Upon arriving in Havana, we visited Fort Castillo del Morro. Luckily there happened to be an Earthcache there. We drove around Revolution Square. We really don't understand their love affair with Che Gueverra. There are images of him everywhere.
After lunch we visited a small art museum which supported local artists. This took care of the "educational" requirement of our visit to Cuba. Generally, Canadians do not need a Visa to visit Cuba, Americans do. Because we are on a trip originating from the US, everyone needs a Visa and it must be for educational purposes.
This was followed by a walking tour around Old Havana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At Francis of Assisi church, we found another Earthcache. The architecture here is a mixture of French and Spanish influences.
After checking into our hotel, Melia Habana, we rode in vintage 1940s and 1950s American automobiles to go to the restaurant. Ours was an orange '57 Chevy convertible. What a blast! We thought it would be a short ride. Not so! It must have been a 20 minute ride to get to the restaurant just 5 minutes from the hotel. The Cuban fusion-style dinner consisted of appetizers, taro root and tomatoes, and chicken. Dessert was coconut ice. Too bad RoseMarie does not like coconut.
Afterwards, we were bused to the Tropicana for live entertainment. It was an excellent show. Each couple had 1/2 litre of rum. RM does not like coke, so tried rum on the rocks. She really liked that. Most people left half way through the show. We stayed until the end. RoseMarie danced with the most beautiful woman in an amazing costume. That was fun! It was a great night.....long 19 hour day though.
We were up early Tuesday morning again. On the way back to Cienfuegos, we stopped at the Bay of Pigs museum. This was a real eye opener for many Americans to see the other side of the story.
What did we learn in Cuba? There is hope. Under Raoul Castro it has been decided that there will be elections every 5 years. He is stepping down next year. The process will be similar to what we have in Canada. New people with fresh and exciting ideas are running. It will be interesting to observe the process.
We are at sea this afternoon, so we have time to recuperate before tonight. Of course, we made time for afternoon tea. Those scones are as good as ever! Entertainment tonight was Karen Grainger from Toronto, female impressionist. Amazing entertainer: great impressionist, singer, and comedienne. Yippee! Mais Oui!
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