Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-23
OUR TOURISTS IN CUBA
Hotel Accommodations Bad
and Costly.
LAND OF ROYAL PALMS
ENDLESS VARIETY OF CUBAN
SOFT DRINKS.
Tourists Continue From Florida to
Havana-Island Destined to Be
Americas Riviera.
Copyright, 1905, by Frank G. Carpenter.)
Written for The Star.

Copyright, 1905, by Frank G. Carpenter)
Written for The Star.
HAVANA, Cuba,
Cuba is fast becoming winter resort for
the United States, and 1t promises to be
the Riviera of North America. The crowds
which now go to Florida continue their
voyage on to Havana, and rich Americans
are settling not only here, but at different
points along the northern shore Of the
island. l know a dozen men who have
bought estates in or near the suburbs of
this city, and several who are planning to
make their winter homes about Nipe bay,
on the northeastern coast. There were three
times as many American tourists here last
winter as ever before, and double that num-
Der are expected the coming season. The
steamship lines all building new vessels.
Next season the Munsons will have
steamers from Mobile; the Wards are to
put on q line from New York to Nipe bay,
and there will probably be additional ships
from New Orleans. Miami and Tampa.
Land of Bad Hotels.
So far no arrangements have been made
to accommodate the increased travel. The
hotel accommodations notoriously mad
equate, and safe in saying that there
are not half dozen frst-class hotels in
all Cuba Indeed, with the exception of
that at Camaguey, l might say that there
is not one which is run after our up-to-date
American methods, and that notwithstand-
ing, the rates are high and provisions COM
paratively cheap.
This Is much SO that some of the rail-
road managers discourage the coming of
tourists in large bodies. A party of 200
can hardly be accommodated, and the time
is not ripe for the Cook tourist and others
of his class.
Hotels in Havana.
Most of the hotels of Havana are run on
the Spanish plan, with American prices.
The cooking is Spanish, and it plays havoc
with the American stomach The most Of
/ the hotels have two rates-a moderate one
for the summer, on the European plan, and
a higher one for the winter. on the Ameri-
can plan. The summer guests are Cubans
and Spaniards; but those of the winter are
Americans, whom, the Cubans rightly
think, will pay anything in or out of rea-
son.
Havana and the American Stomach.
The ordinary Cuban hotel meal does not
suit digestion. If one is not on the
European plan he is supposed to take what
is set before him, or pay for every extra
he orders. 1 stopping at the Inglaterra,
where pay SIS day for myself wife and
daughter. Our first breakfast, or dcs-
ayuno, consists Of coffee and rolls with
butter and a couple of oranges. The
oranges are pared down to the flesh with
a sharp knife. just as you pare an apple,
and we eat them by sticking a fork in the
orange and sucking the juice. We have
our rolls toasted without extra charge but
the two soft-boiled eggs, which order for
each of my party every morning, are set
down on the bill at co cents extra per day.
This is 10 cents an egg. Indeed. 1t makes
one almost hate q hen.
Our luncheon. what the CubanS here
call almuerZo, is taken at IL or II O'Clock
from limited bill of fare, most of the
dishes OF which are Spanish. Some are
good, but others stomach-tryins. The
Spanish omeettes,. for instance, are de-
licious, but the beefsteaks are tough and
the stews and other connections need ut
least a tablespoon of pepsin per meal. L
saw once hotel table at ParkerSpurg,
w. Va, bottles of pepsin sauce beside the
| catsup and tobasco. l would recommend
them for Cuba.
Anything extra outside the breakfast bin
of fare is charged for at the regular res
taurant rates. The same is true of dinner,
which is eaten from G to 8 o'clock, and
which is the hearty meal of the day
Restaurants and Cafes.
The best way to live in Cuba Is to rent
a room either at hotel lodging house
and take your meals at the restaurants.
| There are cafes and restaurants every
where, and some are very good. There are
| always enough dishes on the bills of fare
| to furnish an appetizing and digestble meal
| and one pays for what he orders. Al
meats are eaten the same day they are
killed, and for this reason they are not so
| good as those kept for time in cold stor
| age The fowls are cooked as soon as their
| heads are chopped off, and for this reason
are tougher than the American variety.
Poultry dealers bring the chickens alive in
| from the country, and a common sight is
| chicken or turkey peddler with his fowls
| hung from his shoulders Turkeys are
| driven through the streets, and one buys
them, as 1t were, the hoof Live pigs
are carried on the shoulders or in carts
Cuba's Soft Drinks.
This is great place for soft drinks. The
cafes have them by the score, and some are
good. A popular one is panal, made from
a mixture of sugar and white of egg dried
| in rolls six inches long These rolls are
served with a glass of water You drop
| your panal into the water and it dissoives,
| and you have swedish drink which makes
| the Cuban's mouth water
| Pineapple juice Is not bad, and naranjada,
| or the juice of oranges, II cooled with a bit
of ice, is delicious Another drink Is tama-
| rind fruit crushed in water, and third is
| the milk of the green cocoanut, poured out
| in glass and iced. Green cocoanut milk
| looks like water. 1t has slightly sweet
| ish taste with mild flavor of cocoanut.
| 1t is not to be compared to the milk of
the ripe nut, which is coarse and heavy.