Day 14. 16.4.16. Havana, Cuba to San José, Costa Rica. LSCT day # 10. Go Tours (GT) day # 1.

Awake early, before dawn, tried to shower, water was cold, then ran out – luckily I had just washed the soap off. This is not an unusual occurrence. When we were having breaky the boys were working with the tanks to rectify the ‘issue.’

Coming back to Havana and Casa Alta - Habana, was like coming home. The girls and boys were incredibly welcoming and friendly.

My room for our second stay, was Suzie's room last time.

Bathroom.

Amazingly high ceilings, beautiful old original shutters.

The boys bundled our luggage down 3 flights of stairs and into the van. Then hugs and photos all around – Harrold, Alex, Dennis and Rodney, and even our man with the pigeons next door popped into a pic at the end. We had watched him release his pigeons while we were having breaky and he gave us a wave several times.

Dennis, Rodney, Harrold.

Dennis, Rodney, Harrold, Alex.

...and with pigeon man in the shot now, as he just happened along the street and we recognised him.

We were off to Jose San Marti airport with Cuban pesos and time to burn. We were early and only the second group in check-in line.

We looked around the shops, Margot changed her money back and then we sailed through customs and into the departure lounge, which had shitty shops, but that didn’t stop us finding a way to get rid of those final pesos.

The plane boarded late but was still ready to depart pretty much on time. It was  a nice new looking plane – COPA Airlines 737-800.

Jose San Marti Airport, as we were taxiing out.

Out over the Cuban Coastline.

Always love flying above the clouds.

Coming into Panama.

We deplaned in Panama and into transit, it was like coming back into the real world with very American shops, neon lights and such a change from Cuba. A short layover, then onto a smaller plan, time change in Panama and another in Costa Rica.

Pretty easy into Costa Rica. Customs was so laid back as to be horizontal, they didn’t even collect mine and Suzie’s forms!

Luggage carousel was hassle free. We moved outside to be met by Carlos, our new Van driver.

Driving into and through downtown San Jose is a bit of assault on the senses after Cuba. There were just so many vehicles on the roads and at 6.00pm on a Saturday, the drivers seemed nutty too. Car ownership must be high here, in Cuba it was about16%.

Once in Downtown San Jose, it was mayhem, traffic, pedestrians all going everywhere all at once. Doesn’t look nice at all, lots of razor wire/broken bottles on walls/fences.

Finally, after being detoured, Carlos needed to ask a taxi driver for directions to the Hotel Presidente. Thankfully the Hotel was lovely. We checked in, and then met a little later for a drink in lobby and some access to wi-fi, which led to our most unsociable night to date as we each connected with the outside world. 

Dinner in the Hotel Restaurant, we weren’t game to brave the streets. I had a  delicious tenderloin steak. We are now two hours behind Cuba, so it seems quite late and we’ve had a pretty long day.

Tomorrow we start our “Go Tours Costa Rica Tour.”

The huge bronze type relief on the wall of the restaurant. Suzie on the iPad.

I loved the quirky bits and pieces around the hotel.

I reckon this has been our unstated motto.

The computer desk in foreground and sitting area in background. 

One of the national symbols of Costa Rica is the Ox Cart, they are no longer in use. But this stylised wheel, looked good.

Entry area with trendy red spiral staircase.

Sitting area.

Cool use of old library card type drawers, with plants in them.

Their encouragement to lure us to the city did not work tonight.

The room after I had landed.

Bathroom, including, the undies already up to dry.

Day 13. 15.4.16. Varadero to Havana. LSCT day # 9.

Up for 7am breaky at Suzie and Jeannie’ Casa, with Yani too. The family had a couple of Chihuaha’s who were very cute, in fact the only time the young woman looking after us smiled was when she was interacting with the dogs.

Breakfast at Suzie and Jeannie's Casa. 

Taxi van was 30 minutes late, Yani was NOT happy L. Eventually we were off to Havana again.

I’m feeling rather stuffed up with a cold today.

Leaving Varadero.

Interesting trip along the coast, quite picturesque, but not good for pics from the van.  Crossed a few lovely rivers, saw an oil refinery and many oil ‘nodders’, coastal towns. 

An old white car. 

We crossed slowly over one of Cuba’s 7 structural wonders, a 110 metre high bridge constructed without modern machinery in the 50s.

View across a valley taken from one of Cuba's wonders of modern construction. A long and high bridge built in the 50's without the assistance of modern machinery.

Some of the verdant forested countryside.

Oil 'nodders' in the distance.

The others didn't believe they were really called nodders.

Cupet, the oil company. Was also the servo we ate at yesterday.

One of the other seaside villages along the coast. Not developed at all, Looked better than Varadero to me.

Just getting to whereever anyway they can. 

Time is of the essence today, as we have to make it to the Cigar Factory tour before midday, when they cease tours. We were stopped along the way for a quick police inspection, Yani suggested that they might be seeking some money, but our driver, Chris, was having none of that, and we went on our way.

A cool old car.  

Into Havana again and a quick stop for Yani to grab the Cigar Tour tickets from Rodney and then onto Partagas Cigar Factory to await our English tour. 

One of the key monuments in Havana, we drove past it several times, have never remembered who or what it is all about.

Our guide, Tamara, was heavily accented and smoked a cigar the whole time (wondered about the OHS consequences of this in Oz.)

Partagas Cigar factory. 

The central courtyard 'waiting' area. We were able to take photos while we waited for our tour, but not allowed to take pictures of the actual factory.

Partagas have 5 factories in Havana and more across Cuba. 

They make many different brands. Here on the board are labels and box labels from many of them, including Cohiba, Partagas, Trinidad and others.

Each floor has different stages of the Cigar making process.

It was a really interesting tour to see the cigar making process. There are 460 people working at this factory, rolling cigars for many labels including Partagas, Cohiba, Monte Christo and Trinidad to name a few. They have a cigar school on site and we got watch (no photos) the people at work. It was amazing how leaves the leaves are sorted, classed and then they are selected by the rolling crew based on colour, texture etc to be inside or outside leaves. Once the inside layers have been rolled, they are placed into a press, before being ‘finished’ with the more pliable tobacco leaves. These outer leaves have been humidified and they are flexible, smooth and almost stretchy. The outside leaves are stretched and rolled tightly around the pressed cigars. 

Each worker rolls between 80 – 160 cigars per day. The factory produces 125 thousand daily. Each worker is allowed to take home 5 cigars daily. (many of these end up sold on the street, they are without label though.)  The workers are paid $45 cuc per month.

The cigars of each worker are inspected for quality control.

Once rolled the workers stack them in a box, this then goes to another floor, where they are sorted by size, colour etc and placed into cedar boxes –which we think assists with the humidification. These boxes then go to the labelling section, where workers apply labels that are all perfectly aligned, they do a huge number per day. There didn’t seem to be very many doing the label process, so they must do thousands. 

These guys were using the box to load paperwork and send it down to others down below.

The factory is a working factory. Each worker gets to take home 5 cigars each day. This lady is holding a bundle of cigars.

I really enjoyed the cigar tour. Yaniel then whisked us away to drop our luggage at the Casa and he took us to a shop down near Plaza de Armas for those who wanted to buy cigars. The prices for the alcohol were amazing – so cheap, but still too much of our trip to go to consider lugging bottles of alcohol.

Some street stilt dancers in Havana.

The Cigar shop also sold alcohol. All sorts of liquers and rums.

The price was pretty good too.$310 cuc for the liquers (approx $6.50)

The rum was slightly dearer at $5.55 cuc. Just about $11.00.

Yani and I walked back to the Casa to get keys, then I met the others for lunch in  Plaza Vieja at Casa del Conde de Casa Lombillo.

Dreaming? Travel, rain, a home.

A free last arvo to do all the last minute bits in Havana. Glenda took off for the Museum of Fine Arts, Margot shot off to purchase a print she had her eyes on. Suzie, Jeannie and I walked to the Artisanal Markets and then off to our various things. I needed  some cash and generally looked around, I knew where an ATM was, so I took some different streets to get there, including Cuba and Havana streets. Got the cash, then caught a bici-taxi back to Plaza Vieja in the hope that Camera Graffica??? Would be open. This is technology from Leonardo da Vinci that projects images of the city onto something…however it was not to be. 

A young kid took a load of building rubbish somewhere and here he is returning. 

Che.

An old but once stunning corner building.

Street scene.

Hard at work, but really happy to pose for the pic.

Another of the church at the end of our street.. Liked the 3 bells.

Quick shot on way passed of the Lead Light.

Another church I stumbled across.

Streets of Havana.

Streets of Havana with the ever present Bici-taxi.

This corner is in need of some serious attention.

Pretty pink house with pink bouganvillea

A little guy just hanging in his doorway. Gave him a pencil and quick as you like a sister appeared too.

Onion sellers.

Street corner, Havana and Cuba streets maybe.

First arch and building over road I had seen.

Street art.

Sorting out their goods for sale.

Another 4wd like Willy's being lovingly restored on the street. That guy at the back door was sanding.

Looks like it has potential.

I think this was like a music school, with cleaner out the front.

Decaying.

Scaffolded for repairs.

The Bell tower in Plaza del Cristo - I think.

The red 'anchor' means this Casa is for Cuban Nationals only.

Street art.

Another of those cakes.

Making Churro's the guy in the back looks like he is pretty keen.

A statue along Obispo Street. El Sanchode la Habana. Leo d' Lazaro.

Loved the expression on the donkey.

Johnson Farmacia. An old Pharmacy in original condition. 

The old aquaduct system

The Gentleman from Paris, a well known street person of Havana.

Home for a quick refresh before being collected by Yani for drinks at Hotel Nacional – famous for the many celebrities who have visited. It is also connected to the mafia and Frank Sinatra. 

Ready to head out to our last drinks and dinner.

We had a drink thanks to LSCT and watched the sunset over the Malecõn/Forts before walking a couple of blocks to Café Laurent for our last supper. 

The famous Hotel Nacional.

Suzie and the doorman.

One of the grand corridors.

Hall of fame. Shows photos of famous people who have visited the Hotel Nacional over many years. The hotel has Mafia and Frank Sinatra connections.

Famous faces from the 30s including our very own Errol Flynn

The 40's.

Drinks overlooking the Malecon.

Cuba.

Looking toward the Forteleza.

Nice show in the setting sun.

Looking back around the Malecon to port area and Forts.

Protection.

Looking back at the Hotel.

A very grand old hotel.

Coco taxis. We didn't actually use one of these.

Cafe Laurent, fine dining in a penthouse apartment. The fifth floor.

The food was delicious and service as well. Drinks were tops as well. Thanks were given to Yani and final farewells before heading home to pack and sort for flights to Costa Rica tomorrow.

A 1929 taxi, lovingly cared for. The driver - the first and only female one we saw, has this car handed down through the generations from her Great Grandfather.

Another Che.

Yaniel has been just brilliant, he has been super generous with his time, information and in particular we appreciated him sharing his personal story as well, his own new little family, his extended family etc. 

His life in Cuba was really interesting – having served 12 months in National Service, which all people have to do. Usually it’s two years, but for those who are due to undertake a uni degree, they have the option of one year only. Females have the privilege of opting to do National Service or not, the boys have no choice. Yani’s 12 months sounded really interesting, he learnt to shoot, he was a prison officer and an interpreter. It sounded to me like his intellect was recognised as some of the interpreting jobs he got were pretty important for Ministers of Agriculture and the like.

Cuba is a most interesting country, poised on the verge of huge change. While there is massive opportunity in the impending thawing of relations with USA, there is also danger that the uniqueness of Cuba will be obliterated.