TUESDAY 25th

A 9.30 start for a tour dedicated to Ernest Hemingway, Nobel Prize winner for Literature with his book ‘The Old Man and The Sea’ a copy of which Mary Jane has lent me. It should be interesting as the story is set around Cuba.

Travelling through the countryside taking the Havana ring road we passed cattle trucks full of people as well as some very old and rusty buses with passengers packed in like sardines. Along the roadside the Cubans were hitching lifts and at junctions a man dressed in yellow, sometimes blue, would stop vehicles and make the driver take passengers. The vehicle number plates are in either red (tourist) yellow (local) blue (tour buses) and Humberto told us that if a tour bus was empty the driver could pick up passengers but they would have to pay more to travel in this bus than a local one. The reasoning being they do not want the tour coaches vandalised by the Cubans. It was only then we realised the window hammers had been replaced in the empty holders as the Cubans pinch them.

Our first stop on the ‘Hemingway Trail’ was San Francisca de Paula to see the villa where he lived for 20 years. We were not allowed inside the building but could view the rooms through open doorways and windows. The rooms showed different aspects of his life which included stuffed trophies from his African adventures including a large frog preserved in a jar sitting on top of one of his many bookcases, Bull Fighting, Fishing and his writing. His typewriter with a partly typed page and other items on his desk left as they were on the day he committed suicide in l961.

From a tower we were able to see the Havana skyline and catch a glimpse of a mocking bird sitting in the branches of a large tree opposite the tower along with a couple of red headed woodpeckers. Again we also spotted many turkey vultures flying in the thermals above us. Although the tower was a late addition to the house Hemingway had one of the rooms as a study – how he got any work done with the view from this room I don’t know. At the bottom of the garden his beloved boat ‘El Pilar’ had been put on display but again we could only look at the outside from a raised platform under the large shelter. There was a swimming pool, but for safety reasons it was empty, and Mary Jane told me that one of his wives (he was married 4 times) had caught him swimming in the nude with Ava Gardner, a beautiful American film star of the 50/60s - she was never invited to the house again. Close by were 4 small headstones under which were the remains of his beloved dogs, Negra, Neron, Linda and Black.

Our next stop was the little harbour village of Cojimar where Hemingway moored his boat during the l940’s and 50’s. It was mid morning and we were having our first cocktail of the day. A light blue daiquiri named after his boat’s Captain, Gregoria Fuentes, on whom he is believed to have modelled the old man in his prize winning novel. From the restaurant windows we looked out to the harbour entrance where on a few wooden poles emerging out of the sea close by we saw a pelican and seagulls taking a rest. There was a small fortress which is now used as a Coastguard station so was off limits to the public and a small jetty where a solitary fisherman was trying his luck. We had chance to take a stroll down the road passing buildings on our left and the sea and fortress on our right. Towards the end of the road we looked at more old cars and a lorry undergoing a rebuild of the trailer section. It was hoped something would be done with the cab especially as the driver’s seat was a wooden chair!

As we looked at the bust of a good looking Hemingway gazing out to sea set on a tall stone plinth in a small park Enrique (not Felix – Humberto got his name wrong) sounded his horn for us to return to continue our trail back in the city.

Beginning at the hotel where we had our rooftop cocktail yesterday today in small numbers we once again took the ancient lift to visit a room used by Hemingway for 7 years overlooking a small park where there are many second hand book sellers. The hotel guide informed us that the exhibits in this room had come from his house ‘Finca la Vigia’ and were regularly changed. Today everything was about his interests with large bull fighting posters on walls around his bed, racks containing his fishing rods and Massi spears from Africa. There was a large painting of two boxers fighting said to represent Rocky Marciano (USA) and a Cuban, but this fight never took place - it was just his dream. Another wall contained a small collection of photos of his wives and guests at his house. There was also a bookcase containing copies of his novels along with a few books from his library and sitting on top of the cabinet was a model of his beloved boat.

Whilst we waited for everyone else I went back into the street to take a quick look in the farmacia close by. Wonderful place with row upon row of beautiful jars with names painted in blue but what made me laugh was the glass cabinet containing a skeleton. Welsh John (we have 3 Johns) is a retired Pharmacist so I am sure he would like to have a look in here before we move on. When we were all gathered I pointed out the building and whilst he went inside the rest of us watched the stilt walkers coming down with the crowds of followers and once again trying to extract money from us.

We continued a few yards up the street to ‘La Bodeguita del Medio’ a famous writers’ bar with inscriptions and graffiti on the walls penned by people from all over the world. It must have been the first bar Keith has gone into and not had a drink whilst I just looked at it from the outside! By now you will have realised Hemingway was an alcoholic and a diabetic so a special daiquiri containing no sugar was named after him which he drank at the next bar, 'La Floridita'. At this point the bar was so packed we couldn’t get in and as the tour ended here we left our group to spend the rest of the afternoon in the Old Town.

We returned down the cobbled street to have a look around a small souvenir market set out in a small enclosed area. Stalls selling leather sandals, crocheted garments, children’s linen clothing and the usual assortment of souvenir ashtrays, fridge magnets, and jewellery and right at the back was a delightful courtyard with guess what in the corner – A BAR! They were also serving food and by now we were feeling hungry. There was no menu it was a choice of chicken or prawns, black bean rice or plain. We chose the plate a local was having behind us. We were beginning to think they had forgotten about us but another local indicated for us to wait. Very soon we were moved to a table in the shade and our plate of butterfly chicken with a hint of mint, black bean rice, cabbage and carrot salad, tomato and sliced cold potato with lightly fried onion was delivered. It was delicious and we ate it whilst singing quietly along to the music tracks being played on the TV above our heads, The Eagles being a popular group on this particular DVD.

The rest of the afternoon was spent admiring classic cars parked in narrow streets some with leaning bollards (or was that just the effect from our alcohol intake) to prevent traffic from entering the pedestrian area and a few shops. These shops were hard to see as they appeared to be someone’s front room where through the open window covered by an ornate iron grill filled rolls, sweet crispy pancakes dredged in icing sugar were passed to customers lining up along the pavement. Some of the rolls really looked appetising. Passing through a small park a street cleaner offered to leave his post and take me to a bar where he would teach me to Salsa!

More walking through the narrow streets and we came across an old car in need of much attention. If it was for sale I bet the advert would read ‘One careful owner – no racing or rallying!’

We returned to the ‘Floridita’ bar but again it was so busy we couldn’t get in and so moved on a block. With no-one in a bar on the corner we walked through the saloon swing doors to sit at the bar for a mojito gazing out of the open windows at the passing traffic. Did that woman really walk by with a large plastic bowl full of small squares of cake that she was putting in her mouth like sweets?! We watched a variety of vehicles such as horse drawn carriages, bicycle taxies, one wagon going far too fast (we believed it had no brakes as tyres squealed when it rounded the corner), tour buses and ancient and modern cars. Great entertainment!

On leaving the bar we were surprised to find we had arrived at the main road on which Capitol building stood. As an empty taxi was waiting at the traffic lights Keith enquired how much to take us back to the ‘Occidental Hotel’? 10 was agreed so we jumped in before the lights changed. Keith had really wanted a ride in one of the classic cars but I had heard Mary Jane say they only went on a certain route and as we are about 15km out of the city didn’t think they would take us that far.

It was just after 5pm when we arrived at the hotel. Cocktails at 6.30!