HAVANA TID BITS

                                         A Great Visit

       There are many modes of transportation besides the yellow cabs; there are bike-taxis, horse drawn taxis, bicycles, and the adorable cococabs. People hitchhike all the time, especially out of the city. Obviously it is safe to do so and most all vehicles stop to pick up someone if they have the room.

    Traffic never slows. Pedestrians obviously do not have the right of way. However, we never saw an accident. Of course speed limits are slow, probably averaging about 40 miles an hour. There are very few traffic lights in Havana.

    Walking can be hazardous because of the conditions of the sidewalks. Havana has little pollution, which was a pleasant surprise.     

    Music was everywhere, all the time. It is nearly impossible to dine without music. Panhandlers are nearly non-existent. 

    The city is full of parks of all sizes and there are many many statues. Plazas abound. The island is lush and green, and extremely clean. Litter does not exist.

     The only part of the old city wall still standing is near the train station. The harbor had some pretty rusty ships at anchor. In the industrial area there were thousands of containers, many full size, but many also about half size. Also there were many oil storage tanks.

     A toilet seat outside of hotels seemed to be missing much of the time. It was smart to carry tissues or T P when away from the hotel.

     The old cars are easy to maintain. Even though parts may not be available they are easy to reproduce. The Russian cars are often cut up to make trucks or vans.

    Riding through decaying parts of town I noticed wires strung like spider webs out of windows, exposed to the outside, running loop after loop to somewhere else. It made me wonder who paid the electric bill, if in fact such a bill exists. Then again in some of these same parts of town were lovely old wrought-iron railings around balconies, which I’m not sure I’d want to step out onto.

    In the countryside I noted horses, goats, and cows grazing with no restraints and many times no fences. If there was a fence it was a flimsy line or two of wire.

     Cuba is a country of contradictions and surprises. Our trip was extensive getting us well out of Havana. People were friendly. Young people were open and spoke without a sense of fear. I would loved to have stayed a few more days and Cuba is definitely on my return-to list.

A BIT OF BAHAMIAN HISTORY

                              Nassau, A Popular Port 

      When I took my granddaughter to the Bahamas as a graduation present, it had been years since my first trip which concentrated on the out islands. Then only two and a half days had been spent in Nassau, so a little review of my diary refreshed my memory. The Bahamas is an archipelago of 700 islands and 2400 uninhabited cays and islets extending 720 miles. It is just fifty miles off the Florida coast. The capital is Nassau on New Providence Island.  The Arawak Indians were the first inhabitants and the first British settlement took place in the 17^th century.

    No longer a sleepy little town that often characterizes its sister islands, Nassau stands out for its high-energy atmosphere and dynamic attitude. The capital city of the Bahamas with a bustling port, Nassau’s history can be traced back to days of the legendary pirate Blackbeard.

     Beautifully preserved cathedrals, pastel-colored Georgian buildings and 18th-century fortresses collide with bouncing jitneys, street vendors and duty-free shops and occasionally fine shops. Historic Bay Street is great for local markets, pubs and cafes, while the nearby straw market offers unique crafts and Potter’s Cay is the place for fresh produce, conch and fish.

   I was anxious to introduce her to a new culture and show her the city. We had a fabulous time and pretty much covered the entire island, often walking and walking. We enjoyed riding the local jitney to and from our distant  hotel.

     I was happy to find many positive improvements such as the lack of litter and friendly people instead of pesky and annoying people trying to sell you something or take you for a ride..

Music

Throughout the islands, music is woven deeply into the fabric of daily life. Musical traditions reflect both the impact of history on the islands and a homegrown, distinctively national character. Blues and spirituals made their way down from the American South and took on a Bahamian flavor---in breezy shore-side church choirs where "rhyming spirituals" are sung, and on homemade guitars in the hands of virtuoso performers.

Junkanoo, goombay and rake 'n' scrape all incorporate the handclapping and drum rhythms of West African dance music. Goombay is a secular Bahamian tradition, danceable music full of stories about love and other daily dramas.

Rake 'n' scrape bands are purely instrumental. A carpenter's saw, a goatskin drum and an accordion are all traditional rake 'n' scrape instruments.

True Bahamian

Bahamian English is a fascinating mixture of the Queen's diction, African influences and island lingo. Unfamiliar sounding words you'll hear on the streets and beaches may be survivors from the early English settlement (true Shakespearian English!), echoes of Africa or local slang. The "h" is often dropped in daily speech ('ouse for house or t'anks for thanks). Conversation is easy here – the distinctive sounds of daily speech are all part of a true Bahamian experience. At times it seemed as if I were listening to a foreign language.

Food

Fresh seafood lovers can appreciate the Bahamian fondness for conch (pronounced "konk") that is the most popular seafood in The Bahamas. The meat of conch is firm and white, and local restaurants have found delectable ways to serve it. Conch may be served uncooked with lime juice, steamed and added to other dishes such as soup or salads, or deep-fried, which is known as “cracked conch”. This seafood can be found in some form at just about every traditional restaurant in the Bahamas. Traditional desserts feature coconut. The Bahamas certainly do not have a shortage of coconut trees, and shredded coconut is found on just about everything!

Next time Nassau sites.