havana vieja
dilapidated, music around every corner, crumbling seawall, peeling paintwork, beautiful architecture, stray dogs and cats, kids playing soccer on the streets, and che guevara's image everywhere. some streets are in the process of being restored, calle obispo and calle mercaderes, and filled with shops, bars, and restaurants. kai kept a journal while we were in cuba and this was his first sentence, "my first thought was that this place is old, dirty, and has lots of rubble everywhere." despite the neglect, we loved it's atmosphere. we weren't in a hurry to leave and felt our 4 days there was the perfect amount of time.
la casa
we stayed in a private home, hotel peregrino el encinar in havana vieja, the old town. when we first arrived, late at night, the street was dark, the façade of the house wasn't anything great, the street narrow and full of rubble, i wondered where i brought myself and my boys. however, once inside, we felt welcomed. the accommodation was simple, the room cozy, and a rooftop terrace to hangout in. julio, the homeowner, was very helpful and kind from my first correspondence with him via email to our departure.
havana vieja, plaza de la cathedral
the casa is located near the plaza de la cathedral, havana's 18th century town square. as it's name implies, the plaza is dominated by the cathedral de san cristobal. it's baroque façade was designed by an italian architect.
havana vieja, plaza vieja
plaza vieja is a gem. it was our favourite hang out. we started each of our days drinking coffee at the café escorial - the best coffee house in havana and stefan concurs - a game of cards and people watching. it had such a magical energy to it. btw, my coffee, café con leche e helado, came with a scoop of ice cream. so very good!
it is an architecturally eclectic plaza which has been undergoing restoration since 1996. it houses restaurants, bars, a micro brewery, museums, an elementary school and shops. the restoration is beautifully done.
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| can you spot my boys? |
the plaza de armas is havana's oldest plaza. it is large, lined with palms, and hosts a daily secondhand book market. i love that the market is not set up for tourists but instead tourists have the privilege to engage in the cubans favourite pastime, reading. the literacy rate is incredibly high. i picked up che: the diaries of ernesto che guevara. the main draw to the plaza for us was the castillo de la real fuerza. this fort has a moat, lookouts and models of spanish galleons. as i thought, kai was very interested in it.
malecon
havana's seawall stretches 8km and is known to be cuba's most quintessentially place. friends, family, couples, musicians, and fishermen congregate along the malecon any time of day but mostly as the sun is setting.
parque historico militar morro-cabana
it was on the malecon that we were approached by a man and his 1948 desoto car. he took us across the bay to visit the parque historico militar morro-cabana. the views of havana are spectacular from across the water. my boys were interested in the missiles that nearly caused world war 3. add in a couple of forts and the residence of che (before he took off again to battle), it made for a perfect spontaneous activity.
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| our destination |
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| our ride |
centro havana
in centro havana, we visited the museo de la revoluction, which was the former presidential palace and target for the unsuccessful assassination of batista led by the revolutionary leaders - bullet holes remain in place. there is much propaganda for the present day socialist regime and exhibits of che's life. the museum is also surrounded with vehicles associated with the revolution, including the tank used by castro during the 1961 bay of pigs battle. kai found the story of the revolution and cubans penchant for displaying che's image everywhere very curious (we avoided the floor with the bloodstained uniforms!).
centro havana is also home to the parque central, it was the first of many statue's of jose marti, the poet, we would see in cuba - apparently there are thousands. the park is also where, under the palm trees, the serious business of talking baseball occurs.
we also stopped by this neighbourhood to swim at hotel seville. with the warm weather, kai was eager to get into the water.
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| a sweet spot in the middle of the city |
unlike old havana and centre havana, vedado is a big residential neighbourhood with wide boulevards, trees, and home to the hotel nacional. the hotel is a grandiose building rich in detail and a lovely patio overlooking the bay - the perfect spot for sipping mojitos.
i was looking forward to visiting the plaza de la revolution but there isn't much there - a huge concrete block with boring concrete buildings around, one is well known for its huge mural of che guevara. we also spotted another jose marti sculpture. thank goodness coppelia ice cream saved the day!
eli
we met eli around the corner from our casa and fell for him instantly. like most cubans, eli was polite and friendly and most of all we loved how passionate he was about his car, a 1959 ford galaxy. it was in pristine condition and the seats were covered in plastic to protect them. cute, right? we hired eli for a couple of days to first drive us to and from the beach and then the following day to take us to our next destination.
playa del este
havana's very own palm fringed beach, playa del este, was a lovely way to while away an afternoon. it's a beach where both locals and tourists can play and relax. the 9km stretch is rather undeveloped which made for a quiet and enjoyable afternoon. while we were there the water was anything but calm so we didn't enjoy the clear blue waters but it certainly made for a great game of crashing into the waves.
havana's very own palm fringed beach, playa del este, was a lovely way to while away an afternoon. it's a beach where both locals and tourists can play and relax. the 9km stretch is rather undeveloped which made for a quiet and enjoyable afternoon. while we were there the water was anything but calm so we didn't enjoy the clear blue waters but it certainly made for a great game of crashing into the waves.
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| cannons are placed everywhere |
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| these guys really wanted me to take their photo so i obliged. |
the food
and, last but certainly not least: eating, of course. try the ropa vieja (stefan's favourite), shrimp creole (kai's favourite), or a simple raw vegetable plate (the freshest veggies i've ever had which amplified their flavour). seafood and fruits are not to be missed (i had the best bananas and pineapple). bread is the go to snack and we snacked on a lot of tuna sandwiches!
in the last few years cubans have taken advantage of the more liberal laws (no more seating capped at 12, no high taxes, and employees can be hired). they opened privately run restaurants, paladors, right out of their home. it's a food revolution and the choices are plentiful. our favourite meal was at dona eutimia, near the plaza de cathedral. simple, no fuss food with plenty of flavour. and their slushy mojitos were divine.
each night, before heading back to the casa, we stopped at la dichosa; a perfect place for listening to local bands like “los 5 del son" and drinking one more mojito (kai drank his without rum, of course).
our cuba trip, part two - las terrazas coming soon!
Yeah you are right that Cuba is pretty cheap than other travelling locations. In your Cuba holiday packages you can see many places in cuba. Even many Cuba hotels are providing best accommodations.
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