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A wet weekend in Habana

October 20, 2011

Most afternoons, this.

Perhaps only mildly more interesting than a wet weekend in Hamilton for a tourist? Up until Wednesday it was sunny and hot. Thursday avo a thunderstorm brought a 40 minute downpour but cleared to leave a cooler evening. Friday evening the downpour lasted about 1 hour. Saturday was overcast and humid all day with a massive downpour lasting well over 2 hours, maybe 3. Truly biblical proportions. Today, Sunday, no downpour but still overcast and humid. Tomorrow promises more of the same. I am now learning to pick an oncoming heavy downpour. The last 3 afternoons has had me heading for a bar or coffee shop to wait out the rain. I have managed to make a coffee or beer last well over 1 hour as well as engage in conversation with whatever English speaking person is around.

So, what to do on a wet weekend in Habana before the showers arrive? The old capital building, Capitolio, is closed for repairs. So, ‘no hay’ there. This building closely modelled on the US Whitehouse and was built, obviously, before Castro et al took power. The large statue of National hero Jose Marti in the Plaza de la Revolution was also closed for the day. A nice taxi ride out there informed me of that. There are 2 decent forts across Havana bay that are worth exploring. I could take a local ferry but decided to use a tourist bus that goes past, 3 pesos cuc for the round trip. Forts open but the tunnel under the bay was closed due to flooding. So, sweet, 3 of the items on my to do list off limits. I ended up in visiting ‘Barrio China’, Habana’s Chinatown. A couple of blocks really. I wandered round and while and then back into town before the afternoon rain arrived.

To give you a sense of how much rain fell

I anticipate coming back to do the forts. Maybe use the tourist bus from the centre of old Havana or maybe catch the every person’s ferry. I say anticipate because I am moving base around to Vedado, a suburb a few miles to the west to see some things there. The point of a bicycle is making me more mobile around the city, including coming back for the forts. I have had 9 days now in old Havana and am a little sick of the place. I have either seen everything I want, or being denied seeing it, and rain for 4 days isn’t helping. Vedado is a little bit more comfortable and I have what looks like a very nice casa particular lined up and paid for. The casa I am at in old Habana is ok but the bed is a little soft and spongy. Those who know me know that sleep is an important aspect of life. The Vedado casa will also have 2 or 3 other people staying along with me so there will be some ‘fraternisation of tourists’.

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