Our flight times were not good to start with, but with the stop in Cayo Coco on the way down it meant getting to our hotel in Havana at 2:00 a.m. Not happy.
I had an appointment to meet my guide Alexis at 9 in the lobby. So, up at 7:30 to shower, dress, and go down for breakfast shortly after 8. When Alex showed up I had them send him to the dining room because I was still on another cup of 'wake up'. He suggested a full day of sight seeing - oh no, I was having none of that. I said we will take the Hop on Hop off bus that day. We only hopped off twice. Once was at the big craft market, and that was because the driver and tour guide were stopping for lunch. After sometime we arrived at Revolution Square. We got off and I was so happy. Thirty-five years ago I had attempted to board a bus in Varadero to go there, but was stopped by soldiers…..it wasn't so touristic in those days.
It was about 1pm and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The sun was scorching hot. Not a bit of shade, just concrete to make matters even worse. It is huge - 72000 sq metres, and can hold more than 1 million people.
But, I did get to see this famous square and imagine Fidel Castro giving one of his speeches.
Pope John Paul 11 and Pope Francis both celebrated masses here.
The square is dominated by the Jose Marti memorial.
I had an appointment to meet my guide Alexis at 9 in the lobby. So, up at 7:30 to shower, dress, and go down for breakfast shortly after 8. When Alex showed up I had them send him to the dining room because I was still on another cup of 'wake up'. He suggested a full day of sight seeing - oh no, I was having none of that. I said we will take the Hop on Hop off bus that day. We only hopped off twice. Once was at the big craft market, and that was because the driver and tour guide were stopping for lunch. After sometime we arrived at Revolution Square. We got off and I was so happy. Thirty-five years ago I had attempted to board a bus in Varadero to go there, but was stopped by soldiers…..it wasn't so touristic in those days.
It was about 1pm and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The sun was scorching hot. Not a bit of shade, just concrete to make matters even worse. It is huge - 72000 sq metres, and can hold more than 1 million people.
But, I did get to see this famous square and imagine Fidel Castro giving one of his speeches.
Pope John Paul 11 and Pope Francis both celebrated masses here.
The square is dominated by the Jose Marti memorial.
Opposite this on the far side is the Che Guevara memorial.
On the other side is the memorial to Camilo Cienefuegos.
Waiting in the hot sun for the tour bus to arrive I was sure that after waiting 35 years to fulfill my wish, it was going to be my final wish, and that I would die there.
That was absolutely enough for my first day. Time to head back to Sofia's for a couple of cold mojitos.
I think I was in bed fast asleep by 8 pm.
Alexis
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