Our first full day in Havana

Monday, September 21. We started our day with a lecture on Cuban religion and culture. To everyone’s great surprise, we were told that Cuba is not a Catholic or even a religious country and has never been. The abandonment of Cuba by Spain after the initial discovery, the near total lack of a native population (due to disease and murder) to convert as was found elsewhere in south in Central America, and the diversity of the people who eventually settled here resulted in the development of a strong sense of an isolated Cuban national identity. From very early times Cubans did not see themselves as Spanish Cubans or Catholic Cubans but just as Cubans, first and foremost. Cuba is divided by race and class but not by religion because Cubans really don't feel strongly about religion. They go with the flow and seem to practice religion as a sort of insurance policy or wish grantor rather than from any real conviction or system of belief. In addition to the eventual Spanish settlers, large numbers of African slaves were brought to Cuba and made up a large portion of the population, still practicing some form of their old African religions, but mostly in the desultory Cuban way. They were followed over the decades and centuries by Buddhists from China, French settlers from new Orleans, Jews fleeing oppression in Spain, and even Spanish Muslims. These people may have brought their religions with them, but somehow in Cuba they soon became Cuban and their religions became less important, in some cases even disappearing. At the time of the Revolution, many Cuban Jews fled to Miami where are they did not call themselves either Jews or Cubans but Jubans, evidence of their unusual bonding with Cuba. Most Cubans, even today, baptize their children in the Catholic Church, but this does not make them Catholics. It is apparently an insurance policy just in case there's something to this religious business.

After our lecture, Javier, our faithful bus driver, reappeared, and took us to visit two of La Habana Vieja's historic plazas. The first, Plaza de San Fransisco, dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi, is a large open square dominated by a former Catholic church, now used as a performance center. It was filled with people who were trying in many ways to separate tourists from their money, some by begging, and some by dressing up to be part of a photo op. An interesting statue is in this square depicting the Gentleman from Paris, el Caballero de Paris. He was a street person in the 1940s and 50s, a little mad and becoming madder, but a familiar fixture on the streets of Havana. People would give him a meal, but he never begged, always giving a gift such as a leaf or a flower petal in return. Leaving the plaza, we saw sugar cane being squeezed for juice, a very old aqueduct under the street, and a new boutique hotel with a monkish theme.

From the bus we saw old buildings in various stages of disrepair...

...or reconstruction

This one looks pretty good

Plaza de San Fransisco

I love this!

The former church

...and the saint

Ready for a photo op

This little dog was a hoot

The Gentleman of Paris

Making sugar cane juice. It must be drunk immediately as it doesn't keep. It is often mixed with fruit juice and of course, the ubiquitous rum.

The aqua duct that brought fresh water to Havana

The Friary Hotel

...and a spooky friar

Such a charming street

Next we walked to Plaza Vieja where a great deal of restoration has already occurred. It is a big open square surrounded by buildings that were once home to Cuba's very wealthy sugar barons. Many of these have now been restored and are quite beautiful again. Today the sugar barons are gone and these historic buildings serve as hotels restaurants, shops, and so on. The very large open space in the center of this plaza was once home to military exercises and parades.

Heading toward Plaza Viaja

We pass colonial architecture

In the plaza, this interesting sculpture. I wasn't crazy about the Cuban paintings we saw, but the sculpture was interesting and lots of fun.

Plaza Vieja has been largely restored.

This is a micro brewery

I love this--a woman riding her rooster and armed with a very large fork.

Before the restoration began, this plaza was almost rubble.

This beautiful old building has been entirely gutted and is being restored. It will be gorgeous!

Waiting for the lunch trade

A coffee pot

Walking to our rendezvous with the bus, we pass another fascinating sculpture. I'd love to know the story behind this one.

A Coco-cab goes by...

...and many colorful classic car taxis.

Driving around Havana, you see one interesting building...

...after another...

...including demolition.

This looks ultra sleek plus charm

Not everything is beautiful

This is clearly left from the Russian period. Cuba is currently stuck with these hideous buildings, but that doesn't mean they like them.

We enjoyed another lavish lunch before heading to the studio of a self-taught silversmith who trained as an engineer before discovering her calling in making very nice jewelry. She is also training other young Cubans in this art because there is no one left in Cuba who knows how to do this.

Our next destination was the Colon Cemetery where many of Havana’s elite are buried. Ordinary people can be buried there as well, but the section closest to the chapel is reserved for families with enough wealth for some serious displays of Italian marble.

This huge monument is the tomb of 35 firefighters who lost their lives in a tragic fire caused by an uncaring businessman.

Teardrop shapes adorn the security chain

The chapel

Touching this baby is supposed to make your wished come true.

By this time we were worn out from the activities and heat of the day, and longed for the hotel where we revived a bit before being taken to a venue where a female a cappella chorus sang for us and then talked a bit about their lives and careers.  Finally, we enjoyed dinner at a really nice paladar which gave us lots of rum and even a free cigar. B and I declined both but hilarity prevailed. A very nice ending to a very long and busy day.