Life in Havana: A river runs through it

Life in Havana: A river runs through it
Ray Sanchez/Direct from Havana | Direct from Havana
April 21, 2009
HAVANA

Cuba's capital is falling apart -- including my apartment.

Late Saturday a plastic water pipe connected to the water heater at the
apartment burst, sending gallons of water cascading down three floors to
the streets of the Vedado neighborhood.

It became one of those "only in Cuba" moments, a reminder that Havana
exists in a world with rules all its own.

There was no emergency number to call at the building's management.
There was not a single 24-hour emergency plumbing service listed in the
phone book. A mad dash to the home of a plumber several blocks away was
useless: He was out dancing with his wife. An inquiry at a hotel next
door also turned up nothing.

The pipe, located in a closet in a small washroom next to the kitchen,
simply exploded. The cause, like so many things on the island, is
unknown. Maybe it was the heat. The plastic tube appeared to expand and
rip open with a hole the size of a pair of golf balls. (Why anyone would
use plastic to make pipes that carry super-heated water is another
mystery. )

There wasn't a loud explosion. In fact, the first sign of trouble was
when the sopping wet cat came running out of the kitchen and into the
living room, followed by a mini-tsunami.

The rusting valve to shut off water to the apartment wouldn't budge. It
was stuck. The cascade continued. The super, wearing rubber boots, came
to the apartment. He said there was no one to call. A hammer and brute
force eventually got the valve to move , but the water continued to pour
for about another 20 minutes.

When it finally stopped, more than three inches of water covered the
kitchen floor, spewing beneath the apartment door to the hallway and
down the stairs -- like a waterfall. The cleanup, with the help of some
gracious neighbors, lasted into the early morning.

Sunday morning, the neighborhood plumber finally arrived, still sleepy
from a night of dancing. He replaced the broken pipe with another
plastic piece of tubing. They use them, he said, because they''re
cheaper than metal, and readily available. Before he left he noticed
that another pipe in the apartment – the building's main water line –
had started to expand. It was dripping slightly.

"When that goes," he said, "you'll need a boat."

But he couldn't do anything about it, because he needed to shut off
water to the entire building before he could replace it. And he couldn't
do that without notifying the building management -- after the weekend.

Life in Havana: A river runs through it -- South Florida
Sun-Sentinel.com (2 May 2009)

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/cuba/sfl-cuba-column-042109,0,4193288.column