遊 1948 年的老爺車河／李明熙
漫步古巴街頭，目光總是停留在一輛又一輛的 50 年代美國古董車，又或是嬌小玲瓏的前蘇聯 LADA，七彩繽紛、艷麗奪目的車身，在萬里無雲的藍天下，以 Parque Central 的棕櫚樹作背景，載著不同年紀的遊客在身邊駛過，有一刻還以為自己置身在影城主題樂園。
坐這些開蓬老爺車在 Malecón 海灣走一轉，似是每個遊客在古巴必做之事，收費可不便宜，開價一小時 $50 CUC（約 390 港元），但街上「等工開」的司機太多，絕對有議價空間。
我們遊老爺車河去更遠，到夏灣拿西面 180 公里的煙草產地 Viñales。來載我們的年輕司機開著 1948 年 Dodge，在幾乎沒車的公路上飛馳，時速超過 120 公里。後座空間大如歌劇院包廂，引擎聲大得像交響樂團，唯一缺點是沒有避震，小小一個坑洞也將我們拋離座位。
包車一日遊要 $150 CUC（約 1,180 港元），問 31 歲的 David，這條路線一年走多少次，他說當司機兩年來，多得沒再去算，由從不抽菸，來到煙草農場嗅得太多，也開始學會品嚐雪茄。
David 來自古巴東南部的聖地牙哥，當了 7 年美術老師，2015 年美國古巴關係解凍後，毅然開著家中的老爺車到夏灣拿，學修車當司機。他說夏灣拿巿內競爭大，能夠跑這種「長途」一趟，是以前幾個月薪水，但要跟民宿屋主搞好人際網絡，才有客源。
網絡不發達，拉客只有靠人脈口碑。幸好古巴人多年來活在守望相助的鄰里關係中，現今還是有福同享有難同當，雖然同行，未至敵國，司機或民宿屋主間，還會互相介紹客人，希望人人有工開。
早上 6 時出發，下午 6 時回到夏灣拿，一日遊本應結束。David 問我們到過 Malecón 海灣沒有，我們搖頭，他二話不說給我們來一個巿內遊。遊客是古巴人眼中「會走的荷包」，叫價或太高，但對遊客還是非常友善。而遊客有時多付一點小費，卻對他們的生活改變得多。
Cuba Fills Your Sense／Kimberlogics
Each country I have traveled to is different from the last. But something about Cuba sets it further apart from the others. Cuba has a constant pulse. It has overly stimulated all of my senses at every second. No matter the time of day or the weather, there is always something going on either on a big scale or small scale.
When first seeing Havana my eyes were overwhelmed with the colors. The bright colors of the buildings is what everyone notices first. Second, the architecture. These magnificent old structures that are half crumbling are painted with the bright island blues, greens, oranges, etc. The fine details of the balconies and the embellishing on the outside of the buildings as well as the tile work on the inside remind me of a time when building was an art and not a Real Estate Game of how many can be built in the shortest amount of time for the lowest price.
Once overloaded with sights, the sounds of the city filled my head. The cars that have been kept alive here from decades past make sounds unlike cars built in my lifetime. They are loud, squeaky and sound like dinosaurs roaming an urban center. Then, the people; young and old are always outside playing games, sharing food and household items, conversing in groups or across balconies. Street vendors go up and down all day and into the night, shouting or blowing whistles.
The smells of Cuba can be hit-or-miss. On the downside, the old cars let out smelly, black smoke that if you get too close can choke you, but you are also next to the ocean so the sea breeze freshens the air quickly. On the plus side, as with most Caribbean destinations, the smell of the rum drinks with fresh juices, coconut, mint and lime are always lingering on the beaches and even down busy bar and restaurant streets. While in the fresh air, a whiff of a Cuban cigar helps tie all of the sights and sounds together and reminds me that I am not just in any city in the Caribbean, but in Havana.
The tastes of Cuba vary from place to place, but there are always a few constants. The rice and black beans are tasty and filling, especially since we found a local neighborhood shop with good home-cooking. Rice and beans are the staple to the Cuban diet, but the national dish is “ropa vieja” and it is delicious. Meaning “old clothes” in Spanish, it gets its name from the long, shredded fibers of the flank steak.
Lastly, is the feeling of Cuba. The people of this country had absolutely nothing just a few years ago, so they learned to share and take care of one another. They are some of the most friendly and humble people you will come across. If you take a twenty minute drive east of Havana you can feel the fine sand between your toes and the warm Caribbean sea. In some neighborhoods surrounding Havana you can also see the enormous mansions from before the revolution and you get a nostalgic feeling of the wealth and lifestyles that were once lived here.
Overall, Cuba holds a very interesting history that is worth trying to learn about. And, the best way to do that is to come here for yourself and let your senses be overloaded.
我們的 #Home2HomeTravel
