Cuba - 12 December 2011

We had an early start to go to Santa Clara which is about 150 miles from Havana. We were there to visit a small Jewish community. They are in the process of building a Jewish Community Center whose purpose is to support the surrounding towns. There is a total Jewish population of about 150 people including the surrounding towns. The community leader is an older man of Turkish ancestry. His son is in Israel married to a Jewish girl from Argentina and they have two children. The Jewish Center is still in construction. They have a room on the ground floor where they are planning to put the Ark. On the upper level, they have a combination kitchen/meeting room. The roof over the large room on the lower level is an open area where they could erect a Succah.

Jewish Community Ceter being built in Santa Clara

Jewish Community Center being built in Santa Clara

"Stained Glass" window in front of building

"Stained Glass" Window inside building in a side wall

Leader of community talking to group

View of building from across the street

View of street in Santa Clara

Next we went to a motel/hotel where we had a buffet lunch. While the food is nothing to write home about, it isn’t bad. The name of the place was Los Caneyes (pronounced can-As). I liked it and took some pictures

Restaruant where we had lunch

Doors

Name of place which is a motel/hotel and restaurant

Being entertained in the restaurant

Being entertained in Restaurant

Len dancing with one of the singers

Len dancing with one of the singers

Len dancing with one of the singers

Len dancing with one of the singers

View of Los Caneyes
View of Lost Caneyes

Our next stop was at the Jewish cemetery where the community has erected a very meaningful Holocaust memorial. I did take a picture.

The drive was about 3 ½ to 4 hours each way. On the way, there was a rest stop and I picked up something for Marla and treated myself to a pair of thongs.

The country side was pretty. There was a lot of land that could have been devoted to agriculture but was not in use. We saw a lot of cattle. Apparently they tried importing fancy breeds, which required imported food. Once the Soviet Union collapsed and Cuba was no longer being subsidized, Cuba could no longer afford the fancy breeds and fell back to the cattle that had been used for generations. Another problem in Cuba is that fifty years ago, Cuba exported food. Now Cuba needs to import food

Holocaust Memorial in Jewish Cemetery

Holocaust Memorial

Square of the Revolution in Santa Clara - this one name for Che Guvara

We had dinner at a restaurant called the Tower. It is on the 33^rd floor of a building and there was a magnificent view of the city of Havana. I had red snapper (again) and it was cooked reasonable well. The meal started with a welcome cocktail of rum and coke. A glass of wine or beer with dinner was also included.

At El Torra (Tower) restaurant - Arnie on left and Bernadette on right

Len