3.14 - TIA Y LAS SANTERAS DE LA HABANA VIAJA

La Habana Vieja is where Tia must Go

 With the Wheelchair the Going Would Surely be Slow

But the Santero that she met

Said she hadn’t REALLY LIVED Yet

So it's Time to Get on With the Show

Even though this is supposedly a “Nantucket Free Zone” it just keeps getting weirder, and wierder.

[Santera’s - Bronze Chickens...?!?]

Editor’s Note:à As this recounts the entire afternoon wandering La Habana Vieja and includes pics etc, ya better grab a glass of your favorite beverage and settle back for a longer than usual episode.  And if you're REALLY into this you can pull up a Google Map of Havana - Zoom in on Havana Vieja to the east by the port and follow them along - "Good luck with that!" Mumbles the navigationally challenged Cuban Lady.

We catch up with “Expedition Montalvo” as they park near Parque Cespedes under the watchful eye of General Maximo Gomez atop his memorial in the center of the Loop to the Tunnel de La Habana.  As they begin the walk around La Habana Vieja, someone realizes -“Just Maybe” - they should park the cars closer to the North East side to avoid a long trek back from wherever it will be that they run out of steam.

Castillo de los Caballeros

So Doug and Chucky move the cars waayy over there…by Parque Luz Caballero near Castilo De La Real Fuerza.

Meanwhile, as the troupe passes a daunting grey fortress, El Castillo de los Caballeros,  Prima jokes that this is a Free Hotel. Jake Pipes up, “Cool, we should be staying there” - until he found out that it was actually the Old Prison and now Havana Police Headquarters.

Da Boyz catch up with the troupe as they are wending their way along the remains of the old City wall that parallels the Malecon and come to Palacio de La Artesania, a small arts colony, a pale imitation of Centro Antiguos Almacenes San Jose, not worth dragging the Wheelchair up steps to see so we moved on.

Next stop:  Around the corner to what was originally the Plaza de La Ciénaga or Swamp Plaza, {wait... weren't we just here 3 night ago} the Plaza de la Catedral [the link tells it all] so named because it is dominated by a marvelous example of Baroque splendor La Catedral de la Virgen María de la Concepción Inmaculada de La Habana {Say that 3 times fast after a couple of Bucanero's} or Catherdral of Havana [link notes] a great gathering and tourist photo spot with several fine restaurants, one with a statue of famed flamenco dancer Antonio Gades in front as well as the Museo del Arte Colonial.

While the entourage tours the Cathedral, Chucky just has to visit the legendary La Bodeguita del Medio up the street, famous for hosting legions of historic celebrities: Salvador Allende, the poet Pablo Neruda, Ernest Hemingway, the artist Josignacio and many others and another {claimed} birthplace of the Mojito.
Appropriate Pics of Cuban Lady adding her autograph to the well inscribed walls, and a pic of Chucky being propositioned by a couple of “Legendary” hookers…or maybe just
Hooker-Wannbe's

Returning to the Plaza, they discover Tia in the middle of a reading by one of the resident Santeras, which he captured in a video for her keeping [too long and private to link here]… But quite a show.

Rhythm is gonna getcha

Then with some infectious and moving Salsa music wafting from the porch of a restaurant, Chucky fell victim to its toxic call and grabbed Prima for a lively Rumba, much to the enjoyment of the troupe and other tourists who stopped to snap pics of this Wacky Americano dancing Salsa Cubano like a native. {no innocent poles were accosted during this dance}

While all this is going on {she has seen this act before} Cuban Lady is delighted to discover a second job for Brian’s Long Haired Dachshund back home, {who's current job involves harassing the Mail Lady}, that of Street Vendor with a performer sidekick. Perhaps it will help slim Diggler down a bit.

Our group moves on to visit several streets of note, one with a mural on a wall as a reflection of an historic scene of the classic colonial building across the street, and of course everyone had to pose on the Faux Railing.
The entourage then moved on to several shops, Studios and Museo’s along the way including the restored home of Bolivian Liberator Simon Bolivar while surveying interesting Cantinas and spots, encountering several Street Statues and other notable local talent along the way.

Say WHAT!?!

Arriving at the next point of interest, Plaza Vieja, dominated by a lovely memorial fountain, and bounded on the north by Escuela Primaria Angela Landa, on the east by the Planitario, on the West by the Factoria Plaza Vieja {Cervezas y Malta  - the real Destination} and on the south by some unmemorable building due to a highly controversial bronze statue in front of it: a hefty naked Culinary Muse holding a Giant Fork astride a Giant rooster… Seriously.
[Jake Luved it.]

After exploring the architecture of the plaza they are joined by Prima’s Hubby Ramon and it was time for refreshments at el Factoria Plaza Vieja where beer is served in 3 liter fountains and platters of olives, cheese and meats were descended upon as if it was the Last Supper.
So of course discussion again turned to “What & Where for Dinner…{cha-cha-cha}”

After pics all around and a water color group portrait - surreptitiously produced by local street artist Angel Reyes-Perez, was presented to Tia, it was time to head back to the cars… But…

since they had wended their way all around La Habana Vieja, the only a direct route back to the dars with the Wheelchair was going to be difficult because many of the streets surrounding the Plaza were ripped up for repair and  impossible to navigate.

Once again, Chucky, Doug and Jake are dispatched to hot foot it back - ripped up streets and all - to retrieve the cars about 2km away. Huffin’ ‘n’ Puffin’ they retrieve the cars and head back to and find “Expedition Montalvo” "Somewhere near San Francisco.”  Prima had instructed.
With Chucky in the lead they blow past the rendezvous {not really knowing “Wheritzat” while looking for a spot to park.  They make it as far as “Tchotchke Heaven” before stopping to regroup and then head back to find parking at the Terminal Sierra Maestra the Cruise Terminal building, across the street from - but still not seeing - "San Francisco."              

Now they're looking for a way back to Plaza Vieja so they can figure the direction the crowd took, to a place they have no idea “Wheritzat”, they finally ask directions [yeah he speaks enough Spanish to get by] and determine that San Francisco [not the one in California] is “Thataway” and they’re off again, bobbing along the rugged terrain of broken streets while Chucky finally remembers to use the cell phone he brought for just such an occasion, to call Prima to find out where they are.

Tia & El Caballero de Paris

“San Francisco!” She says just as
Da Boyz turn the corner and finally arrive at the Plaza de San Francisco spotting them across the plaza dominated by the Basilica Menor de San Francisco de Asis {Ahhh, THAT San Francisco!} near where Tia had just stopped long enough to stroke the beard of José María López Lledín known as El caballero de Paris for good luck.

Longa del Comercio

Chucky stops to snap a Pic of his family namesake - the Roman God “Mercurio” [or Greek Mercury - depending on who you ask] atop the dome of the Lonja del Comercio or Old Stock Exchange.


Now re-united they take to dodging traffic to cross the busy:

Avenida del Puerto /Avenida Malecon/Calle Primera CD/

San Pedro/Avenida Washington…

[The name seems to depend on which side of the divided highway you are.]

After successfully navigating the traffic whizzing by on all sides as well as the rocky car park, the wheelchair and Tia are loaded as the rest climb into the cars and they head back to 55 Linea, stopping at the intersection of El Paseo de Marti [Prado] and Avnida Malecon/etc/etc/etc… to drop off Ramon & Prima who love strolling the Malecon at sunset - But... doesn't everyone?
Chucky jumps out to take a few more pics of el Moro bathed in the golden light that he'll sort later for the best to post and then cruises back to La Casa de Maria La China, while dodging the surf splashing over the seawall.

We conclude this very full day with a FABULOUS meal at a marvelous Asturian Resto on the Malecon in the next episode of:

“What the Hell was that Naked Chic 

Doin' with a Fork on the Rooster?!?”

[Jake really did LUV it!]

HASTA LUEGO,

Uncle Chuck & The “Ya Better be feedin’ me soon”

Cuban Lady

Drinkin’ Bucanero from a Fountain in Plaza Vieja