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Socialism at its best....
The more we travel the more we start to think that socialism isn't such a bad idea (not that I ever thought it was a bad idea in the first place its just reaffirmed the point!). Adult literacy rates in Cuba are at 97% and Cuban health care is one of the finest in the world. But in Havana, doctors drive taxis to make an extra buck. Its an odd mix and its difficult to give it 10 out of 10, but there are certainly some aspects of Cuban life that other countries should be looking to for inspiration.
In Havana we stayed in a casa particular in Vedado. Vedado is the old Mafia haunt from the 1950s. It used to be sin city - a place to gamble, pick up women and party. These days its the more upmarket burbs of Havana. We stayed on the 9th floor and had fantastic views across Havana down to the Malecon on the seafront. Our hostess Marta cooked amazing breakfasts and was full of information. (Marta's guest house if you're wondering).
We started our first day with a walk along the Malecon (on the seafront). The wind had whipped the waves into a bit of a frenzy and part of the road was closed due to waves crashing over the sea wall. I would wait and wait with the camera for a big wave to spill over, and just as I'd give up and put the camera away, the biggest of the set would roll in and crash spectacularly into the air. Unfortunately for you guys there are only shots of the small ones!
Once in town we wandered through Havana Vieja (the old town), checking out the beautiful churches and squares of colonial Havana. The Spanish established Havana in 1519 and used it as a stop off point for the Spanish Galleons sailing between the Old and New worlds. It still boasts a couple of old fortesses that were built to protect the treasure laden Galleons. There is plenty to take photos of here.
Havana Vieja is a far cry from Havana Centro. The UNESCO World Heritage site has been restored with the help of grants from overseas and is very different to the crumbling facades of Havana Centro. Havana Centro is the "real Cuba" as they say. It is overflowing with Cubans going about their daily lives - waiting in rations queues, cat calling the beautiful Cuban women and walking the kids to school. Not many tourists here, but well worth of look to see beneath the shiny veneer of Havana Vieja.
Despite the relative proximity to poverty, the Havanans seem to be a happy people. They will try and help you relieve yourself of a few pesos but you can't blame them, given the lack of oportunities to make money elsewhere. Its certainly a city that makes you question certain aspects of life. So we leave Havana with mixed feelings and head to Varadero.....
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