Cuba Trip #4 2019
Day 2
(Las Tias, Villanova, Finca, Obama Room and Cannon)
7:30 am Mass with the nuns at the convent....Jim the Counselor joined me and Jane from Cannon Beach joined Sandy Baker (good Catholic and mother of 12 !!) 9 nuns from the Philippines with voiced like angels and another 5 nuns from another order in the back of the Church.
8:30 Breakfast at the Convent...ham and cheese, fried eggs, powder milk, mango juice, toast and coffee....a Meal fit for a King or Queen in poor 3rd world country of Cuba....but we are NOT really there....we are in Disney World, Havana called the Convent.
We are paying $100 a night for two in a room with a bath, A/C and TV and real toilet paper.
10 am in the Lobby...and a short walk to Van...with ALL 10 people...one with crutches another with a cane.
We drove the Malicon...pass the US Embassy...International and Presidential hotels...and finally at the "Casa de la Tias" Gaston which is now a school. Marie Luise Gaston had told us that SHE was able to ENTER the house/school...i told the principle that we were Teachers from the USA...we were shown 5 classrooms..and the children even sang a song in ENGLISH !! (that would not have been allowed 4 years ago....i assume that Raul is getting these kids ready for the American tourist of the Cruise Ships ....and English is truly becoming the international language)
i gave the principle $100 on the way out ($20 for each teacher)....i wonder if THEY will ever see that $20
then we drove Calle Cinco to Villanova....pass all the Embassies and Raul's house....the Russian Embassy the biggest
My heart started to beat faster and faster as i tried to remember the google earth Map in my Head...and finally screamed at the Driver to turn Left when i saw Villanova Chapel.
there was OUR house...now with 5 families living there....two of the houses were selling drinks and sandwiches to the local high school kids as they walk by....this neighborhood if you look on Google Earth if full of houses with Swimming Pools....must be govt housing and the Military...etc
i asked the family in the middle if we could enter....they show us the Kitchen and Dining room and i started to cry when i saw the back yard...i gave the lady a $20...she refused twice
I also met the husband....he was unemployed, strong good looking man...but the lady was running this household...
the Grandfather also came out to say hi...the grandchild around his legs the entire time...he lives in the Master Bedroom. He seemed very proud of his family and the little Cafe in the front.
Off to the Suarez Finca we go....but first we must drive past the Villanova Catherdral where my Mom went to daily mass....and they are still putting the NEW roof in...not much progress made in 4 years...Castro took over all the Church's properties in the 1960's and the Church has been buying back their churches...the price we pay to allow the Pope back into Cuba
Unfortunately the Statue of St Thomas is still missing it's head....so sad...so strange...never forget
Driving to the Suarez Finca is always a trip...our driver tells us about all the different crops that are being grown...we also see some factories...again my mind is helping the driver from the google earth in my head
Camita is the first big city close to La Finca...and then Guayabal...the LAST street on the right...ok, looking for the Military school built on our farm which was also taken away from us by the Castro govt....THERE IT IS !! the trees lining the dirt road
This farm as been STUCK in 1959 for over 60 years !!...nothing has changed...man in wooden carts being pulled by horse....cows being milked by HAND !! (In oregon, they milk 1,000 cows twice a day in only a couple of hours with machines)....here they have about 20 skinny cows and the State appointed "manager" farmer Raul greets us at his house. His father who is now 78 yrs old rides up on his horse...a proud man...i could almost see MY father in the same role
We all get out and walk among the chickens and horse manure to the cows.
Raul used to have 20 or so BIG pigs (hogs) but now says that it cost TOO MUCH to feed the pigs.
We walk over to the old Suarez Family Farm house....with its unique Arch that my Dad built back in the 1950's
We give Raul 2 t-shirts with Alaska on one of them...and a nice white shirt....he gives us back a Big Block of Cheese....when the ladies ask him if we can see the cheese plant...he says "what cheese" ? (the cheese was donated to the nuns at the convent in Havana)
Once again Raul refuses money for his kids...his oldest in college now...and we once again exchange email addresses. (our cousin Manuel also has his phone number now) We invite him to Oregon...he gets to travel to the USA every 5 years.
For lunch we ate a local farm that had converted their living room and dining room into a little restaurant....we had a feast (but NO flies and chickens on this trip)
We drove back to Havana and took showers before going to restaurant recommended by Bibi Hidalgo where President Obama and 18 other leaders from around the world have dined.
It was Perfect and Bibi hit a Home Run !! We ate in "Obama room" and were treated to a feast for only $35 each....it started with Mojito's and then white wine with the lobster...they brought out a HUGE rotating tray in the middle of the round table with appiticers...and plenty of vegetables and Yucca...etc
for dessert we had Flan (the Real Cuban Flan !!) and American coffee.
..
The Chef/owner came to our table and gave us a Surprise !!! a cigar and shot of 7 year old Rum
well some ladies did not drink, so i had 2 mojito's, 2 white wine, and 2 shots of rum....feeling NOT pain...Jim also helped me with the left over drinks
the waiters brought out a little cake for Denise who was celebrating her 90th birthday...they even gave her a KISS !! she blushed
the waiter lean over to give Cindy and "kiss" and Vern was looking worried....but he was just asking for Denise's name, so they could sing
After dinner half the people went back to the convent and half went to see the Tourist Cannon being shot at the Castle....i retold the story of my Dad in jail at the castle and losing 60 lbs in only 3 months...and my uncle dying in Castro's prison....etc
I had to near falls...first one was near the cannon...it was Dark and the walkway had HOLES...Jim saved me from falling....
the second one was on the way to the Taxi...there was a mental piece of pole left over in the middle of the road....i NAILED it with my toe....did a few chicken wing flaps and "stuck the landing"...lol...unfortunately putting 300 lbs on ONE right knee...made me limb for the remainder of the trip
when we got back to the Convent 10 pm...it was party time at Gil and Ann's suite room
Day 2
(Las Tias, Villanova, Finca, Obama Room and Cannon)
7:30 am Mass with the nuns at the convent....Jim the Counselor joined me and Jane from Cannon Beach joined Sandy Baker (good Catholic and mother of 12 !!) 9 nuns from the Philippines with voiced like angels and another 5 nuns from another order in the back of the Church.
8:30 Breakfast at the Convent...ham and cheese, fried eggs, powder milk, mango juice, toast and coffee....a Meal fit for a King or Queen in poor 3rd world country of Cuba....but we are NOT really there....we are in Disney World, Havana called the Convent.
We are paying $100 a night for two in a room with a bath, A/C and TV and real toilet paper.
10 am in the Lobby...and a short walk to Van...with ALL 10 people...one with crutches another with a cane.
We drove the Malicon...pass the US Embassy...International and Presidential hotels...and finally at the "Casa de la Tias" Gaston which is now a school. Marie Luise Gaston had told us that SHE was able to ENTER the house/school...i told the principle that we were Teachers from the USA...we were shown 5 classrooms..and the children even sang a song in ENGLISH !! (that would not have been allowed 4 years ago....i assume that Raul is getting these kids ready for the American tourist of the Cruise Ships ....and English is truly becoming the international language)
i gave the principle $100 on the way out ($20 for each teacher)....i wonder if THEY will ever see that $20
then we drove Calle Cinco to Villanova....pass all the Embassies and Raul's house....the Russian Embassy the biggest
My heart started to beat faster and faster as i tried to remember the google earth Map in my Head...and finally screamed at the Driver to turn Left when i saw Villanova Chapel.
there was OUR house...now with 5 families living there....two of the houses were selling drinks and sandwiches to the local high school kids as they walk by....this neighborhood if you look on Google Earth if full of houses with Swimming Pools....must be govt housing and the Military...etc
i asked the family in the middle if we could enter....they show us the Kitchen and Dining room and i started to cry when i saw the back yard...i gave the lady a $20...she refused twice
I also met the husband....he was unemployed, strong good looking man...but the lady was running this household...
the Grandfather also came out to say hi...the grandchild around his legs the entire time...he lives in the Master Bedroom. He seemed very proud of his family and the little Cafe in the front.
Off to the Suarez Finca we go....but first we must drive past the Villanova Catherdral where my Mom went to daily mass....and they are still putting the NEW roof in...not much progress made in 4 years...Castro took over all the Church's properties in the 1960's and the Church has been buying back their churches...the price we pay to allow the Pope back into Cuba
Unfortunately the Statue of St Thomas is still missing it's head....so sad...so strange...never forget
Driving to the Suarez Finca is always a trip...our driver tells us about all the different crops that are being grown...we also see some factories...again my mind is helping the driver from the google earth in my head
Camita is the first big city close to La Finca...and then Guayabal...the LAST street on the right...ok, looking for the Military school built on our farm which was also taken away from us by the Castro govt....THERE IT IS !! the trees lining the dirt road
This farm as been STUCK in 1959 for over 60 years !!...nothing has changed...man in wooden carts being pulled by horse....cows being milked by HAND !! (In oregon, they milk 1,000 cows twice a day in only a couple of hours with machines)....here they have about 20 skinny cows and the State appointed "manager" farmer Raul greets us at his house. His father who is now 78 yrs old rides up on his horse...a proud man...i could almost see MY father in the same role
We all get out and walk among the chickens and horse manure to the cows.
Raul used to have 20 or so BIG pigs (hogs) but now says that it cost TOO MUCH to feed the pigs.
We walk over to the old Suarez Family Farm house....with its unique Arch that my Dad built back in the 1950's
We give Raul 2 t-shirts with Alaska on one of them...and a nice white shirt....he gives us back a Big Block of Cheese....when the ladies ask him if we can see the cheese plant...he says "what cheese" ? (the cheese was donated to the nuns at the convent in Havana)
Once again Raul refuses money for his kids...his oldest in college now...and we once again exchange email addresses. (our cousin Manuel also has his phone number now) We invite him to Oregon...he gets to travel to the USA every 5 years.
For lunch we ate a local farm that had converted their living room and dining room into a little restaurant....we had a feast (but NO flies and chickens on this trip)
We drove back to Havana and took showers before going to restaurant recommended by Bibi Hidalgo where President Obama and 18 other leaders from around the world have dined.
It was Perfect and Bibi hit a Home Run !! We ate in "Obama room" and were treated to a feast for only $35 each....it started with Mojito's and then white wine with the lobster...they brought out a HUGE rotating tray in the middle of the round table with appiticers...and plenty of vegetables and Yucca...etc
for dessert we had Flan (the Real Cuban Flan !!) and American coffee.
..
The Chef/owner came to our table and gave us a Surprise !!! a cigar and shot of 7 year old Rum
well some ladies did not drink, so i had 2 mojito's, 2 white wine, and 2 shots of rum....feeling NOT pain...Jim also helped me with the left over drinks
the waiters brought out a little cake for Denise who was celebrating her 90th birthday...they even gave her a KISS !! she blushed
the waiter lean over to give Cindy and "kiss" and Vern was looking worried....but he was just asking for Denise's name, so they could sing
After dinner half the people went back to the convent and half went to see the Tourist Cannon being shot at the Castle....i retold the story of my Dad in jail at the castle and losing 60 lbs in only 3 months...and my uncle dying in Castro's prison....etc
I had to near falls...first one was near the cannon...it was Dark and the walkway had HOLES...Jim saved me from falling....
the second one was on the way to the Taxi...there was a mental piece of pole left over in the middle of the road....i NAILED it with my toe....did a few chicken wing flaps and "stuck the landing"...lol...unfortunately putting 300 lbs on ONE right knee...made me limb for the remainder of the trip
when we got back to the Convent 10 pm...it was party time at Gil and Ann's suite room
Comments
Post a Comment