Arrival into Havana

Let's just start by saying that this trip was somewhat of a spontaneous decision. Anik and I were having a quiet Canada Day barbeque at her mother's place; where Anik was housesitting. I happened to mention that I had seen something on the internet about a one-week stay in Havana including airfare, hotel with buffet breakfast for a very reasonable $ 1,000. What I did not know was that Anik was itching to take a small vacation, nothing lavish but just a change in scenery. So long story short, Anik and I were off to Havana, Cuba for a week.

At this point, this is my sixth time in Cuba but really the first time as a tourist. My other visits have been the traditional visits to Cuba, the laying out on the beach in a resort. I had been to Havana on two separate occasions as part of excursions and I have since dreamed of spending one week simply in Havana; to soak up the sights, people watch, listen to the music and just soak in the Cuban culture. We all know that I am drawn to this country and its people. I have often thought that I was Cuban in another lifetime. When that plane lands and I find myself in Cuba, there is a sense of belonging and of having been here before. It's indescribable really the feeling that I get as I enter this country.

We drove to the Trudeau Airport in Montreal to catch our flight on Cubana Airlines directly into Havana. During the flight there was a bit of turbulence but nothing of alarming proportions. We were definitely flying into a storm seeing that at one point we were witness to a number of large lightning bolts. At first, I thought that it was just the flickering lights on the wings but it became clear that we were seeing lightning. The sky was pitch black by this time so the bolts of lightning were very stricking. Quite a spectacle.

As we arrived at the airport, something struck me about this arrival into Cuba. There were families waiting for passengers. This might seem like a strange observation but you have to remember that I have only travelled into areas of Cuba where all of the passengers are essentially heading directly to resorts. This was truly the first time that I had flown into Cuba with fellow passengers that were actually Cuban. It was actually quite refreshing and touching to see. Families gathered to meet their loved ones with smiles, flowers and whole lot of anticipation.

We quickly found our tour operator and hopped into our cab to head to the hotel. It was hot and the humidity was heavy in the air. Of course, I always get excited at the first palm tree sighting which only signals that I have arrived! At one point, I told Anik that I was looking forward to seeing something recognizable. Within minutes of having uttered those words, the Plaza de la Revolucion came into sight and more spectacularly the monument to Jose Marti. I had seen this monument twice before but always in broad daylight. Although impressive, I had never been overwhelmed by its presence. Now having seen it at night and completely illuminated, the first sight of it just took my breath away. To the left was the Ministerio del Interior, famously known for its large sculpture of Che Guevera and the words "Hasta La Victoria Siempre" adorning the facade of the building.

At one point, I could see the lighthouse of the Castillo de Los Tres Reyes del Morro and I knew that we were driving along the famed Malecon. I had heard that this was a gathering place for Cubanos but could not have imagined how true that statement would be. It was Saturday night after all and the length of the Malecon wall was swarming with young Cubanos; young couples in love, groups of kids just hanging out on a Saturday night. All ages and types gathered in one central spot enjoying a beautiful night outside on the Malecon.

Quickly after that, we were at the Hotel Sevilla, our home away from home for the next week. The clerk who checked us in was very friendly, especially when he realized that he and I shared the same birthday. Our room was actually quite nice, right on the corner of the hotel which meant that we had two large windows on each side of the room that we could open to let the Cuban breeze flow in. At this point, I could not tell you what the view was like seeing that it was quite dark but that of course was the surprise for the following morning.

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