Marlowe Boyd Visits Cuba

5/29/2017 . . . Marlowe Boyd, Phil Shoptaugh and I (Fred Arbogast) once were actually "Passion Pilgrim Gospeleers" in the Acalanes Operetta, "Finnian's Rainbow". So we three go back quite a long way. Marlowe and Vivian Boyd visited Cuba this year and here is his note to me and us with some fascinating photos:

"Hi Fred

I knew it was time to send this because last night I had an incredibly vivid dream about Acalanes and Phil Shoptaugh was walking next to me, exactly as he looked in 1956 with white bucks, white pants, a music letter sweater and that Brylcream black hair he promoted. Your presence was also there even though I didn't see you."

"So . . . . . .here are a few shots of our recent FABULOUS trip to CUBA. It was tremendous, Mojitos and Cuba Libres every night. I was able to bring back a liter of aged rum and many cigars (not cheap even in Cuba, the good ones run $10 each). I'm saving one for you (especially since I don't smoke them).

We went with an offshoot of Grand Circle Travel, the Grand Circle Foundation, 19 of us doing a cultural exchange. We met daily with artists, musicians, dancers, authors, professors, and photographers. Had a night at the Buena Vista Social Club.

We were 5 days in Havana, 3 days in Cienfuegos, and 3 days in Trinidad. Also saw Hemingway's home in Colimar (sic). Wonderful warm and friendly people, crime free, literate and POOR. Ox teams plow fields and in the villages the main transportation is the horse and buggy. Limited wi fi, but we had it in our hotels. It is a Communist country and most of the people like it that way (or they say they do because they've never known anything different).

And oh those cars. So many incredibly beautiful oldies. We saw almost everything that was in our parking lot at Acalanes! They are beautiful and there are thousands of them! Gas is $8 a gallon and the country has a thriving black market.

The Hotel Nacional, where we stayed in Havana, is also quite magnificent. Run by the government. Room rates are $250 to $500 a night. The average Cuban earns $8 to $15 a month, do the math. There are no credit cards, no banking with any U.S. Banks. You exchange money at $1 for 1 CUK but there is a 13% tax and exchange fee. The locals use the Peso which is about 25 to $1. Goods are very cheap and not a lot to offer.

We ate at all private restaurants called Palidares. Great service and okay food. Not very spicy. Lots of chicken, pork, and fish. Not a good place for a vegetarian. Fruit is plantains, mangoes, and pineapples. Great coffee. We went to a coffee farm in the mountains and got a sense of how various beans are grown.

Highly recommend a trip before it all changes, which it will rather quickly.

So here are some low-res web pictures.

Marlowe"

How about a Serenade at the Hotel