Part 18 At the Tropi...Tropicabana

After our ride through Havana, we came back to our hotel and got ready for the Tropicana. I was pretty excited about seeing this show, and I wasn't disappointed in the least. The tickets were expensive, and didn't include dinner, but they did include a cigar, a mickey of rum, a cola and a small platter of appetizers. There are three sets of seats, and we paid for the middle ones, but we were seated in the more expensive ones. We tried to tell the fellow who seated us that we were in the middle (less expensive) area, but he insisted that we stay where he put us. It was certainly fine with me...we were inches from the stage and it was table height so we didn't have to crane our necks and look up. It was a lucky mistake for us! I paid the extra $5 at the door to be able to take pictures.

The Tropicana is the most famous nightclub in North America, possibly in the world. It was originally a farm estate, and the widow of the farmer transformed it into a vast nightclub and casino with elaborate floor shows and costumes. It opened Dec 31, 1939, and it puts the Las Vegas Revue's to shame. It stands in the middle of an extraordinary tropical forest, with small stages built into the tree tops, glittery women are everywhere you look. It's completely open air and if it rains, the show is cancelled and you're simply out of luck. We were lucky and it was warm and there was a full moon to help illuminate the stage.