hermer

Most travel books take you far, but usually not far enough. Too often they include too much historical material, too little about the facts of life. Knowledge of any city, after all, is written in terms of its people, its food, its customs. Take Havana, now. There have been no books about Havana that make its people real to us. If Americans consider the Cubans ＂touched,＂ they, in their turn, sum us up as Americanos locos. But the Cubans, at least, admire the stuff Americans are made of, even though it defies their analysis. It’s time for visitors to return the compliment, to be more open-minded and less jingoistic. The geniality and gracious dignity of life in Havana and the mercurial charm of its inhabitants deserve understanding and appreciation. There have been no books about Havana that guide tourists through the complicated maze of Cuban etiquette. Warm-hearted and easy-going though he may be, your true Cuban resents any transgression of the rules of his social code. The bad impressions left by Americans on a spree cry to heaven for correction. There have been no books about Havana that show tourists how to get more than their money’s worth out of shopping, eating, sightseeing and night-clubbing, how to spend intelligently, how to save wisely, how to have fun on even the most limited budget. These pages try to demonstrate that there is much more than rum, rumba and revolution in Cuba; to indicate the pattern of behavior that furthers social success in this unpredictable but always enchanting country; to turn the spotlight on Cuban customs and the Latin way of looking at life. Understanding all this will mean keener appreciation of your experiences there, richer memories and a sympathy for Havana that make the place unforgettably warm and colorful.