Our last day starts out much like our first! Breakfast (omelet guy is back), walk down the Prado, then shower and on the bus we go! Our first stop this morning is the Havana Rum Factory. A little early for rum perhaps, but, hey, This Is Cuba!
We get a tour of the “factory” – it’s more a museum because of course we aren’t allowed in a real factory! But it’s fascinating, nonetheless. Did you know that the slaves actually invented rum? They were processing the sugar for their owners when they noticed that the syrup byproduct (that was considered waste) fermented. They began making wine, then someone figured out they could process it into rum. Pretty cool!
So – we proceed through the museum, upstairs with these awesome stained glass windows that were reflected on the wall.
We learn the differences in the aged rum – the youngest being (obviously) the “rougher” and less expensive – up to the most aged rum in a bottle that alone is worth $200! Then we are shown how the sugar cane was processed with these huge presses made entirely of wood.
Then we walk into this room that has a miniature replica of the sugar plantation years ago, including a working model train. Really, really cool (pictures, not so cool, it was dark, etc….but still….)
After the tour, we’re all given a taste of the most popular rum – needless to say – I gave mine to Ed. I’m good on the rum mixed with something, but shot? Nah, not going there!
So now, we’re back on the bus heading to Cojimar, the fishing town where Hemingway hung out and it is this village and the fisherman who lived here upon which The Old Man and the Sea is based. This will be our only Hemingway stop, unfortunately. We can’t go to Finca Vigia, Hemingway’s home that has been turned into a museum, because it is closed for the next 2 months while they shoot the movie “Papa” – of course – based on Hemingway’s life here.
So, instead of the museum, Julie gives us a Hemingway lesson while we drive to Cojimar: Hemingway came to Habana for the first time in 1928 as a stopover from Paris on his way to Key West. He loved it, wanted to come back, and in 1932 he rented room 511 a the Hotel Ambos Mundos (where we will have our farewell dinner this evening) for 7 years.
Then his 3rd wife convinced him to rent a house. Finally in 1940, he bought Finca Vigia for $18,500 and lived there for 20 years. He was forced to leave in 1960 (forced by the US who came to talk to him and tell him how “inappropriate” it was for him to stay after the Revolution). He thought he’d only be gone for a short time, so he took nothing with him. Sadly, that was not the case as he committed suicide on 7/2/1961. His last wife turned the house into a museum shortly thereafter.
Hemingway’s nickname of “Papa” came from the fact that he called everyone “son”. He wrote most of his books in Cuba and gave his Nobel Literature medal to the Cuban people; the medal is in Santiago de Cuba in a church now.
Cojimar is the epitome of a sleepy fishing village. There is a great fort at the end of the village looking over the sea, and a statue of Hemingway under a marble trellis.
We walk back through town, looking at the crumbling structures along the street (it looks like the acropolis)….
And the old cars (parked in front of what we called the “Mall of Cojimar”)…
We are heading for La Terraza de Cojimar, Hemingway’s favorite bar, and the place where he wrote a lot of The Old Man and the Sea. His favorite table was in the corner overlooking the sea, and there is now a bust of Hemingway there to commemorate the author. The bust was made from melted down propellers that fisherman donated for it.
There are a couple of photos of Hemingway and Fidel – the one and only time they met…
Now we get to try a “Don Gregorio”, a drink named after the captain of Hemingway’s yacht, Pilar. It’s Blue Curacao, Maraschino Cherry liqueur and Rum. And it is absolutely delicious!!!!
Richard has been shopping at the Mall of Cojimar…the Iron Shepard went home with him to add to his collection….
Our “boys” getting ready to leave outside La Terraza….
Next up, the Alamar housing projects.
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