Archive for the 'Cuba' Category

Song of the post:

Kristin and I still felt like we had not seen everything we wanted to see in La Habana, so we decided to continue our walk around the city.  This time it was concentrated in Habana Vieja.  We followed the “Habana Vieja Walking Tour” that was recommended in my Cuba Lonely Planet guide; starting around Plaza Vieja and ending around Catedral de San Cristobal de la Habana.  The walk took us about 2 hours in total.  Heads up, be prepared for photo sensory overload!

My travel Bible. I bring one with me on every trip!

The following photos were all taken within the vicinity of Plaza Vieja:

Plaza Vieja

Of course we took a little break in a shaded park to listen to a man croon Cuban ballads with his guitar.

"Besame, besame mucho, como se fuera esta noche la ultima vez..."

And then we continued on walking and all of these following photos were taken within the vicinity of Catedral de San Cristobal de la Habana.

Catedral de San Cristobal de la Habana

Needing to majorly cool down, the two of us met up with M. and headed to Playa del Este again. . .

We decided the plan for the evening would include: strawberry daiquiris at Hotel Inglattera, dinner at La Floridita, and salsa dancing at La Casa de la Musica Centro Habana.

First, we met M. at the Inglattera, which is another one of finest hotel’s in Cuba.  It is located near Parque Central and proudly holds the honor of being the oldest hotel in Cuba with an incredibly rich history you could spend days learning about.  Having said that, the Nacional is still my preferred hotel.

Hotel Inglaterra.

While we sipped our strawberry daiquiris a salsa band played and when the first intoxicating trumpet notes of “El Chan Chan” began it really hit me that I was actually in Cuba; a country I had been dreaming of visiting for such a long time.  In that moment I wished all of my loved ones could be there with me experiencing this as well.

M., Kristin, and I in anticipation for the fun night ahead.

Our 3 strawberry daiquiri's illuminated by the setting sun.

Me enjoying the cohiba that I had purchased earlier in the day.

A fabulous photo courtesy of Kristin.

Then we dined at La Floridita, or commonly known as “Hemingway’s hang-out.”  I love the simplistic way that Ernest writes.  He is able to vividly capture one’s imagination with only a few words.  Apparently, while he was creating “The Old Man and the Sea,” a novel about a Cuban fisherman who refuses to be defeated by nature, he would eat at the restaurant often.  And even though it was a tourist trap, as a beloved fan, I still wanted to visit the places that he frequented during his time in Cuba.

La Floridita Restaurant.

Señor Hemingway

The best drink in the world! Though Ernest's favorite drink was rumored to be a strawberry daiquiri.

Once satiated, we headed over to dance at La Casa de la Musica Centro Habana.  Along the way we encountered a Cuban man whom begged us to bring him in the club with us.  According to him it had been his life long dream to dance inside there and the only way a Cuban could enter was with the permission of a tourist.  M. told him that he would pay for his entrance fee under one condition: he had to discuss Cuban affairs with us over a couple of drinks.  The poor guy agreed not knowing what he was getting himself into!  M. and I could talk about that kind of stuff for hours and hours.

A photo taken on our walk to the club.

La Casa has a fantastic reputation for being the best salsa club in La Habana, as they bring in the top-name bands, but I was not really impressed.  It was not the real Cuba; I wanted to dance where the locals danced.  So, my only choice was to grab the fellow that came in with us to the dance floor to practice my terrible salsa skills.  Thankfully, he was not too embarrassed with my moves.  I vowed after that evening to take classes some time during our last days in Cuba.

The salsa band that played.

Me and my new Cuban friend on the dancefloor.

On our taxi ride back to our casa we noticed that the locals were out in the streets celebrating in full force.  Revolution Day was only a couple of days away.

The street scene from inside our taxi.

Despite the fact that the noise outside was quite loud, Kristin and I fell soundly asleep from our long, but completely unforgettable day.

Song of the post:

That misadventure I alluded to?  Well, it definitely was not my finest travel moment.  You see, we got scammed, and as much I would like to not admit it, it was totally my fault.  I am obsessed with the musical group Buena Vista Social Club (see video above) and when 2 Cuban ladies approached us and said/promised that they happened to be playing in a small courtyard in Chinatown I naively convinced M. and Kristin that we simply HAD to go!

La Habana's Chinatown gate.

While we waited for them to perform, the Cubans asked us to buy them drinks and lunch.  After about an hour of waiting we sadly realized that this was all a ploy and got up to leave.  However, as we were leaving the ladies announced that they had cigars for sale in their casa.  M. and I decided to check them out.  Sure enough they had every cigar your heart could desire.  I spent some time trying to think how I was logistically going to smuggle these beauties back into the States without getting caught.  Finally, I decided I would take the wrappers off and hide them in my wallet, so that they just looked like regular cigars.  If I got caught with them I would tell security that they were cheap cigars from Mexico (even though they Romeo y Julieta’s) and if they wanted them they could have them.  M. thought I was a bit crazy to take this chance, but I welcomed the challenge.  I ended up leaving the casa with my fingers crossed and 30 cohibas for the bargain price of 50USD$.  My Dad was gonna looove me!

We then departed ways with M. to check into our new casa.  This one was also located in Habana Vieja.  It was a charming place, but not as intimate as the first, because it had a lot of guests staying there and the owners were not very talkative.

The living room of the casa.

The view from the casa's roof.

Despite the fact that Cuba is "falling apart," it still radiates beauty.

But to be honest, we were not interested in talking with them either, as we had a special evening awaiting us!  Because we had walked all day, we splurged on a pedi-cab.  The following are photos from our entertaining ride through the streets of downtown La Habana:

And then we arrived at our destination and when I say we celebrated the evening in style, I mean style. . .

Song of the post:

My recommendation for your first day exploring La Habana is to get rid of the map, forget any advice anyone has given you, and get lost.  You do not have to worry about wandering into any unsafe neighborhoods or truly getting lost, as it is a safe city and so small that you will eventually find your way back to where you started.

Having said that, do yourself a favor now and play the song above (Danay is a famous and beloved Cuban rapper) and join me on a photographic journey of the time where I followed my own advice and got lost in downtown La Habana:

Can anyone spot my dream car?

Yep, it was the pink one!

This is my favorite photo that I took on the trip and has been my screen saver ever since.

Un hombre enjoying his cohiba in the park.

Cuban pride is found everywhere.

Some friendly construction workers taking their break with me.

Parque Central

A statue of the beloved Jose Marti in Parque Central.

Capitolio Nacional

More fabulous cars in front of Capitolio Nacional.

Catedral de la Habana

Of course I had to end on a car shot!

If you have been following my blog long enough you would know that every day on the road with me has both its adventures and misadventures.  And I can promise there was definitely a misadventure on this day. . .

Song of the post:

Having still not properly seen La Habana yet, we chose to spend the day walking around the city.  However, before we set out, we had one last stroll around the grand Nacional.  Unfortunately, Kristin and I had to leave it for our new casa (Sergio and Miriam’s place was booked up for the next couple of days).

A glorious view of El Malecon from the window of our hotel room.

The grounds of the Nacional.

The Nacional's patio that had a view of El Malecon.

One last look at a hotel that will forever hold a special part in my heart.

We started our walk at the place I was most excited to see, because of its political significance: the U.S. Diplomatic Mission, which is located in Vedado across from the Nacional.  In 2006, Castro erected huge flag poles with 138 black flags, each centered with a white star, that were aimed to block an electronic sign beaming messages from the facade.  It is basically Castro’s way of giving the middle finger to the U.S. while still “respecting” the idea of freedom of speech.  Cubans say the flags symbolize the people who have died as the result of violent acts against Cuba by Americans since its 1959 Revolution.

A view of the Mission and the notorious flags.

Another view of the Mission and the notorious flags.

A close-up of Castro's flags.

And of course there were more propaganda signs nearby, just in case the flags were not a clear enough message.

Bush + ? = Hitler. Only in Cuba!

Because it was incredibly hot with 100% humidity, we decided to indulge by taking a taxi into downtown La Habana.  I love the following photos that I captured from out of the window along the way.

Once downtown, we simply got lost in the colorful and rhythmic city. . .

Song of the post:

One of my favorite pictures from the trip. It was taken on our ride back to the hotel.

We decided the plan for the evening would include: mojitos at one of the Nacional’s bars, dinner at the nicest restaurant in town, and then dancing at a salsa club.  We left M. to get freshened up and to check our e-mail.  In case you want to get online while in Cuba head to the Nacional.  It is one of the only places you can find a decent connection and you do not have to be a guest to use their computers.

After donning my little black dress for the occasion, Kristin and I went to meet M.  We found him with a huge smile on his face and a bag of my vice (chocolate).  He said, “Everyone deserves a present on their Birthday.”  I was so touched!  Chocolate is a luxury in Cuba and he had spent quite a while walking around trying to find some for me.  The 3 of us then sat to watch the sun set on El Malecon and to drink our mojitos and eat my chocolate.  El Malecon is an 8KM street in La Habana that runs along the water and offers stunning views.  At night mostly lovers meet there for romantic rendezvous’ and to listen to make shift bands play until dawn.

A sunset over El Malecon. It was definitely one of the most memorable ones of my life to date.

My Birthday mojito being made.

M., me, and Kristin toasting to meeting and to my Birthday.

Next, we went to La Guarida.  This restaurant is famous for having the Cuban movie “Tresa y Chocolate” (fitting, huh?) filmed inside it.  If you choose to eat there, which you absolutely should, make sure to make a reservation in advance.

The entrance to the restaurant.

Of course we had to make yet another mojito Birthday toast.

Unfortunately, Kristin started to feel bad towards the end of dinner, so we decided to nix the salsa club and take her back to the hotel.  M. and I did not want to end the evening just yet, thus we decided to have a few more drinks in another Nacional bar.  We continued our intriguing conversation from earlier in the day.  I was enchanted by his round-the-world trip, as I had always dreamed of doing one myself.  He offered to show me his pictures and I agreed instantly.  After looking at his pictures, M. came up with the idea of going for a midnight dip in the hotel’s pool.

Now I was going to be in a forbidden pool in a forbidden country.  ¡Ay dios mio!

All in all, it was the perfect Birthday.  Muchas, muchas gracias Kristin and M. for a day I will never, ever forget.

Song of the post:

So, I was now officially a quarter-of-a-century old AND in Cuba.  There areno word s to articulately describe what I felt then.

Thankfully, the Nacional included a free buffet breakfast, since we were short on cash.  As we were walking to breakfast a friendly Aussie asked us if we knew where breakfast was being served.  We told him to follow us and as simple as that a new friendship was formed.  I have previously mentioned in my blog how deeply important the people that I meet while traveling are to me.  And this was definitely no exception!  M., an Australian nomad, was by himself on the end of a round-the-world trip.  Looking for some fellow travel companions he decided to join us after breakfast on our excursion to the beach.

Not the actual taxi we took to the beach, but an example of one of the fabulous cars that can be found in mass in Cuba.

The beach that we went to was called Playa del Este.  It was about a 15 minute taxi ride from La Habana.  As we walked over the sand dunes and in the direction of the ocean the sight of the crystal blue waters took my breath away!  I will never become jaded with the Caribbean.

Sadly, the beaches in Cuba are divided between tourists and locals.  Tourists are discouraged from going to the local’s side.  Locals, however, are not even allowed to go over to the tourist’s side.  There are police watching to make sure that this never occurs.

In the next 2 pictures guess which side is the tourist’s side and which is the local’s side?

We decided it best to head over to the tourist’s side, aka the empty side of the beach (even though all 3 of us preferred otherwise).  There we found a man that would bring us anything we wanted for only a couple of CUC$’s. . .ahhh, que bueno!

I left M. and Kristin to their sunbathing and went to float in the ocean.  While there, I encountered 2 very drunk Cubans whom kept insisting that I marry them.  M. eventually joined me in the water and kindly pretended to be my husband to get them to leave me alone (poor Kristin became their next target).

M. then tried to take their picture, but they started to get very anxious and talk so rapidly that I could barely understand them.  The problem was that they knew they were on the tourist’s side and if the police somehow saw the pictures they could get in a lot of trouble.  It was not just the ocean; hotels, restaurants, and shops that admitted tourists were not allowed to let Cubans enter either.  That type of segregation was really unsettling and continued to bother me throughout the rest of the trip whenever we encountered it, which was more often than not.

The 2 crazy Cubans; 1 caught in the act of professing his love to me.

We laid out for several hours under the hot Cuban sun and when M. and I would need breaks we would cool down in the ocean and engage in talk of politics, current events, world affairs, our travels, etc.  I felt like I had really met my intellectual match with him!  One of the question’s he asked me was, “What is your greatest vice in life?”  My response, of course, was chocolate.  I would pleasantly discover soon why he had asked me that question.

M. and I enjoying the water. I did it backwards, but I was putting up 25 in honor of my Birthday.

Later in the day it started to rain and we took it as a sign that it was time to find some lunch.  However, finding something vegetarian for me and non-seafood for M. and Kristin was proving to be quite a challenge.  Finally, we happened upon an ice cream stand, which made all 3 of us very happy.  Unbeknownst to us, that also happened to be where our 2 Cuban friends had found refuge as well.  They insisted on buying us ice cream and asking for Kristin and I’s hand in marriage one last time (despite thinking that M. was my husband).  The sun started to come out again and we thanked them for their “generosity” and left them with broken hearts.

About an hour later, having had enough sun for one day, we returned to the hotel in order to start the real celebrations. . .

Song of the post:

Flight status update: delayed, delayed, and delayed some more.  We ended up spending the entire day at the airport.  Finally, around 7PM we decided to cancel our flight to the Pirate Island, as we did not want to spend the night in the miserable airport and waste any more of our precious time.  We were in a predicament though since we had checked our luggage earlier; we now had to somehow find away to get it off the plane.  And even though Kristin and I speak Spanish, our desires were not being communicated very well.  Thankfully, 2 kind gentlemen whom were in the same situation as us overheard our difficulties and came to our rescue.

We got our stuff back, but not before aging a couple of years from the stress.  Apparently, flight delays are more than a common occurrence.  ¡Es Cuba! My advice is to take buses or boats when traveling in the country.

We were delighted to be out of the airport and in a taxi, however now we were homeless.  Not expecting to still be in La Habana; we had no casa reserved for the evening.  Since we had lost a whole day to the airport disaster and the next day was my Birthday we decided to splurge a little and stay in a hotel.  The only problem was that we had not budgeted for one.  So, we turned to our holy Lonely Planet for advice and could not help but fall in love with the description of Hotel Nacional.  It really does not get more glamorous than the Nacional and that is where we were determined to stay (we just needed to figure out how to pay for it first).

Hotel Nacional from the taxi.

Kristin thought I was crazy for thinking I could negotiate a room there for 2 nights.  To be honest, I am not sure where I found the courage to walk into such an establishment and ask for a discount myself?  The woman behind the desk was astonished when I told her that we could only afford to pay almost half of what a room normally costs.  I put on a good show though, not forgetting to mention that in a couple of hours it would be my Birthday.  She eventually took pity on us and gave us the room at the requested price.  Score!!!

The history of this luxurious landmark is deeply rich and captivating.  The Nacional’s tiled lobby, over sized chairs, and aristocratic air capture the atmosphere of a bygone era and it is the perfect place to cool down with a mojito or cuba libre at the end of a hot day.  It is perched on a cliff above el Malecon and is surrounded by lush gardens and pools.  All in all the perfect place to celebrate a special Birthday.

The lobby of Hotel Nacional.

Kristin and I found a nearby restaurant and decompressed from the day.  Around midnight we laid our heads down on our soft pillows and just as I was drifting off to sleep Kristin said, “Feliz Cumpleaños mi amiga,” and with that all of the frustrations that I experienced throughout the day were gone.  And little did I know that it would end up being one of the most memorable Birthdays of my life!

Song of the post:

What a thrill it was to wake up in Cuba!

The view of Habana Vieja outside of our casa.

Kristin and I really wanted to dedicate some of our time in Cuba to snorkeling, especially since it is known for its extraordinary diving spots.  This was the main reason why we booked a side-trip to Isla de la Juventud.  ‘La Isla,’ which is the affectionate name the locals have given it, is situated about 100KM east of the mainland.  It is known for having one of the best underwater coral formations in the Caribbean, as well as drop-offs, ship wrecks, caves, and a variety of marine life.

It is also known for housing some famous people in its prison; including both President Batista and Castro and many pirates whom had sailed there to escape imprisonment elsewhere.  Nueva Gerona is the capitol and that is where we were scheduled to fly in to for 2 days, one of those days being my Birthday.

Kristin and I were told by many Cubans that we needed to arrive 3 hours before our flight.  We both thought that was a bit ridiculous, but when we walked into the domestic terminal we quickly understood why we were given that advice.  There was only 1 person servicing the entire airport.  We waited in line for at least an hour and when we finally made our way to the counter we were informed that there was a flight delay.  Not knowing what to do with ourselves for several hours, we hesitantly checked in our luggage and decided to go for a walk to try and find some propaganda signs we had spotted on the taxi ride to the airport.

The La Habana domestic airport.

As an American, it is impossible to speak about Cuba, let alone to make the choice to travel there, with all the red tape and implied illegalities and say that it is not political.  Therefore, I apologize if my political commentary throughout my posts offends in any way.  Obviously, I am against the current embargo that the U.S. has with Cuba and while I know my traveling there has no impact on it in any way, it was my one little way of rebelling.  I think Che would have been very proud of me!

It was well over 100% humidity and the mosquitoes were out in full-force, though neither of those things mattered to us after finding the signs.  Cuba is the only communist country in the Western Hemisphere and one of the few remaining in the world.  Fidel Castro is now the longest-ruling leader alive today (at the time I visited he was still in power).  I am not a Castro fan, nor any dictator’s for that matter, but I am greatly intrigued by the immense power he continues to have over his great nation.  These signs really captured some of that power and that is why I wanted to photograph them.

The old American cars that drove past us while we walked along the highway looking for the signs were beyond fantastic!  Cuba simply exudes sexiness and the cars definitely add to it.

Having received my political-fix for the day, Kristin and I decided to return to the airport to get an update on our flight situation. . .

Editors Note: This trip was taken in July 2007.  Yes, I was a brunette for a while and yes, I had my nose pierced.  What can I say, other than I am a big believer in changing up your look from time to time!  Also, while you are reading this I am currently traveling throughout South America.  I hope you enjoy the memories of my unforgettable trip to Cuba. . .

First stop: Cancun

Second stop: Forbidden Land

I am an adrenalin junkie like no other!  This trait was developed several years ago and must now be satiated constantly.

So, if you add my fascination with Cuban history and politics + my crush on Che Guevara + my love for mojitos and salsa music WITH being told that I am not allowed to legally enter Cuba; well, I could not have designed a better place to get my adrenaline fix in, nor to celebrate my 25th Birthday.

Several months prior to the trip I asked my friend, Kristin, if she would like to travel to Cuba with me.  Although she is as equally obsessed with traveling to exotic places, I still thought she would laugh at my crazy proposition.  However, without hesitation she said, “Siiiii!”  And within days our trip was planned.

We bought our flights to Cancun through Jetblue and then our flights to La Habana through Cubana.  As the trip approached we decided to take a side trip to Isla de la Juventud.  That flight was also booked through Cubana.

The flight to Cancun was uneventful.  At the airport we had to buy a Cuban visa for $25 at the Cubana desk.  Because we are Americans, instead of pasting it into our passports they simply pasted it on to a little sheet of paper that they then tucked inside of our passports.  We did not have to ask for this courtesy, it was simply done without any mentioning.

We were starving and had a while before our flight took off, so we went to get some lunch.  For some reason the both of us had in our heads that we were to board at the actual time our flight departed.  Wow, did we panic when we checked our tickets and saw that we were in fact incorrect!  We grabbed our lunch and dashed to the gate.  Fortunately, the flight was delayed (a concept we were going to become intimately familiar with during our time in Cuba); otherwise we would have missed our flight due to our carelessness.

The flight from Cancun to La Habana via Cubana was interesting to say the least.  The plane was ex-Soviet with limited legroom and AC, the flight attendants walked around in life preservers, and instead of peanuts they passed out candy.

Since I was afraid of my luggage being lost forever in Cuba, I chose to solely bring carry-on.  I was quite proud of myself for fitting a week’s worth of stuff into a small bag (with a little room to spare for my Lonely Planet Cuba guide and the cigars I wanted to smuggle back).  Kristin and I each brought approximately $1000 cash (Euros for Kristin and Mexican Pesos for me), which we exchanged into Cuban Convertible Pesos (CUC$) at the airport once we landed.  You can exchange American Dollars in Cuba, but you are then subject to a 20% extra tax for doing so.  Avoid it by bringing any other type of currency.  Credit and debit cards for Americans are not accepted anywhere in the country due to the economic embargo and I strongly suggest to bring more money than you expect to need, as Cuba is surprisingly expensive for tourists.

My 1st sighting of Cuba from the taxi!

The best accommodations are the casa particulares, or government regulated rooms that Cubans rent to foreigners.  We found ours here.  Strangely, we did not end up staying at some of the ones we booked online, because as you will eventually read our plans changed A LOT.  However, we found other casas to stay in at the last minute and they ended up being perfect.

On our 1st night in La Habana we were going to stay with someone we had met through Couchsurfing, except when we arrived at the casa the gentleman that we had been in communication with informed us that the room we had requested was no longer available.  Thankfully, he suggested that we stay at his friend’s casa instead.  From that point on the motto of our trip became the commonly used Cuban phrase:

“Es Cuba (that’s Cuba)!”

Whenever we encountered a frustration, which was often, we would say it and in doing so we would start to smile again.

The casa we then went to was owned by a lovely couple named Sergio and Miriam.  They were incredibly hospitable and had an adorable daughter who fell in love with my iPod.  Our room had 2 double beds with AC.  I highly recommend staying with them if you are in La Habana.  The area that the casa was located in was called Habana Vieja, or Old Habana.  After getting settled into our room we went for a stroll around the neighborhood and over to Plaza Vieja, which was a beautiful aging plaza with a fountain in the center of it.

An old church illuminated by moonlight in Habana Vieja.

The main building in Plaza Vieja.

We ate at Café Taberna and before our meals arrived we toasted our 1st of many mojitos of the trip.  We made it and we could not wait to further explore this forbidden land!