Island Life Magazine Ltd October/November 2015 | Page 62

TRAVEL

A return

Cuba
to

I

by UNESCO in 1982, and
t had been just two years
represents the largest
since I first set foot on Cuban
colonial centre in Latin
soil, but I was determined to
America.
return – this time to Western
We decided to stop off
Cuba and Havana, with all its
in this part of the city
colourful history.
and explore. It proved a
Cuba is by far the largest of
fascinating mixture of
the Caribbean Islands, with a
the loveliest buildings landmass almost half the size
By Terence
museums, churches, palaces,
of Great Britain. In fact, the
Willey
castles and monuments
distance from east (which we
- all intermingled with the
had first visited) to west is over
constant sound of Latin
500 miles. I was anticipating
music and clinking glasses from the
a stark contrast in an area that clearly
many bars. The Cubans adore music,
was going to be densely populated - and
and they dance whatever time of the
indeed it was.
day. Ernest Hemmingway was
Entering Havana for the first time, I
drawn to Havana and many
stood in amazement observing a place
that had obviously suffered from neglect, of his novels were written
here. Photographs depict
with crumbling streets and decrepit
him downing a glass
buildings. The city walls had been pulled
or two of local rum
down to facilitate new buildings within
and smoking a thick
the city and roads between the old Plaza
Havana cigar.
and the new.
Havana’s oldest
However, the city was filled with
cigar factory is
vibrancy and colour, and every other
located on the
car seemed to be a restored 1950
west side of the
Cadillac. Goodness knows where they all
capital, and several
came from, but every vehicle had been
hundred people
meticulously preserved and maintained.
are employed
Most of them could not travel above 20
to roll cigars in
mph, but it was not speed that mattered
the old fashioned
for the Cubans, just condition.
way, by hand. I was
Naturally I was keen to take a ri de, and
determined to pay a visit
hailed a young Cuban taxi driver in a
and undertake a tour. I can
magnificent red Cadillac. The interior
still recall the sweet smell of
was something again. There was almost
the tobacco leaf and the vibrant
an ‘aroma’ of 1950s in the car as my wife
“hum” of the place. Cubans proudly
and I sank down in the leather seats for
our sedate drive through the old and new boast some of the finest cigars in the
world and it was clear that great care
parts of the city.
was undertaken in their preparation. I
History could be seen in abundance:
was fascinated to see in the final stages
the old part of the city was declared
of the preparation of the cigar itself
the “cultural heritage of humanity“

62

www.goilife.co.uk

that there appeared to be almost 100
people involved in this section and sat in
rows with most of them smoking cigars
themselves, rolling them by hand. They