In Parraga we visit a Catholic church that provides day care for local children.
Children brought to this church receive day care while their parents are at work. Some of the youngest children at the day care.
The day care has a very small budget to work with. Children all know the mouse and duck.
The very small kitchen that supplies meals to the children. We pass through the kitchen and up a set of stairs to a room with more children on the second floor.
After our tour of the day care we explore the neighborhood in Parraga.
A door to door garlic seller makes a delivery.
A dog finds a resting spot in one of the quiet streets.
On the street corner across from the church is a small state run store with a limited amount of supplies. No window shopping or browsing. Place your request and see if they have in stock.
Across the street from the state run store a local vendor sells a low cost snack that is like a hot-dog, but may not contain meat.
Some of the local vehicles on the main street. (1958 Ford on right)
Just down the street from the corner state run store is a private barber shop. The Cuban government has eased restrictions for private businesses and this barber rents the front porch of the house because of its location on a main street.
Across the street from the barber is a person selling produce.
A short distance down the street are more produce stands like this one.
As our neighborhood tour travels up a side street we find a parrot on the front porch of a house. A horse and wagon are parked in front of a shop selling propane.
Our next stop is the organic urban farm of Divino on the southern outskirts of Havana. We start our tour of the farm with a overview of the operation from the owner. Cacao pods hang on a tree. The beans from these pods are used to make chocolate.
A playground for children.
Herb and vegetable gardens that produce food for the restaurant.
A close-up of a honey bee exiting a bee hive. The honey bees pollinate the plants on the farm.
An old horse drawn plow next to outdoor tables set on a porch.
After our tour of the farm we head to the Divino Restaurant where fresh organic food grown on the farm is used to prepare the meals.
Some scenes from inside the restaurant.
After another great meal at the Divino restaurant and we are back on the road in our motor coach and head for the fishing village of Cojimar.
Ernest Hemingway sent a lot of time in the fishing village of Cojimar where he docked his boat 'El Pilar' and gathered the inspiration for his Nobel prize winning novel, 'The Old Man and the Sea'. In 1962 a monument was built in Cojimar to honor Hemingway.
Spanish fort, Torreón de Cojímar, stands a short walk from the memorial to Hemingway. Across the bay are more modern structures.
Street scenes from Cojimar
Back on the motor coach and we return back to Old Havana and pass a parking lot, at the corner of Obrapia and Agramonte Streets, full of vintage cars from the 1950's waiting to taxi tourists around Havana. The north end of the National Capitol Building is in the background.
The National Capitol Building (El Capitolio) in Havana, was the seat of government in Cuba until after the Cuban Revolution in 1959. The near-perfect replica of the US Capitol building in Washington, DC then became the home to the Cuban Academy of Sciences but then fell into disrepair. Cuba's National Assembly will move back into the capitol thanks to the first phase of an extensive renovation project.
We now visit the home and studio of the artist Kadir Lopez Nieves.
Kadir overlays “remaindered” 1950’s American signage with translucent images to capture, preserve and convey his take on post 1950’s historical events.
A Wells Fargo sign with the overlayed image of the gangster John Dillinger's mug shot. A Texaco sign with the image of a dead bear.
The back yard of Kadir's home is used for his workshop and storage of his signs.
A chair with a U.S. flag pillow in Kadir's house.
It's our last night in Havana and our tour group takes a motor coach ride to the Paladar - La Moraleja restaurant for our farewell dinner.
As always on this tour, more rum based drinks, great food and a good time.
Entertainment and a birthday.
Our tour guide surprised us with this ... We left the restaurant looking for our motor coach, but were directed to a fleet of "Coco Taxis" waiting in front of the restaurant.
We board our "Coco Taxis" and prepare for the ride to the Habana Café nightclub ...
Some last minute instructions to the driver ...
And the race is on ... and it was a race of over a dozen under-powered "Coco Taxis" jockeying for the lead to be the first one to the nightclub.
This photo sums up the experience. Thumbs up and smiles. (Please note, this photo was taken through the rear window of our taxi and we are ahead of some of the group at this point of the race)
We arrive at the Havana Café Nightclub in style, a fleet of "Coco Taxis". The Havana Café Nightclub is in the first level of the Meliá Cohíba Hotel, located in the Vedado district of Havana, one block from the famous Malecón.
The Havana Cafe is decorated in a 50's style. A 1957 Chevy and a 1957 Buick ...
A 1947 Harley and an airplane hanging from the ceiling.
The stage show included a performance of the renowned Buena Vista Social Club and traditional Cuban music.
Another long, but enjoyable day in Havana. We are up early the next day for our flight back to the U.S. A photo of our hotel early in the morning while we wait for our motor coach to the airport.
Last chance for duty free Cuban rum and cigars at the airport as we wait for our plane.
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