TROPICANA

Last year Tropicana celebrated its 70th anniversary. Seventy years of cabaret: music, dance and glamor. It was the happening place in the 1940's and '50's when American tourists flocked to Havana for a weekend, or a week,of sun anf fun. I heard about it as a kid, but did not understand it until, as an adult, my parents reminesced about it.  Tropicana is spectacular. It is a fairy tale in the midst of a society lacking a much needed stable infrastructure. It is a fabulous show, unafordable to Cubans and pricey for most tourists, but what, the heck, there is only one Tropicana!

For 80 CUC's (about $85) per person, we had very good seats (best is 90CUC's, worst is 70CUC's). The ticket price includes a 1/4 bottle of Havan Club rum, a can of cola, a glass of Cava (Spanish sparkling wine), and "entremeses" (a small plate of apperizers)

Tropicana has a main stage with an elevated stage above it, and a 3-tiered narrower stage with tropical foilage and waterfalls sorrounding it. Dancers wear exotic colorful costumes, which change with every new musical number. Like I said before, spectacular! 

By the way, Tropicana is an open-air cabaret, which adds to its tropical mystique, but puts it at the mercy of bad weather

THE FAB FAM IN CUBA

The first night in Havana we ate at a "Paladar" (private home restaurant) by the name of "El Gringo Viejo" (The Old Gringo). Our smiling faces reflect the relief of having finally sat down to eat after walking at least a mile to get to the Paladar. In the other picture Linda uses the sink in our beautiful antique bathroom in the first "casa particular" (B and B) we stayed in 

Our first casa particular is in the background

As usual, Linda is ready to protect herself from the sun. Notice the beautiful "amapola" (hibiscus flower) hanging from her ear

The Fab Fam poses with the "Plaza de la Revolucion" (Plaza of the Revolution) in the background 

On the third day we ate lunch at "Los Nardos" one of a few Spanish social clubs that have survived the test of time and the revolution

Steve at the entrance to the Cuban Society of Engineers

El Morro in the background

We had to stop at "El Floridita", the famous bar in Old Havana made famous by Ernest Hemingway, who downed countless daiquiris there

Catedral de San Cristobal de La Habana

Nothing like a colorful bouganvillea to serve as the backdrop for a beautiful family

Early morning bus departure for Trinidad-notice the map of Cuba in the background

Just showing you where we are going

Getting comfy on the bus

Christina and Steve displaying their Wyoming winter tan at Playa Ancon near Trinidad

The Fab Fam finally gets to try a Coco Taxi between Trinidad and Playa Ancon

Muscle man shows off his bathing suit at Playa Ancon. Needless to say, Cuban babes who had been enjoying the sun and surf quickly gathered around me to admire such unique bathing attire, as well as the stud wearing it   

More smiling faces waiting for a dinner table in Trinidad 

 

I had no doubt the quilter would find a Cuban quilt

Standing around in Trinidad waiting to excahge currency at the "Cadeca" ("Casa de Cambio"-house of exchange)

Two beautiful women shop at the artisan market in Trinidad

Dinner at Mila's casa during our last night in Trinidad

Back In Havana, my second cousin Anelisse picked us from the bus station and brought us over to Teresita's (my cousin) house for coffee, snacks and to look at old pictures

Smiling faces at Teresita's house

For our last night in Havana we decided to head back to where it all started. We walked (at least a mile) to "La Torre" (The Tower), the restaurant/bar that overlooks the city from its 33rd floor location. We watched the sunset and then walked to the restaurant at the "Sociedad Francesa" (French Social Club) for dinner 

CUBA-SIGHTS AROUND LA HABANA

La Habana is a beautiful city. Yes, we were prepared to see the unkept architectural magnificence, and the signs of a deficient infrastructure; but it is still a majestic city. Upon our arrival on Monday afternoon, we followed the advice of Pepe, the husband of the owner of the "casa particular" we stayed in. We headed for La Torre, a bar and restaurant (we followed his advice not to eat there) to have a drink and watch the sunset. Well, we got a lot more than we bargained for-a 360 degree view of the city from La Torre's 33rd floor vantage point  

West-southwest view

Best view from La Torre was east. The Hotel Nacional dominates the left foreground of this image. 

Southeast view of the city

Want to guess how old these gas pumps are? The station is non-functional and so were the pumps

Vegetable and fruit market-Cubans can buy as much as they want with the national peso-the currency Cubans used (as compared to the CUC, the higher value Cuban currency used by tourist and by Cubans who can get access to it. 1 CUC = 25 pesos). Pork is the national meat; it is plentiful and accesible with pesos

The Chinese cemetery on the left. On Wednesday, our third day in Havana, we did our own walking tour (about 5 miles) starting in Vedado and heading east to Centro Habana and Habana Vieja (Old Havana). Just a few blocks into our walk, still in Vedado, we stumbled upon Jalisco Park, the amsument park where my parents used to take me as a child-it's still open and functional  

On the left is an interestingly shaped apartment building. On the right is the majestic entrance to the "Necropolis de Cristobal Colon" (cemetery), currently under repair.

The majesty of one of the oldest and largest cemetery's in the America's caught our eye as can be seen in the next several frames

24 hour cafeteria. The options for nourishment in such places is minimal, but one can typically satiate the hunger pains without difficulty 

Plaza de la Revolucion-Cuban flag on the left Jose Marti's statute center

School of Orthodontistry-Centro Habana

The aroma of freshly baked bread poured out of this building, one of many bread baking locations in the city. These bread bakeries take pesos and are easily accesible to Cubans, as long as you get there earlier rather than later when the bread may run out

Iglesia del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus, Habana Vieja

Hardware store (ferreteria) in Habana Vieja

Most Cuban exiles remember Almacenes Ultra as a top notch department store in Habana Vieja

Big "Roble" tree in the "Parque de la Fraternidad" next to the Capitol

Acorss the street from "El Capitolio" (Capitol) we stopped for lunch at "los Nardos", one of about 3 Spanish social clubs that have survived the test of time and the revolution. Upstairs is a perfectly air-conditioned full restaurant serving typical Spanish food

El Capitolio (notice our gang, except for yours truly) in the foreground)

Partagas, probably the best known Cuban cigar maker, is housed in this building behind El Capitolio 

The "Centro Gallego" (Galician Center), now the Gran Teatro de la Habana, is an architectural masterpiece  

Bacardi building, once the hub of the Bacardi rum dynasty

Iglesia del Santo Angel, my uncle Tio Coco, sent me here on an errand to try to locate a very old certificate (1800's) of marriage from our family. Unfortunately, the church was locked and nobody was available in the afternoon when we went there

Palacio Presidencial (Presidential Palace), of course not utilized as living quarters by Fidel or Raul.

The Granma, the boat in which Fidel traveled from Mexico to Cuba when he started the revolution is enshrined in this building (with 24/7 heavily armed guards) behind the Presidential Palace. It has been an everlasting symbol of the revolution

El Morro castle, behind us, marks the entrance to "La Bahia de La Habana" (Havana habor)

La Cabana, massive fortress behind El Morro, was utilized by many Cuban rulers as a prison. Some of the horrific stories of imprisonment and prisoner deaths, including those by Castro's well known firing squads, took place here  

Fishing boats moored at the entrance to the harbor

Calle de adoquines (cobblestones) in Habana Vieja

Catedral de San Cristobal de La Habana (Havana's Cathedral)

Statute of Carlos Manuel de Cespedes, Cuba's first patriot in the quest to gain independence from Spain

"Museo de la Ciudad" (City Museum), formerly the Municipal Government building.

Amazing architecture in Habana Vieja

An old neon sign marks "La Pina de Plata" (The Silver Pinapple"), a restaurant

At the end of our long walking tour, stopping at "El Floridita" was a must. Here  is where Ernest Hemigway hung out and enjoyed sipping on daiquiris.