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Central Havana
We walked around havana central, searching for banks which accept foreign cards and somewhere with internet to transfer money. We heard that most big hotels designed for foreigners have small Internet lounges. We arrived in the hotel and waited in line from 40 minutes before the internet room opens and for an hour after to get a computer and use the internet. It took most of the morning waiting for half an hour of the slowest Internet possible. We were able to open one email and transfer money once. That was all in 30 minutes. It was then almost lunch time.
We headed to a cheap large restaurant we had read about where the meals are so large you can share. The sun was anchor hung down so I was wearing singlet short and thongs. I didn't even think about the fact I was wearing a singlet and when we arrived they stopped me entering. So how do you get into have lunch....? Why you borrow the security guards suit jacket.
A great shared lunch later and a CUC tip to security guard and the experience was over.
We walked down along the Washington monument building, or atleast it's exactly the same just to show that these two countries were brothers once apon a time and we headed to the museum of revolution. I have wanted to see this since I've known about it. The front of the building still contains the bullet holes from an attack as part of the revolution and later inside it explains of the botched attempt. As we moved through the museum we witnessed the growth of the rebellion and the exile of the main characters. The addition of Che and the boat ride from Mexico to Cuba marked the start of the full swing rebellion. The '26 July movement' gained its name and moved from southeast to northwest with safety in the forest. It was a very interesting place but after they gained power the people doing the same type of revolution against them were dogs or terrorists. The language by the end had changed, glossing over problems, painting the US and the outside as evil, but I guess that is part of the story. An unexpected and interesting part of the cuban history is the number of doctors in Cuba and the aid they constantly give around the world. They train more doctors than anywhere else and gave aid all through the Caribbean and Africa, aid with full trained doctors. We left the place educated on the history but also aware of the errors and current glossing. An odd benefit was it really helped remembering street names in Cuba (as with Central and South America) as they are named after people and days in history.
Later we chose to have dinner in a cobble street cafe. It was nice having musicians singing and playing to us while we eat in the open air with the old style Cuban architecture, with old cars parked down the streets, it could have been 50 years ago.
To finish the night walked through Havana old town where we purchased 50c hot chocolates, really good 50c hot chocolates at that.
The streets are relatively safe to walk aroind at night in Cuba as the punishment against crime has very harsh penalties, harsher than most countries. Therefor the streets are safer. The place feels alive with culture and life, day and night.
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