Cuba: Poor, proud - and so beautiful

Havana is unforgettable, from the fading grandeur of its magnificent colonial buildings to the absence of traffic.

In a city of two-and-a-half million inhabitants, the largest in the Caribbean, there is not a traffic jam in sight.

What traffic exists is largely made up of ancient Buicks, Chevrolets, Oldsmobiles, Cadillacs and an occasional British Morris or Wolseley.

While Havana is an architectural paradise, its people are poor. But there is no sense of envy towards tourists. Locals are friendly and fiercely proud. They will boast of their health care - one of the finest in the world, which puts our National Health Service to shame - and their fine education system.

They all earn very little. The government sets the standard wage, so most either moonlight or work in the hidden economy to make ends meet.

Yet crime is very low and begging almost non-existent.

Their ingenuity in devising ways of making a living has created a whole brigade of rickshaw cyclists. Pedalling antiquated home-made contraptions, they roam the streets plying for hire.

For around £1.35, which you negotiate in advance, they will take you anywhere within reasonable distance. We used them all the time. They're great fun, if a little uncomfortable - and a little scary at night as they possess no lights.

Music is everywhere in Cuba. In nearly every bar or restaurant, and often in the street, you find groups playing traditional Latin-American rhythms or their famous Cuban salsa. This is another way these enterprising people increase their low basic wage, as the hat always goes round after a session.

The choice of restaurants in Havana is large but the standard is pretty average - and the food often predictable. Like all businesses, they are owned by the State, which regulates the prices. By British standards, these are low.

The best value for money and sometimes the best food is in the newly opened Paradors. This is the only thing approaching free enterprise the government allows. Individuals can serve meals in their own home, providing they have no more than 12 people in the house, and they must adhere to government prices.

Finding these Paradors can be difficult, as they cannot advertise.

Just ask anyone in the street, however, and you will soon find someone to lead you to one.

One restaurant we found delightful was La Mina in the Plaza de Armas. You sit outside in the square or in the central courtyard of the old building and peacocks wander between the tables.

Equally as colourful as these birds were the dancers in the Tropicana, the most famous show in town.

The hotels in Havana are very good, most having been recently refurbished. Our tour operator, Captivating Cuba, recommended The Florida, a small establishment of only 25 rooms in Obispo Street, right in the centre of the old city. It was only four star but the standard was five star. It has an inner courtyard that has been covered with a glass roof and converted into a most comfortable lounge.

After Havana we spent a few days in one of Cuba's fast developing resorts, Varadero. It is on a long, narrow peninsular about two hours drive from Havana, lapped by the aquamarine Atlantic on one side, with the placid Bay of Cardenason on the other.

we were recommended to stay at Breezes, part of Super Clubs. All food and alcohol is included in the package. There is a huge pool and only a few yards away is the sea, where every water sport is available free of charge. There are three restaurants catering to most tastes. The service is efficient and in the Mojito a trio of brilliant musicians plays traditional Cuban music, moving from table to table.

The rooms are housed in various blocks distributed around the club's large and beautifully landscaped gardens.

You could spend the whole time in the resort, but from Varadero it's worth taking excursions to the historic town of Trinidad or the national park and game reserve near the famous Bay of Pigs. The joy of Cuba is that you can soak up the beauty, romance and music in Havana, a city steeped in history, have a complete switch-off holiday in an excellent modern resort or do as we did and experience the best of both worlds.

Go soon before the increase in tourism has an effect. If ever relations with America improve, and they are welcomed as tourists, it will never be the same.