Martes, el 4 de Abril…
So… I wasn’t interested in checking out Hemingway’s
place cuz I didn't consider him part of authentic Cuban culture. But we have a 6pm flight,
so this morning we talked a taxi driver into taking us round trip to the village of San Francisco de Paula, about 10 miles east of Havana. Very glad we did. First of all, we drove through parts of
Havana that we hadn’t seen before (industry and shipping, for example) and also simply b/c
the house and grounds were beautifully preserved and lovely. Very tranquil.
Good trip. (And I learned that many Cubans do consider Hemingway one of their
own.)
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| Dining Room (note the "game") |
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| Lovely, relaxed living room. Lots of windows & doors for cross ventilation. |
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| "Tower Room" (separate from the house) |
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| Corona Typewriter |
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| Dog Cemetery: Black, Negrita, Linda & Neron (ask me about possible meanings for the last 3) |
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| Dog at rest (not dead 😃) This was the first dog we'd seen that wasn't scrawny. |
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| View from the Tower Room |
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| Bathroom (note bookcase lower right) |
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| Papa at ease. (photo in the house) |
Cuba is... colorful. Clingy clothing. Cuba libres.
Cafés, cafeterias, tiendas & mercados. Communist.
Complicated.
My incredibly uninformed opinion is that the government is more reactive than proactive. Young folks like our host's nephew are frustrated b/c neither higher education or skills improve their standard of living. People like our host create side businesses to increase income. (One day the inner courtyard stairway of our bldg was being painted. There are 6 apts, but Marylin hired the painter so that her guests would not have to walk up three flights of peeling paint.) Others make do with their allotment. Housing is modest, but floors are swept and mopped and there's always laundry drying above balconies or roofs. (Marylin has a washing machine.)
Folks are friendly and very social.
BlogThoughts... We're the first to admit we haven't gotten as much out of this trip as we should have - and it's all our own fault. That said, we spent considerable time w/ everyday folks and that was good. In the week+ since we returned I've read lots more (much of which is beyond me) and am again reminded of how little I know of the workings of the rest of the world. And, speaking of the rest of the world, another benefit of this trip has been the other tourists we've met. A young couple from the Netherlands (graduate students in "tech law") stayed in the 2nd rental room for a night. Yesterday a 20-something Korean-born California guy arrived. He's between jobs (good ones!) and decided to use the time to check out Cuba. (Had to fly from CA to NY, then to Cuba - ugh!) He didn't speak any Spanish, but had a translation app and all sorts of other techie apps to help him navigate the city and culture. Youth is fearless.
My incredibly uninformed opinion is that the government is more reactive than proactive. Young folks like our host's nephew are frustrated b/c neither higher education or skills improve their standard of living. People like our host create side businesses to increase income. (One day the inner courtyard stairway of our bldg was being painted. There are 6 apts, but Marylin hired the painter so that her guests would not have to walk up three flights of peeling paint.) Others make do with their allotment. Housing is modest, but floors are swept and mopped and there's always laundry drying above balconies or roofs. (Marylin has a washing machine.)
Folks are friendly and very social.
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| Lifelines in our bedroom. |
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