3.15 - EL MORRO, CHE y CRISTO DE LA HABANA

To visit el Moro was her desire

For a View of La Habana to inspire

But the way there was given to pause

A missed turn once again the cause

But his girare-U’s they never seem to tire

The order of the day:  a visit to Castillo de los Tres Reyes Magos del Morro or as its referred to in these parts, El Morro.  The Fortress, built in 1589 to protect La Habana Harbor from pirates and named for the Biblical Magi, was designed by an Italian Engineer Juan Bautista Antonelli from a prestigious family of Military Engineers.  The Links offer interesting facts on its and his history.

With a clear idea of how to get there {yeah… right,} “Expedition Montalvo” piles into the cars, minus Tia as there will be too many steps and rocky walks for her so she'll spend the day with Other “CUZ” relaxing. Off they head down the Malecon, around the loop at the Paseo, into the tunnel,
outta the tunnel, past the empty toll booth and while rubber necking at the beach… they blow right past the turn off to El Morro.

Hmmmm….

“Do you see the turn off?”

“No… do you see it…?"
"Uh Oh…  This looks like the way to Santa Maria!” 

Yup… We’re on the divided highway that the girls took to La Playa on Monday so we’re screwed because the median in the highway has no break for Chucky to execute one of his “precision” girare-U’s.
After a couple of miles down the road, he spots a cut off that leads somewhere “over there”, he snaps a right, Doug follows and after a brief stop to regroup, they see the return that passes under the highway that will take them back the other way. Yeah, he blamed the Navigationally Challenged Cuban Lady for not spotting the correct signage, but he shouldn’t have been rubber necking either. 
After a couple of maneuvers to head back west, they are on the ramp that crosses over the highway and drops them in front of El Morro.  

El Morro is located in El Parque Histórico Militar Morro-Cabaña, a Military Historical Museum Complex, that also encompasses La Cabaña. the additional fortification completed in 1774 to prevent a re-occurrence of the capture of El Morro as was done by the British in 1762 during the 7 years war. Currently a Cuban Military installation La Cabaña was also Castro’s revolutionary prison where Che executed many Batista supporters thus earning him the nickname “Butcher of La Cabaña”.

Conveniently, Centro Cultural Casa del Che en La Cabaña  or Casa del Che is located there on a little hilltop, ironically right next to Christo de La Habana the colossal Christ Statue that overlooks La Habana.  We've included several links including 2 for La Cabaña since one is in Spanish but very informative, if you use Google Chrome it will offer to translate for you.

Lots of Pics outside el Morro with La Habana in the background then the troupe crossed the dry moat and traversed the long tunnel leading into the fortress which itself is quite expansive and along with La Cabaña comprised the second largest colonial military installation in the New World by the time it was completed in 1774 (after St. Felipe de Barajas fortification at Cartagena, Colombia) thereby affording lots of Kodak Moments, including greats shots across the bay - straight down Paseo de Marti to the Capitol Dome [we got a reverse shot of el Morro from the roof of Hotel Inglaterra on Sunday’s Paseo romp]  Too many pics to include here but most will show up in the slideshow once NOWAT-HABANA is completed.

After exiting El Morro, Cuban Lady remembered she needed to get more tchotchke’s for her boys and upon inspection of the vendors outside El Morro decided we needed make another run to El Pulguero near La Habana Vieja, but not before we explored the rest of the Parque and paid a visit to Cristo de La Habana.  As the rest of the entourage decided to head back to 55 Linea to see what Tia was up to, Chucky and the Cuban Lady were off to drive around the parque to find the other sights.

Passing the Military compound, NO FOTO!!! we finally reached Casa del Che and the Christ Statue for a few classic pics including a great one of the God MERCURIO atop the old stock exchange in La Habana Vieja and several more of La Habana across the bay, the harbour etc…

• Trivia Noteà In the early colonial period, a flagship in the harbor fired regular cannon blasts in the morning and at night to signal the opening or closing of the city gates. Today every evening at La Cabaña, a squad attired in 19th-century uniforms continues to perform the Ceremonia del Cañonazo “El Cañonazo de las 9" (cannon-firing ceremony) at 9pm. [The link is to a 6+ minute YouTube video of the ceremony complete with music, really neat!] Sunday night due to the race back from La Habana Vieja to Troacadero for the cars, Chucky and Doug missed the Fun when, as the rest walked back to the Malecón to be picked up, the Cuban Lady reportedly jumped clean out of her skin when the canon went off across the bay at 9PM.

Now it was time to head back to El Pulguero, sliding into the same spot as before behind the trains and upon entering we find…
THE POWER IS OUT!!!
Now this place is massive with the containerized stalls enclosed under a roof so navigating the crowded aisles and finding anything in the darkened stalls was going to be a real challenge.

Not To Worry – Chucky set his Galaxy Smart Phone on Video with the flash on and this lit up the insides of whichever stall she decided to stop at.  Worked pretty good and she found what she was looking for, mugs, key chains etc and they were headed back to Casa Maria La China in record time.

But not before she declares “Feed ME!” Fearing she might start gnawing on his arm, and since Café TV is on the way, he slides into a parking spot across the street and they duck into the always busy cafe, snag 2 seats at the bar for a couple of Jamon con Queso sandwiches, Ceveza Cristal and all is now good in her world.

We'll catch up with the rest of their antics as they take Tia for a carriage ride around La Habana Vieja and and then enjoy a Home cooked meal by Prima, just before tons of family show up to say "Bye-Bye" in the Casa at 55 Linea,
in the section of Vedado, en la Ciudad de La Habana –
on the isle where time stood still January 1, 1959.

HASTA LUEGO,

Uncle Chuck & The Happy with more tchotchke’s

Cuban Lady

Sippin’ Cerveza Cristal ’n’ Munchin’ Jamon con Queso at Café TV