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Cadillac Ranch, Saturday, 11. March 2000:- At the first step out of the Santiago de Cuba airport on Saturday, 12. February we salsa-ed through a receiving line of costumed dancers moving to the beat of Cuban music. And the beat went on and on throughout our trip from east to west in Cuba.

From Santiago de Cuba to Havana In Only Three Weeks

LindaThalm
2005-12-02 17:08:48

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Cadillac Ranch, Saturday, 11. March 2000:- At the first step out of the Santiago de Cuba airport on Saturday, 12. February we salsa-ed through a receiving line of costumed dancers moving to the beat of Cuban music. And the beat went on and on throughout our trip from east to west in Cuba.

Music morning, noon and night. The són - the term for the 'Buena Vista Social Club'-type music - was king in Santiago de Cuba and we loved it. Sipping our first Mujitos - rum, sparkling water, sugar and mint - on the fourth-floor patio of the Hotel Casa Granda overlooking the main square and Cuba's Bahia de Santiago and the warm setting sun - this was a perfect beginning.

Following dinner, the group 'Francisco y su Piequette' serenaded diners with music on the veranda and later on Sunday in the Cespedes Park. Simply magnifico! We bought our first Cuban music cassette.

Within minutes of a stroll around the town we were approached by young Cubans asking if we wanted a restaurant, cigars, a hotel or any kind of help. "Wherephoto: alliance francais la habana are you from? " "Paris." "Ah, parlez-vous français? Comment est-ce que je peut vous aider?"

The Alliance Française in Santiago de Cuba and in Havana has apparently done a roaring business of teaching Cubans French.
The Alliance Française in Havana spreads French around Cuba.

While Spanish is the language of Cuba, folks in the tourist trade know a smattering of French, German, Italian and some English for the English-speaking Canadians - who are about 50 percent of the tourists in Cuba.

Cuba welcomes United States citizens; they only need to fly from a non-U.S. city. Current regulations in the U.S. prohibit travel agents from selling tickets to Cuba. Simple as that and there is no animosity towards visitors from 'El Norte'.

Tooling about in our new, snappy, gold-colored Daewood - complete ...