Due South; or, Cuba Past and PresentBallou, Maturin M. (Maturin Murray)
History
Due South; or, Cuba Past and Present
Ballou, Maturin M. (Maturin Murray)
Cuba
There is the San Carlos Hotel, near the wharves, which is more of a
family than a travelers' resort; the Hotel Pasaje, in Prado Street,
quite central; Hotel Europe, in La Plaza de San Francisco; and Hotels
Central and Ingleterra: the last two are opposite the Plaza de
Isabella, and are in the midst of noise and gayety. Arrangements can
be made at any of these houses for board by the day, or on the
European plan; all have restaurants.
There are some very attractive summer resorts in the environs of the
city, one of the nearest and prettiest of which is El Cerro (the
hill), one league from town. It has a number of remarkably pleasant
country-seats, some of which have extensive gardens, rivaling that of
the Captain-General in extent. But to reach Cerro one has to drive
over a road which is in such want of repair as to be dangerous,
gullied by the rains, and exhibiting holes two feet deep, liable to
break the horses' legs and the wheels of the vehicles. Here is a road,
close to Havana, with stones weighing hundreds of pounds on the
surface, in the very wheel-tracks. Handsome hedges of the wild pine,
the aloe, and the Spanish bayonet line the road, where an occasional
royal palm, the emblem of majesty, stands alone, adding grandeur to
all the surroundings. If you drive out to Cerro, put on a linen
duster; otherwise you will be likely to come back looking like a
miller's apprentice. Not far beyond Cerro there lies some beautiful
country, reached by the same miserable road. Puentes Grandes, a small
village near the falls of the Almendares River, is but two miles
further north than Cerro, and adjoining this place, a couple of miles
further, is a small, picturesque village called Ceiba, from the
abundance of that species of tree which once flourished there. These
two places have some interesting country residences, where the
wealthiest citizens of Havana spend their summers. The village of
Quemados is also in this immediate neighborhood, about a couple of
leagues from town; here is situated the Havana Hippodrome, where
horse-races take place in the winter season. We must not forget to
mention Vedado, on the seashore, whither the Havanese drive oftenest
on Sundays; it is also connected with the city by steam-cars and
omnibus. There are some fine villas here, and it is quite a Cuban
watering-place, affording excellent bathing facilities. Vedado has
wide streets, and, after the city, seems to be remarkably clean and
neat.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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