El Amor en Cuba
March 2009
We'd been back to work without major travel for almost two years when we set out for Cuba. The occasion -- Tim & Brandy's wedding. The settings -- a beautiful resort on the white sands of Varadero and an overnighter in Havana.
That Friday after work, we practically skipped home, knowing our bags were packed and waiting. A limo-bus pulled up in front of our house and we joined the party already in progress -- bridesmaids, groomsmen and friends, already sippin' in the light of day, headed to the airport.
We spent the first two days at the resort, relaxing on the beach and catching up with friends and family. On the third day we negotiated a cab ride to La Habana for a night, where we had booked a hostel.
Now we've stayed in some dodgy places, but when we got out of the cab... gulp. The old beige buildings along the dusty narrow street seemed to be crumbling before me. The locals hanging on the street were smirking. We rang the doorbell and a little lady stuck her head out of the window above and welcomed us enthusiastically. She ran down and let us into her place, through her living room and down a hall where she rented out four bedrooms. It was clean and full of character, definitely retro, like Havana itself. The mattress sagged, the sheets were pilly, the furniture didn't match, the ceiling fan was precariously low and very loud, and we loved it. We were back to our luckhounds roots.
The entire city of Havana is a UNESCO Heritage site. It is an anomaly. The city is occupied by people who never built it, and cannot maintain it. Multi-generational families occupy the inner labyrinths of the crumbling colonial buildings. A can of fresh paint would go longer here than anywhere.
Flying in from Mexico City, Armando was supposed to meet us at the hostel at 6 and in classic Armando fashion, he was late. Muy muy tarde, like hours. We didn't know what kind of trouble our amigo had gotten himself into. When he finally showed up, after 11 PM, he matter-of-factly explained that his flight's landing had been delayed because of another important arrival, that of Venezuelan presidente, socialist Hugo Chavez. Claro que si.
St. Patrick's Day, the wedding was romantic and picture-perfect. We rocked out, dancing late into the night.
A week in Paradise.
http://www.solmeliacuba.com/cuba-hotels/hotel-paradisus-varadero/
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