There were a lot of carved wooden automobiles in the market and, of course, much to do with smoking. Fine-looking cigar boxes at a fraction of the shop price, ash trays, cigar cases etc.

Rum was another theme with mock advertising memorabilia and other, often tacky, decorative ware. Momentarily, we were tempted with some fine ethnic statues around 10 inches tall with a fine ebony finish at a price of three for 10 pesos. I heard my wife utter those dreaded words "they’d just go with…" and decided it was time to find a distraction somewhere else in the market.

"Look at these handbags," I uttered. This was a suitable distraction but a close call as she handled the cheap leather bags considering that they "might be good enough for work!"

The Cuban stalls carried straw sun hats by the score and I did hear a Canadian voice offering to negotiate his baseball cap for some items off a staff. Now that’s proper bartering for you! Unfortunately, I was whisked away and never did find out how well he’d done.

Leaving the cluttered stalls of t-shirts behind us, we take time to gaze at one of Cuba’s ancient fortified ditches where barrels of old cannons appear to have been ceremoniously laid out. It’s a bizarre but interesting sight

Just opposite the market is a street café, D’Giovanni’s, where we went for a mid-morning snack and coffee. It really was nothing special and the baguette was "not a patch on" the one we’d enjoyed at El Floridita, but the service was friendly enough and it was well positioned for a spot of "people watching". As is standard with Cuban cafés, there’s no hurry so you’re not discouraged from sitting and watching the world go by. What better way to rest those weary feet and restore the batteries before the next bit of sight-seeing?

It really wasn’t too difficult to imagine the powerhouse of Cuban politicians deliberating heavy matters. There was a significant upper-floor gallery, but I’m not sure if this would have been reserved for the press, the public, or for less weighty politicians. From here, we were led back through the president’s room with the original furniture and, attached was a smaller ante-room where presumably the local dignitaries would have waited for their important meeting with the powerful president.

Other council chambers housed state propaganda indicating the clear progress that has been made with children’s education over the years since the revolution. Although some of the text was in English, our guide was really keen to explain what the facts and figures mean for modern day Cuba. She emphasized the improvement of social care in terms of education, health, and pensions and seemed disappointed when we indicated that we wanted to move on.

Around the outside of the entrance hall were small cabinets housing a variety of regalia and old Cuban coins. For the numismatists, there was a full range of pre-revolutionary coinage, some of which, our guide told us in hushed tones, was solid silver. Medals were in plentiful supply and although these meant nothing to us, it was clear that they really excited our guide who, on occasions seemed to demand our vocal appreciation. We nodded our approval and this was a sign for us to be led into another small room, off the entrance hall, to inspect the grand uniforms of the guards and the politicians. The Presidential "top hat and tails" was standard dress and worn by the president whenever he was on official business.

Although this isn’t the most fun-packed of tours, it is packed with interest of a bygone age. An age, if we understood things correctly, when education was limited and schoolmasters wore uniforms resembling that of army commanders (beige with a peaked soft-cap) to ensure, we presume, recognition of their work and respect from pupils and parents.

This visit will only offer a short diversion from your route and, at about 15 minutes for the whole tour, I’d recommend that you call in for a visit. The walk towards it from Obispo is really interesting with the some great architecture to view en route.

Having explained to us a little about the place where we were standing we climbed aboard and Benjamin lowered the carriage’s canopy, as he explained, "to give us a better view". A few gentle words to Lindo and we gently clattered off down the streets. A couple of times we had to stop for some "minor repairs" to the carriage’s wheel arch caused as the wheels crashed over Havana’s notorious potholes. "Well", explained Benjamin as he almost apologetically climbed back into the driving position, "it is an extremely old vehicle and it needs a lot of care."

Our first stop was in Plaza de San Francisco which is dominated by the impressive early 18th Century Church for Francis of Assisi. This now houses the Museum of Religious Art and has a superb tranquil garden crammed with art work, beautiful cloisters, and views from the bell tower across most of Old Havana. It’s a colourful square with brightly clad buildings and some fine architecture. Back in the carriage and we’re back on the main road passing the working port, the old structures of the harbour buildings and a 19th Century promenade that was reserved for the Cuban gentry of its day. Now, work is being carried out to restore this feature to its former glory. This is something that is evident throughout the town. Cuba clearly has its eye on increasing its tourism business and there are numerous public buildings that are being given a serious renovation, hopefully retaining their original charm.

Sometimes, it felt quite precarious as we trotted the streets of Havana, but vintage cars, seemingly the majority in Havana, gave us a respectful distance as they roared passed us. I’m not suggesting that they sped through town, only that they were incredibly noisy.

At one point, we detoured off the tourist trail and were in the heart of the Cuban quarter with the hustle and bustle of day-to-day Cuban life on display—small shops with limited product lines, roadside vegetable stalls, and a lot of folk in "serious" discussions with each other. This, Benjamin explained, was his home. People have described Cuba as being poverty-stricken. No outward signs of wealth here, but there was passion, happiness, and excitement in this residential zone. Everything is not always as it seems!