Havana Holiday

[Music] When Columbus first beheld the shores of Cuba, he wrote in his journal, "The loveliest land that human eyes have ever seen. Ancient Marorrow Castle guards the entrance to Havana Harbor. Here, Spain built a Gibralar of the West to maintain her glory and her [Music] conquest. From its battlements, Cannon thundered defiance to many a pirate fleet. Prisoners of the Spanish Dons were stretched on the rack in these gloomy [Music] dungeons. Harsh were the methods and cruel the ways of civilization, but the days were harsh and cruel. and to the everlasting glory of Spain. She brought the culture of the old world here and maintained it for over 300 years, leaving an imperishable charm and atmosphere throughout the Cuban city. Today, white-winged yachts sail from friendly ports across the Caribbean. Trench and schooners come with peaceful cargos from parts throughout the Spanish Maine. Thousands of pleasure seekers invade the sundrench shores of Cuba, reveling in the warm blue waters of the Gulf [Music] Stream. Havana was founded in 1515 by the Spanish conquistadores who read the amazing journal of Columbus describing a paradise in the western ocean. But when the battleship Maine was destroyed in Havana Harbor in 1898, it sounded the doom of Spanish rule. Today, the great hotels are truly Latin in lavish luxury. The city holds the fascination of old Spain combined with the atmosphere of a progressive nation. In the heart of Havana, facing the broad Praau, stands the magnificent capital. Built at a cost of $6 million, its marble dome one of the highest in the world. It stands within sight of streets and structures of noble architectural lineage. The old and the new, the cosmopolitan and the ancient Cuban, the sunny boulevards and palmshaded avenues. [Music] The stately lines and venerable appearance of the old cathedral completed in 1724 testify to the pious faith of past generations. Here they buried Columbus. But the tomb is empty now for in 1898 his remains were taken back to the land from which he sailed. The famous Praau transports in spirit all who have traveled abroad to the boulevards of Paris with its glittering cafes, luxurious shops, and modern hotels. But the charm of the city lies in its many contrast. From the scenes of today, it is only a step into yesterday, into the quiet dignity of timeworn buildings. There are many marketplaces older than any center of commerce in North America. [Music] [Music] Close by are the narrow silent streets of old Havana. These homes are thoroughly Spanish, aloof, guarded, and inhospitable on the exterior. But back of them lies the real Havana in cool, secluded patios. Near a vendor of refreshments who has won a certain notoriety, a native lad rattles the tempo of their native songs and dances. For over 300 years, the name Havana in connection with cigar making has meant but one thing to millions of men, kings, potentates, millionaires, and those who would feel like a millionaire for a moment. Havana has meant an aroma and flavor in smoke that has never been imitated successfully. [Music] Beyond the business quarter are quiet, exclusive residential sections. And on the outskirts of the city are enchanted valleys carpeted by exotic flowers. Even on the estates of planters, the tokens of modern civilization have not yet spoiled the atmosphere of the [Music] old. The quiet of a secluded patio is suddenly broken by a voluuptuous rhythm. [Music] [Music] [Music] beyond a broad avenue of royal palms typical of the environs of Havana. The old ways linger on. Crude carts creep along the old Spanish roads behind lumbering oxen. Planters ride in from nearby and distant estates to witness an ancient spectacle that is forever being staged here. And it is as Cuban as Havana itself. It is the sport of [ __ ] fighting. And they'll bet their last peso on a bird in a fight that usually leaves but one survivor. The old ways linger on in every bohe or home of the Cuban peasant, most of them of African descent whose forefathers came as slaves of the Spanish [Music] [Applause] dons again. La Rumba in all its fiery frenzy rhythm. But though you may see it elsewhere, the real Roomba is here. [Music] Not far from the outskirts of the city, the visitor can step into the world's sugar bowl, capable alone of sweetening this entire planet. The vast sugar plantations supply the world through refineries in the United States and Europe. The men who are employed in cutting and loading pause occasionally to sample the cane, a candy cane out of nature store laden with sweet syrup. [Music] At night in Havana, Hili attracts visitors who soon learn enough about this ancient game to appreciate the perfect form and skill required to play it. The Cuban players exhaust not themselves but their audiences after an hour of [Music] watching. So ends a fiesta in a city of oldworld charm, rich in the atmosphere of glamorous history, but offering all that progress has designed for modern living. Here time moves swiftly to the ending of an all too brief Havana holiday. [Music]