Cuba Cross Over 2014 - Arrival in Havana | Sunday, February 23 - 0km

Transfer to the Hotel Plaza in the old part of Havana, where we will spend the first two nights of our trip. - Trip Notes

Breakfast at the Hotel Carribean was acceptable – fruit, juice, coffee and a one egg omelette with bread roll. I took a walk down to the water, wandered around taking photos and returned to the hotel around 10.30 to recharge my flat camera battery.

 

 

 After watching a bit of tv, which was surprisingly uncensored and in English, I checked out at noon and walked to the Plaza Hotel where there was a note from the Tour Guide Ricardo, in German, to meet at 9am tomorrow in the lobby. As it was too early to actually check in, I left my bags with the porter then wandered back to where my battery went flat to continue my photographic journey and then down Obispo, the main tourist street, to the Square and then across to the Jewish Section.

 

I found Adath Israel shul where I was approached by a 60ish man wearing a kippah and magen david around his neck. He knew a few Hebrew words and could communicate in broken English. I’m not sure if he was Jewish although he claimed to be from a Turkish Jewish father. He agreed to show me around the Jewish section including the defunct restaurant Moshe Pipiks, the occasionally open kosher butcher shop, an ex-synagogue not in the guide book, the Menorah in a small park and the Hotel Raquel. I bought him a juice and gave him a few CUC for which he was grateful.

 

 

 

I headed back to the hotel for a rest and around 6.30pm went back down Obispo to Europe restaurant for dinner. “Chicken soup” tasted like beef broth. “Breaded chicken” with cold vegetables and cold rice – thin strips with no sign of breading. Ice cream for desert. The “service” was lousy and all up it cost 11.50 CUC plus tip..

 I returned to the hotel at least with food in my stomach. After sorting the 180 photos for today, I went to reception to buy an internet card but there were none left! Apparently, there is a daily ration…