Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Floridita, Havana, Cuba



Havana's other famous resident is Ernest Hemingway and Cuba seems to have exploited everything connected with him for tourist gain, from tours of his rooms at the Hotel Ambos Mundos to his favourite drinking emporia, of which there are several!

On a quest to find the perfect mojito, which is surprisingly difficult in Havana (I like them very minty and not too sweet) I resort to trying Hemingway's preferred mojito spot, La Bodeguita del Medio (http://www.labodeguitadelmedio.com.mx). Mojitos here cost about four US dollars each and are admittedly the best ones I tried in Havana.

But my favourite drinking establishment is the expensive Floridita - the cradle of the Daiquiri (http://www.floridita-cuba.com). Here the drink de rigeur is the delicious Daiquiri frappé, another of Hemingway's favourites. His bronze statue leans against a corner of the bar. The barmen line up the Daiquiri glasses on the bar by the dozen as it's rare that people drink anything else here.

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