Day 22: Cienaga final to La Habana

The sun was rising, the sky was clear, there was no wind, and the waves were gently rolling in, so we had no choice but to enjoy an early walk on the beach before our busy day began.



Our new guide, Estrey, picked us up and we rode into the "Salinas" (salt flats). No where near 10,000 flamingos ( more like 500), but they were pretty photogenic...










and even a bit weird.



There were a number of other birds as well, including our old favorites, roseate spoonbills.






We just caught the Viazul bus by a few minutes, and had a pleasant 3 hour ride to Havana on the auto pista (four lane), but for the non-stop romantic music videos. They seriously overshot my Julio Iglesias tolerance level.



We wound up at a funky CP (Bronx slum hallways and stairs, but a very nice room), in a pretty run-down section of Havana ("the real Cuba" as the guidebooks and many tourists say a bit too often) just off the Prado and Malecon.






Some great cars on the street, though.



We have a somewhat crazy host and hostess, and so we escaped quickly for a walking tour, first to the Malecon (east end)...



then to the well-fortified harbor, with 17th century forts Castillo de San Salvadore de la Punta on the west side of the entrance...


and Castillo de Los Tres Santos Reyes Magnos del Morro on the east side.



The Morro fort was somewhat photogenic, both outside...







and in...







but was particularly enjoyable because of Delores, our delightful English-speaking guide, whose stream of consciousness presentation, though incomprehensible at times, was captivating.



Strangely enough, the harbor remained vulnerable to attack, and so eventually a third fort was constructed, inland from the latter, Fortaleza de San Carlos de la Cabana (in the background on the hill on the left, where the British had set up artillery on that hill to shell Morro).



The Cabana was also visually dramatic, outside...












and in...



and provided nice sunset views of the city...








and of some Soviet missiles from the JFK missile crisis - verdad.




We had a pizza (of course) in the Forteleza, intending to wait for the ceremonial firing of a cannon at nine, but couldn't hang on for it, instead settling for a night view of of the fort's walls.


and of the city...
<i>Havana 1i>

We caught a cab, through a tunnel under the harbor, and returned to our place, with its romantic lighting and the sounds of the "real Havana" at night.
Havana 2

More of Havana tomorrow.

More idle musing. Our host and hostess seem to me (a Wisconsin Missouri synod German Lutheran) to be exemplary of a prevalent Cuban characteristic - too much personality, to the point of stifling accomplishment. Or perhaps it's a result, rather than a cause, that is, they live in a pseudo-egalitarian society that does not reward (underrewards) accomplishment, and personal emotional over-expression is a way of coping with that. On the other hand, maybe Cubans just like to have more fun.
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Location:Cienaga and Havana