. . . Facilities

I think you'll enjoy what we have on this page. First, a walk around the Club, then a sketch of the facilities and finally the pictures.

Walk Around the Club
Imagine that your eyes are closed. Come for a short walk around the Club. I drive up the circular driveway and give the car to the parking valet. The MG owned by "El Gallego" Rivero and the orange Renault Dauphine owned by Tony Arango have been left in the circle. I enter the Lobby, walk about 10 steps and turn left.

In front of me, 30 meters away, is the exit leading to the long terrace. I head there when I see Eva and Guillermina to my left, walking up the large staircase. I know that they are not going to the billiards room. Perhaps they are headed to the library or the women's dressing rooms, but I suspect that they are going to the women's card-playing salon. Probably a round of Canasta or Bridge. I say "hello" and keep walking.

I'm about 10 meters from the exit which leads to the terrace when I look to my right. There's people seated on the sofas and comfortable chairs of the lounge. They are all busy talking among themselves and no one notices me, but in the distance, at the entrance to the dining room, I see Claudio, the maitre'd. He waves at me, which I find surprising given the shitty tip I gave him last Sunday. Finally I walk into the terrace.

At this point I am wondering whether I should keep walking straight, along the large terrace to the end of it, where it almost reaches the beach. If I go that way, I can then make a right turn to go to the swimming pool and follow the border of the beach to the bowling alley. The advantage of doing this is that I will be able to get a "granadina" (a sweet and delicious soft drink) at the snack bar in the terrace. The disadvantage is that I will have to say hello to a bunch of people sitting on the chairs in the terrace. It is possible that Berenguer may be at the beach throwing "mamoncillos" (kenepas) to the kids.

Another option, instead of going straight, is to turn right, go though the skating rink, cross the football and baseball fields and end up at the squash courts. No, I don't want to do that because I may meet Raul Shelton with whom I failed to show up for a doubles game last Saturday.

Thus, I decide to turn left and I start walking along the sidewalk adjacent to the building. I pass the boy's locker room, say hello to Jacinto (the attendant), and continue walking. To my right, beyond the garden, I notice that the boat docks are half empty. I pass the barber shop -- where Zenon is half sleep, without any clients -- and I start listening to the noises of the people at the bar just ahead.

All of a sudden I realize that perhaps the architect had a "machista" tendency, because he placed the bar directly bellow the men's locker room and as far away as possible from the women's locker room. Sitting in one of the tables playing "cubilete" (Cuban dices) I see Toņin Llama and Raul Garcia Vidal. I would like to sit with them and could surely use a drink, but they are sitting with two other guys which I do not know, so I decide to keep on going.

I then pass by the men's card-playing salon. I feel like going in, because I see Fatty Garcia playing Continental and I enjoy bugging him, however I resist the temptation and continue walking.

At the tennis courts I observe a very close match between Blanca Bravo and Tony de la Torre. Finally I get to the boathouse to examine the fiberglass repairs being done on my Snipe. This job had to be done on account of the asshole from Vedado Tennis Club who hit my Snipe during the regatta 10 days ago. I am glad not to run into Gonzalo Melendez, because he would surely start bugging me, as he usually does, that the results are probably going to be shitty and that I should buy a new Snipe. However, the repairs are looking great and I decide to continue my walk towards the boathouse hut ("bohio"), looking for a little breeze from the sea.

I sit down and far away I hear a radio playing. It is Lucho Gatica singing "La Barca" (The Vessel). I can't even remember what I'm thinking about, and in a few minutes I fall sleep.

Sketch of the Club Facilities

Note: This sketch was made by an amateur to give you an idea of the Club facilities. We would welcome a better sketch drawn by an architect familiar with the Club.

Pictures which we consider extraordinary are identified with a star.

Aerial View of the Club Near Completion
Aerial View of the Club After Completion
Club Entrance -- Panoramic View Covering the Whole Entrance
Club Entrance -- Close-up Showing Central Portion of Above Photo
Club Entrance -- Narrow View in Color with MYC Sign
Club Entrance - What Was Seen by Those Who Walked to the Club
Lobby
Staircase
Lounge (entrance to small bar is just before entering the dining room)
Small Bar
Dining Room
Bar
Docks In Front of Barber Shop and Men's Card-playing Salon)
The Isle, End of the Terrace and the Beach
Boathouse (including the "Watching" Lounge)
Boathouse (area of Snipes)
Boathouse and Lighthouse (panoramic view taken from above)
Squash Courts
Tennis Courts
Old Club Building
Old Club Building (behind a swim team circa 1948)