CUBA - ENCOUNTER WITH ERNEST HEMINGWAY

One of the few Americans, who in Cuba is respected also from official side and who has great impact on Cuba’s tourism, is the author Ernest Hemingway (1899 – 1961).

La Vigia - the sight

He came to the island with his third wife journalist and correspondent Martha Gellhorn and bought the villa “La Vigia” in 1940 about 20 minutes by car southeast of Havana. We visited his home which was converted into a museum and were impressed: The vast compound with swimming pool, watchtower and living quarters is being kept up to a standard just as though the author was still living there.

The comfortable living room with its original furniture decorated with hunting 
trophies, countless books, documents and memorabilia.

The desk at which classics of world literature were written like „For Whom the Bell Tolls’’ 
and  „The Old Man and the Sea’’

Hemingway had a strict working schedule: He wrote early in the morning then
he swam for an hour in the pool and had lunch. In the afternoon he drank

This is Pilar, Hemingway's deep sea fishing boat. During World War II, Hemingway searched with her for German submarines. Pilar was outfitted (at the cost of the CIA) with communication gear and had minimal weapons, which included a Thompson sub machine gun and hand grenades. Most accounts state that any effort to attack a submarine would have been futile. Other accounts of these patrols imply that they were a farce and that he did them in return for extra gas rations 
and immunity from Cuban police for driving drunk

We were told that Hemingway met Fidel Castro only once at the Marina Hemingway while attending a fishing competition.

After his death his fourth wife Mary Walsh donated the house to the Cuban government – with all its content: furniture, books, letters and manuscripts (the latter to the great dismay of American libraries and universities who complain that in Cuba the documents are not sufficiently evaluated and attended to).

Of course we also visited Hemingway’s favourite bars in Havana.

La Bodeguita del Medio - famous for its mojitos (cocktail made from rum, fresh mint and lime)

Das El Floridita – famous for its Daiquiri-Cocktails (crushed ice, rum, lemon).
It placed a bronze statue of the author where he had his favourite seat at the bar