Gordon Brown Has Blood On His Hands!

Goodbye Havana – Hello Varadero!

It may be that a large tip was being sought, as on return from our trip to Vinales we found swans made from the bath towels on the beds. Very nice touch, but I don’t do tipping if I can help it. Some may say I’m tight and the Cubans are poor but my conscience is clear – not my fault, blame Fidel, his people might be short of cash but I’m sure he’s not!

After checking out and a last look at the fantastic lobby (see blog entry 23rd Feb 2009), we were directed to our coach for the long journey to Varadero.

Several long hours later we arrived at our home for the next ten days, The Hotel Paradisus. We walked from the air-conditioned luxury of the coach into the intensely hot entrance lobby and walked along long wooden walkways bordered by fish-filled waterways to the main lobby and were met by a welcoming glass of champagne as we were checked in.

We were then taken to our room in which the air-conditioning was set on “refrigerator” setting and surprise, surprise, were met by yet more swans.

After freshening up and changing we walked down for some food and a relaxing evening. The buffet was very similar to that in Havana with almost anything you could think of and all washed that down with nice cold local beer. We wandered about the hotel complex trying to get our bearings and decided to stop for a quick game of table tennis and then it began...... the mosquito’s arrived! They don’t affect me normally but were nipping and annoying me, but unfortunately they were really aggravating my girlfriend, so we headed back to the room.

As a result of the discomfort caused by the bites we had rather a restless night and once morning came we could see the reaction the bites had caused.

A trip to the on-site medical centre was called for. We took a seat and the “nurse” came to call us in. I say “nurse” as, although I am sure she was adequately qualified, we felt she might have stepped straight out of a 70’s soft-porn movie as she wore a white mini-dress and was not unattractive. Unfortunately I was told in no uncertain terms that I was very healthy actually! The hand was presented and due to the severe allergic reaction an appointment with the doctor was booked for an hour later. We attended at the due time and were offered an injection or some pills and having opted for the pills and asking how we were to get them were advised to wait whilst the prescription chap fetched them for us. In ten minutes an elderly grey-haired black fellow appeared on his moped with the prescription. We paid the due sum and were advised to take one of the bright blue pills at regular intervals. I’m sure they were quite safe. The doctor also suggested keeping covered up to avoid further mosquito aggravation and you’ll see a picture below of those who took this advice seriously.

Saturday set the standard for the rest of the holiday, as after breakfast we prepared for a day at the pool and a read, with my book choice for this day being Billy (Connolly) by his wife Pamela Stephenson. A very good read if you haven’t yet had the pleasure.

The sun was bright, the water was great and the drinks from the bar were plenty and the day seemed long and most relaxing. Tomorrow would be Sunday and the first day of our final week in Cuba. The last blog instalment of the Cuban experience will be next and then I think I’ll get back to some more thought provoking and controversial blogging with a touch of politics here and there.

Robert Baggs Blogs Again!

After a long blog-free period I, perhaps sadly for the reader, have felt the urge to blog again and to get back in the swing thought it appropriate to complete my tales of the experiences encountered during my trip to Cuba. So taking off from where I left off, an early night was called for as it was to be an early start the next day for a day trip to Vinales and more photographs and video, a selection of which can be found here although a more comprehensive selection can be found on my Facebook site. It was a Wednesday morning and only time for a quick breakfast before getting on the bus to Vinales. As we were driving through Havana on our way it seemed an ideal opportunity to take a few snaps and from our air-conditioned modern coach there seemed quite a contrast to the vehicles around us.

We stopped at another hotel to pick up some more travellers and the local communist activist strolled on to give out his propaganda including the obligatory Che Guevara peso and a copy of the communist newspaper Granma some of which actually made quite interesting reading and reminded me somewhat of the Nationalist papers that were available in the old days.

The day was going to be a long one and the time would be better spent looking at the sights. The day’s itinerary included several stops including a visit to a small tobacco farm, a boat ride through caves and a meal out in the sticks. First stop was at the tobacco farm and the bus stopped in a pretty decent lay-by, which would put many British lay-bys to shame incidentally. The tour guide addressed us, in not quite the perfect English he seemed to think, advising us all, with a very straight face, that, “We are stopping here for a break so you can spread your legs”. From the lay-by, we were directed to the small farm.

The picture shows a tobacco drying shed in the foreground and the farmer’s home in the background. We actually were taken through the farmer’s home first, through the front door, into the living room, in which the family were sitting, past the bedroom and out through the kitchen! Local produce was available to buy at discounted rates in the kitchen. A short walk through the field took us to the drying shed and then the tourist’s shop which sold, as usual, cigars and rum. Then back on the bus and off again. As we got further away from Havana and deeper into the countryside it was apparent how much poorer the people seemed and how much more they relied on an agricultural almost subsistence basis to survive. We saw many fields being ploughed by teams of oxen and carts being pulled by bullocks and even bullocks being ridden.

Next stop was for lunch, but first a trip through caves by boat, which certainly sounded interesting as was the walk from the bus to the entrance which took us through our first jungle-like area. The concept of Health and Safety is, probably fortunately, not one that the Cubans are burdened with. However once they started the engines on the boat and the diesel fumes filled the enclosed cave it must have crossed everyone’s mind as to whether it was safe or not.

The cave trip was a very interesting one even if the extent of the light available was simply a very strong torch. The exit to the cave was very impressive

until it could be seen that the boat would have to turn quite sharply to avoid going over the weir!

The chap in charge of the boat had obviously carried out the manoeuvre many times and any concerns were quickly alleviated and we were on dry land once more. Just a short walk along the track led us to the restaurant which seemed to appear from nowhere.

We took a place on one of the benches next to the long tables and ended up sitting next to fellow foreign travellers whose language we could not understand and their grasp of English was nil. With a few shy smiles and nods and gestures we were soon taking food from the communal platter of potatoes and salad and fruit and other odds and ends as we had now come to expect. Once done a quick trip to the toilet and back on the bus. I’m glad I was not in need when I saw the toilet attendant holding on to a roll of toilet paper and issuing all those entering with four sheets on receipt of a small donation.

The next leg of the journey was more of the same but well worth it to see the beautiful valley (although sadly the video taken with my ordinary digital camera doesn't do it justice).

It was truly a sight to behold and we could have spent more time there than we had but time was pressing and we were off again to the town of Vinales itself. We stopped in the centre of what was essentially a town built around a crossroads. Again the wide variations in lifestyle were apparent with brand new vehicles, the older vehicles and the bullock carts.

After a wander around to take in all of the sights, sounds and smells it was time to board the bus for the return to Havana and a last night in the Cuban capital before our journey to the seaside resort of Varadero the next day.

In Cuba following the Steps of Frank Sinatra

After another breakfast which could have been of boiled bacon, chilli, yogurt and sprouts but wasn’t the hotel tour was what was planned for the morning. After meeting the elderly lady, who took the tour, at the appointed time in the lobby it was apparent it was inadvertently going to be slightly comical. She began by introducing herself and it was immediately apparent that what she thought was an excellent grasp of English must have been in her mind only as she had all of the right words but many in the wrong order and spoken very quickly with a strong Hispanic accent. This resulted in all four tourists on the tour having to try to lean closer to her to understand what was being said. Apparently the lady was a retired civil servant who enjoyed taking these tours to the extent that she did it for free. As a civil servant she was loyal to Castro’s regime and had worked in the bunkers that could be found below the sea front side of the hotel’s gardens.

Much of the history was very interesting, particularly the number of celebrities that had stayed at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba over the years and we visited numerous floors and various rooms in which the celebrities stayed. These ranged from Nat King Cole to Winston Churchill to Robert Plant to Frank Sinatra and many, many more, all of whom have their photographs on the wall of the small bar on the side of the hotel near the Tarzan Pool (so named as a result of it being the pool used by Johnny Weissmuller when he visited and swam in the pool with Cheetah the monkey, as the tour guide said).

The Frank Sinatra story was of particular interest in that he happened to visit the hotel at the same time as the Mafia had their annual get-together. They took over the whole of the second floor which is the floor with the balcony all around the hotel and it just so happened that Frank Sinatra was booked into the suite which was within spitting distance of the main meeting room for the Mafia.

As said, it was a very interesting tour but also quite comical as everyone strained to understand what was being said particularly as the ending of sentences seem to trail off into whispers, but the guide was very knowledgeable and thoroughly enjoyed what she was doing despite having done the same thing possibly hundreds of times.

As the tour ended it felt only right to go to the verandah bar for more cocktails, the Mojito and Pina Colada being favourites, this followed by a light lunch and then a casual stroll around the parts of Havana surrounding the hotel. Despite being told by numerous people that Cuba is one of the safest countries in the world it is a most uncomfortable feeling when being stared at by groups of rough looking Cubans at every corner. However, as the day was absolutely scorching the tour was a short one as the hotel pool was calling.

The evening meal consisted of black beans and rice and a Cuban band playing the standard types of music heard in all restaurants and bars. Then back to the verandah for more cocktails! One of the more obvious other attractions was the number of very attractive young girls, most of which must have been in their mid to late teens. What was initially thought strange was that these girls were with much older men, most of whom, in fact could have been their grand-parents. After watching them for some time it was obvious the liaisons were all part of the oldest profession, yes, despite Cuba wanting to give the impression it was a morally fine place prostitution was rife and in the Hotel Nacional de Cuba. So off to bed and unlike some, a good night’s sleep as tomorrow a trip to Vinales and more photographs and a video.

On Tour With Robert Plant In Havana

A beautifully warm and sunny day greeted everyone on boarding the bus for the guided tour of Havana. The journey itself was an education, again seeing the different types and quality of buildings, cars and the Cuban people going about their daily business. Not all of the cars driven by Cubans are as classy as might be imagined!

After a short drive the bus stopped in one of Havana’s suburbs, the name of which escapes me, but which was home to one of the several rum factories in the area. To see a small factory producing such a class product is quite something, the workers seemed very proud of what they did and rightly so as the free samples offered proved. This sort of small-scale, high quality, industry would have been seen in the UK before the big businesses took them all over and it seems a shame that we have lost these.

Most people on the trip bought souvenirs and at the equivalent cost of just over a £1 for a bottle of rum (or Ron as the Cubans know it), of which there were many varieties, so those ready to move on waited on the balcony at the front of the factory. Despite it being very humid and comfortable enough for shorts and t-shirts small wet spots began appearing on the road, the origin of these spots becoming suddenly apparent when the heavens opened and the first of many tropical storms were experienced. A damp stroll back to the bus for the next stage in the journey was then undertaken and no sooner underway the sun returned.

Next stop was Revolution Square around which many government buildings exist including that occupied by Che Guevara when he was Finance Minister. (For further information on these click on the links). The square also is the location where many major parades and other events take place and should they take place on a day like when we visited it is difficult to believe that anyone could remain there for any length of time as it was absolutely scorching hot.

Getting back on the bus again, next stop was the Havana Fortress which protected the harbour from invaders from the North. From the Fortress there were great views of Havana including the Hotel and also grey clouds gathering in the distance which seemed to be heading towards the Fortress. Loud cracks of thunder together with flashes of lightning accompanied the clouds and it was clear the bus was the next stop.

As the rain began and got heavier and heavier it became apparent that any further sight-seeing was going to be impossible unless a soaking was deemed acceptable. So, we skipped the museum of the revolution to head back early to the hotel, the journey was again entertaining watching the Cuban children running about in the rain and laying in the huge puddles that soon appeared.


Arriving back at the hotel early another people-watching session in the garden enjoying a Mojito or three before tea was what was called for and on wandering down to the restaurant for a buffet tea, strangely with a similar selection of goodies as were available for breakfast awaited us and as I studied the pictures on the wall of the stairway on the way there. It seems that the hotel has had a great number of celebrities visit in the past.


Well I thought that if it was good enough for Robert Plant then it was certainly good enough for me!


More about Havana and celebrity next time and hopefully a couple of video's as well and once the Cuban adventure ends there may well be more on other issues including some political comment. Lucky you!

More From Havana

From what has been a particularly miserable winter it’s easy to reminisce about the two weeks spent in Cuba last summer, the heat, the cultural contrast, the distance from home and the ease with which I could switch off from all of the “wonders” of modern Britain.

The room in the hotel was as might be expected from what we had experienced of the hotel so far. It was bright and airy, basic but very comfortable and had fantastic views of the hotel grounds and the area around the hotel and the sea.




On what was left of the first day we had a wander in the gardens of the hotel, walking to the flagpole and looking at the Cuban life going on around the area and spending time sitting on the terrace people watching and drinking cocktails. As darkness crept in we went for our first meal which was as quick and easy as we could make it as the journey was catching up on us. A burger and beer in the American style diner, a very peculiar situation considering the hatred Cuba has of it’s neighbour just 90 miles away. To finish off the evening it was a moonlight stroll in the hotel grounds to see what we could of the Cuban nightlife. There were many cars cruising up and down the Malecon, the main coastal road in Havana and a multitude of locals sitting on the sea wall to socialise, chat and play music. A final cocktail before turning in for what might be a restless night now the body clock had been interrupted.

Next day was a Monday and waking early I thought taking a video of what could be seen from the hotel window would help kill time as breakfast would be an hour or so away. The buffet breakfast was interesting as there seemed to be as wide a range of food as was possible for breakfast including sprouts and carrots, chilli, eggs, very fatty bacon, pancakes, fruit and so on. I decided to pass on the sprouts. Once full a walk around Havana was planned, checking out the Malecon first. Once outside the hotel the many styles of architecture found in Havana were quite evident ranging from the classier buildings built prior to the revolution to the more ramshackle affairs built since. Apparently due to the lack of attention to their building stock Havana sees the collapse of 200 buildings every year!

Crossing the wide roads was a doddle as there is plenty of road available for the traffic to run on it but the first encounter with “street entertainers” was found on the other side. Two young Habanero’s, one with a guitar, the other with maraca’s began performing following the route taken until I gave them a couple of coins. Lesson learnt – avoid people loitering with musical instruments! Half a mile along the road to the west was another intriguing sight, I was going to cross back over the road to investigate further but this move invited some interest from the armed guards which were in evidence.

What had interested me was a square in which there must have been around 100 flag poles all flying black flags, each with a white star on. I later learnt that the building being guarded was the U.S. Interests Section (USINT) representing American citizens and the U.S. Government in Cuba and operates under the legal protection of the Swiss government. The armed guards were Cuban police who were there to restrict access to the Interests Section. The flags in the square opposite were erected in 2006 by Castro to obstruct a display board at USINT which showed ticker tape news on human rights issues and each apparently represents a Cuban who had died as a result of the U.S. foreign policy in Cuba.

Anyway back to the hotel for a quick lunch and then on the bus for a trip around Havana, but more on that next time. If you want to see more photo's then join me on Facebook.

Next Instalment - Calne Man In Cuba Story

Although modesty prevents me from publishing the comments received yesterday, thanks are due to “Glasgow” for being partly responsible for the resurrection of my blog. Whether or not this is a good thing is not for me to say, however hello again to anyone who might still be out there!

I will start off by completing what I started previously detailing the experiences I had in Cuba.

Our long flight from England had culminated at the airport in Havana from where we picked up a taxi for the next leg of our Cuban adventure, the journey to the hotel. As we approached we could tell that the Hotel Nacional de Cuba certainly lived up to it’s name as the most prestigious hotel in Havana, if not in Cuba (although the view in the photo below is from the rear and is not particularly good so a trip to Cuba via the link above is recommended).

The taxi dropped us at the main entrance and the driver was out opening the doors and taking the luggage from the boot. Following the bell-boy through the entrance doors and into the massive lobby it felt like we had been transported back to the 1930’s, or certainly an old Hollywood film set.

The lobby area must have been a good 50 yards or more from end to end with what appeared to be a timber ceiling 20 feet above us. We were directed to the check-in desk, which again appeared to be like an old film set, all wood and old fashioned looking, set next to the currency exchange office which was similar but with metal bars for security. We checked in and went to obtain some local currency.

Until fairly recently the Cubans were happy to take American dollars in exchange for the Cuban peso but their hatred of the Americans has resulted in the banning of dollars and they will only take sterling and euro’s. Happily for now I was able to offer the former and obtained enough pesos for the stay. I’m not sure how the system works but the peso’s were Cuban convertible peso’s and I believe this to be the currency issued to tourists only, so the authorities can keep control over the money supply. At the currency exchange desk I saw the first and last computer I was going to see in Cuba, similar to those I was using twenty years ago!

So, off to our fourth floor room closely followed by the bell-boy and our luggage via the lift shaft which was another splendid example of pre-revolution Cuba. One of the things I rarely do, as a matter of course, is to give tips. This isn’t because I am tight-fisted, although others might argue the case, but I have always felt that it is not for me to subsidise employers who are too greedy to pay more than minimum wages to their more menial staff and also because I never know how much they expect. Additionally I believe that unless someone provides me with an exceptional service they don’t automatically deserve such recognition. Anyway despite all of this I had decided I would tip whilst in Cuba unless I could get away with not doing so and slipped the bell-boy 1 peso which I had roughly calculated to be around 75p. The whole money thing in Cuba still confuses me despite reading in my travellers guide about how it works and I would appreciate it if someone could clarify it for me. My understanding however, is that, in this socialist state, everyone is paid the same monthly salary and is also entitled to a weekly grocery package including one toilet roll per day and other basic necessities. They are also provided with a house, receive free education and a free health service similar to our own. Of course where the British NHS differs is that it provides free prescriptions, unless of course, you are in England where we have to pay. That, I am sure is not just a sore point with me and is worthy of another blog entry or even a series of it’s own!

Well it all sounds cosy in Castro’s Cuba but the system is one that I find difficult to understand. Why is it, for example, if everyone is paid the same, would anyone want to take on a stressful job rather than the easiest? What incentive is there to train in anything if your financial reward was likely to be the same as everyone else? Additionally what about tipping? In theory a bell-boy, who receives regular tips, could earn more than a doctor who receives none if any?

There are many conundrums about their system and sadly I fail to understand, so will leave you for now with those questions and continue with my experiences on another day.