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| Local government offices at the Parque Vidal, Santa Clara |
We could have got a bus from Camaguey to
Santa Clara, but I wanted to hunt down a particular bank building in Ciego de
Avilar on the way, so we did this leg by taxi. I found the bank – and one or
other interesting bank buildings, including the former Royal Bank of Canada
(now a local bank), with the royal coat of arms still splendid above the
entrance.
Santa Clara was the last major stop on the
road back to Havana. Most people go there to see the monuments to Che Quevara.
One of them is the Tren Blindado, a monument centred on an armoured train that
Che attacked and took over in 1958, in the early stages of the revolution. By
this stage, I had had enough of Che, and so maybe I was less receptive than I
should have been.
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| Getting around Santa Clara |
As usual, the main political sight was a
bit out of town. The Plaza de la Revolucion Che Guevara is overlooked by a
great monument with a statue and the mausoleum of this iconic (literally)
figure, who had the great fortune, in career terms, to die young. The tourists
were more interesting than the monument, with a fair sprinkling of awe-struck,
idealistic, middle-class revolutionaries of various nations, with expensive
cameras.
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| The Che Monument, Santa Clara |
The star attraction of the town proper is
the Parque Vidal, a big, formal square with the municipal office on one side –
imposing by any measure. A blot on the townscape is the Hotel Santa Clara
Libre, an insensitive 1950s building (now painted in lurid shades of green)
only notable for the shrapnel damage sustained in the revolution. And its
ugliness. The square really comes alive in the evening, with concerts and two
little carts pulled by small goats, giving rides to kids. Children, that is,
not small goats.
For me, the best thing in Santa Clara was
completely unexpected, the 1880s Teatro La Caridad. There was a rehearsal going
on, and we were able to go in and wander around. The building would be regarded
as a treasure in any city.
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| The 19th-century Teatro La Caridad, Santa Clara |
And – there was the theatre bar, where le
tout Santa Clara goes for a drink at sundown, including some undoubtedly friendly local ladies. Hilarious, particularly after a few mohitos all
round.
Talking of the mohito: white rum, sugar
cane juice, lime juice, soda water and mint. Every one we had was different. I
think the key is the mint. I got a taste for mohitos … just the thing after
hard day’s tourism.
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| Our Man in Havana … oops sorry, Santa Clara |
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