Havana Dreaming

"The Floridita was open now and he bought the two papers that were out, Cristol and Alerta, and took them to the bar with him. He took his seat on a tall bar stool at the extreme left of the bar. His back was against the wall toward the street and his left was covered by the wall behind the bar. He ordered a double frozen daiquiri with no sugar from Pedrico, who smiled his smile which was almost like the rictus on a dead man..."

-Ernest Hemingway "Islands in the Stream" (1970)

We started off the evening at the Floridita, where Hemingway used to get his daiquiris. We then walked from café to café in the warm, fragrant air. The exotic sounds of the guajira, son, and changuí music danced and intertwined with the clink of glassware and the low murmur of tableside sonnets. The warm Caribbean wind brought the smell of the sea to the outdoor courtyards and patios. The mojitos, beer, and cigars left us with a heady feeling of tranquility and peace. These were the Halcyon nights of our honeymoon.

KJT - Havana, Cuba (2004)