Havana day two

Another wonderful 24 hours has passed since last comments. We have just arrived back to the hotel mid afternoon, sopping as dish cloths from a 5 hour walk and exploration. Time to refresh then out for the evening!
Last night we walked to the harbourside area at dusk, through more marvelous buildings - they never seem to end - several which housed art collections. Along with the open air bookstall and public artworks its a very literary and arts minded place. Tonight we will revisit them and go in, but last night we pushed on and had an evening dining on spanish food and watching live flamenco. A dance troop of 8 sang, strummed guitars, clapped, stamped and danced up a storm. In a semi enclosed courtyard on streetside they generated tremendous excitment with their explosive routine. The girls as you can imagine were slim, sinous, haughty nose in the air senioritas, who lept to their feet singly or as a group to dance, or with one of the menfolk. I felt just swept away with it then when it was finished we moved to a street side table, polished off the rest of the red wine in the heavy heat of the evening and smoked a havana - in Havana. Shanti had earlier that evening found our first hummingbird ('zum zum' to the locals), foraging well above us in a flowering tree. It was remarkably insect like - reminded me of those big black noisy flighing dragonflies you occassionally see in Omarama and Centrl - but with a thicker middle. But the motionless body with vibrating wings, and darting movement between flowers is not at all bird like. Thats was both ambitions knocked off (cigar and hummingbird) observed Shanta - we may as well bugger off home now and save ourselves some money!
We sat up till near midnight then out again this morning at nine, to revisit some of the locations we saw briefly yesterday. First we had to sort out a money concern - my credit cards not working at the one atm dispenser we found in town. We were down to 35 Cuban Pesos (dat not much) by this morning so that was first priority. Successfully sorted but the exchange rate and bank commisions would make you weep possibly up to 20% all included. Only the local currency is accepted so you can take it or leave, the latter not being an option.
Then we explored some of the massive buildings including the Capitol, with the inner chamber where parliament operated pre and post revolution, but not today. We have some good video and photo footage but no point trying to load anything on this old dunger machine at the rate of data transfer which is glacially slow.
Probably a highlight today was a very old church described as 'music in stone'. We cannot disagree it is wave after wave of columns and surfaces, beyond comprehension that it could be built at all let alone in the 1700's. I wouldn't have though a cities architecture would entrance me but it does and it goes on and on, not just a few buildings but a whole district of grand and beautiful contstruction, much of it of course in a poor state of repair - except the central showpieces.
Henry you would have loved the open air bookshops we oggled at the old books of poetry, cuban artwork, revolutionary propaganda and history. But not enough suitcase room so on with the wanders which thankfully finished at a bar, with a few beers. WE passed a couple of bars that Hemmingway frequented - they make sure you know about it and they were packed with people also outside. Castro declared him his favourite writer (wonder why - oh thats right he lived in Cuba!) so he is held in high regard by the population.