve racking but what awaited us on the other side of the door was an experience not to be missed.
In Havana about three hundred buildings collapse every year and the city is full of gap sites, disintegrating facades and completely hollow shells. UNESCO declared the old town (La Habana Vieja) a World Heritage Site in 1982 and with so many Spanish colonial buildings all in urgent need of repair it must have been impossible to decide where to start. As you walk around cranes and past boarded up buildings the enormous task that lies ahead is staggering. Thankfully not all of Havana looks like a building site and its churches, forts, and plazas are in remarkably good condition. One such building, and an impressive place to start exploring the city, is the Capitolio.
Once you’ve walked round this landmark’s palatial corridors take a seat on the steps outside and watch the world go by as you soak up Havana’s intoxicating atmosphere. Every tenth car that drives by is a 1950’s Cadillac or Buick although the majority of cars and trucks appear past their sell-by date and leave behind a trail of exhaust fumes. Above the traffic and the crowded streets are wonderful examples of the city’s more extravagant architecture with balconies full of washing and white vested old men puffing on cigars.
Three photographers operate vintage box cameras on tripods at the base of the steps and it’s fascinating to watch as they “cut and paste” the photo they have taken of you onto a previously taken shot of the stunning domed roof. They then photograph their forgery and, if you weren’t watching closely, you would believe the end result was exactly what they saw through the lens the first time. For the price of a dollar you walk away with a miniature black and white photo that looks like you’ve been transported back in time.
Parque Central sits next to the Capitolio and is the name of a plaza whose shady park is surrounded by grand palaces, many of which are now hotels such as the Inglaterra. Obispo Street will lead you from here into the middle of Old Havana past old fashioned drug stores such as Johnsons, corner bars like the Café Paris and the historical hotels of Ambos Mundos and the Florida.
As you explore the old town you will come across four plazas all different but equally beautiful. At times the atmosphere in these squares can be Disney-like but with the average monthly salary being less than $20, tourism is the best way for locals to earn much needed cash. It therefore helps to have a good supply of small notes so that you can tip the numerous musicians, buskers and pay for photographs taken with the plazas’ colourful characters.
In the Plaza de Armas you will come across a Che Guevara look-a-like who poses in front of The Palacio de los Capitanes Generales - a beautiful building that takes up one side of the plaza. Located opposite the entrance is a small Palm tree garden surrounded by second hand book stalls each displaying an almost identical collection of books on the Revolution.
A short distance away is Plaza de la Catedral and if you don’t want to be accosted by clowns, cartoonists and ladies dressed like Carmen Miranda holding baskets of plastic flowers, then the courtyard inside the El Patio bar and restaurant with its palms, fountain and birdcages is a more tranquil setting for lunch.
Around the corner from the large mamma, smoking a submarine shaped cigar whilst reading tarot cards, is La Bodeguita del Medio - one of Hemingway’s haunts. It is easy to spot by the crowds of camera wielding tourists taking pictures of the tiny bar crammed full with even more tourists. Much more interesting is the local flea market, located behind the Cathedral four days a week, selling colourful handmade souvenirs.
Plaza de San Francisco is not really a square as it borders the port’s quayside and seems to be the meeting point for the town’s numerous horse drawn carriages offering romantic city tours. It’s here that you will also find the two most photographed ladies in Havana. Dressed in white, these great-grandmothers seem to spend their days smoking cigars on the church steps and for a dollar you too can have their picture.
The largest of the plazas is Plaza de Vieja but surprisingly it’s the least commercial. The plaza and the surrounding buildings appear to have just recently been renovated with only two buildings left to be restored. The quietness seems out of place with the hustle and bustle of the rest of the old town although it was all too easy to imagine it being surrounded by cafes and bars.
It’s worth stopping in one of these plazas’ cafes to study your guide book and rest your feet before exploring the streets off the beaten track away from these tourist hotspots. The further away from the main streets you wander the warmer the smiles that greet you and as you peek through doorways and windows and up at precarious looking balconies you get a glimpse of what it is like to live in what can only be described as slum conditions. With very little traffic you can hear canaries singing from behind closed shutters and watch as residents fill buckets with water delivered by hand pulled carts or tankers.
To the tourist the only evidence that you are in a communist country are the unusual queues outside the banks and shops. However, it doesn’t take long before you notice a distinct lack of locals mixing with you in the bars and restaurants. With the discrete use of screening and cordoned off terraces the only people inside are tourists drinking Mojitos and smoking Cohibas whilst bouncers stand at the door to keep the locals out. It is, of course, understandable why bar and restaurant owners only want customers who have money to spend but it does create a rather tainted atmosphere. At night it’s even more obvious as small crowds gather outside on the streets to listen to the live music and you can’t help but feel slightly guilty at the cost of the drink in your hand.
Cuba, of course, is famous for its cigars and the Real Fábrica de Tabacos Partagás is located behind the Capitolio. The factory has an English speaking tour which costs $10 and is well worth taking even if you are a non smoker. An entertaining member of staff leads you through each process of cigar making from separating the bundles of leaves to packing them in beautifully wooden boxes. The tour gives you another glimpse of real life in Havana as the factory employs 500 workers who each produce on average 170 cigars a day. The speed and skill involved in rolling and packing cigars is fascinating and everything is done by hand with the only modern piece of equipment being the machines that test the air flow of every cigar.
If you are lucky you will hear or meet the “reader” who sits on a stage in front of the school-like rows of wooden benches and reads newspapers and novels to the workers. Partagás roll and box cigars for all the famous brands such as Cohiba, Montecristo, and Romeo y Julieta and even has its own school where out of 100 pupils only 25 will qualify. You can buy single cigars or boxes in their shop although surprisingly they are not cheap but at least you will be guaranteed that they are the genuine article rather than buying from the touts that hang outside. After a visit to Partagás you will never again see a cigar without visualising how it was made.
Another way to see beyond the tourist spots is to take a ride in one of Havana’s most touristy form of transportation - an old American 1950’s Buick or Chevrolet and a good place to pick one up is outside the Parque Central Hotel. Official public transport, all have blue licence plates and these old cars are no exception. Our driver took us across to the El Morro Fort and the Statue of Christ where we had great views back across the city before driving along the Malecón – the city’s waterfront – avoiding the waves crashing over the sea wall spraying half the road.
Throughout our hour long tour of the city we saw many more examples of beautiful buildings being restored or about to collapse and our driver took us as far as Miramar, the district where the Embassies are located in run down mansions and villas. Another way to experience these historical cars is to take one to the fabulous art deco Nacional de Cuba Hotel where you can have a pre-dinner cocktail on the garden terrace before heading back into the old town for dinner in a regular taxi - probably a dusty Lada.
Eating in one of the city’s Paladares - restaurants in private homes - is a must and again a fabulous way to experience how locals live and to escape the restaurants selling Hamburguesa con Queso. The two we tried were totally different but both an adventure. The food was also excellent – a novelty in Havana - and you need to pay in cash. Booking is also essential and your hotel concierge will be able to do this for you as well as recommend other Paladares to try.
La Guarida was located on the 2nd floor of a derelict apartment building and climbing the dimly lit stairs and ringing the door bell was nerve racking but what awaited us on the other side of the door was an experience not to be missed. The second Paladare - Doña Carmela - was in the garden of an old villa, in the middle of a housing estate and only served fish. It was the perfect venue for dinner after you have been to the Cañonazo to witness the firing of the canon which takes place every evening.
The nightlife in Havana is aimed at the tourist and is slightly old-fashioned with venues such as Tropicana, Le Parisien and Havana Café which is ideal if you are happy to watch scantily clad ladies doing versions of the Rumba all night. A better option is La Casa de la Musica located on Avenue de Italia (Galiano) and looks like an old run down cinema. Here you can listen daily to Salsa or Jazz between 4-7 pm or between 10 - 4.30 am although its worthwhile checking before you go as we turned up on a day it was closed for a private function. We also discovered modern Flamenco music and dancing at the El Mesón de la Flota, a restaurant just off the Plaza Vieja on Calle Mercaderes.
Havana is the city that everyone wants to go to before it changes - before the death of Castro and communism; before the US trade embargo is lifted and before it becomes too commercial. Without doubt a lot needs to change before Havana can once again be one of the world’s most beautiful cities and hopefully then tourists and Cubans will be able to sit in the plaza’s cafes and admire the city together. What will Havana and 103 Paeso de Marti be like in 10 years time? I can’t wait to go back and find out.