Cuba countdown T-12
For today's mounting anticipation enhancer, here's El Floridita.
El Floridita is one of the most famous dance clubs, in the old part of Havana. Thanks to the great location of the Sevilla hotel, it should be within walking distance -- if I remember the map, it's about five blocks. The club is known for being the bar where Emilio Gonzalez, a cantinero, perfected the Daiquiri Floridita, supposedly the best such cocktail in the world. (He should have called the cocktail The Gonzo, it would have been even more famous ;-)(*).
The place dates back to the eighteen twenties, and has its share of History. The most prominent of habitués was Hernest Hemingway, instrumental in the worldwide success of the Daiquiri. When Cuba was regular holiday destination for the Hollywood famous, El Floritida was a regular hanging spot for such names as Gary Cooper, John Wayne or Errol Flynn. In '53 Esquire ranked El Floridita in the 7th on the worldwide list of top ten bars.
On another, almost related note:
Bureaucratic gods are in good mood. Someone must have sacrificed a live goat or something, recently. I already have my national ID renewed, and applied for a passport renewal. Congratulations where they are due: Bureaucracies are usually seventh hell in Portugal. Crowded, rude, slow and incompetent. It was not my experience this time. The civil registry, responsible for the national ID card was extremely efficient. The civil government was even better, with excellent offices, nice employees and (gods allowing) will be efficient.
(*) Private joke.
El Floridita is one of the most famous dance clubs, in the old part of Havana. Thanks to the great location of the Sevilla hotel, it should be within walking distance -- if I remember the map, it's about five blocks. The club is known for being the bar where Emilio Gonzalez, a cantinero, perfected the Daiquiri Floridita, supposedly the best such cocktail in the world. (He should have called the cocktail The Gonzo, it would have been even more famous ;-)(*).
The place dates back to the eighteen twenties, and has its share of History. The most prominent of habitués was Hernest Hemingway, instrumental in the worldwide success of the Daiquiri. When Cuba was regular holiday destination for the Hollywood famous, El Floritida was a regular hanging spot for such names as Gary Cooper, John Wayne or Errol Flynn. In '53 Esquire ranked El Floridita in the 7th on the worldwide list of top ten bars.
On another, almost related note:
Bureaucratic gods are in good mood. Someone must have sacrificed a live goat or something, recently. I already have my national ID renewed, and applied for a passport renewal. Congratulations where they are due: Bureaucracies are usually seventh hell in Portugal. Crowded, rude, slow and incompetent. It was not my experience this time. The civil registry, responsible for the national ID card was extremely efficient. The civil government was even better, with excellent offices, nice employees and (gods allowing) will be efficient.
(*) Private joke.
