A normal street scene in Havana |
Under the hood |
On a long bus trip along an intercity highway we passed many of these old cars broken down by the side of the road however all were being worked on and would, no doubt, be up and running again before long. It is not uncommon to see relatives visiting from other countries arrive at the airport, their luggage bulging with spare car parts eagerly awaited by the locals.
Our guide told us that Raoul Castro now permits Cubans to buy foreign cars but that the costs are so prohibitive no one can afford them. A car dealership opened in Havana a year or two back but soon closed down through lack of sales.
A car repairer on a Havana street |
My friend, Hilary, and I hired a bright pink 1952 Chevrolet convertible with gleaming white upholstery, complete with driver, for a tour of Havana. ($40US) It was marvelous fun touring the city with the wind in our hair reliving our teenage years, well, not really, more how we wish our teenage years had been!
Reliving my teenage years? I wish! |