Noble Star American Orchestra Transcriptions
Noble Star American Orchestra Transcriptions at Amazon
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Upon the arrival in Cuba, foreigners ordinarily get in the resort zone, where Cuban economic troubles won’t affect them for sure, at once. They have “smorgasbords” in 5-star hotels, diving, sea outings on yachts to coral reefs and lobster lunch here. The service is excellent, the staff is smiley, the territory is enclosed, and native people are not permitted even to bathe in the local sea. However few foreigners may brag of having seen real Cuba: the tourist zones are the states within the states that have little to do with the Island of Freedom… The majority of tourists buy tours to Varadero, a Cuban resort. Varadero was considered to be the best beach in the Caribbean Basin before the local revolution. American millionaires had even preferent it to Jamaica, until the communists came to power. Divers represent a special category of tourists here. The matter is that the sea around is the greatest cemetery of ships in the world. The route to Europe, along which Spanish galleys exported gold from the New World, passed here. The ships many times sank because of the overload. According to the scientists’ calculations, 400 vessels sank in the port of Havana alone. Small An-26 fly to the other side of Cuba, the island of Kayo Largo, from the airport of Varadero. Sometimes it is called “the only Caribbean island that has preserved the quiet and the charm of the nineteenth century”. Playa Esmeralda, the most beauteous beach of Cuba, Guardalavaca, the famous beach with the splendid coral reef and Playa Peskero with the exceedingly gorgeous seabed are located here. The sand is wondrously white there, the sea is never stormy, and the hotels that work according to «all inclusive» system are jam-packed with the Europeans. But if you want to see real Cuba, go to Havana. The history of the city has been traced from 1515. The splendid mansions of the Spanish colonization amount of time neighbour upon the socialist buildings here, ultramodern skyscrapers -upon the ramshackle hovels of the outskirts. The private houses or the “particular” represent the most exotic and cheap variant of lodging here. It is possible to find such “private boardinghouse” only if you take a Spanish dictionary with you and pester a lot of local with the question. One may find a “particular” with all conveniences in the centre of the city for 20 dollars per day and a couple of dollars for the “guide”. In order to follow the style, we advise to eat in private foundations called “paladar” as well. Every resident of Havana acquired the right to open a little restaurant consisting of three tables for 12 humans in his/ her own flat as the present from the government assorted years ago. The unauthorized enlarge or increase of seats is severely punished. The menu is regulated as well: only chicken or beef dishes may be served in such cafes. But the precious sea inhabitants are the national heritage; mutual Cubans have no right to catch them. According to the not long back issued law, if a lobster is found in the refrigerator at a Cuban’s place, the refrigerator will be confiscated. When you want to commune with the local population, go to widely known and esteemed «Floridita» bar, where Hemingway was the frequenter. Hemingway represents a queer epoch to Cuba. There are a lot of places in Havana, where he liked to be; there is his table, chair, favourite bench in the park, favourite cocktails, with the recipes of which he “entrusted” his descendants. And his favourite seat near the stanchion in the corner of «Floridita» bar, where a little orchestra with the violoncello, violin and accordion plays songs to the order, and the visitors sip “Daiquiri” made of rum, lemon juice, sugar and maraschino. One more place in Old Havana is connected with his name as well – «La bodeguita del medio», the bar and the restaurant. “Mohitos”, rum with ice and mint, which is a less dainty, but more established Cuban drink, is in vogue in this bar. By the way, if you are a outstanding admirer of rum, go to Rum Museum galore time. You will be offered to compare respective sorts of the strong drink there, and you will realize the divergence among Havana Club, which is widely known and esteemed all over the world, and odd Guayabita del Pinar, which is developed nowhere else in the world. “Having degusted to your heart content”, buy a bottle of seven-year-old rum in order to regale the friends at home. It will cost only 7 dollars. Of course, one will have to sip rum keeping a cigar in hand. The best-known Cuban cigars are of Воlivаг sort, with the smack of arid world and spices, of Соhiba, La Gloria Cubana sorts and of noble and costly Hoyo de Monterrey sort. Cuba even opened a particular hotel for experienced smokers to spite the Americans, who formulate hotels for nonsmokers. It is called “Conde de Villanueva” and is located in the marvelous building of the city mansion of the XVIII-th century in Havana. There are only nine rooms of a big size on two storeys of the total area of 2,5 thousand square metres. Each of them has been given it is own name, which is connected with the concrete sort of cigars, and the prices for the each day lease here strike imagination. And a little smiley Cuban sells the same cigars for assorted dollars beneath the hotel window covertly, and it is more pleasant to smoke them than those that are sold for dollars in currency shops for foreigners, to tell the truth… |
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