Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1916-03-29
our two stories because their, ceiling
are from eighteen to twenty-five feet

account Of the summer heat. The
walls are thick, built OF blocks of
limestone or brick and plastered inside
and out with tinted delicate colors,
pink, blue or light green. The door
and windows reach almost from floor
to CEILING and you very seldom see
glass in the windows just swing slat
blinds or shutters which are protected
t on the outside by iron grilIes which
seen on a Jail or an elaborate design
Eof graceful curves which the better
homes have. The homes in Velado,
the fashionable suberb are more mod
ern some being two stories having
glass windows and front yards while
the typical Cuban homes are built
even with the street having Patton
in the center or inner court where
hey have fountain, birds, palms, bar.
ana trees, roses, vines, etc. This is
open to the sky and all the rooms
open into it. -
Visitors here are interested in Old
Moro Castle which guards the eat
rance to the Harbour and has taken
such part In Cuba's history-also
Cabanas Fortres that lies behind the
Morrow-here is where Cubans were
prosecuted and put to death by th'
Spaniards when they were in power.
The American first visiting Havana
is very much impressed by the narrow
ness of the streets. Obispo, the favor
ite street for shopping is SO narrow
two vehicles cannot pass going in op-
posite ways, so all traffic must go in
one direction. Over their little mar
row streets hang balconies and avn
ings, many awnings are stretched
across the street from the roof OF
one building to the other. These little
nhrrow thorou ghfares at first sur
prise you, later on you are pleased
with them and then you learn to
love them. The side walks are very
narrow, on many Of them two cannot
walk together and if you meet a per-
son one must step to the street. The
shops and Cafes are all open to the
street admitting ALI the air and light
possible. Every store and shop has
been given a name, they choose the
name of God, an Apostle. the sun,
moon,s flowers, precious stones or a
favorite ladies name, a great many
places have the name of Jesus. Hav-
ana is supposed to be much like Cairo,
Egypt.
Havana has two large markets and
! it is very interesting to stroll through
them and see stall after stall of the
various fruits, vegetables and fouls
raised here. Vegetables and fruits of
all kinds may be grown here with suc-
cess-their fruits are too nun merous to
mention. The grapefruit and pine
apple are delicious as are heir many
kinds of bananas. Bananas are very
favorite food here, they serve them at
table both cooked and fresh every
meal and they sure do know how to
prepare them. Here bananas are used
as we use our potatoes-one variety
they slice and fry as our potato chips
and you would scarcely know the diff
ference. There are about nine classes
Of bananas, the favorite on the Island
for eating fresh is the "Datiles" the
small date bananas about three inches
long and 1t is delicious. ~
Their idea of meat here is so differ
the morning if they wan lit for the
ent from ours, they VIII kill a beef in
evening meal consequently when cook
ed it is very dark and tough They
pay but little attention to the various
cuts, just cut it up in "chunks' :, Their
ways of selling of poultry are just
as odd-in the poultry stalls you can
buy eggs, turkeys. quails, pigeons,
chickens, etc. You can get them dead
or alive, with the feathers on or with
out and funniest of all they will sell
you any part of its anatomy you wish
as they, sell it in sections one may buy
neck, a wing, a pair Of legs or even
the giblets. El-
-, We have had to become accustomed
to the milk as in the warm climate
it is difficult to be kept sweet so j.
has become the custom to beat the
milk and salt it as soon as received.
They serve on tables cows milk, al
though it is said they use Goats milk
and the milk from Burro's, they con-
slider the burro milk especially good
for children and invalids and we have
been told they will bring the burro to
your door so you may know the milk
is fresh.
We cannot become accustomed to
their coffee and never drink it-al-
though: they buy the very best grade
they spoil it in the browning as they
burn it black, but the natives think
lots of their coffee and drink freely
of it. They drink more coffee here
than liquor, although they have a
great many more bars than we have
in the States you rarely see a drunk
en- Cuban.
Although this is the second health
lest country in the world, people do die
and their funerals differ greatly from
ours. The first morning we were in
Havana we saw a funeral not know
ing the particulars about it we thought
it circus wagons for Cuban hearses
are elaborate affairs. The largest
hearse which goes ahead is heavily