tranters travels: THE WONDERS OF HABANA

ARRIVING AT THE APPARTMENT BUILDING ON AQUACATE 509.OUR HOME FOR THE NEXT 8 NIGHTS.RIGHT IN THE HEART OF HABANA VIEJA.

OUR ROOM.IT IS BASICALLY A FAMILY HOME AND THEY RENT OUT A ROOM. IT IS ALL MONITORED AND MASSES OF PAPER WORK.WE STAYED WITH TWO OLS SISTERS WHO FUSSED OVER US AND MADE US FRESH PINEAPPLE DRINKS AS A TREAT.THE GUEST HOUSE SYSTEM IS CALLED A CASA PARTICULARE AND IS THE CHEAPEST FORM OF ACCOMODATION IN CUBA.

VIEW FROM OUR WINDOW.

TYPICAL VIEW OF WHAT HOUSE SMALL SHOPS,LITTLE CORNER BARS AND NEIGHBOURHOOD RESTAURANTS.

TYPICAL STREET SIGHTS.

REUNITING WITH DON QUIXOTE ABOARD ROCINANTE!!!! AT A LITTLE PLAZA SURROUNDED BY FOOD STALLS,RESTAURANTS,SHOPS-OUR LOCAL AREA!!

MOST BARS AND RESTAURANTS HAVE AMAZING BANDS PLAYING FROM MIDDAY TO MIDNIGHT.A VENUE MAY HAVE MANY BANDS PLAYING IN SHIFTS.MOST OF THEIR INCOME IS FROM TIPS AND SELLING CD'S.

GRAHAM GREENE DEVOTEES MAYBE DISAPPOINTED AS I WAS TO DISCOVER THAT LAMPARILLA 37 THE HOME OF THE PROTAGONIST IN OUR MAN FRON HABANA DOESN'T EXIST AND IN FACT OCCUPIES THIS HOTEL SITE!!!

THIS IS THE GUNSHOP WHERE THE 1953 REVOLUTIONARIES BOUGHT MOST OF THEIR ARMS AND AMMUNITION!! IT IS NOW A MUSEUM AND HOSTS A LOT OF PROPOGANDA TYPE CEREMONIES LIKE THIS ONE.MILITARY MUSIC AND HEART RENDERING SPEECHES WITH WREATHLAYING ETC ETC

THE OLD CAPITAL NOW ITS HUGE ROOMS AND DEBATING CHAMBER ARE LEFT AS THEY WERE BACK BEFORE FIDEL TOOK CHARGE ,WITH A LOT OF SPACE HOSTING ARTISAN WORKSHOPS AND GALLERIES.

NATIONAL THEATRE HOME OF THE FAMOUS NATIONAL BALLET COMPANY. THE NUMBER OF THEATRES AND CONCERT HALLS IS MINDBOGGLING.

THE VARIETY OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT BECAUSE OF THE SMALL NUMBER OF CARS IS HUGE.OLD CLASSIC CARS,HORSE DRAWN CARRIAGES,PEDICYCLES AND THESE LITTLE GEMS ALL SERVE AS TAXIS IN ADDITON TO MORE MODERN VEHICLES.

PINHOLE CAMERA WITH A DIFFERENCE. THIS HAS BEEN IN THIS MAN'S FAMILY FOR 125 YEARS AND USED OUTSIDE THE CAPITILLO OVER THIS TIME.

SOME SOPHISTICATED REPAIRS HAVE BEEN ONGOING!!

THE FIRST IMAGE ONTO PHOTO PAPER IS DEVELOPED IN DEVELOPER IN ATRAY UNDERNEATH HOUSING. IT MAKES A NEGATIVE IMAGE WHICH NE MOUNTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS.

THE IMAGE IS THEN DEVELOPED AND FIXED AS A POSITIVE IMAGE.!!!

PAPA HEMINGWAY AND HABANA ARE SYNONYMOUS.HE STAYED AT HOTEL AMBOS MUNDOS WHEN HERE.ROOM AT THE TOP FACING PLAZA DELA ARMAS WITH GLORIOUS VIEWS. HIS WORKS ARE CELEBRATED AS IS HIS TOURIST DRAWCARD!!!

ROOM 511 IS NOW A PERMANENT MUSEUM.HE COMPLETED FRO WHOMM THE BELL TOLLS AND WROTE OLD MAN OF THE SEA HERE. HIS MAIN HOME WAS OF COURSE IN KEY WEST FLORIDA (60 MILES AWAY!!!)

EVERY PLACE HE FREQUENTED IS WELL REMEMBERED.

BAR LA FLORIDITA. THE SCANDALOUS PRICES PRODUCED SEIZURE WALLETUS!!

CLOISTERS OF THE CHURCH AND MONASTERY OF SAN FRANCISCO.OCCUPIES ONE SIDE OF PLAZA SF.THE CHURCH IS NOW A CONCERT HALLAND MONASTERY MUSEUM AND OFFICES.THE FOLLOWING ARE VIEWS IN AND FROM THE CHURCH AND BELLTOWER.

MONASTERY COURTYARD.

ALTAR NOW A STAGE.

THE TALLEST BELLTOWER IN HABANA.

CAPITELLO IN THE DISTANCE.

PLAZA VIEW ACROSS TO HABANA PORT.

PLAZA DE ARMAS .A CENTRE FOR ALL SORTS OF CULTURAL PURSUITS AND FORTS.THE WEATHER VANE ON TOP OF CASTILLO DE LA REAL FUERZA IS HAVANNA CLUB RUM'S LOGO.BELIEVE ME I KNOW THIS!!

THERE ARE TWO BEAUTIFULLY RESTORED OLD PHARMACIES IN OLD HABANA.THIS IS AN OLD CHARCOAL WATER PURIFIER.

YOUNG DANCERS IN THEIR FINARY DOING SON (SALSA AND OTHER DANCES)DISPLAYS
.

NATURAL RHYTHYMS.

DOUBLE -TOWERED BAROQUE PLAZA CATEDRAL DE SAN CRISTOBEL.

INSIDE CATHEDRAL.

PLAZA VIEJA IS AN EXAMPLE OF ALL THE BUILDINGS HAVING BEEN RESTORED.NOW SHOPS,BARS,OFFICES,HOTELS AND APPARTMENTS.ONCE CHURCH BUILDINGS,MERCHANT MANSIONS.

A STROLL TO VEDADO.OLD HABANA IS ACTUALLY A PORT SET IN A BAY WITH A NARROW ENTRANCE TO THE SEA. THIS ENTRANCE IS DEFENDED BY THREE FORTS. THIS IS ONE EL MORRO.

FROM THIS ENTRANCE IS THE MALECON SEAWALL WHICH PROTECTS FROM BIG SEAS.IT RUNS ALL THE WAY AROUND TO THE OTHER HALF OF HABANA VEDADO.

PARQUE LENNON VEDADAO.

HMM!

JOSE MARTI WAS THE MAESTRO OF THE 1878 REVOLUTION AGAINST SPANISH RULE. A MARTYR AND INSPIRATION FOR FIDEL.FIDEL'S COUP LOCATIONS AND STRATEGIES WERE A REPLICA OF MARTI'S.

MARTI MONUMENT PLAZA DE LA REVOLUTION VEDADO
..

ACROSS FROM MARDI .FAMOUS CHE AND FIDEL SKETCHES.

A HICCUP I DON'T KNOW HOW TO ERASE!!(MAYBE A CUBAN METAPHOR!!)

REVOLUTION.IF THE ARCHITECTURE IS THE BODY OF HABANA AND ITS PLAZAS ITS CIRCULATORY SYSTEM THEN THE DISPLAYS OF THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE VARIOUS REVOLUTIONS ARE ITS HEART AND SOUL.

PICTURES AND SLOGANS ADORN WALLS AND BUILDINGS.

LINKS TO OTHER COUNTRIES THAT FOUGHT TO END TYRANNY ARE EMBODIED IN IT'S STREET NAMES.

CARICATURES AT THE REVOLUTION MUSEUM.READ THE CAPTION.

GRANMA THE YACHT THAT FIDEL USED TO LAUNCH THE ILL-FATED COUP AGAINST BATTISTA IN 1953 IS HOUSED IN THIS SHRINE AT THE REVOLUTION MUSEUM IN THE OLD PRESIDENTIAL PALACE DOWNTOWN OLD HABANA.SO ARE THE FOLLOWING USED IN THE SUCCESSFUL 1959 COUP AND 1961 BAY OF PIGS FIASCO.